Time drifted by, unstoppable and indifferent, slipping away swiftly as Agnes Tachyon dozed off and Nearl pulled out a book to study.
Around noon, Nearl heard a soft grumble. It brought a smile to her face.
"Hungry? If you're awake, just say so. How about I take you to get something to eat?"
Closing her book, Nearl spoke these words, but they all became irrelevant the moment she turned around.
One thing was immediately clear to her: the mysterious Uma Musume's demeanor and aura were completely different from before.
The little Uma Musume from earlier, though cute in appearance, had been shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere, her gaze occasionally flashing with a cold light.
But now, just from the sparkling brightness in her eyes, Nearl could confidently say that this little one was definitely not the same person she had spoken to three hours ago.
"This is troublesome," Nearl muttered, scratching her head. She had a feeling she'd been dragged into something unusual.
"Little one, no wonder you asked me not to call anyone else earlier. Did you foresee this?"
As Nearl lost herself in thought, the little Tachyon on the bed energetically wriggled out of her cocoon-like blankets.
She glanced around at the completely unfamiliar environment but showed not a trace of fear—instead, she was brimming with curiosity.
"Miss, are you a racing Uma Musume?"
Suddenly, the little Tachyon spoke up excitedly, snapping Nearl out of her thoughts.
"How did you know? I never told you."
Nearl humored her, engaging in the conversation.
"Your shoes! There's a row of sneakers by your bed. They aren't particularly stylish or pretty, but they're sturdy—perfect for training. Plus, anyone can tell you're a racing Uma Musume. So that's my guess."
Raising her right hand high, the little Tachyon looked like she was answering a question in class. Her lively demeanor made Nearl chuckle.
"Very impressive. You're a clever child."
"Of course! I, Agnes Tachyon, will definitely become the strongest Uma Musume someday!"
Puffing out her still-flat chest, the little Tachyon beamed with pride. But her boast gave Nearl a clue.
"Agnes... Tachyon?"
"What is it, Miss? Is there something strange about my name?"
"No." Nearl paused, then shook her head.
She wasn't ready to voice her vague suspicion just yet.
"Well then, Tachyon, would you like to go have lunch with me? It's already quite late, and I bet your stomach is staging a rebellion."
"Yay! Let's eat!"
It had to be said—children's minds were simpler, or perhaps it was better to call them single-tracked.
Little Tachyon's thoughts were immediately consumed by the idea of lunch, completely forgetting about other matters, like why she had woken up here in the first place.
--+--
"Maruzensky-senpai, are you sure it's alright to just leave the dorm key with Nearl? That's the central Tracen Academy dorm we're talking about—its importance might even surpass the academy itself."
In the student council room, Air Groove couldn't help but voice her concerns to Maruzensky, who was sipping tea beside her.
In response, Maruzensky simply laughed.
"W-What? What's so funny about my question?"
Air Groove retorted, slightly flustered.
"How should I put it? It's just that you haven't spent enough time with Nearl. If you'd seen her races, if you knew her a little better, you'd understand—you can always trust Nearl one hundred percent. She would never do the wrong thing."
Setting down her black tea, Maruzensky smiled warmly as she explained.
'After all, an Uma Musume's Domain doesn't lie. That child's Domain is radiant and unwavering to the extreme.'
--+--
"Tachyon, what would you like to eat?"
Holding Agnes Tachyon's hand as they walked down the street, Nearl asked for her opinion. The little Tachyon, drowning in Nearl's tracksuit, fell deep into thought.
Yes, Nearl's tracksuit.
There was no way Nearl would let the little Tachyon wander outside wearing nothing but that lab coat—how scandalous would that be?
But Nearl didn't have any clothes in the little one's size, so this was the best she could manage.
Fortunately, Tachyon was so petite that Nearl's tracksuit jacket looked more like a trench coat on her.
Unexpectedly, Tachyon seemed to adore the outfit. She kept swinging the overly long sleeves, her excitement reaching unprecedented levels.
Of course, part of it was because the jacket carried a pleasant scent and a comforting warmth.
"I want a burger."
Unable to free her arms from the long sleeves, Tachyon simply used the sleeve itself to point at a fast-food restaurant with a red sign nearby.
"Burgers are a healthy combination. Just ask them to add extra veggies and hold the sauce—then you've got carbs, protein, and vegetables all in one."
Tugging Nearl eagerly toward the fast-food joint, the little Tachyon turned back to explain her reasoning with utmost seriousness.
"Then eat as much as you like. Just be careful not to overdo it on the calories."
Following her lead, Nearl walked hand-in-hand with Tachyon into the restaurant.
"No worries! Tachyon can estimate the calories in any food just by looking. I'd never overeat!"
--+--
While Nearl and the little Tachyon were enjoying their lunch, over on the other side, Symboli Rudolf was locked in a tense standoff with the URA chairman.
Well, perhaps "standoff" was too strong a word—but the atmosphere was far from pleasant.
"I'm sorry, Symboli Rudolf, but I submitted the proposal for reforming the classic race registrations a long time ago. The process still isn't complete, and there's nothing more I can do."
Seated behind an extravagant desk, a woman sighed wearily as she took a drag from her cigarette. Standing before her was the imposing figure of the "Emperor" herself, Symboli Rudolf.
"But this issue should have been addressed the year Oguri Cap first arrived at the central circuit. It's been two years now—why hasn't even a simple answer been provided?"
Symboli Rudolf couldn't understand it. How could the URA's efficiency be this abysmal?
"I'd also like to know what those lazy, good-for-nothing bureaucrats are even doing. But there's no helping it—the URA is a massive entity now, tangled up in complex interests. It's hard to make it budge."
Taking a sip of the tea in front of her, the chairman was clearly just as frustrated.
"It's rotten! This outdated organization is long overdue for a shake-up. Look at the higher-ups—every single one of them is fifty or older. Not a single young face among them."
"So there's truly nothing that can be done...?"
Rudolf's expression had turned grim. She clenched her teacup so tightly the glass emitted a creaking sound.
"I'm sorry. I'll keep pushing the matter for you, but it's best not to get your hopes up."
The chairman sighed deeply.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.