[Who told Author to write 9k words per chapter 😭]
Maruzensky was completely stunned.
After a few breaths, she finally looked at Kitahara with a complicated expression, hesitated, and asked:
"You… you're not worried at all that Oguri and the others' opponents are too strong? You're not afraid they'll lose the race?"
Kitahara finally recalled her earlier doubts. Without the slightest hesitation, he smiled and shook his head.
"Why should I be worried?"
Thinking back to a few weeks ago, when he had seen Sakura Chiyono O, Oguri Cap, and Super Creek chatting happily together, he spoke softly:
"They are horse girls who run with all their might for the sake of everything they carry on their backs. Whoever wins, it's a good thing. Why would I be worried?"
"If I really have to say it, if Oguri and the others lose, I would of course feel sad—but so what? In my eyes, even if they lose the Classic Triple Crown, they'll still become unforgettable horse girls in the eyes of the world."
"Besides…"
He mimicked Maruzensky's earlier expression and showed a slightly amused smile.
"Just because those horse girls are being coached by President Rudolf and President CB, does that mean they're guaranteed to win?"
"Not necessarily, right?"
"I have a lot of faith in Oguri, Super Creek, and Mejiro Ardan. Honestly, even if they go up against President Rudolf and President CB, I don't think they're doomed to lose."
"…I really underestimated you."
After Kitahara quietly voiced his thoughts, Maruzensky took quite a while before she reacted. She couldn't help but shake her head with a soft laugh.
"First you trained Oguri in a place like Kasamatsu, then you secretly snatched away Super Creek, then you helped Tamamo Cross solve her problems. Recently, it's been consecutive victories, unconventional escapes, becoming famous overnight…"
"Not to mention your Kawawan Enterprise, your ambitions…"
"And now you even dare to say something like that…"
"I really don't know what other abilities or ideas you're still hiding, Mr. Kitahara…"
Hearing her sighs, Kitahara didn't look smug. Instead, his expression froze slightly, and he gave a bitter smile.
"Crap, I was so caught up talking with you that I forgot to pay attention to the training…"
Maruzensky also blinked, then turned her head casually, clasped her hands behind her back, and started whistling, acting as if it had nothing to do with her.
…Hey, hey, what kind of senior acts like this?
Kitahara couldn't help but laugh and cry, but he didn't panic. After all, Yuzuhara was also handling things on the other side. Since he hadn't spoken up this whole time, the training arrangements should be fine.
With that thought, Kitahara turned to look over—then immediately frowned.
Yuzuhara Tarō was holding a clipboard, his face dark.
Sensing his gaze, Yuzuhara turned, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke gravely.
"Brother Kitahara, President Maruzensky, take a look at this…"
"Inari One's training data has problems."
Both Kitahara and Maruzensky's expressions turned serious at once. They leaned in together, carefully examining the data Yuzuhara had recorded.
Soon, they reached the same conclusion.
Inari One's training data this time was indeed problematic.
A preliminary analysis based on experience gave a rough conclusion, but to get a more complete and detailed result, they'd have to wait until the nightly team meeting, when they could combine it with Kyoko Miyamura's medical data.
Right now, "Kawawan Enterprise" was thriving. Plushies of Oguri Cap, Belno Light, and Super Creek had already hit the shelves, selling extremely well. In the Kasamatsu and Nagoya regions, they sold out almost instantly upon release. The weighted equipment and parachute sprint training gear production lines were also flooded with orders, with vendors booking slots one or two months in advance. Inari One and Tamamo Cross plushies were already in the approval process, and Mejiro Ardan's merchandise was in planning too. No doubt all would generate excellent profits.
Against this background, the Eisei Team had no financial issues at all.
Their equipment was not only complete but also regularly updated. Data analysis had reached a highly detailed level. Because of this, trainers like Kitahara, Yuzuhara, and Komiyama had become increasingly sensitive to data.
Precisely for that reason, if even the preliminary analysis showed a problem, then it was most likely serious—at the very least, troublesome.
Especially since the legendary racehorse girl Maruzensky thought the same.
"Finish times, cruising speed, sprint performance, final three-furlong splits… all much slower than before."
Staring at the numbers on the board, Kitahara frowned deeply and muttered, "What's going on? We didn't notice anything back at Kasamatsu. Her data there was normal, right? Same at Ōi too, wasn't it?"
Yuzuhara nodded grimly.
"Yeah, her previous data was perfectly fine."
Still frowning, he flipped through Inari One's past training logs, baffled. "Whether on normal ground or muddy tracks, her performance was always excellent. But this time…"
Inari One's results this time were indeed poor. Just from watching, she still managed to stay among the front few in an eight-horse run, even leading at one point. Yet the results of several consecutive mock races all put her dead last.
"What's happening here… huh?"
As he muttered, Kitahara suddenly recalled a situation from another world.
In that world, during her debut year, Inari One won eight straight races, including two regional graded events—completely undefeated.
But in her second year, she lost five races in a row, almost exactly like Tamamo Cross.
The difference was, Tamamo's losing streak was due to psychological trauma. Inari One's was because she couldn't handle heavy ground.
That losing year:
March's Gold Cup, heavy ground, 3rd place.
April's Tenno Sho (Spring), rain that day, heavy ground, 7th.
August's Kanto Cup, heavy ground, 5th.
November's Tokyo Memorial, 3rd, and at the month's end the National Invitational, 2nd. Those last two weren't heavy ground and she placed high, but likely her earlier defeats had affected her condition, costing her the championship.
…I completely forgot about this. Her results had been so good that I overlooked this part of the parallel world…
Looking at it now, when there aren't too many horses running together, Inari doesn't show issues. But once it's more crowded—like in real races—problems arise.
While Kitahara was thinking, Maruzensky was also lost in thought. But she noticed Kitahara's sudden look of realization and asked:
"Looks like you've figured out the key, Mr. Kitahara?"
Hearing that, Yuzuhara also looked at him expectantly.
"I have some ideas."
Kitahara nodded, rubbing his chin. "I don't think this is a coincidence. Likely, Inari just isn't good with heavy ground."
"If we don't fix this soon, it'll be a real problem in future races."
Yuzuhara nodded gravely, but with a troubled look.
"Not good with heavy ground… sigh, how did we not notice before?"
