Although Kitahara hadn't expected Super Creek and the others to suddenly steer the conversation toward him, he already had some guesses about their questions—or rather, he had thought about this matter before.
He still remembered that time when Akikawa Yayoi took him to the Mejiro household. That petite but ambitious chairwoman had mentioned the "Dream Cup."
Even back then, he had wondered: why did this world only have the "Twinkle Series" but not the "IF races" from the original story—namely, the "Dream Cup"?
Now, combined with his earlier thoughts and matters concerning "Domains," he basically had an answer.
"It should still be related to Domains."
Looking at the three horse girls, their eyes filled with expectation, Kitahara stroked his chin, mimicking their earlier posture.
"You've all felt it too—how unbelievably strong Domain-level horse girls like Maruzensky are. You three are already outstanding in this generation, but compared to someone like her, the gap is still huge."
"Of course, some of that gap comes from the time and experience you lack in training and races compared to seniors. But even at the same baseline ability, with the boost from a Domain, the senpais clearly stand a level higher. So in the end, that's the key."
"So then, if such a powerful horse girl were to compete in the same races as you… wouldn't that just be like… fishing for easy wins—cough, I mean, wouldn't it leave you with almost no chance of victory? Many races would lose their meaning."
He slipped out the phrase "fishing for wins" but quickly corrected himself. Oguri Cap and the others didn't mind, though—they just looked even more confused.
"But even if they can't race against us, surely they can at least compete with senpais of similar level, right? Like Rudolf-senpai, or Maruzensky-senpai, for example…"
Super Creek and Tamamo Cross didn't speak, but both nodded in agreement.
Kitahara gave a bitter smile.
"The problem is… there are far too few Domain-level horse girls."
"Too few?" ×3.
The three froze in unison.
"Yes. You can roughly count it yourselves."
He nodded and started calculating.
"Counting the ones you just mentioned—Maruzensky, Symboli Rudolf, Mr CB—and adding in Mejiro Ramonu, who earned her Hall of Fame honor this year, that makes four, right?"
"My guess is that with the current level of training, only Domain-level horse girls can reach the Hall of Fame title. Working backward from that, there should only be about twenty Domain-level elites in all of Japan right now."
"Only twenty…? I thought there'd be way more…"
Oguri Cap looked disappointed. "If there were lots and lots of Domain-level horse girls, then if I could keep racing against them, running with them, I'd definitely get stronger and stronger!"
"Yeah, that's exactly how I feel! Just imagining a racetrack where every gate releases rivals as strong as Maruzensky makes me shiver with excitement!"
Tamamo Cross got riled up by Oguri's words, but soon her expression turned troubled again.
"But, Oguri… I think that might just be wishful thinking."
"Eh? Why? Didn't you just say it'd be amazing?"
Oguri looked surprised. "Besides, didn't Kitahara say there are at least about twenty strong horse girls? That's already enough for many races, right?"
…The issue is, Oguri, not all those Domain-level horse girls can actually compete.
Kitahara chuckled to himself, ready to explain, but Super Creek seemed to guess his thoughts and kindly took over.
"Oguri, not all those twenty can enter races."
Looking regretful, she glanced at Oguri's confused face and Tamamo's thoughtful one, then finally at Kitahara, sighing.
"Maruzensky, Rudolf, CB, Ramonu—that group is fine. And even others from around their generation, like Katsuragi Ace, Nihon Pillow Winner, Green Grass, probably have Domain-level strength too."
"But going further back—like St Lite, Speed Symboli—they retired about ten years ago."
"Even if Domains protect them from injury during intense races, their daily training must not be as tough as ours now. And with age, physical condition naturally declines. For all those reasons, if they tried to compete head-to-head with someone like Rudolf's generation, they likely wouldn't stand much chance."
"Even if they did still stand a chance and the races were fierce and thrilling, it'd still just be the same twenty-something senpais taking turns. Not only would fans get bored, but even we juniors would find it monotonous."
"Oh, and not just monotonous."
Super Creek looked worried. "If all—or most—races kept being won by that handful of senpais, over time we juniors would feel crushed or under too much pressure, don't you think?"
"Mr. Kitahara, I'm not wrong, am I?" she asked for confirmation.
"…Yes. You said what I was about to say—and more that I hadn't even thought of."
Kitahara nodded. "For example, I hadn't considered how stressful it would be for you if champions were basically predetermined. Now that I think about it, it'd weigh heavily not just on you, but on us trainers too."
"Not only stress—many trainers might quit. After all, no matter how hard they train, it'd seem impossible to produce a horse girl stronger than those legends. I think many trainers would feel that way."
"And if special races were organized just for those horse girls, the Twinkle Series would probably lose most of its audience."
"So you see, though Domain-level horse girls are overwhelmingly powerful, various factors prevent them from racing alongside others. That's why the URA only runs the Twinkle Series, why Domain-level horse girls rarely participate, and why no special races for them have been set up."
That's what he said aloud. But looking at the regretful, thoughtful faces of Oguri, Creek, and Tamamo, Kitahara had another idea in mind.
Perhaps that situation was starting to change.
In other words, special races for Domain-level horse girls—like the "Dream Cup"—would eventually be launched. Otherwise, Chairwoman Akikawa wouldn't be making such efforts.
Gradually improving the treatment of regional horse girls and trainers was probably laying the groundwork for the Dream Cup.
More importantly, this generation—Oguri, her peers, and those to come—would see more and more stars rise. Legends like Maruzensky and Rudolf would no longer be so rare.
Thinking this, Kitahara decided to encourage them.
"Alright, you've learned enough about Domains and Domain-level horse girls. I'll discuss this more with Mejiro Ardan and Inari One later."
He smiled confidently. "Even though you couldn't beat Maruzensky in joint runs these days, such high-quality training means you'll grow quickly. The recent data doesn't show big changes yet, but before the preliminary battles, you'll definitely see clear progress."
