Thinking about going to the relay race venue, Kitahara had made some guesses of his own. But Komiyama and the others had basically checked every other possible place. What was left seemed to be nothing more than this kind of "hiding in plain sight" location.
Not wanting to go back to the place where you lost, being afraid of being reminded of it—those were easy enough to imagine.
Maybe other horse girls would be like that. But Kitahara had a gut feeling: Oguri Cap definitely wouldn't be.
If she really had that kind of personality, then in parallel worlds, she wouldn't have challenged Tamamo Cross again and again.
Nor would there have been that legendary "retirement race."
Born with a disability yet becoming a top-tier competitor, running all the way from the local circuit into the central stage, forcing the entire Uma Musume world to change its rules because of her, repeatedly fighting strong opponents and repeatedly breaking records—those were all glories belonging to Oguri Cap's legendary career, no doubt about it.
But her most dazzling moment was undoubtedly that Arima Kinen, which served as her "retirement race."
Second in the Takarazuka Kinen, sixth in the Autumn Tenno Sho, eleventh in the Japan Cup—successive defeats and ever-worsening placements. That year was, for Oguri Cap, almost a year of crushing defeat piled on top of crushing defeat.
Countless fans hoped that this hero, who had once created miracle after miracle as a grassroots runner, would retire on the spot. They didn't want to see a hero meet a tragic end.
Some extreme fans even sent threatening letters to the JRA Association, claiming they would plant bombs in the association if Oguri Cap wasn't allowed to retire.
And yet, that year's Arima Kinen—Oguri Cap still entered.
And in circumstances where almost no one, including the majority of her fans, dared to expect it, she won.
"Oguri Cap! Is Oguri Cap in the lead?! Is Oguri Cap in the lead?!
Only 200 meters left! Oguri Cap takes the lead! Oguri Cap takes the lead! Oguri Cap takes the lead!
Here comes Ryan! Ryan is coming! Ryan is coming!
But it's still Oguri in front! Oguri in front!
Ryan is coming! Ryan is coming! Oguri is leading!
Oguri first! Oguri first! Oguri first!
She beautifully wins her retirement race! A perfect ending!"
Kitahara could almost recite every line of commentary from the final 200 meters of that race. He also remembered how, after witnessing that miraculous comeback retirement race, all 170,000 spectators in the stadium shouted in unison: "Oguri!"
What Oguri Cap meant to Japan at that time almost reached its peak in that very moment.
As the bubble economy began to show signs of bursting, as people slid unknowingly into economic decline and social classes became increasingly rigid, Oguri Cap truly was like a hero, giving people hope.
Disability, bloodline, background, powerful rivals, countless battles, illness, failure—none of these could knock down that ash-gray figure.
Her own script could only be written by herself. Even nearly a whole year of losses had been deliberately written in, all to prove to everyone that the period at the end of one's career could be perfect.
What Oguri Cap wanted to tell everyone seemed to be just that.
Perhaps only a legendary career like this could give rise to that line of endorsement: "God exists—I think so."
An Oguri Cap like that would never sink into despair because of failure or setbacks.
Holding onto that belief, even though he had his guesses, Kitahara still headed straight for the second leg of the relay race.
"...So you really should've come looking here earlier."
Before he even got out of the car—before the taxi engine had even stopped—Kitahara heard the sound of running footsteps that clearly belonged to a horse girl.
Even through the car door and the noise of the engine, it was easy for him to recognize whose footsteps they were.
Once he got out, he could hear them even more clearly. He could even tell that she was imitating the phase of the race where she chased down Tamamo Cross.
Then came the subtle hesitation when Super Creek was overtaken.
After that, the rhythm became chaotic when Mejiro Ardan passed.
Later on, the rhythm stabilized again—but it was no longer the same as during the race.
If she'd had this rhythm during the race, she wouldn't have lost. Kitahara could tell that immediately.
So she really was trying to figure out how she could win if she ran it again…
The corner of his mouth lifted unconsciously as Kitahara strolled toward the direction where the sounds were gradually fading.
…Right now…
There's no problem…
So during the race earlier, I…
What exactly went wrong…?
She didn't know how many times she had already run through that previous race. The memories that had once been vague because of confusion became clearer and clearer with each run.
