Kitahara wasn't unfamiliar with the two horsegirls, Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower.
Not only because of memories related to them from another world, but also because, during this year's opening ceremony at the Central Tracen Academy, the two of them had participated in the team-organized "Big Eater Contest."
After that, they had also joined in the team's training sessions together.
At Central Tracen Academy, taking part in Eisei Team's training wasn't anything particularly rare.
As long as it wasn't a special training program targeted at a specific horsegirl, the team had never objected to other horsegirls joining in for routine training such as parallel runs.
In Kitahara's view, this was actually an excellent opportunity to compare data from horsegirls who grew up in different environments and under different training conditions.
Compared to Mihono Bourbon, Rice Shower participated less frequently. Even when she did join, it was usually together with classmates—or rather, she came only after being enthusiastically invited by them.
This matched very well with what Kitahara remembered and had observed when interacting with her.
Mihono Bourbon had undergone extremely strict training from a very young age and had few chances to talk with others. This shaped her taciturn personality, as well as a habit of approaching things through numbers and data.
At school, classmates often commented that her expressionless face made her look like a robot, which even earned her the small nickname "Cyber Horsegirl."
But in reality, it wasn't that she had no emotions—she just didn't express them very clearly.
For example, when participating in Eisei Team's training, she would feel happy about excellent test results; it was just that this happiness was only conveyed through slightly twitching ears or a gently swaying tail.
If one only looked at her iron-mask-like expression, the only conclusion would be: "She doesn't seem to feel anything."
Rice Shower, on the other hand, had a timid and weak personality.
Her name, in Japanese culture, carries the meaning of "happiness," referring to the traditional blessing in Japanese weddings where rice grains are scattered over the newlyweds.
However, contrary to her name, Rice Shower really did seem to have inexplicably bad luck.
Things like buying a yakisoba bread for breakfast only to find no yakisoba inside, or discovering that an instant cup noodle came without seasoning packets or even a fork—such incidents happened to her with striking frequency.
Sometimes, this bad luck would even affect people around her.
Over time, she gradually came to believe that she was the one bringing misfortune to others. Within the academy, quite a few horsegirls also began to keep their distance, whispering privately about things like "omens of bad luck."
At the current point in the timeline, this situation wasn't yet that obvious.
But by the time of the original story, Rice Shower indeed often acted alone because of this, and the only ones she was truly close to were Mihono Bourbon—who shared a special bond with her through racing—and the naturally optimistic Haru Urara.
Perhaps because of these reasons, although she was introverted, she would never refuse if classmates invited her to hang out or train together.
"These two kids, huh… you could say it was a coincidence."
After hearing Kitahara's confusion, Symboli Rudolf smiled casually, walked over to Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower—who was hiding behind her—and gently patted both of them on the head in turn.
"There was a bit of an accident during the application process for holiday training."
As she stroked the two juniors' heads, Symboli Rudolf explained with a smile:
"Normally, after the holidays begin, the academy allows students to stay on campus until the next term starts. During that time, there are dedicated teachers and instructors to take care of them."
"The prerequisite is parental consent."
"These two didn't plan to go home this holiday and wanted to continue training at the academy. Their parents agreed as well."
Hearing this, Kitahara nodded calmly.
Although he hadn't interacted with them deeply in this world yet, in his memories, both Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower had undergone extraordinary levels of intense training.
From a pedigree and body-type perspective, Mihono Bourbon was clearly a short-distance–specialized horsegirl.
Both her sire and dam lines included outstanding short-distance racehorses, and her shorter yet powerful waist was well-suited to the explosive power required for sprint races.
However, one could say she defied her fate. Through later, extremely harsh uphill training, her cardiopulmonary capacity and muscular toughness were greatly enhanced, and her race-distance adaptability and overall strength saw a huge boost.
Relying on the abilities forged through such brutal training, she went on to win the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby in consecutive victories.
