When asking Hosoe Junko and Akashi Tsubaki, Kitahara already had an answer in mind.
This was also an approach he quickly came up with after learning about Symboli Rudolf and the others' plans.
With the training level of horse girls like Symboli Rudolf, given some more time, they would definitely be able to further improve the strength of several horse girls before races like the Mainichi Okan and the Kikuka Sho.
This was something Kitahara was happy to see. If only the horse girls he personally trained became stronger, then much of what he had done up until now would lose a considerable amount of its value.
However, the fact that Oguri Cap and the others would soon lose the direct assistance of those legendary horse girls was not something he disliked seeing—but it was indeed a bit troublesome.
So after learning about the situation, he spent quite a bit of time thinking of ways to deal with it and had already formed a preliminary plan.
The purpose of asking now was simply to see how the two new trainers who were about to join the club would react, and what kind of talent or insight they possessed.
Training methods, processes, and even the entire system—since he, Tao Yuan, and Komiyama were here—could all be gradually taught while allowing Hosoe Junko and Akashi Tsubaki to adapt.
But things like insight and talent, in a certain sense, could not really be improved.
Technical aspects could all be accumulated through practice.
Some parts of full realization and Domains, which involved the Three Goddesses, could also be improved through experience.
But other aspects depended on flashes of insight and natural talent.
For example, Kitahara himself felt that things such as the level of mastery over a Domain, the condition of retired horse girls, and Hayakawa Tazuna's special nature—these kinds of situations had never appeared in the original work and required something similar to intuitive realization.
"Starting right away with such a difficult exam question, huh… well then…"
After hearing Kitahara's question, the first to react was Akashi Tsubaki.
"Can I ask something, Idol?"
"If we can't answer this question, will we be permanently rejected from the Eisei Club?"
From this reaction and question, it seemed that Akashi Tsubaki's talent and intuition were quite good. She immediately sensed Kitahara's intention and understood the difficulty behind it.
Domains might be somewhat unfamiliar to Japanese trainers since there weren't that many Domain-level horse girls in Japan.
But things were different in Europe and America. Due to the gap in training levels, many more horse girls there had come into contact with Domains—or even fully mastered them.
With her experience studying in Europe and exposure to Domain-related matters there, and now connecting that with the current situation, Kitahara felt that this ability was worth acknowledging.
However, he really couldn't get used to being called "Idol."
"First of all, let me clarify something. Don't call me Idol in the future. It sounds strange—like I'm a horse girl just like Oguri Cap and the others."
After explaining helplessly, he shook his head.
"The club doesn't have that kind of restriction you mentioned."
"Chairwoman Akikawa recommended you two, and I've already learned a bit about you. You don't need to worry about joining the club."
"Of course, there will be some assessments before the official admission. But with your abilities, I don't think there'll be any problem."
"So the question I asked just now was simply… well, let's say it was a normal inquiry from the club chairman."
In a sense, whether as a trainer or as a team chief, these weren't actually Kitahara's greatest strengths.
What he truly excelled at was the position of "club chairman."
This position required sufficient professional training knowledge, otherwise blind command could easily occur during operations.
It also required abilities in overall management, development vision, attracting investments, and allocating resources.
These were exactly the things he had always been doing in the past—only now he finally had the official title of club chairman.
Because of that background, both his tone and the content of his explanation came naturally.
Akashi Tsubaki, who had been a bit nervous just now, immediately relaxed.
"Mm-hm! That's great, Idol—ah no, Chairman! Chairman Kitahara!"
After quickly correcting herself, she began thinking.
"So with President Rudolf acting as support, in that case…"
While she was thinking, on the other side Hosoe Junko also spoke after some thought.
"I've already heard about President Rudolf's arrangements from the Chairwoman before."
She nodded.
"As an internal competition within the Eternal Club, the idea itself shouldn't have any problem."
"So if we follow the same line of thinking, if President Rudolf and the others assist other horse girls…"
"Shouldn't we invite senior horse girls similar to President Rudolf to guide Oguri Cap and the others?"
"For example, seniors like Le Glorieux and Ten Point."
"I think judging from their past race results and various performance data, if they could run alongside juniors like Oguri Cap, the training effect should be quite good."
She looked at Kitahara expectantly.
