[Cloudflare's down so I can't access 69shu. So this might be the only chapter]
For the Japanese side, adapting to the course and track conditions of Epsom Racecourse did indeed cause quite a bit of trouble at first.
But Kitahara and the other trainers were not rookies. After overcoming some obstacles, they managed to establish suitable training and racing plans for Oguri Cap and the others by late morning.
First, all British measurements such as furlongs, yards, and miles were converted to the more familiar unit of meters. Then, with slight adjustments to the opening section, middle section, and final stretch, this practice race could effectively be treated as a modified version of either the Japan Cup or the Japanese Derby.
The opening section was a gradual slope lasting 400 meters.
The middle section consisted of a continuous uphill from 400m to 700m, a highland curve from 700m to 900m, and a downhill curve from 900m to 1300m.
The final straight was unusually special.
In Japan, final stretches are typically within 200–400 meters. Due to the unique structure of Epsom Racecourse, however, the final stretch of this race extended a full 1100 meters.
The last 30 meters were unique as well.
For convenience in calculation, Japanese races all use whole numbers—both the Japan Cup and Japanese Derby are exactly 2400 meters in length.
But at Epsom, distances were calculated strictly by British standards, so the Derby here was 1.49 miles longer.
To simplify training, Kitahara decided to round off the additional portion and treat it as a separate "30-meter hill-sprint" segment.
With this arrangement, slope acceleration, uphill training, corner entry, and straight-line sprinting could all be conducted using familiar methods.
By the time precision equipment arrived by air in the afternoon, the data confirmed their earlier analysis was correct, and training for the Epsom Exchange Match officially began.
"Not enough! Not enough! Your power still isn't enough!"
Standing 700 meters from the starting line, shouting down at the horse girls charging up the slope below, Kitahara yelled:
"Different soil, different grass—none of that matters! An uphill is still an uphill!"
"DO NOT slack off! However you train hills normally, do it now! Do NOT relax!"
"Oguri Cap, the rest of you are doing well, but your strength still isn't enough! Use the same strength you reserve for your final sprint! If you can't seize the lead here, there's no point talking about anything that comes after!"
"Push harder—harder—HARDER!"
They were running the Middle Section Uphill Training. When facing an unfamiliar course and track, the fastest method of improvement in a short time is segment-focused training.
Just like preparing for a sudden exam—reviewing everything would be impossible.
But if you know what the test will cover and practice those high-value topics repeatedly, your final score will jump dramatically.
The middle uphill section was precisely such a high-value segment.
Although the opening section also had a slope, it was long and mild, and in a real race it barely affected performance.
Race starts rarely use full speed; most energy goes into contesting for position. Maintaining focus during that battle allows quick reaction to opponents' movements.
The middle uphill, however, was short and steep—it required significantly more power, making mental focus scatter. Without practicing several appropriate uphill lines in advance, mistakes during the race would be inevitable.
Most importantly, the upward slope was immediately followed by a 600-meter sweeping curve, where position fights were even fiercer than at the start.
Even if one managed to keep running well afterward, failing to secure a good position before entering the curve would waste huge amounts of energy later.
Facing such a decisive scoring point, Kitahara was stricter than usual.
Not only did he raise the training standards for Oguri Cap and the others, he also placed demands on those running alongside them to learn—Oguri Roman, Special Week and others.
This training wasn't solely for those participating in the Epsom Exchange Match. After asking their intentions, younger elementary-school racers such as Special Week, Opera O, Nakayama Festa, and Dream Journey were also added to training.
For the kids, training intensity naturally could not match that of Oguri Cap's group. So while the older group had already reached the hilltop, Special Week's group was only halfway there.
"Don't hunch! Don't fold your chest! And stop sticking your butt out!"
After Oguri Cap and the others passed him, Kitahara instinctively pressed the stopwatch, but instead of checking it, he continued yelling at those still approaching:
"Remember—NEVER bend your back when running uphill! That forces unnecessary pressure onto your spine!"
"Chest out, chin up, hips tucked! Focus and control your body—no looking around! Oguri Roman, Stay Gold, think about how your senpais run!"
"Tuck your hips! Tuck your hips! Don't run with your butt poking out! Yes, Special Week, I'm talking to YOU—stop looking everywhere!"
