Waking up the next day, Shuta An eagerly opened his attribute viewer.
"Last night's race should give something other than intimacy, right?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
It wasn't that he disliked intimacy with Oguri Cap—rather, it had already reached nearly 400, so any more didn't make much difference. When he read the results from the previous night, his eyes lit up.
"Oh—"
"Won the Pegasus Stakes and defeated Yutaka Take in the challenge. Reward: 'Late Surger Tactic Tips'—it becomes easier to find a path when using a chaser strategy. (Oguri Cap has automatically learned this due to special reasons.)"
"Automatic learning, huh? That's convenient. Unlike that Senko no Oni skill—no matter how many times I guided Oguri through the pattern, she just couldn't grasp it." Shuta An sighed. "But what's with the 'special reasons'? Maybe Oguri was already close to mastering it herself?"
He couldn't figure it out.
"Forget it. No point overthinking." He tossed aside the sheets and got out of bed. "After washing up, it's time to pack. We're heading back to Kasamatsu this afternoon."
According to his plan, Oguri Cap and Berno Light would have a week of rest before flying to France to start adapting to the local turf.
"The turf in Europe is much tougher than Japan's," he murmured while organizing his notes. "Oguri will need at least a month to adjust. If she can't adapt, I'll have to rethink our goals—or try training her with a different running stride."
Instead of easing up after Oguri Cap's Yayoi Sho victory, his workload had only grown heavier.
"But this is for my own dream too," he said with a small smile.
—
On the afternoon of March 7th, Shuta An arrived at Kasamatsu Station with the two Uma Musume. Before getting off the train, he glanced at the crowd outside the window, then patted Oguri Cap's shoulder. "Oguri, you get off first."
"Huh? Why?" she tilted her head.
"Because there are fans waiting on the platform. They came to see you."
"It's just a Graded race, I already won one last year." Oguri Cap waved her hand shyly. "They even came to Tokyo to cheer for me, and now they're here too. I don't deserve all that."
"You don't need to think that way." Shuta An placed a hand on her back. "You're Kasamatsu's star—the pride of the Tokai region. Everyone here is watching your journey."
"Hold your head high and accept their congratulations. You've earned it." He smiled faintly. "And the Oguri of the future will make them even prouder."
"Mhm." Oguri Cap nodded, then whispered as she turned away, "I'll make Trainer proud of me too."
"The current Oguri already does," Shuta An murmured back.
The moment she stepped off the train, however, all her mental preparation vanished. Children rushed forward, arms full of flowers, while adults applauded warmly and called out—
"Oguri Cap, amazing job! Even the Central girls couldn't beat you!"
"What's your next race? Another GII or even GI? Maybe try a dirt graded one?"
Caught off guard, Oguri Cap froze, unsure how to reply.
Shuta An stepped closer. "Oguri, just thank everyone. I'll take care of the rest."
At once, Oguri Cap bowed deeply. "Thank you all for coming today! I'll work even harder to live up to everyone's expectations!"
The crowd erupted into cheers. Berno Light crossed her arms. "At this rate, she could probably run for governor."
When the applause finally settled, Shuta An addressed the crowd.
"As for Oguri Cap's next race, I'll announce it after discussing it with her. But what I can confirm is that our next goal won't be in Japan."
"An overseas expedition?" someone gasped. The reaction wasn't skepticism—but excitement.
"If you need anything, just tell us!"
"I'll start saving up for a plane ticket—gotta cheer for Oguri Cap overseas!"
Hearing this, a faint heaviness stirred in Shuta An's chest. An overseas campaign was never simple, especially without knowing whether Oguri could handle the foreign turf. But since he had declared it publicly, everyone's expectations would now ride on him.
"So I must make this expedition a success," he resolved silently.
In his mind, he listed Oguri Cap's possible challenges: environmental adjustment, diet, rhythm—but above all, her running stride. If her stride didn't match the heavier, moisture-rich French tracks, she'd have to learn to adapt her power output and timing. That would be his next focus.
Still, there was no need to rush.
"Half a month of training should be enough to modify her stride. If all goes well, I'll enter Oguri in a warm-up race in France to test her adaptability."
As he thought that, one name surfaced clearly in his mind—
The name of the race that flashed through Shuta An's mind was the French 2000 Guineas—as the name implied, it was the counterpart of Japan's Satsuki Sho, the "Japanese 2000 Guineas," and served as the first leg of the French Classic Triple Crown.
Unlike the French Derby, which was held at Chantilly, the French 2000 Guineas took place at Longchamp Racecourse. And as he'd noted before, Longchamp's track was far more demanding than Chantilly's.
"Anyway, the big goal is the French Derby, so using the French 2000 Guineas—with its tougher track—as a warm-up should work perfectly. It's only 1600 meters, after all. If the ground turns heavy, we'll just skip it to conserve Oguri's stamina."
