As it turned out, it was over half an hour later when another car finally pulled up behind Nearl's vehicle.
An elderly man, dressed in a thoroughly drenched servant's uniform and holding two umbrellas, tapped on the window.
"Young mistress, though it is not my place as a mere butler to say much, you really should have at least informed me. I was worried something might have happened to you."
Rarely and unusually, the butler spoke in a tone of complaint—something he normally never did.
Facing the visibly disheveled butler, Ardan offered a sincere apology.
In the Mejiro household, this elderly steward held a high position; he had served the family for thirty-eight years.
Though nominally a servant, to Ardan and her sisters, he was undeniably a respected elder.
"Miss Nearl, and you two young ladies, thank you for assisting our young mistress. The Mejiro family will remember this kindness."
Nearl responded formally to the butler's gratitude, but the two goddesses showed little interest. They weren't nearly as warm toward humans as they were toward Uma Musume.
"Alright then, we'll keep that in mind. We'll take our leave now."
Without another word or pause, the black car drove forward, gradually merging into the vast curtain of rain.
Ardan watched until the vehicle disappeared from sight. Her umbrella offered pitiful protection against the downpour, barely shielding her above the chest, which worried the butler beside her.
"Young mistress, you should return inside. The hot water has been drawn. Please bathe quickly to ward off the chill."
Hearing his urging, Ardan had no intention of being stubborn. She gave a slight nod and entered the manor. Behind her, the old butler's gaze drifted thoughtfully, as if pondering something.
--+--
"Is that so? A relative of Nearl has appeared, and you believe they come from a family of considerable standing?"
Seizing the time while Ardan was bathing, the butler promptly went to the study and relayed all his observations to his employer—the head of the Mejiro family, the elderly matriarch, who showed clear interest in the matter.
"When it involves this young Uma Musume, I can't help but take notice. Butler, I must ask you to look into the status of this family."
"Understood."
The butler bowed respectfully.
"Madam, there is one more thing. The young mistress seems to want to go on a trip."
"There's no need to inform me of such a small matter. It's not a bad thing—let Ardan go relax. I leave this to you as well. That child has little experience, so her preparations will naturally be lacking. Some situations can't be solved with money alone."
"Understood."
--+--
Byerley was right. She had exercised considerable control—despite the clouds overhead hanging so thick it seemed the sky might collapse, by the time they reached the gates of Central Tracen, the heavy rain had unnaturally ceased.
"The weather station workers are going to be busy for days over this. Their understanding of meteorology is probably due for a major update."
Godolphin released her seat's backrest and reclined. Byerley scooted over with a look of distaste.
"By the way, our little Nearl is still living in the student dorm, right?"
"Mhm. Since accommodation is free, even though she's quite famous now, she hasn't slacked off on being frugal. The orphanage, though, is well-funded these days."
"But think about it—there's really no need, is there? Why should our little sister live in such a tiny room that barely meets basic living needs?"
Godolphin's words sounded almost like the complaints of a spoiled child, but beneath the surface, her meaning was clear.
'I want to buy little Nearl a house.'
Byerley clearly caught on, her eyes instantly sparkling.
"You're right! Big sister already perfectly altered the world's perception—our family made its fortune discovering a gold mine. Money's no object, right?"
"I knew you'd get it."
Godolphin nodded in satisfaction.
"Our little Nearl will surely have times when she needs to be alone. After all, some secrets aren't so easily shared with others. And it'd be a waste to use this disguise just once."
"When we go looking for fun—ahem, I mean, when we're inspecting the mortal world—we can't always stay in hotels."
"Then let's go all out and buy one—a big one! Load it up with all kinds of equipment and high-tech furniture!"
The two grew unusually enthusiastic.
With virtually no financial restrictions, buying and decorating a house was like building a sandcastle to them—a simple, mundane pleasure.
--+--
While they were excitedly discussing, Nearl had already arrived at the student council room.
With practiced ease, she pushed the door open without even knocking to announce herself, as naturally as returning home.
Everyone inside looked up the moment the door opened, but upon seeing who it was, their expressions shifted to "Oh, it's just Nearl," and they went back to work. Only Symboli Rudolf set down her pen.
She knew Nearl all too well—this junior never did anything without purpose.
Though she visited the student council frequently, there was always a reason. This time likely wasn't just for casual chat either.
Sure enough, Nearl got straight to the point.
"President Rudolf, I'm applying to leave campus."
"Leave campus? While Uma Musume are generally required to attend classes and train, exceptions can be made. If you're leaving, you just need to notify Trainer Kitahara. You don't have to come here every time."
Hearing it was just a leave request, Rudolf shook her head with an amused smile.
If it were any other junior, she would've questioned them thoroughly, but Nearl was different—Rudolf trusted her judgment.
"I'm not inflexible. If it were just leaving for a day or two, I wouldn't trouble you, President. But this time is different. I need approval for a leave of about fifteen days."
"Fifteen days?!"
Before Rudolf could react, Air Groove beside her couldn't stay seated.
She put down the ingredient request form she was holding and stared at Nearl in surprise.
"Has something happened? Such a long leave request—is there a problem at home?"
"No, Matron Komori is fine, and everyone at the orphanage is healthy."
"Then what's the reason? Theoretically, leaves over half a month aren't approved unless it's for serious illness or major family matters."
"It's for travel. I plan to go on a trip with my sister during this time. Of course, I'll return before the Japan Derby."
At that, both Air Groove and Rudolf were taken aback. Their faces simultaneously showed confusion and incomprehension, and they spoke together—though their focuses seemed slightly different.
"Just for travel? There's no way such a leave would be approved."
"Approving the leave isn't the issue, but who is this sister you mentioned?"
Two completely opposing statements collided. Air Groove and Rudolf looked at each other.
"President, you'd approve for such a reason? Aren't you worried about others questioning it?"
"But my power as Student Council President is absolute!"
--+--
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.