"Also, aside from joint runs and Domain-related matters, your fundamental training is just as important."
"No matter how strong a Domain is, if your base ability isn't high enough, its boost is meaningless."
"So we'll strengthen all the training we've been doing—weighted runs, parachute sprints, blindfold drills, tactical exercises."
"On top of that, there'll be a special program for Nakayama Racetrack. I'll announce details tonight in the summary meeting, so be mentally prepared."
After setting up the training plan and seeing that Oguri and the others had rested enough, Kitahara was about to have them get ready for the next round when Tamamo Cross suddenly grinned.
"Eh, eh, so many kinds of training? Awesome! I've been itching for more, especially after running with Maruzensky these past days!"
Then her expression shifted, eyes lighting up with excitement.
"Oh right, Uncle Kitahara! Maruzensky-senpai's going to train with us for a long time, right? Then how about treating her like your official trainee horse girl too?"
"If you train such a legendary horse girl, you'd gain tons of experience as a trainer, right? Plus, it just sounds fun!"
…Train Maruzensky?
Kitahara froze, but Oguri and Super Creek perked up, smiling.
"Oh! Training alongside Maruzensky as a teammate? That does sound nice. If she were a teammate, I'd feel even more motivated—just like when I train with you guys. The pressure would be much less!"
"Eh? Even you, Oguri, feel pressure training with Maruzensky? I thought it was just me."
Creek laughed and nodded. "I agree with Oguri. Training runs with seniors always carry a special kind of pressure. If we could treat her as a teammate, it'd feel totally different—the pressure would ease, and the effect would be better."
"Mr. Kitahara, why not discuss it with her?"
"…Train her like I train you, as her official trainer?" Kitahara repeated softly, then suddenly smiled.
"That does sound fun."
"Though she doesn't need to compete in races anymore, treating her as an official trainee would definitely teach me a lot—and ease your pressure."
…And if Chairwoman Akikawa really did push through the Dream Cup, then when a powerhouse like Maruzensky returned for it, according to URA rules…
She would need an official trainer!
At that thought, Kitahara couldn't help but get excited. After all, this was Maruzensky—the Hall of Fame horse girl dubbed the "Dream Supercar." If he really had the chance to be her trainer, it would be incredible!
Though thrilled, he kept calm outwardly, smiling at the hopeful eyes of the three girls.
"No problem. I'll find a chance to talk to her about it."
The discussion with Maruzensky happened the next day. Training was still Kitahara's responsibility for Oguri's "middle-distance group," but instead of the school grounds, they went to a shrine near Central Tracen Academy. This time, Creek and Ardan swapped roles.
The shrine stood on a hill, with a long stairway stretching from a platform below up the slope—hundreds of steps in all.
The "new training" Kitahara had mentioned was hill training.
"We're more familiar with Hanshin Racetrack. Most of your races and practice runs have been there."
He looked at Oguri, Ardan, and Tamamo, then at Maruzensky, who was watching with a knowing smile, and explained:
"Hanshin's inner and outer courses don't differ much in slope. The main thing is a downhill about 50 meters after the start—about 1.8 meters drop, slope around 50 degrees. After that, the uphill is under 35 degrees inside, under 40 outside. It doesn't demand too much strength or stamina."
He gestured as he spoke.
"But Nakayama Racetrack is much trickier."
"Looking at the inner course cross-section—you can clearly see a steep uphill at the 900-meter mark. The elevation difference is over three meters, slope steeper than 40 degrees. The strength and stamina required are on a totally different level from Hanshin."
He pointed at the shrine stairs behind him.
"You saw the diagrams last night, but those can be hard to grasp. Look at these steps. Nakayama's slope is basically like this."
The girls swallowed nervously at the sight of the steep, seemingly endless staircase.
"…Just charging up probably won't be enough…"
Oguri muttered, thinking of her specialty. "Even if I can dash up in one go, I'd probably be drained by the time I hit the flat stretch afterward."
Tamamo and Ardan nodded silently, clearly agreeing.
"Of course a mad dash isn't enough. This isn't where you use your finishing kick. If you burn it here, you'll stall out long before the final stretch."
Kitahara nodded at Oguri's words, then reassured them.
"But don't worry. That's exactly why we're here for special training."
"On flat courses, you fight wind resistance and ground friction. On slopes, there's one more force: gravity."
He held out a hand flat, then raised it upward.
"We're always under gravity's pull. Think of hill running as working against gravity. You're basically lifting yourselves three to four meters higher—that demands strong vertical leg power."
"So besides using these steps for practice, we'll do other vertical leg strength drills. Do them well, and Nakayama's slope won't be a problem."
"Also, remember your weighted training? That's not really for speed but for strength. So you already have the foundation. No need to stress."
His encouragement worked—Oguri and the others relaxed, faces easing. Kitahara smiled, then pointed to Belno Light and Kyoko Miyamura, who were busily setting up equipment on the stairs.
"Alright. They've brought the gear up, but need time to set it up. In the meantime, go help them. Running up and down will warm you up and let you feel the slope."
"Okay!" ×3.
Reassured, the three charged up the stairs, calling:
"Light! Kyoko! We'll help!"
"Eh? Oguri—don't mess with the equipment! If you want to help, carry this to the third pillar on the platform up top. Tamamo, Ardan, give me a hand too."
"No need, I can handle it myself. I'm strong!"
"Fine, then Tamamo and Creek, carry these up to the third pillar spot. I'll set them up there."
"Leave it to me!" "Yep, no problem!"
As the trio busied themselves, Kitahara turned to Maruzensky, who had been smiling and watching.
He had already suggested the idea of training with Oguri's group to her before. Maruzensky hadn't refused, but hadn't agreed either—just said she'd "see how things went."
Now, Kitahara wanted to confirm her stance.
