The team-building event ended after that night, and everyone returned to the school. Rei Zai, as the "landowner," sat in the Student Council Room, ready to sign the contract.
However, signing was one thing; they also needed to bring people for a site inspection. So, amidst Special Week's expression of "Z-chan, don't go! How can I live without you!", she temporarily left the team.
Anyway, Suzuka would take good care of her, so there was nothing to worry about.
As for the site inspection… the Student Council naturally couldn't all go. And the most suitable Ms. Hayakawa needed to look after the Chairman, so… "Joy! A rare mountain trip, I shall impose greatly!" A petite girl with chestnut hair and a white highlight suddenly snapped open a folding fan, on which the word "Joy" was written.
Hmm, since Ms. Hayakawa couldn't come because of the Chairman, then bringing the Chairman along would solve the problem.
Akikawa Yayoi, the Chairman of Tracen Academy, the universally recognized mascot of the entire school ( ).
She was easygoing, able to chat with other Uma Musume without caring about her status as Chairman. Her love for the Academy and Uma Musume was also extraordinary; for instance, a large portion of Tracen Academy's initial construction funds came from her own pocket. She would even cover shortfalls in Academy expenses herself, making her an excellent Chairman.
Of course, her occasional sudden whims often gave everyone headaches.
"This time, we'll be relying on you to lead the way, Z-chan." Ms. Hayakawa maintained her smile at all times.
Finally accepting her fate, Rei Zai took the two onto the train.
Throughout the journey, the Chairman was very energetic, but Rei Zai was more curious about her folding fan.
As everyone knew, the Chairman's fan would display words as soon as it was opened, but no one ever saw when she wrote them on it.
So, midway, Rei Zai tried to ask for it to examine, but no matter how she looked, it was just an ordinary white fan. No matter how she tried to open it like the Chairman, nothing would appear.
"Normal! This is common!" The Chairman said, taking back the fan and opening it. Then, words appeared on the fan that had been blank moments before.
"…" Rei Zai decided not to delve deeper.
In any case, by the time they arrived at her Hometown in Hokkaido, it was already afternoon. Lunch was a bento Rei Zai had brought, which received the Chairman's highest praise.
However, now that they had arrived, they couldn't relax. In the end, Rei Zai and Ms. Hayakawa together escorted the Chairman, who wanted to explore the surroundings, to their destination.
Returning to her familiar Hometown, there weren't many people, but the house was still tidy.
The "[Maintains tidiness even when uninhabited]" service, which cost 500pt at the time, was really effective ( ).
"Hmm…" The Chairman, who had been dragged along, was still a bit displeased.
"Alright, Chairman, I'm planning to take Ms. Hayakawa to look around. Do you want to play in my house or come with us?"
"Without (no discussion needed)! Of course, I'll come along!" She opened her folding fan again.
After some thought, Rei Zai led the two to their first stop not far from here: the waterfall.
This was the first place she underwent training using external forces, aside from running. Standing here again now, she felt quite emotional.
Waterfall training was a common ascetic practice in Japanese Buddhism, but it was indeed useful for Uma Musume. The impact of the water flowing from a height was very effective for strengthening an Uma Musume's balance, stamina, and grit.
She remembered how she had endured the waterfall for a long time back then, achieving training results but also catching a fever.
Thinking of this, Rei Zai couldn't help but smile, and she explained the reason to the curious duo.
"That relatively flat rock in the middle is where I used to stand. Only that rock around here is suitable for standing or meditating. We can try moving some larger stones over to add a few more spots later."
"Indeed, but we still need to ensure safety, right?" Ms. Hayakawa stroked Rei Zai's head.
For some reason, Ms. Hayakawa was particularly strict about matters concerning safety measures and medicine. This made her the most suitable person to observe and record where safety measures were needed.
"But on rocks continuously eroded by flowing water, preventing slips and falls truly relies on oneself; there's really no external equipment to depend on, Ms. Hayakawa = ="
"Indeed, Chairman, do you have any ideas?" Hayakawa Tazuna also smiled, looking at the Chairman.