"No need to worry too much, Yuzuhara."
Maruzensky gently comforted him. "Look at the bright side—it's a blessing we discovered it now. If it happened in an actual race, it'd be too late for regrets."
"And weather is unpredictable. Not every race will be sunny. Heavy-ground adaptability must be trained in time. Rather than fretting, better to quickly think of solutions."
As she spoke, Maruzensky was also testing Kitahara's ability to handle sudden problems.
She wasn't just here to assist Kitahara. She'd already discussed with Symboli Rudolf and Chiaki about learning more about this outstanding, clearly unusual trainer.
After these days together, she was sure Kitahara was very capable.
The Eisei Team had many members, many girls, plus the enterprise to coordinate with. Yet daily training had never run into issues, and team morale was excellent.
Still, she hadn't yet seen his ability to handle emergencies. Now was the perfect chance to observe.
Kitahara didn't think that far. Hearing her, he nodded without hesitation and arranged for another practice race.
He hadn't watched carefully last time, so this time he paid close attention, cross-checking with Yuzuhara's data.
The numbers barely changed. Inari's performance was still poor compared to before.
With that confirmed, Kitahara let the others continue training, then pulled Inari aside to ask about her feelings.
Training and racing performance isn't just about data. The horse girls' own perceptions are also important.
Not only because some thoughts only they know, but also because each horse girl has extraordinary instincts. They may not have a trainer's vocabulary to explain things clearly, but their intuition and simple words often reveal problems trainers miss.
The Eisei Team had always valued this kind of communication. Kitahara had done it even before Oguri's debut. So when he took Inari aside, Oguri and the others weren't surprised.
However, Inari herself seemed restless.
"Geez, you guys don't need to be so panicked!"
With a scrunched-up face, she actually tried to calm them down—but her rushed tone was anything but convincing.
"I know, I know I messed up this time, but if I run a few more times it'll be fine! You don't have to worry so much!"
Kitahara gave a wry smile.
He knew Inari was impatient, but it was a different kind of impatience than Tamamo Cross's.
Tamamo's old irritability, even volatility, stemmed from trauma after a trampling incident. After therapy at Kasamatsu, she rarely got loud anymore—just her naturally lively self.
Inari, however, was genuinely restless by nature. Like now—clearly discussing things calmly with the trainer was best, but she insisted on solving it herself.
Yuzuhara frowned.
"Inari, you—"
"Whoa, whoa, don't get upset, Yuzuhara! Let's just talk it over slowly."
Seeing Yuzuhara ready to scold, Kitahara stopped him with a smile.
"Inari's issue is just adaptability, nothing worth panicking over."
"Super Creek and Tamamo Cross had way harder problems, but we solved them. Oguri improved her adaptability and lane-switching through training. That shows adaptability can be trained. So Inari's case won't be a big problem."
Then he smiled gently, patiently looking at Inari.
"So Inari, just tell me whatever you felt in the last run. Anything's fine, no pressure."
All this time, Maruzensky had stayed silent, quietly observing. Seeing Kitahara's approach, she secretly nodded.
Compared to humans, horse girls were far more sensitive emotionally. If communication was too blunt or harsh, it burdened them unnecessarily. Kitahara's patient, gentle style was perfect to draw out their true thoughts.
As she expected, his words had an effect. Though Inari still pouted, her agitated mood eased.
"…Fine, I'll just say it."
She put her hands on her hips, idly kicking at some grass on the ground, head lowered. With a small hum, she continued:
"Honestly, I don't even know why. I've run on this kind of track before, but today, while running, I just kept feeling more and more anxious, more and more annoyed, and then I couldn't control myself—I sped up."
"And by the end, when it was time to sprint, I realized my stamina was already gone. I wanted to go faster, but I couldn't."
Kitahara and Yuzuhara exchanged looks, both thoughtful.
Her description matched exactly what they'd seen—multiple sudden bursts of speed early on, even nearly taking the lead, but slowing drastically at the end: a "burnout."
"Then what made you so anxious?"
Yuzuhara was puzzled. "You were running against familiar partners today. You know their tactics. You've run with them several times. You've had no issues recently. So why get anxious?"
"Argh! If I knew, I wouldn't be anxious!"
Frustrated, Inari clutched her head, impatient again. "It's because I don't know that I get so anxious!"
…Because she doesn't know, she gets anxious…
While Yuzuhara was questioning her, Kitahara had been quietly observing Inari, thinking. Now, hearing her words, he felt something click. He looked her over again carefully.
The track was muddy from last night's rain. All the horse girls' uniforms were spattered with dirt and water.
But Kitahara noticed something odd. Most had mud mainly on their legs, maybe up to the waist. Inari, though—she was splattered from head to toe.
As if someone had dumped a bucket of mud right over her.
…Strange. How did she end up like this?
Even on a muddy track, horse girls shouldn't look that messy…
As he thought, Kitahara realized he had been staring too long. Inari squirmed under his gaze and snapped:
"Hey, hey! Uncle Kitahara, what's with that look? Don't give me that weird stare!"
Snapped out of it, Kitahara quickly apologized.
"Uh—sorry, I didn't mean it, I was just—"
Halfway through, a thought struck him.
Wait—"look"…?
After a moment's thought, his expression turned strange. He tried to keep his tone even as he asked:
"Inari, your preferred running style is coming from behind, right?"
She blinked, then looked puzzled.
"Yeah, you guys all know that! I love chasing from behind—it feels awesome! And my strength isn't lacking, so of course I go for a late charge! Why?"
At this, Maruzensky glanced at Inari's height, then at Kitahara, speaking with a complicated tone.
"Mr. Kitahara, did you figure something out?"
Hearing that, Yuzuhara's eyes lit up as he too looked at Kitahara.
Instead of answering directly, Kitahara asked Inari again:
"This time, when you tried your usual chasing style, didn't you feel something different from before? Like…"
He probed: "Mud flying from the girls in front, blocking your vision?"
Inari froze—then suddenly looked enlightened. She slapped her thigh hard.
"That's it! Why didn't I think of that?!"
Then she started rambling complaints:
"Ugh, Uncle Kitahara, now that you said it, I remember! So frustrating!"
"When I was at Ōi, I didn't run in big groups much. On normal or heavy ground, I was usually alone, so I didn't notice anything."
