To say she was strictly following the doctor's training schedule was naturally a lie. One could tell just from the way she couldn't meet Nearl's eyes—Ardan had never felt this guilty in her life.
'I'm sorry, but if I told the truth, you wouldn't be on my side either, would you, Nearl?'
Fingertips tracing the warmth radiating from the gemstone, Ardan struggled to paint on her usual, carefree smile, though anyone could see how strained and guilty it looked.
"I've definitely been training according to the doctor's plan. You know how fragile my body is, Nearl. If I secretly pushed myself, I'd only suffer for it in the end. I'm not foolish enough to do something like that."
"Is that so?"
Nearl narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression caught between a smile and a rebuke, making Ardan almost believe she'd been found out.
Fortunately, Nearl finally looked away, letting the matter drop, and Miss Ardan breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"I believe you," Nearl said, crossing her arms and resuming her stride.
She lowered her voice for the second half, nearly muttering to herself, "I believe you'll definitely be secretly pushing yourself in training."
Was this a good thing for Ardan? Nearl wasn't sure, but Ardan certainly looked much happier now.
She could train like an ordinary Uma Musume, instead of handling her own body like a fragile, precariously stacked set of building blocks.
'Well, let things take their natural course.'
Behind her, Ardan quietly exhaled. She wasn't certain her words had convinced Nearl, but as long as she didn't press further, that was enough.
Ardan knew her situation was unusual. It was her own body, yet lately she felt she understood it less and less.
Her physical constitution hadn't changed, yet it seemed sturdier somehow.
Even after increasing her training load, she suffered no ill effects the next day.
Compared to the past, when overexertion left her whole body aching, her current physique was more than satisfactory to Ardan.
For the first few days, this sudden boon left her apprehensive, feeling surreal. But after careful consideration, Ardan decided to increase her training anyway.
Perhaps it was a blessing from the gods, or a deal with a devil. She'd even wondered if it might be some kind of final rally before the end.
'But in the end, I just can't give up this chance.'
Back then, Ardan had made up her mind. This might be the only opportunity in her lifetime, and she couldn't let it slip away.
Her natural talent had always been among the top tier, yet from childhood till now, she'd never once had the chance to fully hone herself. What a regret that was.
"If only I had a robust, healthy body... no, even just a below-average physique would do. Then I could, I could..."
Words of frustration echoed in her heart. Ardan couldn't claim she'd never complained about fate.
She had simply accepted it.
But now, things were different.
'The doctors haven't detected my changes, so the training schedules they set are still brief. Only I know that I can handle more now.'
Ardan was well aware she could never persuade the doctors or her elders to lift her training restrictions. Yet, she didn't want to miss this final chance either.
So she had to keep it secret, had to train in stealth. That was precisely why she was so determined to join this training camp.
Here, her training was free. As long as she didn't go too far, training a little longer wouldn't be noticed. She could even sneak in extra sessions at night.
How strange reality was. Some Uma Musume shunned training, while others were overjoyed just to be able to train more.
--+--
The training camp was located on a small hill near the suburbs, quiet and peaceful but not entirely desolate.
Standing atop the hill at night, you could see the city lights blazing in the distance, lending the place an unexpectedly transcendent, almost secret realm-like feel.
The camp itself was decently equipped.
Grass and dirt tracks went without saying, and there was no shortage of equipment for muscle and flexibility training. It was just a shame there was no pool, dance studio, or other such 'noble' facilities.
"All that is whatever, but why is there no chemistry lab? Not even running water! The only things electricity powers are the lights and outlets—what kind of concentration camp is this?"
Agnes Tachyon complained bitterly. She was the only one truly dissatisfied with the environment here.
Unfortunately, her reputation for being eccentric meant no one paid her complaints any mind—until Nearl arrived.
Naturally, Agnes Tachyon latched onto her, joining Ardan as a guide of sorts. Ardan led the way, while Tachyon chattered incessantly.
Nearl had run into Agnes Tachyon over by the grass track. Since the dining area was deep inside, requiring passage through all the training zones, the track was an unavoidable route.
Neither Ardan nor Nearl had expected anyone to still be on the track at mealtime, least of all that notoriously elusive 'Phantom Uma Musume'.
"Hmph, no need for that. I know what you're really thinking—'Mad Scientist,' right? I quite like that title. You can call me that directly, no problem."
Agnes Tachyon wiped the sweat from her brow, letting out a wild laugh, but her body, still recovering from the intense exercise, couldn't take the strain.
Soon, a sharp pain in her throat sent her into a fit of loud coughing.
"Cough! Cough! It's been too long since I moved my body like this... cough... how pathetically weak..."
Her tone was full of self-reproach, but beneath that frustration, a deep-seated excitement and barely restrained exhilaration flowed steadily.
"But at least I can run a few steps now. I'll forgive this weakness for the time being. I'll surely return to my best eventually."
Seemingly exhausted, Agnes Tachyon leaned casually against Nearl's straight, firm shoulder, her hands constantly rubbing her own slender, alluring calves—part massage, part the protective caress of someone cherishing a long-lost treasure.
Seeing this, Ardan felt a pang of empathy.
Though the two of them differed in many ways, they shared the similarity of having their desire to run constrained by their bodies.
Now, her own body had mysteriously grown a bit healthier, and Agnes Tachyon's legs had miraculously healed. Putting herself in Tachyon's shoes, Ardan understood why she had run alone until now.
It was an indescribable sense of fulfillment.
The tightening and coiling of the thighs, the rhythmic back-and-forth of the knees, the tremor in the calves, the friction and heat between sock-clad feet and shoe soles, and that irreplaceable, soft yet dry sensation of feet meeting grass.
This passion was the one thing an Uma Musume would never abandon, and Agnes Tachyon had lost it for a long time.
Her legs, miraculously healed not long ago, were now reawakening that craving to run.
She wished she could spend every moment outside of eating and sleeping on the grass track. Even if she couldn't run, just walking there satisfied her.
Otherwise, why do you think Agnes Tachyon would endure a place where she couldn't conduct experiments?
It was simply because, for now, running occupied her mind so completely that everything else had temporarily taken a back seat.
After quietly acting as a backrest for Tachyon to rest a while, Nearl checked the sky and noticed the sun had climbed to its zenith.
"It's noon already. Shouldn't we go eat? If we don't hurry, Oguri Cap really might finish all the lunch."
This was no joke, but a certain reality. However, Agnes Tachyon wasn't particularly concerned. She rummaged through the pockets of her tracksuit jacket and pulled out an energy bar.
"Don't worry. If lunch is gone, I have a more efficient way of eating right here."
"Ah, I know these!"
Ardan exclaimed in delight, her voice full of nostalgia.
"I tried them when I was in the hospital. Their taste is right up there with hospital food!"
"Oh, that does sound like a disaster."
Well aware of Ardan's peculiar taste buds, Nearl could only offer her condolences.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.