Unlike mere joint runs, actual training together would let him guide her schedule and gather her data. That would deepen their understanding of training methods and provide invaluable comparisons between Domain-level and ordinary horse girls.
"Maruzensky, um…" Kitahara began.
"You want to talk about me officially joining your training, right?"
She smiled, nodding.
"That's no problem. Since the URA was founded, no retired horse girl has ever come back, so there's no rule against it either. By principle, me officially joining training isn't an issue."
"I only hesitated before because I was… a little sentimental."
Hearing that, Kitahara lit up—training a legendary horse girl would yield countless benefits. But her last words made him pause.
"Sentimental?" he echoed.
"Yes. After so many years away from training, thinking about it inevitably reminds me of the past."
Her eyes softened with memories as she smiled, pointing at the steep stairs ahead.
"Do you know, Kitahara, this shrine and these steps have always been the horse girls' first choice for hill training at Central Academy."
"Back in the day, I ran here. Tokiten, Tosho Boy, Green Grass… they all ran here too."
"Later, CB, Katsuragi, Rudolf,Ramonu… they all ran here as well."
"And now, it's Oguri Cap and the others' turn… Time really flies, doesn't it? Makes you feel sentimental."
As she sighed with emotion, a trace of melancholy came over her.
"Training… I said I'd agree, no problem. I'll just take it as doing something for the future of outstanding juniors like Oguri Cap. But…"
She suddenly let out a long breath. "Kitahara, tell me… for horse girls like us, do we really have no chance of stepping back onto the racetrack again?"
Kitahara froze.
"After all, specialization only lasts a few years. Even touching upon the domain stage during specialization is already extremely difficult, let alone mastering it, let alone becoming a full-fledged domain-level horse girl."
Although Maruzensky still wore a faint smile at the corners of her lips, her eyes gradually dimmed.
"To have been lucky enough to possess top-level strength, yet, just like back when I couldn't enter the Japanese Derby, couldn't race in the Classic Triple Crown… to have all this strength but no stage to display it on."
"Kitahara, tell me, isn't a life like mine rather pitiful?"
"I…"
"No, it isn't."
The sudden firmness of Kitahara's words made Maruzensky pause. Then, seeing the legendary horse girl whose sense of loss was written all over her face, he met her gaze with equal determination.
"It's not like that."
In his mind, Kitahara thought of Akikawa Yayoi's mention of the 'Dream Cup,' thought of Oguri Cap and the others soon to shine in this year's Classic Triple Crown, and thought of the many more domain-level horse girls that would emerge in the future. In a low, steady voice, he said:
"Perhaps the previous generations did have regrets. But starting from this generation, there will be fewer and fewer regrets—and perhaps even those of the past might be remedied."
"Maruzensky, I believe this. I believe you'll definitely have the chance to step onto a stage again—an even grander stage, more dazzling than the Classic Triple Crown."
"I'm certain of it."
"…A stage more dazzling than the Classic Triple Crown…"
Staring blankly at Kitahara, Maruzensky repeated the words under her breath, then suddenly laughed.
"Ah… though I don't know where you get this strange confidence from, it does sound rather nice."
"Well then, I'll just take it as your way of comforting me. I'll try to look forward to such a stage."
After talking with Maruzensky, her mood was clearly much better. Before long, Oguri Cap and the others on the other side were ready as well, and the day's "hill training" formally began.
"Knees up! Inhale! Chest out! Tuck your stomach! Don't hunch your back—if you do, you'll lose sight of the road ahead! Nakayama Racecourse isn't just about the slope; after the uphill there's a straight and then a downhill. You must know the course inside and out, or else you'll unconsciously waste strength on the slope!"
Standing on the platform before the shrine, stopwatch in hand, Kitahara bellowed down to Oguri Cap, Super Creek, Tamamo Cross, and Maruzensky as they charged up the steps.
Since Maruzensky had agreed to join training, she was naturally part of this session too. Having a legendary horse girl running alongside them was an enormous motivator for Oguri Cap and the others. Their drive was clear, though, given the gap in strength and experience, their performance was far behind hers. So Kitahara's main corrections were aimed at them.
"Don't lift your legs so high! Excessive lift wastes energy—thighs should only rise parallel to the ground at most! Don't force your knees into deep bends; uphill running already puts tremendous strain on them, too much bend risks injury! Relax your shoulders! Don't shrug them just because it's a slope!"
"When you've got the chance, watch your senior Maruzensky up front! Observe her form, listen to her breathing, feel the rhythm of her arms and legs!"
"You've all trained blindfolded before—your perception is good enough. Pay attention to every detail of your senior!"
Compared to Oguri Cap and the others, Kitahara's role wasn't any easier. He had to constantly observe all the horse girls, quickly analyze what he saw, and immediately shout out corrections. Many race problems didn't suddenly appear in competition—they came from little habits built up during daily training. Races merely exposed the accumulation.
Thus, having to watch, think, and yell nonstop, by the end of the morning Kitahara felt as tired as if he'd run the slope training himself—at least, from a human's standard.
"Good! 42.9 seconds! 44.6 seconds! 44.8 seconds! 45.1 seconds!"
After calling out the uphill times for the four horse girls, the session ended. Then, glancing at Belno Light and Kyoko Miyamura standing by ready, Kitahara barked:
"Water, fruit, body checks—Light, Kyoko, please!"
"Yes, sir!" ×2.
While Oguri Cap and the others were busy training, Light and Kyoko hadn't been idle either. They had to prepare recovery drinks, fruit like candied lemon for fatigue, check the data, and, when each session ended, provide the right refreshments and inspections to ensure no hidden injuries were building up.
Meanwhile, Kitahara checked the records while still keeping an eye on Oguri Cap and the others for any issues.
But this time, after taking the drink from Light and resting a bit, Maruzensky walked over with a smile.
"Ahh—It's been so long since I've run like this! Feels just like the old days. Makes me feel young again all of a sudden!"
