Faced with Oguri Roman's words, Dream Weaver found herself at a loss for how to respond. She wasn't even sure she could make such a promise.
If it was something she couldn't accomplish, Dream Weaver usually wouldn't agree to it lightly.
But now, after saying what she'd said, how could she possibly turn Oguri Roman down?
Luck was on Dream Weaver's side. Just as she was struggling to figure out how to respond appropriately, a loud, energetic call came from up ahead.
She looked up and saw that it was none other than Gold Ship.
Before Dream Weaver and the others could even go look for her, Gold Ship had already shown up on her own.
Oguri Roman's horse ears twitched slightly—clearly startled—and with slightly flushed cheeks, she nodded at Dream Weaver and said, "The Gold Ship you were looking for is here. I'll go find Bell and the others now."
With that, she dashed off in a flash.
It seemed that saying those words had been embarrassing for Oguri Roman too. Now that a third person had suddenly appeared besides herself and Dream Weaver, she could no longer hold back her shyness and simply found an excuse to slip away.
Gold Ship, with her hands behind her head, watched Oguri Roman dart past her, then turned to Dream Weaver and asked, "Were you two up to no good?"
"Name one piece of mischief anyone could even get up to in a place like this."
"Maybe you just told her you're the Armored Titan?"
Hearing that, Dream Weaver wordlessly twitched the corner of her mouth and gave Gold Ship's head a crisp chop with the side of her hand.
She could understand what Gold Ship was saying, but she couldn't quite follow how Gold Ship's mind jumped from one thing to another so quickly.
It was as though Gold Ship had a new idea every single second, making it utterly impossible for anyone around her to keep up with her train of thought.
"So what were you shouting about earlier?"
Still, Dream Weaver hadn't forgotten her original reason for coming. As she walked alongside Gold Ship through the stream, she asked.
"Oh, we found a little lake further downstream."
"It looks like Sumire and the others have some kind of plan, so they sent little Roman to stall you."
Hearing Gold Ship's words, Dream Weaver felt a single drop of exasperated sweat roll down her forehead.
She held her head in her hand and sighed.
"You just sold them out, just like that?"
Gold Ship, still cradling her head, replied carelessly, "Even if I didn't say it, it's pretty obvious, isn't it?"
Dream Weaver was briefly left speechless. Given how Oguri Roman had acted earlier, it was indeed as Gold Ship said—anyone could tell something was off.
She shook her head lightly and decided not to overthink it, walking alongside Gold Ship to see what Nanno Sumire and the others were planning.
They hadn't taken more than a few steps before Gold Ship seemed to grow bored. She started talking again, half-heartedly.
"Y'know, something feels off about little Gold Ship's role here."
"How so?"
After Dream Weaver casually humored her, Gold Ship stroked her chin and launched into her own analysis.
"See, I came to Kasamatsu Tracen after watching the Junior Crown Cup. Normally, a character who shows up in the middle of the story should get more development later on."
"Plus, I'm Orfevre's little sister! The little sister of the strongest rival! Shouldn't little Gold Ship, also from the Gold Family, have even more room for development?"
"But why is it that after most of a year in Kasamatsu, little Gold Ship has turned into some weirdo who just runs around causing trouble and playing dumb, and whenever she finally gets a line, it's all quotes from old robot anime?!"
"That can't be right!"
Listening to Gold Ship's rambling, Dream Weaver turned to her with a deadpan expression and said, "Then who was it who stole someone's tricycle, rushed into Kasamatsu Tracen spouting robot anime lines?"
Caught red-handed with her past antics, Gold Ship's eyes darted away. She deliberately turned her face so Dream Weaver couldn't see it and said, "Ah, that was just a mistake from my youth…"
"You're still plenty young now…"
Standing before Gold Ship, who was a full head shorter than her, Dream Weaver looked helplessly at the white streak in Gold Ship's chestnut hair.
Gold Ship's thoughts were always so all over the place. Her whimsical words and actions made her hard to read, and somehow gave her a sense of maturity beyond her years.
If not for the fact that she hadn't gone through her proper growth spurt yet and still carried a childlike appearance, Dream Weaver might have almost forgotten that this odd, spirited girl was really still just a kid.
Thinking of that, Dream Weaver grew a little curious. Why had Gold Ship come to Kasamatsu Tracen all by herself?
Though she always said it was for her own sake, she'd never gone into more detail than that.
"So, why did you come to some rural place like Kasamatsu? It can't really be just to find some unsupervised place to goof off, right?"
As Dream Weaver's words hung in the air, the ever-playful Gold Ship grew uncharacteristically quiet.
The sunlight slanted across her eyelashes, casting fragmented shadows and making the line of her profile stand out sharply.
In that moment, Dream Weaver suddenly realized that this girl who was always fooling around was, in fact, a young lady from a prestigious family.
"I don't know either. It's just that back then, I suddenly felt this… stirring."
"Little Gold Ship's subconscious was telling me that if I didn't come find you, I'd definitely miss out on something."
"But for some reason, that thing that's been calling to me from who-knows-where… it still hasn't shown up."
Seeing Gold Ship suddenly become so serious, Dream Weaver found herself feeling strangely unadjusted.
Even Dream Weaver, who usually got along with Gold Ship best, couldn't read her now.
Racemares on the track often share a certain connection—but Gold Ship had been off the track back then. What could she have possibly sensed?
Just as Dream Weaver was wondering whether she ought to comfort Gold Ship or what to do, Gold Ship suddenly switched back to her usual self, grinning as she said:
"But it's okay if we can't find it right now. Little Gold Ship can wait."
"You can't just keep being this weird forever, can you? After you undergo your growth spurt, you'll have to return to the central circuit and race for your family's sake, won't you?"
But Gold Ship acted as though she didn't understand Dream Weaver's words. Hugging the back of her head, she said breezily:
"Then I'll just come back after I retire! A Racemare's life is a long one!"
As if struck by a sudden idea, her eyes sparkled, and she looked excitedly at Dream Weaver.
"Hey, Dream—are you free a hundred years from now?"
"I suppose I might be…"
"Then let's promise to search for that thing that's calling me together in a hundred years! By then we'll both be retired, Kasamatsu and the local circuits will have been revitalized, and nothing will stand in our way!"
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T/N: Another stoopid ahh death flag
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.