The voice of Belno Light was a bit too loud, and since the three of them were in the cafeteria—where plenty of other Uma Musume were still dining—their words quickly drew even more glances.
With two brilliant victories already under her belt, Oguri Cap was now a star-like figure at Kasamatsu Academy, just as Belno Light had said. She was considered a rival on par with the already-famous Fujimasa March, and naturally, the other Uma Musume paid close attention to the two of them.
The cafeteria soon became lively.
"What?! Oguri Cap is going to the Central region?!"
"Isn't that too reckless?! The Central races… they're filled with the very top horse girls! Can someone from a small local place like us really go there…"
"If Oguri Cap goes to Central, does that mean Fujimasa March will go too? Ugh… no! I can't stand both idols leaving at once!"
Kitahara hadn't actually intended to bring up the subject of Central just yet. But Oguri was far too sharp when it came to matters of racing—she immediately caught on to his slip, leaving him no choice but to talk about it.
Still, the cafeteria was too noisy, and besides, going to Central was only a preliminary idea; much remained to be discussed. Kitahara decided to change the venue:
"Oguri Cap, finish up quickly. We'll head to training afterward and talk about it while we train."
Obedient as always, Oguri didn't press him further. She sped up her eating, and before long, the three of them left the cafeteria.
Lately, Kitahara had moved Oguri and Belno Light's training site from the riverside park to Mount Kinka, just outside the county.
The walking paths along the riverside levee were sandy, including the stairways—perfect for training in terrain adaptation and ankle strength.
But when it came to racecourse conditions, local tracks were mostly sandy, while nearly all Central tracks were grass. To build grass adaptability, the riverside terrain was insufficient.
Mount Kinka, however, was ideal: while the main roads were cement, the smaller paths were grass, and the numerous steep slopes made it perfect for grass-surface training.
It was now June, warm and lush, with thick grass underfoot that provided softness and reduced strain on the legs.
Both Oguri Cap and New Radiance welcomed this kind of training for expanding their abilities.
Especially Belno Light. Though clearly less gifted than Oguri, she had secretly told Kitahara that even if she could never match her friend, she still wanted to train in exactly the same way and stay as close behind her as possible.
Yet, honestly speaking, Kitahara was dissatisfied with these conditions.
The reason was simple: whether it was the riverside, Mount Kinka, or even Kasamatsu Tracen Academy, training facilities were all primitive.
In practice, training depended on readily available weights and obstacles. This lacked targeted refinement, and because it required engaging the whole body, it often caused unnecessary strain on untrained areas.
From Kitahara's experience and perspective, even without knowing Japan Central's or the world's very best methods, the advanced approaches from before he crossed over were already far superior to this.
After all, horse girls, though vastly stronger than humans, still shared the same basic physiology. Existing science had already proven that what worked for humans worked just as well for horse girls.
Take a few simple examples:
For targeted training of the biceps, leg muscles, chest muscles, or overall muscle mass, one could use barbell curls, weighted half-squats, cable flys, or hex-bar deadlifts.
Likewise, standing triceps extensions, hip thrusts, and lunges could develop triceps, core strength, and explosive leg power.
Even for comprehensive running ability, there were specialized drills.
One such method was parachute sprinting: strapping a parachute to the runner during sprints to increase resistance, thereby enhancing short-distance explosiveness.
Kitahara knew of all these advanced, scientific methods. Yet in this world, trainers seldom used them. At best, he'd catch glimpses in obscure corners of racing newspapers or websites.
For people here—at least Japanese trainers—they placed far more faith in a horse girl's innate talent.
"Relying solely on talent to win races… how is that any different from letting horse girls run purely on instinct?"
So thought Kitahara.
"Back in my old world, I never realized it, but thinking now, the frequent injuries of real racehorses weren't just about technology—they were partly due to this mindset too."
"No wonder I once heard the saying: internationally, Japanese horse racing was judged as 'first-class horses, second-class jockeys, third-class training.'"
"And here, even though horse girls have the same bodily structures as humans, the related technology can't even match what humans already had. That just proves it's a mindset issue."
"I'm more determined than ever to change the current state of horse girls—to change this world…"
These thoughts arose quietly, and Kitahara buried them deep in his heart. He would realize them through action, step by step.
For now, though, he had to make do—ensuring Oguri Cap and New Radiance could train safely on Mount Kinka, without injury or excessive fatigue.
Once at Mount Kinka, Oguri and New Radiance warmed up on the main road as usual, while Kitahara followed on a bicycle.
The physical abilities of horse girls far surpassed humans—so much that even their "slow jog" during warmups was far too fast to keep up on foot. That's why Kitahara always used a bike during training.
Pedaling hard to keep pace with them, Kitahara finally broached the subject of Central:
"You guessed correctly—I do plan to take Oguri Cap to Central."
As soon as he said this, he glanced at New Radiance, noticing her mix of astonishment and envy, along with a faint shadow of disappointment. So he quickly added:
"And you too, Belno Light—you'll be coming along to Central as well."
He understood her feelings.
This child's running talent was nowhere near Oguri's, and she knew it.
And in a place like Central, only the exceptionally gifted could hope to thrive. A "mediocre" horse girl like her must have thought that if Oguri went, she'd be left behind at Kasamatsu.
But Kitahara thought otherwise. Seeing her stunned joy, he smiled and explained:
"To be honest, yes—your talent for running is very different from Oguri's. But I've noticed you have another gift: in equipment. Especially when it comes to running shoes and horseshoes."
"I've paid attention to how you've adjusted both yours and Oguri's shoes and horseshoes. For someone your age, your level is impressive."
"Maybe it has to do with your family owning a sporting goods shop, but plenty of horse girls come from such families—and not all of them have your skills."
"So I believe your real talent lies in technology."
This wasn't empty praise. In Kitahara's memory, Belno Light was an original character not based on any real racehorse, but on a person—Oguri Cap's exclusive farrier, Mitsuru Miwa.
Mitsuru had extraordinary skill in his field. All of Oguri's local equipment matters were entrusted to him, and thanks to his talent, Central even made a special exception to allow him to accompany Oguri there.
Neither Oguri's original owner, jockey, nor trainer received such treatment.
So while Kitahara didn't fully grasp the one-to-one parallels between the worlds, his observations of Belno Light's skills and her natural closeness to Oguri convinced him: she was essentially this world's "Mitsuru Miwa," with a rare, technical genius.
"My talent… lies in technology?"
Never before praised this way, New Radiance was overjoyed, yet also thoughtful.
Seeing this, Kitahara didn't disturb her. Instead, he turned to Oguri Cap:
"So, Oguri Cap—what do you think about heading to Central?"
He looked toward her, who had remained silent this whole time.
(End of Chapter)