The more Shuta An thought about it, the more ideal it seemed. After all, Oguri Cap's fundamentals were already solid; both Mile and Middle distances fell within her comfort zone.
"We can definitely let Oguri try it, and there's a full month's rest between the two races." He twirled his pen, his excitement growing with each thought. "With her recent G2 victory, she's more than qualified to enter."
Without hesitation, Shuta An opened his laptop and began the process of registering Oguri Cap for that year's French Classic series.
—
Meanwhile, Oguri Cap had chosen not to stay at the Academy that day. Instead, she returned to the small apartment she rented for her mother. After a long bath, she sat across from Mrs. White Narubi, recounting everything that had happened in Tokyo over the past two weeks.
Her mother listened quietly, eyes soft with warmth. To her, just seeing her daughter healthy and fulfilled was enough. But as Oguri went on—talking cheerfully about her encounters with Tokai Teio, Berno Light, and other Uma Musume—Mrs. White Narubi noticed something.
She cleared her throat lightly. "And what about Trainer Shuta? From the sound of it, he's the one you spend the most time with, isn't he?"
"Trainer~" Oguri Cap's gaze drifted away. "He's still very good to me."
That faint shift in her tone was all her mother needed to understand.
"Oguri's old enough to make her own choices now," Mrs. White Narubi said gently. "If there's something you want to do then do it."
Her daughter paused, then smiled faintly. "Maybe~ but not right now."
The answer seemed evasive, but to Mrs. White Narubi, it said more than words ever could.
"As long as you're happy, that's all that matters to me," she said softly, stroking her daughter's ear.
—
The next morning, Shuta An gathered Oguri Cap and Berno Light to announce his plan.
"You mean, we're going to challenge the first two races of the French Classic series?" Oguri asked, eyes wide.
"Yes," the young man confirmed. "But the main focus is still the French Derby. The first race will just be to test your adaptability to the French turf. In fact—"
He paused briefly, his voice lowering with determination. "If you perform exceptionally well at Longchamp, we might return to France again in the future."
Berno Light caught the subtle fire in his tone and raised an eyebrow.
"At that time," Shuta An continued, his hands clenching into fists, "we'll challenge the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe—the most prestigious middle-to-long-distance turf race in all of Europe, No… in the entire world! We'll go there and prove that even if my grandmother's bloodline can no longer produce Uma Musume, it can still dominate France!"
"Actually, Uma Musume can't exactly be produced…" Oguri began before realizing what she'd said. She quickly covered her mouth, flustered.
Shuta An, not quite catching her words, blinked and let it pass.
"Then it's settled—we'll depart for France on March 14th. Both of you, make sure to rest well," he said, officially announcing the schedule.
"Haii~!" the two Uma Musume responded in unison.
When he said "rest well," Shuta An truly meant it. He didn't want them worrying about the expedition's preparations—that was his responsibility alone.
"After registration, we'll need to submit a list of items to the French URA Association for inspection. Some things—like injury medication—might have restrictions or require special procedures. Every country's regulations are different, even year to year, so it's better to let the French side handle the clearance."
As for whether they'd recognize his bloodline? He was confident they wouldn't—or at least, they wouldn't mind.
After all, the French URA Association still publicly celebrated Seabird to this day. Though her death remained a sensitive subject, most blamed it on individuals rather than the institution. And Shuta's mother had always spoken fondly of the French organization in public. So even if they noticed his lineage, they would likely see it as something honorable—something to promote.
That afternoon, Shuta An returned home early to handle another task: securing accommodations in France.
"Since we'll be racing at both Longchamp and Chantilly, we can't just stay near one," he reasoned, scanning through listings. "We'll stay near Longchamp first—for a month and a half—and then move closer to Chantilly for the following month."
After hours of careful searching, he finally made his choices.
The first hotel, Auberge du Jeu de Paume, was only about 100 meters from Chantilly Racecourse and less than a kilometer from its main gate. The second, Molitor Paris – MGallery, stood just 500 meters from Longchamp Racecourse.
Both had private swimming pools, public gyms, and facilities suitable for Uma Musume training. The total cost came to an eye-watering 13.5 million yen—far more than last year's expenses.
But Shuta An didn't hesitate. "This is a necessary investment. No point cutting corners."
Naturally, he planned to cover the cost from team's fund and his savings, never touching Oguri Cap's prize money.
"Thankfully, both hotels offer self-service meals," he sighed in relief while confirming the bookings. "Otherwise, food alone would break the budget."
Once everything was finalized, he closed his laptop, stretched, and murmured, "Now all that's left is to wait for departure."
Satisfied, the young Trainer turned off the lights, heading for a much-needed shower and rest before the long journey ahead.