There's Something Wrong With You, Logistics Uma Musume

However, she had heard the sound of a loudspeaker speech in the teaching building earlier, and out of curiosity, with her Uma Musume's super hearing, she quickly followed the sound all the way to its source, a place like an auditorium, where a lecture seemed to be in progress.

"Hmm? I remember..."

Kagura vaguely remembered that she had glanced at the school gate when she passed the atrium just now, and Hayakawa Tazuna was still standing there. She didn't understand that it had taken her less than half a minute to walk from the atrium to this auditorium. How did Hayakawa Tazuna appear at the entrance of the auditorium?

Could it be that Miss Hayakawa can teleport!?

Having already experienced the supernatural phenomenon of Eclipse, Kagura couldn't help but suspect that Hayakawa Tazuna was also some kind of unconventional being.

"Good morning~ Kagura-san, you're up so early?"

Seeing Kagura walking over, Hayakawa Tazuna greeted her.

"Miss Hayakawa, is there a lecture going on inside?"

Kagura decided to ignore how Hayakawa Tazuna appeared here for the time being; she was more concerned about what was being discussed inside.

"Yes, it's a meeting for Trainers. The recruitment of new Trainers has recently ended, and the veterans are preparing to pass on their experience to the newcomers."

"Passing on experience, huh... Can I go in and listen?"

In her mind, the duties of a Trainer and a Logistics Uma Musume had some similarities. Kagura also wanted to learn about this aspect, and since she happened to come across a Trainer's lecture, she was willing to listen.

"This... Kagura-san, do you really want to go in and listen? Trainer courses are not very useful for Uma Musume, and they're very boring. No Uma Musume has ever attended a Trainer's meeting so far, you know?"

"I'm a Logistics Uma Musume. I want to understand how Trainers usually take care of Uma Musume, also to better take care of Ojou-sama. Can you let me go in and listen?"

"...Please wait a moment."

Hayakawa Tazuna didn't immediately agree to Kagura's request, because no Uma Musume had ever attended such a lecture before. Other Uma Musume were usually busy training, studying, or going out to relax, and there were few Logistics Uma Musume at Tracen Academy in the first place, so even fewer would come to listen to something like this.

Watching Hayakawa Tazuna tap away at her phone, Kagura guessed that she must be communicating with someone. After a while, Hayakawa Tazuna put away her phone and nodded to Kagura:

"If Kagura-san is interested in learning, we can make an exception and let Kagura-san go in and listen. However, Kagura-san, the content discussed at the meeting may involve some small secrets of the Trainers' work, so please be careful to keep them confidential."

"Okay!"

Thus, having obtained permission to enter, Kagura carefully pushed open the door and slipped inside.

Kagura, being a shorty, was still very inconspicuous in the back row, so her sneaking in didn't attract anyone's attention. She quickly ran to the back row and found an empty seat to sit down.

Why does the person on the left look a little familiar...?

After sitting down, she instinctively observed the surrounding environment. Kagura found that the young man on her left, who was sucking on a lollipop and exuding an air of frivolity, looked somewhat familiar.

The young man on the left also noticed Kagura's movement as she slipped in and sat down, and quickly looked over—

"Ah! That lollipop weirdo from that day!"

Seeing the other person's face, Kagura quickly remembered that this was the weirdo who had stopped her on the street about a month ago and asked if he could touch her legs.

"Why is an Uma Musume here?!"

Fortunately, both of them controlled their volume, and their exclamations didn't attract anyone's attention.

This was a lecture for Trainers, but the regulations didn't prohibit Uma Musume from obtaining Trainer licenses, so theoretically, it was possible for Uma Musume Trainers to appear here.

But such Uma Musume were few and far between. After all, most Uma Musume didn't have the inclination to learn the complex and tedious knowledge of Trainers. They were already spending all their energy focusing on race training, and they didn't have time to learn about such things. Even after retiring, they generally wouldn't think about becoming Trainers, so there were usually no Uma Musume here.

"Hey, what's with all the commotion all of a sudden... Kagura-san? What are you doing here?"

However, the lollipop weirdo's commotion still attracted the attention of another Trainer in the back row—Toujou Hana was also sitting in the back row listening to the meeting, so she naturally couldn't fail to notice the commotion here.

"I wanted to learn about the work content of Trainers, so I applied to come in and listen... Uh, is it strange?"

"Frankly, in all my years at Tracen Academy, this is the first time I've seen an Uma Musume appear at such a lecture. Although it's not impossible, such Uma Musume are really rare."

