Even as the two sisters leaped across, Tachyon and Manhattan Cafe were still staring at them like they were monsters—especially at those long, slender legs that seemed no different from those of any ordinary Uma Musume.
Tachyon in particular was practically itching to reach out, knead and caress them with her own hands, as if to confirm something.
"Ha! That felt amazing. It really does help to unwind by running like that once in a while. Working non-stop is just unbearable."
Godolphin, who had effortlessly cleared the jump, stretched her body with a satisfied grin on her face.
Her expression was so relaxed, it was as though the extreme feat she'd just performed was nothing more than a trivial little thing.
"Um, Miss Maria, are you sure it's okay to run like that?"
Manhattan Cafe asked cautiously. Even for someone who thrived on excitement, what they'd just done was something she wouldn't dare attempt—that didn't mean she had a death wish.
"No problem at all! If there's one thing our family's known for, it's our top-tier physiques. This is nothing."
"You call that nothing?!"
Tachyon couldn't help but blurt out. Of everyone present, she felt it the most deeply—her own legs were so fragile in comparison.
Godolphin's words felt like showing off.
"Hehe, thanks for the compliment~"
Agnes Tachyon truly felt her energy drain away.
Now she couldn't help but start pondering one of life's ultimate questions: was there really such a thing as a chain of natural advantage between people?
"Sisters, Tachyon, Cafe."
From behind, Nearl also jumped up onto the ledge.
Judging by her slightly sweaty appearance, she had definitely followed her sisters' example—sprinting down the slope and leaping across.
"...Seeing three living examples like this suddenly makes me wonder if that taboo about accelerating on a slope is just a myth."
Tachyon scratched her head in frustration, an inevitable wave of envy washing over her.
'If only my legs were that strong… Ah, never mind. Just dreaming.'
"Tachyon?"
A familiar voice sounded right in front of her face, startling Tachyon out of her envious trance.
While she'd been lost in thought, everyone else had already moved ahead. Only Nearl had noticed her lagging behind and came back to check on her.
"Time to go. You seemed distracted just now—are you tired? Maybe we should set up camp early."
Nearl considerately smoothed down a strand of Tachyon's hair. Where her fingertips brushed, Tachyon even felt a burning warmth. A rare shyness made her mind start to wander completely.
'Is Nearl actually a shrine maiden? Is my skin burning because she's drawing a spell with her hand? Could it be some kind of enchantment or love charm?'
"Tachyon?"
Seeing Tachyon spacing out even more severely, Nearl gently rapped her knuckles against that smooth forehead.
"…"
"Still not fully awake yet?"
Seeing this, Nearl raised her hand to tap again, but this time Tachyon snapped back to reality. Being treated like a child made her pride swell instantly.
"Assistant, you seem quite pleased with yourself, huh? Is my head that nice to rub? Wouldn't you feel wronged just rubbing my head? Should I be generous and let you touch somewhere else instead?"
Tachyon grabbed the hand Nearl had used to touch her hair and tried to pull it toward a certain… delicate area best left unmentioned. But halfway there, shame overpowered the impulse.
She abruptly changed course, pulling the hand straight up until it rested against her own cheek.
"Not gonna rub it?"
Tachyon grinned triumphantly. This was just her straightforward nature—though usually, she was well taken care of by Nearl, and when faced with her actual "caretaker," she couldn't help but hesitate.
But she believed! In this situation, Nearl would surely turn tail and flee in defeat.
"I'll pinch."
But Nearl didn't hesitate at all. With two fingers, she gently squeezed the soft, tender flesh of Tachyon's cheek.
"Enough of the fuss now. Let's get moving. The others are already far ahead."
With that, Nearl released her fingers without a hint of lingering attachment and hurried off to catch up with the three who had gone ahead, leaving Tachyon behind to question her life choices.
"A joke… Why does Nearl still treat it as a joke? Is her brain made of ironwood or something?"
--+--
Anyway, after passing through the mist-wrapped blue forest, admiring the flower-bright fields, and crossing the rugged "mountain" within the mountains, the second rest area finally revealed itself before sunset.
Unlike the first rest stop—which was stunningly beautiful, open, and even offered a view overlooking the land from the mountain's edge—the second rest area was, quite literally, just a place to rest.
In the vast, all-encompassing expanse of the mountain range, there existed a small circle of woodland.
Within this woodland stood an incredibly simple, rustic cabin, entirely hand-built from logs—rough and unappealing to the eye, yet it had stood strong here for countless years.
The first person to climb Celestial Peak to this spot had felled trees here and built the rudimentary framework of a single-person shelter.
Over the years that followed, countless climbers had rested in this humble place.
Though it started as just a few logs pieced together into a skeleton of a structure, it had provided shelter to many travelers.
Almost as if by unspoken agreement, people took turns expanding this tiny rest hut: you add a roof, I lay down a floor; you set a post, I piece together a wall…
Little by little, bit by bit, each person contributed only a small effort. But with the passage of time, what Nearl and the others saw now was a massive structure.
"This log cabin has been here for centuries. What you're looking at is a genuine antique."
"Nearl, come here. Let's follow that tradition too."
Byerley stood at the edge of the woodland, calling out to Nearl.
"I see one of the doors on this cabin is quite worn out. Let's fix it up. One generation plants the trees, the next enjoys the shade, as they say."
Handing a saw to Nearl, the two of them worked together to fell a tree half a meter in diameter. After cutting, sanding, and nailing the planks together with iron nails, a crude, makeshift door was completed.
"Hmm… Well, seems our craftsmanship is a bit… eye-watering. This door feels like a bit of a failure."
"It'll keep the rain out and barely block the wind, but don't expect it to keep you warm."
"Alright, alright, who comes to the Pillar of the Goddess without a sleeping bag? This cabin meets the basic needs. It's enough."
Looking at the rather unsightly door she'd just installed, Nearl felt a rare twinge of embarrassment. After all, carpentry was something she'd never tried before—painting she was fairly skilled at, but this was another story.
"Nearl, Miss Zofia, dinner's ready."
Cafe approached from behind, acting as the messenger. Originally, this task should've fallen to Tachyon—since she wasn't much help with cooking—but Tachyon was still sulking, so she'd been sent instead.
"Though when I say dinner, it's really just some processed dry rations. Flavor isn't really an option here."
"Having anything to eat is good enough. Thanks for your hard work, Cafe."
Nearl thanked her gently, but the other girl hid her face behind her dark, flowing hair.
"N-no problem… It's just, Nearl, do you have time tonight?"
--+--
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.