"…Come on, Maruzensky, you're still young. Don't talk like an old man."
Kitahara chuckled helplessly, then glanced at the board of times—and couldn't help but admire.
"As expected of a legendary horse girl. After all these years without high-intensity training, you still hit such excellent numbers right away. You're a full two seconds ahead of Oguri Cap and the others."
Hearing that, though still catching their breath and unable to speak, Oguri Cap and her companions all looked at Maruzensky with admiration.
"It's probably thanks to the pace runs I've been doing recently."
Maruzensky smiled. "And honestly, it's also thanks to Oguri Cap and the others being so good. Running with them puts some pressure on me too—I was worried if I slipped up and lost, it wouldn't look good for a senpai like me."
"So with that pressure, I was able to find a bit of my old rhythm. Not so strange, really."
"That makes sense."
Kitahara nodded, then looked at the still-breathless trio, and back at Maruzensky, who was already composed. "But the gap is still obvious. Look—you could almost start the next round already, while they need more time to recover. Just this stamina difference shows how strong a domain-level horse girl really is."
"I told you already—one of the key strengths of a domain is the ability to control our bodies one hundred percent. Not wasting even a sliver of energy, never missing a moment to unleash when needed."
Growing a bit more serious, Maruzensky reminded him, "But in a race where every competitor is domain-level, the intensity rises dramatically, and the consumption is much greater."
"When I and Rudolf pace-ran under race conditions, win or lose, we always ended completely exhausted, because every ounce of strength was spent with nothing left over."
"But for Oguri Cap and the others, that kind of race is still far off. Neither here nor CB's side has kids who've reached the threshold of domain yet."
"So, take it slow. For today, we've done enough. Right, Trainer?"
Hearing her call him "Trainer," Kitahara couldn't help but laugh—it really seemed she had gotten into the role. He nodded.
"Yes, time to rest. There's more training this afternoon, and besides, we should eat."
He turned to Oguri Cap and the others, raising his voice. "Rest up, then let's head back to the Academy for lunch!"
The proposal sparked cheers. Before long, everyone packed up the equipment and began walking down the steps.
But on the way down, thanks to their high vantage, Kitahara's group soon noticed another party approaching from afar. Leading them was none other than Transcendal Team's chief trainer, Fumino Naise.
"…Well, what a coincidence."
Kitahara muttered under his breath, just as Oguri Cap and the others exclaimed in surprise.
"Eh? Isn't that Dicta and the others? What are they doing here?"
"They must be here to train too, just like us."
After their initial surprise, Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross listened as Maruzensky explained with a smile.
"Of course. I told Kitahara before—this shrine is one of the best places near Central Tracen Academy for hill training. CB and I trained here before. And Naise's father knows this place well too, so it's no surprise they chose it."
For the Eisei Team, the encounter was only mildly unexpected. After all, they needed special training for their races, and naturally Transcendal Team would have similar thoughts. Both sides just had to stick to their own plans—the results would be seen in the three races on March 22nd.
Since there was only one path up and down the shrine, the two teams inevitably crossed paths.
Just as Kitahara's group had spotted Naise's, they too had seen Eisei from a distance. Both sides, recognizing the other was in training, simply exchanged greetings before parting ways.
But among Transcendal Team, Dicta Striker, after climbing a few steps, slowed to a halt. She turned to watch Kitahara's group receding into the distance.
Her trainer, Tadashi Konai, quickly noticed her odd behavior and stopped, looking at her in puzzlement.
"Dicta…?"
The taciturn Konai, his build like a black iron tower, stopped after half a sentence, saying nothing more as he silently watched his charge.
"What's wrong, A-Tadashi?"
Without turning, Dicta Striker kept her gaze locked on the retreating figures. After a pause, she blinked, then turned back to Konai with a smile.
"It's nothing. Just a little surprised to see that lineup over there today."
With that, she started climbing again—only then realizing that because she and Konai had paused, Naise and Yaeno Muteki had also stopped, glancing between her and Kitahara's direction.
"…What's with you guys? I only stopped for a second. Why are you all staring?"
Amused, she laced her hands behind her head and kept walking. "Come on, let's get to training. We came early after lunch—not to stand around wasting time."
But Naise and Muteki didn't move immediately. After a moment, Muteki glanced at Naise.
"Chief, Dicta's right. Kitahara's side is… a little surprising."
Naise fell silent for a moment.
"Because of Maruzensky?" Though phrased as a question, her tone was certain.
"Yes."
Muteki, much like Konai, was usually quiet. After that brief reply, she said no more.
"I know what you mean."
Naise sighed. "This morning, after your pace run, President CB told me something. She said Kitahara asked President Maruzensky to accept his training—and she agreed."
Both Muteki and Dicta exclaimed in shock.
"Training Maruzensky-senpai?"
"Who, that Kitahara trainer?"
Even the usually stone-faced Konai showed surprise.
Naise sighed again.
"I don't really understand it myself. In my view, whether it's President Maruzensky or President CB, they're legendary horse girls. Though retired for years, they haven't forgotten the experience of their active days. For trainers like me and Kitahara, who only just arrived at Central Academy, how could we possibly train them?"
"That's why, when President CB jokingly asked if I wanted to train her, I refused."
"You refused?" ×2
Muteki and Dicta were equally stunned. Dido frowned.
"…Even if you're chief trainer, I have to say it. Isn't turning down something like that a huge missed opportunity?"
She frowned at Naise, then at her own trainer Konai, her brows knitting tighter.
"Our Team was basically founded by modeling ourselves on Oguri Cap's Eisei. Most of the training we're just starting, they've already been doing for a long time. Much of what we do was inspired by them."
"Like recently—President CB pace-running with us, just because Vice President Maruzensky was doing the same with Kitahara's side."
