Chapter 292: Reckless Driving is Bad (Part 3)
Three days had passed.
During that time, a curious rumor had spread among the members of the Charcoal Wind tribe.
“Dear, have you heard? About that human.”
“Human? Which one?”
“The one who visited a few days ago.”
“Oh, the one with the red speeding badge? Lloyd Frontera, was it?”
“Yes, that’s right. Lloyd Frontera. But guess what, he’s going to give a lecture.”
“A lecture?”
“Yes.”
“What about?”
“About what speeding really is. He’s going to give an in-depth lecture on it.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. You’ve been anxious lately about your dwindling stamina in races, haven’t you?”
“Uh, yes. I’m not as fit as I used to be.”
“Then how about you attend this lecture?”
“Think it will help?”
“Of course. At the very least, we won’t lose anything by going. Let’s take the kids too.”
“Take the kids too?”
“You know how important early education is these days.”
“Hmm, that does make sense. Not just any species, but a human who earned a red speeding badge must have some secret to running faster.”
“Exactly! Wouldn’t it be great if our kids grew up to be like him, earning red badges themselves?”
“Absolutely. You’re always so wise.”
…went a conversation between a couple.
Or…
“Brother! It’s chaos!”
“What? What happened?”
“That human who got the red speeding badge? He’s giving a lecture.”
“What? A lecture? About what?”
“About what speeding is! He’s going to teach everyone.”
“…Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s serious.”
“Right? I’m worried he might spread our proprietary running techniques everywhere.”
“That would be bad. That’s supposed to be our secret.”
“Should we patent it now?”
“Hmm, when’s the lecture?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“Shoot. Even if we file a patent now, we won’t have enough time for the assessment.”
“So, what should we do?”
“Let’s just attend the lecture first. We need to see what his theory on speeding is.”
“Alright, brother. Should I put us down for the lecture?”
“Yes. Sign us all up.”
“Really? Every member?”
“Of course. Not just the running members, but the hoof maintenance team too. Even if his theory differs from our techniques, it could still be useful.”
“Yes, understood, brother.”
…went a conversation among some young centaurs of the tribe.
The rumor didn’t stop there.
It spread beyond the Charcoal Wind tribe’s territory.
Like a horse with no legs running a thousand li.
The rumor spread throughout the great plains.
“Chieftain! The human who received the red speeding badge in the neighboring Charcoal Wind territory is giving a lecture!”
“This is an opportunity. If it’s about human theories of speeding, it must be different from ours; learning and referencing it could be beneficial.”
“Let’s go!”
“Faster!”
“Swifter!”
“Unstoppable!”
From the neighboring Tribes of Grass Rock, Deer Cloud, and others, including the Mushroom Water and Dew Post Tribes, centaurs from a total of 21 tribes across the plains flocked to hear Lloyd’s lecture.
The number gathered was like a cloud.
The crowd included young and old, male and female.
Young couples with their children.
Elderly boasting they were still in their prime.
And young centaur foals whose dream was to be future reckless driving champions.
In just three days since the rumor spread, the Charcoal Wind village buzzed like Sindorim Station during rush hour, but with horses, not people.
Everyone had gathered to hear Lloyd’s lecture.
The next morning, Lloyd’s lecture, titled “What Is Speeding?”, finally began.
“Ahem, thank you all for gathering here. I am Lloyd Frontera.”
In the wide meadow near the Charcoal Wind village, Lloyd addressed the over a thousand centaurs gathered.
With mana-charged vocal cords, he spoke in a clear voice, turning slightly to show the red speeding badge on his back.
A murmur of admiration rippled through the crowd.
“…It’s real. A real red speeding badge.”
“It looks even more radiant in person.”
“Mom, I’ve never seen one before.”
“Remember it well. One day you’ll be an adult who earns hundreds of those. Okay?”
Murmurs of admiration buzzed around.
Lloyd waited for the excitement to settle before continuing.
“Yes, welcome. I am the human who earned the red speeding badge. I believe you are all here curious about my secrets to running. Indeed. What is speeding? Today, from now on, we’ll have a meaningful discussion about speeding. Shall we start with some applause?”
Applause broke out naturally among the centaurs, bringing a satisfied smile to Lloyd’s face.
“Yes, doesn’t it feel good to warm up those palms? Circulation is so important. Now, let’s get to the heart of the lecture. What is speeding? I believe it’s a question all of you ponder deeply every day, all day. Right?”
Nods.
Everyone agreed.
What is speeding?
How can we run faster?
How can we outrun competitors like the wind?
That was their sole concern.
Always, forever, a lifelong yearning.
Lloyd knew this well.
That’s why he had prepared today’s lecture.
And he began with a provocative statement.
“To put it bluntly, speeding is the dumbest thing you can do.”
Shocked expressions all around.
But Lloyd’s words only grew bolder.
“Running fast feels great, exhilarating. But think about it. Isn’t it a bit foolish and childish to boast about your speed everywhere without any discretion?”
Silence.
“I’ve seen it in my days here. Many of you sprint recklessly within the tribe’s village. Between barns at intersections, through alleys between tents, near areas where young foals play—everywhere, without care. Near misses and actual accidents, I’ve witnessed them multiple times.”
