I didn't have a name.
I was just an ordinary horse born on an ordinary ranch.
I wasn't one to brag, but I was raised being told I was the most promising of all the horses born that year. I did my best to live up to those expectations. My life consisted mainly of eating, exercising, and sleeping. My physique grew large, and I eventually gained the confidence that I could carry any load given to me.
The turning point came one day.
The ranch owner, who usually acted high and mighty, bowed and scraped before a merchant who had come to buy me. He was a powerful-looking man who clearly had money. I braced myself, figured that at least I wasn't being sold to a bad place.
The merchant bought a mare at the same time. Since he had specifically checked my gender before buying her, I wondered... was she meant to be my breeding partner?
Was this for real?
She was someone I’d thought was quite lovely for a long time. Now, I told myself not to get ahead of myself. It hadn't been officially decided that we were a pair. And yet... I couldn't help but get my hopes up.
Then, I was tied up by a dragon and taken into the sky.
Ah. So that was it. I was just dragon food. I was nothing more than a souvenir to be taken home and eaten.
Hahaha. It had been a short life for a horse.
Or so I thought, until I was released in a place that looked like a ranch in some village.
The ground was reasonably soft. Judging by the fence, I wouldn't have called it spacious, but it wasn't cramped either. The grass growing there was delicious, and the stable was brand new. There were goats in the same area, but they didn't come near me because of the size difference, so I didn't mind them.
In short, it wasn't bad. No, it was good. It was a great place.
And then there was the mare standing beside me. She really was my breeding partner.
Yes! I did it!
Whoops, I couldn't show my joy so blatantly. I had to stay cool. Yes, I had to be professional about this. The first contact was everything. If I failed here, things would get difficult in more ways than one. So, after thinking it through as hard as I could, I spoke to her.
"So, how many foals are you looking to have?"
I went too fast! No, wait, hold on—ignore that!
She immediately distanced herself from me. Ugh...
While I was wondering how I could ever get back on good terms with her, the master of the place arrived. He was a human. He wanted to ride me?
Heh. Very well. You may bask in the comfort of my gait.
...He was a terrible rider. He clearly had never been on a horse before. His instructions were poor, and he didn't seem to have any natural knack for it either. In conclusion, this master was a failure as a horseman. On top of that, the wolves he brought with him were terrifying. I really wished they would stop threatening me.
Sometimes, people other than the master came to ride me. There was a girl with long ears and another with beast-like ears. Both of them were far better at handling horses than the master was. I could actually enjoy a good run with them. Master, please don't look at me so reproachfully when they do.
One day, a slime came to ride me. Now, hold on—a slime wanted to ride me? Well, it was wrong to judge before giving it a chance. Fine. I let it on and tried running.
Oh, this was actually quite nice. It felt as if I weren't carrying anything at all.
...Wait, the slime had fallen off. My apologies. I promised to run a bit slower next time.
What? The speed just now was fine, so one more time? I didn't mind. I kept running, keeping the slime company. That slime was a hard-working fellow. (Though I didn't actually know if slimes had genders.)
Then, I saw the slime riding a wolf.
I was crushed. Seriously? You liked the wolf better than me?
I went into a sulk. I ate my grass while lying down, not feeling like doing anything anymore. But then, the slime came back to ride me again.
Heh. I assumed the wolf was faster than me, wasn't it?
Wait... if you were going to go that far to apologize... well, I suppose I had no choice. Just for a little bit, then.
Heh. To say my ride was more elegant than a wolf's... I already knew that, of course, but it was nice to hear.
Then, a rival appeared. They were called Centaurs.
Guh. To think they were running with my master on their backs... That master was my master. Master, Master, shouldn't you be riding me too? At this point, I was willing to endure your lack of skill. I would make up for the rider's deficiencies myself.
...Though it was a problem if those deficiencies exceeded what I could compensate for. Still, I wouldn't lose to the likes of a Centaur. I felt like I absolutely couldn't lose to them.
Hey! Don't you go making eyes at my wife!
I had been caught off guard because I thought he was just a child. But even a child, a Centaur was still a Centaur. A male was a male.
"Since when did I become your wife?" she asked.
Come on, honey. It was a bit late for that, wasn't it? I still remembered that spring during mating season when we both gave in to our instincts. Her belly was bulging now; it was almost time for her to give birth. It seemed things were busy because the village's population was growing, but the long-eared girls and the beast-eared girls were taking good care of her. I was counting on them.
Then, my son was born.
Oh... I was truly moved. Grow up big and healthy, little guy. My wife worked hard, too.
My name is Belford.
The master had originally given me the name of some famous horse, but it never felt right. Maybe it was because that was a time when I was still struggling with the distance between me and my wife. Belford was the name the beast-eared girl gave me, and it fit perfectly. Maybe that was because it was around the time I finally started getting along with my wife.
Anyway, I intended to keep doing my best as the fastest horse in this village. My son, behold your father's gallant figure!
Today was the day of the race against the Centaurs. I had practiced hard for this day.
One shouldn't worry too much about the results of a race. Yes, it all came down to luck in the end. It was no good to be obsessed with winning or losing...
Even if your father was going to spend the rest of the day sulking in bed.