"But now with seven or eight of us together, as soon as I fall behind, mud from the ones in front keeps flying in my face! I can't see at all!"
"Oh, oh, I don't mean I blame the seniors or Oguri and them! I haven't raced in heavy ground yet, but official races will probably be the same, so I don't blame them."
"It's just—I never really had mud splashing in my face like this, and it's so annoying!"
Listening to her rant, Kitahara's expression grew complicated. He snuck a glance at the top of her head, seeing mud spots even there, and sighed inwardly.
…I never would've guessed. Inari's weakness with heavy ground might just be because she's too short. Running from behind, mud flies into her face, blocking her vision…
This was the possibility Kitahara had vaguely sensed earlier, but hadn't realized immediately—mainly because it was just too comical to accept at first.
Yet thinking carefully, it made perfect sense.
Inari One's height really was a bit of a disadvantage. At only 1.39 meters, with the leg power of a horsegirl, as long as someone was running in front of her, it was very easy for them to kick up dirt and mud higher than her eye level, blocking her vision.
On a good track this wasn't very noticeable—the dry ground was held down firmly by grass roots, so there wasn't much dust or dirt flying around to obstruct her view.
But on a heavy track it was a completely different story. With the ground all wet and muddy, even a small push could fling up clumps of mud, and getting splattered full in the face wasn't at all unlikely.
…But telling Inari One this outright would sound a bit like mocking her for being short…
Kitahara hesitated, troubled, but at the same time a new doubt formed in his mind.
After all, Tamamo Cross wasn't very tall either, yet her adaptability on heavy tracks was excellent. Her results just now didn't show any issues either…
Anyway, it would be better to bring this up during the team's evening summary meeting and figure out how to present a solution.
With that decision made, Kitahara muttered to himself for a moment.
"I see… I roughly understand now."
He tried to sound as casual as possible: "It seems to be an issue of adapting to heavy tracks—or more specifically, of being able to deal with the dirt and mud flying from runners ahead."
"Oguri Cap has trained for something similar before, and her adaptability in this regard is quite good. So, Inari, go back and continue your training for now. We'll properly arrange a plan for this issue."
Having spent so much time together, everyone in the Eisei Team trusted Kitahara's judgment. Hearing his assurance, Inari One naturally had no doubts and readily agreed.
"Thank you, Uncle Kitahara! I'll get back to training!"
Inari One was clearly delighted. After turning away, she even started humming a little Edo-style tune while hopping along cheerfully.
Watching her skip off, Kitahara quietly fell back into thought.
Looking at heavy-track adaptability as a whole, it was actually fairly complex. Such tracks mainly tested raw strength—only with enough power could a runner keep their feet from sinking and maintain speed.
Inari One had no problem with strength. If she could go head-to-head with Oguri Cap in the final stretch, then if she lacked power, there'd be very few horsegirls of her generation who could be called strong at all.
So the key issue was her vision.
But how could vision be trained…?
While Kitahara was thinking this over, Yuzuhara and Maruzensky weren't idle either. They didn't interrupt him, but quietly shared their own thoughts.
However, Maruzensky had never encountered Inari One's problem. In all her races, she had always left her opponents far behind—sometimes so far she couldn't even hear the second-place horse's footsteps—so she had never experienced the problem of obstructed vision.
As for Yuzuhara, he was simply too emotionally involved. Having watched Inari One grow up, she was like a little sister to him. Faced with this sudden issue, maybe if he had more time to cool down, he could think of ideas, but in the urgency of the moment, nothing good came to mind.
Thus, the matter of discussing Inari One's issue was put off until the summary meeting after training that day.
Ordinarily, such meetings were led by Kitahara and the other trainers, who handled the analysis and planning. After all, while horsegirls excelled at racing, they weren't particularly skilled in data analysis.
But today Maruzensky also attended. She'd been deliberately sitting in on these meetings for the past few days, wanting to better understand the Eisei Team.
Under everyone's gaze, Kitahara kept his face calm and spoke in a steady voice.
"First of all, what we must affirm is that Inari One's problem lies in her ability to adapt to dirt and debris flying from ahead—in other words, her capacity to manage her vision."
"Based on our current experience, we can determine the next step: let's use the experiences of Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross to find ways to improve Inari One's adaptability."
"For Oguri Cap, before her debut race, I had her try controlling her speed to practice dealing with dirt flying into her line of sight. This training takes some time, but having it is always better than not."
"Tamamo Cross, on the other hand, has excellent balance and positional awareness. She can switch positions freely during a race, which is similar to Oguri Cap's positional training before the Golden Youth Cup. It didn't take her very long to pick it up either, meaning Inari One should also be able to grasp it in a short time."
"No objections here, right?"
Komiyama was the first to agree.
"Sounds good, senior. When it comes to 'positional awareness,' Tama really is skilled, and Oguri already has training experience in switching lanes. Inari should be able to learn quickly."
Yuzuhara and Kyoko Miyamura both nodded as well, and Yuzuhara added:"Besides positional awareness, Kitahara, couldn't we try to help Inari, Tama, Bay, Aldan and the others develop that same outstanding 'field vision' ability Oguri has?"
"I think, if Inari masters this, it'll also solve the dirt problem—and it would be a huge advantage for all the other horsegirls too."
What Yuzuhara referred to was an unexpected discovery from questioning Oguri Cap.
Oguri Cap had a remarkable talent: during a race, she could grasp the entire field almost as if from above, comprehensively sensing everything happening.
With that ability, vision obstruction was no issue at all. Exaggerated as it sounded, she could probably still grasp the situation and even win a race blindfolded.
Kitahara nodded.
"That idea is certainly sound. But I've been wondering if positional awareness and field vision are really two sides of the same thing."
He explained: "Switching positions freely is impossible without good vision, and vice versa."
"So, the reason Oguri was able to develop positional shifting so smoothly must be closely related to her field vision."
"And according to her, other horsegirls should have this potential too."
"Tamamo Cross's response confirmed this. And as for President Maruzensky…"
Maruzensky, who had been silent until now, gave it a moment's thought once she was brought up.
"I haven't run in too many races, but yes—I also have that ability."
She nodded. "Simply put, it's a matter of using sight, hearing, smell, and touch together to grasp the race situation. It's not an especially difficult skill."