Silence continued.
“So, what’s the use? No matter how fast you run, speeding around causing accidents, hurting other centaurs, hurting yourselves. Do you know what we call that in the human world? A nuisance.”
The silence deepened, growing colder.
The looks directed at Lloyd were equally chilly, far chiller than he expected.
A bitter smile crossed Lloyd’s face as he recalled his days in South Korea.
‘There were quite a few reckless drivers there too.’
Thinking back, it wasn’t just a few.
Cars pushing through at intersections despite the pedestrian light being green.
Or speeding past pedestrians crossing the street.
Even on small neighborhood roads without traffic lights, it was the same.
Cars would pass without yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks.
Finding a car that would stop to let pedestrians pass was rare.
Not to mention…
‘Parking in no-parking zones, near fire hydrants, or close to crosswalks was common. Speeding above the limit was the norm. Everyone slowed down only when passing speed cameras and sped up again once past.’
Before joining the military, before his family’s fortunes declined, he had driven his father’s car to Busan.
That’s when he first realized it.
The 110 km/h speed limit on the Central Inland Expressway was only adhered to near speed cameras.
In places without cameras, speeds of 130, 140, 150 km/h were common.
Even in the city, the story was the same.
‘City speed limits of 50, 60 km/h… nobody followed those. Well, that was still better than reckless driving. Most people sped a bit but didn’t drive dangerously. But some people…’
He sighed.
Reckless drivers were frequent.
Cutting in without signaling.
Speeding dangerously through intersections.
Zigzagging across several lanes.
Throwing cigarette butts and sparks out the window.
Drivers behind would honk and flash their high beams threateningly if the car in front was too slow.
‘That’s outright reckless and thoughtless driving.’
Such cases were not rare.
Quite frequent, actually.
It was somewhat shocking.
It felt wrong.
What were they thinking when they took the wheel?
The same was true here.
‘The centaurs here are similar. They barely recognize their own reckless driving. They’ve always run like this, considering such speed release anywhere as a tradition. They simply can’t grasp the concept of observing speed based on location and circumstances.’
Only interested in running faster.
That was all that mattered to them.
Safety was irrelevant.
He felt a change was necessary.
That’s why he said it.
Lloyd boldly, almost provocatively, continued.
“If you have any common sense, any intellect, if you know how to show consideration, then naturally, you should know where it’s appropriate to run and where it’s not. You don’t just relieve yourself anywhere, right? Running is the same. You should be able to judge whether a place is suitable for sprinting or not. And if you can’t? Do you know what you’re called?”
Silence.
No one responded.
In the chilling silence, Lloyd’s voice rang out clearly.
“Thoughtless. That’s what you’d be called. Unfortunately, that’s what I’ve seen here. You run wherever, even if kids are around. You dash as if others should just dodge you. And when you crash and fall, then you regret it while clutching a broken leg. Really, that’s not how a true champion, a true runner behaves.”
“Then how should one run, oh wise human?”
Finally, a voice of defiance.
Among the centaurs gathered for the lecture, one young centaur stood out.
He was noticeably larger than the others, with thick, sturdy hooves and well-developed muscles that writhed like a statue’s.
His body was covered in silk-like white fur, and even his face was strikingly handsome.
Lloyd addressed the young centaur.
“And your name is?”
“Comanche. I am the three-time champion of these plains.”
“Champion? So, you’re the fastest centaur here?”
“That’s right. And, I will be the next great chief of all the centaurs.”
The young centaur turned, showing the red speeding badges on his back—five of them.
“I think that introduction suffices. Now, tell me, wise human. How does a runner with common sense, intellect, and consideration, which you advocate, actually run? I’d like to hear your grand theory.”
“Yes, a good question. The answer is simple. Run freely, but only in the right places. Don’t be a nuisance to others.”
“So, you’re saying, restrict our freedom to run wherever we want?”
“Not freedom, but rather mayhem.”
“It’s our tradition!”
“Tradition or bad habit?”
“That rude remark, can you prove and take responsibility for it?”
“How would you like me to prove it and take responsibility?”
“Race me!”
The excited Comanche thumped his chest, almost bellowing his challenge.
“In your human terms, you might not understand, but we centaurs do not heed the slow. Prove it. Show that you are faster than our kind!”
“Hmm, I already have a red speeding badge, you know?”
“That must have been won by a hamster, not you!”
Comanche pointed accusingly.
“I heard from my cousin, the patrol captain, that you entered the race riding a giant hamster! Therefore, I cannot accept you. Prove your speed by the strength of your own legs, slicing through the wind!”
“So, if I understand you correctly, if I race you on foot and win, you’ll accept my viewpoint?”
“Exactly!”
“So this is a challenge you’re throwing down, Mr. Comanche?”
“Absolutely!”
Comanche declared boldly, confident.
A frail, slow human with thin legs could never beat a centaur champion like him.
Today, in front of everyone, he would crush the insolent and arrogant human’s pride.
His smile was fierce, filled with certainty.
Lloyd smiled broadly too.
And thought, ‘He’s taken the bait, just as I hoped.’