As for the final race of the Classic Triple Crown—the Kikuka Sho—she didn't win it, and the reason happened to be Rice Shower.
Rice Shower's overall attributes were far more suited to long-distance races, something her results clearly proved.
However, due to her small stature, she needed an even stronger physical constitution to fully unlock her long-distance potential.
To achieve that, she underwent training just as strict as Mihono Bourbon's. As a result, she not only won the 3000-meter Kikuka Sho but also shone brilliantly in the subsequent 3200-meter Tenno Sho (Spring).
Perhaps in this parallel world, this became part of their personalities. In that case, choosing to stay at the academy to train during the holidays instead of going home wasn't all that surprising.
"For safety reasons, horsegirls who choose to stay overnight also have to go through an additional daily check-in process."
Symboli Rudolf gestured as she spoke. "Things like facial recognition, fingerprint authentication—measures to make sure they're not wandering around."
"But then…"
She looked down at Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower, sighing with an amused expression.
"For some reason, Mihono Bourbon's check-in device malfunctioned right from the start."
"Rice Shower happened to be nearby and wanted to help, but unexpectedly, her own check-in device also malfunctioned."
"And even after sending the devices for repair and bringing them back, it was still the same. Replacing them with new ones didn't help either."
Oh, I get it now—Mihono Bourbon, the 'electronics killer,' right?
Kitahara couldn't help but feel both amused and helpless.
This detail had also appeared during Eternal Team's previous training sessions. To be specific, various instruments set up around the training grounds would sometimes malfunction inexplicably.
For example, the clarity of the images transmitted by the equipment would suddenly drop, or there would be much longer delays than usual.
Other team members tried to figure out what was going on, especially Shining Glory and Miyamura Kyoko, who were mainly responsible for equipment and devices.
But even after spending a long time, they still couldn't figure out the cause.
At first, Kitahara was also puzzled. After all, the team was using top-of-the-line equipment for the current timeline, so theoretically, such issues shouldn't occur.
However, since he wasn't particularly knowledgeable about technology, he left the professional matters to Shining Glory and the others, and instead tried to observe from other angles.
That's when he noticed that equipment malfunctions always occurred whenever Mihono Bourbon joined the training.
Only then did he remember that in the original story, she had the setting of being an "electronics killer."
In anime and games, this usually refers to characters who break devices because they don't know how to use them—but Mihono Bourbon was a very special case.
She became an "electronics killer" due to "causality."
A simple example: in the original story, during one self-training session, she wanted to watch a race on TV. But the moment she picked up the remote and tried to operate it, the TV screen exploded.
As a result, she was chased all over by class president Sakura Bakushin O, which incidentally completed her self-training.
But looking at the incident itself, it had nothing to do with the usual "breaking electronics because you don't know how to use them." It was more like anything electronic would malfunction as soon as she touched it.
Kitahara felt this was completely unexplainable. If he had to say something, then in a world where the Three Goddesses existed, it could only be chalked up to the goddesses' sense of humor.
However, similar to Domains, even if Mihono Bourbon's physique truly possessed some kind of "god-given special trait," from a scientific perspective, it wasn't necessarily unsolvable.
Through private discussions with Shining Glory, after "hypothesizing" that horsegirl Domains or some other factor were affecting electronic devices, the team's chief quickly came up with a solution.
She installed specific "shielding devices" on all the equipment.
Kitahara didn't understand the principle at all, but the results were obvious—after that, equipment problems never appeared again.
Technically speaking, this thing should probably have been called a "Mihono Bourbon Shield," but saying that outright would have hurt her feelings too much.
After all, even though she looked emotionally flat, Mihono Bourbon was actually quite sensitive by nature, and she definitely wouldn't want to cause trouble for others.
So now, encountering something the team had experienced before, Kitahara was about to explain Symboli Rudolf's situation—or simply change the topic—when someone beat him to it.
"U-um… it's—it's Rice Shower's fault… that Bourbon-san fell into misfortune… i-it's all Rice Shower's…"
"…Huh?"
