Honestly, sometimes Kitahara Sota genuinely had no idea what was going on inside the heads of the little Uma Musume under his care.
Clearly, Nice Nature herself was the one who insisted that he touch her ears and tail—even refusing when he tried to stop.
And he'd repeatedly asked her if it really felt comfortable.
Yet now, even though he had followed her every request, she was looking at him with tear-filled eyes, asking if bullying her was really that much fun. He just couldn't wrap his head around it.
Even more incomprehensibly, right after Nice Nature said those words, he instinctively thought it best to let go, since she might genuinely be uncomfortable.
But the moment he released his grip, Nice Nature once again pressed herself forward, looking even more aggrieved than before.
So, do you want me to continue or not...?
Kitahara couldn't help but grumble inwardly, but seeing her pitiful expression, he couldn't bear to trouble her further.
In the end, he simply complied, following whatever she asked, comforting her until they'd finished cleaning the room. And afterward, per her request, he gently held her in his arms and continued stroking until she was finally satisfied.
What even is all this...?
After calming Nice Nature, Kitahara glanced back at her, now curled into a little ball with her head lowered shyly. He muttered inwardly and quickly returned to his work.
And with that, time quietly passed by again.
...
Two days later, at the racecourse.
Today was the debut day for Grass Wonder and Special Week. Kitahara followed his usual routine—waking up, washing, having breakfast—before accompanying the two girls to the venue.
Unlike the competitions Kitahara had previously attended, a debut race wasn't strictly a formal event; rather, it was closer to a driving test, designed simply to certify Uma Musume as qualified to race.
As long as a girl completed the debut race with decent results, she'd earn eligibility to formally compete from the following year onward.
Given this nature—and the sheer number of Uma Musume involved—the debut races were held directly at the track inside Tracen Academy. They didn't even need to leave the campus.
Given the scale, the overall standard was, naturally, not especially high.
Even basic competitions at regional Tracen branches required three preliminary wins before girls could qualify for official, OP-level professional races.
But any Uma Musume who was officially registered at Tracen could run the debut race—most of whom still didn't even have trainers yet.
Although the academy's trainers had recently gone a bit crazy scouting for girls due to the Chairwoman's new policy—Komata Hajime, for example, had even taken in Tamamo Cross and Super Creek—the huge influx of transfer students made matters even more chaotic.
Now, the ratio of Uma Musume to trainers had reached an absurd thirty-to-one—an unprecedented imbalance in Tracen's entire history.
Even with the new policies, this outrageous imbalance could only be slightly alleviated.
Furthermore, generally speaking, Uma Musume could only start seeking out trainers after completing their debut race.
After all, not every trainer had Kitahara Sota's abnormal insight—or his otherworldly knowledge—allowing him to pinpoint an Uma Musume's potential from just their name or a brief observation.
So the debut races had become a mutual selection process: not only did Uma Musume try to catch the eyes of trainers, but trainers also crowded around, scouting the field to uncover promising talents.
None of this, however, had anything to do with Kitahara anymore.
His team had already reached capacity—honestly, it was even a bit beyond capacity.
Today, he was purely here to watch Special Week and Grass Wonder compete. Even if an Uma Musume came directly to Reverse Nominate him, he'd firmly refuse.
Moreover, since he was somewhat famous within the academy now, he'd deliberately tried to avoid any awkward Reverse Nomination scenario by hiding himself among the trainers in the audience seats, trying his hardest to blend into the background.
But although Kitahara's intentions were good, he seemed to have forgotten that within Tracen Academy, he was far more famous among trainers than among the Uma Musume themselves.
Moreover, as time passed and people gradually realized certain things about him, his already considerable reputation had increased even further.
Thus, the moment Kitahara squeezed himself into the group of trainers to lower his profile, he ironically ended up drawing even more attention.
Those trainers who were familiar with him immediately came over and struck up friendly conversations.
And even those who didn't know him personally kept glancing at him curiously, surprise and confusion evident in their eyes.
This guy's pelvis still hasn't shattered yet...?
Consequently, with all this attention from trainers surrounding him, Kitahara became the unintended focus of nearly everyone present—even the Uma Musume preparing for their debut couldn't help but glance his way a few times.