"Would that be a good solution?"
"Eh? Right! Horse girls like Le Glorieux and Ten Point—no matter how you look at it, they could definitely help Oguri Cap and the others!"
Akashi Tsubaki's eyes lit up, then she looked at Hosoe Junko with admiration.
"Senpai Hosoe is amazing—you thought of that instantly!"
"Um… you don't have to call me senpai."
Hosoe Junko immediately looked embarrassed.
"Even though I studied in Japan while you went to Europe, we should still be roughly the same graduating class."
"So the title 'senpai' is really too much for me."
After humbly explaining to Akashi Tsubaki, Hosoe Junko looked at Kitahara again with anticipation.
"Chief Kitahara, do you think my idea is practical?"
While she explained and briefly discussed with Tsubaki, Kitahara had been listening attentively.
Hearing the question, he thought for a moment.
"The line of thinking is correct, but there are some unrealistic aspects."
He didn't immediately explain what was unrealistic. Instead, he looked at Akikawa Yayoi, who had been listening nearby just like him.
"But regarding the specifics, I think we should return to the team office… no, it should be called the club office now."
"We'll talk about it after we get back."
"We won't disturb Chairwoman any longer. I assume she still has a lot of work to handle."
Having interacted with the student council and board several times, Kitahara knew how busy they were, so he intended to leave the office to Akikawa Yayoi and discuss training matters later.
Akikawa Yayoi didn't keep them either. She indeed had plenty of work.
Thus, after a brief exchange, Kitahara left the chairwoman's office with Oguri Cap and the two new club members.
Back in the former team office—now the club office—Kitahara still didn't comment on Hosoe Junko's idea.
Instead, he asked her and Akashi Tsubaki to expand their idea into a series of training proposals.
During the process, if they came up with new ideas, they should include them in the draft as well.
The reason wasn't that Hosoe Junko's thinking was wrong.
On the contrary, her idea was exactly what Kitahara had planned to do next.
From the time Maruzensky began assisting Oguri Cap and the others in training until now, the possibility of "Domain Inheritance" had gradually been confirmed.
Training during the training camp had also revealed that to master another horse girl's Domain, one needed to adapt to each other's racing habits under compatible conditions.
If not for the educational races in America and the later busy preparations for the club—as well as races for Tamamo Cross and Inari One—Kitahara originally planned to conduct this extended experiment within the team.
But now, with Symboli Rudolf and the others' practical results, it actually made little difference.
So without considering the next two races, following Rudolf's training experiments would allow Domain inheritance to proceed smoothly.
Aside from horse girls like Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky, who had already run alongside Oguri Cap and the others before, the horse girls mentioned by Hosoe Junko—such as Le Glorieux and Ten Point—could indeed be considered as collaborators.
In other words, Hosoe Junko's idea was exactly Kitahara's own plan.
But the issue lay in the difference between the two groups of horse girls.
The first group had already trained together with Oguri Cap for a long time. Even without considering compatibility, they had enough foundation to attempt Domain inheritance.
But Le Glorieux and the others were different.
Their compatibility with Oguri Cap and the others was still uncertain, and they had little time spent together.
Under such circumstances, inheriting their Domains wouldn't be possible within just a month or two.
Kitahara felt that if he could think of this, Hosoe Junko and Akashi Tsubaki should also be able to.
Their talent and ability were no worse than Tao Yuan Taro and Komiyama Katsumi's—they simply lacked understanding of Domains and of the Eternal Club.
Giving them time to prepare a proposal was also meant to see, after gaining that understanding, what kind of training plan they could come up with that best suited Oguri Cap's current situation.
He didn't have to wait long for the result.
A few days after confirming the club's establishment matters with Akikawa Yayoi, one evening in the office inside the training warehouse—
With the chairwoman's support these past few days, technical personnel in various areas had gradually been assembled.
However, for discussions regarding overall planning, aside from the two newly joined trainers, the meeting participants were still mostly the familiar faces such as Kitahara.
Most training arrangements continued as usual during this time.
The main difference was letting the new medical and technical staff become familiar with the club's daily operations.
So in the office now, besides the trainers, there were only the head of the medical team Miyamura Kyoko and the technical head horse girl Belno Light.
