After spending some time following the GPS navigation from the station, Kagura finally reached Nakayama Racecourse. She couldn't help but think that people in this world were truly generous when it came to building racetracks and schools for Uma Musume.
"Hello there, young lady~ It's not race time yet, you know?"
A racecourse staff member noticed a petite Uma Musume approaching the entrance and, mistaking Kagura for a spectator, gently reminded her with a smile.
"Good afternoon, mister~ I'm a Support Uma from Tracen Academy. I'm here to inspect the course conditions for my classmate. Could I please go inside?"
If possible, Kagura naturally wanted to inspect the racecourse personally. After the incident last time, where she was barred from entering the track, she was determined to leverage her tiny size advantage and use her cuteness to get past the gatekeepers. Of course, she didn't hold much hope herself—but people needed dreams, after all. Who knew, maybe it would work?
Faced with Kagura's unexpectedly adorable tactic, the staff member's brain clearly short-circuited for a good two or three seconds before he hurriedly replied:
"Ah… ah, you're a student from Tracen… Actually, quite a few people from Tracen have visited today already. A trainer and her Uma Musume arrived not long ago."
"Eh…? Could it be Trainer Narumiya Akimitsu and Bizen Nishiki-san?"
"Uh…yes, I think so. One of the visitors I registered earlier was indeed named Bizen Nishiki… By the way, little miss, you mentioned you're a Support Uma. Could you please show your identification?"
"Sure~"
Kagura cheerfully responded and reached into her bag for her student ID, but suddenly remembered the special gold-edged card Tazuna-san had given her before she left. She casually took it out along with her student ID.
"This card is…"
Seeing the gold-edged silver card, the staff member's eyes widened immediately. Flustered, he asked Kagura to wait briefly, then dashed away to make a phone call.
Soon afterward, the staff member returned with a middle-aged man, who quickly approached Kagura with a professional smile, opening the gate and inviting her inside.
"Welcome, welcome! You must be Inari Kagura-san, correct?"
"That's me. It seems you know me?"
"As Central Tracen's most outstanding Support Uma, I've naturally heard of you. I didn't expect to have the honor of meeting you here today. Kagura-san, you're here to inspect the course conditions, right?"
Kagura nodded politely. From the forced smile on the man's face, she easily guessed that he probably hadn't recognized her until seeing that special gold card. It seemed that card truly was some kind of special identification, though she still didn't know exactly how special it was.
"All right, please follow me. I'll guide you inside. However, since it's not officially racing season yet, the turf is currently under maintenance. Please avoid any activities that might damage the grass. I appreciate your cooperation."
The man, presumably someone in charge here, obviously meant to warn Kagura against running around on the course. After all, given the strength of an Uma Musume's legs, even casual running was devastating to the turf, hence the need for maintenance periods.
"I understand. I'm familiar with these rules, thank you very much."
As a Support Uma, Kagura was naturally well-versed in the etiquette surrounding racecourses, so she quickly nodded in understanding.
"Excellent. Thank you again for your understanding and cooperation. Let's go."
They actually allowed me onto the track! Tazuna-san's card really is amazing… I'll have to properly thank her later!
Kagura quietly added this matter to her mental memo and began thinking about what kind of gift she could bring back for Tazuna-san as thanks.
...
"Trainer-san, how do things look to you?"
"Nakayama Racecourse hasn't changed much over the years; it matches my memory. Bizen Nishiki, after walking around, do you have any questions or observations?"
"Well… to be honest, it's hard for me to give an opinion. I've never actually run here. It'd be much easier if they allowed me a quick sprint."
The chestnut-haired Uma Musume leisurely walked around the track, stopping now and then to inspect its condition. Though her instinct to run tempted her greatly, the track was under maintenance and certainly couldn't handle her carefree sprinting.
By chance, she spotted another small figure moving slowly along the track. Apart from her and her trainer, this tiny figure was the only other person around, holding a notebook and pen, occasionally taking pictures of the ground with a phone—just like a trainer gathering data.
"Trainer-san, there seems to be another trainer over there. Did you see?"
"Huh? Someone else has permission at this hour?"
In theory, at this time, no one else should have been granted special access. Yet he clearly saw a figure carefully documenting something on the track. The hood covering the person's head and their turned back made identifying them impossible.
"It looks like a child… Tracen doesn't have a trainer that small, does it?"
Bizen Nishiki stared at the distant figure, feeling certain that she'd remember a trainer of that height if they existed at Tracen.
"Perhaps a relative of the track management or something? It's not important anyway. Since we have the chance to examine the course, you should carefully observe spots good for chasing or conserving stamina. Rudolf-san isn't simple; even if she recently gained weight, never underestimate her."
"Got it, Trainer-san!"
Even from afar, Kagura could hear Bizen Nishiki's energetic voice clearly.
Kagura was still busy inspecting and recording the track data. She hadn't analyzed anything concrete about the track yet, but she'd practically overheard everything from Bizen Nishiki's side already.
Good grief, have some sense of secrecy, would you? Your opponent's Support Uma is literally standing right here!
Realizing this, Kagura felt even more urgently that she absolutely couldn't expose her identity. If Trainer Narumiya or Bizen Nishiki discovered her here, there'd definitely be trouble. She was here to collect intel, sure, but she hadn't expected to inadvertently stumble into this bizarre situation.
Well, truthfully, Bizen Nishiki hadn't exactly revealed anything particularly confidential. But with her loud voice carrying clearly across the track, Kagura worried that someday she really might spill something sensitive, especially if an opponent happened to be nearby.
"Hey~ Trainer-san over there crouching on the ground! Are you here to inspect the track too?"
"Huh? You seriously called out to me?"
Kagura had initially planned to keep quietly jotting down notes, pretending nothing was wrong, but Bizen Nishiki's sudden shout nearly made her lose her composure entirely.
Now Kagura wasn't sure whether to reply or stay silent. Under these circumstances, she couldn't exactly run away either. After all, she had every legitimate reason to be here inspecting the track. She certainly didn't need to hide just because her rival was nearby.
As Bizen Nishiki's footsteps gradually drew nearer, Kagura finally stood up, shifting from her crouch into a standing position.
"Um… Miss, were you talking to me?"
"Of course~ There's nobody else here besides me and my trainer, right? Eh!? Inari Kagura-san!?"
---
...
Umu! I am Nero Claudius—the brilliant Emperor of Rome, the dazzling Saber, the one and only performer who can steal a stage with a single smile!
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