"So if Vice President Maruzensky agreed to join Kitahara's training, doesn't that suggest there's something more to it? Shouldn't we also learn from that?"
She asked, turning to Naise.
Looking grave, Naise nodded.
"I've realized it too—President CB wasn't joking at all. She had a clear training purpose."
"That just dawned on me now."
"A legendary horse girl like President CB—if we could train alongside her day after day, you could learn her experience and techniques much more directly. Your growth would be far greater."
"And not just for you—it would benefit us trainers too."
She looked at Konai and nodded. "Through her feedback, we'd see our shortcomings and improve our methods."
"Ah… my inexperience. Kitahara must have realized all this, which is why he asked Maruzensky."
With a sigh and a wry smile, she admitted it.
In truth, her reasoning was almost spot on. Aside from Kitahara's long-term "Dream Cup" vision, the idea of involving a legendary horse girl in training and its benefits—she had figured it all out.
Kitahara had the foresight of knowledge and future vision. For Naise, a genuine novice trainer, to piece this together so quickly already proved she was among the best of her generation.
But she didn't know that. After a moment of admiration for Kitahara's foresight, she quickly rallied herself.
"But it's fine if we're a step behind. We'll carry on with our own training. We mustn't lose to Eisei in the fundamentals."
Turning to her teammates, her tone firmed with confidence. "Once we finish, I'll officially ask President CB myself. Then we too can achieve better results."
Inspired by her words, Muteki was the first to respond.
"Ha! Exactly so!"
With a shout full of spirit, she clenched one fist to her hip and slashed the air with her other hand like a blade. "We won't lose, no matter what!"
"…Looks like Konai had good reason to back you."
Watching Naise, Dicta tugged at her ear with a smirk. "Sure, as a team we're behind Eisei. But I don't think I'd lose to Oguri Cap or any of them."
"So if you, our chief trainer, got discouraged, we'd be in trouble."
"Let's just keep pressing forward. Muteki's right—we won't lose!"
Even the reticent Konai, in the heated mood, gave a slow, firm nod.
Transcendal 's resolve to chase every chance went unnoticed by Evermore, who simply continued their training as planned.
Their schedule remained split into "middle distance" (2000m) and "mile" (1800m) groups, with only Oguri Cap and Mejiro Ardan needing added hill work at the shrine for Nakayama. Otherwise, it was the usual weight training, parachute sprints, blindfold drills, rotating as always.
And in this process, Maruzensky's experience and talent began to shine.
How to use inertia to save strength on turns, how to quickly spot threatening rivals, how to dodge more efficiently in the final sprint—she gave Oguri Cap, Super Creek, and Ardan detailed corrections day by day.
By her words, these little tricks couldn't decide a race alone. Each might only save a few tenths—or hundredths—of a second. But races were won by stacking up such tiny margins. If mastered until they became as natural as eating or breathing, that meant starting every race with a one-to-two-second edge.
The trainers could in theory explain such things. But being human, even if more versed in theory than Maruzensky, they couldn't teach as effectively.
Because Maruzensky was herself a horse girl—a top-class one. She didn't need theory; she could simply show them what to do.
So she suggested, the trainers analyzed and codified into drills, and training grew smoother and smoother.
For example, one day, following her idea, the team went to the pool for special training.
But before starting, a little problem cropped up.
"Oguri Cap, Super Creek… You're no good in water? Really? That makes it tricky if you can't swim."
Maruzensky frowned, puzzled.
"I didn't join every day before, but surely you've done swim training? The school has swim classes. And if I recall, Creek even had swim training back at Kasamatsu? You still can't?"
Naturally, as the one who proposed today's drill, Maruzensky wanted it to go well. And the drill was simple: "treading water."
But since it required entering the pool, she had waited until now to explain. To her surprise, Kitahara told her Oguri Cap and Creek couldn't really swim—Creek included, despite early lessons.
"…Well, there's no helping that."
Kitahara gave a bitter smile at the two girls—Cap scratching her head, Creek fiddling nervously with her fingers.
"These two… How to put it… They're just hopeless swimmers. I, Komiyama, Yuzuhara, even Tama tried teaching them many times… but, well… cough, cough… they just never learn. Nothing we can do."
Inwardly, he was even more helpless.
…So even in this world, their poor swimming carries over, huh.
In the game, Oguri and Creek were among the few horse girls who always needed kickboards for
Maruzensky sighed.
"Hopeless in water, just like CB back then… Actually, she still can't swim. Oh well, troublesome it may be, we'll manage."
Everyone exhaled in relief—it would be a shame to waste her idea.
She straightened.
"Same as before—I'll demonstrate, explain what I'm thinking, and Kitahara, you trainers analyze how to formalize it."
Everyone pulled out record boards and waterproof devices.
Wearing swimsuits, the girls were ready. Maruzensky slipped into the pool, gliding to the center. Her upper body stayed upright, relaxed, barely rippling the water.
"See? This is treading water. Simple enough." She raised both hands, pointing down."The goal is for Oguri, Creek, and Ardan to reach this level—at least not too far off. Keep your legs moving like stepping down invisible stairs, with rhythm."
"This will work well for Nakayama's slope."
Beneath the surface, her legs indeed looked like walking upward, though her body stayed level—a sign of immense control.
"I see. Ardan, you try first," Kitahara said with a grin."The form's not hard. Doing it like Maruzensky is. But treading itself? You can do it."
Then he turned to Tamamo and Inari."Tama, Inari, you try too. You're strong swimmers, strong legs—Inari, you might even surpass Ardan here."
"Got it, Kitahara-san!"
"Let's give it a go!"
"No problem!"
The three horsegirls had already changed into their one-piece swimsuits. After giving their respective replies in different styles, they all eagerly stepped into the water and began treading water, imitating Maruzensky's movements.
"Hm… this feels quite different from other swimming styles."