…Of course, hearing that from someone like Maruzensky, it sounded almost too simple…
But then again, Inari and the others weren't ordinary horsegirls either. With their talent, maybe it really wouldn't be that hard.
After that bit of grumbling in his mind, Kitahara thought for a moment and nodded with some relief.
"Since Vice President Maruzensky has it as well, and even mentioned the sensory aspect, then I believe the two skills can indeed be trained together."
At this, everyone perked up, and the discussion shifted to how to actually conduct the training.
Since Kitahara was the one who proposed the idea, he laid out his thoughts first:"I have a general plan. But I'd like to confirm the theory with Kyoko."
Hearing her name, Kyoko Miyamura sat up straight like a student called on in class, nodding earnestly.
"Yes! Kitahara, ask away."
Kitahara's idea was simple: he wanted to try having Oguri and the others train while "blindfolded."
This was the simplest and most effective way to sharpen hearing and smell.
And there was a famous example in a parallel world:
The Italian blind horse, Laghat.
Born in 2003, it lost its right eye completely and retained only 5% vision in its left eye due to a viral infection at age one—effectively blind.
Yet over the next 12 years, Legat raced 123 times, winning 26 and placing in the top 3 thirty times. Its unyielding spirit inspired countless people.
Clearly, it had replaced vision with hearing, smell, and touch.
Kitahara wasn't suggesting the horsegirls abandon vision entirely, but by training with eyes covered, they could enhance other senses, so that even when dirt blocked their sight, they'd still have excellent "field vision."
That principle required Kyoko's technical expertise, so Kitahara asked her about it.
"In general, both humans and horsegirls obtain most information through the eyes, but there are key differences."
Kitahara explained: "For us humans, 83% of external information comes through vision, with the rest from touch, hearing, and smell."
"But horsegirls are different."
"Their field of vision is 180 degrees—much wider than our 120. And their auditory and olfactory intake is also far higher."
"Compared to us, humans have about six ear muscles; horsegirls have ten, more than twice as many. They can hear in a full 360 degrees, unlike our limited 180."
"The frequency range they perceive is also much broader. Humans hear from 20 to 20,000 Hz, while horsegirls hear from 55 to 35,000 Hz. Their hearing is several times sharper."
"Their sense of smell is just as strong. Though their nasal structure looks similar to ours, they have far more olfactory cells—10 to 20 times more sensitive."
"So, if we strengthen these senses and use them well, we can greatly improve their 'field vision,' or rather, their ability to gather race information."
"If this training works, not only will Inari's problem be solved, but we'll also gain a brand new, effective training method."
Kyoko quickly backed him up with medical knowledge, confirming horsegirls' superior sensory abilities. In other words, "blindfold training" was entirely feasible.
And since the training didn't require them to live like blind people—just enhance their senses—they could use instruments to record data and adjust as needed. It was fully controllable.
So, Kitahara's team hurriedly designed a program. They had their chief technician, Atarashi Hikaru, collect Oguri and the others' data, preparing to make custom "training headsets" for each horsegirl.
Thanks to Kawawan Enterprise's support, ordering practical training equipment was no issue. Under Hikaru's design, the "training headsets" were quickly completed.
That very day, Kitahara received the rush order sent by Tomomi Konan. He distributed them according to the labeled sizes, keeping a spare to examine himself.
"A clever design. It just looks like a thick blindfold, but feels so thin and soft."
He pinched the material and nodded with satisfaction.
"This should be fine for daily use."
Belno Light smiled beside him:"Yes, our trainee courses lately have covered fabrics best suited for horsegirls. I tested several, consulted with instructors, and chose the most breathable and comfortable as the main material."
"The rest, including the metal and plastic parts, are skin-friendly and very light—no side effects at all."
"Mr. Kitahara, you should try it on yourself. The effect is quite good. Everyone else can try as well."
Oguri and the others had already received theirs, and Kitahara's group also had spares. Maruzensky, curious, picked one up too. Hearing Hikaru's suggestion, they all tried them on.
The office instantly turned lively.
"Oh! I can't see anything, Kitahara? Kitahara, where are you?"
In total darkness, Oguri found it amusing. She stretched out her hands, fumbling around. "Kitah—eh? Who's this…? Hmm, judging by the height…"
"Tamamo?"
"I'll bite you, Oguri! Where are you? Don't let me catch you!"
Tamamo Cross, blindfolded as well, flared up instantly. She heard Oguri loud and clear and assumed she'd been insulted for her height again.
But in fact, Oguri had touched…
"Quick, Tama! I caught Oguri! Come bite her for calling us short!"
"Alright! I'll—wait, Inari, where are you? I can't see…"
"Ugh, you dummy, just follow my voice! I'm on your left, right?"
Blindfolded, Inari One grabbed the hand Oguri had placed on her head, while her other hand groped around.
"Tama? Tama? I'm here, you… huh? What's this? So soft…"
"E-eh?! Who… who's touching me?! This is so embarrassing!"
Super Creek cried out, stumbling backward—straight into someone else.
"Oh! Sorry, I-I couldn't see, did I bump into you? Sorry…"
It was Mejiro Aldan's voice.
"Ah, it's fine, Creek. I'm not hurt. Just be careful not to fall."
In the darkness, she "looked" toward Creek's voice, steady as ever.
At that moment, Kitahara spoke up.
"Alright, I can tell the blindfolds work well."
He'd tried his too, and it seemed effective. Seeing the chaos, he took his off and glanced at Aldan.
"Aldan, for now, you won't participate in blindfold training. Instead, act as their 'eyes' and take care of them."
He had more than one reason for this. Daily blindfolded life required someone to assist, and as a man, neither he nor Yuzuhara could do it.
Komiyama, Kyoko, Hikaru, and even Maruzensky were too busy with classes, research, or student council work.
But Aldan was in the same class as them, had been training together, and knew their habits—perfectly suited to help.
Also, being the most recent member to join, Aldan had grown close to Oguri, Tamamo, Inari, and Creek. Extra time together would only strengthen bonds and team synergy.
And since blindfolded training would leave the girls unsettled at first, relying on Aldan for support would deepen their relationship.
With this in mind, Kitahara instructed her:
"Oguri and the others will be inconvenienced for a while. Ardan, since you often take care of your younger sisters at home, I'll entrust their daily needs to you."