But when she bent over past the finish line, hands braced on her knees and gasping for air, Oguri Cap still felt like she couldn't find where the problem was.
"Haa… haa… I…"
"Before the race… the training… the preparation… there shouldn't have been any problems…"
"The tactics… the ideas… the running style… I should've adjusted them as quickly as possible…"
"Why…"
"Why did I…"
"Why did I lose…?!"
She bent over even lower, fingers digging hard into her knees, mouth wide open as she shouted between ragged breaths.
Then came a long silence.
"No… I can't be like this…"
"I'll… I'll just run a few more times. A few more times…"
"I'll definitely… figure out exactly where I lost…"
"The Manaichi Okan… the Kikuka Sho… the Japan Cup… and the Arima Kinen…"
"There are still so many races…"
"I can't lose…"
"Absolutely…"
"I can't lose…!"
She clenched her knees again with force, gritted her teeth, and let out a low growl. She dragged her forearm across her face and flicked it away, sending a string of glistening sweat flying.
Then she turned around—and without warning, her vision went black. Her body went out of control, head heavy and feet light, and she toppled forward.
Crap… this is bad! If I get injured from a fall…
Thud.
The expected impact and sound never came. Her oversized onigiri-like head only tipped forward a few dozen centimeters before colliding with something soft and warm.
"…Eh?"
She weakly shifted, tilted her head, and squinted upward with half-open eyes.
"Kitahara…?"
She let out a soft gasp.
At that moment, Kitahara was doing his utmost to keep a smile on his face while suppressing the pain in his chest that felt like his bones were cracking.
It wasn't exactly like a fracture. If it were, it would be a sharp pain.
This was a dull ache—meaning he'd just taken a sudden, unconscious headbutt.
"…Hiss—hoo—"
After the pain in his chest eased quite a bit, Kitahara took a few deep breaths and finally let the stiff smile on his face soften again.
"Yeah, it's me, Oguri Cap. You…"
He didn't finish before Oguri Cap cut him off in a fluster.
"Ah… ah… um, well, this… I… I don't really know how I ended up running here either. Anyway, I wasn't doing extra training on purpose…"
Exhausted from repeatedly replaying the race, Oguri Cap felt like her body was out of her control. She couldn't lift her head, her arms only came up halfway, and her legs were completely weak.
If she hadn't been propping herself up by leaning her head against the person in front of her, she felt like she would've already collapsed onto the ground.
Realizing that, she suddenly understood—it was because of Kitahara that she hadn't actually fallen.
"Oh right… Kitahara, um… thank you. You came at just the right time. If it weren't for you, I might've been too tired and—cough cough—um, when did you get here…?"
After thinking for a moment, Kitahara understood: his horse girl was worried about being scolded.
In Eisei's daily training, extra private training was basically prohibited—a rule Kitahara personally thought was unnecessary.
The team's training methods weren't based on experience alone, or even experience plus theory like other trainers of this era, but instead directly used a complete future system.
That was a "digitalized" simulation.
This approach didn't mean training wasn't needed. Rather, after ensuring the necessary baseline training, they used systematic and comprehensive data analysis to identify areas for improvement, then adjusted those during training.
In other words, while other trainers still had to grope around through actual training, Eternal could reach conclusions through computational simulation.
Of course, there was a prerequisite to doing this: money.
Just like GPU mining, quantum computers processing massive datasets, or cloud computing—simulating improved training plans required calculations numbering in the quintillions or more.
All of that cost money. Just the electricity bills alone were enormous.
But needing money had never been a flaw in a solution. Lacking money was. Fortunately, Eternal didn't lack it.
With ongoing industrial operations and sufficient business methods, resources were more than adequate—and still growing.
Under these circumstances, extra training for Oguri Cap and the others wasn't necessary, or even beneficial. In fact, it could be harmful.
Normally, Kitahara wouldn't scold her, but he would remind her.
But seeing Oguri Cap so flustered and utterly exhausted now, even that reminder stuck in his throat.
"Is it because you're unwilling to accept the loss? Or because you don't understand where you lost?"
After a brief pause, Kitahara decided that being straightforward was best. He wasn't the type to beat around the bush.
As he asked, he reached out to support Oguri Cap's arm, then smoothly turned and bent down, lifting her onto his back.
