A daily battle of wits over Mejiro Ardan's stay unfolded within the Northern Manor. For Ardan, who had spent years living within the sheltered world of the Mejiro family, each day in this little realm with Dream Weaver brought encounters with things she had never seen or even heard of before.
Amid these remote mountains, far from the noise and devoid of any modern influence, Ardan had somehow discovered an indescribable joy in this simple way of life.
Compared to the solitude of the Mejiro family's courtyard—where visits from sisters or elders were only occasional—life deep in the Northern mountains allowed Ardan far more interaction with nature.
Cooking was no longer a matter of preparing ingredients and turning on a flame. Here, Ardan had to gather firewood first, then kindle it to just the right temperature, all while carefully maintaining that heat within a certain range.
Even with Dream Weaver's help, Ardan often ended up covered in dust and soot in those early days. Yet her heart felt lighter here than it ever had at the Mejiro estate.
Every piece of firewood gathered, every leap of the flame before her eyes, every small goal achieved—it all brought Ardan a sense of accomplishment she hadn't felt in so long. Since leaving the racetrack, such satisfaction had become rare in her world.
Everyone in the Mejiro family treated her like fragile glass.
Only Dream Weaver, who kept her own secrets, saw Ardan as a true Uma Musume. She never looked at her with pity, nor did she assign her easy tasks just so she could sit quietly by herself.
Here, in these mountains untouched by modern life, survival demanded effort. Every drop of sweat Ardan shed here made her feel truly alive.
Each small achievement was proof that she was fighting to live.
After leaving the racing world, it was here that Ardan finally found meaning again—something that made life about more than just existing.
Under these circumstances, no matter how many troublesome tasks Dream Weaver came up with, there was no discouraging Ardan. In the end, this battle of wits in the deep mountains concluded with Dream Weaver's defeat.
Dream Weaver couldn't think of any good way to persuade Ardan to leave. She could hardly stuff her in a sack and haul her back to the Mejiro family, could she?
And even if she tried, it would be useless. After witnessing Ardan's determination to give her all, no matter how difficult, Dream Weaver was certain: even if she sent her back one day, Ardan would return on her own the next.
Never before had Dream Weaver encountered an Uma Musume so persistently devoted to her. Faced with such open affection, she truly didn't know how to respond.
By now, she couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh enough to drive Ardan away. Watching Ardan come to the Northern Manor day after day, diligently learning how to take care of herself, Dream Weaver could only quietly accept her presence.
Then one day, much like before the Tenno Sho, Ardan sat on a patch of grass beside the training field, chin in hand, smiling as she watched Dream Weaver train.
Beside her were towels, water bottles, and the like, ready for when Dream Weaver finished. Ardan would rush over to offer them as soon as the session ended.
But before training was over, Ardan's brow furrowed slightly as she observed.
Having trained alongside Dream Weaver for months, Ardan knew her progress inside and out. Right now, something was off—Dream Weaver's performance wasn't matching what she'd shown in the days leading up to the Tenno Sho.
Her intensity and endurance had clearly dropped.
"Is it because of the training ground? This isn't a professional facility, after all…"
Ardan murmured to herself, eyes fixed on Dream Weaver as she ran.
In her eyes, her younger sister possessed talent she herself could never match—a Uma Musume destined for the world stage. It pained her to think that outdated training conditions might be holding her back.
Ardan couldn't allow that. After a moment's thought, she pulled out her phone and began making arrangements while Dream Weaver was still training.
Not long after, when Dream Weaver finished another endurance run, she was met not with Ardan's gentle words or a towel, but silence. Puzzled, she finally noticed Ardan approaching after wrapping up her call.
Ardan handed her water and said, "Dreams, have you ever thought about training somewhere else?"
Dream Weaver's eyebrows shot up. "I'm not going back to the Mejiro estate."
But Ardan simply shook her head with a soft laugh. She dabbed the sweat from Dream Weaver's forehead with a towel and replied, "I meant Tracen Academy—the top Uma Musume training school in the country. You know it, right?"
"With better facilities there, don't you think it's a shame for someone with your incredible talent to be held back by this old training ground?"
Well aware of Dream Weaver's poor impression of the Mejiro family, Ardan hadn't gone against the current. The venue she'd arranged wasn't the Mejiro estate—it was Central Tracen.
As a student of Central Tracen—though she hadn't attended in a long time due to her health—Ardan could still take Dream Weaver to use their facilities.
Besides, with Dream Weaver's rising fame, Central Tracen was eager to build a relationship with her. She was a Uma Musume with a bright future ahead, yet at odds with the prestigious Mejiro family—of course the higher-ups at Tracen would want to collaborate.
So Ardan's call had met almost no procedural resistance. All that was needed now was Dream Weaver's agreement, and they could head to Central Tracen right away.
Hearing this, Dream Weaver was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected this scripted world to reconnect her with Central Tracen.
Still, as Japan's premier Uma Musume academy, it made sense they'd take notice once she started achieving results.
But Dream Weaver knew the real reason her progress had slowed—it wasn't the training ground. It was the curse of the Northern family bloodline, holding her back from pushing her limits.
No matter where she trained, all she could do now was maintain her current abilities. To her, it made no difference.
Yet, seeing the earnest hope shining in Ardan's violet eyes, the words of refusal stuck in Dream Weaver's throat.
'Fine,' she thought. It doesn't matter where I train. If it makes her happy, I'll go.
A quiet sigh escaped her. Her lowered lashes veiled the hesitation in her eyes. After all, the bloodline's restraints followed her like a shadow—training location changed nothing.
If this could bring Ardan some joy, it would be a way to repay her for all her care lately.
With that, Dream Weaver gave an almost imperceptible nod.
That tiny motion made Ardan's face bloom into a smile brighter than the morning sun.
As the girl stirred with joy, strands of her hair swept through the sunlight, leaving pale blue afterimages in Dream Weaver's eyes.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! 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!
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