"Also, since you're still in rehab training, this will give you time to observe their progress. It'll help your own growth later."
"Alright, you can take your blindfold off now. Yuzuhara, Komiyama, Kyoko, Hikaru—you too."
"Oguri, Tama, Creek, Inari—you four keep yours on. Blindfold training starts now."
Everyone followed instructions, and the office gradually calmed.
"Then as planned," Kitahara turned to Kyoko and Hikaru, "set up the equipment on them so we can monitor their sensory development during training. Record everything daily—we'll analyze together."
The two nodded, Hikaru beaming with confidence.
"Don't worry, I designed the interfaces with this in mind. I already worked with Kyoko to make sure they won't interfere with normal activities. Leave it to us."
They went over to Oguri and the others, setting up the gear.
Kitahara, satisfied, turned to Komiyama and Yuzuhara.
"The training plan won't change much overall, but with blindfolds, they'll need more careful supervision. We must prevent accidents."
"This trial will continue until Inari's upcoming race. If it works, we'll add it to our standard regimen, like weight training and parachute sprints, refining it as we go."
"Understood, senpai! No problem!"
Komiyama said firmly. Yuzuhara nodded as well.
"Then since they have no classes now, and training finished early, you can let the four of them get used to blindfold training right away."
Smiling as he wrapped things up, Kitahara looked to Maruzensky. "Vice President, there's also something… uh…"
Only then did he notice she still had her blindfold on, cheerfully feeling her way around.
"Hm? You mean me?"
She giggled, taking it off reluctantly. "Can I have one of these? They're fun. And this training is useful. Once you gather enough data, I'd like to discuss it with the student council. I think President Rudolf will be very interested in promoting it."
By the end, her tone grew serious.
Kitahara didn't reject the idea, but didn't promise immediately either. He had other matters to discuss with her.
"That should be negotiable. Since you're interested, I'll have one made especially for you."
Then he added: "Why don't we step outside to talk? Let the girls practice here."
Maruzensky caught his meaning and nodded, setting the blindfold down.
The two walked slowly down the corridor.
Kitahara brought up the matter of Yuzuhara Taro and Inari One.
The blindfold training's main goal was to give Inari superior field vision to overcome the heavy-track issue. Once solved, given her training and opponents, her chances of victory were very high.
But this would be her first central win—and yet Yuzuhara, still only an "apprentice trainer," would have no right to the credit. The honor would fall to Kitahara instead. He couldn't accept that.
He'd worried over this for some time. With Creek's debut taking precedence before, he hadn't had the chance to bring it up with the student council. Now, with Maruzensky mentioning the training system's potential, the opportunity arose.
"Vice President, you must know about Yuzuhara's situation with Inari…"
After explaining fully, Kitahara looked at her earnestly.
"He's poured so much into Inari, raised her almost like a sister. If he can't receive due recognition, it's terribly unfair."
"So I ask—could something be done? Perhaps he could enter Central Tracen early? Or maybe Inari's result could be temporarily unassigned, then granted to him once he passes? Or could honors be awarded in the team's name, so that Eisei Team receives the credit collectively?"
Maruzensky gave a wry smile.
"So, Mr. Kitahara, you want to bargain with Central?"
She chuckled. "I wonder what Rudolf would say if she heard that."
Kitahara winced—his words had indeed sounded like bargaining.
Kitahara felt a little awkward—what he had just said really did sound like bargaining.
He had originally been thinking of negotiating with Maruzensky about things like "blindfold training," "weighted training," and "parachute sprint training," to see if these might attract the attention of the URA Association and the Central Council, thereby winning fair treatment for Tōbara.
But just as he was about to explain, he noticed that Maruzensky's expression had shifted.
"But you know, fairness…"
Abruptly, this usually casual racehorse girl gave off a complex aura, as if she were both mourning a regret and resenting an injustice.
"What Mr. Tōra has encountered… is indeed unfair. According to URA's rules, those results should have been his, yet he couldn't claim them. That is unfair."
She emphasized "unfair" twice in a row, then patted Kitahara's shoulder.
"Don't worry," she repeated:
"Rudolf may look indifferent to this matter, but in truth, she will never tolerate such unfairness. She's always concerned with the development of the entire racehorse girl world, always sincerely caring about every single one of them. She won't stand for this."
"Besides, CB and I will also discuss it with her."
"In other words, I promise you, I'll talk things through properly with Rudolf and the others. You can rest assured."
Kitahara nodded at that, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he stayed silent.
Maruzensky noticed and smiled. "This isn't our first time meeting. I should've told you already—I'm a pretty straightforward, easygoing person. If you want to ask or say something, just say it directly."
Kitahara hesitated for a while.
"…Back then, did you also think it was unfair?"
Seeing her suddenly so pensive, he could only assume the legendary racehorse girl had been reminded of her own past.
Maruzensky froze for a moment, then gave a complicated smile.
"You even know about that… ah, though I suppose it wasn't really hidden. It's not strange that you know…"
She sighed, then smiled again. "But what you just said—I've never told anyone myself, though… I suppose it wasn't hard to guess."
"Fine, yes. Not being able to run in the Japan Derby back then—I did think it was unfair."
"Or maybe… it wasn't just unfair…"
She suddenly went silent. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead, but her pupils seemed unfocused, her expression even more complicated.
Kitahara, too, fell silent.
What he had mentioned was exactly Maruzensky's absence from the Japan Derby. He had thought about it many times: no matter how he looked at it, for such a powerful horse girl not to have had the chance to prove herself on the greatest stage of all—it must have felt like both a huge regret and an injustice.
That regret and unfairness were just like what, in another world, her jockey Nakano Wataru once said:
"Even if she'd drawn the farthest outside lane, even without prize money, I only wanted the world to know Maruzensky's strength. I only wanted the world to see who truly deserved the title of strongest horse."
He thought that perhaps Tarō's ordeal had stirred Maruzensky's memories, which was why she had just kept repeating the word "unfair."
"The Takamatsunomiya Kinen—the time I ran in it. If you know what happened back then, you must remember that race, right?"
Still staring vacantly into the distance, Maruzensky suddenly spoke.
"Hm? Ah… yes, I remember."
Kitahara nodded slightly. "Seven lengths ahead—it was incredible…"
He didn't finish before she cut him off.
"It wasn't necessary."