This sound of confusion didn't come only from Kitahara. Symboli Rudolf, who had just been smiling wryly, also made a similar sound—along with Mihono Bourbon, who was standing in front of Rice Shower with an expressionless face.
"Misfortune…?"
After voicing her confusion, Mihono Bourbon turned around and stared straight at Rice Shower.
Mihono Bourbon's features already carried a somewhat cold impression, and she habitually kept a stiff face. Staring so directly like this gave off an especially oppressive feeling.
Rice Shower, who was already timid to begin with, was instantly frightened and let out a small, animal-like squeak of panic.
"Eeek—! P-please don't be mad at Rice Shower… R-Rice doesn't want this either…"
This expression, this scene—why does it feel so familiar… never mind. The important thing is, this isn't your fault, Rice Shower…
Amused by the scene before him, Kitahara rubbed his temple and was about to speak to ease the tense atmosphere—when he was beaten to it again.
"I sincerely apologize. I failed to clearly explain my own condition."
With a very formal tone, completely devoid of emotional fluctuation, Mihono Bourbon suddenly bowed deeply toward Rice Shower.
"I have a setting of 'being unable to touch electronic devices.'"
"I originally thought this would be stored in the academy's data, like stride-type statistics, but it seems that's not the case."
"In any case, this is not Rice Shower's problem. It is my own."
"…T-there's… such a setting…? N-no, I mean, there's such a situation? Rice never even thought about that…"
"Rice," or "Rice Shower," was her habitual way of referring to herself—a verbal tic. After timidly asking that question, she hurriedly waved her hands as if afraid of upsetting someone, and began explaining in a fluster.
"R-Rice isn't doubting Bourbon-san, it's just… Rice has never heard of something like that… I-I'm very sorry…"
"…?"
Finally showing a hint of emotion—like a program that failed to respond—Mihono Bourbon widened her eyes slightly and parted her lips a bit.
"Confusion… is not your fault. Why are you apologizing…?"
"T-that… Rice doesn't know either…"
Mihono Bourbon rarely interacted with classmates, so few horsegirls really understood her personality—and Rice Shower was much the same.
As a result, their conversation at this moment was like two unresponsive "exe" files, staring at each other.
Off to the side, Symboli Rudolf, who was responsible for leading and explaining, stroked her chin with a strange expression.
"Unable to touch electronics, or strange things happening when you do… a setting like that?"
After thinking for a moment, she shook her head, looked at Kitahara, and smiled.
"Anyway, that's the general situation."
"For now, we'll treat it as Mihono Bourbon's unique trait. After several failed check-ins, for safety reasons, the academy hoped that she and Rice Shower would return home and be cared for by their parents."
"Of course, now that it's confirmed to be Mihono Bourbon's own special condition, Rice Shower could still stay at the academy as originally planned."
"But when communicating with the relevant departments, I thought about it and felt that besides staying at the academy or going home, since they want to train, there's actually another place they could go."
As she spoke, her smile deepened, and she nodded toward Kitahara.
"That would naturally be your side."
"Whether it's your level as a trainer, team technology, facilities, training partners—all of it makes for a very good choice."
"And I've also asked the two of them. They said they've interacted with you before and trust you."
"I've also communicated with their parents. Once they heard they could train with Eisei Team, they quickly agreed."
"So I brought them here to see if you had any objections."
"You really are… sudden about this, Rudolf…"
Actually, even before Symboli Rudolf finished speaking, Kitahara had more or less guessed her intentions—and even had a few additional suspicions.
Based on her usual way of doing things, Symboli Rudolf wasn't someone who acted this suddenly.
Eisei Team's training setup was indeed in good condition, and even adding two more horsegirls wouldn't be a problem—especially since they already had same-age horsegirls like Oguri Cap and Tokai Teio.
But to truly arrange proper training, some preparation would still be necessary; it might conflict with existing plans.
