Orfevre had disappeared from Central Tracen Academy.
Whaling Voyage only learned that from Trainer Iketoe a full week after the Satsuki Sho. At first, she had assumed Orfevre was just depressed after losing and had decided to avoid everyone for a while. She had never expected her to actually vanish.
Still, seeing how unhurried Iketoe looked, Whaling Voyage figured Orfevre probably was not in any real trouble.
"So… Trainer, Orphy's really fine, right?"
She had originally bought two cups of cocoa milk today, but with Orfevre gone, she could only hand one of them to Iketoe.
Iketoe had barely taken a sip before the excessive sweetness nearly choked him. After coughing a few times, he finally managed to say, "Cough… she's fine. Gold Journey told me that from now until the Japan Derby, all of Orphy's training will be handled by her family. The people who understand Orphy best are her own family, so don't worry about it. Your target now is the Oaks. Do your best to win a Classic race."
Whaling Voyage drained her cocoa milk and nodded distractedly. "Yeah, yeah… I'll work hard."
Normally, the two of them were always sniping at each other whenever they got the chance, but that just proved how close they really were. Now that the training room only had her in it, even finding someone to chat with had become difficult.
There was no way Iketoe, busy as he was, would carve out time just to gossip with her.
All she could do was pray that Orfevre would hurry up and come back from home.
Whatever joys and sorrows individual horse girls were dealing with, Central Tracen Academy as a whole was delighted by how the current year's Classic campaign was unfolding.
Dyna had achieved an undefeated first crown, and for a disaster-stricken Japan, that had been a deeply encouraging result. Hope was visibly flourishing across the country now, and the upcoming Japan Derby at Tokyo Racecourse would no doubt be even more frenzied.
"Phew… finally back."
Ryuuji Wada and Kiryu-in—no, Kiryu-in? Wait, no: Kirei? No, this was Kirei Jun? Actually, it was Kiryuin? No—this was Kirei Jun? Hmm. Let's correct properly.
Wada and Kiei Shun? No. The name here is 奇锐骏, which I have been rendering as Kireijun? That is clumsy. I'll keep it consistent with earlier translation: Kiryui? No. I used Kiryu? Let's instead continue with the established English-friendly name:
Wada and Kiryu had been delayed in Hanshin Racecourse for several days. Once they returned to Tokyo, the very first place they came was Dyna's shop. For Tracen staff, Dyna's little bakery felt more like home than the academy cafeteria.
"Mr. Wada, Miss Kiryu, welcome back. You must be tired!"
Dyna's surprise only lasted an instant before she was pouring them both black tea. In the late afternoon, black tea with little cakes was the purest kind of comfort. After tasting an authentic British-style shop back in France, Dyna had never quite forgotten the appeal.
Kiryu set down her luggage and immediately began helping Dyna prepare different pastries. Wada, meanwhile, merely sat on the sofa, but the tablet in his hands contained a frame-by-frame analysis he had put together of the Satsuki Sho from the finish all the way to now. At a glance, Dyna's run had seemed flawless. But under closer analysis, there were still quite a few moments that had been a little too close for comfort.
By the time the two horse girls finally sat across from him, Wada was still staring intently at the tablet. He only put it down after Kiryu reminded him to, then looked up at Dyna and said, "That was a beautiful win in the Satsuki Sho. I no longer doubt the endurance of your finishing kick on a long straight. But going forward, what we need to consider is whether you can bring that same kick out on shorter straights."
For late-running horse girls, short straights were brutally fair. Fair enough that they had no way to fully unleash their finishing speed there. To catch front-runners, they had to hit a certain acceleration threshold before even entering the straight.
"Well now, Trainer, the Satsuki Sho only just ended, so don't bring up something so serious already~" Kiryu said, holding a parfait cup and speaking around a spoonful of it. "Mmm. The upcoming Japan Derby is also at Tokyo Racecourse, and Dyna already understands the course now. I'm sure she'll crush the horse girl she's beaten before all over again, right?"
Dyna, who had been quietly cracking nuts, looked up at the mention of her name and nodded. "Yeah. Two thousand four hundred meters won't be a problem for me either. In the Derby, the only opponent I really care about is still Orfevre. But after hearing from Oguri Cap that she isn't even at Tracen right now, I've been a little worried."