"Hmm, how about we turn this place into a tourist attraction?"
"Then it would lose the unique training significance of a training camp location."
The discussion about the waterfall ended there; the specifics would need to be discussed with everyone back at Tracen Academy.
Afterward, the three came to a large area of wooden stakes.
"Oh! Magnificent, did you make all of these yourself?" The Chairman was quite moved.
Before them was a large, square piece of ground, with wooden stakes inserted at regular intervals, each just wide enough for one foot to stand on. The spacing between the stakes was about thirty centimeters.
"It would be difficult to provide security in a place like this, wouldn't it?" Hayakawa Tazuna frowned slightly.
"Indeed, I think this place should only be for Uma Musume who have undergone specific training," Zero nodded. She had also fallen many times due to fatigue while practicing here. Each time she fell, the stakes would hit various parts of her body before she hit the ground. Even an Uma Musume might not be able to endure such torment.
"But you've always practiced here, haven't you?" The Chairman's gaze was somewhat curious.
"Well…" To be honest, she couldn't bring herself to say that the training here was relatively simple.
With her naturally good balance, her training here only met with obstacles at the very beginning. After finding the knack, this place actually became part of her daily morning routine, and in the end, it was a process of gaining proficiency through practice rather than targeted training.
In any case, this stake area should be a no-go. Zero continued to lead the two to the most impossible place to pass: the ramp.
Looking at this extremely steep ramp, covered in loose stones, even the experienced Chairman and Hayakawa Tazuna were shocked.
"This is where I did my ramp training back then… Not far from here, there's a ramp similar to the usual ones and very stable, so don't worry."
"You must have suffered a lot, didn't you?" Miss Jun Chuan looked a bit pained.
"Hmm, tempering oneself through hardship is one thing, but not like this. Don't do this kind of training again!" Even the Chairman looked serious at this moment. Besides a Trainer, the two of them were probably the ones who least wanted to see an Uma Musume get injured.
"I know, but I'm truly completely familiar with this place." Saying that, Zero, while the two weren't paying attention, ran up and down the ramp. Her skilled technique along the way surprised these two Uma Musume, who the Three Goddesses had revealed to be legends of an era.
"Such naturally fluid and skilled technique, it truly opens my eyes." Her gaze showed approval. "However, even so, such dangerous training cannot be allowed." For the Chairman, seeing young children run freely and happily without pain was probably what she most wanted to see.
"I know, the other ramp is over there." Saying that, Zero led the two there.
Subsequently, they visited various other places, especially the grassland located in the open space between the mountains. Zero could even see a hint of desire to run there in the Chairman's eyes.
That small grassland was indeed magnificent. Despite being nestled in the mountains, the slightly warm temperature and suitable humidity made it a naturally dreamlike pasture. No Uma Musume could refuse such a place.
However, was it ultimately because she was an experienced Uma Musume? She still restrained her impulse.
Zero had actually privately asked the two about their identities, and after a brief exchange, they admitted the truth to her.
In fact, besides their ears and tails, the two hadn't seriously hidden anything. They also said that if an Uma Musume asked them, they wouldn't mind telling them, but most Uma Musume were too shy to ask.
Moreover, the two were, after all, Uma Musume from the previous era, and too many things were involved, so in most cases, they wouldn't be too ostentatious.
In fact, precisely because Zero knew their identities, the two, knowing that no one else would come, also took off their hats and revealed their tails, which was a nice form of relaxation.
The subsequent dinner was naturally prepared by Zero herself. Midway, Hayakawa Tazuna wanted to help, but her confidence was shattered by the sight of a pile of expensive ingredients.
"If I accidentally burn a dish, I'll definitely be punished by the Three Goddesses…" Miss Jun Chuan said, leaving the kitchen dejectedly, though Zero knew the reason for all of this.
[Such a child is also very cute!]
So, Goddess, did you specially give me a large wholesale of expensive ingredients tonight just to see this scene? Zero silently grumbled in her heart.
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