Shinji Kitahara was an urban legend that had circulated for years among the various local Tracen academies and horse girl trainers.
According to the rumors, when you encountered a problem related to a horse girl, if you hung three carrots, each at least five centimeters long, by your door, there was a certain probability that a humanoid creature named Shinji Kitahara would come knocking.
He looked extremely young, one might even say boyish, but he possessed insight and abilities that far surpassed his appearance, even exceeding those of veteran trainers.
No matter the problem concerning a horse girl—no matter how strange, niche, or difficult to understand—he could see through it with ease and quickly provide an effective solution.
He was also highly accomplished in training and never kept his knowledge to himself. Whether you were a rookie or a seasoned trainer, as long as you were willing, you could engage in a discussion with him and come away with valuable insights. He was like a small-scale wish-granting machine for the horse girl world.
But all of this came at a price. To get his help, you had to be prepared to empty your granary.
The humanoid creature known as Shinji Kitahara never asked for financial compensation, but he would always demand a supply of food. The collection was usually carried out by a black-haired horse girl who was always by his side, though occasionally he would pack the food and take it back himself.
Some said he was just a fantasy made up by local trainers. Others swore that Shinji Kitahara truly existed, but when asked for proof, they couldn't provide any.
This was because Shinji Kitahara would only appear in one place for a short time before mysteriously disappearing, never to be seen there a second time, as if he had never existed at all.
No one knew who Shinji Kitahara really was, where he lived, or even if he was human.
Over time, the urban legend of Shinji Kitahara spread.
"Of course I'm human," Shinji explained, looking at the bewildered new trainers in front of him. "The reason you couldn't find me was because I didn't have a fixed residence back then. I was wandering around with that kid, Eclipse. We couldn't afford to eat, so we had to use that method to get food."
"As for why you couldn't find me again, it's because I never stayed in one place for too long. While it's true I helped out, it's also true that I emptied out people's food stores. I wasn't shameless enough to go back and fleece them a second time..."
"The three carrots were a code I came up with for my first few clients. I don't know how it spread, but I figured more business wouldn't hurt, so I just let it be."
After finishing his explanation, he looked at the trainers, their faces a mixture of strange expressions, and asked with some confusion, "Speaking of which, was I really that famous?"
"It's not a question of being famous, it's... Do you remember all the places you've been?" someone asked, already using honorifics despite being in the same cohort of new trainers.
"I don't remember clearly," Shinji said after a moment's thought. "But I think I've been to most parts of Japan."
After all, he wasn't a ruthless person who could continuously drain one area dry. He had to keep moving to new places to drain them dry instead.
The result was that after plundering a region's granaries, he would never appear there again. By moving around, he had essentially scoured every place in Japan that had horse girls.
Wait a minute, thinking about it that way, I really have been to a lot of places over the years.
And looking closely, there were several familiar faces among the trainers present. He seemed to have seen them at local Tracen academies before, and judging by their expressions, their memories were starting to stir.
Once it was confirmed that Shinji Kitahara was indeed the urban legend, and a living, breathing person at that, the atmosphere in the room became lively again.
This time, it wasn't just the new trainers. Even the veteran trainers, attracted by the commotion, came over. Some had received his help in the past, while others had only heard legends about him from others.
But as the trainers enthusiastically discussed the various rumors about him, the man at the center of the storm felt no pride. Instead, a hint of anxiety appeared in his eyes.
This is bad. I didn't realize I was this famous.
If this continued, some horse girls might seek him out to be their trainer because of his reputation. Average horse girls were fine; he could just refuse. But if one of those young ladies from a powerful family came to him and made him an offer, he might not be able to resist. He had that much confidence in his lack of willpower.
"Um..."
Looking at the fervently chatting trainers, he spoke with a sincere tone.
"Regarding the name Shinji Kitahara, I'd appreciate it if you all could keep it a secret for me."
"What's wrong?"
Shinji hesitated. "Well, how should I put it... every family has its own problems, right?"
Hearing this, the other trainers shared a knowing smile.
Oh, we get it.
They had always heard that Shinji Kitahara was accompanied by a black-haired horse girl. They figured the two must have been childhood friends who grew up together. The girl probably didn't want him attracting attention from other girls and had given him strict orders.
"That's great for us! If your name got out, we'd have to worry about you snatching up all the good prospects."
In the end, after all the commotion, the welcome meeting concluded with a discussion about Shinji Kitahara. It was clear that even after it ended, many trainers were still gathered in small groups, whispering about him.
What kind of image do you people have of me? Some kind of hermit master?
All he did was travel a lot and take on some odd jobs to support his family. Was it really worth all this discussion?
Shinji felt a bit helpless, worried that these people wouldn't be able to keep their mouths shut and his name would spread to the horse girls. If that happened, his goal of slacking off would become much, much more difficult.
I hope they can be tight-lipped. I really don't want to get involved with any more horse girls.
With this thought in mind, he left the meeting area and then froze on the spot.
Wait, where do I go now?
Eclipse should be in class, and Tokai Teio had said she didn't need his help. If he just found a random spot in the academy to lie down and slack off, he might get caught and have his pay docked. And if he wandered around aimlessly, he could run into some problem horse girl, leading to all sorts of trouble.
Staring at the vast campus before him, Shinji Kitahara fell into deep thought.
...
A short while later.
Tokai Teio, having just finished her warm-up, noticed Shinji Kitahara suddenly appear in the stands. A flash of displeasure crossed her eyes.
"Didn't we agree that you didn't need to supervise me?"
Shinji rested his chin on his hand, a look of utter despair on his face.
Do you think I want to be here?
He sighed and began to explain his current predicament to Tokai Teio.
As he explained, her expression gradually softened, and by the end, she couldn't help but laugh out loud. She had never seen such a pitiful trainer.
"Alright then. The invincible Teio-sama will permit you to watch my training from the side," Tokai Teio said, puffing out her flat chest with a proud look.
"No, don't worry, I won't watch. I'll just be on my phone over here."
It had taken a great deal of courage for Shinji just to come here; he didn't dare watch her too closely. Otherwise, what if she looked over and suddenly said, "Trainer, you only need to watch me"? He'd probably be personally invited to a premium seat in the basement.
Tokai Teio seemed quite satisfied with his answer; after all, this was the outcome she wanted.
However, even though Shinji had complied with her wishes and honored their agreement, for some reason, hearing his answer still stirred a hint of annoyance in her heart. She felt as if she was being looked down upon.
But Tokai Teio didn't dwell on these minor feelings. Suppressing that flicker of irritation, she continued her training.
And on the sidelines, just as he had said, Shinji Kitahara took out his phone and started watching pre-downloaded videos, bored. Until the lunch break, he didn't cast a single glance at the self-training Tokai Teio.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (250 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (225 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (90 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (100 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (270 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (98 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (120 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(59 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (150 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (80 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (50 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (80 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (80 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (60 Chapter)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (50 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (50 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (50 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (33 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.