"And Opera? Don't laugh—your stride is WAY too big!"
"Uphill is different from flat ground—large and small strides don't differ much in efficiency, but large strides waste massive energy!"
"Shorten your steps, both of you!"
"Nakayama Festa, Dream Journey—you two have foot problems too."
"Don't land only on your forefoot—relax your ankles! Don't overload your ankle joints! Make sure your heels touch the ground every step. That's how to use the full strength of your feet!"
"Speed isn't important right now—form is. Get the form right, and speed will naturally follow."
"If you start cramping later, don't say I didn't warn you!"
Even without entering full-scale training, the elementary-school girls weren't far behind Oguri Cap's group—a sign of their exceptional talent.
But talent alone wasn't enough. Each one had their own style of training up to now.
Special Week trained with her mother. Opera O trained herself. Nakayama Festa and Dream Journey likely trained under Stay Gold and Narita Brian.
But in technique and details, they were clearly lacking.
If the older girls made these mistakes, Kitahara would criticize them even more severely. Compared to that, he was still very gentle with the children.
"No good—looks like you're all used to running only on flat courses."
When the panting kids finally reached the top, Kitahara checked the stopwatch and his board, shaking his head.
"Continuing uphill work is too much for you right now. Let's change the plan."
He turned to Miyamura Kyoko.
"Kyoko, you can stop watching the instruments for now—sorting data afterward will be fine."
"After they rest, take them to the slope on the other side for basic work."
He pointed with his hand and instructed:
"'Uphill Repeat Running'—half of Oguri Cap's usual intensity. Thirty seconds high-posture marching in place, thirty seconds running up the hill."
"Constantly remind them to 'push the hips uphill'."
"Five reps per set, five sets."
"Then 180-steps-per-minute high-frequency step drills—same format, five reps per set, five sets."
"Finally, 60-second 'heel-contact drills', 5 reps per set, five sets."
"Got it, Kyoko?"
Miyamura nodded immediately. She had followed the team long enough that even as a medical specialist she understood standard training plans very well.
The support tasks—towels, water, etc.—were handled by younger horse girls such as Gold Ship, Just A Way, and Deep Impact.
Though mischievous normally, they behaved surprisingly well at the track, smiling energetically instead of complaining.
Special Week watched Oguri Cap's group resume training almost immediately and couldn't help murmuring:
"…Wow. I didn't realize it before, but Kitahara-uncle is actually really strict during training…"
After gulping down a sports drink delivered by Orfevre, she watched the seniors resume hill runs with hardly any exhaustion and sighed:
"And their stamina is amazing… We've only run the hill maybe two or three times and I already feel exhausted, but they're barely breathless…"
Indeed—the middle-uphill training had only been run a few rounds so far, and the elementary girls were already gasping, while Oguri Cap's group looked perfectly composed.
"Strict? No, no—this level of intensity is perfect for a future king destined to shine gloriously! Hah-hahahaha!"
Opera O burst into loud laughter.
"A little fatigue is meaningless! We just haven't reached full development yet. If we give everything we've got now, our future will repay us tenfold!"
"I always worry about not having someone to teach me real training. The fluffy routine at school is unbearably boring."
"I'd rather do my own training than those radio-exercise-like drills!"
"Hey, Spes! Let's skip school together next time!"
"I bet Kitahara-uncle trains every day—we can sneak into Central Tracen Academy and train with them!"
"Wha-?! C-c-cut class?! We can't do that!"
Special Week choked on her drink in shock.
"If we get caught, we'll have to write apologies—and we might even be expelled!"
"If I get expelled, Mom will be devastated, and Kitahara-uncle will definitely be disappointed…"
"So just don't get caught, simple."
Opera O casually draped an arm over Special Week's shoulder with a confident grin.
"Don't you think school lessons are boring?"
"Don't you feel Uncle Kitahara's training is thrilling?"
"Relax—I have LOTS of experience skipping school. The only real problem is not knowing how to get back afterward!"
"That's not the ONLY problem!"
Special Week covered her face, feeling she might have made poor friendship choices.
Yet her words immediately made Dream Journey and Nakayama Festa's eyes sparkle.
"Oh? Opera O, you're good at skipping school?"