And the one giving the opening remarks was, as usual, Kitahara.
"Alright then. Junko and Tsubaki, since you said yesterday that the draft is ready, why don't you introduce it to everyone today?"
"Mm! Okay! Then Sister Junko and I will begin!"
The moment Kitahara finished speaking, Akashi Tsubaki hurried to the projection screen with an eager expression, looking ready to show off her abilities.
Hosoe Junko was steadier. With a slightly helpless expression, while Tsubaki began operating the computer, she bowed toward Kitahara and the others.
"Um… Tsubaki has a rather impatient personality, so let me explain something first."
Like a junior speaking to seniors at school, she said somewhat nervously:
"Previously we didn't understand the Domain situation of the club's horse girls very well. Even now, our understanding probably still isn't deep enough."
"So although we have come up with a training direction, there may still be some details missing."
"If there are any oversights during the explanation later, we hope the seniors will point them out."
She bowed again.
The welcome party for the two newcomers had already been held earlier, and they had worked together with everyone these past few days in the office and training grounds.
But Hosoe Junko clearly behaved like a traditional junior in many industries—very respectful and humble.
Compared to her, Akashi Tsubaki was much more straightforward.
"That's right, that's right! What Sister Junko said is correct. Our ideas still need guidance from our seniors!"
She cheerfully brought up the proposal she and Junko had worked on overnight.
"The current situation is simple. In the upcoming races, Oguri Cap, Super Creek, and Mejiro Ardan's opponents will become stronger due to President Rudolf's assistance."
"The direction of that strengthening, aside from basic abilities, mainly lies in Domains."
"I think we all agree President Rudolf and the others have that capability."
"And the solution is simple—just give Oguri Cap and the others similar improvements."
"As for basic abilities, after observing these past few days, Sister Junko and I both believe the advantage lies on our side."
"Especially in my opinion—even President Rudolf might not achieve as much improvement as Oguri Cap and the others if she cannot perfectly replicate our training methods."
"So the key lies in Domains."
"And fortunately, after discussing for a long time, Sister Junko and I suddenly had a flash of inspiration and discovered that the solution here is actually very simple."
Tsubaki's presentation pace matched her personality—concise and fast.
While quickly sorting out the situation, several slides had already flashed across the projection screen.
When she reached the solution to the Domain problem, what appeared were tables containing the information of various horse girls.
The moment Kitahara saw those tables and photos, he became certain.
The talent and intuition of these two newcomers were truly excellent.
Because what they showed was exactly the same idea he had for the Mainichi Okan and Kikuka Sho.
These two newcomers are quite capable… If this is their level, many tasks can be safely entrusted to them in the future…
Although he thought this inwardly, Kitahara maintained a calm, attentive expression.
"President Rudolf's Domain cannot be inherited for now due to this internal competition."
"Legendary horse girls of similar level are also unsuitable in the short term because there hasn't been enough time to adapt compatibility."
"The Domains among Oguri Cap and the others themselves are also an option."
"But considering that Senior Kitahara's reputation as a 'tactical genius' is too famous, and Oguri Cap and the others are already well-known, their Domains, running styles, and tactics have probably been studied thoroughly by their opponents."
"Especially with President Rudolf assisting those opponents, it becomes even harder to achieve a surprise."
"So…"
Pointing at the horse girls displayed on the projection screen, excitement burst from Tsubaki's eyes.
"We should do the opposite."
"Instead of letting Oguri Cap and the others inherit Domains from their seniors…"
"Let them inherit the Domains of their juniors."
"I know it sounds strange, but the relay race earlier already proved that every horse girl in the Eternal Club—no matter their age—has astonishing talent."
"Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, Rice Shower, Mihono Bourbon, Narita Brian."
"Sister Junko and I repeatedly simulated and analyzed using the club's equipment."
"They are absolutely horse girls capable of entering the Domain."
"As long as we conduct 'inheritance training' with them—even if they themselves haven't fully mastered their Domains yet, Oguri Cap and the others can bypass them and directly master those Domains!"
At this point, even Kitahara almost wanted to applaud the energetic junior in front of him.
Because this was exactly his idea.
If the path of seniors doesn't work, and peers' methods are already known by opponents—
Then take the path of the juniors.
