Ireland was blessed with clear skies and warm sunshine that day.
The heavy rain from the previous night had left the air pleasantly damp, but Gilltown Stud had already regained its usual energy.
Morning sunlight spilled across the grass.
Along the paths, numerous Umamusume and trainers hurried past as they began another day of morning practice.
Kuroha made his way through the grounds with practiced ease and soon arrived at a secluded public training track.
Clop, clop, clop!
A swift brown figure raced across the grass like an arrow loosed from a bow, scattering countless droplets of water in her wake.
Beside the track, a stern-faced middle-aged woman silently watched with a stopwatch in hand.
Standing beside her was a doll-like young Umamusume, who stared at the training session with innocent fascination.
Suddenly, the child seemed to sense something. She whipped her head around and looked beyond the track.
"...She noticed me from this far away?"
The corners of Kuroha's lips rose when he saw Sea the Stars instantly light up at the sight of him. A layer of dreamlike radiance shimmered within his eyes.
In his vision, the entire world was suddenly enveloped by countless dazzling auroras.
The child who had merely been standing quietly beside Si was transformed beneath that ethereal light. Behind her appeared the slender silhouette of a towering figure radiating a terrifying presence.
The figure stood in profile, the hem of her skirt snapping in the gale like a warrior's coat.
The majesty of the stars descended upon the world.
It even surpassed the [Worlds] of the Firmament and Crimson Sun that McQueen and Suave Dancer had displayed yesterday, silencing heaven and earth alike.
The strongest in the world, Sea the Stars!
That was the future Kuroha's vision had shown him.
Even if he did nothing to influence Sea the Stars from this moment onward, that future would still inevitably arrive.
"So that's how it is... No wonder Godolphin and the others agreed so readily back then. They claimed they would only help the strongest of the current era."
"In reality, they had already seen the future."
Kuroha chuckled softly and walked onto the training grounds.
Sea the Stars eagerly tugged at the hem of Si's clothes.
"What is it?"
Si blinked, then followed the child's pointing finger.
"Oh, it's just Kuroha..."
"Uh... Huh?"
"Kuroha?!"
The moment she recognized him, Si's mouth fell open in shock. It took her several seconds to recover, and disbelief remained written all over her face.
"What are you doing in Ireland?!"
"What? Am I not allowed to visit?"
Kuroha smiled as he effortlessly caught Sea the Stars when she launched herself at him. He gently ruffled her hair.
"Easy there. Don't hurt yourself."
Watching her young trainee leap into Kuroha's arms without the slightest hesitation, Si pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed with a trace of jealousy.
"That isn't what I meant. Shouldn't you be in France with McQueen right now? Why did you come all the way here?"
"It was on the way."
Si fell silent.
Since when was crossing an international border considered "on the way"?
Before Si could make that remark, Kuroha pointed toward the distant track.
"Si-san, Urban Sea is about to cross the finish line."
"What? Oh, right!"
Si snapped back to her senses and hurriedly turned around, pressing the stopwatch at the exact instant the racing figure crossed the line.
"Not her best performance."
Before Si could even look down at the result, Kuroha spoke softly.
"Her muscles weren't coordinating properly during the final sprint, so she was too slow to bring her full strength into play. It took far too long for her to go from initiating her sprint to reaching top speed."
"If Urban Sea were an End Closer, that would be one thing, but she prefers to stay closer to the leaders before making her move. If this flaw isn't corrected soon, it'll put her at a serious disadvantage in future races."
Si paused, then chuckled.
"You're going to have your hands full. That's far from her only problem."
Kuroha met her gaze, and the two exchanged knowing smiles.
"That's all right. I am the strongest trainer in the world, after all."
The strongest...
Si smiled.
"Si-san! And... Kuro-kun!"
Urban Sea came jogging back from the finish line, breathing heavily. The moment she saw Kuroha, her eyes lit up.
She was about to throw herself at him, but then noticed Sea the Stars in his arms and slammed on the brakes.
Her feet carved a deep furrow through the grass.
If not for last night's heavy rain, she might have sent a cloud of dirt flying.
"Calm down, Urban Sea. How many times have I told you not to be so reckless?"
Si scolded her irritably.
"I... I know, Si-san."
