Early in the morning, after receiving the notice, Silence made her way to Kiyokawa Nishi's office.
Following the other's gesture, the young girl took a seat in the chair.
"Starting today, the two of us will be in charge of matters related to the foreign Uma Musume."
"Mhm, I look forward to working with you from now on."
The girl nodded as she spoke to Kiyokawa Nishi.
"Well then, Silence... I've been meaning to ask, are you confident you can train them properly?"
Trainer Kiyokawa looked somewhat worried.
Truth be told, she hadn't originally wanted to get involved in this matter.
After all, she had no experience training foreign Uma Musume.
If it hadn't been for Manhattan Cafe, as a member of the student council, specifically bringing up her name, no one would have ever thought of her.
When she first heard Manhattan Cafe's proposal, Kiyokawa Nishi refused.
But after learning that Silence would be assisting from the side, Kiyokawa Nishi hesitated.
The two of them would share the responsibility of training the Uma Musume.
One would formulate the training plans, the other would review and revise them.
The burden wouldn't fall entirely on one person.
And besides, Silence had said she hoped for a chance to work alongside a trainer.
This put Kiyokawa Nishi in a difficult spot.
If she refused, it would surely hurt the girl deeply...
But this was indeed quite troublesome.
Still, thinking it over, someone so young yet capable of handling a trainer's duties must have some ability.
If she were in charge of the theoretical knowledge...
Well, maybe it could work.
With these thoughts in mind, Kiyokawa Nishi agreed to Manhattan Cafe's request.
And now, here they were.
Facing Kiyokawa Nishi's doubts, the girl said, "Don't worry, Trainer Kiyokawa. I'll put my knowledge at your service."
Seeing the girl's gentle smile, Kiyokawa's heart quietly settled.
Yes, what was there to worry about?
She had seen it herself—how adeptly the girl handled training tasks.
She didn't seem like a reckless person either.
So, she ought to give her the trust she deserved.
Thinking this, Kiyokawa Nishi nodded.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Once they welcomed the students from the American Tracen Academy back, they would begin drafting the future training plans.
--+--
The airport was packed with a sea of people.
Countless reporters held their cameras aloft, crowding the exit.
At the very front of the welcoming party stood the four student council members: Maruzensky, Air Groove, Narita Brian, and Manhattan Cafe.
Listening to the noisy clamor behind them, the four wore troubled expressions.
"Why are Tracen's exchange students getting so much attention from the press..."
Narita Brian crossed her arms, unable to hold back her remark.
This was an inter-academy event, wasn't it? Nothing to do with races.
But these people were like a swarm of mosquitoes.
They'd buzz and gather wherever they sniffed something juicy.
Among them, quite a few had already zeroed in on Narita Brian, asking about her condition after the [Kikuka Sho].
During her hospital stay, her trainer had kept the reporters at bay.
After returning to Tracen, to help Narita Brian recover her form as quickly as possible, interviews had been avoided once again.
Even though she was the most talked-about Triple Crown Uma Musume of the year, various circumstances had kept her out of the news.
Apart from writing predictions about Narita Brian, there were no real scoops to be had.
That had left the reporters itching for more.
Now that they had a chance, they weren't about to let it slip.
"Sorry, I'm a bit busy here..."
Struggling to deal with the surrounding reporters, Narita Brian sighed repeatedly.
"Feels like they didn't come to see the exchange students, but to see you," Maruzensky teased from the side.
"I'd rather not, it's such a hassle... And who even leaked this? Wasn't it supposed to be internal Tracen news?"
"Who knows. Maybe the central committee. They probably take this exchange program pretty seriously—might be trying to give Tracen some publicity."
After all, the American Tracen Academy was a prestigious institution internationally.
As the saying went:
If American Tracen thrives, the world of Uma Musume thrives; if American Tracen declines, the world of Uma Musume declines.
This wasn't just an acknowledgment of American Tracen's status—it was an objective fact.
As a world-leading academy, American Tracen had produced several legendary figures whose names were etched in history.
