...
After roughly an hour's drive, the bus finally arrived at its destination.
As soon as they stepped off, everyone noticed the luxurious apartment building at the center, standing rather conspicuously amidst the surrounding mountains.
"Members of 'Rigil,' follow me this way." Toujou Hana led her team toward the apartment.
"The living conditions look amazing!" Daiwa Scarlet remarked to Vodka beside her.
"Yeah! I'm picking my room first!"
"No, I'm picking first!"
Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, the eternal rivals, could always find something to argue about.
However, just then, as the bus drove away, a dilapidated, old-looking inn on the left side of the apartment was slowly revealed.
With a single sentence from Nishizaki Ryo, their excitement plummeted: "That apartment is for 'Rigil.' Ours is over there."
Nishizaki Ryo pointed at the shabby inn. "Alright, hurry up and follow me to drop off your luggage."
After the members of "Spica" left, only Lucian's "Dream" team remained on the spot.
"What about us?" Tokai Teio looked around the empty area—there were no other buildings in sight.
"Trainer, we're not going to be homeless, are we? Urara didn't bring a tent this time." Haru Urara tugged at Lucian's sleeve, her voice full of worry.
"You'd still be willing to stay in a tent with me even if we had nowhere else?"
"As long as Trainer is there, anywhere is fine."
"Alright, alright~" Lucian couldn't help but pat the little angel's head before addressing the group. "There's no way I'd let my team sleep rough. Everyone, grab your luggage. Since our lodging is newly built, we'll need to walk a little further."
...
Following Lucian, the group trekked a short distance up the mountain path and soon arrived at a cluster of connected houses.
Instead of steel and concrete, the buildings were constructed from the same wooden materials as the inn, but their appearance was clean and tidy. Two rows of cultivated bamboo flanked the entrance, exuding an air of refined elegance.
"Mr. Lu." Two women in kimonos stood at the door, welcoming him. "This way, please."
Upon entering, their eyes were met with a small, misty pond, the walls adorned with relief carvings of landscape paintings.
Lush, low-growing greenery of various species surrounded the pond, so vibrant that the group could only stare in awe, unable to name any of the plants.
A winding path of bluestone tiles led further into the compound. Lucian had already taken off his shoes and stepped onto the wooden porch when he turned back and noticed everyone still admiring the scenery in the front yard.
"Don't just stand there—come inside." Lucian chuckled.
Snapped out of their daze by his reminder, the horse girls finally followed.
"Trainer, did you book this inn?" The surroundings were so comfortable that Tokai Teio couldn't help but ask.
"It's newly built, like I told you." To prevent the astonished horse girls from speculating wildly, Lucian decided to explain plainly. "After my father learned we were coming for training camp, he invested in building this inn. It was designed in your local style."
"Trainer's father built this specifically for us?" Rice Shower covered her mouth in surprise—she had assumed it was funded by the academy.
Lucian nodded. "You could say that."
"Yay! Otou-sama is amazing!" Tokai Teio cheered loudly.
"Hey, that's my father..."
Ahem. " Otou-sama is quite considerate, it seems." Seiun Sky coughed lightly before suddenly chiming in.
With her pushing the envelope, how could Silence Suzuka stay silent? "Lucian-kun, if possible, I'd like to thank... Otou-sama in person."
Then came the innocent and naive Haru Urara: "Trainer, does Otou-sama need any more daughters?"
"No. But if you really want to call someone 'Father,' you can adopt me. I'll reluctantly accept the role."
If Urara was allowed to call him "Dad," then Silence Suzuka and Seiun Sky would surely get the same privilege.
"Come inside already. There's more."
...
Once in the hallway, Lucian led the group to inspect the rooms.
"I assume you'd prefer staying together for fun? Or would you rather have individual rooms? It's up to you."
"Will Trainer be staying with us too?" Seiun Sky suddenly asked.
"Are you even listening to yourself?"
But only Tokai Teio, Special Week, and Rice Shower treated Seiun Sky's question as a joke.
The others each had their own thoughts.
Haru Urara: "I still want to sleep with Trainer... Last time, I fell asleep covered in Trainer's clothes, but after washing them, his scent was gone."
Dextrous Bailey: "Sleeping together... hiding under the covers, Trainer touches my tail, and I touch Trainer..."
Silence Suzuka: "Would we get caught? But we're staying for half a month... No, if I can't hold back, I'll just go find Lucian-kun."
...
After some discussion, the horse girls quickly reached a decision.
Haru Urara, Rice Shower, Silence Suzuka, and Special Week would share one room.
Dextrous Bailey, Tokai Teio, and Seiun Sky would share another.
Lucian chose a room close to theirs. "I'll be staying nearby, so don't let me catch you staying up late chatting."
"Got it~ Trainer better not sneak into the girls' dorm at night." Tokai Teio teased before wheeling her luggage inside.
"What kind of person do you take me for?" Lucian laughed.
But speaking of night visits... he couldn't shake the feeling that he might actually be the most dangerous one here.
Seiun Sky was relatively easy to handle—if he took the initiative, she'd quickly back down, and she didn't dare cross the line anyway.
But Silence Suzuka? That was a different story. Normally gentle and harmless, only Lucian had seen her wild side.
When she got assertive, she was truly assertive—impossible to suppress.
As for Haru Urara and Dextrous Bailey, Lucian didn't even associate them with the idea of "night visits."
Once the horse girls had all gone to unpack, Lucian pushed aside his wandering thoughts and headed to his own room.
Since training hadn't officially started today, they could treat it as a mini-vacation.
By the time everyone had settled in, it was nearly noon.
After emerging from his room, Lucian gathered the horse girls for the next surprise. "Come with me—there are two more surprises."
This training camp wasn't just about sweat and hard work—it would also be filled with fun and diverse activities, ensuring unforgettable memories for everyone.
...