With Symboli Rudolf's experience and intellect, she wouldn't overlook this; normally, she would definitely communicate in advance.
So bringing Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower directly like this could only mean she had other plans.
Kitahara immediately thought of what Katsuragi Ace hadn't finished saying earlier, and how Symboli Rudolf had clearly cut her off.
So, was there some connection between the arrangements for Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower, and what hadn't been said earlier?
Although he thought this, Kitahara didn't ask further. Instead, he put away his troubled expression and nodded.
"Then let's do it this way. Since the two of them and their parents have agreed, we don't have any major issues on our side."
Then he joked, "With your and the school's help, this seaside resort area seems to have gotten a bit too big. When Oguri Cap and the others train, it almost feels too empty."
"Alright, I'll send you their files shortly."
Receiving a positive response, Symboli Rudolf looked pleased. Then she smoothly changed the topic.
"For now, let's head over to the Winning Live area."
"On the way here, I roughly checked the time and watched today's races in the car."
"They were splendid—Oguri Cap, Creek, and Ardan's performances, I mean."
"I imagine today's Winning Live will be lively and exciting as well."
This suggestion fits perfectly with Kitahara's original plan.
They had originally intended to go to the Winning Live audience area first, but had diverted here midway after receiving Symboli Rudolf's call.
As they headed toward the spectator area together, Symboli Rudolf—who deliberately stayed at the back of the group—brought up the earlier topic again.
"There's quite a lot in the detailed files, and I trust you can handle them. But for now…"
She took out her phone and slowly completed a few operations. "There are some things about those two that I think I should tell you in advance."
As Symboli Rudolf worked her phone, Kitahara—walking alongside her—soon felt his own phone vibrate in his pocket.
Having dealt with this "Emperor" president enough times, Kitahara knew that if she lagged, she definitely had something to say. So he also slowed his pace.
Feeling the vibration, he didn't need to think much—it was probably some materials she had sent over.
He didn't respond immediately, but took out his phone and carefully looked through them. After a while, he frowned slightly.
What Symboli Rudolf sent were parameter materials on Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower.
Because of their past parallel training together, Eisei Team already had some collected data on them.
Comparatively, Symboli Rudolf's set clearly came from the academy's archive department. The categories were more numerous, covering not only training and racing, but also detailed physical examinations, past experiences, family situations, and more.
This could complement the team's own data and form a much more comprehensive reference.
Symboli Rudolf noticed Kitahara's frown, and as if affected by it, she also frowned slightly.
"So you feel the same way. Their current condition is still very far from the goals they themselves hope to achieve."
"…Yes. Honestly, in their current state, achieving their goals is almost impossible."
Staring at the phone screen and scrolling up and down, Kitahara said in a low voice:
"Rice Shower is relatively better. Probably due to her introverted personality and limited social interaction, she doesn't have a particularly clear goal."
"Compared to a goal, what she wrote in the materials—'to become a horsegirl who brings happiness to everyone'—feels more like a dream."
"I'll have a proper talk with her later."
"But Mihono Bourbon…"
Kitahara fell silent.
"Sigh… yes, Mihono Bourbon…"
Repeating his words like a broken record, Symboli Rudolf let out a heavy sigh, then gave a bitter smile.
"If it were another horsegirl, hearing her say she wants to become a 'Triple Crown horsegirl,' I'd probably happily encourage her."
"But in Mihono Bourbon's case, even I lack the confidence to offer encouragement."
"If I forced myself to say it, I'd feel those words were insincere."
Symboli Rudolf's words clearly showed that she didn't think highly of Mihono Bourbon's prospects.
Kitahara could understand that, because the data showed that Mihono Bourbon currently had no adaptability at all to the Classic Triple Crown.
It wasn't a matter of whether she could win—she lacked even basic adaptability.