"Ah…"
Caught off guard, Oguri Cap let out a small cry. Instinctively, she tried to grab onto something to steady herself, but her arms had no strength left and simply dangled limply in front of Kitahara.
"Now that I think about it, when I arranged your swimming training, I also carried you back like this."
As he firmly supported Oguri Cap's well-muscled, solid thighs, Kitahara suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.
"That time too… and this time as well."
"I feel like… I might be too strict with you."
"Strict…?"
Somehow finding a bit of strength, Oguri Cap grabbed at Kitahara's clothes and urgently craned her head forward, trying her best to let him see her expression.
"No, I don't think so at all!"
"Everything you think about is about making me stronger, right?!"
"You said you'd help me become an amazing horse girl. You've always been doing that—I know it!"
Her voice grew excited, nothing like the weakness she'd shown after running.
But the strength vanished the very next second.
"…And yet I lost today…"
She shrank back.
"And… I don't even know how I lost…"
"I thought about it for so long… I even came here secretly without telling you or everyone else, ran over and over… and I still couldn't figure it out…"
"Completely…"
"I don't know what's going on…"
Her voice grew soft and mushy, as if she didn't even have the energy to think anymore. She'd completely forgotten about hiding the fact that she'd sneaked out for extra training.
Listening quietly as Oguri Cap muttered to herself, feeling that she'd turned back into that familiar "mochi" state, Kitahara smiled silently and thought for a moment.
"Actually, I don't know either."
After he said that, he felt the warm, flexible body on his back tremble slightly. Knowing she was surprised by his words, Kitahara couldn't help but laugh.
"Heh. Don't be surprised, Oguri Cap. It's not just that I don't know why you lost this time—honestly, I don't know why anyone wins or loses at all."
"…Is that so…?"
Oguri Cap murmured, then tilted her head as if pondering.
Her silver-gray hair, soaked with sweat, slid down her equally damp neck and brushed against the back of Kitahara's neck.
Feeling a tickle, Kitahara reflexively lifted her thighs a bit higher with both hands.
"Don't move around… my neck feels weird."
He shook his neck slightly. Hearing an "Oh" from behind him, Kitahara continued:
"It's probably just a difference in perspective. Maybe many trainers analyze reasons for wins and losses, but I don't."
"A loss is a loss. A win is a win. As long as you do everything you can before the race, that's enough."
"As for after the race—so long as you're still running, everything you did before the race is, in itself, part of the after."
"To put it a bit more nicely, I just don't like finding reasons for failure."
Hearing this, Oguri Cap fell silent for a while.
"Kitahara… are you comforting me, or guiding me?"
"Heh, you caught me. Guess my thoughts are pretty easy to read."
Kitahara laughed.
Comforting and guiding Oguri Cap had been his plan ever since the relay race ended—only the press conference had delayed it.
Before and after the conference, on the way here, he'd been thinking about what he should say to help Oguri Cap.
But seeing with his own eyes that his horse girl hadn't sunk into despair over a single loss, as many people might've expected, but instead was trying to pick herself up in her own way, he realized that mere verbal comfort or guidance might not mean much.
Just like her talent on the track, Oguri Cap was a natural practitioner.
Knowledge and ability needed to be mastered through training and competition. Comfort and guidance should probably be the same.
So after a brief explanation—and having his intentions discovered—Kitahara began to think about what kind of "comfort" would be more appropriate.
"Yeah. Whatever you think, Kitahara, you always say it out loud. There's no need to ask."
Oguri Cap nodded and smiled. "Training, racing, even eating and sleeping—you always say what's on your mind."
"So if you say you don't know, then you really don't know."
"That's fine too. I'll just keep working hard!"
Her voice grew more spirited. She straightened up a bit, and the hands dangling in front of Kitahara clenched into fists and pumped once or twice.
"Oh, right…"
Suddenly, she drooped again. "Um… sorry, Kitahara."
"You clearly said not to do extra training in private, but I still sneaked out to run."
"I won't do it again, and…"
She lifted a hand and scratched her head. "You're right—extra training outside of proper training doesn't really mean much."
"I just couldn't figure out where I went wrong… sigh."
She sighed deeply and even knocked on her own forehead.