Noticing their gazes, Kitahara immediately regretted his choice, thinking miserably he should have just hidden away in a remote corner somewhere.
But regret was useless now; colleagues had already started chatting enthusiastically, and he couldn't just rudely leave. So he remained there, enduring everyone's attention as he awkwardly chatted with the trainers.
As they talked, a slightly delighted female voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"Trainer Kitahara, you're here to watch the debut race too?"
Kitahara turned around and saw the voice's owner.
Karai Risa.
She was the newly appointed trainer this semester, the same one who had previously asked him for his autograph.
"Yeah. Two girls from my team are debuting today, so I came over to watch," Kitahara replied, pausing briefly before continuing. "Are you here scouting for your tantou?"
After all, the Chairwoman's new rules required newly appointed trainers to take on at least one tantou within their first year.
As far as Kitahara knew, after he had rejected Karai Risa's previous request to join his team, she hadn't joined any other team as an assistant trainer—so it seemed likely she'd come here looking to scout potential candidates.
"Hmm, sort of." Karai Risa sat down beside him. "If I find someone suitable—and if she's willing to trust a rookie trainer like me—then having an extra tantou might be nice. It'd be even better if I could eventually form a larger team. I actually quite like lively atmospheres…"
An extra tantou?
Kitahara was slightly stunned.
"You already have a tantou?"
"Strictly speaking, not yet," Karai Risa paused briefly. "But there's this very adorable girl planning to debut around this time next year, and we get along very well. She's already agreed to become my tantou…"
"Congratulations, then. To secure a tantou this quickly—that's genuinely impressive," Kitahara sincerely congratulated her.
It wasn't unheard of for trainers to find a tantou within their first year, but it was definitely rare. Despite the new policy, most rookie trainers still chose to play it safe by working as assistants under senior trainers, neatly sidestepping the requirements.
Karai Risa smiled faintly, responding, "I guess it's alright. But compared to you, Trainer Kitahara—you built a full-sized team in just half a year, and your achievements are astonishing. I'm still far behind..."
Hearing her say this, Kitahara hesitated briefly, replying with a slightly helpless tone.
"My situation is a special case. You really shouldn't compare yourself to me. And large teams aren't as great as you imagine—sure, it's lively, but there's always a mountain of problems to deal with..."
Karai Risa blinked. "Does your team have a lot of work to handle?"
Kitahara nodded calmly. "A lot."
"So you're usually very busy, right?"
"It's manageable—but when races pile up, things get pretty hectic."
"How about I join your team as an assistant trainer to help ease your workload?"
"That sounds go—... Wait, no! Absolutely not!"
Karai Risa had delivered her rapid-fire questions so smoothly that Kitahara almost instinctively agreed. Realizing it, he quickly stopped himself.
Seeing her disappointed expression, Kitahara sighed helplessly. But before he could question why she was so eager to join his team, Karai Risa began speaking again:
"Kitahara-senpai, I might not be an experienced trainer, but I've conducted extensive research on Uma Musume at the research institute—I'm certain I can be useful."
She pulled out her phone, unlocked it, tapped a few times, and then showed the screen directly to Kitahara.
"Look—these are some of the things I've developed before, many of which I've even patented..."
"This one's a training bracelet: it increases physical energy expenditure to boost training effectiveness…"
"This one's an interference-field generator. It simulates the intense pressure that Uma Musume feel on the track, improving their resistance to it…"
"And this—I designed this racing outfit. It's my most satisfying work so far, incorporating technologies like anti-gravity, anti-interference, weight reduction, training enhancement, and advanced composite materials…"
"The most important part is, it completely complies with URA regulations for racing outfits—it doesn't violate any rules at all..."
Initially, Kitahara hadn't thought much when Karai Risa mentioned her past research. But as he saw the images and heard her explanations, his expression gradually shifted.
He had predicted earlier that Karai Risa, given her professional background and previous research institute experience, would probably have strong research capabilities—perhaps even stronger than Agnes Tachyon's mystical, unpredictable methods.
But wasn't this a bit too much?
Even Tachyon's potions relied largely on mysticism, often impossible to reproduce reliably. Yet Karai Risa's work was both effective and—more crucially—patented. It meant her innovations could be mass-produced and easily used by ordinary people.
Then why on earth are you working as a trainer? Wouldn't it be far better to just do research and contribute to society instead...?
