"It's me. Did my trainer mention me?"
Nearl met the fierce gaze without flinching.
"Yeah, that kid did say something."
Trainer Ginjirou focused his attention on Nearl's legs, his eyes gleaming behind his sunglasses.
'Those legs! Not too thin, not too thick, well-defined curves—perfect for high speed!'
He tightened his grip on his cane, a displeased frown tugging at his lips.
"Hmph! That kid Jo... his skills are a mess. He's barely fit to train an Uma Musume, but his luck is something every other trainer would kill for. Honestly, it almost makes me want to offer him up as a sacrifice to the heavens!"
"Thank you for the compliment." Nearl smiled, recognizing the praise hidden beneath his gruff words.
"Nothing to thank me for. You're Nearl, right?"
"Margaret Nearl. Just Nearl is fine."
"Alright then, Nearl, Fujimasa, follow me. Oguri Cap is training right now—I'll take you to her."
Trainer Ginjirou tapped his cane again, motioning for Nearl and March to follow.
So Nearl and Fujimasa pulled their luggage along and followed the old man, taking in the campus as they walked.
Through the main gate, the first thing they saw was a straight, wide path lined with lush, thriving trees that would provide plenty of shade in the summer.
At the end of the path stood a building with a pointed roof and a clock tower, its structure extending widely to both sides, occupying a vast amount of space.
Noticing Nearl and Fujimasa March observing the building, Trainer Ginjirou pointed with his cane and decided to explain.
"That building with the clock tower is called the Uma Musume Hall. It connects to almost all the main facilities—classrooms, gym, dance studio, infirmary, swimming pool, you name it. It's always decorated beautifully during festivals."
"Tracen Central has a swimming pool and a dance studio too?" Fujimasa March sounded envious. "Kasamatsu Tracen doesn't have anything like that."
" Naturally. Building those kinds of training facilities takes space. At Tracen Central, the dorms are located outside the campus grounds, while Kasamatsu built theirs inside the school. That alone saves them a ton of money."
Trainer Ginjirou's tone was neutral, but it was clear he wasn't entirely pleased with the local training facilities.
"We'll be taking the shortest route, so you won't get to see much. Once Oguri Cap takes a break, she can show you around."
He glanced back to remind them.
Nearl and Fujimasa understood and didn't feel disappointed.
"Trainer Ginjirou," Nearl asked as she observed the corridors and classroom buildings, "how is Oguri doing? Is she in good spirits?"
"Oh, her? Yeah."
"She's about to run in the Japan Cup, right? Every Uma Musume in that race is exceptionally talented. Is she feeling any pressure?"
Her question echoed slightly in the spacious hallway, and Trainer Ginjirou could sense her concern.
But he just chuckled, tightening his grip on his cane, completely unbothered.
"That girl's doing fantastic. Eating well, training hard, in peak condition. If she keeps this up for the Japan Cup, I've got nothing to worry about."
Hearing that, Fujimasa let out a quiet sigh of relief. She'd been worried about Oguri Cap too but hadn't dared to ask.
"It seems she's already moved past her loss in the Autumn Tennō Sho. What a strong mindset. I struggled for a long time after my defeat in the Tokai Derby."
"Tch, it's not that she's strong-minded—she's just straightforward," Trainer Ginjirou said dismissively. "For her, once a race is over, it's over. She doesn't carry any disappointment or excitement off the track."
"Do you think that kind of personality is a good or bad thing?" Nearl asked, a hint of laughter in her voice.
"You girl... All I can say is Oguri Cap's personality suits her perfectly," Trainer Ginjirou replied with a grin.
"Anyway, you can ask her more yourself. We've reached the training field."
Turning a corner, they stepped out of the building. To their left, a massive training ground—covering nearly half of Tracen Central's campus—spread out before them.
"Whoa..." Fujimasa March couldn't hold back a gasp. Beside her, Nearl looked equally impressed by the vast training area.
"Well? This is Central's field. Not even comparable to the local dirt tracks, is it?"
Trainer Ginjirou spoke proudly, not even trying to hide the satisfaction in his voice.
"Definitely not on the same level," Fujimasa admitted, her eyes full of envy.
"This track is where Tracen Central invested the most. The outermost slope, the woodchip track inside that, the dirt track on the third layer, and the innermost turf track."
"You could say it has almost everything needed for running training. It's the heart of Uma Musume training."
Pressing down on his sun hat, Trainer Ginjirou led Nearl and the others toward the track.
"Come on, Oguri Cap is training on the slopes right now."
"Slope training?" Nearl thought for a moment, her knowledge as a trainer quickly providing the answer. "I see—to build her endurance?"
"Hm? How'd you know that?" Trainer Ginjirou looked surprised that she'd guessed his intent.
"I've just picked up a little knowledge about training here and there. Nothing special," Nearl replied modestly.
"Well... that's good. That kid Jo is too careless—his grasp of training is a disaster. If you learn a thing or two yourself, you'll be less likely to get injured during training. That's a good thing."
Stroking his beard, Trainer Ginjirou set the matter aside. He raised his cane and pointed toward the curve of the distant track.
"See there? Oguri Cap is about to take the turn."
Following the direction of his cane, Fujimasa March spotted a figure sprinting, gray hair flying in the wind.
"...It's Oguri Cap. She's running."
March recognized her old rival and friend immediately. Watching her run eased the tension she'd felt since arriving in this unfamiliar place.
"I think she sees us."
Nearl, who was also watching the track, suddenly spoke up.
"Huh?"
"Well, she's already climbing the railing on our side. Oh, and now she's tumbling down the slope."
"..."
Trainer Ginjirou and Fujimasa March fell silent together.
"Dammit! I'm making her train extra for this!!" / "What is she doing?!"
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T/N: New Uma Musume Fic up!
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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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.