"In that Takamatsunomiya Kinen, I… didn't need to win by that much," she murmured.
Kitahara fell silent again. He sensed that she wasn't really asking him anything—she just wanted to say something.
"Because I hated it."
"The outside lane would've been fine. Even… even without prize money or ranking, that would've been fine…"
"I… only wanted a chance to prove it. A chance to prove that Foreign horse girls could run in the Japan Derby too…"
"A chance to prove… that I truly could stand at the pinnacle of an era…"
Maruzensky finally stopped. After another pause, she let out a long sigh. When she looked back at Kitahara, she was already smiling lightly again.
"Ah, I don't know why, but I feel like you're such an interesting person, Kitahara-san."
"These are things I've never told anyone before. Maybe others could've guessed what I felt, but to actually say it out loud—this is the first time."
"Kitahara-san, you really are interesting," she repeated with a grin.
"It feels like you already know so much, so talking to you carries no pressure at all."
"Well then, no need to ramble. About that matter you mentioned—I'll go talk with Rudolf and the others now."
"If you're free later, stop by the student council room. Sirius Symboli brought me lots of tea from the UK—come join me for afternoon tea sometime."
Watching Maruzensky leave, Kitahara thought for a moment, but instead of heading to the student council, he went back to his office and casually continued arranging the details of "blindfold training" with Tōra and the others.
After a busy spell, he returned straight to the Central Tracen Academy trainer dormitory.
Thanks to Tazuna's arrangements, he had a single room there, already prepared with a bed, desk, and furniture.
He had never been too interested in material comforts. He hadn't brought or shipped much—mostly training books, notes, and data. Other than that, just his computer and a few changes of clothes. After a bit of unpacking, the room was livable.
But just as he lay down to switch off the light, a sudden thought hit him.
Wait—this isn't Kasamatsu anymore. Oguri Cap's dorm isn't across the way. Doesn't that mean I can stay up late now?
It wasn't that Kitahara liked staying up late, but he knew very well that the things he wanted to accomplish would demand every bit of time and energy he could spare.
Now he had four horses under his care, six in the whole team, countless daily details to track. One of them, Mejiro Ardan, was brand new—she required extra study and planning.
Besides the girls, there was also Kyōko Miyamura, Komiyama, and Tōra to look after.
Kyōko was a medical talent, but she wasn't very familiar with training. Some training results had to be converted into medical data for her, and in return, he had to communicate with her to understand how the training translated into medical terms.
Komiyama and Tōra required a different kind of guidance. Though both were licensed trainers with higher academic credentials than him in this world, Kitahara himself was a graduate student and had studied abroad. His knowledge wasn't lacking, and his experience as a trainer was deeper, so much of the time he had to be the one teaching them.
He also had to keep an eye on business matters. Tomomi Konan, who had been based in Kasamatsu, was now moving operations to Tokyo. Kitahara worried that, unfamiliar with the area, she might run into trouble.
Weighed down by so many concerns, he ended up at his desk, switching on his computer.
That's when the phone rang.
Without checking the caller ID, as if by instinct, Kitahara looked out through the window.
In the opposite dorm building, at some distance away, he caught a glimpse of a silver-haired figure on a balcony.
…Busted.
With a wry grin—half laughing, half sighing—he shook his head, picked up the phone, and walked toward the light switch.
"Hello, Kitahara…"
"Yeah, yeah, I know I should rest… Good night, Oguri Cap."
"Mm. Good night, Kitahara."
Under Oguri Cap's tireless watch, Kitahara went to bed early after all.
In truth, the urge to stay up had only been a passing impulse—by now he was used to this routine.
Sleeping early, rising early—he didn't end up with fewer hours in the day, and his efficiency was higher.
He'd even adapted to waking up at four or five, just like Oguri Cap and the others. They rose that early to run, while he used the fresh, clear-headed morning hours to tackle complex work.
The next morning, he felt energetic as ever. Just as he was about to head to the training grounds, he received a call from Akikawa Yayoi.
"Leh-hahaha, Kitahara-san, I knew it! The more I see, the more right I was to place my trust in you!"
Even through the phone, Kitahara could imagine the petite chairwoman waving her fan in excitement.
"Ah, you flatter me, Madam Chairwoman…"
Falling back on humility, he asked after a moment's thought, "Do you have urgent business to discuss?"
From their interactions so far, he'd realized this chairwoman, small in stature but overflowing with love for the racehorse girls, worked tirelessly for their betterment. Like him, she was a workaholic.
And like such people often are, she never reached out without good reason. If she was calling, something important must be afoot.
Sure enough, Akikawa's voice rang out, full of excitement:
"That's right! Something very important!"
"Meow~" In the background came the faint but lively cry of a cat.
"I've been pushing for legislation concerning local horse girls. Thanks to the records of Oguri Cap, Inari One, and the others, I've finally convinced those old men to give in! They've agreed to create new awards for local horse girls at the UAA and URA ceremonies."
"And as for last year's 'Best Local Horse Girl of the Year' and 'Rookie Representative Horse Girl of the Year'—they'll both go to Oguri Cap!"
"These awards will officially be announced at this year's UAA gala. But at my insistence, last year's will be granted retroactively as well. So when New Year's comes, make sure you bring Oguri Cap to the gala, Kitahara-san!"
Kitahara couldn't hold back his delight. He had always hoped his horses would shine brightly, and now, with an award in hand, it was reason enough to celebrate.
On top of that, perhaps because he was a bit prideful, he had never cared much about his own awards—he felt they were deserved, nothing to rejoice over. At last year's UAA gala, he had just made a token appearance. He hadn't accepted a single media interview despite all the buzz around him.
So now, with Oguri Cap receiving recognition, he felt even more moved.
"Thank you so much, Chairwoman Akikawa! For you to win Oguri Cap such an honor—we're all deeply grateful!"
He promised repeatedly: "We'll deliver even greater performances from here on out—we won't let you down!"
"Of course, of course, I believe in you, hahahaha!"
After a booming laugh, Akikawa's tone turned serious again.
"Now that local horse girl awards and regulations have been set up, I want to push for improved treatment of local trainers too."
"After returning from overseas studies, I've investigated extensively. I went to many local academies and found that the gap between local trainers and central trainers is enormous. Just the base salary alone is several times—sometimes dozens of times—lower. Add in the lower prize money from local races, and it's no wonder local trainers live modest lives."
