After night fell, Yayoi Natural and Mochizuki shared a single bed.
Because they hadn't yet bought new bedding, the two had no choice but to squeeze together tonight.
But Mochizuki was still quietly mulling over Uma Musume-related matters.
Finally, about ten minutes after the lights went out, she softly asked, "Mom, do Uma Musume earn a lot of money?"
"Hm? How should I put it..."
Yayoi Natural hesitated briefly, then continued, "In simple terms, yes, Uma Musume earn quite a lot—but the initial investment is really high."
"After all, Uma Musume are essentially athletes."
Natural's explanation finally resolved Mochizuki's confusion.
"So, Mom, you could have raced before…?"
"That's true. If I hadn't suddenly fallen ill right before my debut race, maybe…"
Not finishing her thought, Natural simply reached out to pinch her daughter's cheek gently. "Why are you worrying about this? Your mom can't run races now anyway."
"I was just thinking if becoming a trainer might be easier."
"A trainer? You want to become a trainer?"
"Today I met an Uma Musume who seems determined to race, so I was just curious."
Mochizuki's words made Natural pause for a moment. She knew there were very few Uma Musume at Mochizuki's school, and narrowing it down to her class, only one possible person remained. Although Uma Musume weren't exactly rare, compared to humans, they were still far fewer.
Hearing her daughter's comment, Natural quickly realized the two girls had already met.
"I see…"
Noticing the subtle shift in her mother's tone, Mochizuki tried turning around to look at her. But since the bed was small, it was difficult, and Mochizuki eventually gave up.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"I was just thinking… if you had a sibling, maybe—"
"But Mom, didn't you say Dad died? Or are you planning to remarry?"
Immediately picking up on her mom's implication, Mochizuki threw out the question directly.
Her ear was promptly grabbed.
"What are you thinking! Though remarrying isn't a bad idea, I don't have anyone in mind!"
"Ehh~ I think Maruzen-san would be a good choice. Plus, Uma Musume marrying each other is allowed too, right? They can even have kids together!"
"Maruzen, huh…"
Murmuring her name, Natural didn't reply immediately.
Mochizuki wasn't wrong, but Maruzensky…
Recalling the jokes from the past, Natural felt if it were just herself, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. But with Mochizuki in the picture…
Thinking this, Natural subconsciously twisted Mochizuki's ear a bit harder. "Maybe you're getting ahead of yourself."
"Ow! Mom! I'm sorry!"
Mochizuki quickly apologized as her mom tugged harder.
Seeing her daughter sincerely apologize, Natural released her ear.
Once freed, Mochizuki rubbed her ear and promptly asked another question: "Mom, how's the pay for trainers?"
"You really want to become a trainer?"
"Mm…"
"I see, let me think." Natural briefly considered before continuing:
"In simple terms, a trainer's salary depends on the Uma Musume. Trainers usually receive about one-fifth to one-sixth of the prize money their Uma Musume earn—but only if they place in races."
Saying this, Natural looked down at her daughter. "Trainers also get a base salary, but the really dedicated ones often pay training expenses out of their own pockets…"
"Anyway, it's quite troublesome work."
"Oh, I see…"
Seeing Mochizuki had her answer, Natural decided not to continue. She gently urged, "Alright, alright, go to sleep. You still have school tomorrow, right?"
"Okay."
After responding, Mochizuki closed her eyes.
...
The next day, when Maruzensky dropped her off at school, Mochizuki wasn't as casual as yesterday.
Because she knew her mom wouldn't mention something like siblings without reason.
And remembering their conversation had come up after discussing Uma Musume…
Slightly turning her head, Mochizuki glanced toward Tokai Teio, seated on her right. She was the only Uma Musume in class.
Teio, focused on the blackboard, hadn't noticed the curious gaze beside her.
...
At Tracen Academy, another document was delivered.
Given its nature, the file went directly onto Rudolf's desk.
Looking at the envelope, Symboli Rudolf adjusted her glasses and tore open the seal.
Immediately, the document's title came into view:
[Application for the Climax Series Races]
Launching a new series required approval from three entities: Tracen Academy, the JRA, and the Uma Musume Association.
Since Chairwoman Akikawa Yayoi mostly slacked off, such documents typically arrived simultaneously with Symboli Rudolf (representing the Uma Musume) and the Chairwoman's secretary, Hayakawa Tazuna.
"A new series, huh…" Rudolf muttered, glancing around the empty Student Council room. Confirming she was alone—as everyone else was in class—she began carefully reviewing the document.
After the first read, Rudolf immediately recognized this series would significantly benefit Uma Musume, as participants would experience considerable growth.
However, due to previous incidents, Rudolf remained cautious and decided to reread the file carefully.
It was then Rudolf noticed a significant problem:
"No…restrictions?"
No limits on participation frequency, no constraints on training intensity…
The absence of these critical points left Rudolf deeply concerned.
She quietly considered the implications.
After several seconds, Symboli Rudolf finally stood up.
She needed to confirm with Hayakawa Tazuna whether there was a mistake in the application.
If there was no mistake, she would have to reject this proposal outright.
Because, judging by its current form, this race series seemed to completely ignore the physical well-being of Uma Musume.
---
T/N: whens the cup for naturals heart also the climax series race should be Make a new track scenario for mobile
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl