Through these past few days of experiments, Agnes Tachyon confirmed that even in the virtual world, the improvement effect from double training still remained.
Unfortunately, Trainer had not successfully entered the Domain. Every time he ran, he finished last.
"This won't do, Guinea Pig-kun," Agnes Tachyon said. "Your results are far too poor. Just now, that was only the most ordinary debut race, yet you still came last."
Fujiwara Chiya was so angry he wanted to curse.
Even if it was only a debut race, those were still genuine uma musume! If I could outrun them, why wouldn't I just become an uma musume myself!?
Of course, Agnes Tachyon was not being entirely serious either. After laughing a few times, she let Fujiwara Chiya sit beside her and rest, then asked about Shirayuki.
"How is her stamina? Can she handle the next race?"
Fujiwara Chiya drank the black tea. A sweet, cloying fragrance filled his nose. He realized that he was starting to like the tea Agnes Tachyon brewed. After licking his lips, Fujiwara Chiya answered,
"Her stamina has already improved. And because we've been improving her constitution recently, her endurance has increased quite a lot too. But we still can't let our guard down."
Ever since that race ended, Fujiwara Chiya had seen Seeking the Pearl and Kyoei March actively undergoing special training. Although Seeking the Pearl had lost speed last time because she broke away wildly from the start, the fact that she still had enough stamina to chase again afterward proved that her strength could not be underestimated. If she performed normally this time, she would definitely be Shirayuki's greatest opponent.
But Fujiwara Chiya felt that she would probably cause some kind of trouble again.
For no other reason than the fact that she had the same scent as Gold Ship. Sometimes, she was even more detached from common sense than Gold Ship. Once, Fujiwara Chiya saw Seeking the Pearl sleeping in a hammock hanging from a tree trunk, while her trainer stood below her, staring helplessly and even trying to climb up to get her down.
Seeing that trainer, Fujiwara Chiya suddenly thought of his past self.
He had once been teased by Gold Ship in exactly the same way.
After he learned to give up, the world became bright and clear.
He hoped that trainer could escape the sea of suffering soon too.
"Improving her constitution, huh… Guinea Pig-kun, give me a copy of the prescription. I'll see whether I can improve it. Recently, whenever I'm near Shirayuki, there's always a faint bitter scent on her."
"Bitter!? No way, I can't smell anything."
"Maybe you've gotten used to it. If you keep using those herbs, it might even change Shirayuki's natural scent. It won't affect the race, but… her sweat has started to contain impurities, which has caused quite a few difficulties for my research."
"Okay, I understand."
After training ended, Fujiwara Chiya brought Shirayuki back to his room.
Recently, he had brought Shirayuki over almost every day. In any case, he was not doing anything shameful, so even if the Director saw it, it would be fine. Besides, the Director was his older sister. She might tease him a few times, but she definitely would not get angry.
Right now, his relationship with the Director was one where she knew he was her younger brother, and Chiya also knew she was his older sister.
Neither of them had said it outright.
They simply lived together as they had before.
However, Fujiwara Chiya had become more proactive than before. He no longer became startled whenever the Director entered his room. Instead, he would often go to her room to chat, eat her snacks, and when the Director was in a good mood, she would affectionately pat his shoulder.
The two of them really seemed to have become older sister and younger brother.
On the surface, she was his superior.
In reality, she was family.
Fujiwara Chiya's change had also drawn Akikawa Yayoi's attention. Seeing Fujiwara Chiya run into her room every day and actively look for her to spend time together made Akikawa Yayoi like him more and more.
Before, there had still been some distance between her and Chiya. He had been timid and respectful toward her, always careful and proper. That was not wrong. Out in the world, one should act that way toward a superior.
But deep down, Akikawa Yayoi still hoped he would change his attitude a little and be more casual with her.
Their relationship should not be so stiff.
Now, Fujiwara Chiya had suddenly seemed to understand something. He came to her for snacks, played games with her, and Akikawa Yayoi's heart bloomed with happiness.
This was how a younger brother should be.
The matter of supervision no longer mattered.
Right now, she just wanted to live together with Chiya.
Today, too, was another ordinary day together.
Inside the room, Fujiwara Chiya had Shirayuki sit on the bed and took off her shoes.
These past few days, he had not missed even a single day of soaking her feet and massaging her. Shirayuki's constitution had improved. Usually, after two thousand meters, her legs would start developing a burning sensation. Now, that limit had risen to two thousand three hundred meters. It could be said that she had made considerable progress.
However, she was still just a little short.
She had not yet broken through the two thousand four hundred meter barrier.
It did not need to last long.
As long as her constitution could be raised to two thousand four hundred meters, she would be able to participate in most internationally renowned races. In other words, if she improved by just another hundred meters, Shirayuki would undergo a qualitative change.
However, Fujiwara Chiya had now discovered that the effects of massage were becoming weaker and weaker.
At most, it could keep her body from regressing. Further improvement seemed impossible. Fujiwara Chiya needed to think of another method.
He held Shirayuki's foot.
Compared with half a month ago, Shirayuki's feet had clearly changed. To the touch, they were as smooth as soap. Her delicate and slender arches were so soft and springy that they seemed able to sink around his fingers. Faint blue veins could be seen beneath the fair skin on the top of her foot, like white marble carefully carved by a master craftsman.
Her small foot rested in Fujiwara Chiya's palm.
The man quietly observed it, then could not help bringing it closer to smell. Before coming here, Shirayuki had taken a bath, so there was no unpleasant odor. There was only the faint clean scent of soap, along with the citrus-like body fragrance naturally carried by the girl.
There was no bitter smell like Agnes Tachyon mentioned either.
Could it really be that I've gotten used to it and can't smell it anymore?
Although becoming stronger was a good thing, he did not want Shirayuki to end up marinated in herbal scent. He did not want her to smell like traditional medicine whenever he hugged her.
Just as Chiya, without even realizing it, was holding Shirayuki's foot near his nose like some kind of pervert, Akikawa Yayoi suddenly rushed in with great enthusiasm.
Opening the door, she loudly said,
"Chiya, I'm back!"
For an instant, the air fell into an eerie silence.
Akikawa Yayoi blinked, looking at Shirayuki sitting on the bed and Chiya kneeling on the floor.
"I thought it was strange that Shirayuki kept coming over recently… Ahem. Chiya, you're already an adult. I won't stop you from doing this kind of thing, but do it in moderation. Also, when you play around, remember to wash properly. You don't want to catch some strange infection, right!"
After saying that, Akikawa Yayoi shut the door with a thud.
Fujiwara Chiya looked at Shirayuki, then toward the direction where Akikawa Yayoi had left.
It took him half a beat to react.
Then he hurriedly chased after her.