Dream Journey stroked her chin, eyes glowing with excitement.
"Let's exchange techniques sometime."
"I know how to return afterward, but the problem is that my big sister always catches me…"
"If she catches me, she hangs me upside down and spanks me. It's horrible."
Nakayama Festa nodded in deep sympathy.
"So before skipping, I always roll three dice. If all three land on 6, it means I definitely won't get caught."
"But somehow my sister ALWAYS finds me anyway. I don't understand why…"
The kids had grown familiar these past days.
Special Week instinctively stepped away, covering her face to show "I don't know these weird girls".
Opera O joined the chin-stroking gesture, then suddenly brightened.
"Festa, I thought of something."
"Are the dice you're using… the ones filled with lead?"
Nakayama Festa froze—then she and Dream Journey both gasped in enlightenment.
"That's it! That MUST be why big sis always finds me!"
"You two say that like it's normal!"
Finally unable to hold back, Miyamura Kyoko spoke up, both amused and exasperated:
"Skipping school is wrong, okay? Even if lessons feel boring, that doesn't justify running away."
"And some knowledge doesn't feel useful now but WILL be important later."
"You're ahead of your age group in accessing professional racing training, and your talent is exceptional—that's fine."
"But if you ignore basic education, you won't necessarily achieve great results later."
Unlike Kitahara's blunt commands, Kyoko's tone was gentle.
Special Week immediately nodded vigorously.
Opera O and the others clearly didn't want to agree, but Kyoko's gentle voice made them hold back their objections.
Seeing their thoughts clearly written on their faces, Kyoko decided to say more before taking them to practice.
She wasn't a trainer, but she had learned a lot through experience and could see just how gifted these children were.
And precisely because they were gifted, she didn't want them to overlook the basics.
"You all know that the five senpais members currently active in Eisei don't all have the same academic performance, right?"
Pointing to Oguri Cap's group repeating uphill runs on the course, Kyoko said:
"Ardan and Super Creek have the best grades. Ardan is even the class representative."
"That level of academic strength allows them to choose the most advantageous tactics on the track—especially Ardan."
"Winning doesn't depend solely on yourself—it depends on reading your opponents. If you can't use your full strength effectively, how can you talk about victory?"
"Tamamo's grades are also excellent. She may not always rank top like Ardan and Super Creek…"
"But in training, her tactical understanding is the most balanced."
"That gives her more tactical choices."
"Meanwhile, Inari and Oguri don't score well academically. One gets flustered when confused, and the other falls asleep during complicated theory classes."
"But they NEVER say they'll give up."
"After class and before tests, they actively ask Super Creek and the others for help."
"They spend just as much energy learning as they do training."
"Let me give an example from two days ago."
Kyoko pointed toward Oguri Cap and Inari One, who were just finishing another uphill run and jogging back to the start:
"Coming to Europe creates a big language barrier."
"When you're racing, commentary, crowd reaction, and opponents' remarks all become critical race information."
"If you can gather that information, you can adjust more accurately."
"As I said, Ardan, Super Creek, and Tamamo have good grades and speak English fairly well. Everyday conversation isn't a problem."
"But Oguri and Inari's English is… well… quite terrible."
"But they didn't give up."
"When Kitahara said English was important and they should study it, the two of them immediately went and borrowed a bunch of English dictionaries from President Rudolf."
"Even though learning a language using dictionaries is kind of strange…"
Kyoko smiled gently at the thoughtful faces around her.
"It shows they don't ignore things that look unimportant. Right?"
Her brief lecture worked. The girls stopped talking about skipping school and resumed training with much more focus.
As time passed, and noon approached, both groups finished their morning sessions.
The entire morning had been dedicated to middle-uphill work, and they had gathered extensive data.
After cooling down for ten minutes, Oguri Cap's group jogged lightly while the trainers immediately began analyzing the numbers.
Eisei's analysis methods were now mostly digital—using various programs to calculate performance, track conditions, and training responses.
Most tools were common professional applications—like MATLAB for mathematics and statistics, or Airpak for aerodynamics.
Others were custom-built by their chief technician specifically for racing use.
For example, analysis programs linked to wind-tunnel equipment. Kitahara's computer desktop even had chibi icons for each horse girl representing individual models.