Mejiro Ardan said thoughtfully:
"In other styles of swimming you need to use your whole body, especially your arms, but this treading-water style seems to rely only on the legs and waist strength."
After briefly sharing her impression with Kitahara near the edge of the pool, she quickly turned and prepared to swim toward Maruzensky in the center. Only then did she realize that while she had been speaking, Tamamo Cross and Inari One had already swum quite far ahead.
On the shore, after hearing Mejiro Ardan's words, Kitahara nodded slightly, then observed the horsegirls in the pool for a while before speaking to Komiyama and the others beside him, looking somewhat thoughtful.
"It seems my earlier guess was correct."
He pointed at Tamamo Cross and Inari One.
"Because they have an advantage in leg strength, those two are clearly swimming much faster than Mejiro Ardan."
Then he pointed at Maruzensky."But in terms of technique, none of them—including Ardan—can match Maruzensky."
"Look at Maruzensky's waist area—almost no splashing, while around Tama and the others the water is churning like waves. Also, their postures are slanted forward, not as upright as hers, which means they're still using their upper bodies."
"Mm, that should be because of experience," Komiyama followed up.
"Tama and the others' postures still carry traces of their usual swimming habits. They haven't fully adapted to this treading-water style."
"But treading water itself isn't a very difficult swimming posture, and since President Maruzensky probably has the right training methods, I imagine they'll grasp it quickly."
Miyamura Kyoko smiled at this point:
"We really have to thank President Maruzensky. We've always known swimming can train both strength and stamina, but never thought of using treading water specifically to train leg power."
"In this way, Oguri and the others can target their leg strength specifically. Compared to hard ground, exercising in water reduces the load and stress on joints, minimizing impact and even helping restore and protect them to a certain extent."
"Not only that, swimming itself trains most major muscle groups, enhances muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility, and as an aerobic exercise it strengthens the cardiovascular system, promotes blood circulation, and lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease."
As the team's chief physician, Miyamura Kyoko's words in the medical field naturally carried the most weight. Hearing her analysis, everyone's spirits lifted. Only Kitahara, after regaining his own composure, glanced toward Oguri Cap and Super Creek, giving a wry smile.
…But even if treading water had so many benefits, those two could only train with kickboards for now.
Would using kickboards lessen the training effect?
Troubled inside, Kitahara didn't show it on his face. Instead, after glancing at the two horsegirls, he quickly lowered his eyes and rubbed his chin, trying to recall relevant knowledge.
He remembered reading somewhere about treading-water training with kickboards—there seemed to be some special standards. As long as training followed those, even horsegirls poor at swimming could achieve similar effects.
But how exactly was it explained…?
Before he could recall it, the sound of water came from beside him. Turning his head, he saw Maruzensky already treading her way over and springing up onto the shore.
"Maruzensky-Senpai, here's a towel."
Belno Light, who managed training gear and supplies, timely handed her a dry towel from the chair.
"Thanks, little Light."
Smiling, Maruzensky took the towel, gave Belno Light's head a light pat, then began wiping herself dry while letting her gaze wander over Kitahara and the others.
[it should be me, not her.jpg]
"So, what do you all think of this training method? Any clear ideas now?"
Komiyama and the others nodded slightly. Tora spoke casually:
"Kyoko already analyzed it just now—this method clearly boosts leg strength while putting little burden on the joints, so it definitely works as special training for Nakayama's steep slope."
"As for the whole treading-water training, compared to more complex methods, this could be considered a branch of swimming training. Its difficulty and complexity are relatively low, and even if followed strictly by the textbook, there shouldn't be any big problems."
"However…"
He looked toward Oguri Cap and Super Creek, showing a troubled expression.
"The situation right now is that Oguri and Creek aren't good at swimming. If they use kickboards, the training effect may be diminished. But there's no time for them to learn swimming properly at this point, so…"
Hearing this, Komiyama, Miyamura Kyoko, and Belno Light all frowned slightly. But Maruzensky just smiled and turned to Kitahara.
"No need to rush, Tora. I think our chief trainer here must already have a solution."
…That look—you're just waiting to see me embarrassed, aren't you, Maruzensky?
With a faint bitter smile, Kitahara secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Because while Maruzensky was speaking with Toubara, he had just recalled some training material he had read.
"Maruzensky, since you suggested this method, you must already have a solution. Asking me like that—if I couldn't think of anything, wouldn't that be embarrassing?"
Now that he had a plan, Kitahara wasn't anxious. He half-joked, and when Maruzensky only smiled without answering, he gave a helpless smile and began explaining.
"I think I've got an idea. If I remember right, there was an issue of Horsegirls and Sports in the U.S. that mentioned how to train horsegirls who can't swim."
He looked at Oguri Cap and Super Creek, thought for a moment.
"How about you just try it directly? Just hold onto the kickboard."
The two horsegirls had been scratching their heads or fiddling with their fingers awkwardly, clearly feeling bad for inconveniencing others because of their poor swimming. Hearing Kitahara's words, they instinctively looked at each other.
"Okay. If I do something wrong, just tell me, Kitahara."
Out of trust in him, neither hesitated. They immediately picked up the large kickboards prepared earlier and slowly got into the water.
The boards were so big they looked like shrunken surfboards. Watching them maintain balance with the boards' help, Kitahara paid attention to how much strength they were leaning onto them with their arms.
"Oguri, Creek, pay attention—you're both basically placing your arms entirely on the board, even part of your body."
Standing at the poolside, Kitahara extended one arm, then placed his other palm across the middle of that arm.
"So the next step is to slowly move your arms outward. When you feel like you're about to lose balance, call out to me."
Hearing this, both nodded and cautiously pulled their arms back from the board.
Seeing this, Maruzensky's lips curved upward as she nodded slightly.
The method she knew was exactly the one Kitahara was now arranging, starting with the same steps.
Horsegirls poor at swimming needed the buoyancy from kickboards. But with that external aid, leg training would naturally lose effect.