Urban Sea scratched her head in embarrassment, then eagerly moved closer to Kuroha.
"Kuro-kun, did you come all this way just to see me?"
Si stared at her.
Wasn't she supposed to be Urban Sea's trainer? Did she have to make her favoritism this obvious?
"Yeah. I happened to have some time, so I came to pick up you and Star," Kuroha replied with a smile. "I also wanted to finalize your transfer with Si-san."
"Transfer?"
Urban Sea froze before turning toward her trainer.
"Si-san, did you already tell Kuro-kun?"
"No. He probably figured it out on his own."
Si shrugged.
Before Kuroha had left last time, she had only promised him a surprise when they next met. She had not revealed any details.
Urban Sea quickly stopped worrying about that and instead leaned eagerly toward Kuroha, ready to boast about her accomplishment.
"Kuro-kun! Did you watch my race a few days ago? I won by a landslide!"
"Uh..."
"You didn't watch it, did you?"
The girl's resentful stare grew increasingly intense.
"Does watching a recording count?"
"No!"
"All right, all right. I promise I'll be there in person to cheer for you at your next race."
"That's more like it!"
Before Si stood a peculiar but heartwarming scene.
The doll-like Sea the Stars was snuggled contentedly in Kuroha's arms, rubbing against him.
Meanwhile, the energetic Urban Sea circled him excitedly, bombarding him with question after question.
Even an idiot could tell that both girls' hearts had already left Ireland and flown straight to Chasing Light.
"Am I really that unsuited to being a trainer?"
Si suddenly began to question her entire career.
However, she soon pulled herself together and became serious.
"Kuroha, are you sure you want both Urban Sea and Sea the Stars on your team?"
"Chasing Light already has quite a few Umamusume, doesn't it? Yet if I remember correctly, your team only has two trainers, including you."
"Four if you count the interns."
Kuroha smiled gently, his eyes clear and confident.
"Don't worry, Si-san. You trust what I'm capable of, don't you?"
How could she not?
Si shook her head with a helpless smile.
If even Kuroha could not be trusted, then there probably was not a single trainer in the world worthy of anyone's faith.
"All right. I've nearly finished processing Urban Sea's transfer paperwork. Since you're here today, we should try to submit it to Central Tracen Academy for review this morning."
"As for Sea the Stars, she's still too young and hasn't officially enrolled at Tracen yet. You can transfer her registration when the time comes. She's currently registered as an Irish Umamusume, after all."
Urban Sea stared at her blankly.
"Si-san... Why do I get the feeling you can't wait to get rid of me?"
Si planted a hand on the brown-haired girl's head and vigorously ruffled her hair.
"You're absolutely right! Training a dummy like you takes half my life every day. Now that Kuroha is willing to take over, I couldn't be happier!"
"I'm not a dummy!"
Urban Sea struggled free, but her voice soon softened. She lowered her head and murmured:
"Si-san... I'm going to miss you."
Seeing the loneliness and reluctance in her eyes, Si paused. Her expression softened as she let out a quiet sigh.
"Once you join Chasing Light, make sure you train properly. If you can bring back a G1 trophy someday, I'll be satisfied."
"I'll win one too!"
Sea the Stars suddenly poked her head out from Kuroha's arms, her expression exceptionally serious.
Si immediately beamed.
"Of course! When our Star grows up, she can follow McQueen's example and bring home the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!"
"How is that fair?! Why am I only expected to win a G1 while Star has to win the Arc de Triomphe?!"
Urban Sea's indignant shout prompted laughter from everyone present.
The handover process for Urban Sea and Sea the Stars went remarkably smoothly.
Perhaps that was because one of the two transferring Umamusume was virtually unknown. Nothing in her racing record suggested any exceptional talent or overwhelming presence.
The other was still an elementary school student.
The Irish Umamusume Association hesitated briefly when it learned that the girls would be transferring to the somewhat unusual Team Chasing Light, but that ultimately did not affect the result.
Thus, Urban Sea and Sea the Stars, the two future rulers of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, officially joined Chasing Light.
"Sea, Star, stay with Si-san for the next two days and get your luggage packed."
"I'll come back the morning after tomorrow and take you both to Central Tracen."
