Inari Kagura felt very uncomfortable.
She could feel a gaze behind her the entire way—she could confidently remove the word "feel" now. She had long since discovered an Uma Musume with an extremely clumsy disguise and terrible tracking skills following behind her. Not yet affected by the Uma Musume's peculiar vision (referring to the strange vision that allows them to become invisible by holding up two tree branches), she naturally spotted the other party immediately.
Kagura couldn't think of any reason why she would be followed. What could she, a poor child, possibly have to attract someone's attention?
'Why does this person look so familiar?'
Feeling that the Uma Musume looked somewhat familiar, Kagura stopped at a red light, pretending to observe the road conditions by looking left and right, and identified her with the corner of her eye.
'Isn't that the family head's granddaughter?!'
Recognizing the other party, Kagura couldn't help but be surprised. She had only seen Symboli Rudolph once yesterday, and she was very confident in her memory. That height, school uniform, as well as that hairstyle and forehead highlight, it couldn't be any other Uma Musume besides Symboli Rudolph, unless Symboli Rudolph had a twin sister.
Perhaps because it was rush hour, this red light was unusually long. The Uma Musume who was following her also walked up beside her, staring straight at the traffic light, appearing to be watching the signal. But Kagura's peripheral vision caught her occasionally turning slightly to look at her.
"…We meet again. Good morning, Young Lady."
Seeing the other party's awkwardness, Kagura couldn't bear it anymore and greeted her, though she didn't immediately mention that she had already noticed the other party following her the whole way.
"…There are so many people around, and you've only met me once. How did you recognize me?"
After a moment of silence, Symboli Rudolph turned to look at her and asked softly.
"There are indeed many people, but no one would wear a mask and sunglasses on the street, would they? It's so conspicuous, it looks very suspicious at first glance…"
"I see. It seems it's better not to wear a disguise."
Saying this, Symboli Rudolph took off her mask and sunglasses and smiled at Kagura, which surprised Kagura, who had thought yesterday that Symboli Rudolph was the silent type.
"So, Young Lady, is there something you need me for?"
"I haven't been home in a long time, and there's a new person in the house, so naturally I'm curious. Let me reintroduce myself: I am Symboli Rudolph. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Inari Kagura, just call me Kagura. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Kagura extended her small hand and shook Symboli Rudolph's hand, formally introducing herself.
During their conversation, seeing the traffic light finally turn green, Kagura prepared to walk forward. Just as she was about to bid farewell to Symboli Rudolph beside her, before she could even speak, Symboli Rudolph instead patted her shoulder, signaling her to walk forward and cross the road.
"What, aren't you going back? It's already a green light, you know?"
"That's true, but we're not going the same way, are we? The school is in that direction, and if I remember correctly, you'll be late soon, won't you?"
Kagura, who often encountered Tracen students here, had a rough idea of the school's schedule, though she didn't know what they studied.
"No, I'm going home today. Let's go together."
"…Alright."
Although she still hadn't figured out what Symboli Rudolph wanted to do by following her, Kagura couldn't say anything else now. She just nodded and then led Symboli Rudolph across the road… "Kagura, you have the day off today. No work."
"Eh?"
Back at the Symboli Family residence, just as she put down the groceries in the kitchen, Kagura heard another senior maid run over and tell her some rather incredible news.
"Why is there a sudden holiday?"
"This…"
Before the maid could finish, Kagura saw Symboli Rudolph, who had somehow made her way to the kitchen, looking as if she was here to visit.
'Ah, I think I understand.'
Kagura suddenly realized. Seeing that Kagura seemed to have understood, the maid didn't continue, as it wouldn't be appropriate to say it directly in front of Symboli Rudolph.
"Young Lady, do you have any instructions?"
"Come with me?"
"I still have work today…"
"It's fine, the old lady agreed. She said you can follow me today."
It seemed that Symboli Rudolph had come home specifically to take her out, and Kagura seemed to have no room to refuse. She wasn't too worried about what this Young Lady would do to her; she was just curious why Symboli Rudolph was taking her out.
A moment later, Kagura, having changed into her shoes and socks, arrived at the front gate of the courtyard. Symboli Rudolph was already waiting for her there.
Since she didn't have any other clothes to change into for the time being, Kagura could only choose a slightly cleaner one from the dozen or so maid outfits in the wardrobe.
"You're quite fast, aren't you? So, are you ready for a run?"
"Eh? Run… what?"
"We'll be late in half an hour, so of course, we're running to school. Come on, keep up."
"Huh??"
Kagura looked at Symboli Rudolph, utterly confused. She didn't think this child seemed to care much about being late, so why was she suddenly talking about running?
Seeing Symboli Rudolph dash out like that, Kagura didn't bother asking any questions and quickly followed after Symboli Rudolph.
Thanks to the city speed limits on this road, Symboli Rudolph didn't have to pick up speed to the point where Kagura couldn't keep up. After slightly evening out her breathing rhythm, Kagura steadily followed beside Symboli Rudolph.
"Young Miss, are you taking me to the school?"