Her voice grew heavy with concern.
"Living modestly, they lack the means to train properly. With weaker results from local racehorse girls, their income shrinks further—it's a vicious cycle."
"And here, Kitahara-san, I have to admire you. When I looked into your record at Kasamatsu, I saw your wages and prize money were almost never spent on yourself. You used them all for training equipment, nutrition, or investing back into the racehorse girl industry. That's remarkable."
Kitahara didn't bask in the praise—he only sighed in agreement.
"Yes… I used to be a local trainer. I was very lucky to meet extraordinary horses like Oguri Cap and Light. But not all my colleagues were so fortunate."
"Many of them struggled financially. Buying equipment for their horses meant sacrificing their own living standards."
"So, Madam Chairwoman—have you thought of a solution?" he asked hopefully.
"Of course! Here's what I have in mind."
Full of confidence, Akikawa explained:
"It's just like with the local horse girl awards—we have to push gradually."
"First, we raise the profile of local trainers, with more awards and recognition. That's already underway."
"Second, we work on their treatment. I'd been considering revisions based on international standards, but you've just given me the key reminder."
Kitahara blinked. "I reminded you?"
She seemed to nod on the other end.
"Yes! I already know about the matter you arranged through Maruzensky with Rudolf."
"Your idea was excellent. Since the URA Association and Central Council remain so stubbornly biased toward central trainers, let's just go along with it—for now."
"We'll tie local trainers' achievements to central trainers through team collaborations. That way, local trainers can share in the higher prize pools."
Her thinking aligned perfectly with Kitahara's, and even went beyond.
When he had suggested attaching Inari One's results to the Eisei Team, the idea had been that—even if Tōra wasn't yet in the Central Academy—he could still bask in shared glory as a team member. With some media coverage, the public would understand where the real credit lay.
But Akikawa planned to take it a step further: not only the glory, but also cold, hard prize money.
And in truth, that was the more crucial benefit.
Because the prize disparity between local and central races was astronomical.
For example, in Oguri Cap's debut win, the champion's prize was only ¥320,000 after tax. Even her biggest local win had only netted her about ¥3.2 million.
By contrast, Tamamo Cross, running central races, earned ¥30 million for her first G3 victory, even after losses. After tax, it was still ten times Oguri Cap's best payday.
And that was just G3. G1 races had far greater payouts. In the parallel world where Oguri Cap had won the Arima Kinen twice, the first victory had yielded ¥95 million, the second over ¥110 million.
Against that backdrop, no amount of bonus-sharing could ever let local trainers catch up.
Kitahara himself had seen this disparity firsthand—not only from his colleagues and Oguri Cap's situation, but also from his uncle.
Musaka Ginjiro wasn't a man of luxury, but even his few hobbies—like seaside vacations—revealed it. The Hawaiian-print shirts he wore were all high-end brands, each worth half a local trainer's yearly income. He brought home limited-edition cosmetics and grooming products from overseas trips—luxuries no local trainer could dream of.
With so much common ground, Kitahara and Akikawa's conversation flowed smoothly. Before long, they had outlined a new set of plans.
First and foremost: results. Nothing spoke louder in the horse girl world. Inari One would have to win her upcoming races, and win decisively. That would give Akikawa stronger leverage in negotiations with the URA Association and the Council.
But there was also another new plan—something Kitahara himself had just recently started to consider.
Working with the reporters.
"So that's how it is. Kitahara-san, that's a very good suggestion."
At the end of the call, Aikawa Yayoi confirmed,
"I personally don't really like reporters or the media, they're just like flies buzzing around all day, so annoying. But I also know there are some things where you can't avoid using them."
"I had this thought before, but I never decided on it."
"Since Kitahara-san already has the intention, and you've even thought of a suitable candidate, then go ahead! I'll have Tazuna assist you!"
"Meow meow meow~"
Amid the little cat's encouraging cries, Kitahara waited for the other side to hang up, thought for a moment, then contacted Tazuna to arrange a simple "press meeting."
The meeting would only be with one person—the "Fujii Izusuke" he had noticed earlier.
Tegawa's arrangements were fast. Not long after, she brought Fujii Izusuke to Kitahara's office.
"What an honor! An absolute honor! Truly, such an honor, Chief Kitahara!"
The moment he walked in, a young man with black-rimmed glasses, an earring, and a tear mole under his left eye rushed over.
"To be able to obtain an exclusive interview with the leader of the Eisei Team—this is the greatest honor of my career!"
"Chief Kitahara, may I ask which horse girl you value most? The undefeated Oguri Cap? The unstoppable Tamamo Cross? The soon-to-debut Inari One? The surprising Super Creek? The noble lady Mejiro Ardan? Or the deeply hidden, rising Bamboo Memory?"
"Also, can you tell us who your most concerning rival is?"
"Oguri Cap, Super Creek, and Mejiro Ardan have all registered for the Classic Triple Crown, right? Among rivals like Dicta Striker, Yaeno Muteki, and Sakura Chiyono O, which one do you consider the biggest threat?"
"And also, I heard some of your recent actions made Symboli Rudolf—the Emperor—furious. May I dare to ask for your opinion on that?"
"And also, and also…"
Kitahara started to understand why, in the other timeline, his uncle didn't like this reporter.
Too fanatical. In another world, this guy would just be a crazed horse girl fanboy…
Smiling bitterly to himself, Kitahara glanced at Tegawa, who also wore a wry smile.
Not just that—she leaned forward, speaking gently in persuasion.
"Mr. Fujii, please don't get so excited, you're making Mr. Kitahara very uncomfortable."
Then she bowed slightly.
"Allow me to prepare some drinks and snacks. Mr. Kitahara, you should have hot milk and fruit like apples here, right?"
Tazuna had been to this office before. With Kitahara's nod, she smiled and went to prepare.
Fujii also calmed down. His expression was still fervent, but he restrained himself enough to extend his hand and shake Kitahara's.
"Apologies, Chief Kitahara. I got too excited and lost my composure. I hope you'll forgive me."
With an apologetic nod, he continued,
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Fujii Izusuke, a reporter from the Shining News Agency. Our agency specializes in covering the Shining Star series races. Our magazine Shining Star is one of the horse-girl publications officially recognized by the URA Association, along with other media products. I believe you may have heard of it."
