Despite the small number of participants in this open race, Kagura was surprised by the sheer number of reporters and industry insiders present afterward—far more than at any of the previous races.
Many of the visitors were full of praise for Rudolf Ojou-sama's performance; Kagura even noticed a few foreigners murmuring appreciatively.
Standing quietly to the side and listening carefully, Kagura gradually understood what the journalists were truly interested in today—the most pressing issue being Rudolf Ojou-sama's future race schedule. The internet was ablaze with speculation over potential matchups among Rudolf, Bizen Nishiki, and Mr. C.B., with each fanbase fiercely defending their favorite.
"Bizen Nishiki-san remains undefeated since her debut, and Mr. C.B.-senpai is already a legendary Triple Crown winner. They are both incredibly strong opponents, and I greatly look forward to facing them. However, race arrangements must also take into account the advice of my support team, so I'm afraid I can't provide a definitive answer at this time."
Regarding scheduling, Rudolf declined to give a specific answer, politely passing the matter over to Trainer Tojo.
"As for Rudolf's race schedule, I still need to discuss and confirm it thoroughly with our indispensable support staff, so at this point, I also can't provide a detailed response. However, what I can say with certainty is that Rudolf won't be participating in any more races this year."
Trainer Tojo quickly tossed responsibility onto Kagura, who was quietly hiding in the back. But Tojo genuinely hadn't planned out any future races yet. Kagura had become essential to her workflow, and Tojo needed Kagura's coordination before finalizing anything.
"We've heard Rudolf-san mention this supporter before. Could you tell us who this supporter is? Another student from Central Tracen, perhaps?"
Seeing they couldn't get an answer about scheduling, the reporters quickly changed topics.
Kagura hadn't explicitly asked Rudolf or Tojo to hide her identity—in fact, she wouldn't particularly mind reporters learning about her. However, both Rudolf and Tojo consciously protected Kagura, not wishing to expose the young girl to such messy distractions too soon.
"My apologies, but it's not convenient for me to reveal that at the moment, primarily to protect the privacy of the individual involved. Please understand."
Rudolf refused without hesitation. Until Kagura explicitly gave permission, she would never publicly disclose her identity.
Meanwhile, Kagura—watching from the edge of the backstage area—noticed a small Uma Musume outside the densely packed crowd, jumping up and down desperately, clearly wanting to squeeze through. Unfortunately, the crowd was far too dense for the small Uma Musume to slip inside, leaving her anxious and frustrated.
——Whoa! That kid looks a lot like your Ojou-sama! She even has that inherited streak of highlights in her hair!
Eclipse-san's exclamation flashed across Kagura's phone screen. Kagura peered more closely: the trademark chestnut hair, those distinctive highlights, even her facial features resembled Rudolf's. If Kagura hadn't known Rudolf was entirely preoccupied with work and races, she might have suspected Rudolf secretly had a daughter.
Kagura considered briefly whether she should go down and talk to this mysterious little girl, but before she could move, two adults—probably the child's parents—approached, squatted down, and gently coaxed her away. The child eventually left, looking crestfallen.
Ah, taken away by family…
Kagura had hoped for a closer look, but that chance had vanished. The little girl was likely just a young fan of Rudolf—after all, Kagura had seen many bright-eyed children enthusiastically cheering Rudolf from the stands earlier, and this girl was probably among them.
"Now that I think about it, this girl resembles the young genius Nature mentioned seeing at the park before… Surely no other Uma Musume looks so strikingly similar to Ojou-sama, right?"
Recalling Nice Nature's description of a remarkably talented runner she'd encountered, Kagura realized the details matched perfectly with this child. If there were no other similar candidates, this girl was probably the one. Kagura wondered if she was a student at Tracen yet.
"Once the Winner's Concert ends and we're back at school, I'll ask around…"
…
"A child who looks very similar to Rudolf-san?"
To ask about Tracen's students, Kagura figured the quickest route was directly consulting the gatekeeper, the Green-hatted Onee-san. After all, Hayakawa Tazuna's uncanny memory could usually provide such information effortlessly.
Thus, returning to school from the race venue, Kagura made a beeline straight for Hayakawa Tazuna at the gate to inquire about this mysterious student.
"Hmm… Let me think… No, I have absolutely no recollection of seeing such a child. Rudolf-san is incredibly famous. If I'd seen someone who looked that similar to her, I'd definitely remember."
After pondering briefly, Tazuna shook her head—she truly had no memory of encountering such an Uma Musume.
"Figures…"
The answer wasn't surprising. If there had been such a remarkably talented student enrolled at Tracen already, Kagura certainly would have heard about it by now. Given the silence, it likely meant this child hadn't yet enrolled.
"With such distinctive features, I certainly wouldn't forget. Speaking of which, winter break is approaching, right? Kagura-san, what are your plans?"
"Me? I'll probably… stay at school."
"You aren't going back to the Symboli estate?"
"I'm not really a member of the Symboli family, after all. Last time I went back, everyone fussed over me so much—I felt bad constantly troubling everyone there…"
Thinking back to her last visit, Kagura had practically been bored to death. Speed-sama and the maids had protected her as if she were the family's own Ojou-sama. While she deeply appreciated their care, Kagura still felt uncomfortable receiving treatment she felt she didn't deserve, being just a maid herself.
"Hm… You really are just as Speed-sama described. By the way, since you're not planning to return home, Director Akikawa has invited you to visit her home during winter break. How about it?"
"Eh?! Director Akikawa wants me to visit her home?!"
Kagura was stunned. This came completely out of left field—she couldn't even begin to guess Akikawa Yayoi's intentions behind such an invitation.
"Yes. Also, I have something to give you. Originally, Director Akikawa planned to present it to you at the recent student assembly, but knowing how busy you were, she felt bad calling you over."
As she spoke, Tazuna retrieved a small bag from beside the school gate and handed it to Kagura. Opening it, Kagura saw a small golden trophy inside, similar to those she'd frequently seen displayed in Rudolf's office—but instead of the usual figure, this one featured a carrot.
"What is this…?"
"Every year, the Director and the logistics department give recognition to the best Support Uma. Congratulations, Kagura-san—you received the most votes and were nominated as this year's winner."
"Eh?! I...I won? Ehehe… Somehow I suddenly feel embarrassed…"
Well, at least she finally had something to put on the shelf in her dorm. Kagura, who always had her head buried in work, never paid attention to such awards and hadn't realized she'd even been nominated.
"Oh, and the comment with the most votes was, 'Thanks to Kagura-sama's notes for helping me pass my exams! Please take care of us next year too!' Haha, Kagura-san, you're really helpful around campus, huh?"
"That was totally unexpected…"
It seemed her notes had spread quite widely among the students. Kagura never imagined casually sharing her notes with that pink-haired Uma Musume would lead to something like this.
"So, Kagura-san, are you considering accepting the Director's invitation to visit her house?"
"…I suppose there's no issue. Training schedules will be lighter soon anyway."
"Excellent. I'll let the Director know. She's been eagerly awaiting your reply for quite a while now."
"Eh… Why is she looking forward to seeing me so much…?"
Kagura tilted her head, confused. She truly couldn't imagine what the Director could possibly be expecting from her.
But, with dinner preparations for Nature and the others still pending, Kagura had no time to dwell on it. Quickly bidding farewell to Tazuna, she hurried toward the cafeteria.
"Ah, Kagura-san really is earnest and adorable…"
Watching Kagura rush away, Tazuna smiled fondly. Then she picked up her phone and quickly tapped out a message, sending it off to the Director.