"Yes, you pass that intersection every day when you buy groceries. Don't you want to go inside and see that school?"
"Uh..."
To say she wasn't curious would definitely be a lie. Kagura had wondered more than once what the legendary Tracen Academy was like, but it wasn't to the extent where she absolutely *had* to see it, so she had never gone out of her way to look.
Now that she had this opportunity to see it, she was naturally willing. However, she didn't understand why Symboli Rudolph had specifically come back to take her. She didn't recall ever telling Symboli Rudolph her thoughts.
'Forget it, if we're going, we're going. I'll take it one step at a time.'
The Academy wasn't far from the Symboli Family residence. By the time Kagura and Symboli Rudolph ran to the gates of the massive Academy, it was only 7:50 AM, still a bit of time before being late.
"Good morning, Rudolph. Oh, it's rare to see you going to school with someone. And who is this?"
The black-haired woman with green hair at the entrance smiled and greeted Symboli Rudolph, then her gaze shifted to Kagura beside her, observing her with curiosity.
"Isn't it the open house these past few days? I brought my little maid from home to visit."
"Your maid from home... I see, it's her. Alright, please come in. Classes are about to start, and the Chairwoman will also be on patrol. Try not to get caught by her if you're late."
Kagura felt that the 'green' lady seemed to have heard of her, but as it was their first meeting, Kagura couldn't directly ask. She simply bowed slightly to the lady and then silently followed Symboli Rudolph through the school gates.
"It's so big..."
Although she occasionally passed by this Academy, which looked impressively large from the outside, when she actually walked inside, Kagura was still greatly astonished.
It seemed that because it was close to class time, there weren't many Uma Musume visible in the Academy. Symboli Rudolph said that after a while, when classes let out, the Academy would become lively.
"Central Tracen is a gathering place for the nation's top Uma Musume. The training facilities and other supporting facilities here are all first-class in the country. The Academy handles logistics so that Uma Musume can run without any worries."
Symboli Rudolph, accompanying her, explained the relevant matters of the school to Kagura like a tour guide, occasionally pulling out photos on her phone to show her.
Kagura felt that she had underestimated the importance this world placed on Uma Musume, and also underestimated Tracen's financial power and resources. Not only were the dorms nicely decorated, looking like new homes, but the seemingly delicious cafeteria was even a free buffet!
'The facilities of this high school are so much better than the crappy facilities of my university, I don't even know where to begin! Does such a paradise really exist in this world!'
Kagura heard that Tracen's tuition was relatively high, but some Uma Musume seemed to have said that if one had the ability, the Academy Chairwoman would provide some assistance, such as tuition waivers or living subsidies. Although Kagura knew she didn't need to think too deeply about things from a two-dimensional world, she couldn't help but wonder about Tracen's source of income.
"To create a world where all Uma Musume can run happily—this is the ideal of the Symboli Family, and also the ideal of Tracen."
Seeing that Kagura seemed a bit puzzled and curious, Symboli Rudolph added an explanation.
"Oh..."
Although this ideal sounded somewhat difficult to achieve and wasn't a fantasy Kagura would believe in, Kagura still expressed heartfelt respect for those who held such a grand ideal and were willing to act to realize it.
Visiting this wonderful school indeed broadened Kagura's horizons, which made her curious. She just didn't know why her Young Miss hadn't gone to the Teaching Building even though class time had passed; instead, she seemed to be walking further and further away.
After following Symboli Rudolph through the deserted campus for a while, Kagura heard sounds gradually returning to her ears. She could vaguely see what appeared to be a Racecourse not far ahead, and it sounded like there were other Uma Musume there.
"Morning, Rudolph. You're appearing much later than usual today."
As soon as they approached the somewhat ridiculously large Racecourse, Kagura saw a black-haired woman with a long braid, wearing neat and capable grey work attire, exuding an elite professional aura, walk over. She seemed to be an acquaintance of Symboli Rudolph's.
"Morning, Trainer. Today, I brought a curious Uma Musume to visit Tracen. I haven't missed the start of training, have I?"
"There's still some time before it starts. You can go warm up and prepare. Your debut race is already close at hand. Your condition should be fine, right?"
"My condition is very good, no problem."
"Sigh, you've been staying up late a lot recently. I hope you really are fine... By the way, who is this child you brought? It's rare to see you moving around with other Uma Musume."
The woman's gaze turned to Inari Kagura beside her. Kagura, who was still curiously observing how other Uma Musume attended class, heard the conversation seemingly shift to her, so she refocused her attention and looked at the woman.
"My maid from home. I brought her to visit Tracen."
"Inari Kagura, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Following Symboli Rudolph's introduction, Inari Kagura also nodded slightly to the woman referred to as the Trainer.
"The maid from the Symboli Family... I am Tojo Hana, Rudolph's Trainer. Well, as you can see, this is Tracen's usual state. Apart from classes and after school, many Uma Musume spend most of their time training here."
Seeing that the Trainer kept observing her, Inari Kagura felt that this person seemed to know her too, but she had no recollection of ever meeting her. So, she cautiously greeted the other party:
"Um... Miss Tojo, may I call you that?"