"Oguri Cap, before the race—I mean, this relay race—did you run into anything? Did anything happen?"
Kitahara suddenly asked.
Oguri Cap froze.
"Before the race…"
She placed a finger on her chin and tilted her head slightly, recalling. "Nothing special, really. If I had to say something, it'd be that Super Creek and Ardan said a few things."
Kitahara's spirits lifted. "What did they say?"
As Oguri Cap spoke, Kitahara had been silent, thinking through possible causes of her current state.
Not just Oguri Cap's—but the whole team's.
He'd noticed it before: starting from the preparation phase for the relay race, his horse girls seemed to have changed somewhat.
He'd originally planned to set aside time to talk to each of them, but the tight race schedule had eaten up too much of his energy, and he hadn't found the right opportunity—so it had been delayed until now.
This moment was just right, and Oguri Cap had coincidentally touched on something crucial.
"It was more like some words… You can put me down now, Kitahara."
As she spoke, Oguri Cap had recovered some strength and climbed down from Kitahara's back, walking slowly alongside him.
Recalling the events, she recounted what had happened before the race, then continued, "And also, after the Meitetsu Cup that day, something similar happened…"
Without the daytime crowds and noise of tourists and spectators, this stretch of coastline was exceptionally quiet.
Waves gently lapped against the shore, the sound of water rustling softly in the night.
Occasionally, a breeze would blow by, carrying fine grains of sand that rippled across the surface.
Walking along the beach like this, listening to Oguri Cap's slow narration, Kitahara came to understand the kind of "whispered conversations" that had occurred among his horse girls.
"So that's how it is…"
After a moment of silence, Kitahara let out a thoughtful smile.
Oguri Cap's eyes lit up.
"Oh! Kitahara, did you figure it out? Are the things I said related to today's race?"
Her ears wiggled as she asked excitedly.
"Probably. More precisely, they're related to you all right now."
After that line, just as expected, confusion appeared on Oguri Cap's face. Kitahara's smile deepened.
"I think… you're gradually finding a meaning to running that belongs only to yourselves."
"A meaning to running… that belongs only to ourselves?"
Oguri Cap froze. She scratched her head.
"But… I feel like I already knew my reason for running a long time ago…"
"Isn't it about becoming an amazing horse girl? And wanting even more brilliant victories?"
"Mm…"
"This is also a kind of meaning, that's true. You, Creek, and the others all have that kind of meaning."
Kitahara continued with a smile. "But what I'm talking about is a meaning that you yourselves have discovered."
"Discovered… by ourselves…"
"Mm. Becoming an outstanding horse girl is something you wish to achieve for your mother's sake. Wanting an even more brilliant victory, however, is something you found on your own. It's just that you still haven't truly figured out what exactly counts as a 'brilliant victory.'"
Kitahara stopped walking and looked straight at his horse girl.
"The 'shudder' that Creek mentioned, the 'jealousy' that Ardan talked about… I don't think it's really jealousy. Maybe there's a better word for it. But in any case, she's also found her own reason to run."
"This explanation is admittedly very vague, so maybe it'd be better if I use myself as an example."
Oguri Cap also stopped. She turned around, staring at Kitahara without blinking, then nodded slightly.
"Back then, I never planned to become a trainer. I only entered Kasamatsu because my uncle couldn't stand seeing me loaf around all day and kicked me in with a single foot."
Shrugging and spreading his hands, Kitahara laughed.
"But after that, I started thinking—why am I becoming a trainer?"
"I thought about raising a horse girl who could win the Tokai Derby. Later, I thought I should aim higher—raise one who could win the Japan Derby."
"I did! I won the Japan Derby! So, Kitahara, you achieved your dream!"
Oguri Cap spoke with a tone that sounded part boastful, part congratulatory, and part relieved.
"Yes, that's right. So, I'm actually very grateful to you, Oguri Cap."
Smiling as he nodded, Kitahara took a deep breath.
"And after that—or rather, even before that—when I met you, I started thinking about something else."
"I thought… I might have encountered a genius who could change the world of horse girls. And maybe, together with her, I could change that world."
There were things Kitahara didn't say out loud.
If his only goal had been to become a Japan Derby–winning trainer, that would have been easy for someone like him.