"Here's my business card. Please accept it." He took a card from his pocket and offered it with both hands.
Kitahara also stood up, received it with both hands, carefully put it away, and went straight to the point.
"An honor to meet you, Mr. Fujii."
"I'm a straightforward person. Since you're here, Miss Tazuna should have explained my intentions, correct?"
At the mention of business, Fujii's glasses flashed, and he smiled.
"Of course I understand!"
"If I'm not mistaken, Kitahara-san, you'd like me to widely report on the story between Trainer Yuzuhara and Inari One, thereby attracting attention and winning strong support for your team, correct?"
One had to admit—even if Fujii was overzealous about horse girls, his professional skills were solid. Tazuna could only have given him a brief explanation, yet he had already guessed Kitahara's main idea. His news sense was sharp.
Still, his guess wasn't entirely accurate.
"Yes, I do want to secure benefits for my team and members, and public opinion is an important means of achieving that."
Kitahara did not deny Fujii's interpretation.
If this plan succeeded, with Aikawa Yayoi pushing the URA Association and council to approve a new policy, the Eisei Team would definitely profit.
"As for the bond between Trainer Yuzuhara and Inari One, if it is reported truthfully, I believe people will understand just how much he's given for his horse girl. He deserves the honor."
Besides race results, this was the best way to move the industry's big figures—by shaping public opinion. The horse girl world couldn't exist without the support of fans and the public. Without them, the whole industry would be a castle in the air, rootless. Once public opinion shifted, even the most stubborn elites would have to pay attention, or risk making fools of themselves.
In the other timeline, Oguri Cap succeeded in pushing the URA to revise the rules precisely through this approach. And the reporter who carried out that coverage, who steered public opinion—was none other than Fujii Izusuke before him.
But unlike Oguri Cap's case, Inari One's was simpler.
Oguri Cap forced a fundamental change in race entry rules—something touching the URA's foundation. Even after deciding to reform, they couldn't do it immediately. So in that world, Oguri still missed the Triple Crown, with the benefits falling instead to her junior, TM Opera O.
Inari One's matter was just about reputation and prize distribution. The URA already had "team-related provisions." A slight adjustment in fame categorization and distribution wouldn't be so complicated.
Thus, Kitahara decided to clarify things, lest this overly zealous Fujii stir up too much noise, provoking backlash from the Association and council bigwigs. That would be trouble.
He wanted Fujii to work for the Eisei Team long-term—not burn all his bridges at the start.
"But more deeply, I want local trainers to have better treatment."
"As a horse girl journalist, you must know this, Mr. Fujii. Local trainers' treatment is practically negligible."
"With such low income, even if they want to raise horse girls sincerely, they often lack the means."
"I was a local trainer myself. I know the hardships well."
"When I first took in Oguri Cap, two pairs of professional running shoes cost me several months' salary. One pair was used for training and wore out quickly. The other, which I used for daily wear, I've kept in good shape to this day. But training expenses are crushing."
"If I hadn't been lucky, with Oguri Cap and Belno Light being so outstanding and winning races in succession, I wouldn't have been able to afford even shoes."
"But not everyone is so lucky. Honestly, many local trainers want to buy good shoes for their horse girls but simply can't afford to. Through Yuzuhara and Inari One's story, I want to begin changing that reality—to give all trainers and horse girls a better world."
"Of course, President Aikawa supports this vision too. But… this point need not be reported."
Hearing this, Fujii finally understood Kitahara's plan. His expression turned strange.
"Kitahara-san, are you really just from a local background?"
He muttered doubtfully, then his eyes lit with realization.
"I see now—it must be the guidance of Musaka Ginjiro, right?"
"With such broad vision, such ambition, no wonder you've achieved so much. I understand! I'll report this thoroughly, I will not betray your intentions!"
…So he thought of my uncle? Well, not wrong, actually. Uncle had similar ideas, or he wouldn't have gone abroad.
Let him think that way.
"Yes, I've achieved much thanks to my uncle's help."
Admitting it directly, Kitahara was about to continue, but Fujii was already eager.
"Then, may I interview Trainer Yuzuhara and Inari One right now? Don't worry, I'll finish the draft overnight, and let you approve it before publication. No false reporting!"
"So urgent…?"
Slightly surprised, Kitahara accepted. After all, he himself was straightforward. He had planned to move to training matters next anyway. So he nodded.
"Alright. I'll call them here now, please wait a moment."
Seeing Fujii's joy, Kitahara thought a bit, then added:
"By the way, our team is currently doing a special type of training. We blindfold the horse girls to enhance their hearing, sense of smell, and other senses—sharpening their awareness on the track."
"When you meet them later, don't be surprised by the blindfolds."
"And also—don't report this. You know about the URA's confidentiality rules."
At the mention of special training, Fujii grew even more excited. But hearing the restriction, he sighed in disappointment.
"Ahh, I know… Such a pity. That information could really help other horse girls. If only it could be shared… but fine, those bigwigs would never understand anyway."
…So it's not just me and President Aikawa who think the URA has issues.
Kitahara mused silently, then called over Yuzuhara and Inari One. After explaining, both agreed without issue.
But before the interview, Inari One said she wanted to speak privately with Kitahara.
"What is it?"
Leading the blindfolded Inari One outside the office, Kitahara asked curiously.
"Ah, it's about the Umao Championship I'm entering. I found there's a rival worth noting."
Kitahara blinked, expecting a powerful opponent. But remembering he had already reviewed the competitor info and seen no such threat, he asked her to explain.
Inari One clarified:
"I didn't realize at first, but just before coming, I was chatting with Oguri Cap and the others about my opponents. Oguri didn't notice, but Creek and Ardan pointed it out."
"One of my opponents this time is that Black Air fellow."
"The one who mocked Oguri Cap as some countryside horse girl, and told you, Uncle Kitahara, to tuck your tail and crawl back to Kasamatsu."
"So, what do you think, Uncle Kitahara? Oguri says she had forgotten about him, but now that I mentioned it, she's angry again. She told me to really teach that guy a lesson."
"What about you? If you're annoyed too, help me come up with a strategy! I'll win beautifully like Creek did, and give that guy the beating he deserves!"
(End of Chapter)