"No need to be so reserved, is there something?"
"Is a Trainer a position similar to a teacher?"
Completely unfamiliar with schools in this world, Kagura only knew the superficial knowledge Symboli Rudolph had just given her. So, she decided to ask this person, who seemed approachable and very knowledgeable.
It seemed to be the first time she had heard such a question. The Trainer named Tojo Hana paused, instinctively looking at Symboli Rudolph beside her, who, in a direction Kagura couldn't see, gave Tojo Hana a helpless smile.
"How to put it... Compared to a teacher, a Trainer's responsibilities are much broader. If a team doesn't have a Support Musume, besides daily training, there's also diet planning and race scheduling to do. If injuries occur, we also need to consider subsequent recovery plans, and..."
Although it had been a long time since she had answered such a common-sense question, Tojo Hana quickly provided a detailed explanation.
"Wow..."
Just by listening, Kagura knew this was a nanny-like profession, acting as both father and mother. She couldn't help but let out an exclamation befitting a working person. This was far more demanding than what she, as a doctor (formerly), had to worry about. It could practically be said that they were parents without a blood relation.
'Such meticulous care, and having to be responsible for multiple people at once?? Will they really not die from overwork?'
Kagura, who had already died once from overwork, thought to herself, and her gaze towards Tojo Hana involuntarily carried a sense of respect.
"Then what does a Support Musume do?"
"It's somewhat similar to an assistant coach. They can help Trainers share some of the work and are closer to the Uma Musume. However, Support Musume are rare. Perhaps most Uma Musume prefer to run on the Racecourse."
Tojo Hana had figured it out: Inari Kagura was quite lacking in Uma Musume-related common knowledge. It was no wonder Symboli Rudolph specifically brought her to Tracen to see. Of course, she also knew that her Uma Musume wouldn't casually bring people here, and such a tour could be entrusted to other students. The fact that she would personally take Inari Kagura, and even bring her to the training ground, most likely meant there were other reasons.
"We happen to have an open spot on our Track, Little Horse Girl, would you like to come up and run a bit to experience what Uma Musume usually feel like during class?"
Tojo Hana, having guessed something, tried to invite Kagura.
As she expected, after she said that, she saw Rudolph Symbol behind Kagura visibly increase her motivation!
"Me? Won't I be disturbing students' classes?"
"The Track is very spacious, and there are no other teams training here for now. As long as you don't get in the way of other Uma Musume who are exercising, it's fine."
Speaking of teams, Tojo Hana was actually only training two Uma Musume at the moment. One was, of course, Rudolph Symbol next to Kagura, and the other was the chestnut-haired, blue-eyed Uma Musume who had just come off the Racecourse and was excitedly sprinting towards them—Maruzensky.
"Little Horse Girl—!"
"Ah…"
'It's that overly friendly Uma Musume I saw that day!'
Both of Kagura's ears on top of her head stood up in fright. Just as she was about to step back and dodge, Maruzensky, who had been charging over, had already targeted her prey. The moment Kagura made a move, she was picked up, her feet leaving the ground, and then her face was forcefully pressed between two soft mounds.
A brutal chest murder… Well, at least it was clear that Maruzensky had been exercising for a while; her clothes were wet.
"Please let me go, I can't breathe…"
"Sorry, sorry, I got a bit excited and forgot I was just exercising."
Seeing Kagura's ears fold down, Maruzensky quickly released the Little Horse Girl, who was two heads shorter than her.
Compared to the mature Maruzensky, Inari Kagura, a short girl only 1.4 meters tall, seemed quite helpless, which made her miss her former height of 1.7 meters even more.
'A child's body is really inconvenient… I wish I could grow bigger.'
Kagura sighed helplessly in her heart.
After a struggle, she finally returned to the ground. Missing her former height, Kagura recalled Eclipse, whom she had seen in her dream. Eclipse had a face very similar to hers and an impressive, tall figure. One could say she was exactly what Kagura's body would look like when she grew up—that being said, Inari Kagura had a premonition, for some reason, that even if she grew up, she wouldn't grow much taller.
"Little Horse Girl, are you here to visit Tracen Academy today?"
"I guess… you could say that."
"Then would you like to run a couple of laps with your big sister? Our team's Track is open right now!"
Maruzensky looked eager to try. While Kagura was still hesitating, she felt Rudolph Symbol behind her gently push her:
"Just for some exercise, want to run together?"
"I don't mind, if you two don't mind an extra person disturbing, I can run a couple of laps with you."
Seeing the two of them looking expectant, Kagura, who had already been thinking about walking a couple of laps on the Track, agreed without much hesitation.
Kagura herself wasn't averse to running. After running with Speed Symbol that day, she found it quite fun. She liked the feeling of freedom, but she didn't quite understand why Rudolph Symbol and Maruzensky were so insistent on getting her to run.
'Is running together something people look forward to so much?'
Wondering in her heart, Kagura followed the two towards the Racecourse.