The Man Called Demon Lord in Another World Has Returned! - chapter 24

Chapter 24: Horse Racing 2

There were nine horses in the first race. This race was apparently 1400 meters on turf. Being the day’s first race, the stands still had empty spaces and weren’t particularly lively.

My single bet, horse number 2, was a black horse with a remarkably glossy coat named Aokage. The old man’s number 4 horse was brown, so it was a bay.

As I listened to the old man’s commentary, it seemed the race time had arrived, and the horses were being announced. The people who led the horses to the gates were retreating through the gaps at the bottom.

Soon, the gates opened, and the racehorses burst out running.

From the short straight after the start, the nine horses spread out sideways but remained in a tight bunch as they entered the corner. As they rounded the corner, the group gradually moved inward and clustered, but no horse had broken away yet.

I was already casting my spells. I lightly cast “Stamina” on horse number 2 to minimize fatigue, and gently cast “Fatigue” on the other horses to tire them somewhat. This should naturally allow number 2 to finish first. If it’s still close towards the end, I can use “Haste” and “Slow” as needed for perfection. I’ll try to adjust so the old man’s number 4 horse finishes second if possible.

The nine horses rounded the corner and entered the straight. The top three numbers on the large screen began changing rapidly.

Thud-thud-thud-thud.

The racehorses thundered towards the goal. The jockeys were crouched, leaning forward, almost standing. It was quite intense. The group spread out more to the left and right, perhaps trying to overtake the horses in front.

For now, the old man’s number 4 with the blue cap was in the lead. My number 2 was around fourth or fifth place. The real race starts now.

Thud-thud-thud-thud. The sound of horses pounding the turf grew louder.

300 meters left on the straight. The front-runners gradually began to slow. Among them, the black cap of number 2 smoothly broke through, taking the lead with 150 meters to go.

Number 2 maintained its lead, finishing first with a significant gap to second place.

The old man’s number 4, distracted by my “Haste” spell that didn’t quite reach in time, narrowly finished third. My 500,000 yen had grown to about 3 million, but the old man’s 100,000 yen ticket became worthless. It seems the mix of cheers, sighs, and confetti in the stands was true.

We headed to the paddock for the next race. The old man urged me to cash in my winning ticket first, but I told him I’d cash them all in together since there was no way I’d lose the later races. He gave a wry smile. I understand his feeling.

“Beginner’s luck really is a thing, huh?”

At this point, the old man still seemed to think my win was just luck.

The races after this were simply routine. I decided to bet 1 million yen each on the next four races and end my work for the day there. With average odds of just under 7 to 1, my funds swelled to about 30 million yen.

The old man and I moved to the high-stakes window, located in a slightly remote area of the venue.

As the old man said, this area was much less crowded than the stands.

When I handed my winning tickets to the lady at the counter, I received a receipt number. After waiting a while, a different staff member came with a large paper bag. Peeking inside, I saw three blocks of 10,000 yen notes about 10 cm thick, along with some loose bills.

“Please confirm the amount.”

Indeed, there was just over 30 million yen in the paper bag.

I tore off the paper band from one of the blocks and gave two bundles of 1 million yen to the old man as a tip.

“You’re giving this to me?”

“I told you to expect a commission, didn’t I?”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it, boss. I’m heading home now. Let me know if anything comes up. If you’re going to keep betting, do it in moderation. Well then.”

“Ah, thank you too. Take care on your way home.”

I parted ways with the old man at the racecourse and headed home. Over the course of the races, the old man had lost about 300,000 yen before he started copying my bets and ended up winning around 1.5 million. Combined with my tip, he made 3.5 million. I’m glad he made some nice pocket money.