...
The journey from Tracen Academy to Kochi was long, so Trainer Lucian once again chose to arrive a day early, giving Urara some time to adjust to the environment.
"Onii-sama, there are so few people here in Kochi," Rice Shower voiced the same thought Lucian had during his first visit.
"This is a local racetrack, after all. How could it compare to the central ones? Plus, local races operate under a completely different system from the central ones."
Rice Shower nodded. "That's true. Urara must have felt a bit disappointed when she first came here."
"Just a little, but Trainer was with Urara back then, so it wasn't lonely at all."
"Yeah, Urara even cried back then."
"Trainer! You promised Urara you wouldn't tell anyone!" Urara waved her fists, though she held back, letting them land softly on Lucian's chest.
"I said I wouldn't tell Spe-chan and the others. Rice-chan wasn't part of the team back then, so she doesn't count." Lucian handed the room keys to the two of them. "Here are your room keys and meal vouchers. Don't lose them."
"Don't worry, Trainer. I won't go out at night."
Lucian: "Focus on the race. It's fine as long as you don't go out."
Urara: "Rice-chan, you can go out and explore in the evening. Kochi has a lot of unique snacks."
Lucian had initially thought Urara was settling down to prepare for the race.
But now, it dawned on him—was she trying to send Rice Shower away so she could do something mischievous at night...?
"Urara, I'll wait until after your race to go with you."
"Okay, Rice-chan." Urara nodded. "Trainer, we'll go put our luggage away now."
"Mm, go ahead."
...
The night passed without incident. No one knocked on Lucian's door, and he made it through safely.
The next morning, it was Urara and Rice Shower who knocked on his door to wake him up for breakfast.
"You're up so early?" Lucian yawned, checking the time—it was only 6:30.
"Because we went to bed early last night." Urara seemed to be in great spirits this morning, even a bit overly excited. "Trainer, we're not heading back until tomorrow noon, right?"
"That's right."
"Then we can have fun tonight and stay up late!"
"Are you going out to play?"
"Do you like going out, Trainer? That's fine too."
"I thought it was just you and Rice-chan..."
The hidden meaning in their words was clear.
"Of course Trainer is coming with us! Last time we explored in the morning, but this time it's at night. You've never seen Kochi at night, right?" Urara had spared him last night, but she wouldn't be so merciful tonight.
Lucian: "I think we should focus on the race first. We can talk about this after winning."
...
Kochi Racecourse.
The number of spectators was still sparse.
Urara went to warm up, while Lucian and Rice Shower found seats near the starting line.
"Onii-sama, based on what you said yesterday, does that mean Urara has no chance of entering the 'Zone'?" The innocent horse girl asked earnestly.
"Who can say for sure?" Lucian leaned on the railing. "You horse girls are beings who can create miracles. I can't define anyone based on the current situation, but I choose to believe in all of you."
"As long as Urara wants to keep running, no matter how many times, I'll accompany her to Kochi."
Lucian turned to look at Rice Shower. "Of course, if any of you ever feel tired and decide it's enough, I'll support that choice too... Rice, reaching the 'Zone' isn't the only way to have a fulfilling career. If you feel it's enough, then you can bid farewell to the track you love with dignity."
"Onii-sama is always so kind..." Rice Shower lowered her head and murmured.
"I think the expectations of the audience come second. What matters most is your own will."
This wasn't the horse racing of another world. Lucian believed these young fillies should run with complete freedom, free from any moral constraints.
"Onii-sama..." Rice Shower suddenly remembered what Lucian had told her before—to care more about herself.
"Let's watch the race. It's about to start."
...
There were six participants in this race, and Urara was lucky to be assigned Gate 3.
Additionally, the track for this race was dirt.
"The race begins!"
"Number 3, Urara, cleanly takes the inside lane!"
This was Urara's first time running on dirt.
Was it just her imagination, or did it feel easier than turf?
As it turned out, it wasn't her imagination. That feeling lasted until the end of the race.
This time, Urara crossed the finish line in second place.
Though she was about a length and a half behind the winner, her time still broke her personal record.
But races are cruel. Only the winner receives the cheers of the crowd. The runner-up is quickly forgotten.
...
Lucian and Rice Shower went to the exit tunnel, where they saw Urara walking back dejectedly.
"What's wrong? You improved so much this time, yet you're still frowning?" Lucian crouched down and patted Urara's head.
"But I wanted to win. I didn't come here for second place."
"That's a good mindset. Hold onto that feeling, and we'll come back next time."
Rice Shower also stepped forward to comfort her. "Urara did amazing today. Go get ready for the Winner's Ceremony now."
"Mm! Trainer, you have to watch Urara's dance properly... You can't look at the other two horse girls." Urara allowed herself a small moment of selfishness. "You can glance at them once, but most of the time, you have to watch Urara."
"I promise I'll only watch Urara. Rice can supervise me."
"Hehe~ That's more like it. Then I'll go shower and get ready for makeup."
Aside from being a bit rundown, Kochi Racecourse followed the same layout and facilities as the central racecourses.
"Mm, go ahead."
...
Lucian and Rice Shower went ahead and took their seats in the spectator stands.
There were plenty of empty seats, so there was no need to fight for a good spot.
"Rice, when will I get to see your Winner's Ceremony?"
"Onii-sama, I don't know yet." Rice Shower didn't seem fully prepared to commit to racing yet.
"Then do your best next year. Trainer will be looking forward to it."
Lucian calculated the timeline.
In the anime, after Silence Suzuka's injury, it took nearly a year for her to recover fully.
But he had healed her in just a few days.
That meant the current timeline was a year ahead of the anime's events, leaving a blank year ahead.
So, for Lucian, there was no reference for what would happen next year.
...