Meanwhile, at the mountain trailhead near the foot of the slope, a group of about three had gathered.
"Thank you for your trouble, everyone. Though I told my grandmother I'd be fine on my own, she still insisted on asking you to accompany me."
Mejiro Ardan bowed to the two employees behind her, apologetic that her momentary whim had led them on this demanding hike.
"It's our duty, miss. Besides, while your constitution is relatively delicate, it's not so fragile that a simple climb would be too much. The risk of anything happening is quite low."
A middle-aged Uma Musume doctor replied with a smile. In her youth, she hadn't possessed enough talent to become a racer, so she'd turned to studying medicine instead.
'If I can't run myself, then I'll do what I can to help other girls run without worry.'
That had been the starting point of her medical journey.
"That's right, that's right! As long as nothing happens to you, miss, this is basically a paid vacation with a business trip allowance, isn't it? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me."
The other, presumably an assistant, was much younger than the doctor and lacked her composed, middle-aged demeanor.
"Then I'll be in your care. Let's set off."
Ardan turned and carefully stepped onto the mountain path. The other two followed slowly, carrying large packs on their backs. The assistant's exclamations of wonder didn't let up the whole way.
"Wow! This path—it doesn't look man-made at all! Is it natural? That's amazing!"
Facing her outbursts, Ardan smiled and patiently explained. As a young lady of the Mejiro family, she had visited this area before and knew a little about the surroundings.
Of course, she had only gone as far as the third rest area. She'd never ventured beyond that.
'I asked the staff last night. They confirmed three people with a striking golden first impression had arrived. It must be Nearl and the others. Even though we started quite early today, they still set off ahead of us.'
At that thought, Ardan felt a sudden surge of fighting spirit well up inside her. She clenched her fists, giving herself a silent pep talk.
'I have to pick up the pace. I must catch up with Nearl at the third rest area. Because… because that place…'
"Those who have climbed the Pillar of the Goddess all call it the Sea of Vows."
--+--
But luck wasn't on Ardan's side this time. Compared to her—somewhat delicate and accompanied by two non-racer companions—Tachyon and Manhattan Cafe, both Uma Musume, were far more mobile.
Their climbing speed was even faster than Nearl's group.
After all, this was Nearl's first visit, and the scenery constantly caught her eye, slowing her steps. But Tachyon and Cafe were currently single-minded in their ascent, so their pace was naturally in another league altogether.
Finally, just before the second rest area, the two racers spotted that familiar golden hair.
Surprise, excitement, disbelief, mixed with a hint of mischief—these emotions rising from their hearts churned into an indistinguishable swirl.
All that remained was the soaring passion bursting from their throats.
"Assistant! Over here!"
Of course, Cafe couldn't quite manage such an outburst.
She simply raised her free arm slightly, her cheeks tinged pink, and gave a small, friendly wave as Nearl turned around, using the gesture to express her joy and greeting.
The two groups had reunited.
"Tachyon, and… Cafe? What a coincidence. Are you here sightseeing too?"
Bracing herself against a crevice in the rock with her right hand for balance, Nearl turned and saw two familiar faces—very familiar ones, in fact.
"What luck, running into you even while out for some relaxation. This is an unmistakable omen. Here, drink this vial. It is your destiny."
With that, Tachyon produced a small tube of suspicious black liquid from behind her back, bubbles continuously fizzing inside.
"Tachyon, where did you pull that vial from? Do you really have a fourth-dimensional pocket?"
Cafe, completely baffled, fell into confusion.
"An experiment… I suppose that's fine, but let's wait until the next rest area. The mountain path is too prone to accidents."
"Hehehe, Assistant, you've become quite cautious lately. But it's futile! Now then—drink up. Nothing will happen~"
Agnes Tachyon wore a peculiar grin as she gradually closed in on Nearl ahead, the pitch-black potion in her hand looking extremely hazardous.
"Haah…"
Nearl's ears twitched in slight distress a few times—exactly the expression Tachyon wanted to see. Her mischievous side felt thoroughly satisfied.
As an assistant, Tachyon couldn't imagine anyone more qualified than Nearl. In fact, she far exceeded expectations.
It wasn't that Tachyon had never had assistants before, but those others couldn't even meet her baseline requirements, so she'd dismiss them and look again.
Over time, this cycle became a complex for Tachyon. Her demands for an assistant grew increasingly nitpicky, until Nearl had stumbled into the position by chance.
It was incredibly comfortable. Nearl was like an extension of her own limbs, managing daily life in an orderly way without violating her principles, organizing experiment records with simple clarity. Tachyon couldn't find a single flaw in her.
Well, if she had to nitpick, Nearl's working hours were quite limited. But since she always completed her tasks, that hardly counted as a shortcoming.
"But that's exactly what bothers me."
Tachyon felt something was off with her own thinking. Finally having such a perfect assistant—shouldn't she be trying to build a good relationship, no matter how she looked at it? But she just couldn't.
An impulse she couldn't quite articulate stirred within her.
She wanted to see Nearl make a mistake.
She wanted to see that always-smiling face show distress.
She wanted to make her angry, to provoke a reaction, to make her pay attention—to her.
Driven by such thoughts, Tachony often played pranks on Nearl. Yet deep down, she feared going too far, leaving her stuck in this unsatisfying middle ground.
She had to tease, but only within the bounds of a joke. Like now—claiming the potion's effects were unknown.
Considering safety, any normal person would refuse, and then she could gracefully back down. That way, she could enjoy Nearl's conflicted expression without actually earning her dislike.
Agnes Tachyon thought it was a perfect plan—until the familiar figure before her moved.
"Understood."
The vial was taken from her hand. Before Tachyon could react, Nearl drank it down in one go, then calmly offered her review.
"Mmm, a bit harsh on the throat. Very sweet."
"Why didn't you follow the script?! Why did you drink it? Without even hesitating?!"
Tachyon felt her predictions had been trampled into the dirt and crushed. Her little hope of seeing Nearl struggle vanished.
"Because the Tachyon I know wouldn't joke with someone's life. She may be self-centered, but she's still an Uma Musume—a kind and sincere senior."
--+--
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.