Although Iris-sama had sent her downstairs to meet Kagura, Ardan had no follow-up plan beyond fetching a towel and water.
Suddenly, her phone chimed with a notification. Ardan glanced down, surprised to see a substantial sum had just been transferred by Iris-sama, quickly followed by a text message.
[Grandmother]:Find a chance these days to take Kagura out and have some fun. Don't worry about spending money, and don't let Kagura pay for anything herself. Keep what's left as pocket money. If it's not enough, just come back and I'll give you more.
"Grandmother really dotes on Kagura-san, huh…"
Ardan couldn't help but sigh in amazement.
Since her birth, this was the first time she'd seen her grandmother show such concern for anyone. Even though this amount wasn't significant to the Mejiro family, it was definitely not small.
Approaching the grass field, Ardan noticed their family's trainer standing there.
"Good morning, Ardan-ojousama."
"Good morning, Trainer-san. Why are you here?"
"Ramonu said she wanted to train this morning, so I came early to scout the field, but I happened to run into Kagura-san instead."
Seeing the trainer covered in sweat, stopwatch, tablet, and phone (still recording) in hand, Ardan guessed he'd probably forgotten his gear on an earlier walk and only remembered upon seeing Kagura running.
"Did you learn anything useful, Trainer-san?"
"Kagura-san's running style is really incredible. It's as if she adjusted specifically for this type of field. Her movements are extremely efficient, perfect for energy conservation. I think it would greatly help improve Ramonu's style, so I quickly recorded it."
The trainer looked excited, his hand slightly trembling as he held his phone.
"You'd better ask Kagura-san later if she's okay with you recording her runs. Otherwise, it counts as sneaking footage, you know."
"I understand, I understand! I'll ask her as soon as she's finished… Ardan-ojousama, are you on good terms with Kagura-san? I might need her help in the future as a running reference. Could you help me get in touch with her then?"
"I'll… try my best. But just so you know, we aren't that close, so I can't guarantee anything."
Ardan nodded slightly, not entirely certain she could actually convince Kagura—though, honestly, she was exaggerating. From what she knew of Kagura, if Ardan asked, Kagura would agree without question, even if she had to squeeze out time from her packed schedule.
Which is exactly why I feel so guilty asking her…
"Ardan-ojousama, Trainer-san, good morning."
Kagura jogged over, greeting them cheerfully after finishing her run.
"Morning, Kagura-san! I couldn't find you when I got up… Turns out you were here running. Here's a towel and some water for you."
"Thank you, Ardan-ojousama~ I just didn't have anything else to do. Iris-sama banned me from helping with chores, and the little ones were still asleep, so running was the only option left."
Kagura took the towel, wiped her sweat, and sipped from the water bottle. The water was still warm—Ardan clearly knew cold water wasn't good right after a run, quite thoughtful of her.
The decision to go for a morning run had been made on a whim. Mainly, it was because Eclipse had casually suggested: "If you're bored, just run a few laps to clear your mind."
Kagura, having nothing else to do, had asked an early-rising maid for permission to use the Mejiro family field.
She hadn't kept track of exactly how far she'd run, but she'd maintained high speed throughout an entire simulation of Japan's longest domestic course. The flat field posed no challenge, leaving her feeling barely strained. This gave Kagura a fresh awareness of her own stamina.
Looks like I can keep high speeds for any race beyond 2400 meters from now on… Hmm, front-running is still easier on energy though.
Today, she'd also learned some new techniques—or rather, adapted her universal racing style specifically for Mejiro's field, finding the ideal way to exert force here. She'd also noticed the trainer recording nearby, so when he shyly asked if he could show it to Mejiro Ramonu, she readily agreed.
"Um… Kagura-san, are you free today?"
"Hehe, I'm staying at your home these days, after all. I really have nothing to do. Feel free to ask me anything you need, Ardan-ojousama."
"It's not really about needing something… just… Would you like to go out for a meal with me today? And… maybe have some fun too?"
"Oh? Ardan-ojousama wants to go out with me? Of course! Where should we go?"
"Ah—"
Ardan froze.
She'd only planned to ask first, without thinking through what came next. She hadn't expected Kagura to agree instantly without even a hint of hesitation. Completely caught off guard, she stood dumbstruck.
Oh no, Ardan-ojousama's completely stuck. She probably hasn't thought of where to go yet, right?
Kagura found the scene oddly familiar. After stammering out an "I-I'll find something!" Ardan hurriedly dropped her gaze to furiously search on her phone. Beside them, the trainer, presumably backing up his video, also tapped away expressionlessly.
[Ardan]:Grandmother, help! I asked Kagura-san if she wanted to go out for a meal, and she agreed immediately without hesitation!!
[Grandmother]:Isn't that great? Just go with it! Why bother me?
[Ardan]:But I haven't thought about where to go at all! It's been forever since I've been around Tokyo. I have absolutely no idea where to take her! Grandmother, help!! Recommend something quickly!
[Grandmother]:Hold on a moment…
Iris-sama, who'd been lounging comfortably in her chair drinking tea, immediately straightened up, muttering complaints about Ardan's cluelessness as she rapidly searched online.
From what she'd heard via Speed-sama, Kagura wasn't fond of upscale restaurants. Instead, she loved seeking out tasty, affordable little shops. This made things tricky—high-end restaurants were everywhere, and Mejiro family could afford plenty, but finding good, cheap places required sifting through countless options.
Ideally close by… convenient to reach… Uma Musume-friendly… reasonably priced…
Ardan couldn't stall Kagura much longer, and Iris-sama knew it. Her fingers practically flew over the screen, recalling when she'd once invited a trainer out herself, though she'd never been this flustered even then.
Meanwhile, watching Ardan anxiously typing, Kagura was reminded of the first time Nice Nature had invited her out. She nearly laughed aloud, but managed to maintain her impeccable poker face.
Suddenly, Ardan received a text from the trainer.
[Trainer]:Ardan-ojousama, here's a suggestion. I visited this place with an old friend before. It's an izakaya, but you don't have to drink alcohol. Their signature ramen is pretty good!
[Trainer]:[Location attached]
Ardan quickly checked the address—it was in Sugamo. She vaguely recalled that area being popular for elderly-related products.
Pricing seems decent… Should I try it?
Ardan immediately searched online for the restaurant. Seeing the characters "Chūka" (Chinese) in its name, and remembering Kagura's fondness for Chinese food, she realized it matched the sort of quirky hole-in-the-wall Kagura usually loved.
"Kagura-san, let's try this place!"
Noting Ardan's clearly desperate attempt at quick research, Kagura again fought down laughter. Glancing at Ardan's phone screen, the shop's name caught her eye, piquing her interest immediately.
Oh? Sugamo district? Chūka… izakaya? Wait—this restaurant's called… Pfft! 'Bilibili Ramen'? What kind of ramen place is this? Ardan-ojousama found such an interesting spot. Did she pick it because of her stay in Huaguo?
Though obviously found in frantic desperation, the bizarrely meme-like name genuinely intrigued Kagura.
"Sounds great, Ardan-ojousama! It looks like a really fun place. Please wait a moment, I'll change clothes and grab a few things, then we can head out."
"Yes! I'll wait at the door!"
With Kagura agreeing and going to change, Ardan breathed out in relief, quickly messaging Iris-sama an update.
After sending her message, Ardan glanced toward their trainer, who silently gave her a bright, supportive thumbs-up.
"Thank you so much, Trainer-san! Kagura-san looks really interested!"
"It's nothing. Glad I could help. Go enjoy yourselves, Ardan-ojousama!"
---
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