After leaving the association building, Kuroha smiled at the two girls beside him.
"Okay..."
Urban Sea nodded.
For some reason, the usually energetic girl had become unusually quiet from the moment they began processing her transfer.
No one knew what she had been thinking about.
A hand suddenly rested on her head, startling her.
"What's on your mind?" Kuroha asked gently. "Do you want to stay here a little longer?"
He could understand that.
Not long after Kuroha earned his local trainer's license and left for Kasamatsu, the two girls had followed Si to Ireland.
They had spent several years on this land.
Ireland was essentially their second home.
People often felt nervous when returning home after a long absence, but the sorrow of leaving could be even more bewildering.
It was only natural that they would be reluctant to go.
"A little, but what I've mostly been thinking about is..."
Urban Sea paused, then suddenly raised her head and looked at Kuroha with complete seriousness.
"After my registration is transferred, you'll officially be my trainer, right?"
"So from now on, should I call you Kuro-kun or Trainer?"
"Huh?"
Kuroha had not expected that question, and it left him momentarily stunned.
"If I keep calling you Kuro-kun, would that be... inappropriate?"
When Kuroha did not answer immediately, Urban Sea hurriedly tried to explain.
"I mean, would it seem rude? Like I don't respect you enough, or... Oh, I don't know!"
Kuroha shook his head in amusement at her adorable yet earnest behavior.
"Are you ever going to disrespect me?"
"Absolutely not!"
Urban Sea immediately shouted her promise.
"Then there's no problem."
Kuroha lowered his hand and took hers, smiling.
"Call me whatever you want. Either way, you're officially my trainee now."
I'm... Kuro-kun's trainee now?
Her face instantly began to steam.
Urban Sea felt her entire body heating up, the blush spreading from her pale neck all the way to the tips of her ears.
"Th-then... I'll keep calling you Kuro-kun!"
After stammering for what felt like an eternity, Urban Sea finally stopped worrying about the matter.
However, she silently added one more thought:
Calling him Kuro-kun feels more intimate.
Sea the Stars, who was obediently holding Kuroha's other hand, stared innocently at her older sister. She then gave Kuroha's hand a sudden tug.
"Onii-chan, I want ice cream!"
"Hm? Sure. Let's go buy some."
Kuroha slipped one arm around Sea the Stars's waist and lifted her into his arms. He then turned toward Urban Sea.
"Come on, Sea. Let's head back."
Urban Sea fell silent.
She gave her seemingly innocent younger sister a resentful look.
Strange. Why did Star seem a little different lately?
...
Once Kuroha finished taking care of everything involving the sisters, his business in Europe was more or less complete.
Before returning to France, he briefly considered whether anything else might still require his attention.
Suave Dancer's "love at first sight"?
McQueen could probably handle that.
Kuroha did not believe he was particularly close to Suave Dancer, nor did she truly know much about him.
If anything was going to happen there, it would have to wait until next year's European campaign.
Only after this year would Suave Dancer and McQueen truly reach their primes.
As for everything else...
Matters involving Secretariat and the Umamusume associations of various countries were most likely nothing more than political courtesy, so they required little thought.
After considering it for a while, Kuroha could think of only one other person: the royal princess he had met several months earlier near Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland.
Fine Motion.
He had previously advised her to tell her mother the truth.
He wondered how that had turned out.
At the thought, a faint smile appeared on Kuroha's lips once more.
Several seconds later, his expression softened with understanding.
"It seems Central Tracen Academy will be welcoming a princess before long."
After leaving the sisters in Si's care, Kuroha returned to France.
He then spent two wonderful days off with his Umamusume.
Time passed gently as everyone ate, drank, explored, and enjoyed themselves.
The only incident worth mentioning occurred on the night before their departure.
When Fumino followed the plan and pulled Kuroha into a room before bed, she brought another Umamusume along with them.
Super Creek was still half-asleep when she was led inside and looked completely bewildered.
After fidgeting in place for a while, however, she honestly remained where she was.
Fumino had long understood exactly how her trainee felt and had no patience for any more coy back-and-forth.
Instead, she took the red string of fate and tied everything together in one decisive move.
Thus, that night, Kuroha finally discovered just how warm and generous Super Creek's embrace could truly be.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]