By entering training and race data, they could produce highly accurate reports—the only drawback being rough interfaces and lack of integration.
After reviewing calculations, all trainers frowned at their tablets and laptops.
"Times… are clearly lower than usual."
Rubbing his temples, Kitahara exhaled.
"You're seeing the same thing, right?"
"Performance is down roughly two percent across the board."
Yuzuhara immediately responded.
"If we don't consider competitors, and compare them only to themselves in Japan, that means in a 2400m race they'd finish 0.9% slower."
"At 150 seconds for a 2:30 race time, that's 1.35 seconds slower—about more than 8 lengths."
"And that's not factoring in opponents. Recent Japan Cup and Derby winners have all gone below 2:30."
"So if we calculate—"
"No need to rush that conclusion yet."
Komiyama cut in.
"We don't yet have Tony Bianca's side of the data. A one-sided comparison doesn't have enough value."
"Instead of worrying about the hypothetical result, we should focus on how to get them back to normal performance."
"…That's exactly what I was getting to…"
Yuzuhara muttered with amusement.
Komiyama continued:
"Although performance overall dropped, we all noticed something: Oguri and Inari's decline wasn't nearly as bad."
"So our assumption was correct—extensive experience on dirt courses helps adapt to European turf."
[And for some reason Japanese people keep sending Horses with no Dirt adaptability to Arc and get surprised when they fail. and those who come in 2nd or 3rd were smaller horses. Look at Deep Impact]
"Oguri and Inari mostly raced on dirt back in local tracks, meaning we could reference them to develop turf-adaptation training for Tamamo Cross, Ardan, and Creek."
"Oguri and Inari also need work, since dirt isn't the same as European turf—but the drop in their times proves they're handling it better."
"We originally wanted to modify the entire course plan, but that already requires time."
"Adding separate track-adaptation work may be too much…"
She frowned deeper and looked toward Kitahara.
"Brother, do you have a method that covers both at once?"
Kitahara had also noticed the issue.
For Oguri Cap's team, adapting to the Epsom Exchange Race required more than learning the course pattern—they had to adapt to the surface itself.
In Japan, most courses used domestic grass known as Equine, commonly called wild turf.
In contrast, European courses used imported turf—usually from France—called overseas turf.
Overseas turf rooted deeper and grew thicker, giving a softer landing feel, requiring greater endurance and strength to build speed.
It retained water extremely well, so under equal drainage, overseas turf easily turned into sticky ground or even heavy ground.
Sticky and heavy ground increased suction on the hooves and demanded even more stamina and power.
So adapting to turf wasn't simply a matter of technique—it meant improving raw physical capability.
And that couldn't be solved quickly through normal methods.
Fortunately, Kitahara had some less conventional methods available.
"Through training…"
"Trying to handle it solely through training… probably won't work. Adaptability is one of the hardest things to improve, because it's essentially a comprehensive reflection of various basic abilities."
After first shaking his head to reject Komiyama's idea, Kitahara quickly smiled and added: "However, there's one thing that can slightly alleviate the effects of 'Bermuda grass.'"
"Light, you explain it." Saying this, he looked at the brand-new Glory standing nearby.
Since transitioning from being a dedicated racehorse to a technical trainee, most of her time was spent silently adjusting equipment for Oguri Cap and the others.
Normally, she wouldn't bring up her own ideas during trainer discussions; she usually communicated them privately with Kitahara.
But when Kitahara mentioned it this time, she was slightly taken aback.
"Ah? Are you talking about the soles and horseshoes we discussed before?"
Out of habit, she responded from her area of expertise.
"Soles and horseshoes?"
Komiyama and Yuzuhara were both stunned, while Kitahara nodded: "Yes, it's what we talked about after you suggested improvements for the 'Victory Suit.'"
"We had already planned to collect more data before the European expedition and also have you create some prototypes."
"Now is a good time to test their effectiveness."
"Ah… I see. All right then."
The Belno Light nodded, searched briefly on her laptop, and quickly pulled up several "images" in the software 3ds MAX.
These "images" appeared on the main program interface, looking like simple screenshots of 3D static animations.
The "screenshots" clearly showed a pair of "shoes" and a pair of "horseshoes."