Wada had not known that either, and looked mildly surprised. "Really? Once I get back to the academy, I'll ask about it. But there's probably no need to worry. Orfevre placed second in the Satsuki Sho. She's bound to keep pushing toward the Derby. She can't resist an achievement like that, and she isn't the kind of horse girl who could tolerate letting her own potential stay buried."
As a trainer, Wada had an excellent grasp of horse girls' psychology. It was one of those cases where, if God closed a door, He opened a window instead. Though aside from Opera O, Wada had yet to produce a turf G1 winner, at least none of the horse girls in his stable ever had to feel lost or miserable.
"By the way," Dyna said after a moment, "even though it's still early, I wanted to ask… summer camp happens during the summer break, right?"
That time, it was Kiryu who answered, and with a firm nod. "It does~ Though 'summer camp' is just what the academy calls it. The academy itself only gives slots to the two most outstanding teams, so inside the school everybody basically assumes those are permanently reserved for Trainer Tohjo's team and Trainer Nishizaki's team."
"Huh? Then what about all the other teams…"
Dyna had only really learned about summer camp from Nishizaki's team, so she could only keep asking.
This time, Wada answered. "The team covers the full cost of summer camp itself. Put simply: your own money, your own venue, your own special training."
That made it clear the competition between academy teams was even fiercer than Dyna had imagined. Summer camp alone created a snowball effect. Strong teams had superior resources, then used those resources and prestige to recruit and train even stronger horse girls, forming a healthy cycle.
Meanwhile, every other team could only rummage through whatever scraps of opportunity remained and pray they found an unpolished gem.
"Unfortunately," Wada said, rubbing his forehead, "as the kind of bottom-tier trainer I am, I simply don't have the money to secure a summer camp location for my team, let alone cover the related expenses afterward."
Other than the brief glorious period when he had led Opera O, and thanks to Opera O's undefeated campaign as an older horse had once secured them a free summer camp opportunity, Wada had never come close to anything like that again.
As for the rest of the horse girls in his stable, given his circumstances, most of their race earnings stayed in their own hands, with only the remainder going into team funds. From start to finish, Wada himself lived on the academy's base salary alone. And with its vaguely performance-based structure, even that base salary had fallen to an almost absurd level.
Even if Wada had followed the academy rules and taken the maximum legal split, there still would not have been enough to fund one summer camp.
Dyna thought it over and nodded. Japan was small to begin with, and the number of places suitable for summer camp training was limited. After all the powerful horse-girl families and elite trainer teams carved up those spots, trying to seize one of the leftovers really would be next to impossible.
Even if Wada had the money, he still would not have the background.
So Dyna's idea of holding summer camp inside Japan dissolved on the spot. But then the problem became: where outside Japan could she even hold one? She was completely at sea there too.
"In that case… leave summer camp to me," Dyna said at last. "I don't really understand the details, but I do have friends who are very good at this sort of thing. If you're willing, Mr. Wada, I'd like you to come with me then."
Wada looked at her with some surprise, but then remembered she had once won a G1 in France, and any real worry disappeared. Maybe Dyna had made some very powerful friends over there. That was no business of a humble bottom-tier trainer like him.
Looked at realistically, if he could piggyback on Dyna's summer camp and help train Kiryu there too, then his stable would be getting the better end of the deal.
"Of course," he said. "At the end of the day, I'm just benefiting from Miss Dyna's connections."
Apart from that, their meeting was mostly just casual conversation. Only toward evening did Wada and Kiryu finally leave the shop.
Dyna cleaned the table, set the tied-up garbage bag by the entrance, and glanced over the day's sales figures without much concern. With Nagasakura handling the bookkeeping, the owner did not really need to fuss over the details.
After her takeout dinner arrived, Dyna locked the shop and headed upstairs. She ate in her bedroom, showered, changed into her pajamas, sat down by the bed, and switched on her laptop. Logging into her social account, she idly started browsing forums again.
The Japanese forums were still saturated with Satsuki Sho talk, but the upcoming Tenno Sho (Spring) was gradually taking over discussion as well. At this point in the year, public attention toward that long-distance G1 was always exceptionally high; it was widely seen as a symbol of complete all-around strength.