In the Uma Musume game, there was never any rule that Domain inheritance had to follow generational order.
In the game, situations like Symboli Rudolf inheriting the Domain of her "son" Tokai Teio, or Mejiro McQueen inheriting the Domain of her "grandson" Gold Ship, were extremely common.
So from the very beginning, after learning the results of Rudolf's experiments, Kitahara had never been worried—because he knew this approach from the other world.
But Akashi Tsubaki and Hosoe Junko were natives of this world.
They knew nothing about the Uma Musume mobile game.
And they had only been with the Eternal Club for a few days.
If Taro or Komiyama Katsumi had thought of this, Kitahara wouldn't find it surprising—they had always been working with him.
But for Tsubaki and Junko to come up with it too—that truly surprised and impressed him.
Moreover, they didn't just think of the idea.
Within only a few days, they had already prepared a fairly detailed plan.
They were both very young, but now it was obvious that the lower parts of their eyes were slightly red and dark circles had formed.
Their spirits also looked somewhat exhausted.
All of this showed that the proposal they were presenting had been prepared through sleepless effort.
And the result was excellent.
All information about the five horse girls mentioned earlier had been analyzed, including speculations about their potential Domains.
Not only those five—every junior horse girl who had already confirmed joining the club was included.
Special Week, Seiun Sky, King Halo, as well as El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder, who were expected to transfer from the American Federal Tracen Academy according to earlier agreements.
And also T.M. Opera O and Oguri Roman.
Recently the club had simply been too busy with various matters. Although they had been communicating with many horse girls, it was still difficult to finalize the list.
After all, the club hadn't officially been established yet, and there were no precedents. Many matters required Akikawa Yayoi to discuss with the board and the URA Association.
This made some procedural matters a bit troublesome.
But even if the number of horse girls couldn't increase immediately, the existing ones were already sufficient.
"…So, to summarize our idea in one sentence as mentioned earlier."
"Let the participants of this race—Oguri Cap, Super Creek, and Mejiro Ardan—inherit the Domains of their juniors, and thereby achieve a surprise victory in the race."
After finishing the summary, Akashi Tsubaki looked energized.
However, she didn't notice that her voice had become somewhat hoarse as she continued enthusiastically.
"Next, regarding the Domain inheritance plan, Sister Junko and I designed the following arrangements… cough cough…"
The cough was very clear, and everyone in the office noticed.
Hosoe Junko reacted faster and said with some concern:
"Uh, Tsubaki… you must be tired from talking. Why don't I explain the rest?"
"First training plan is… huh? Sister Junko?"
Akashi Tsubaki froze for a moment, then waved her hand with a smile."It's fine, I don't have any problems at all… cough cough…"
"This…"
Hosoe Junko had just hesitantly opened her mouth to speak when she was interrupted.
Clap clap clap—!
"You've both worked hard. For the rest, let your seniors handle it," Kitahara said.
Smiling and sincerely applauding, Kitahara gestured toward Tora and Komiyama beside him.
Seeing the two of them nod in understanding, he turned to the somewhat surprised Hosoe Junko and Akashi Tsubaki and explained with a smile.
"Don't worry, we're not trying to steal your credit. It's just that the two of you are really too tired. These past few days must have been very hard on you."
As he spoke, he pointed at the two trainers and then touched the area under his own eyes.
"You probably haven't looked in a mirror these past few days, have you?"
"The dark circles under your eyes are pretty serious."
"If you're going to work and guide training at Eisei Club, it's best to pay attention to balancing work and rest."
In the past, Kitahara felt he wasn't qualified to say things like "balance work and rest."
To ensure the most basic safety and health during training, he required the horse girls to maintain a balance between work and rest.
But when it came to himself, he always felt like there were countless unfinished tasks and enormous pressure.
As a result, even though Oguri Cap had repeatedly insisted that he go to sleep on time at night and not stay up late, he still tried to squeeze in work whenever he had free time.
Going to Hokkaido to scout Special Week and similar talents, preparing for trips to Europe and America, planning the development of the club—these all required him to carve out time to complete.
However, after the summer festival during the holidays, his mindset had changed significantly.
Even if there was pressure, even if there were many things to do, squeezing himself like this wasn't the way to accomplish them.
