Several days passed after leaving Old Ma's clothing shop, and now it was already early July.
According to Tracen Academy's calendar, the first semester would conclude by the end of July.
The so-called summer training camp wasn't officially part of the curriculum but rather supplementary content.
In other schools, a summer camp typically served as vacation activity. However, since Tracen Academy operated as a specialized athletic school, summer camp activities were somewhat blended into regular training schedules.
Moreover, as previously mentioned, Tracen Academy's theoretical vacation period was exceptionally generous.
If one disregarded the summer training camp, the summer vacation would run continuously from late July to the beginning of October, leaving all that time completely at one's disposal.
Including the summer training camp, students could theoretically leave school as early as early July, enjoying a full three months of leisure time.
But, again—that was just theoretically.
In reality, there were very few trainers and their tantou who chose to separate during these months. Training facilities and the cafeteria remained fully operational.
Part of it was, of course, due to intense internal competition.
But more importantly, this period marked the official racing debut for many Uma Musume.
Starting from July, various OP-level and graded stakes races would become available to first-year debutantes, providing them with valuable opportunities. Naturally, no one would choose this moment to slack off.
Even for Uma Musume who had yet to debut, this period was crucial.
Because, according to Tracen rules, by the second semester, those planning to debut the following year could already participate in their debut races.
The earlier they debuted, the better their performance tended to be, making it easier to secure talented personal trainers earlier, start targeted training sooner, and improve future race outcomes.
As for Kitahara Sota—even though he had no intention of joining the rat race—he still had to make some plans.
He'd scheduled a mid-distance OP-level race in August for Agnes Tachyon as a warm-up, simultaneously accumulating points to prepare for future competitions.
At around the same time, there was also a G3 mid-distance race suitable for her, but Tokai Teio had already decided to participate in that one.
Kitahara didn't particularly care whether team members ended up racing each other, since choosing their path was ultimately up to them.
However, without extensive intervention from him, Agnes Tachyon's condition might improve somewhat by August, but certainly not enough. Forget competing seriously—simply maintaining proper training would already be challenging. She stood no chance against Tokai Teio, so separating them was inevitable.
As for Nice Nature—thanks to Kitahara's enhancements—her debut and earlier foundational races had been successful enough for her to qualify for graded races. Therefore, she'd been scheduled for a mid-distance G3 in early September.
And regarding Nice Nature's current strength as a competitor, how could one put it...
She was overly specialized, focused heavily on interference abilities rather than her own speed and endurance. Though she'd secured several wins, her victories were never dominant, and she frequently had her fair share of unexpected defeats.
Yet, while Nice Nature couldn't consistently secure first place herself, if she decided that someone else wouldn't win, they most definitely wouldn't.
After all, she was a monster painstakingly developed by Kitahara Sota over two months. Just the aura she inadvertently emitted was enough to instill fear in mentally weaker Uma Musume.
Once she got serious, directing her interference against a single target, weaker-willed competitors would barely finish the race.
Even those strong-willed enough to finish reported afterward not only feeling intense anxiety and fatigue but also experiencing varying degrees of hallucinations. Some struggled in their training sessions for nearly half a month afterward.
Therefore, Kitahara prudently avoided placing Nice Nature and Tokai Teio together—otherwise, Teio's undefeated Triple Crown dream might be strangled before it even began.
As for Eclipse...
"She'll just casually run as usual."
Indeed, her performance remained steadily consistent.
On Agnes Digital's end, she was practically half a trainer herself, and her races required little intervention from him. Plus, since she was in her second year, she wouldn't clash with her teammates anyway. Coupled with her indifferent attitude toward competition, her approach mirrored Eclipse's—casual participation.
—But seriously, who casually participates and still wins G1 championships?!
Apart from the ones already racing, Oguri Cap, Special Week, and Grass Wonder's debut plans were also underway.
Since all three intended to debut next year, getting their debut races out of the way early would grant them extra preparation time for future competitions.
Thus, even though Kitahara Sota didn't want to be drawn into Tracen's overly competitive atmosphere, spending this holiday apart from his Uma Musume seemed practically impossible.
And honestly, thinking carefully, even if he did separate from them, he didn't really have anywhere else to go.
Most likely, he'd just end up staying at the dorms anyway—he could hardly stray far from Tracen.
After all, without Tracen's self-serve cafeteria, he'd have to shoulder Eclipse's food expenses himself.