Both the shoes and horseshoes were covered with various lines.
On the left side of the main interface were small framed panels filled with seemingly arbitrary letters and numbers.
"These are race shoes I designed specifically for European tracks for Oguri Cap and the others. Currently, they're only for races below G1 level."
"It's not that I don't want to design a version for the 'Victory Suit,' but that would involve certain rules of the 'Three Goddesses.'"
"If the design doesn't follow those rules, the shoes and horseshoes wouldn't have any blessing effects. And representing the rules through data and technology is very cumbersome, so I need time to figure out how to adjust designs based on previous models."
After briefly explaining what was on the screen, she zoomed in and rotated the shoes and horseshoes so the soles faced outward.
Once enlarged, even without understanding the technical details, Kitahara and others could clearly see the dense "spike-like undulations" on the soles and horseshoes.
Pointing at the spikes, Light smiled:
"When we designed the race shoes specifically for the Victory Suit last time, Mr. Kitahara discussed with me that the expedition might also require specialized shoes, and asked me to outline an approach."
"Coincidentally, one of my roommates specializes in soil conditions. She has samples and data for all tracks in Japan under various conditions."
"I consulted her and she even tried simulating European tracks with the code I provided. Together, we designed these 'expedition-specific shoes and horseshoes.'"
"We all know that heavy or muddy tracks are hard to run on, mainly because excessive soil moisture greatly increases stickiness."
"Simply put, the stickiness of dry soil comes from the molecular attraction of the soil itself."
"Soil particles are uneven on the surface. You can think of them as having tiny, invisible 'suction cups,' like squid tentacles."
She demonstrated the shape with a hand gesture.
"Or like the suction cups we use to hang things on walls."
"When water penetrates, soil particles attract each other with water molecules in between. The cohesion between soil particles decreases, contact surfaces with other objects increase, and thus stickiness rises."
If that was hard to understand, consider the suction cup example: a hook suction cup holds better on glass if there's a bit of water.
Kitahara and Yuzuhara usually didn't pay much attention to such daily-life details, but they could imagine what Light meant.
Komiyama, as a girl who often uses suction hooks, immediately understood.
"So, if the soles and horseshoes have uneven surfaces, mud won't stick easily, just like suction cups."
She excitedly pointed at Glory's laptop screen: "So that's why the soles and horseshoes have so many tooth-like protrusions, right?"
"That's the general idea, but there are some finer details."
Nodding and shaking her head at the same time, Light looked more serious than usual when discussing her field of expertise.
"First, these teeth are exaggerated in the screen view. On the actual product, the 'teeth' on the bottom won't be visible."
"Because the suction cups on soil particles are also invisible, making the teeth too large is pointless."
"Additionally, soil stickiness is influenced not only by physical structure but also by chemical factors."
She pointed at labels next to the main screen.
"The types of exchangeable cations also affect stickiness. In short, more free potassium and calcium ions increase stickiness, more calcium and magnesium ions reduce stickiness."
"So the entire shoe—including soles, sides, upper, and horseshoes—should use materials with stable properties."
"The horseshoes must be alloy, and the shoes should be composite materials."
At this point, she showed a faint blush.
"Shoes made following this idea can theoretically improve adaptability to Bermuda grass and muddy tracks."
"I've already made a single prototype with the team's budget, and the parameters are fine."
"The downside is that custom manufacturing is required for many materials, and with Oguri Cap's strength, even the toughest shoes wear out quickly, so the cost is high."
Kitahara had a good understanding of the "expedition-specific shoes."
A craftsman must have good tools, and the same applies to racehorse competitions.
Technical advantages, if not applied early, might be lost.
In another world's Olympics, there was a "Shark Suit" technology.
As the name implies, it mimicked the unique rough texture of shark skin to significantly reduce water resistance and improve performance.
The downside was similar to Glory's design: expensive, $7,000 per suit, and single-use.
Such "high-tech" naturally improved results, but the Olympic Committee banned it, citing unfair advantage.
In this world's racehorse competitions, regulations on clothing and shoes aren't as strict. Mainly, G1 races require the correct Victory Suit, and shoe quality and weight have some requirements.
Since nothing is banned, and the team has the technology, Kitahara saw no problem.
