"Can it be replicated?"
When Kuroha first finished looking over Oguri's status panel, that thought immediately surfaced.
Could this kind of higher-order, Domain-born Unique Skill be guided out through conventional training, or even unconventional methods?
He turned it over and over in his mind, but no good approach presented itself, so he set the idea aside for the time being.
Right now, what mattered most was matching Oguri's current condition to an appropriate overseas route and destination.
…
Leaning against the railing, Kuroha's thoughts raced.
Central's overseas campaigns usually revolved around five world-class circuits.
The first was in Asia—Tōkō (China)
Leijiang could almost be called Central's second home ground. The overall track environment and the "high-speed track" characteristics were basically consistent with Central.
Even for dirt, it used marine sand, just like Central.
In other words, if Oguri went to Leijiang for an expedition, aside from the language and cultural barrier, it would feel like coming home.
That was why it was the first choice for the vast majority of Central expeditions.
Second was Dubai in the Middle East.
The tracks there also suited Central runners' habits and characteristics, and the prize money was absurdly high. Not just high, but outright explosive.
Precisely because the racing calendar didn't differ too dramatically from Central's, and because the payouts were so generous, Dubai became the second most common choice for Central expeditions.
Third was North America's Higurashi Country circuit.
It was dirt-dominant, the track surface was extremely hard, and it was more suitable for runners who wanted to challenge the world's top dirt scene.
But the place was notorious. A "shoot first" atmosphere, and a race style where physical bumping and body contact were treated as normal.
For Central runners accustomed to a calmer environment, it was pure hell.
Fourth was Europe.
Whether turf or dirt, the differences from Central were simply too large.
And with how easily the venue conditions could evolve into "super-heavy tracks," the damage to a runner's body was, compared to Central's "high-speed meat grinder," no less severe, and often worse.
Lastly, there was Oceania.
Compared with the other four, Oceania's only advantage was probably that it had a lot of G1s, making it excellent for racking up career achievements.
But the distance was so extreme you'd need a starship just to make the trip.
So, for Oguri's expedition schedule, Kuroha still leaned toward the first four world-class circuits.
"First, Leijiang is non-negotiable," Kuroha confirmed internally. "There's a reason it's Central's top priority."
"And if we go to Leijiang, that means a cross-regional expedition. The distance between those two locations isn't too far, and the time difference is only about four hours. Oguri won't need long to fully adapt and enter training."
"As for why I'm not considering the other venues for now…"
Compared to Dubai, the time difference between Leijiang and Europe or North America could be brutal.
It could jump to nine hours, or even half a day. Just adapting would be a major hurdle.
Add climate differences and other external variables, and adaptation alone could become a serious problem.
That was without even counting the bigger challenge: tracks that differed from Central even more sharply.
"Mm… for now, we'll set the expedition targets as Leijiang and Dubai. As for the rest of the season plan, we'll decide after these three months, based on how Oguri looks then."
As the thought settled, Kuroha's brow suddenly tightened as he looked toward the track.
"O guri, slow down. Your breathing hasn't fully switched over yet. Why are you still forcing it while your core is under load?!"
"Whoosh—!"
The ash-gray girl on the track bristled so hard her hair practically stood on end.
Even Berno Light, watching from the side, broke out a cold sweat.
"Kuroha-san usually looks so gentle, but the moment he enters training mode… he's terrifying."
"But…"
She looked at Oguri, who was gradually beginning to adapt to the new rhythm. A faint smile rose to her face.
"Oguri is getting stronger, little by little. That's really wonderful…"
…
Oguri's training progressed in an orderly way.
Meanwhile, Central's operations were even more unpredictable.
"Oguri transferred into your team?"
Kuroha sat on the sofa in the Student Council office, looking at the girl glaring at him—Symboli Rudolf—and nodded helplessly.
"That's right. Ginjirou-senpai should've submitted the application these past few days. Now we're just waiting for approval."
"Hah…"
At that, Air Groove's beautiful deep-pink eyes turned into dead-fish eyes. Then she simply collapsed onto the sofa and went limp.
"Ahh, I don't care anymore. I don't care!"
"You suddenly switched sides out of nowhere, and just suppressing the fallout has already been a pain. Now you're even talking about opening some kind of training camp?!"
Rudolf's voice sounded half-dead.
"Ara ara ara, relax. It's not that troublesome."
Beside them, Maruzensky gracefully poured tea for the two of them, then sat right next to Kuroha. That overwhelming presence of hers pressed right onto the back of his hand.
"So after one race, Oguri actually defected to the enemy?"
"If the fans who were hoping to see blood in the streets find out, won't they go wild with celebration?"
Kuroha chuckled.
"But the fans who want to see an era-defining ruler born should be delighted, shouldn't they?"
"…That's true."
Rudolf fell silent for a moment, as if remembering something. She rustled through the documents at her side, pulled out a file, and set it on the table.
"This is also what you submitted a few days ago. An application for an international expedition?"
"Mm. That's right."
"Taking who with you?"
"O guri."
"…I see."
With that, the crescent-banged girl exhaled slowly and gathered the file back up.
"Kuroha, you know perfectly well that overseas expeditions aren't just 'racing somewhere else.'"
"Language, culture, food, time differences, even the atmosphere at the venue, they're all challenges. And that kid… outside the racetrack, she isn't exactly quick on the uptake."
"I know," Kuroha said calmly, lifting his teacup. "That's why Berno will accompany her the entire time. Her attentiveness and logistics skill can solve most of the day-to-day issues."
"Then what about the Central side?" Rudolf asked.
"Here, I'll come back occasionally to keep an eye on things…"
"You can manage both ends?"
"It's not that I can't, but I won't need to handle both ends entirely by myself."
Rudolf frowned, puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"Mm… I'll drag in a lucky piece of manpower."
As he said that, a not-quite-friendly smile surfaced on Kuroha's face.
"A lucky piece of manpower?"
…
Rudolf and Maruzensky stared at each other, baffled.
…
Central Tracen Academy, the only training camp facility.
"Achoo—!"
A purple-haired, sharp-featured beauty sneezed for no apparent reason.
"What's wrong, Trainer? Did you catch a cold?"
Super Creek looked over, still smiling.
The girl had her "injured leg" disguised for the moment, wrapped thickly in bandages as she stood there.
"Mm… I'm fine."
Nami Fumino rubbed at her eyes, lids drooping as she waved a hand.
"Is someone talking about me or something?"
(End of Chapter)
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