But while races were still far off in the future, the matter currently occupying him was the revival of Black Forest.
No, to say he was occupied might not be entirely accurate.
Technical issues and platform building were handled by Agnes Digital. Grass Wonder managed rules and administration. The remaining tasks received support from Chairwoman Akikawa and Hayakawa Tazuna.
Although he occasionally lent them a hand, information technology wasn't his forte, and when it came to management, he was too soft-hearted to make decisive choices.
With his limited usefulness in these core areas, what exactly was he responsible for?
The answer: the mascot... or rather, the public face and nominal leader of the Black Forest.
No matter how sophisticated the platform, how strong the technology, or how capable the management, someone needed to be the visible figurehead to legitimize the organization's existence.
Additionally, because the previous incident had left a bad impression, the original Black Forest Uma Musume now harbored significant resistance toward the organization.
This was particularly true after learning that Black Forest had once targeted Kitahara himself; their resistance reached its peak. Even under Tracen's administration, few felt inclined to join again.
But if Kitahara Sota himself initiated the revival, that would change everything.
As previously stated, while Kitahara's fame was virtually zero at Tracen's main campus and in major cities, in rural areas and local Tracen branches, if popularity were scored out of 100, his rating would easily reach 120.
Merely mentioning his name might not just slightly improve the situation—it would practically rally everyone at once.
However, despite being the mascot, this role wasn't as effortless as it seemed.
First, Agnes Digital was already stretched thin with numerous responsibilities, making it challenging for her to manage Black Forest's affairs fully.
Fortunately, Kitahara had assisted her with similar tasks in the past, gaining enough familiarity to help share her workload now.
On top of regular duties, Kitahara also needed to monitor Kudou Kazuya's movements closely to prevent any sneaky tricks.
After observing him for some time, Kitahara genuinely discovered suspicious activity brewing on Kazuya's side.
Just, his actions had taken a different direction from what Kitahara anticipated.
Far from secretly sabotaging or obstructing, Kudou Kazuya had been actively running around, using his connections outside the academy to garner extensive support. He secured external collaboration channels and influential endorsements for the newborn Black Forest, giving the organization considerable momentum right from the start.
This wasn't a trivial matter. Since Kudou had personally campaigned for support, any mishap with Black Forest later would undoubtedly harm his own reputation as well.
This behavior greatly puzzled Kitahara.
It felt especially strange since Kudou must have been aware Kitahara was suspicious of him and investigating him.
But Kitahara didn't dwell on it for long.
After all, he had been chasing leads on the "Black Market" for over a decade; waiting a bit longer wasn't an issue.
If Kudou was truly associated with the Black Market, he'd slip up eventually.
And if he wasn't, Kitahara had no intention of wronging an innocent person.
Meanwhile, the senior Uma Musume was encountering similar obstacles in her investigation.
According to her latest report, the two individuals in the portraits had been identified.
One was a trainer from a regional Tracen Academy, and the other belonged to a certain Uma Musume rights organization.
Though neither had a background as remarkable as Kudou's, both were widely regarded as devoted supporters of Uma Musume, with spotless public records and no unusual financial transactions.
Still, the senior Uma Musume uncovered additional details.
Simply put, the regional trainer was previously a trainer at Tracen's main campus, who hadn't transferred due to incompetence or disciplinary action, but by his own request.
According to what the senior Uma Musume found, this trainer felt that Tracen's main campus was too dazzling, overshadowing local Uma Musume with less natural talent.
He wasn't out to condemn society's unfairness, nor did he know how to correct the situation. Instead, he'd decided to personally support those overlooked Uma Musume.
Truly an admirable person.
But when connecting him to the origins of Black Forest—especially considering current circumstances…
Kitahara suspected that this regional trainer might very well be the true mastermind behind the Black Forest incident.
Moreover, the trainer's plan hadn't failed; rather, it was steadily advancing through Kitahara's own hands.
After all, wasn't everything Kitahara was currently doing exactly what this trainer would have hoped to see?
But if so, what was Kudou Kazuya's role in all this?
Especially considering the senior Uma Musume's finding that Kudou and this trainer had maintained a good friendship since their time together at the main Tracen campus, and were even still in touch...
Perhaps Kudou wasn't part of the Black Market, but rather aiding his friend's plans?