Knowing the events of another world and understanding every horse girl's talent, winning the Japan Derby—or even the Triple Crown—wouldn't have been difficult.
But Kitahara wanted more.
He wanted more and more horse girls to have a stage on which to display their talent. He wanted every horse girl to step onto the stage of her dreams and give it everything she had.
In the past, he could only gaze at that dream from afar. But now, it seemed he had already stepped onto that path.
Or rather—he had already gone quite far down it.
"Changing the world… it sounds distant, but incredible."
Oguri Cap nodded firmly. "I believe in you, Kitahara. You can definitely do it."
"I'm already doing it."
Kitahara nodded without false modesty.
"And what I'm doing can help you truly understand—completely—your own reason for running."
Oguri Cap fell silent, looking at him seriously.
"I've decided to hold a series of races outside the Twinkle Series. They'll need to bring together many outstanding horse girls."
Slowly, Kitahara organized his thoughts as he spoke.
"I can't do this alone."
"So, I need you, Oguri Cap."
"I need you to help me—and I need Creek, Ardan, and all of us to help."
"You're all excellent horse girls. And the ones I want to gather will be your juniors."
"Some of them you know. Some you don't."
"And I want you—no, all of you—to guide and assist them."
"This is how I found my own 'reason for running.'"
He took two steps forward, placed his hands on Oguri Cap's shoulders, and looked straight into her blue eyes.
"You helped me find my reason for running."
"I think that if you help the juniors in the same way, through that process, you'll gradually—and more clearly—understand what kind of 'brilliant victory' you truly want."
"So that's how it is… I get it!"
Rarely did Oguri Cap light up so suddenly after hearing something as abstract as theory, but now her eyes sparkled.
"I kind of felt that Ardan said those things because she has a younger sister, right?"
"Um… I have Little Oguri, but I still haven't spent as much time with her as Ardan has with her sister."
"Anyway, I'll do my absolute best to help the juniors! And of course, I'll also work hard to help Little Oguri!"
Oguri Cap wasn't a horse girl suited to lecturing. Compared to talking, she was better at acting—something Kitahara had always believed.
He himself was the same. Rather than offering endless comfort or guidance, it was better to point the way through experience.
Teaching juniors was a way to clarify one's own "meaning." In truth, Kitahara knew this was simply another form of growth.
And nothing helps someone grow more than teaching others.
Perhaps Rudolf had been the same back then? The thought crossed Kitahara's mind.
"Then it's settled. And after that…"
Smiling, Kitahara lightly pressed her shoulders and paused.
"Hm? Is there something else you need my help with?"
Oguri Cap spoke with confidence. "I can do anything. Just say it, Kitahara."
"It's not exactly help. You just reminded me—Ardan's case is similar to teaching juniors. But as for Creek…"
"Oh right, Creek mentioned something about 'shuddering.' I didn't really get it, but it seems different from Ardan's situation…"
Seeing Kitahara fall into thought, Oguri Cap also began thinking.
However, Kitahara soon shook his head and smiled.
"Let's just ask them."
"Ask them… Creek?"
"And Ardan too," Kitahara nodded. "I've been thinking for a while that I should spend more time talking with you all—not just about races and training."
"This is a good opportunity."
After deciding that, Oguri Cap didn't object. Kitahara led her toward the road to catch a taxi back to the training estate.
However, his intention to ask questions went unrealized—because Oguri Cap fell asleep in the car.
Seeing how exhausted she was, Kitahara abandoned the idea of talking and carried her back.
At the training estate, only Belno Light was present. When they saw her, she was surrounded by computer monitors, tablets, and phones.
Screens of all sizes were filled with code, data, and images. She looked like an intelligence operative.
In fact, after asking a bit, Kitahara realized she really was doing intelligence work.
To find Oguri Cap quickly, she had stayed in contact with Komiyama and Maruzensky, and also gathered information through various means.
Some of those methods weren't exactly lawful.
If Kitahara hadn't returned with Oguri Cap in time, Belno Light was ready to hack into the traffic bureau's surveillance system.
Had that happened, the next task would've been bailing out their increasingly unhinged chief technician.
Seeing Oguri Cap safe, Belno Light immediately abandoned her moral dilemma and contacted everyone who was worried.
