Back at Tracen, Nearl headed straight for the training room. Rudolf had already informed her trainer, and Nearl figured Kitahara would probably be there.
Sure enough, even before she reached the door, she could feel a heavy, sorrowful aura hanging in the air.
"Trainer."
"…"
No response. Kitahara was sitting in a chair, head propped in his hands.
"Nearl, tell me… is our team just cursed when it comes to the classics?"
"Trainer, there's no use dwelling on what's already passed. Let's focus on planning my next race instead."
"You're taking this awfully well. It's the Classics! I was already heartbroken when Oguri Cap missed her chance, and now it's happened to you too. Starting to feel like this might be my destiny or something."
Kitahara Jo let out a bitter chuckle.
"Like, 'The Trainer Who Could Never Win a Classic'—that kind of thing."
"You know, that doesn't sound so bad. Might even make you famous for your bad luck."
Nearl pictured a future where people called Kitahara "The Legendary Trainer With No Classics," and couldn't help a slight smile.
"Ugh, maybe it's just fate. What a waste, though—I stayed up late yesterday working on plans. Put a lot of thought into those, and now they're all useless."
Kitahara picked up a stack of papers from beside him, stroked them gently with a regretful sigh, then tossed them into the shredder nearby.
"Nearl, Symboli Rudolf told me. You're planning to enter the Sumire Stakes, is that right?"
After doing that, he took a deep breath, trying hard to regain his usual composure. He returned to his duty as a trainer: offering guidance and direction to the Uma Musume under his care.
"Yes. I've only just arrived in the Central circuit. My local track record is in the past—it doesn't prove anything now. So at the moment, I'm only qualified for OP races."
"Alright, fine. Since you can't run in the classics now, your schedule's suddenly wide open anyway. We can treat this OP race as a warm-up."
As he spoke, Kitahara Jo pulled out the information on OP races.
"Let's see… The Sumire Stakes is a turf race held at Hanshin, right? 2200 meters, middle-distance on grass—should be a good chance for you to show your strength, Nearl."
Clapping his hands together, Kitahara grabbed some forms from the side.
"Then it's settled. This will be your debut in the Central circuit. Show them what the Radiant Knight can do."
"Naturally, my trainer."
She took the application form and signed her name in the bottom right corner. And so, under Kitahara Jo's team, Margaret Nearl was officially registered.
"The race is about ten days away, Nearl. You'll need to prepare properly. There are many differences between the Central and local circuits."
Kitahara was giving sincere advice—he'd learned this the hard way when he first came to the Central circuit. If it hadn't been for that guy, Okino, giving him a hand back then, his situation wouldn't be nearly as comfortable as it was now.
"It's not just the number of spectators. The track specifications, minor race requirements—all need attention."
"And you've only been at the academy for a day, right? Have you checked out all the facilities? The training support here at Central Tracen is on a completely different level from what you had locally."
"About that… I've actually visited a few times before. Have you forgotten because we've been apart for a year, Trainer?"
Nearl watched Kitahara fussing over her like a mother hen and found it somewhat amusing. But being even-tempered, she waited for him to finish before responding.
"Of course I remember. I recall our time together very clearly. But this is different."
Kitahara spoke to Nearl seriously.
"Visiting a hundred times can't compare to enrolling once. The mindset is worlds apart. When you visit, you subconsciously feel that sense of unfamiliarity. But once you're a student, this place becomes somewhere you can roam freely."
"In short, you should still take the time to properly get to know what Tracen Academy really is."
Thinking it over, Nearl had to admit Kitahara had a point. She'd only ever observed before—never actually experienced things firsthand. She couldn't really claim to know the place.
"Alright, I'll follow your advice, Trainer."
"Oh, and one more thing—Everlamp passed her support course exam. She'll be joining our team along with you. That kid was complaining that you didn't go see her yesterday."
"There were some matters I had to attend to yesterday. But it should be all settled now."
Nearl recalled her brief encounter with a certain Uma Musume yesterday and smiled knowingly. Kitahara narrowed his eyes, puzzled by her expression.
"Never mind. I never have to worry when it comes to you, Nearl. Tomorrow, just follow the normal schedule for classes. I'll email you the timetable."
"Thank you, Trainer."
--+--
"Alright then, time to reacquaint myself with the campus, is it?"
Nearl strolled along the red-brick path, considering her itinerary.
"It's still morning—everyone's in class. Maybe now's a good time to check out those high-demand training facilities before they get crowded. I'd feel bad fighting for space with everyone after class."
Decision made, Nearl nodded to herself.
"Right, the swimming pool first. Then the gym. The library and cafeteria are must-visits too… Heh, looks like time's tight after all."
She made her plan and set about following it. Large stretches of time slipped by with each of Nearl's steps.
In what felt like a blink, it was almost noon, nearly time for classes to end. Nearl had just finished touring the various indoor facilities.
"Truly worthy of the Central circuit. So thoroughly considered. Especially the library—I thought an academy focused on raising Uma Musume might neglect general knowledge, but the collection is incredibly comprehensive."
"Next up is the cafeteria, then?"
Without breaking stride, Nearl arrived at the campus's number one hub of daily activity: the Central Tracen cafeteria.
If the academy were a car, the cafeteria would be its wheels—it carried the whole vehicle forward.
The nutritional needs of Uma Musume and humans couldn't be treated the same. They required extremely healthy, balanced, high-quality diets, and the task of providing that was immensely challenging.
It was no exaggeration to say that the cafeteria was one of the fastest devourers of the academy's budget.
"Now this is impressive."
Nearl gazed in awe at the grand building before her, an honest exclamation escaping her.
"Six floors high, each with completely different decor. Each floor represents a major culinary style—covering Chinese, French, Japanese, American, and more. That's just incredible."
"Is it? I'd say it's still somewhat conservative. After all, Japan's academy development started later than overseas."
Just then, an authoritative woman's voice came from behind Nearl. Her tone suggested genuine dissatisfaction.
"By the way, young lady, I'm the boss here. Care to take a look inside the kitchens?"
She smiled at Nearl, though paired with her sharp eyes, it came off more like intimidation.
"That old geezer spoke surprisingly highly of you. Made me want to see for myself."
Whoa, this is intense.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.