Kitahara couldn't help but inwardly retort.
After silently retorting to himself, Kitahara couldn't help but ask:
"By the way, I'm curious—are all the people in the Uma Musume Research Institute as ridiculous...I mean, as amazing as you are?"
If the institute was actually filled with extraordinary people like Karai Risa, Kitahara would seriously consider dropping by for a visit in three years.
But after hearing his question, Karai Risa shook her head.
"No. Actually, I was considered one of the top researchers there. I heard some even called me the 'Ace,' though I prefer cuter nicknames..."
She paused, then added thoughtfully:
"But calling me the institute's ace wouldn't exactly be wrong. After all, just last year, the total number of research papers published by everyone else combined was less than half of mine. Plus, several key research projects were entirely handled and completed by me alone..."
Kitahara was stunned.
Holy hell. If one person can publish twice as many research papers as everyone else combined and handle all major projects, I'd believe it if someone said she was actually a secret alt-account run by the Three Goddesses.
Seeing Kitahara's astonished expression, Karai Risa quickly pressed on:
"So you see, Kitahara-senpai, I'm really capable. I could definitely help you a lot. Please let me join your team as an assistant trainer..."
"No way."
Kitahara instinctively rejected her proposal.
It wasn't that he didn't want her. Honestly, after hearing about her research, Kitahara was itching to drag her into his dorm right now for a full-blown academic discussion that might last days and nights.
But the problem was, if he agreed to let Karai Risa join, the person exchanging ideas with her wouldn't just be him—another infamous mad scientist definitely wouldn't pass up the chance either.
And then…
There might not even be a "then."
Optimistically speaking, maybe Agnes Tachyon could learn something from Risa and stabilize her potion-making in the future.
But pessimistically speaking, if Kitahara started recording from this very moment, he might actually capture a documentary titled: "The Fall of Tracen Academy."
For his own sake—and the safety of the entire academy—he concluded it'd be best to keep the two as far apart as possible.
Realizing that Karai Risa hadn't given up and was still enthusiastically promoting herself, Kitahara fell silent briefly before deciding to quickly shift the topic.
"Speaking of which, Karai-san, is the Uma Musume who agreed to become your tantou by any chance Mihono Bourbon?"
"Huh? Kitahara-senpai, you know her?"
Karai Risa was startled.
"Not personally, I just heard about her. She seemed like someone who'd match well with you, so I guessed."
Kitahara answered casually—but it obviously wasn't the full truth.
Mihono Bourbon. Nicknamed "Mechanical Horse," or "Cyber Horse."
It wasn't that she was actually mechanical; she just had an exceptionally robotic and stiff personality combined with a slight case of chuunibyou. Together, these traits made her seem exactly like an AI-driven mechanical Uma Musume.
But even that wasn't the most defining feature about her.
The main reason Mihono Bourbon earned her nickname wasn't her personality—it was the uniquely futuristic, blatantly sci-fi-styled Racing Outfit she wore.
And the outfit Karai Risa had just shown Kitahara—while somewhat different in details—clearly bore the same futuristic, high-tech aesthetic as Mihono Bourbon's famous outfit from the game.
He'd casually guessed her name, never expecting to hit the bullseye so cleanly.
Having had her tantou's identity unexpectedly revealed, Karai Risa clearly realized that Kitahara was deliberately changing the topic. But since it wouldn't be good to keep forcing the issue, she decided to gracefully take his cue, chatting instead about Mihono Bourbon.
As they talked, the previous race concluded, and a fresh wave of Uma Musume began entering the track for the next round. Among them was Special Week.
Seeing her race about to begin, Kitahara nodded briefly to Karai Risa, turning his full attention toward the track.
Warm-up. Entering the gate. Ready stance.
Although it was merely a debut race—and Kitahara could easily tell none of the other girls were even close to matching Special Week's ability—he still watched carefully.
It was his way of respecting Special Week's earnestness and dedication throughout this whole period.
Then—
Bang!
The gate flew open, and just like that, the race was effectively over.
Yes, you read that right—the race had ended the moment it started.
Because Special Week immediately bolted forward at the start, instantly leaving all the other Uma Musume far behind without even needing to reach her final spurt.
