“Of course we’ll train.” Yugi glanced at his watch.
“But you two should go eat breakfast now.
We’ll meet at the training ground at 9 o’clock.”
As soon as she heard about breakfast, Oguri Cap’s ears twitched.
Berno Light pulled her hand.
“Then we’re off!
Goodbye, Trainer!”
“See you at 9!” Yugi nodded, watching the two Uma Musume he was responsible for leave.
It wasn’t until Berno Light and Oguri Cap disappeared from his sight that Yugi slowly limped over to the corner of the training ground.
“Hiss—” After sitting down, he gasped.
“Sure enough, if you don’t run at that speed for too long, using it suddenly just once will cause a strain.”
Yugi leaned against the wall, tilting his head back and looking at the sky dyed gold by the morning sun.
“If I were an Uma Musume…”
“Never mind.” He blinked hard.
“Even if I were an Uma Musume, I would probably run away from the West Coast Tracen Academy.
Although it would definitely be very difficult.”
Walking on the way to the cafeteria, Berno Light turned her head to look at Oguri Cap, who was slightly frowning, and asked curiously, “Oguri, did you run into a problem?”
“Yes.” Oguri Cap’s answer was brief.
“What kind of problem?” Berno Light’s eyes widened, and she started pressing for details.
“Oguri~ Tell me!”
“I don’t know why, but every day after seeing the trainer, I feel like he’s become kinder than he was yesterday.” Oguri Cap covered her chest and explained softly.
“It’s strange, since I’ve barely interacted with the trainer.”
“Maybe the trainer is very charming?” Berno Light thought for a moment and offered her explanation.
“After all, he is really handsome… When he walked into the classroom that day, I heard Norn Ace and the others’ breathing get heavier.”
“Is that so?” Oguri Cap, who didn’t quite understand these things, tilted her head.
At 9 o’clock, Oguri Cap and Berno Light arrived at the training ground on time, and Yugi was already standing by the side a few minutes early.
“Trainer!” The two Uma Musume greeted him in unison.
“Very punctual.” Yugi smiled and waved.
“It is our first training session, after all.” Berno Light replied with a smile.
Oguri Cap also softly hummed in agreement.
“Before our first training session, I want to ask you both: why did you want to become an Uma Musume?” Yugi shook the notebook in his hand, which contained records of the family situations of the two Uma Musume before him, and asked.
“Because I saw Uma Musume running on TV, and I really wanted to be like them.” Berno Light was the first to answer.
“What about you, Oguri Cap?” Yugi turned his gaze to the other gray-haired Uma Musume.
“You have outstanding talent.
Did you plan to become an Uma Musume since you were very young?”
“No.” Oguri Cap denied it flatly.
“In fact, when I was just born, my knees were so stiff I couldn’t even stand up.
My mother spent a long time massaging me every day, gradually softening my lower limbs.
At that time, I just wanted to run freely like other children.
I never thought about becoming an Uma Musume.”
“And now?” Yugi asked, pressing further after pursing his lips, having heard about Oguri Cap’s childhood experience for the first time.
Oguri Cap raised her head slightly and met her trainer’s gaze without flinching.
“I want to use these legs, healed by my mother’s love, to secure a better life for her.”
“Good.” Yugi grinned.
“Although our goals are not the same, the means to achieve those goals are identical.”
“What is the trainer’s goal?” Although Berno Light and Oguri Cap had heard his declaration yesterday, they still didn’t fully understand.
“My goal?” Yugi paused for a moment, then spoke without hesitation.
“Right now, I want to obtain a letter of appointment from Central Tracen Academy.”
“The trainer wants to enter Central?” Berno Light was surprised.
“But you clearly said you wanted to ‘defeat Central’.”
“Exactly…” Oguri Cap mumbled along.
“So you already want to join the other side?”
“‘Central’ and the local regions are not in opposition,” Yugi shrugged.
“And the reason I proposed ‘defeating Central’ was simply to prove that I have the ability to serve as a trainer at Tracen Academy in Central.”