The Satsuki Sho at 2000 meters, the Japanese Derby at 2400 meters, and the Kikuka Sho at 3000 meters—all three Classic Triple Crown races were middle-to-long-distance events.
[Tell that to my GOAT Contrail, who became an undefeated triple crown winner despite being a Miler]
Without discussing victory, simply finishing normally required sufficient adaptability.
But at this moment, Mihono Bourbon had none.
All indicators showed that she was far more suited to short distances.
"I understand your concerns. In fact, if it were now, I also couldn't bring myself to encourage Mihono Bourbon."
After Symboli Rudolf fell silent with a sigh, Kitahara sighed as well.
"From a body morphology perspective, horsegirls with strong short-distance adaptability generally have medium height."
"They tend to have well-developed fast-twitch muscles, low subcutaneous fat, relatively long lower limbs, powerful thigh muscle groups, a higher proportion of calf length in the legs, slender ankles, and so on."
"And Mihono Bourbon fits all of these very well."
"This specific body type gives her extremely strong explosive power. In that regard alone, she might even rival Oguri Cap… of course, that's after she fully matures."
Regarding Mihono Bourbon's strength level, Kitahara remembered a setting from the original story that he personally found rather outrageous.
It was said that Mihono Bourbon could support her entire body using only her tail.
A horse's tail, like a horse's, is an extension of the spine, generally composed of 16 to 18 caudal vertebrae.
Like other bones, the tail contains spinal nerves, spinal cord, blood vessels, and other structures.
However, because its diameter is far smaller than that of arms or legs, the muscles attached to the tail bones are not very abundant.
The entire tail is wrapped by six muscles on each side, twelve in total.
These muscles are quite thin, and as they extend longitudinally toward the tip of the tail, they become progressively thinner.
So under normal circumstances, a horsegirl's tail is mainly used for maintaining balance. When running at high speed or turning, they can use the tail to better adjust their center of gravity and maintain stability.
Of course, it also has everyday functions such as expressing emotions and keeping warm.
When frightened, a horse girl's tail will stand straight up and puff out.
When she's in a good mood, her tail will sway from side to side unconsciously.
As for keeping warm, if properly cared for, a thick tail can even work like a scarf during a cold winter.
But using a tail like that to support one's entire body? That's absolutely not something an ordinary horse girl can do.
Even Oguri Cap and Inari One—who are known for their strength within the Eisei Team—haven't shown any such bizarre ability so far.
So Mihono Bourbon's other nickname in the original work, "the freakishly strong horse," really isn't groundless at all.
After marveling for a moment at Bourbon's strength, Kitahara thought it over and continued:
"Also, although it's not mentioned in the data, theoretically speaking, Midoriya Bourbon's feet should also match the common traits of horse girls who are highly suited to sprint distances."
"For example, a long and flat Achilles tendon, neatly aligned and relatively short toes, sturdier toe joints, and so on—I think she has all of that… No, wait, Rudolf, why are you looking at me like that?"
He had been seriously analyzing Bourbon's condition when, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed Rudolf Symbol giving him a strange look. He couldn't help but feel taken aback.
"There's nothing weird on my face, right…?"
He instinctively rubbed his face.
"It's not that there's anything strange on your face, it's just…"
Looking at him oddly, Rudolf also rubbed her own face, then furtively glanced toward Oguri Cap and the others ahead before lowering her voice.
"Although I can more or less understand that your knowledge about horse girls' feet comes from your profession as a trainer…"
"But you don't usually have a habit of holding Oguri Cap's feet and examining them back and forth, do you?"
"In the URA Association's regulations, that could easily be considered harassment."
"You should be careful about that."
Watch your head, you lunatic!
I usually look at MRI scans, ultrasound images, or anatomical case studies—how could I possibly have nothing better to do than hold a horse girl's feet and stare at them?!
What could you even see that's related to racing that way, other than "wow, those feet are pale and pretty"?!
I'm a very serious professional, okay?!