He was always generous in investing in training and competition; for him, spending money to improve results was never a downside.
Having Light explain this also served to answer Yuzuhara and Komiyama's questions. After her explanation, they looked relieved and eagerly asked for more details.
Another purpose was to see if the shoe cost could be "shifted" elsewhere.
"How about it, Kurokawa, Satomi? This morning's training covers most of the usual routines."
Kitahara smiled at the two men outside the track: "The rest, you can inspect further when back in Japan. If you think our training is good, would you consider sponsoring?"
The European trip wasn't widely publicized; few in Japan knew of Kitahara's group coming to Europe.
Even the Central Academy students and trainers probably assumed Eien's team was doing some special training, without knowing the truth.
But such arrangements couldn't escape informed eyes. Kurokawa Masato and the man beside him were like that.
The man beside him was Satomi Haruki, eldest son of the Satomi family.
In this timeline, the heir was young, barely in his early 30s.
Unlike the refined Kurokawa, Haruki's appearance and temperament were rough, tall and muscular, with a clear build under his suit.
They had arrived in Europe yesterday, bringing along Eisei's equipment.
Kitahara learned the details after seeing them: upon learning of Eisei's early arrival, they decided to come "sightsee."
Through their channels, they found out Central Tracen Academy had goods coming to Europe, so they came "along the way."
Kitahara didn't believe this; he had heard from Kurokawa that the latter wanted to develop the European market.
Haruki's presence, besides his connection to the racehorse Mitsuhikari, likely shared Kurokawa's motives, though he didn't show it immediately.
"Sponsorship? Wait, I'm just a game-loving otaku. Sponsorship is something to talk to my dad about."
Haruki raised his hands in exaggeration, looking straightforward and honest.
"Kurokawa told you, I wanted you to see Diamond and the other Satomi children. I planned to formally invite you after the Japan Derby, but you came to Europe first."
"So I had no choice but to come along, haha."
He smiled and quickly changed the subject: "I saw this morning's training—it was amazing. If Diamond and Crown weren't so young, I'd want to bring them along to see it too."
"When back in Japan, I'll take them to Central Tracen Academy to learn more. Kitahara, don't refuse, haha!"
Kitahara understood they weren't thinking business for now. Though they had shown interest earlier, they wanted to see for themselves.
Kitahara wasn't in a rush. After smiling and replying "No problem," he turned to Kurokawa Masato.
"Kurokawa, you two just arrived last night and trained this morning. You haven't visited Epsom Academy's Director Lyphard, right?"
He pointed in another direction of the track.
"Perhaps later you can discuss with President Rudolf and have her take you to meet Director Lyphard?"
For this competition, Sirius Symboli also decided to participate, and Epsom Academy agreed.
After interacting with Eisei's team for a while, Sirius preferred her usual training. She trained alone in the morning, with Rudolf assisting.
"That's not necessary."
Kurokawa shook his head: "I once met Director Luphard with my mother. I can take Haruki along. Afterwards, we'll go to London for some business. Kitahara, focus on training."
He showed an expectant expression.
"Although this is just a practice match, it's Japan's racehorses competing with the world's best. I can tell the training is short and the track unfamiliar—results may not be great. But…"
He walked over and firmly patted Kitahara's shoulder:
"I believe in you. You always surprise other trainers, racehorses, and spectators. I believe you'll do the same this time."
"No pressure, Japan's 'strategist,' Chief Kitahara?"
"…You're putting a lot of pressure on me."
Kitahara joked, then became serious: "Don't worry. I never treated this match as a practice. From the start, I've been preparing as if it were the 'Japan Cup held by Epsom.'"
While Kitahara analyzed training, Oguri Cap and the others weren't idle.
At moderate intensity, they simulated race conditions in their minds, gradually adjusting to competition habits, especially on unfamiliar tracks.
Besides simulating the race itself, they shared feelings after training. Subjective impressions could differ, but when consensus appeared, they discussed further with Kitahara, often noticing points to watch.
Once this was done, if there were no more tasks, Oguri Cap and the others could relax.
But aware of the special difficulties of the Epsom Exchange Race, the usual relaxed atmosphere vanished, and the racehorses instinctively headed to the track.
"…Eh? Oguri, aren't you running more?"