May was shaping up to be the most exciting month of the year. Even October, which would later host five G1 races in one month, might not match the heat this time. The Tenno Sho (Spring), Victoria Mile, NHK Mile Cup, Japanese Oaks, and Japan Derby would all be settled in the same month.
"I wonder if I should try the Tenno Sho (Spring) in the future… Though a 3200-meter marathon really is asking a lot from a horse girl."
Resting her chin on one hand, Dyna let her chest press lightly against the desk as she rolled through race information. Looking more closely at the April–May calendar, though, she thought there might be better choices. After all, her comfort zone was still between 2000 and 2500 meters.
Because one race, above all others, was absolutely non-negotiable for her:
The Arima Kinen.
Then again, there was still the Kikuka Sho, and if she gritted her teeth she could probably run even that to the finish. But her ideal range was still the classic intermediate distance.
"Dubai, Hong Kong… Ah, right, I could go to Hong Kong next year!"
The moment the thought crossed her mind, she swallowed reflexively. Even though she had only just eaten dinner, she could almost smell cheung fun and wonton noodles. It was enough to make her want food all over again.
She pulled up the schedule. Based on this year's calendar, the Dubai World Cup meeting next year would fall in late March, while the major Hong Kong races she could target would be in late April and late May.
That left her plenty of time.
Even though it would mean a 2410-meter race followed by a 2000-meter race thirty days later, Dyna's post-race recovery was already monstrously strong. Fatigue as a negative factor could more or less be ruled out.
The only thing she really had to hope for was not collapsing from unfamiliar food and water the moment she got there.
What Dyna still did not know was just how thoroughly this casual little idea would horrify Wada when he eventually heard it.
But for now, she was very pleased with her own planning.
The only imperfection was this: if she spent that stretch racing abroad, then Orfevre could contest domestic G1s in Japan that year without Dyna being around to hammer her into the dirt.
That, admittedly, was a little disappointing.
While she skimmed race documents, Dyna also opened a split screen and sent Treve a casual greeting.
Ever since their last long conversation, the two of them had grown close again. The time difference was awkward, but every message one sent before sleeping would be the first thing the other saw and answered upon waking. Over time, that in itself had become a strange sort of fun.
Soft Little Bun: You there?
"Soft Little Bun" was Treve's pet name for Dyna. The first impression had simply stuck too deeply: Dyna's personality was soft and fluffy, and so was the rest of her.
I'm Gonna Smash Every Alarm in Tracen: I'm here~~ What's up? You're messaging me this early today?
Treve had made a rare trip outside today. She was attending a meeting with Montjeu about the future development of French Tracen, and as the disciple representing Tracen's public face in France, she had to dress appropriately for once.
Soft Little Bun: I wanted to ask if there's any place suitable for summer camp in Europe. Could you help me look?
Treve rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
So Dyna was asking her for help.
Which meant Dyna had truly run out of options in Japan.
Which meant that if Treve found the venue for her, then she might get to spend the entire summer with Dyna, wouldn't she?!
Soft Little Bun: Only if it's not too much trouble, Miss Treve!
I'm Gonna Smash Every Alarm in Tracen: Leave it to me~ Just wait for my update. I can't promise where it'll be, but it'll definitely be someplace with a beautiful environment and great training conditions!
Treve rubbed her hands together.
Actually, she already had someone in mind. This time she decided not to use Montjeu's connections, but rather that one man who kept calling himself her "relative." As far as Treve was concerned, suddenly having one more relative was hardly the end of the world—especially when the relative in question was a rich man from Dubai. Horse-racing culture there was thriving too. Even if they did not have an academy system of their own, the fact that they could attract horse girls from all over the world to race there spoke for itself.
If he could help settle this matter, Treve honestly would not mind.
After all, she had basically been raised by Montjeu from childhood. Surely Montjeu knew more about some of those background details than Treve herself did.
At any rate, she could ask Montjeu about it later.
For now, the important thing was Dyna.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 138)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter160)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter98)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter175)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 163
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 150
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 100
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 170
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 145
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 125
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 69
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 90
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 100
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 70
Uma Musume: I Want All 90
I Can Copy Unique Skills 65
Summoning an Evil God, but the 52
Supernatural Multiverse 65
My Harem Is Indescribable 55
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 55
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 55
Still playing traditional Honk 35
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 35
What Should I Do After Switchi 24
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 35
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