Changing the subject, he asked, “If you two had the chance to go to Central, how would you choose?”
Oguri Cap shook her head without thinking.
“I think Kasamatsu is quite good.
The food in the cafeteria here is excellent.”
Berno Light also offered the same opinion.
“If Oguri stays in Kasamatsu, then I’ll stay here too.”
…
Yugi silently shook his head, deciding not to continue this topic.
“It’s uncertain whether they’ll make such a choice in the future, so there’s no need to say anything,” he thought, handing his notebook to Oguri Cap.
Oguri Cap took the trainer’s notebook with both hands, flipped open the first page, and froze.
“What is this?” Berno Light leaned over to look and was also puzzled.
“There are two tables on it, filled with race names.
Are these schedules arranged for us?”
“That’s right.” Yugi confirmed her guess.
“This is the race plan for the two of you for the next three months — provided, of course, that you can win them.”
“That’s great,” Berno Light exclaimed.
“Oguri gets to participate in a Grade Race on her third outing.”
“Grade Race…” Oguri Cap muttered.
“The Hokkaido Yushun Himba is a Grade Race.”
“Exactly.
It’s a Grade 3 race, with a winner’s prize of 25 million yen.” Yugi added, “If you win, you get 80% before taxes.”
“The remaining 20% belongs to me according to the regulations of the URA Association.” Yugi did not shy away from discussing this topic.
At this point, he glanced at Berno Light, who was already stunned by the huge sum of “25 million.” “Of course, this is based on our team’s current situation.
It would be different for other teams.”
“Why?” Oguri Cap was a little nervous.
For her, who grew up in the Hokkaido countryside, even 80% of 25 million would be enough to help her mother buy many things she had long wanted.
“Uh, regardless, the 80% share for the participating Uma Musume doesn’t change.” Yugi realized Oguri Cap was nervous due to a misunderstanding and quickly explained.
“Other teams also have support staff responsible for logistics for the Uma Musume, so when dividing the prize money, the trainer only gets 15%, and the remaining 5% goes to the logistics personnel.”
“5% of 25 million is 1.25 million!” Berno Light immediately calculated the result in her head.
“That’s a lot!”
To get that much just for logistics, without even having to race — and this was only a local G3… If it were a Central Grade Race, the prize money would be even higher, and the share would be greater.
“The winner of the Kasamatsu Debut Race gets 850,000 yen, and for me to win the Kasamatsu Debut Race and Maiden Race with my current ability…” Berno Light was fully aware of her own talent level.
Yugi also noticed the change in Berno Light’s expression, but he planned to address it when he was alone with the chestnut-haired girl — and, incidentally, solve a difficult problem in his dream world.
“Alright, the next page is the short-term training plan I arranged for you two, and also this—” Yugi handed a calendar to Oguri Cap and Berno Light respectively.
“This is the calendar we talked about this morning.
Whether you have morning practice starting tomorrow will be based on the records here.”
“Actually, daily morning practice shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Oguri Cap questioned.
“As long as I can control the intensity, it won’t affect the trainer’s schedule.”
“But I don’t think you, Oguri Cap, can control your intensity when running by yourself.” Yugi spread his hands — this was information he had discovered in the dream world.
Yesterday in the dream world, when he was riding Oguri Cap for relaxation training, he had a tough time restraining her and keeping her from running wild.
“If the dream world and reality are connected…” Yugi observed the expression on Oguri Cap’s face carefully while responding to her question.
After hearing the trainer’s remark, Oguri Cap lowered her head, looking embarrassed.
“Sure enough, although they are completely different, this aspect is connected.” After noticing Oguri Cap’s reaction, many things Yugi wanted to explore in the dream world flashed through his mind.
Such as what food Oguri Cap likes, which parts of her body are most sensitive, her most suitable racing strategy, and so on.
“These are all necessary things to know in order to properly train Oguri Cap,” Yugi nodded while lost in thought.