Wanting extra practice, Tamamo Cross took a few steps toward the track, realizing that Creek, Ardan, and Inari had the same idea.
Normally enthusiastic Oguri Cap stood still, reaching into her pocket.
"Well… I still want to run. This track is strange. A couple of slow laps should help. But…"
She pulled out several small slips of paper, walking over to Tamamo Cross, while waving to Creek and the others.
"I asked Inari how to learn English faster. She said memorizing words works best. Yesterday we borrowed some English books and a dictionary from President Rudolf"
"The dictionary seems wrong—it had no Japanese explanations."
"So I wanted to copy some words and ask you."
She handed over the slips: "Here, I don't know any of them…"
"You really are diligent, Oguri…"
Tamamo Cross instinctively took the papers, amazed.
"Ah, so last night you stayed out late to copy words. Sounds good, let's do it together tonight!"
Inari I asked excitedly.
"Yes! Sure!"
Oguri Cap nodded, then curiously asked Tamamo Cross: "Hey, what do these words mean? Or the first one?"
Tamamo Cross glanced at the slip and casually said: "Oh, this… forget it."
"…What?"
Oguri Cap froze, scratching her head embarrassedly: "Does this mean I can't learn English? But… I think I can still try…"
"Tamamo, saying that is a bit harsh on Oguri. How can you tell her to give up?"
Inari I protested: "My English isn't great either. Copying words was our idea too. Telling her to give up is like telling me to give up."
Creek and Ardan, who had been watching, now looked surprised, then realized what happened, and chuckled.
"Huh? What are you two talking about… oh, got it…"
Tamamo Cross, like the others, realized, and covered her face in exasperation: "It's this word! The word itself!"
"Really, Oguri, why copy this one… abandon…"
"This word means 'give up.' We're not telling you to give up—it just means give up…"
"Oh, I see…"
Oguri Cap scratched her head awkwardly: "I don't understand English. I thought longer words were stronger, so I started with words beginning with A…"
"Well, actually, 'abandon' is one of the longer words starting with A. But…"
Noticing the mix-up, Creek, who was good at English, laughed:
"Learning English isn't just about memorizing words. I learned gradually through grammar, words, and reading. My exams are okay, daily conversation less so. Ardan's English is better, especially speaking. If you want to improve, ask her. After all, Kitahara, Komiyama-san, and Yuzuhara-san said to strengthen English if possible."
"Yes! That's why I wanted to spend more time studying."
Nodding, Oguri Cap looked expectantly at Aldan: "So, Ardan, how should we study English effectively?"
"Hmm… let me think."
Smiling, Aldan pinched her chin and tilted her head slightly, thinking for a moment.
"Ah, we can do it this way."
Her eyes brightened, and she raised a finger. "You can directly practice English conversation with Moonlight Lunacy."
"Directly… puh! Hahaha! Sorry, sorry! I'm not mocking anyone, it's just… puhahaha! It's fine, you don't have to mind me, hahaha!"
Before Oguri Cap could respond, Tamamo Cross suddenly burst into laughter. She remembered Oguri Cap's awkward English earlier and, imagining Moonlight Lunacy's elegant demeanor, she became excited to see what would happen if they communicated in English.
Ardan, Inari, and Super Creek were momentarily stunned but quickly pictured the same scene in their minds and couldn't help but stifle laughter.
"…What are you all laughing at?"
Oguri Cap herself had no idea what was funny.
"…Ahem, it's nothing…"
After a moment, Ardan calmed down and returned to the previous topic.
"In my experience, the fastest way to master a language is to actually use it."
"My way of learning English was having a British tutor at home and directly communicating with them."
"McQueen and Ryan learned the same way, and their English is pretty good too."
"Language is a tool, just like our running techniques—it's not impossible to master."
"Especially for Oguri Cap, studying grammar or memorizing words may not be very effective. If you start speaking directly, you might quickly pick up everyday phrases."
"Inari can do the same."
"If Oguri Cap practices with Moonlight Lunacy, Inari can practice with Tony Bianca."
"Although Tony Bianca is an Italian horse girl, her English is not bad, so practicing with her is fine."
"Oh! Okay, then I'll go ask Kitahara if there are no training sessions this afternoon. I'll practice English with Moon… Moon… Moonlight!"
