Tracen Academy's central campus was far more vast than Dream Weaver had imagined. At the very least, in the scripted worlds she'd experienced before, she'd never known the school grounds held such an expansive forest. And the deeper she followed Gold Ship into the woods, the more noticeably the terrain sloped upward.
Dream Weaver lifted her head, gazing up at the starry sky through the gaps in the leaves. The shimmering stars seemed much closer now.
It really felt just as Gold Ship had said—they were embarking on an unprecedented great adventure right here in the heart of Tracen.
In this little world woven from trees, all the worries and anxieties that had been plaguing Dream Weaver felt shut out. In this moment, she didn't need to think about how to mediate between Orfevre and T.M. Opera O, nor did she need to fret over the future.
The occasional chirp of a bird overhead, the small stone she kicked aside with her foot, the beetle clinging to the tree trunk—all of it gave her a sense of exploration far more thrilling than the usual routine of school life.
The mental weight she had accumulated from her script missions gradually lightened during this little adventure.
Led by Gold Ship, the winding forest path gradually opened up into a clearer, wider space.
As the last of the branches fell behind them, a broad platform unfolded before their eyes.
Dream Weaver looked around. A wooden pavilion stood quietly at the center of the platform, its latticework casting dappled shadows on the benches under the cool moonlight. Behind the pavilion, a dark asphalt track stretched out like a ribbon right up to their feet, glowing with a soft, matte finish under the moon.
It was only then that Dream Weaver finally realized where they were—this must be the uphill training ground for the Uma Musume of Tracen Academy.
It's just that in her first scripted world, she hadn't managed to find a trainer and could only train by herself on the grounds. She never went out of her way to ask about this place, so she'd never even heard it existed.
A gentle breeze swept through just then, brushing the bangs from her eyes. The city skyline spread out beyond the platform glittered like a river of stars, kindling tiny sparks of warmth in Dream Weaver's dark eyes.
Staring at the night view before her, Dream Weaver was silent for a moment before she softly spoke.
"Getting lost was just an excuse, wasn't it?"
If Gold Ship had truly been disoriented as she'd claimed, how could she have so easily brought Dream Weaver to this platform to see such a view?
"Gold Ship is from the Gold Planet, so she has no idea what you're talking about," Gold Ship chirped, hands behind her head as she plopped down on a bench in the pavilion. She patted the spot beside her, gesturing for Dream Weaver to join.
"Then how come I can understand you?"
"Huh, really? Why's that? Don't tell me you're from the Gold Planet too, Dream? Wow, that means we don't ever have to part!"
Watching Gold Ship's suddenly brightened eyes, Dream Weaver shook her head with a light laugh.
"More like I ate some translation gummies."
As she spoke, she settled onto the bench beside Gold Ship.
"Huh, seriously…?"
Gold Ship thoughtfully stroked her chin at that, furrowing her brow as she muttered to herself.
"So which is more sci-fi: aliens existing, or a blue raccoon dog from the 22nd century?"
"Probably the blue raccoon dog. After all, I'm already looking at an alien Uma Musume right now."
Gold Ship's eyes lit up, and she began glancing around, mumbling about where this alien Uma Musume might be. Dream Weaver couldn't help but laugh and shake her head—so she'd even forgotten the premise she'd set just seconds ago?
Dream Weaver turned her gaze forward, quietly taking in the glittering lights below that shone like stars against the night sky.
"Gold Ship, why did you suddenly bring me up here?"
Though Dream Weaver often found herself flustered and mentally short-circuiting from others' spontaneous actions, she wasn't a fool. She could sense something was off.
If King Halo and the others could be explained as trying to recruit her as a trainer, if T.M. Opera O could be chalked up to another burst of overconfidence, and if Orfevre could be pretending she'd only come to chase Gold Ship—then why had Gold Ship dragged her all the way up here? She couldn't just dismiss it with the usual line that no one could ever figure Gold Ship out, so why bother trying?
Hearing the question, Gold Ship set aside her usual playful smirk. She lifted her head, squinting slightly at the stars as she murmured:
"Just thought of it, that's all. The stars are really pretty here, aren't they?"
The stars? Dream Weaver was taken aback. She'd assumed Gold Ship had picked this viewing platform for the city lights—not for stargazing.
"You can see the stars from anywhere, though. Why now? Why here…?"
Why with me?
She left the last part unspoken, but she felt Gold Ship would understand. Though Gold Ship often acted whimsical and scatterbrained, Dream Weaver believed it was just her playful, mischievous side.
Beneath all that absurdity, Gold Ship was a sharp and clever Uma Musume.
Of course, Gold Ship understood. But truth be told, even she didn't know why she felt this instinctual pull toward Dream Weaver. It was just that last night, she'd had a strange dream. How could she, who in the dream had lived through so much and still didn't know what she was thinking, possibly explain it now—when all she had was this dream?
She just kept her eyes on the stars above, quietly summoning the fragments left in her memory.
"The light from the Gold Planet, a hundred light-years away… it would take a century for it to reach here. A hundred years from now… will you have time to go out with me?"
"Just like today."
Hearing this, Dream Weaver's pupils contracted slightly. She immediately thought of that conversation with Gold Ship in the scripted world, where she'd also said that after they both retired a hundred years later, they should go have fun together.
Could it be that Gold Ship retained memories from that time? Or was she just in the habit of talking about a hundred years?
But before Dream Weaver could respond, Gold Ship laughed and shook her head, turning to face her.
"But a hundred years is way too long, when you think about it."
"Summer's almost over. The school's holding a festival tomorrow to welcome the autumn races. Want to go with Gold Ship tomorrow?"
Dream Weaver stared into Gold Ship's eyes, searching for any trace—any hint—that she remembered. But all she could see was her own reflection in those pink pupils.
Gold Ship had been hard to read even as a child. Now that she was older, Dream Weaver found her even more inscrutable.
"…Alright."
She glanced up at the night sky, knowing she didn't have time to press further. If they didn't hurry down and leave campus soon, she'd miss the last train. So she nodded in agreement, planning to get her answer from Gold Ship during tomorrow's festival.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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!
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