Kochi Prefecture.
An otherwise unremarkable day.
Compared to the bustling hubs where the Central Tracen Academy and Japan's four major racecourses were located, this place felt much quieter.
The streets were sparsely populated; in this country where the population wasn't particularly large, young people often chose to live and strive in bigger cities.
Even the Kochi Racecourse wasn't very expansive, and the spectator stands were noticeably smaller.
Yet even so, the seats at Kochi Racecourse remained thinly filled, without many people coming to watch in person.
"Damn it! It's Urara's debut race—why isn't anyone here to watch?!"
Twin Turbo complained indignantly.
As teammates from Team Canopus, Twin Turbo and the others naturally came to cheer for Urara in person, especially since Barbatos and Seiun Sky—both preparing for the Japanese Oaks and the Japanese Derby—had put aside their training to attend.
Those of them who didn't have races coming up for the moment certainly wouldn't miss it.
"You can't look at it that way," Ikuno Dictus replied.
"Maybe you've gotten used to watching Barbatos and Seiun's races, so you have some misconceptions about debut races."
"But when Barbatos debuted, there were still plenty of people watching!" Twin Turbo retorted stubbornly.
She still remembered Barbatos's debut: though it was also a maiden race, they could see through the live broadcast that there had been at least ten thousand people at Hanshin Racecourse that day.
Yet now, for Urara's debut, it was hard to say whether there were even a thousand people in the audience altogether.
Even Twin Turbo could tell the difference at a glance.
If Barbatos's later races were all packed to the brim with tickets hard to come by, during her debut she had still been completely unknown.
"This is Kochi," Ikuno Dictus added with some helplessness. "Not every region's Uma Musume racing scene is like the Central circuit."
She wasn't saying that people in Kochi didn't enjoy watching Uma Musume races, or that few here followed the sport—that wasn't the case at all.
Among Kochi's residents, there were certainly many who kept up with the Classic races, the Triple Tiara events, and the various Central Grade series races.
It was just that they didn't pay as much attention to local races here in Kochi.
Especially in Japan, where pedigree theory was quite prevalent, there was a common belief that only the Uma Musume from the Central circuit were truly strong.
It wasn't until the Heisei era, with the emergence of a local Uma Musume like Oguri Cap, that this "common sense" was broken.
But even so, talented local Uma Musume were recruited into the Central Tracen Academy, competing on the Central stage.
So local races no longer seemed exciting, and local Uma Musume appeared mediocre by comparison.
How could those accustomed to watching Central Uma Musume races bother to pay special attention to local events, even if they were locals themselves?
If local Uma Musume racing was an expression of passion for the sport, more often it was a compromise for those unable to travel to the Central venues.
It wasn't that no one supported their local Uma Musume, but compared to the following for Central Uma Musume, the numbers were far, far smaller.
"The races Barbatos competes in now are all held at the four major racecourses, the kind everyone pays attention to. That's why the contrast is so stark."
After Ikuno Dictus finished explaining, Seiun Sky spoke up. "Actually, today's turnout is considered pretty good."
"Before this, races at Kochi Racecourse might only have a few hundred spectators."
In this situation, you could say Kochi Racecourse was teetering on the edge of closure—or rather, most local racecourses were in a similar plight.
If all the talented Uma Musume went to the Central circuit, why wouldn't everyone just watch Central races?
"So you're saying, Urara's race actually has a pretty decent crowd?"
Twin Turbo concluded with her rather simple reasoning, muttering, "But it still feels so empty. I wish her debut could've had as many people as Barbatos's."
The others heard Twin Turbo's mumbling but simply smiled without commenting.
They all had their suspicions about why Urara's debut race had over a thousand spectators: it likely had something to do with Team Canopus.
Even setting aside the already successful Ikuno Dictus, Nice Nature, and Matikanetannhauser, the brilliance of Barbatos and Seiun Sky alone was dazzling enough to make people wonder if Canopus might produce another talented Uma Musume.
Even if she chose to debut in Kochi.
It wasn't unheard of for a Central Uma Musume to debut locally—it usually meant the trainer wasn't confident enough in her abilities to debut in the Central circuit, or that her strength wasn't sufficient for a Central debut.
So they chose to build confidence and experience in local races before stepping onto the Central stage later.
But... what if?
What if there was another reason for debuting in Kochi?
After all, some Uma Musume did have hometown pride and chose to debut where they came from.
Just as Barbatos and the others were chatting, the announcer's voice came through the speakers.
The sound wasn't very clear, carrying a bit of static—a testament to the somewhat worn state of Kochi Racecourse.
Guided by the announcer, the competing Uma Musume made their entrances one by one, stepping onto the stage and standing before the Kochi audience.
"Next up, from the Central Tracen Academy, Team Canopus—the absolute top favorite in this race, Uma Musume Haru Urara!"
A string of prefixes accompanied the announcer's words, highlighting Urara's exceptional background.
"It's said she entered Tracen alongside Barbatos, and the two have been close friends since long before. Will she showcase the same invincible form as Barbatos in this race? Let's wait and see!"
On the stage, Urara, draped in a tracksuit, flung it off with a flourish, radiating coolness, composure, and confidence—as if the race were already hers, with no opponent capable of defeating her.
Spectators in the stands who had been looking forward to Urara's appearance cheered.
A Central Uma Musume, a close friend of Barbatos since their entry into Tracen, now debuting here in Kochi—how could the local fans not be excited?
At the very least, in this local OP race, Urara was undoubtedly the top favorite!
Nearly every spectator here had come specifically for her.
'This announcer must be a real pressure-giver, laying it on so thick?'
Barbatos couldn't help but grumble inwardly. Fortunately, given Urara's personality, she likely wouldn't be affected—it wouldn't hinder her performance in her debut race.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.