On the other side of things, Komori Party was currently chatting with some familiar townsfolk at the orphanage entrance.
The town was small, so everyone looked out for each other and knew each other's business fairly well.
Their shared impression of Komori Party had always been: a tough and kind-hearted Uma Musume.
As someone they considered young, everyone had helped her out in their own way, both openly and discreetly. Without that, the situation at the Komori Orphanage in the past would've been much worse.
But things were different now. Nearl, the Uma Musume who came from their town, had become the focus of the entire community's attention.
You could say everyone in this little town was part of Nearl's very first fan club—the die-hard kind that didn't care about her race records.
Originally, they just wanted to see Nearl run happily on the track. They didn't ask for stellar results; they just wanted her to be safe and sound—that was all that mattered.
But the outcome now had given them a huge, delightful surprise. It felt less like a pleasant shock and more like gold had literally fallen from the sky.
Nearl was now a record-breaking Uma Musume, well on her way to becoming a future legend!
Their little town would naturally bask in some of that reflected glory. It'd be something to boast about.
Of course, they were also genuinely happy for Komori Party.
They'd watched Nearl grow up and knew her character better than anyone.
Now that the girl had achieved so much, Komori Party's life was going to get much, much easier.
"Komori, when is Nearl coming back? I'll treat her to some wagashi. She absolutely loved them when she was little," an elderly woman with noticeably white hair said cheerfully, her tone full of confidence in her handmade sweets.
"Haha, I'll make sure Nearl visits when she's back."
Komori Party smiled along, but she felt a little awkward telling the truth, so she kept her thoughts to herself.
'So that's why Nearl used to bring back boxes of sweets for the other children every now and then. It was from you all along.'
The Matron recalled scenes of Nearl smiling as she distributed the treats to the little ones with sweet tooths.
'But I never once saw Nearl eat a single piece of wagashi herself. Your kindness was misplaced, I'm afraid.'
Just as they continued chatting about Nearl's performances, a young, half-grown Uma Musume came running down the road.
"Hello! Is this the Komori Orphanage?"
She wore a simple little shirt and overalls, with a yellow backpack sporting a carrot pattern on it. Her short, reddish-brown hair had a white braid wrapped around it.
And of course, the most striking feature was the prominent white blaze right in the middle of her forehead.
"Yes, child, this is the Komori Orphanage. What brings you here?" the elderly woman greeted her with a smile, but Komori Party beside her remained silent.
"Really!? I'm here to see Miss Nearl! Is she here? I want to run with her! I'm really fast!"
Her perky ears twitched happily as Spe-chan widened her round eyes, looking at the two with immense anticipation.
"Silly girl, you won't find our Nearl here. The Uma Musume are usually studying and training at Tracen Academy," the old woman said, amused by the earnest young thing.
"Ehhh~~"
The Uma Musume let out a sound of pure disappointment, her face perfectly portraying what it means to have one's 'face fall'.
But then, Komori Party, who had been quietly observing the young Uma Musume, suddenly spoke up.
"...Child, is your name Special Week?"
She stared intently into the young filly's violet eyes, her gaze wandering over Spe-chan's face.
"Huh? Y-yes, I'm Special Week. How did you know my name?"
At this, the young Uma Musume grew nervous. She began frantically looking around, her steps shifting backward as if she were ready to bolt.
"Are... are you a human trafficker? The kind who asks about Uma Musume and then sells them off to work 797 shifts on assembly lines? You're one of the bad ones?"
"Eh?"
The old woman beside them was baffled by this wild leap.
But Komori Party didn't mind. Instead, she stepped forward and placed her hands on Special Week's shoulders.
"Eek! D-don't come any closer! Mom, save me!"
Special Week was so frightened her tail puffed up. With a powerful push of her legs, she broke free, turned around, and dashed back the way she came.
'Such strength!? I couldn't even hold her back. Her physical prowess is outstanding!'
Komori Party, who had instinctively reached out but caught nothing, was stunned.
Even though her own strength had deteriorated from lack of training long ago, the girl was still just a teenager, wasn't she?
"Mom!"
A call from the distance snapped her back to her senses.
Standing up, her eyes immediately fell upon a golden-haired woman standing further away, with Special Week hiding entirely behind her, cautiously peeking out with just her head.
"So it's true. This child is her daughter, isn't she?"
"You recognized her immediately, Komori."
The golden-haired woman showed a nostalgic smile.
The mature Uma Musume before her had a face nearly identical to the one in her memories, but the aura and the light in her eyes were completely different now.
"Those violet eyes... they're exactly like her mother's. Even after all these years, I could never forget them."
Sighing as she looked at the mother and daughter pair, Komori Party turned to apologize to the elderly woman beside her.
"I'm sorry, but I have guests today. We'll have to continue our chat another time."
"Not at all, I'm the one intruding. You should attend to your guests properly. I'll be on my way."
With that, the old woman prepared to leave, but Matron Komori had no intention of letting her go alone.
"Centaurea~ Are you there? Could you please see this dear lady home?"
"Ah, putting me to work again."
A white tuft suddenly popped up from over the top of the wall, making Special Week jump.
"Please, please~~"
Komori Party looked at her with a beaming smile, clearly not worried about being refused.
"..."
Centaurea shot her a resigned look, silently accepting the small task.
With a push of her hands, she effortlessly flipped right over the wall.
Her movements were light and fluid, as if a feather drifting through the air, landing without a sound.
'So effortless, and her movements are so crisp. There's an inexplicable grace to it all. What's the story with this girl?'
The golden-haired woman and little Special Week beside her both started clapping in unison, like two large penguins, their expressions and movements perfectly mirrored.
"Mom, that big sister is so skilled! Can I learn how to do that?"
Special Week's eyes shone as she watched Centaurea's retreating figure supporting the old woman. She turned excitedly to her foster mother.
"Haha, well..."
Her foster mother laughed awkwardly.
"Judging by how you usually are, Spe-chan, if you tried to flip over a wall, you'd probably just tumble right down."
--+--
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.