Creek and Ardan had also gone out searching. Kitahara figured they'd take some time to return, so he settled Oguri Cap first.
Once everyone who could make it back had returned and the situation was explained, the incident ended, and everyone finally relaxed and went to rest.
Since Oguri Cap had gone to bed early, Kitahara slept a bit later.
During that time, after long consideration and making several decisions, he made a few phone calls.
The next morning, as if he'd forgotten about talking with his horse girls, he told everyone to rest well, borrowed a car from the estate staff, and drove onto the highway.
He wasn't traveling alone. Maruzensky sat in the passenger seat.
At first, Kitahara thought she was going to steal the driver's seat and almost refused.
But after hearing her sleepy explanation, he reluctantly agreed.
"Ha—ah… you think I wanted to get up this early? Seriously, this is all your fault, Kitahara…"
Yawning, Maruzensky complained.
"I was exhausted from yesterday's race, you know. I wanted to sleep in."
"But then you went and dropped such a huge bomb at the press conference."
"So many people wanted to ask you questions but couldn't reach you, and they all traced it back to me!"
"And the Chairwoman and Rudolf were busy until late last night because of what you said."
"Me too! I haven't been dragged into so much trouble by Rudolf in ages."
"And now you look like you're about to do something big again. Even if I don't want to follow you, I have no choice."
"Rudolf really called it—you got up early. So tell me, what are you plotting this time?"
By this point, she had already claimed the passenger seat with no intention of driving.
"Or should we talk about that club idea first?"
"Something big… I can't really explain it."
Starting the engine, Kitahara thought for a moment.
"First, I want to address some psychological issues with my horse girls."
"Oh?"
Maruzensky perked up. "Oguri Cap? No, you said 'several'… all of them?"
"Mm…" Kitahara hesitated, then sighed. "I thought about it all night, and it feels like they've developed a very subtle kind of overconfidence…"
"Overconfidence? No way!"
Maruzensky looked shocked. "I know Oguri and the others well. They're always serious and cautious in training and races. There's no way they'd get cocky."
"You're saying they're arrogant? That's impossible."
She sounded utterly certain.
"Don't get so worked up. I said it's subtle—subtle, okay?"
Kitahara sighed. "Or maybe I should put it this way. The times have changed, Maruzensky."
"…That makes it even harder to understand."
"Actually, this 'subtlety' is also related to the club."
Kitahara changed the subject slightly.
"If not for the club idea, I wouldn't call it overconfidence."
"To be honest… fine, maybe I'll get a bit cocky myself."
"I'm confident that within Japan, the five of them—Oguri Cap included—will have a very hard time finding opponents strong enough, unless you or Rudolf manage to train horse girls whose strength skyrockets."
"Oh? So Rudolf told you about that already?"
Maruzensky smiled.
"Yeah, I thought her idea was a bit odd—training opponents specifically for Oguri and the others feels like picking a fight."
"But after racing with them yesterday, I realized I might've lost perspective from spending too much time with you all."
"The truth is, the Eternal Team's horse girls are far above the average. That's the real reason behind Rudolf's idea."
"She wants to confirm it with real examples, prepare evidence, and pave the way to fully promote your training system."
They were talking about Rudolf Symboli's plan to personally train horse girls—ones who would later become Oguri Cap's rivals.
Kitahara wasn't worried. Whether it was Rudolf's skill or Oguri Cap's strength, he was confident.
Even with legendary horse girls guiding them, Oguri Cap and the others would still have the upper hand.
Of course, training would need to be more targeted—but that was precisely a clash between this era's methods and the future's, and even Kitahara admitted that such a clash was valuable.
"I think I get what you mean now."
Maruzensky continued.
"Without external pressure, Oguri Cap and the others have gradually focused their attention on each other."
"That's why they went all-out in that relay race."
"I was wondering—it felt like Rudolf facing Katsuragi, or Katsuragi facing Chiemi."
"But if you expand things through the club and related competitions, and their attention stays limited to each other, they might overlook other powerful opponents."
"That's what you're saying, right?"
With a heavy feeling, Kitahara nodded.
"I'm confident that whether it's the club or the Youth Cup, everything will proceed smoothly."
Recalling name after name, he unconsciously smiled.
"That generation will definitely be a peak generation."