Or perhaps the individual from the Uma Musume rights organization was the actual Black Market operative, manipulating the other two?
Or maybe all three were involved, or even the entire Black Market was composed of such individuals?
The more clues Kitahara found, the more uncertainties surfaced.
Yet before he could ponder further, the senior Uma Musume abruptly changed the subject.
"How are the matchmaking arrangements progressing?"
"Well..."
Kitahara's expression turned grim at this mention.
Forget Kudou Kazuya, forget Black Forest, forget the regional trainer—all those matters paled in comparison. First and foremost was handling this matchmaking crisis.
Otherwise, forget investigating—he might not even have a future to speak of.
Curiously enough, the usually stubborn senior Uma Musume unexpectedly turned accommodating, easily agreeing to delay the matchmaking.
Delay—but not cancel. Refusing outright was absolutely impossible.
After painstakingly placating the senior Uma Musume, Kitahara lost all motivation to continue work or investigations.
He quickly settled Eclipse into the dorm, then headed out alone, ending up at an izakaya popular among trainers just outside Tracen's campus.
It wasn't that he intended to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
In fact, he didn't drink at all—he just wanted to clear his mind, maybe grab something tasty.
But this izakaya wasn't exactly cheap; bringing Eclipse along would surely bankrupt him on the spot.
What he hadn't expected was that upon entering, he immediately spotted a familiar face—someone who also seemed perpetually burdened with worries:
Hayakawa Tazuna.
She sat alone in a secluded corner, with some food and a glass of low-alcohol sake before her, a troubled look on her face.
Coincidentally, every table was occupied when Kitahara entered. If he wanted to sit, he'd have to share a table.
Though there were other trainers he recognized, they either already had their Uma Musume with them or were mere acquaintances. So, he ultimately approached Tazuna's table.
"Kitahara-san?"
"Yes, it's me, Hayakawa-san. May I sit here?"
"Of course."
Tazuna nodded with a gentle smile, and they began chatting naturally.
Before long, the conversation drifted to the gloominess written all over Kitahara's face.
"Ugh, a certain elder arranged a matchmaking session for me. But Hayakawa-san, you know exactly how awful matchmaking is at Tracen..."
Kitahara had intended this merely as a casual vent.
Yet unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Tazuna's expression shifted noticeably.
Realizing something, Kitahara blinked in surprise.
"Hayakawa-san, don't tell me you're also...?"
"...Sigh."
Tazuna let out a long sigh, confirming Kitahara's suspicion.
He froze momentarily upon her silent confirmation. However, after a moment's reflection, Kitahara realized it wasn't actually that surprising.
After all, Hayakawa Tazuna had been working at Tracen Academy for years now, yet remained single.
According to campus rumors, she'd never even had a boyfriend. As an older unmarried woman, it was unsurprising her family was anxious about her marital prospects.
Not only her family, but even the Chairwoman and many students were concerned.
If the infamous "Green Devil" got married, wouldn't their risk of getting caught taking trainers down to the basement dramatically decrease?
Perhaps with the influence of love, the notoriously strict and severe woman might mellow, reducing their chances of being confined in detention rooms.
Even many trainers, though not vocal about it, sincerely wished Hayakawa-san would find someone suitable.
After all, she'd labored tirelessly at Tracen for years, helping numerous trainers along the way. Surely, she shouldn't waste all her youth here, alone?
Unlike Kitahara's forced matchmaking, Tazuna wasn't yet being pushed into arranged meetings—only persistently nagged about marriage.
Already overwhelmed with workload-induced stress, the constant marital pressure had extinguished any motivation to work overtime. She'd simply delegated her responsibilities and gone out alone to clear her mind.
Thus, two kindred spirits stared helplessly at each other, eventually releasing long, synchronized sighs.
Before they could wallow any further, another voice interrupted.
"Kitahara-san? Hayakawa-san? What are you two doing here?"
Symboli Rudolf, disguised and dressed casually, had also wandered into the izakaya. Noticing the pair—and partly due to lack of seating—she joined their table and casually struck up a conversation.
Soon enough, the conversation turned to their prior lamentations. Inevitably...
"President Rudolf, don't tell me you're also…?"
Kitahara and Tazuna blinked simultaneously.
Symboli Rudolf silently lowered her head, slowly picking at the food in front of her without responding.
Yet the aura of bitterness around her steadily intensified.