Accompanying the horse girls as they pursued their dreams—perhaps that way was more relaxed, more enjoyable, and might even be a better path to achieving the final goal.
With this new mindset, he felt that both his expectations for himself and the club's arrangements had become much more relaxed in terms of tasks, pacing, and various details.
With that mentality, he deliberately reminded Hosoe Junko and Akashi Tsubaki.
But the result of that reminder was somewhat unexpected.
"Ah?! My eye circles are that dark?!" ×2
Although their volumes differed, upon hearing they had dark circles, both trainers cried out, clutching their faces as they frantically began searching around.
"I-is there a mirror? I want to check!"
"M-me too… oh right, my phone, my phone. I can use the camera…"
"Oh right right right, the phone!"
Not just the two of them—Komiyama and Kyoko, even Belno Light, became a little nervous.
"Actually, there are many ways to deal with dark circles. There's no need to panic so much…"
"Mm, I can provide you with some medical cosmetic products. They're very effective—I use them myself."
"You horse girls should be able to use them too. I gave some to Sister Katsumi and Sister Kyoko before, and they said the results were very good."
For a moment, the office became lively like the makeup backstage of a Winning Live performance for horse girls, and the topic shifted to cosmetics.
But the bustle didn't last long, and soon they returned to the main topic.
Through demonstrations by Tora and Komiyama, the training plans prepared by Hosoe Junko and Akashi Tsubaki were presented.
These plans were quickly approved.
Because the two new trainers had prepared them with exceptional seriousness and detail.
Even Kitahara himself believed that aside from a few adjustments needed for Oguri Cap and the others' specific conditions, most of the plans could be followed directly.
For example, the first training method Akashi Tsubaki had planned to introduce—the "circle stepping training."
In Kitahara's opinion, this training method was very similar to one shown in the first season of the horse girl anime, where Special Week and her team demonstrated it.
A mat is placed on the ground, with over a dozen palm-sized circles distributed across it.
The circles vary in color and come in three sizes: large, medium, and small.
The training method itself is simple. After hearing a command, the trainee must place either a hand or foot onto the circle that matches the specified color and size.
And there is a time limit.
If the command is "Right hand, small red circle," then within the time limit the right hand must be placed inside the small red circle without exceeding its boundary.
Then another command might follow: "Left foot, large blue circle," or "Left hand, medium yellow circle."The trainee must maintain the right hand's position while continuing to respond to the commands.
In the anime, Special Week and Vodka performed this training together.
Such a method not only trains reaction speed, body coordination, and flexibility, but also improves teamwork and synchronization.
This training style isn't particularly rare. Back when Eisei was still operating as a team, they had already used this method as an auxiliary training technique.
But during this "Domain Inheritance," this "circle stepping training" and similar exercises would become the primary method.
Because during training, Oguri Cap and the others would pair up with their juniors.
In other words, after receiving the same command, each pair of horse girls must respond with the same precise movement at the same time.
If this training continues for a period, the synchronization rate between the paired horse girls can reach "100%."
"…So then, since Junko and Tsubaki's plans have been approved, we can begin official training tomorrow according to their preparations."
At the end, Kitahara summarized.
"As for training assignments, this is what I'm thinking."
"Oguri Cap, Creek, and Ardan all have upcoming races, so we'll first select their 'synchronization partners.'"
"I'll explain my idea first. If you have better suggestions or questions, you can bring them up immediately."
Following the meeting's agenda, he thought for a moment before explaining the arrangement.
"At the Daily Crown race Oguri Cap will participate in, I believe she will encounter targeted strategies from her opponents."
"This isn't the first time. When there's only one clear target, it's easy for opponents to form a surrounding situation in real races."
"Although she has some experience dealing with that, in order to respond better, I'm considering…"
As he spoke, he switched the projection screen to the profile of a chestnut-haired short-haired horse girl.
"Opera O. Arrange for Oguri Cap to conduct 'synchronization training' with her."
"The competition intensity for Creek isn't as high as Oguri Cap's, so I think we can make some longer-term plans."
"Her speed and explosiveness improved during the training camp, but her final sprint and overtaking ability are still slightly lacking."
"I think Tokai Teio's performance in the relay race already proves she has enough talent in that aspect, and her domain should lean in that direction."
