After Mejiro Ardan agreed, Dream Weaver didn't hesitate for a moment before leading her straight to the training field.
Though the surrounding Uma Musume cast curious glances at the two unfamiliar faces, neither of them felt the least bit uncomfortable under the scrutiny.
For those who had already made up their minds, a little attention like this was nothing.
During the assessment training that followed, Dream Weaver discovered that Mejiro Ardan's physical condition was actually quite remarkable. Even after such a long time away from competition, she still maintained an exceptionally high level of fitness—as though her body had never stopped training.
Combined with what she knew of Ardan's earlier frustrations, Dream Weaver felt certain that she must have been training in secret all this time to maintain such form.
But Dream Weaver wasn't the only one surprised.
Mejiro Ardan was equally taken aback by Dream Weaver's skill as a trainer. She had already sensed during their earlier independent sessions that Dream Weaver's abilities were nothing to scoff at.
Still, Ardan never expected her training plans to be so precise and well-structured—almost on par with some of the newly recruited trainers at the central Tracen Academy.
While she might lack the systematic education of many formally trained newcomers, Dream Weaver more than made up for it with experience.
She was an Uma Musume herself, after all, and had twice trained herself up from nothing. Her practical know-how was extensive, and unlike many greenhorn trainers, she never seemed hesitant or unsure.
She could clearly identify the limits of each of Mejiro Ardan's abilities.
But since this was only the initial assessment phase, Dream Weaver had no intention of pushing Ardan to her limits right away.
Instead, she designed a step-by-step, progressive plan to help her regain her form.
What's more, because she was also an Uma Musume, Dream Weaver could run right alongside Ardan, correcting her the moment she spotted anything off.
That made her guidance far more precise than that of an ordinary trainer watching from a distance.
Even a simple rehabilitation session like this took quite some time. Before Dream Weaver could finish testing all of Ardan's metrics, the sun had already begun to dip below the horizon.
Bathed in the evening glow, Mejiro Ardan stood drenched in sweat, panting heavily. Beads of perspiration dotted her pale neck, yet her eyes shone with a brightness they hadn't held in a long time.
After so long without proper training, setting foot once more on that grassy track filled her with a long-lost thrill. The love of racing etched into every Uma Musume's soul made Ardan feel truly alive again in a way she hadn't in years.
This feeling was far more intense than what she'd experienced during her time studying and laboring with the Northern family—because this was what she had desperately yearned for, yet never been able to reach.
Though every muscle in her body ached, Mejiro Ardan still looked at Dream Weaver with eager anticipation and asked, "What's next, Dreams? What are we testing next?!"
But before she could say more, Dream Weaver gave her a light tap on the head. Meeting Ardan's puzzled gaze, she said with a sigh, "What time do you think it is? We can't keep training now."
"But it's fine! At central Tracen, there are always people training late into the night!"
Dream Weaver sighed again at that. "That's because they live in the dorms. We still have to take the train back, remember?"
Hearing that, Mejiro Ardan finally snapped out of her training-induced excitement.
"Oh… right, I forgot."
It had been so long since her last real training session that she'd instinctively felt like she was back in the past, back in her dormitory days. She'd completely forgotten she had returned to the Mejiro household now.
Seeing Ardan's slightly embarrassed look, Dream Weaver smiled and said, "We'll continue tomorrow."
"We're missing too much today—not even a notebook to record results or a stopwatch. We'll pick it back up tomorrow once we're properly prepared."
Mejiro Ardan nodded excitedly at first, but then, as if remembering something, she hesitated and said, "But… is it really okay for you to train me like this, Dreams? The Autumn Tenno Sho is only a few months away. Shouldn't you focus on yourself first?"
Dream Weaver was taken aback. She hadn't expected Ardan to think of her even in a moment like this.
After a moment's thought, she replied, "It's fine. Didn't you entrust your dreams to me? I'm the Uma Musume that Mejiro Ardan chose—of course I'll live up to your expectations."
Then, before Ardan could ask anything else, she went on, "Besides, I remember there's an event called the Dream Cup. They say even retired Uma Musume can make a comeback there."
"You want to return to the racetrack, don't you, Ardan? The Dream Cup is your best shot. To get you back in racing form, we've got to put in the work now."
A bit dazed by the new information, Mejiro Ardan nodded vaguely.
Dream Weaver breathed an inward sigh of relief at successfully steering the conversation away. She didn't want to tell Mejiro Ardan about the Northern family's bloodline curse.
There was nothing Ardan could do about it, and it would only cause her needless worry.
Dream Weaver wanted to repay her by guiding her back to the track. The last thing she wanted was to burden her with troubles that served no purpose.
So she resolved to keep the curse hidden until the very end. To that end, she had already begun making arrangements—leaving the Northern family to Matikanetannhauser was one part of that plan.
She had wondered before how to bring happiness to Mejiro Ardan, who had helped her so much. Fortunately, she had found an answer today. Once she guided Ardan to the Dream Cup, her role in this scripted world would be complete.
The future she witnessed during her second scriptworld had given her an idea. Even after her mission ended, everyone would keep growing and moving forward.
So Dream Weaver believed that Mejiro Ardan, too, would find her own future after the Autumn Tenno Sho.
Holding that thought close, she buried the secret of the bloodline curse deep in her heart.
Unbeknownst to her, Mejiro Ardan was also hiding something—the truth about her brittle legs. She didn't want Dream Weaver worrying about her condition and losing focus before the Autumn Tenno Sho.
As for her own physical issues, Ardan was confident she could manage. She was already accustomed to pain from her fragile legs, and she believed she could control her reactions during training well enough that Dream Weaver wouldn't notice.
If it really became unbearable, she could always ask the family doctor for treatment. Besides, she'd heard the Mejiro family's medical technology had improved a lot in recent years. Ardan was sure she could endure.
And so, each holding concern for the other in their hearts, they silently began to deceive one another.
--+--
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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If you guys wanna check it out.