As they spoke, the two had already reached the dormitory entrance. Koutarou Haibara turned to Dream Weaver with a smile.
"Since the dorms are full of Uma Musume, this old man won't be going in."
"There are plenty of empty rooms, so you can pick one yourself. Once you've settled in, come find me in the third room on the right side of the first floor of the teaching building—that's the faculty office."
Principal Haibara pointed toward the building not far from the dorm as he spoke.
"Be sure to get along well with your classmates!"
After saying this, he offered Dream Weaver one more encouraging smile before taking his leave.
Watching his somewhat short and stout figure retreat, Dream Weaver murmured to herself:
"He really works hard."
Of course, she hadn't been distracted by the principal's playful remarks—sometimes playing dumb was simply the best choice.
Having gone through tough times herself, Dream Weaver felt a certain respect for Koutarou Haibara, who single-handedly kept this Kasamatsu Tracen running. She admired a principal like him.
Though they had only spoken for a few minutes, this old Kasamatsu Tracen no longer seemed quite as unreliable in Dream Weaver's eyes.
Shifting her gaze back to the dorm, she tightened her grip on her suitcase as she looked at the small building wrapped in wooden panels.
Time to head inside. She could only hope the Uma Musume here were as easy to get along with as the principal.
Taking a deep breath, Dream Weaver lifted her suitcase and stepped into the dorm.
Once inside, she was surprised to find the place unexpectedly tidy. The wooden floor seemed to have been freshly mopped, with leftover droplets glistening under the sunlight.
There wasn't a hint of mustiness in the air—just the fresh, natural scent of wood.
Clean spaces always lift the spirits, and Dream Weaver felt her grip on the suitcase loosen slightly. Suddenly, her horse ears twitched—a soft, humming sound was coming from her right.
Curious, she followed the sound and found an Uma Musume wearing an apron on her hands and knees, humming quietly as she wiped the floor with a cloth, slowly backing up as she worked.
She was so absorbed in her task that Dream Weaver felt almost bad interrupting. But before she could slip away unnoticed, the girl's tail brushed against Dream Weaver's calf.
"Whoa!"
For some reason, the Uma Musume seemed startled. She scrambled to her feet and immediately bowed in apology.
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't hear anyone coming."
"Sorry for interrupting your humming."
Their voices overlapped by chance. Hearing an unfamiliar voice, the Uma Musume looked up in surprise.
"Who are you?"
In response to her question, Dream Weaver lifted her suitcase slightly.
"I'm the new transfer student. Could you tell me which rooms are empty?"
The girl seemed taken aback. She stared blankly for a second or two before blushing and replying:
"O-of course! So you're the transfer student Old Man Haibara mentioned! I thought he was just making things up again!"
As if she hadn't talked to a newcomer in ages, the Uma Musume chattered nonstop as she led Dream Weaver through the dorm.
From her chatter, Dream Weaver learned that her name was Artisan Bell, and her family used to run a sports goods store for Uma Musume. But due to the decline in local racing, they'd changed careers. Still, she herself loved studying gear for Uma Musume.
"TurfMaste horseshoes are lightweight, sure, but they wear down too easily. Since most races here in Kasamatsu are on dirt, DirtKing is obviously more suitable…"
Once she started on this topic, the easily flustered Artisan Bell became endlessly talkative. Dream Weaver listened in a daze—she'd always used standard-issue equipment from Tracen and had never looked into these kinds of details.
"That's really impressive."
Dream Weaver meant it sincerely. She admired people who could dive so deeply into a subject.
"Not really, I'm just all talk—"
Artisan Bell grinned sheepishly and scratched her head, her short brown hair swaying with the movement. Her cheeks flushed, and she avoided Dream Weaver's gaze by turning away.
But in that moment of distraction, she didn't notice someone approaching ahead and bumped right into them.
"Hey, shouldn't you be cleaning? What are you doing wandering around?"
Hearing a familiar voice, Artisan Bell shuddered instantly. Trembling, she tried to explain but couldn't get the words out.
Dream Weaver looked up and saw three Uma Musume standing in front of them. The one at the front had long, curly golden hair—dyed, judging by the brownish tips. She had delicate features and wore precise makeup, twirling her curls absently with hands adorned with sparkling manicured nails.
"Trying to slack off?"
"Who does this gear-obsessed girl think she is, acting so bold?"
Two slightly mocking voices came from behind the Uma Musume who'd been bumped into. One had short dark blue hair and a tall build; the other was petite with pink twin tails.
Hearing these remarks, Artisan Bell was too frightened to even attempt an explanation.
Frowning at the scene, Dream Weaver stepped in front of Artisan Bell, shielding her, and faced the Uma Musume directly.
"She was showing me around the dorm. Is there a problem?"
The golden-haired Uma Musume looked Dream Weaver over curiously, her tone as casual as ever.
"Who are you?"
"I'm the new transfer student."
Hearing this, the golden-haired Uma Musume glanced at Dream Weaver again, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"This place actually gets transfer students? So that old man Haibara wasn't lying?"
"Is there something wrong with me being a transfer student?"
Seeing how readily these girls had been about to bully Artisan Bell, Dream Weaver's tone was sharp and unyielding.
"Hmm—"
She let out a vague sound from her nose, gave Dream Weaver one last look, then turned to leave with her two friends.
"Let's see if you keep that courage later."
"Transfer. Student."
She tossed the words over her shoulder ambiguously as she walked away, leaving them with her back turned.
"Um, thank you. Actually—"
Artisan Bell, who had been hiding behind Dream Weaver, peeked out as the trio left and spoke gratefully.
But Dream Weaver was too busy frowning, watching the retreating figures of the three, and didn't quite catch what she said.
It seems Kasamatsu Tracen isn't entirely made up of easygoing folks like Artisan Bell and Koutarou Haibara, Dream Weaver thought to herself.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.