"Is Mejiro Bright normally this soft-hearted? She seems particularly attached to you."
Nearl turned to Platinum with a questioning look, but Platinum was just as puzzled.
"Who knows? Maybe it's because I'm her only friend around the same age."
Platinum shrugged, offering the guess. After a moment's thought, Nearl reluctantly accepted the explanation.
"That must be it. As a member of the Mejiro family, Bright probably doesn't get to interact with many friends normally."
"So she treasures you, a peer, all the more. That's why she was so upset when you said you were leaving."
"If you say so."
Platinum neither agreed nor disagreed with Nearl's theory. Right now, her mind was on something else.
"You've got other business to take care of, don't you? Something to do with Oguri Cap?"
"You've reminded me. Come on, let's go find Oguri Cap."
Giving Platinum a light pat on the shoulder, Nearl turned and headed toward the estate's main gate.
Platinum naturally fell into step behind her, their strides falling into a surprisingly similar rhythm.
"Hey, couldn't you just watch the Japan Cup on TV? What's the point of coming all the way here? Or do you have some other plan?"
"Naturally, I do." After exchanging nods with the servants they passed, Nearl and Platinum stepped out of the Mejiro estate.
"This time, I came with the idea of acting as a training partner for Oguri. Right now, she's just one step away from breaking into her next level."
"If she can't make that leap, her chances in the upcoming Japan Cup are practically nonexistent."
"You're this concerned about Oguri Cap? Even her own mother isn't as meticulous as you are."
Watching Nearl seriously explain the training plan she'd prepared for Oguri Cap, Platinum felt too drained to even muster a sarcastic remark.
It was clear to her now: Nearl saw herself as a giant EXP bundle for Oguri Cap, hoping the Uma Musume would consume it and level up.
"It's not quite like that. I promised Oguri's mother when I was young that I'd always look after Oguri Cap. From then till now, it's almost become a habit."
"The promise was made, and Oguri has earned my recognition, so why wouldn't I help her?"
Nearl spoke with stern, measured seriousness, an attitude that made Platinum roll her eyes outright.
"Alright, alright, the Knight's Code, I get it. Seriously, how did you end up with a personality like this? My way of thinking is way more normal, you know?"
"Normal doesn't mean correct. Your attitude needs adjusting in the days to come too—at the very least, you can't stay this lazy."
"Whatever. I'll change the day I lose."
Bickering all the way, the two made their way toward Central Tracen.
--+--
"Good, much better than last time. Take a break for now."
Musaka Ginjirou checked the numbers on his stopwatch and gave a satisfied nod, then called Oguri Cap over to rest.
"We're stopping already? I feel like I can keep going."
Oguri Cap wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, breathing heavily.
"No. I'm your trainer. I know your limits better than you do."
"You might feel fine now, but your stamina and muscles have hit their limit. What you're feeling is just adrenaline fooling you."
"Alright." Seeing how serious her trainer was, Oguri Cap didn't press further.
She knew her own limits well enough. When it came to training know-how, three hundred of her combined still couldn't match her trainer—after all, zero times anything is still zero.
"Hm."
Watching Oguri Cap obediently head off to rest, Musaka smiled with satisfaction. He had a deep appreciation for Oguri Cap.
Hardworking, straightforward, willing to listen, naturally gifted, and incredibly resilient—what trainer wouldn't fight for an Uma Musume like that?
Even with decades of teaching experience, he could count on one hand the number of Uma Musume who could rival Oguri Cap.
But just as he was thinking this, a golden figure raced through his mind.
"Sigh."
He let out a heavy sigh, reminded of that race he'd personally gone to Nagoya to watch.
It was a race that completely overturned everything he thought he knew about training.
From lane selection to running form, from unbelievable cornering to staggering speed—every aspect was flawless.
And beyond her formidable talent, there was none of the pointless arrogance so common among geniuses.
She carried herself with steady grace in every situation. It really made you wonder—how could there be such a perfect Uma Musume?
Even he couldn't help feeling a stir of excitement.
"That brat Jo… he's not planning to coast on her success, is he?!"
The words burst out before he could stop them. Here, "coasting" wasn't the usual meaning, but a bit of trainer's slang.
It referred to those trainers whose skills were just average, but who somehow ended up with incredibly gifted Uma Musume.
Their reputations were essentially lifted up by their charges, making them the objects of envy and scorn among other trainers, who often secretly wished them ill.
There was a reason for the jealousy: if your own lack of skill held your Uma Musume back, you accepted it. But why should some automatic lottery-winner get all the glory?
Musaka himself was among those who envied the "coasters."
Now, discovering that his own nephew might be on track to land the most luxurious "coasting" gig of all, his feelings were deeply tangled.
Just as his thoughts wandered, the very golden figure he'd been picturing appeared at the edge of the track.
"Nearl?"
Musaka blinked, confirming he wasn't seeing things, then instinctively wondered why Nearl would come to Central.
"Ha, what am I thinking? Why else would Nearl come here if not for Oguri Cap?"
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Musaka went to greet her.
"Nearl, good to see you again. Are you here for Oguri Cap?"
"Hello, Mr. Musaka. Yes, I've come for Oguri Cap. I was hoping to offer some help with her Japan Cup preparations."
Nearl politely stated her purpose to the trainer.
After all, Musaka was a top-tier trainer. Whatever her plans, it was wise to inform him and let him weigh the options.
Sure enough, as soon as she said it, Musaka's eyebrows rose and his expression turned serious, shifting into full trainer mode.
"Oh? Tell me more. What kind of help did you have in mind for Oguri Cap?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.