Feeling that his professional integrity had been insulted, Kitahara didn't even need a mirror to know his face had darkened.
After all, Rudolf—who had been staring at him—was now wearing an awkward, sheepish expression.
"S-sorry, don't misunderstand. I was just giving a small reminder in my capacity as student council president. I didn't mean anything else…"
She raised her hand, pinching her thumb and index finger together so tightly that not even light could pass through, indicating that it was really just a tiny reminder, then hurriedly changed the subject.
"Um… anyway, please continue. What exactly is Bourbon's situation like?"
"Tch, an old geezer with weird priorities…"
Still harboring some resentment, Kitahara muttered under his breath, rubbed his face again, and pointed at his phone screen irritably.
"There's really nothing else to it. The core issue is her physique and indicators clearly being better suited for short distances."
"Look—earlier I talked about her feet. As for her legs, Bourbon's thigh-to-calf ratio is also ideal for sprinting."
"At a height of 1.60 meters, her leg length ratio looks to be about half her height. That alone is perfect for explosive power."
"And since her thigh proportion is relatively smaller, when her center of gravity shifts forward more quickly during sprinting, the folding and forward swing of her upper and lower legs becomes much more powerful."
"Especially with longer calves, her push-off speed is faster, which helps complete the support-and-cushioning phase and shortens ground contact time."
"As for other aspects…"
After thinking for a moment, Kitahara shook his head.
"The academy's data and what our team has collected so far don't go into detailed cardiopulmonary or metabolic indicators."
"But based on her physique, it's safe to say that Midoriya Bourbon's cardiopulmonary function and anaerobic metabolism are both quite strong."
"Her hemoglobin levels should also be above average, and indicators like lung capacity and step-test index are probably excellent too."
"In short, if she really wants to compete in the Triple Crown, then unless all three races are changed to under 1400 meters—"
"—otherwise, with her current condition, Bourbon has basically no chance. She might not even be able to finish the races."
When speaking with Rudolf, the two of them were some distance away from the trainers and horse girls ahead, and their voices were low.
But Kitahara's tone was filled with certainty—and that certainty matched what he felt inside.
This point in Bourbon's timeline was simply too early.
In the parallel world, she only debuted after undergoing the grueling "hill training" and then went on to win the first two races of the Classic Triple Crown without a single loss.
Before that, she had virtually no aptitude for middle- or long-distance races. It was that almost fate-defying hill training that transformed her physique, enabling her to perform excellently over longer distances.
In this world, with the altered timeline and without that special training, there was simply no way for her to consider the Triple Crown at this point.
By comparison, Rice Shower—who had come along with her—already showed data indicating, just like in the other world, an exceptional aptitude for long-distance racing, even though she hadn't fully matured yet.
Thinking of Rice Shower, Kitahara continued the discussion with Rudolf.
"If we don't talk about personal dreams, I'd actually be more optimistic about Rice Shower achieving good results in the Classic Triple Crown right now."
Rudolf wasn't surprised by this and nodded.
"Yes, I think so too."
"Even without analysis as detailed and professional as yours, based on my experience, despite Rice Shower being quite small, she gives me the feeling that she can run very far."
Rice Shower really wasn't tall. Just by eyeballing it, the way she stood tucked behind Bourbon made her look about the same height as Tamamo Cross and Inari One.
In fact, Rice Shower was only 1.45 meters tall—not much taller than the Eisei Team's two petite members.
Still, Rudolf's intuition aligned with Kitahara's analysis: Rice Shower's small stature posed no problem for long-distance races.
Unlike sprints, which demand extremely high explosive power and thus favor physiques like the one Kitahara described earlier, long-distance races place less emphasis on outward body shape.
Instead, they value "internal" qualities such as muscle fiber composition, body fat percentage, bone strength, heart rate, and oxygen uptake.
For endurance-heavy long-distance races, it's ideal to have a higher proportion of slow-twitch and intermediate muscle fibers.
