"Hah... hah... hah..."
Oguri Cap gasped for breath as she ran alone on the slope. Her usually agile form now seemed unsteady, swaying with exhaustion.
'So tired. Is slope training always this exhausting?'
Her gaze dropped, glancing at her own trembling legs.
'My legs are shaking. I can barely lift my feet. So this is what hitting your endurance limit feels like? It's completely different from the strain after a sprint.'
"Guess this is it…"
She gradually slowed her pace, ready to call it quits.
Her stamina was completely spent. Pushing further wouldn't be endurance training anymore—it'd just be brute force grinding, and that wasn't what she needed right now. Uncle Ginjirou had specifically warned her before Hayakawa Tazuna called him away: "Rest when you hit your limit. Don't push yourself too hard."
"But what are Uncle Ginjirou and Tazuna talking about? They've been watching me this whole time." As she shifted from a full sprint to a slow jog, a lightbulb practically lit up above her head.
"Are they planning an eating contest?!"
Her expression simplified into basic line art as hunger suddenly hit.
"So hungry… I want food. But it's not dinner time yet… Hm?"
Her blank face suddenly sharpened. A familiar scent hit her nose.
"Margaret's smell."
Following her instincts, she turned her gaze toward the exit of the training field. Several vague figures stood in the distance, too far to make out clearly.
But one color stood out even from there—a golden shine imprinted deeply in her heart, as warm and brilliant as sunlight since childhood.
"Margaret! She came to see me!"
Her exhausted body seemed to recharge instantly. Oguri Cap immediately turned and dashed in that direction.
Following the principle of the shortest path between two points, she decided to vault over the railing in front of her—only to tumble down the slope, too drained to stick the landing.
Watching this, Trainer Ginjirou felt like he was about to have a heart attack. "What is she doing?! Could she be any less dignified?!"
Nearl and Fujimasa March exchanged glances. Nearl wore a helpless smile, while Fujimasa March had already facepalmed, too embarrassed to look at Ginjirou.
"Mr. Ginjirou, I'll go get her. She's out of energy anyway."
Hearing Nearl volunteer, Ginjirou waved his hand. "Go, go. Don't let her embarrass herself further."
"Then I'll be off."
Nearl set down her suitcase, lowered her stance slightly, and pushed off with her hind legs—launching forward with a burst of speed that kicked up a swirling gust of wind.
"This speed?!"
Ginjirou reached up to steady his hat, his face etched with shock.
"This isn't the kind of speed a local Uma Musume should have. Even among central competitors, only a handful can launch that perfectly."
He readjusted his hat, staring silently at Nearl's retreating figure as she sped toward Oguri Cap.
"Fujimasa, has she already raced locally?"
"She won her debut race just two days ago—by a huge margin."
Ginjirou sighed deeply.
"Maybe I ought to worship my good-for-nothing nephew. He does nothing out in the sticks, just daydreams, and still manages to stumble upon two incredible talents like them. With luck like that, why is he even training? He should just play the lottery."
"Haha…"
Fujimasa March couldn't help but laugh.
"But that running form of hers… She treats slopes like flat ground. What incredible stability and power! No local Uma Musume could possibly beat her."
"I had a feeling those legs of hers were built for speed, but I never expected her to be this good already. The local scene can't contain a talent like her. The central circuit is where she belongs."
Ginjirou's eyes remained fixed on Nearl, admiration overflowing in his voice.
Fujimasa murmured in agreement nearby.
By the time they'd finished praising her, Nearl had already reached Oguri Cap. She looked less than pleased at the sight of her childhood friend covered in dirt and grass stains.
"Oguri, you're not a child anymore. You should pay more attention to your appearance."
She helped Oguri Cap to her feet, gently brushing off the dust and grass clinging to her. Oguri, meanwhile, stared blankly into space, feigning innocence.
"There." After dusting off everything she could, Nearl stood up straight. "Oguri, you're a big girl now. You really ought to—"
Before she could finish, Oguri Cap threw herself forward, wrapping Nearl in a tight hug and pressing her close.
(Note: Nearl hasn't undergone Maturation yet, so at this point, she's shorter than Oguri Cap.)
"Margaret, I missed you. And everyone back in Kasamatsu."
Her voice was muffled, buried in Nearl's hair.
But the emotion conveyed through her tightly wrapped arms was felt clearly by the one held in her embrace.
Nearl didn't resist. Instead, she hugged back, gently patting Oguri's back, offering silent comfort.
Several minutes passed in that warmth before Oguri finally broke the silence. "Margaret, I'm so hungry."
"Then let me go. I brought you something to eat. It's in the suitcase with Fujimasa."
Nearl knew this dappled-gray goof all too well. She just chuckled and poked Oguri's side, making her squirm and giggle.
"Okay."
Oguri obediently released her, watching as Nearl smoothed out her rumpled clothes.
But as they started walking back, Oguri suddenly sniffed the air, a puzzled look crossing her face.
"Margaret, you smell like another Uma Musume."
"Hm? You've always had a sharp nose, Oguri. It might be from Ms. Mr. C.B. earlier."
"Oh…"
Since Nearl was walking ahead, she didn't see Oguri's cheeks puff up into a pout.
"What's wrong? Your footsteps suddenly got heavier."
"Nothing~~"
Nearl laughed softly and ruffled Oguri's hair. "Don't be such a child."
"I'm not. I'm just hungrier now."
Oguri shook her head wildly, refusing to admit it, then sped up toward Fujimasa and Ginjirou, leaving Nearl behind with a helpless smile.
"Oguri Cap!"
Fujimasa March's mood brightened instantly seeing her old friend approach after so long. Her beaming smile said it all.
"March!"
Oguri Cap ran up excitedly. The two exchanged a high-five that rang out with a sharp, happy smack.
Nearby, Trainer Ginjirou watched the scene, a faint smile gracing his weathered face.
--+--
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.