“Trainer?” Noticing that the trainer in front of her was spaced out, Berno Light reached out and waved her hand before his eyes.
“Ah!” Yugi snapped back to reality and quickly covered up.
“I was just thinking about what training I should put you through today.”
“Isn’t it already written in the training plan?” Oguri Cap pointed to her notebook.
“This morning, I’m supposed to maintain sixty percent of my speed while Berno Light starts one second after me and tries hard to catch up.”
“I’ve changed my mind.
We won’t be doing the chasing drill today.” Yugi’s lips curled up.
“The two of you go ask the teacher for leave first.
We’ll meet at the school gate after lunch.”
“Eh?” Oguri Cap and Berno Light were completely confused, having not expected the trainer to take them skipping school on the very first day of training.
===
After hastily completing some recovery training in the morning, Yugi urged Oguri Cap and Berno Light to go eat lunch.
But after Oguri Cap started walking, Berno Light still lingered where she was.
“Is something the matter?” Yugi asked, though he already knew the answer.
“The trainer must have guessed it already, right?” Berno Light stopped pretending, halted her steps, turned around, and countered.
“You definitely guessed it, didn’t you?”
“I guess, Berno Light, that you want to ask me about logistics.” The young man smiled.
“Because when I was talking to Oguri Cap about prize money distribution, you looked very concerned.”
“Well…” Berno Light scratched her head.
“I know my own talent level.
It will be very difficult for me to perform well in the Twinkle Series.”
She paused, stared seriously at Yugi, and asked, “Trainer, please be honest with me.
If I strictly follow your training plan, what is the maximum extent of achievement I can reach?”
“…” Yugi remained silent, glancing at Berno Light’s basic stats — except for her dirt track suitability, which reached B, all other race attributes were below C.
He hesitated for a long time, carefully choosing his words.
“If you and I both do our best, I can guarantee you multiple victories at Kasamatsu and secure one or two major stakes races.”
The local major stakes races at Kasamatsu had a maximum prize money of only 5 million yen.
“There’s absolutely no need to hesitate.” Berno Light extended her hand.
“Trainer, would you be willing to let me be the team’s logistics Uma Musume?”
“Of course I am.” Yugi said this verbally but did not shake Berno Light’s hand.
“However, Berno Light, I hope you race at least once in a local Kasamatsu competition to enjoy the feeling of the track.
Otherwise, your career as an Uma Musume will have a flaw.”
“I will listen to the trainer.” Berno Light readily agreed.
“Even though I don’t plan on being an Uma Musume anymore, I will continue training seriously during the period before my debut.”
“Mhm, I will treat you with the same seriousness I treat Oguri Cap.” Yugi raised an eyebrow, making a promise.
After watching Berno Light leave, Yugi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
In fact, ever since he noticed Berno Light’s attributes, he had been thinking about how to arrange things for this chestnut-haired girl who had been brought along by Oguri Cap.
Initially, Yugi had thought about finding her alternate world counterpart in the dream world to see if he could use the dream world’s rewards to help improve her abilities, but he failed.
Later, when Yugi was collecting the family information for the two Uma Musume he was responsible for, he discovered that Berno Light’s family ran a sports equipment store, which is when he got the idea of having her become a logistics Uma Musume.
But Yugi couldn’t bring this up himself, as he wasn’t familiar enough with Berno Light yet, and he was afraid that suggesting it might make the chestnut-haired girl feel suspicious.
“As a trainer, you must care about the mental state of your Uma Musume.” Yugi had learned this point when he was in school.
He had also witnessed in the West Coast Tracen Academy what kind of trouble trainers who didn’t take this seriously ran into.
“Although, in terms of physical fitness, I’m not really afraid of typical Uma Musume.” Yugi recalled the “tragedy” he had witnessed while flexing his wrist.
Now that Berno Light had proactively suggested becoming the logistics Uma Musume, it saved Yugi a lot of worry.