However, though the board seemed like a burden or obstacle, with a slight change in perspective, it became a kind of "standard."
That "standard" was the board's balance.
Since their arms pressed onto the board, whenever their legs exerted strength underwater, it would cause the board to wobble. To prevent this, they would need stronger power and better technique. Thus, the steadier the board, the better the training result. This actually made it easier to regulate training progress compared to not using the board at all.
Of course, this regulation was only useful for trainers and horsegirls who couldn't swim. For swimmers like Mejiro Ardan, normal treading water was fine—their natural talent and the team's instruments were more than enough to keep training effective.
There was another measure of "balance": what Kitahara had just said—pulling back their arms to reduce dependence on the board. The less they leaned on it, the harder balance became, which demanded more technique and power.
And Kitahara's next instructions were exactly as Maruzensky expected.
When Oguri and Creek lost balance for a moment and cried out, Kitahara told them to keep kicking strongly, not to worry about technique for now, just use raw power to hold balance. For outstanding horsegirls like them, this wasn't too hard.
Afterward, Kitahara explained the principle. With Maruzensky confirming it, the training officially began. Everyone else got busy recording data or testing.
Maruzensky, on the other hand, had nothing to compete over in this kind of training. She folded her arms, leaned against the wall, and quietly watched Kitahara's back as he focused on the pool, occasionally writing notes on his clipboard.
…If my trainer back then had been him, would I have achieved even greater results?
Her feelings suddenly grew complicated.
Great enough that even those stubborn old men at UAR would have had to change some rules for me.
Maybe not too many rules, but even if I still couldn't enter the Satsuki Sho, the Japanese Derby, or the Kikuka Sho, perhaps I could've run in more classic-level races. Fewer regrets…
Well, maybe I'm imagining too much. Forget the past…
Her arms tightened across her chest. She suddenly started daydreaming.
Could it be, just as he said, that someday there would really be races more brilliant than the Classic Triple Crown, waiting for horsegirls like me, Rudoph, and Chiaki to shine on their own stage?
The thought of such races left her dazed. She felt as if she were no longer in a pool but galloping on a lush green track.
The cool air of the swimming hall became the wind rushing past her at racing speed.
The faint splashing of water became the sound of hooves brushing through grass.
Cheering voices rang in her ears—it was the crowd, erupting as she approached the finish line far ahead of all others.
They were all shouting her name.
"…Maruzensky? Maruzensky?"
"…Mm? What is it?"
Startled from her daydream, Maruzensky realized Oguri and the others had already left the pool, toweling off and staring at her curiously.
In front of her stood Kitahara, Komiyama, and the other trainers. She recalled—the voice calling her just now had been Kitahara's.
"…You look a bit strange. Did you catch a cold? You've been leaning here the whole time."
Kitahara sounded concerned, then turned toward Miyamura Kyoko.
"Should we have Kyoko check you?"
Hearing that, Kyoko immediately stepped forward.
"Ah, no need."
Maruzensky smiled faintly, hiding her earlier daydream, and shook her head. Stretching lazily, she said:
"I was just lost in thought about some things."
Then she smoothly shifted the topic.
"So? Looks like the training's done—how did it go?"
Kitahara studied her a moment. Seeing no real signs of illness, he sighed in relief and smiled:
"Seems to have gone well. At the very least, Oguri and the others said they feel good."
He looked at Oguri. Seeing the horsegirls nod confidently, he smiled and nodded in return, then turned to Kyoko.
"Of course, the actual results will take time to show, and we'll need Kyoko's medical data for analysis."
"That kind of thing takes time. For now it's already late—let's go eat."
"Yay! Food!" ×6.
Perhaps influenced by Oguri the big eater, the whole Eisei team of horsegirls were enthusiastic about meals, even Belno Light. Amid cheerful excitement, today's special training ended smoothly.
Training continued normally afterward. With everyone's combined efforts, things went better and better day by day.
Amid this positive atmosphere, time quickly moved to March 22—the day of the trial races before the Classic Triple Crown: the Wakaba Stakes, Spring Stakes, and Yayoi Sho.
Since the three races were split across two tracks, the Eisei team had to divide into two groups.
Kitahara, with Maruzensky, Miyamura Kyoko, and Belno Light, went to Nakayama Racecourse to support Mejiro Ardan and Oguri Cap in the Spring Stakes and Yayoi Sho.
Komiyama and Tora took Tamamo Cross and Inari One to Hanshin Racecourse to cheer for Super Creek in the Wakaba Stakes.
At Nakayama, as usual they gave Ardan and Oguri some encouragement in the prep room, then followed Maruzensky to the VIP section at the back of the stands.
It was like a glass skybox with a wide, clear view, overlooking the whole Nakayama track.
Although the horsegirls on the course looked small from here, there were telescopes fixed on stands by the windows and high-definition screens showing live footage, so visibility wasn't an issue.
And sitting on the sofa facing the screens was none other than Maruzensky's fellow student council member—the president of the Central Academy Student Council, Symboli Rudolf.
Also present on the sofa were the trainers for Oguri Cap and Mejiro Ardan's opponents today, Yaeno Muteki and Dicta Striker—Yoshitaka Dino and Tadashi Konai.
Seeing this setup, Kitahara wasn't surprised. Maruzensky hadn't explained beforehand, but after spending time with her recently, he knew her personality well enough to guess something like this would happen.
He even suspected bringing him here wasn't Maruzensky's own idea, but rather that of a certain all-powerful president.
After all, such prime seats could only be casually claimed by Emperor Rudolf herself.
"Chief Kitahara, it's been a while."
As if to confirm that Kitahara's guess wasn't wrong, once the members of the Transcendal team entered, Rudo immediately stood up first with a smile and extended her hand.
After shaking hands with Kitahara, she smiled and turned toward the glass window.