Toujou Hana nodded. She seemed much calmer and quickly accepted the fact that Kagura was here. She knew that Kagura was a Logistics Uma Musume, so it was indeed possible for her to be a staff member who came to audit the lecture.

"By the way, do you know this kid? How do you know each other? Did he do anything rude to you?"

"Well... not really? He just asked me on the street that day if he could touch my legs... but I refused."

"Good, there's progress. At least he knows to ask first, instead of just reaching out."

As she said that, Toujou Hana raised her pen and tapped the lollipop weirdo's head.

"Hey... Hana, at least let me leave a good impression on the cute student..."

"This is for your own good. If you scare away a few more Uma Musume like that, you'll be fired because of your performance. Control yourself, and when the new students enroll this semester, find a few to take charge of. It's a pity that you have nowhere to use your skills."

"Yes..."

The lollipop weirdo nodded very humbly. Kagura suddenly had a subtle feeling that the relationship between these two looked surprisingly good.

"Let me introduce you. This is Trainer Nishizaki Ryu, also known as Okino by some colleagues. And... this is Inari Kagura, a new student who enrolled in the elementary division this year."

"Hello, Mr. Nishizaki."

Kagura nodded. She didn't expect to meet this acquaintance, in a certain sense, here.

"So, Kagura, your interest in the Trainer lecture is... are you planning to take the Trainer license exam, or do you want to learn how to apply this knowledge to your work?"

Although Toujou Hana accepted the fact that an Uma Musume had popped up here, she couldn't help but be curious as to why Kagura would come to listen to this Trainer lecture that no Uma Musume would ever attend.

"For the time being, I just want to apply it to my work, um."

In fact, in addition to the relevant certification for Logistics Uma Musume, Kagura did plan to get a Trainer license. This was also one of the purposes of her sneaking in to listen to the lecture today. After all, having an extra certificate was an extra path. What if this certificate could really come in handy?

"While I'm not really against students learning more, Kagura, to be honest, I'd prefer you focus on running. Your talent is truly exceptional."

Toujou Hana had seen Kagura run, and she knew just how good Kagura's talent was. It wasn't that she didn't want her students to learn more, but in her experience, few Uma Musume could juggle daily physical training and Trainer-level theoretical study. Trying to do both often meant failing at both.

"Those things you were curious about before, I've analyzed them today. Kagura, I'm going to say a few things, and you can listen. It should be useful for your future plans."

"Is that so?"

Seeing that the host on stage was still giving the opening remarks, Kagura temporarily shifted her attention away and looked at Toujou Hana.

"Regarding Kagura's talent, based on her performance that day, her affinity for grass is excellent. Her stamina and explosive power are both quite strong. As for running style, I think she's best suited for leading, but her concentration is somewhat lacking, which may affect her ability to lead effectively."

"However, her explosive power can also support her running from behind... well, I can't be sure about that yet, because I haven't seen her compete with other Uma Musume. Plus, her personality is introverted and quiet, so I'm not sure how much other Uma Musume will affect her. Some Uma Musume are easily intimidated, so they aren't suitable for running in a pack of pursuers."

Nishizaki Ryu, who had been hanging his head, had recovered at some point and was listening to Toujou Hana's analysis with a serious expression. Kagura was also listening, but she didn't yet fully understand these professional terms, as she hadn't learned much about Trainers and Uma Musume yet.

"As for distance adaptability, although there's a lack of experimental information to prove it, I'm guessing she's adapted to all distances."

"All distances? Is this child that amazing?"

"That's highly likely. You should have watched the recording of that training race I sent you. She ran a full 1600 meters in the lead, and she was still able to unleash such a terrifying final burst of speed. After running, she even had stamina to spare. Her explosive limit and distance limit both have considerable room for expansion."

After speaking, Toujou Hana and Nishizaki Ryu both looked at Kagura, who was sitting obediently beside them.

Although Kagura's demonstrated abilities were still short of those of the top G1 Uma Musume, they both knew that Kagura hadn't yet reached her prime, and hadn't even reached the age where she could compete. Her potential was far more than that.

"That's an exaggeration. I can almost see the track at Tracen Academy packed with Trainers wanting to scout her during the school's tryouts."

After holding it in for a long time, Nishizaki Ryu finally spoke quietly.

Fortunately, Toujou Hana's voice wasn't loud. In this back row, only Nishizaki Ryu and Kagura could hear her words. If so many Trainers here heard that there was such a good prospect, this place would explode, and this meet-and-greet would probably fall apart.

"What, you're not planning to scout her?"