While training can alter these proportions, a body that's naturally built this way is obviously better suited.
From the data in hand, Rice Shower performed very well in flexibility-related tests like sit-and-reach and vertical reach.
Flexibility itself reflects a higher proportion of slow-twitch and intermediate muscle fibers.
Her body fat percentage was also easy to infer. Not only was Rice Shower small, but she also looked even thinner than Tamamo Cross and Inari One.
With a rough estimate of the necessary muscle mass and volume, it was easy to guess that this timid horse girl probably carried very little fat on her body.
What couldn't be determined right now were her heart rate and oxygen uptake.
Generally speaking, better endurance requires a lower resting heart rate—that is, the number of heartbeats per minute while at rest.
This was different from Oguri Cap's situation.
Oguri Cap's heart rate was extraordinary compared to that of other horse girls. While the average heart rate for most horse girls was around 30–40 beats per minute, Oguri Cap's was only 20–24.
And it wasn't just at rest—it was the same during races.
Even during the most intense phase, the final sprint, her heart rate never exceeded 24.
This allowed her to exert herself freely in any situation, without worrying about her heart or blood vessels being unable to cope.
To put it metaphorically: if horse girls were sports cars, most would need their engines running at 40 RPM to maintain high speed, whereas Oguri Cap only needed 20, at most 24.
And for ordinary "sports cars," even operating at 40 RPM already places a heavy load on the machine, not to mention exceeding that limit.
For Oguri Cap, whose maximum "engine output" was only 24, there was simply no possibility of other components being overstressed.
This kind of cardiovascular condition wasn't unique to Oguri Cap.
Within the team, Tamamo Cross shared this trait as well.
Outside the team, Opera O—who often trained with the Eternal Team at the academy—and even Rudolf Symbol herself, walking beside Kitahara now, also possessed similar cardiovascular characteristics.
By comparison, if Rice Shower truly excelled at long-distance racing, then at the very least, she would have a very low resting heart rate.
As training progressed, this "resting heart rate" could shift, allowing her to maintain a relatively relaxed "cruising" state even during races.
That would be extremely advantageous for long-distance events, enabling her to sustain higher speeds for longer periods.
Her heart rate might still spike during certain phases of a race, but since cruising typically makes up more than half of the total distance, unless she encountered a reckless front-runner blazing off at full speed from the start, the advantage of a low resting heart rate would be very apparent.
Oxygen uptake followed similar principles, though it was more complex to test. Determining her VO₂ max would require specific training and measurements.
Based on all of this, Kitahara could roughly judge—and thus be confident in—Rice Shower's aptitude for long-distance races.
However, there was one point he couldn't confirm, and that worried him faintly.
Bone strength.
He suspected that Rice Shower might have some issues with bone density or strength.
Under normal circumstances, bones have fixed structures to support the body.
But during running, in order to cope with the stress of intense movement, bones undergo internal remodeling.
This internal restructuring can be even more extreme than the external stress itself, and without sufficient bone strength, this process is where accidents are most likely to occur.
This was especially true for key load-bearing areas like the spine, pelvis, and legs.
At present, Kitahara couldn't determine whether the tragic comminuted fracture Rice Shower suffered in the other world was due to congenital physique issues or the result of excessively harsh training later on.
But he had already decided that, no matter the cause, he would do everything in his power to prevent that tragedy from happening in this world.
And after mentioning Rice Shower to Rudolf, he quickly fell into silence—precisely because he was thinking about how to carry out that decision.
Rudolf, of course, had no way of knowing what Kitahara was thinking, since she couldn't know about events in a parallel world.
But by intuition, she figured that the trainer beside her was probably having a professional reflex and was thinking about training plans for the horse girls.
"It looks like you've completely entered trainer mode, but I feel it might be better to relax a bit right now."
As she spoke, she patted Kitahara's shoulder and pointed toward the Winning Live entrance now visible ahead.
"This is the celebration segment, after all."
