Oguri Cap was never much of a talker to begin with, and whenever Nearl was around, her brain seemed to shut down completely.
Fujimasa March wasn't exactly a social expert either. Since childhood, she'd poured all her energy into training, leaving little room for navigating even basic human interactions.
And then there was Tamamo Cross, who'd already been irritated with Oguri Cap earlier that day. She'd only agreed to come along for the sake of Nearl—who she genuinely liked.
But now Nearl had stepped out, the tall one beside her had gone completely silent, Oguri Cap across the table was zoning out, and she herself had no desire to speak.
So the atmosphere had frozen solid—a palpable tension that kept spreading.
Waiters passing by instinctively avoided their table, and nearby diners gradually lowered their voices, affected by the eerie quiet.
It was like when a classroom suddenly goes silent during self-study, and everyone glances around only to find no teacher has entered—before the noise abruptly swells again.
But once the three gray-haired horse girls noticed the stillness, it became even harder to break. None of them knew how to cut through the tension.
'Please, Nearl, hurry back! A restaurant this quiet is seriously creepy!'
On the surface, Fujimasa March looked detached, but inwardly she was pleading desperately.
'I can't take this anymore! What's with the dead silence? I'm getting goosebumps! Ugh, my stomach's feeling weird…'
Tamamo Cross's expression was slowly crumbling, her usual fiery spirit plummeting.
'Isn't the grilled meat here yet? It's taking forever. I wonder if Margaret brought back some snacks—she knows me, she probably did.'
Well, Oguri Cap was the only one completely oblivious. Her mind was still entirely on food, to the point she was almost drooling.
Everyone in the restaurant felt like time was dragging, yet no one dared to speak up.
The only sounds in the spacious dining area were the sizzle of meat on hot iron plates and the quiet chewing of food.
Just as everyone was about to reach their breaking point, the wind-blocking blanket over the entrance was pushed aside by a hand—shattering the delicate balance. Every customer in the restaurant turned to look at the door.
It was Nearl, stepping inside with a bag in hand.
"?" A question mark practically floated above her head.
Honestly, a completely silent restaurant where everyone stares at you the moment you walk in is pretty unnerving.
But Nearl's mental fortitude was exceptional. Besides, her spirit had already ascended to a higher plane—something like this couldn't faze her.
A single second—that's all it took before noise erupted.
It was as if the patrons were venting all the pent-up energy they'd suppressed moments earlier. The chatter grew louder than usual; whether they had anything to say or not, everyone tried to make conversation.
"?"
Unaware of what had happened, Nearl glanced around the restaurant curiously before returning to her table.
"Senior Tamamo, your milk. And March, your juice."
She handed the drinks to the two across from her, and they thanked her.
"Not bad, thanks a lot."
"Thanks, Nearl."
Their reactions were subtly different, but both expressed genuine gratitude.
For some reason, they both seemed to let out a sigh of relief.
As Nearl took her seat, Oguri Cap suddenly lunged over, nuzzling against her without a hint of hesitation.
"Margaret, I smell food. I want some."
Watching this, Tamamo Cross's eyebrow twitched. "Are you a dog? Stop being so embarrassing!"
Feeling the eyes of other diners on them, Tamamo rushed over and tried to pull Oguri Cap off of Nearl.
Naturally, Oguri Cap resisted, clinging tightly to Nearl. Tamamo wasn't strong enough to pry her away quickly.
In the end, it was Nearl who stepped in to calm them.
"Senior, pulling hard like that won't work. See, this is more effective."
As she spoke, Nearl brought out some snacks she'd bought specifically because she knew Oguri Cap was impatient waiting for the grill. She dangled them temptingly in front of her.
Sure enough, Oguri Cap's eyes lit up, and she immediately let go of Nearl to grab the food.
"This girl… is her brain entirely filled with food? I don't get it. Eating's always been such a struggle for me…"
Watching Oguri Cap happily munching away, Tamamo Cross slumped back into her seat, grumbling under her breath.
But she didn't notice that Nearl was watching her intently—with a bright, penetrating gaze, as if studying her.
And indeed, Nearl had discovered what Oguri Cap had sensed was missing in herself but present in Tamamo.
Raising her perception to a divine level, Nearl observed her from another angle.
Around Tamamo Cross coiled white lightning—crackling, intertwining, repelling everything outside like a giant cocoon.
"I see. So this light of the soul is how Senior Tamamo, despite her slightly weaker physique, managed to defeat Oguri."
In this altered dimension, Nearl drew closer like a phantom, sensing the source of this power.
"A familiar feeling… Is this a gift from the Goddess Godolphin Arabian?"
With a quiet understanding, Nearl lowered her hand. She had glimpsed the origin of the Uma Musume's power.
Darley Arabian Goddess bestowed upon them unique physical structures and talents;
Godolphin Arabian Goddess granted them the potential to sublime their souls and awaken their Domains;
Finally, the Byerley Turk Goddess endowed them with destinies that transcended time and space.
Together, these three gave rise to the Uma Musume—elfin-like maidens.
"The Domain is a path to sublimating the soul. At its end lies the opening of one's own realm, ascending to the land of the Three Goddesses.
But sadly, according to what Sister Byerley has revealed, no Uma Musume has yet succeeded."
Withdrawing her perception and returning to ordinary sight, Nearl let out a soft sigh.
'This senior likely won't succeed. Her Domain is explosive and chaotic, wielded by instinct alone. Without deeper understanding, she cannot open her realm.'
"Hey, why're you sighing while looking at me? Something wrong?"
Bored and noticing Nearl's sigh directed at her, Tamamo Cross perked up instantly.
"I'll explain another time," Nearl replied with a gentle smile. "Did you know, Senior Tamamo? I was the one who suggested inviting you tonight."
"Huh? So it was you. I was wondering why Oguri Cap would ask me. What, did you want to see me for something?"
The topic shift worked perfectly—Tamamo was immediately intrigued.
"Because Oguri felt that you possessed something she lacked—the very thing that allowed you to defeat her. And now, I believe I've found that quality."
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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.