"Since there are quite a few races today, I thought that whether it's Chief Kitahara's side or Chief Naise's side, both would want seats where you can watch all three races as much as possible. So I took the liberty of arranging things this way."
She pointed to the glass window. "From here, you can clearly see the Spring Stakes and the Yayoi Sho."
Then she pointed to the large screen inside the room. "Later, this will be showing the broadcast of the Wakaba Stakes from Hanshin Racecourse."
"At Hanshin, I also asked CB to make the same arrangement. So I think whether it's everyone from Transcendal or from Eisei, you'll be able to watch all three races from start to finish without missing a single one."
"Thank you very much, President Rudolf."
Kitahara thanked her sincerely, because it was clear that Rudolf had been very thoughtful with this arrangement, and indeed, he didn't want to miss any of the races.
Rudolf chuckled lightly, then, like the host of the place, began introducing both sides. Since Dino Yoshitaka and Konai Tadashi were obviously not very good with words, after Rudo's introductions, the two only gave a brief greeting before falling silent again. Kitahara's side could only exchange a couple of "please take care of us" pleasantries in return.
But Rudolf clearly had much more she wanted to talk about. Just as she looked like she was about to start speaking again, the stadium broadcast came on.
"Welcome, everyone, to Nakayama Racecourse! Today, ahead of one of the Classic Triple Crown races—the Satsuki Sho—we bring you the championship battles of the Spring Stakes and the Yayoi Sho!"
"And not only here at Nakayama—far away at Hanshin Racecourse, the Wakaba Stakes is also about to begin. In other words, today the priority entry slots for the Satsuki Sho will all be decided!"
"This is a rare situation in the entire history of the URA, so let us all look forward to the results today!"
"Now then, let's welcome today's first race: the participating horsegirls of the Spring Stakes!"
Perhaps because today really was as special as the announcer said, Kitahara—despite already having coached and watched over twenty races—was feeling an inexplicable nervousness. So much so that all he clearly heard was that Mejiro Ardan was number 13, the top favorite, and Yaeno Muteki was number 6, the second favorite. Everything else from the commentary slipped past him.
By the time he refocused and caught what the announcer was saying, it was already at the stage of the runners entering the gates.
"It rained a little yesterday. Although the rain has stopped today, the Nakayama track is still rated slightly heavy. What kind of impact will that have on today's race?!"
"All right, number 13, Mejiro Ardan, has entered the far outside gate. The G2 Spring Stakes, turf 1800 meters, begins now!"
"Start!"
"Excellent! All the horsegirls got off to a beautiful start!"
Hearing this, Kitahara's nerves immediately tightened. He didn't use the telescope by the window but stared straight at the high-definition screen inside the room.
…Good! With Ardan's racing style, as long as the start is clean, many tactics and techniques can be brought into play!
Unknowingly, Kitahara clenched his hands tight as he watched the screen.
But very soon, his eyes froze sharply.
Damn… she didn't get the inside lane…
And the horsegirl who blocked her path to the rail was—
Clearly seeing the figure shifting to cut off Mejiro Ardan's move inward, Kitahara couldn't help but furrow his brow.
…Yaeno Muteki.
Had she anticipated this all along?
Was it because Ardan had gone for the rail in her debut race, and so she figured she couldn't give it up this time?
Hmm… Number 13 from the far outside trying to contest the inside with Number 6 in that position really was too disadvantageous—especially when the opponent was no weakling like Yaeno Muteki.
While Kitahara was brooding over it, Rudolf's thoughtful voice sounded beside him.
"I see… so they've prepared tactics targeted at Ardan?"
Arms folded and legs crossed, she stared at the screen just as intently as Kitahara.
"That move by Yaeno Muteki just now couldn't have been coincidence. It must have been deliberately rehearsed to a certain extent. Otherwise, she wouldn't have timed it so perfectly to block right in front of Mejiro Ardan's path."
"Don't you agree, Maruzensky?"
Just like Rudolf's posture, Maruzensky was also watching, but her expression was much more relaxed. First, she glanced at Kitahara and gave a faint smile, then turned to the silent, stern-looking Deno Yoshitaka and Konai Tadashi.
"…That's a very clever tactic. I'd guess it was something Chief Naise, Mr. Deno, and Mr. Konai discussed together, wasn't it?"
Hearing that, Kitahara couldn't help but glance at the two burly figures, one older and one younger.
"That's right. Chief Naise is excellent, and so is Mr. Konai. And Yaeno has worked hard too."
Acknowledging it in a deep voice, Dino gave a slight nod and said nothing more. Konai simply nodded silently as well.
"Looks like in the early stage of the race, Yaeno Muteki has no intention of letting Mejiro Ardan take the inside rail…"
The corners of Maruzensky's mouth lifted higher as she looked at the screen. "That's some amazing spatial awareness."
"Right out of the gate is the most chaotic part of the race. Yet in that moment, Yaeno Muteki seized her position without even looking back. It's practically…"
"…as if she had eyes on the back of her head."
While Maruzensky merely marveled, Rudo was analyzing with a grave expression.
"The Spring Stakes is 1800 meters. If run normally, I remember that with the ability you described, Maruzensky, Mejiro Ardan should be able to put up a very good performance."
"But this blocking tactic by Yaeno Muteki allows her to precisely shut down the inside path for a long stretch, making it nearly impossible for the outside-running Mejiro Ardan to cut in. Especially since the front section is already nearly done, and Ardan has tried several times to slip inside but failed each time. In this situation… could it last the entire race?"
"If that really happens, then Mejiro Ardan will have to run a longer distance. But within the Eisei team, her stamina and leg strength aren't the very best. With this extra drain of energy…"
She turned her eyes to Kitahara. "If it comes down to a test of endurance and finishing speed between her and Yaeno Muteki—Chief Kitahara, do you think she has a chance?"
(End of Chapter)