"So Creek will conduct synchronization training with her."
"Mejiro Ardan's race situation is similar to Creek's, so the arrangement is the same."
"She needs improvement in handling long-distance races, and coincidentally her younger sister Mejiro McQueen has clear long-distance adaptability."
"As sisters, their synchronization training should be even better."
"Looking further ahead, if this method proves feasible, we can summarize a detailed plan for domain inheritance from it."
"After that, whether it's Oguri Cap and the others themselves, or Tamamo Cross, Inari One, or other horse girls, they can all strengthen themselves through this method."
"Of course, that's mainly for facing higher-level races—like world-class competitions."
"So for now, let's discuss the choice of synchronization partners."
"Do you have any questions or better suggestions?"
When he finished speaking, the office fell slightly silent.
Then, with a thoughtful expression, Komiyama slowly spoke.
"Senpai, something feels strange."
She gestured for Kitahara to hand over the laser pointer controlling the projection screen. After taking it, she repeatedly switched between screens.
"Look. The partners you assigned for Creek and Ardan are both slightly older juniors."
"Whether it's Teio or McQueen, they're already on the verge of full development. They'll probably make their official debut next year or the year after."
"In that case, if they perform well in the 'Youth Cup' and awaken their domains before entering the Twinkle Series, I wouldn't find it surprising."
"In other words, their strength is clearly higher when paired with Creek and Ardan."
"But…"
Switching the screen to Opera O's information, Komiyama looked at Kitahara in confusion.
"Opera O…"
"Isn't she a bit… weak?"
"Ah, what I mean is, compared to Teio and McQueen, she's younger, right?"
"In that case, wouldn't it be more suitable to choose someone older for synchronization training, senpai?"
Before Kitahara could answer, Taro spoke in a deep voice.
"I feel the same."
"If it were my arrangement, I'd think Special Week or Seiun Sky might be more suitable age-wise."
"Or like Komiyama said, someone around Teio and McQueen's age and development stage—Rice Shower, Mihono Bourbon, or Narita Brian."
"Opera O… might be a little too young."
"For helping Oguri Cap, I think…"
He looked at Kitahara and hesitated.
"It might not be that significant."
Kitahara was somewhat surprised, but quickly understood.
He had already grown used to the fact that people in this world had perspectives very different from his own, which allowed him to recognize the "misunderstanding" of Taro and Komiyama.
Or rather, it wasn't just the two of them.
Although Miyamura Kyoko and Belno Light weren't responsible for training, they had interacted with trainers and horse girls long enough to understand the club's situation.
And judging by their expressions, they agreed with Taro and Komiyama.
…This was a bit troublesome.
He couldn't just directly tell them that Opera O was actually far stronger than they imagined…
And that between her and Oguri Cap there might be some subtle bond and outstanding compatibility…?
Trouble began to spread in Kitahara's mind.
He knew clearly that even though he had been hinting repeatedly, his colleagues still lacked understanding about many horse girls.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have said something like "Is Opera O a bit weak?"
After all, an undefeated record in the year 2000 and seven G1 victories—like Symboli Rudolf—with achievements like that, Opera O could never be described as "weak."
As for bonds and compatibility, Opera O and Oguri Cap might indeed share a unique connection.
In a parallel world, Oguri Cap never participated in the Classic Triple Crown, which caused huge uproar among fans.
Fans believed that if even a horse as strong as Oguri Cap was restricted by the rules, then the rules themselves must be flawed.
With that idea, fans repeatedly demanded that the JRA change the rules, and under pressure the association eventually did.
Unfortunately, Oguri Cap herself never got the chance to stand on the Classic Triple Crown stage.
Among those who benefited from that rule change, the most famous was Opera O.
There was also another connection between Oguri Cap and Opera O.
The Mainichi Cup.
It was a G3 race held before the first Classic Triple Crown race—the Satsuki Sho.
Oguri Cap had won this race, and it was after that victory that her team discovered she had the qualifications to participate in the Classic Triple Crown.
Unfortunately, they had already missed the registration deadline. According to the rules at the time, pre-registration was required, so Oguri Cap missed the chance and could only compete in the Kyoto Special.
Coincidentally, Opera O's team also thought about the Classic Triple Crown after winning the Mainichi Cup.
