"By the way, Kagura, have you decided what to make for lunch?"
Seeing Kagura walking ahead with her phone, occasionally stopping to check the navigation map, Maruzensky felt that Kagura's purchases were quite purposeful, so she casually asked.
"Yes, besides lunch, I also want to look at other ingredients… By the way, Maruzen, do you know where I can buy Chinese sausage?"
"Hmm? Chinese sausage… Hmm… I haven't really heard of such a thing."
Maruzensky, who always dealt with cooking by simply making do, naturally knew nothing about where to get such ingredients. When she cooked, her main principle was to just make whatever was left in the nearby supermarket.
"Uh… it's a kind of dried cured sausage. It's often used in dishes in the neighboring Huaguo."
Kagura didn't know how to explain what she wanted to a Japanese horse girl who had no understanding of Chinese cuisine. Although this ingredient wasn't essential for the dish she wanted to make, it was simply her favorite flavor.
"Is it a specialty of Huaguo? Then you'd have to go to a specific specialty store to buy it. There isn't one near Tracen."
"So it is…"
Sighing with some regret, within the range Kagura could reach on foot in her current available time, there were no Huaguo specialty stores. While online shopping was convenient, it couldn't deliver the items to Kagura immediately.
Although she couldn't find the ingredients she most wanted, fortunately, all the cooking utensils she needed were available in Tracen's kitchen. Whether it was for Western, Japanese, or Chinese cuisine, the kitchen was very well-equipped.
"By the way, Little Sister, what do you want to make that uses that ingredient?"
"It's a very simple dish. It's just cooking rice in a clay pot, and then adding all sorts of ingredients… Maruzen, just understand it that way."
Kagura didn't know how to explain the special dish from the neighboring Huaguo to a Japanese person, so she could only give a rough explanation of the method. Describing it by name alone would be too abstract, as Japanese people wouldn't understand what 'claypot rice' meant.
"Oh… So the spareribs and fermented black beans you just bought, Little Sister, are for that?"
"Yes! I'm sure Maruzen will love it!"
Also wanting her friends to try different flavors, Kagura bought many more ingredients. She didn't know how her cooking skills would be received by her friends, but seeing how excited Maruzensky had been all this time, she felt it should be acceptable.
Collecting the ingredients for claypot rice was the main purpose of Kagura's outing today, as she had decided to settle her lunch this way. Besides this main goal, driven by the idea of a grand event, Kagura also wanted to find ingredients for other famous Chinese dishes she intended to make—the dishes she had previously told Maruzensky were extremely difficult to prepare and wouldn't normally be attempted. However, the results were not entirely satisfactory, as many items were unavailable in Japan. She needed to find ways to acquire Huaguo specialties. While online shopping was a good method, her current finances weren't that ample, so the grand event idea had to be postponed.
Coming out of the last supermarket, Kagura tallied the ingredients she had bought, figured it was about time, and began to prepare for the return trip.
Maruzensky, as expected, served as a mobile shelf this time. Kagura was very grateful to this warm-hearted (?) Uma Musume senior. If she had come out to buy ingredients alone, she might not have been able to buy so freely, as her small frame had limited carrying capacity. Even with the strength of an Uma Musume, the space for transport was still limited.
"Thank you again for your help, Maruzen! I feel a little bad for troubling you to carry things again."
"It's fine! Just remember to make a portion for me later!"
Maruzensky, holding a large pile of ingredients, smiled and shook her head, indicating that Kagura didn't need to be polite. After all, she wasn't entirely working for free; she had been craving Kagura's cooking for a long time.
Of course, when she first agreed to help Kagura buy things, it wasn't just to freeload a meal. She also wanted to figure out the origin of the captivating aura around Kagura, why she was always unconsciously drawn to her. But she followed her the whole way and found no clues. She felt it must be because Kagura's personality and demeanor were like a mother's, inherently attractive and inviting closeness.
'If only I had a Support Musume like this…'
Walking behind Kagura and watching her tail sway, Maruzensky couldn't help but feel a little envious of Rudolph Symbol.
After walking a short distance with Kagura, as they approached Tracen Academy, Maruzensky suddenly noticed a familiar person in her line of sight, walking towards them. Kagura, who was walking ahead, also noticed the Uma Musume approaching. When she looked up, her eyes met the other Uma Musume's, and she could feel the other's gaze lingering on her.
Out of curiosity, Kagura stopped and looked at the Uma Musume slowly walking towards her. That Uma Musume's tall figure was much taller than her short stature.
This was a very beautiful Uma Musume—it should be said that Inari Kagura had not yet met an Uma Musume with low Appearance, but this one was different. She had a tall figure, a mature demeanor, black hair tied back, and a tear mole at the corner of her eye. Her entire being exuded an exotic and alluring aura. Unlike Rudolph Symbol's gentle majesty, or Maruzensky's youthful vitality, she seemed more like a composed noblewoman.
Inari Kagura wondered if all Uma Musume's hair was like this, as she noticed that this black-haired Uma Musume also had a streak of white hair on her forehead, although it was clearly not the same type of highlight as Rudolph Symbol's.
"Good morning. I didn't expect to see you two here, Kagura, and Maruzensky."
"Do we… know each other?"
Hearing the other party call out her name immediately, Inari Kagura instinctively became alert.
"You haven't seen me, but I already know of your existence. Yesterday, when my sister collapsed on the Track, thank you for your timely assistance."
The other party's voice was calm and mature, carrying a strange sense of pressure. Even before facing her directly, Inari Kagura already felt a sense of pressure.
Kagura understood why the other party knew her name. The only relevant incident on the Track yesterday was Mejiro Al Dan's accident. This Uma Musume called Mejiro Al Dan her sister, so she was clearly part of the Mejiro Family. Since she was from the Mejiro Family, it was not strange for her to know about Kagura's actions.
"Takamine, why are you strolling around here?"
Maruzensky recognized the other party and greeted her.
"I still need to come and understand Al Dan's situation. You know that child is very stubborn, and I worry… What about you? Why are you here? And carrying such a big pile of things?"
"I came out to buy groceries with this child; we're preparing lunch."
"I see…"
Mejiro Takamine nodded, her gaze returning to Kagura.
"Kagura, regarding the previous matter, we were presumptuous. Please allow me to apologize to you."
"Takamine, you don't have to be so formal. I didn't really mind… After all, I was going to refuse you anyway."
It seemed that the previous Trainer must have been sent by this Uma Musume, but Kagura didn't dwell on it too much, as she had intended to decline their offer anyway.
"Is that so… Well, that's good."
The answer she received was not unexpected. Mejiro Takamine looked relieved, as if a weight had been lifted.
"Although it's a bit presumptuous, there's one thing I'd still like to ask of Kagura. I wonder if Kagura would be willing?"
"Please tell me. If I can help you, I will consider it."
"My sister is always a handful. In the future, if Kagura sees her doing anything dangerous at school, please pay extra attention and stop her."
As she said this, the imposing aura that Mejiro Takamine always carried was no longer perceptible. She now looked simply like an elder sister with a helpless headache, watching her younger sister act recklessly.
"This, even without Takamine saying so, I would still pay attention."
"Then thank you very much, Kagura. I have an urgent matter, so I will take my leave now. If Kagura has time in the future, you are welcome to visit the Mejiro Family. The Head of the Family also said he would like to thank you personally."
With that, Mejiro Takamine bowed slightly to Kagura, nodded in thanks, and then slowly walked away.