"And not just today—over the next few days, Oguri Cap and the others will need to rest as well."
"You'll probably also need to hold some kind of welcome event for the new teammates."
"As for how to arrange training after that, you can talk about it later—"
"That doesn't really need to wait. These routine arrangements are pretty simple."
Kitahara really had been thinking about how to arrange training for Bourbon and Rice Shower, and when Rudolf brought it up, he responded without hesitation.
"We'll definitely start with a round of tests to confirm their current conditions. Only then can we plan more detailed training."
"Besides that, Eisei has just developed a new line of thinking."
"It's not easy to judge through training tests alone. Judging from today's noon rain test and the subsequent race, it might be better to conduct some internal team competitions."
At this moment, Kitahara had no idea that, due to changes at the trainer level, Super Creek and Mejiro Ardan had already taken the opportunity to try things their own way.
Even now, their composure in the rest area had influenced Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One's way of thinking.
But as a trainer, he keenly sensed that while the old training methods could produce excellent race results, going further would require more than passively reaping results—it was time to try something new.
Especially since the rain test and later races had shown him that on-the-fly changes in running style could bring out a different kind of brilliance in his horse girls.
That made it all the more necessary to explore new possibilities through internal competitions.
"Oh? Is Eisei Team holding its own races? Something more formal than training matches?"
At the mention of races, Rudolf's interest was immediately piqued, and she couldn't help but suggest:
"That's a great idea. And with your current lineup, you actually have enough horse girls to do something like that."
"More races like these might help uncover their hidden potential."
"Of course, the specifics need careful thought, since Oguri Cap and the others are already top-tier active racers."
"If you want younger kids like Tokai Teio to participate alongside them, you'll need to consider appropriate race distances."
"Of course, splitting them into separate groups is also an option—it all depends on how you, as chief trainer, arrange it… Wait, Kitahara, why are you looking at me like that?"
Suddenly realizing that Kitahara was now giving her the same strange look she'd given him earlier, Rudolf instinctively mirrored his previous reaction.
"Is there something on my face?"
She rubbed her face as she asked.
"No… and I'm not even looking at you."
Kitahara corrected her briefly, then, just like before, swept his gaze over the horse girls ahead before returning it to Rudolf.
"Look—our team currently has five officially active horse girls, right?"
Rudolf didn't immediately understand where he was going with this, but Oguri Cap, Super Creek, Mejiro Ardan, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One were indeed the Eisei Team's five active racers.
"…Yes. What about it?"
She nodded, puzzled.
"And as for Oguri Roman, I finalized her training plan a long time ago."
Kitahara explained. "Which means that among the kids training with the team, there are also five who are still in the exploratory stage."
"Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, Narita Brian, plus Bourbon and Rice Shower, who came today."
"That's also five, right?"
This time, Rudolf felt like she was starting to get it.
"Are you thinking of setting up some kind of head-to-head or team-based matches?"
She analyzed excitedly. "That's a great idea."
"Even though this kind of format is rare and doesn't exist in the URA series, if you reference other types of competitions, you could consider a point-based system."
"That way, the strength gap between the two groups wouldn't matter as much—they could cooperate."
"And with the added complexity of team dynamics, it could stimulate more aspects of their potential."
"That's what you're thinking, right, Kitahara?"
Even after retiring and leaving the racetrack long ago, Rudolf Symbol still loved competition—and this novel kind of race excited her even more.
By the end, when she looked at Kitahara, her eyes were practically sparkling.
"More or less—but not exactly…"
Once again, Kitahara's gaze drifted over the horse girls ahead, then returned to Rudolf for the third time, looking her up and down.
"Have you noticed, Rudolf?"
"You, Maruzensky, CB, Mejiro Ramonu, and Katsuragi Ace."
"That's also five people."
"So after completing all the necessary tests, I'm planning to hold a relay race."
"Would you be interested in taking one of the legs?"
Happy New Year to everyone!
(End of chapter)