But internal disagreements arose.
Owner Takezono Masatsugu didn't recognize Opera O's talent at all and believed that even if they entered the Satsuki Sho, there would be no results.
Trainer Iwamoto Ichizo, however, had great expectations for Opera O and was even willing to pay out of his own pocket to participate.
As for jockey Wada Ryuji, he had little opinion—after all, he was only twenty-two at the time and very inexperienced.
The person who ultimately resolved the dispute in Opera O's team was none other than Oguri Cap's trainer, Setoguchi Tsutomu.
Setoguchi immediately recognized Opera O's talent and believed she was a racehorse no less powerful than Oguri Cap, strongly supporting her participation.
Thus, relying on the late-registration system for the Classic races created because of Oguri Cap, and with the discerning eye of Oguri Cap's trainer, Takezono Masatsugu finally agreed to register.
Opera O was able to participate in the Satsuki Sho and gradually embarked on the royal road to becoming the "Overlord of the End of the Century."
This cross-time bond is something fans often talk about, and there are hints of it in both manga and anime.
In the manga, when Oguri Cap failed to enter the Classic Triple Crown but changed the rules, the silhouette shown in the panel was Opera O.
In the anime, before Opera O entered the Satsuki Sho and defeated Narita Top Road and Admire Vega to win, the person she visited was Oguri Cap.
Oguri Cap, happily eating like a hamster, even encouraged Opera O about entering the Satsuki Sho.
"I watched your Mainichi Cup race earlier. You ran extremely well."
"I have very deep feelings for the Mainichi Cup too."
"Yes—you should compete."
"Because I believe you'll have a wonderful performance."
After giving that encouragement, Oguri Cap even went to the race in person and witnessed Opera O crossing the finish line.
In Kitahara's eyes, this bond that crossed time might have already shown signs in this world.
For example, when he first brought Oguri Cap to Tokyo and visited Central Tracen Academy for the first time, by sheer coincidence they happened to meet Opera O.
Therefore, knowing Opera O's true strength, Kitahara never thought arranging synchronization training between her and Oguri Cap was a problem.
And knowing about those bonds across time, he even believed that such an arrangement for domain inheritance might be a kind of destiny.
But the key issue was that he couldn't openly explain these things to others.
Sigh… after all that, the situation now feels a bit like Opera O's amateur team back then…
Please, I'm not Takezono Masatsugu, nor Wada Ryuji…
Silently complaining to himself, Kitahara thought for a moment.
"How about this—let's train according to my plan for a certain period first."
He compromised, deciding to settle the disagreement this way.
"If the results are good, we'll continue."
"If there's no effect, or the results aren't ideal, then we'll discuss it again. How about that?"
Komiyama and the others had no objections to this arrangement, and the meeting soon concluded.
The next day, following the training plan discussed at the meeting, Kitahara announced the synchronization training assignments before the end of morning practice.
"…So that's the arrangement. Starting from morning practice, you'll train in groups."
"Those assigned to one-on-one groups will train together. The rest will continue normal morning practice."
"Take your positions and prepare to start."
This kind of synchronization training had never been done before, but receiving "novel" and "strange" training methods from Kitahara wasn't new either.
After responding in agreement, the horse girls quickly began their morning run.
"Then for the next period of time, please take care of me, Opera O."
After being assigned to a separate track for morning practice, Oguri Cap smiled, nodded to Opera O, and extended her hand.
"I should be the one asking for your guidance, Oguri Senpai."
After smiling and shaking Oguri Cap's hand, Opera O looked around and smiled again.
"This morning practice feels a bit different."
"Usually everyone trains together. It's lively, like the premiere of an opera at La Scala."
"Now it's much quieter."
"Mm, because we're training separately."
Without thinking much, Oguri Cap nodded and was about to ask something like "Are you ready?" when she suddenly noticed Opera O staring directly at her.
"…Is something wrong?" Oguri Cap asked in confusion.
"It's rare to have a chance to be alone with you, senpai. There's something I've wanted to ask you for a long time."
Still staring straight at Oguri Cap, Opera O said directly:
"Senpai—if I want to become a horse girl like you, who wins race after race… what am I still lacking?"
(End of Chapter)