"Oguri Cap and the others will never lack powerful opponents."
"If anyone else said that, I'd think they were drunk," Maruzensky laughed. "But after spending so long with you, and racing alongside Oguri and the others, I believe you completely."
"Thanks."
Kitahara smiled in response, then grew serious again.
"But maybe they won't have to wait that long. This year, they might face even stronger opponents."
"You mean… the Japan Cup?" Maruzensky immediately understood.
"Europe, America, New Zealand—none of those lack top-tier horse girls," Kitahara nodded gravely.
"It's not wrong that Oguri Cap and the others value each other and give it everything."
"But if they start believing that surpassing each other is enough—that they're already the best in the world—then that's… too much."
"Whether now or in the future, they're still not at the very top."
"Unconsciously setting a ceiling too early—and focusing only on a ceiling that isn't the real one…"
"Do you understand now what I mean by 'subtle overconfidence'?"
These were things Kitahara had spent all night thinking through.
He had long wondered why, in another world, Japan had world-class racehorses but never truly reached the top overall.
"Top-tier prize money, first-class horses, second-class jockeys, third-class trainers"—that summed up Japanese racing in that world.
Kitahara had thought about this for a long time and had some ideas. Now, he had a clearer answer.
In that environment, few people ever truly looked outward. Even the best horses or horse girls were used only for internal competition.
As for external competition—what was called "overseas expeditions"—in both the parallel world and this one, it was closer to gambling.
Go out and try. Win and everyone's happy. Lose and that's that.
Take Rudolf Symboli's expedition, for example. In any world, her team suffered from internal disagreements, poor condition, and insufficient preparation.
Under those circumstances, winning was impossible.
If international competition had been emphasized from the start—if the view was never limited inward—this wouldn't have happened.
Kitahara had always remembered this. But after going to Europe and returning, he'd focused too much on immediate improvement and neglected that broader perspective.
Looking back now, it was probably because of his influence that Oguri Cap and the others had begun focusing more on each other than on the powerful rivals they were destined to face.
Reflection and vigilance were needed.
Only after understanding all this did Kitahara come up with the idea of "subtle overconfidence." He was talking about himself as much as them.
That was why he was driving out so early.
"The real ceiling… you mean the world, right? I figured as much."
Seeing Kitahara nod, Maruzensky thought for a moment.
"But even if you know that, it won't be easy to adjust their mindset quickly, right?"
"Specifically, the best way to make them realize that there are always stronger opponents… seems to be letting them race against someone stronger?"
Her eyes suddenly gleamed. She pointed at herself, then at the road ahead.
"You're not thinking of organizing a higher-level race, are you? Like having me and Rudolf race against Oguri and the others?"
"Well, that's not a bad idea. I always beat them in training races, but… well, I'll admit it—I haven't gone all-out."
Maruzensky laughed.
"If it's an official race, I could stay ahead of them a bit longer."
She pinched her fingers together to show a tiny gap.
"…I've already realized from Oguri Cap that they won't be discouraged easily."
Ignoring Maruzensky's gesture, Kitahara glanced at her through the rearview mirror with a subtle look of apology.
"So if it's someone they're familiar with like you, or Rudolf, whom they just raced against, I feel…"
"Cough. The pressure you'd give them… might not be enough."
"I want to raise the intensity even higher."
Maruzensky's eyes narrowed instantly, her expression turning sharp.
"Should I take that as you looking down on me?"
The horse girl who was always smiling now looked dangerous. No matter how gentle they seemed, horse girls were always confident in their strength.
Especially one with an eight-for-eight undefeated record and a sixty-one–length lead over second place—the "Phantom Supercar."
"Of course not! You misunderstood—really!"
Kitahara hurriedly explained, rubbing his forehead.
"It's just…"
"Alright, let me put it another way."
"Publicly, I couldn't find any information. But privately, I uncovered some clues."
"And I feel that these clues—or the truth back then—you probably know them too, Maruzensky."
Turning away from the mirror and looking directly at her puzzled face, Kitahara's expression grew strange.
"I'll just ask directly."
"Tokino Minouru."
"Or… Arrogant Above All."
[I don't know who Arrogant Above All is]
"You've heard that name before, haven't you?"
(End of Chapter)