“Although a logistics Uma Musume cannot stand on stage and enjoy the cheers like the racing Uma Musume, I won’t let Berno Light truly stay behind the scenes.” He had already thought of ten, maybe even nine, ways to utilize Berno Light…
…After quickly having lunch, Yugi met up with the two Uma Musume he was responsible for at the academy gate.
“Good afternoon, Trainer~ Although the teacher didn’t know what you were taking us to do, she specifically told us to be careful.” Berno Light waved the leave slip in her hand and greeted Yugi.
“I’m not taking you anywhere dangerous.” Yugi pursed his lips and turned around.
“Follow me.”
Oguri Cap and Berno Light obediently followed behind him.
Yugi led the two of them to the academy parking lot, walked up to a first-generation Alto, and opened the back door.
“Get in.
Let’s go.”
“Trainer, where are we going?” Oguri Cap finally couldn’t hold back and asked.
Yugi sat down in the driver’s seat and answered without turning his head, “We’re going to the Nagoya Racecourse.
Today, the SP1-grade local major stakes race, the Tokai Sakura Sho, is being held.
I’m taking you two to watch the competition.”
“Eh!?
We’re not training, but watching a race?” Berno Light was very confused.
“What kind of training program is this!?”
“As Uma Musume, have you ever watched a race live?” Yugi started the engine and casually countered.
The two Uma Musume sitting in the back were stunned into awkward silence.
“You haven’t, right?” Yugi was not surprised by this.
“That’s why I’m taking you to watch a race live, to experience the atmosphere of a major stakes race in the Nagoya region.”
“Experience the atmosphere?” Oguri Cap tilted her head.
“You need to realize that in the future, you will be standing on a much grander stage than this.” Yugi drove out of the academy and replied.
“Especially Oguri Cap, if you want to achieve your dream, then we will definitely head to Central later on.”
“Even if there isn’t a major stakes race happening in Central that day, the atmosphere at the racecourse will be more fervent and shocking than what you’ll see today in Nagoya.
If it’s a major stakes race, or even a G1…” Yugi paused, recalling the Takarazuka Kinen he watched with that “Emperor” from Central.
“If your spirit isn’t firm enough, you might even be shaken by the cheers of the live audience, which could affect your performance.”
“That sounds terrifying…” Berno Light muttered softly.
“Is it that shocking?” Oguri Cap’s tone carried a hint of hesitation.
After hearing Oguri Cap’s reaction, Yugi was convinced that his idea of taking them to watch the race was perfectly sound.
The Nagoya Racecourse was built over thirty years ago.
Naturally, like most other local racecourses, it only has a dirt track.
The track circumference of this racecourse is 1,100 meters, its width is 23 meters, and the final straight is only 194 meters, making it the shortest among all racecourses in Japan.
Although the major stakes race held today at the Nagoya Racecourse is called the “Tokai Sakura Sho,” which is very similar to the first race of the Central Triple Tiara Route, the entry conditions are completely different.
This Tokai Sakura Sho only accepts registration from older Uma Musume who have finished the Classic Race season, and the race condition is 2,000 meters on dirt.
After buying tickets, Yugi led Oguri Cap and Berno Light to the spectator stands closest to the track.
“The Tokai Sakura Sho starts in a little over two hours,” he turned around and told the two Uma Musume.
“The two of you can carefully observe the level of the Uma Musume in the preceding races.”
Speaking of this, Yugi’s gaze swept toward Oguri Cap.
“Especially Oguri Cap, as soon as you win a local race at Kasamatsu, I will bring you here to compete.
So you need to observe the Uma Musume on the track even more carefully.”
“Will they be my future opponents?” Oguri Cap countered.
Yugi shook his head.
“No, but your opponents will be roughly the same level as them.
Only after you defeat them once, or even multiple times, can I take you to Hokkaido to challenge the elite among the national local Uma Musume of your generation.”
200 Stones – 1 chapter
400 Stones – 2 chapter
600 Stones – 3 chapters
And so on