They had become milestone figures in the world of Uma Musume, symbolizing the pinnacle of their eras.
And this time, it was American Tracen that had proposed the exchange program.
Didn't that mean they recognized Japanese Tracen's standing and wanted to engage in mutual exchange?
Such a glory-boosting move was something the central committee would surely want to promote heavily.
"It's always like this."
Narita Brian held her head.
When those above spoke, those below suffered.
Though an Uma Musume, Narita Brian felt the strain of being a grassroots operative.
"Well, it'll be over once we head back."
Maruzensky gave a 'just endure it a little longer' look.
As public figures, they had to maintain their image in front of the audience.
Even if they hated being questioned left and right, they couldn't show it.
So troublesome...
Narita Brian's expression fell.
But that was part of the responsibility of being an Uma Musume.
Just as the noise continued unabated, people spotted an airplane slowly descending onto the tarmac through the windows.
It was the special flight from the United States.
The exchange students had arrived.
Once the plane came to a stop and the door opened, everyone saw her.
A brown-haired girl with a ponytail hopped out from inside.
"Hello, Japan——!"
Her green star-shaped hair accessory glimmered as she made a 'V' sign with her fingers, greeting the reporters below with vibrant energy.
"Nice to meet you!"
Descending the stairs, she took a reporter's hand and began shaking it enthusiastically.
"The first exchange student, from American Tracen, with prior study experience in Ireland."
Air Groove looked at the information sheet sent from the United States.
"Taiki Shuttle.."
Possessing exceptional short-distance sprinting ability.
Just as she was warmly greeting the reporters, another girl emerged from the plane.
She had a tall brown ponytail and wore a peculiar red mask.
The moment she stepped out of the aircraft door, she planted her hands on her hips and shouted to the crowd, "Good morning!"
Manhattan Cafe immediately flipped through the documents in her hand.
Born in Kentucky, USA, with lineage from world-famous Uma Musume, she had shown remarkable explosive power from a young age. Even among American newcomers, she was quite a formidable Uma Musume.
"El Condor Pasa."
The first two, whether in ability or background, certainly had what it took to enter Tracen Academy.
Following Eagle, the third Uma Musume appeared at the boarding gate.
Her long brown hair flowed softly in the wind, and sky-blue eyes surveyed the crowd outside.
Pressing down her skirt, she bowed to everyone before slowly descending the aircraft steps.
"How do you do."
She bowed once more.
"My name is Grass Wonder, from Ohio, USA."
Her fluent Japanese and graceful demeanor made her seem nothing like an Uma Musume from America.
Just as everyone marveled at her language skills, a girl with short blue hair and blue eyes, exuding a fragile aura from within, stepped out slowly.
She gave a slight nod to the crowd and then quietly walked down the steps.
Manhattan Cafe glanced again at the student profile in her hand.
Also born in Kentucky, USA, but compared to the previous few, her records were somewhat unremarkable.
No distinguished lineage, no praiseworthy achievements.
Her frail appearance was due to a severe illness in her youth that had nearly claimed her life.
She could be described as an Uma Musume entirely unsuited to being an Uma Musume.
K.S. Miracle.
The four exchange students had now all appeared; there was no one else left on the list.
Just as the student council members were about to step forward to welcome them—
Click-clack—
A crisp sound of iron-shod hooves rang out.
It felt like a knock against everyone's chests.
Hearts tightening, people turned toward the source of the sound.
There was still one more person on the plane.
Black leather boots, a tall figure, fiery auburn-red hair cascading like flames down her back.
Blue-violet pupils, so deep they seemed to see right through a person's soul.
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
No sound escaped them; their mouths hung open wider and wider.
They recognized her...
Or rather, no one could fail to recognize her.
Voted one of the greatest Uma Musume in American history.
Former student council president of American Tracen Academy.
The Sixth Triple Crown winner in history.
A legend who dominated the races.
Count Fleet.
"Count Fleet...?"
Why was she among these exchange students?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.