Probably eager to learn English, Oguri Cap surprisingly pronounced Moonlight Lunacy's name correctly.
Completely forgetting about her plan to jog two laps to get used to the track, she immediately ran toward Kitahara.
Similarly, Inari paused for a moment, called out, "I'll ask Taro too," and ran off.
"Their energy and initiative are really impressive…"
Watching her companions' backs, Little Harbor sighed and forced a wry smile.
"Hey, Ardan, do you think…"
She rubbed her temples in worry. "With Oguri Cap and Inari's English level, will they make Moonlight Lunacy and Tony uncomfortable?"
"They don't understand subtleties, so they'll likely keep pushing to learn."
"The other two might feel obligated not to refuse because of the academy exchange."
"Will that… affect their performance in the exchange race?"
Hearing this, Ardan looked a little concerned.
Tamamo Cross, however, smiled without worry.
"Haha, I don't think we need to worry about that."
She rubbed her nose, stretched, and said seriously: "If they were the type whose performance could be affected by such minor things, then whether Oguri and Inari are there or not wouldn't matter."
"But obviously, they are not like that."
"They might get annoyed, but it will never affect their race performance."
"After all, these are the top horse girls from England and Italy of this generation."
"Instead of worrying that they might be distracted by trivial things, it's better for us to run a few extra laps to adapt to the track."
"For this exchange race, honestly, I don't think we have a high chance of winning."
"But win or lose, we have to leave them with an unforgettable impression."
"So I plan to run two more laps. What about you two?"
For an exchange race, everyone in the Eisei team, whether trainers or horse girls, took it extremely seriously, preparing as if it were a real competition.
They had only a week to prepare, which wasn't long, but their initially set "targeted scoring strategy" had already achieved satisfactory results.
On the day of the "Epsom Exchange Race," the official competition, like the "Epsom Derby," was scheduled for the afternoon. Unlike a real match, there was only this one race in the afternoon.
"…Even though there's only one race, this is really formal."
In the competitors' lounge, looking out at the thousands of spectators and horse girls in the stands, Kitahara sighed.
"It seems Epsom is taking this just as seriously as we are, maybe even a little too seriously."
During this period, for training convenience, Kitahara hadn't had much contact with Epsom besides Oguri Cap and Inari.
Even so, through Oguri and Inari, he knew that Tony Bianca, Moonlight Lunacy, and the other competitors were training seriously; the atmosphere was no less intense than an actual preparation.
On the day of the race, everyone realized their earlier assessment had been conservative.
"Their preparation is over the top… The governor of Surrey, the parliamentary chair, several executives and council members were all invited. President Riffel put a lot of effort into this."
Looking out the window, Rudolf also sighed.
"And judging by the announced list of competitors, this is clearly an official race."
Eiensei's competitors had been decided early. Besides the originally confirmed Oguri and her friends, they added Sirius Symboli .
Epsom only had the initially confirmed Tony Bianca and Moonlight Lunacy; the rest were invited by President Lyphard.
Because the invitations took time, the list was only announced just before the race.
Once announced, everyone realized how extreme the competition would be. Knowing the historical context, Kitahara understood it would be even more intense than his companions imagined.
For reference, horse girls the same age as Tamamo Cross and Inari excelled at high-speed races and dominated the Epsom Derby, the Tenno Sho and the St Leger Stakes.
Jupiter Island and Le Glorieux, their other results aside, were the previous two years' Japanese Cup champions.
Saumarez, younger than Oguri's group and not fully mature, was the Epsom Academy's assigned opponent for Oguri Roman and Stay Gold.
[okay this might be wrong, I couldn;t figure out who they were referring to. So I put Saumarez]
Kitahara knew historically that after transferring to France, Saumarez would win a series of races, including the Arc de Triomphe.
"…Yes, it's completely a formal race. Whether it's opponents equal to Sirius or equal to Oguri and the others, even the younger competitors have been considered."
His gaze gradually shifted away from the window. Taking a deep breath, his tone became one of strict readiness.
"At this point, there's no point in talking more."
"In any case, we're preparing as if it's an official race."
"Let's go over running strategies and tactics."
(End of Chapter)