Gate reaction, acceleration off the start, explosive power, timing judgment, endurance...
Unlike Agnes Tachyon, whom Kitahara had painstakingly conditioned for nearly half a year—and even then, only switched her running style just before her first race—Special Week had adopted his running technique right from the start. She had diligently trained an entire semester under a running strategy originally tailored to a certain random "background Uma Musume."
Moreover, this was just a debut race. Even though her opponents were technically all from the main academy, well...
To put it simply, just one-third into the race, Special Week had already created a huge gap against second place.
But that wasn't even the scariest part. The truly terrifying part was that according to Kitahara's carefully designed strategy, Special Week hadn't even reached her strongest phase yet...
After watching a bit longer, Kitahara realized that—for reasons unknown—Special Week's condition today was exceptionally good, with far more stamina remaining than he'd anticipated.
If she decided to unleash her full burst right now, it wouldn't just be a huge margin—it'd easily surpass three full margins, or about thirty horse-lengths at minimum...
Thankfully, Kitahara's greatest fear never came to pass.
Because after running a while, Special Week herself suddenly noticed something odd: there was no one behind her.
Especially once she realized she'd put more than a dozen horse-lengths between herself and second place, Special Week immediately started pretending she was tiring out, rapidly slowing down her pace.
It wasn't that she disliked standing out, but a debut race had neither prizes nor counted as a formal competition. More importantly, many Uma Musume depended heavily on performing well here to attract trainers.
If she actually beat them by something as absurd as thirty horse-lengths, the girls behind her—no matter how talented—might struggle to find trainers later.
Also, knowing very well that Sota-san didn't particularly enjoy standing out either, Special Week simply slowed down in the last third of the race, finishing comfortably ahead by about six horse-lengths without even breaking a sweat.
Unfortunately, this was the very first time Special Week had attempted something like this. Despite her best attempts to act convincingly exhausted, everyone—including Kitahara, the other trainers, and even the watching Uma Musume—could clearly see she was deliberately holding back, and pretty heavily at that.
But no one complained. After all, they all understood the nature of debut races.
Besides, the Uma Musume who finished behind Special Week weren't lacking in talent. Immediately after the race ended, several trainers approached them, eagerly hoping they'd join their teams—it'd be a genuine shame if such promising talent was overlooked just because of Special Week's dominance.
Then, something extremely strange happened.
As mentioned earlier, trainers naturally crowded around debut races to scout new talent. Those Uma Musume who performed particularly well typically attracted numerous trainers eager to recruit them—the better the performance, the more trainers would rush over.
But despite Special Week's incredible showing—something that would normally incite a near-riot of trainers—no one approached her.
Even fourth place had multiple trainers enthusiastically chatting her up, and second place was completely encircled by eager trainers. Yet Special Week, who'd clearly outclassed everyone else, had no trainers approach her at all.
Very, very strange.
And stranger still, after finishing, Special Week happily waved toward Kitahara sitting in the stands. Almost immediately, Kitahara noticed the gazes of surrounding trainers become subtly odd.
It wasn't envy toward him for having yet another genius talent—it was more like a combination of sympathy and schadenfreude.
But before Kitahara could fully process what was happening, Karai Risa, who had quietly observed the entire exchange, suddenly spoke again.
"Kitahara-senpai, there's something I'd like to ask you about."
Thinking she meant to discuss Special Week's performance, Kitahara nodded. However—
The moment he agreed, Karai Risa leaned in close to his ear, lowering her voice significantly.
"Kitahara-senpai…"
"Have you ever heard about something called the 'Black Market'?"
---
T/N: "Mm. If you've read this far, I suppose you're at least a little invested."
"If you want to support the translator, there's a Patreon here: patreon.com/wisetl. It's optional—think of it as tossing a few extra coins on the counter. Early chapters are just a bonus side-effect of that support."
"This place also has its own strange currency… Powerstones. For every 100 Powerstones the story gets, you'll receive 1 bonus chapter. 100ps = 1 chp, 200ps = 2 chp, 300ps = 3 chp… you can do the math."
"If you'd rather talk than throw money or stones, there's a Discord: discord.gg/wisetl. Go there if you want to complain, theorize, or poke the translator for more updates. Just don't expect me to mediate your arguments."
Say thank you to Maomao guys