"Of course I want to. Who could refuse such a good prospect? But it depends on whether she's willing or not. There are so many Trainers at Tracen, and this child has no reason to keep staring at me. I can't just put her in a sack and bring her back, can I?"

"Mr. Nishizaki, that would be considered kidnapping. I'll call the police, you know."

Kagura smiled and picked up on Nishizaki Ryu's words, which may or may not have been a joke. It should have been a joke, but Kagura didn't know why she felt like someone at Tracen could actually do something like that.

"Well... you're still young, so there's no rush for this. Wait until you understand these things better before making a choice. It's not too late."

As he spoke, Toujou Hana reached out and patted Kagura's head.

'They have such high expectations of me. Am I that strong?'

Kagura, who had always been a little unconfident, couldn't help but think. Although she didn't fully understand Toujou Hana's analysis, she could tell from their reactions how high their expectations were for her. Being expected of made her happy, but she was also worried that she wouldn't be able to live up to those expectations. After all, her strengths used to be reading, memorization, and exams, not sports.

However, if she really did have such talent, as Toujou Hana said, she felt that she could usually take some time to train on the track. After all, it would be a waste not to use such a good body.

"Children aren't suitable for too much intense training. However, Kagura, you can try to train your concentration. This is more important for you. Besides that, from what I've observed, Kagura, your running style is almost identical to that of ordinary humans. You subconsciously conserve your strength, which will affect your ability to exert your full strength. You'd better modify it."

That being said, even the results Kagura achieved with a human running posture were already approaching the professional race level of Uma Musume. This showed that she was still holding back. If she could correct her running style and fix the existing problems, then she would likely... no, Toujou Hana could be sure that she would be the next Rudolph Symbol, or even stronger.

"I see... I understand. Thank you, Miss Toujou."

Although she didn't yet know how to train concentration and running style, Kagura first noted Toujou Hana's advice.

It was also at this time that Kagura heard the host's voice from the stage. It seemed that this meet-and-greet was about to begin. She stopped talking, and the two Trainers next to her didn't say anything more either.

23. Mejiro Ardan

"So the Trainer turnover rate is so high?"

Similar to the technical lectures Kagura used to attend, this lecture also gave Kagura a rough understanding of what Trainers usually do and the current shortage of Trainers at Tracen.

A lot of Trainers are added every year, but the reason why there are still shortages of Trainers every year is not that this industry is dangerous. At least Kagura didn't hear anything dangerous. She felt that it shouldn't be called dangerous. Kagura felt that it should be called 'happy troubles'.

After all, according to the host, many Trainers leave every year to marry the Uma Musume they've developed feelings for. Although her intuition told her that it shouldn't be that simple, she lacked the information to think deeper, so she didn't think much about what was going on.

'Male Trainers really have it rough…'

If you don't want to be taken home by your Uma Musume after the development is over, you have to be careful to maintain distance and affection between yourself and your Uma Musume. After all, when you think about it carefully, after spending a few years together day and night, going through thick and thin together, if a beautiful and lovely girl confesses to you, you still have to struggle to refuse.

Thinking of this, Kagura suddenly felt a little glad that she was female and an Uma Musume. These happy troubles should have nothing to do with her, so she didn't pay much attention to them. She didn't listen too carefully to the 'Trainer's self-protection' part.

'In that case, the old man who gave the lecture should be a very powerful person… in every sense of the word.'

The person speaking was a Trainer named Mutsuhira. He looked quite old. Even in her previous life, he was old enough to be her dad. When you think about it carefully, if it was really as she had heard before, this old man should have trained many Uma Musume, but he didn't seem to have any intention of leaving at all… in a sense, it was also a respectable skill.

She could hear many Trainers discussing in front of her. Kagura heard a few Trainers saying that their Uma Musume had recently started to become more proactive and aggressive, and discussing strange topics such as how to prevent it early. Kagura hadn't experienced what that felt like yet, but as an Uma Musume, she still felt a little strange listening to this kind of discussion here.

'I think I understand what Miss Hayakawa wanted me to keep secret…'

After the lecture, Kagura stayed in her seat to organize some of the more important information she had noted down. Seeing that the people around her had already left, and Toujou Hana and Nishizaki Ryu had also gotten up and walked towards the exit, she also got up to leave. It was almost noon now, and she would have to catch Rudolph Symbol and go to eat in a while.

'I forgot to check on Quality this morning. I wonder if Quality has been eating well. I'll make her a meal and take it up to her for lunch.'

Casually grabbing a bottle of unopened water in the venue, Kagura quietly left the venue with her notebook pressed against her ear and sneaked to the playground outside the teaching building.

It was now close to noon, and 11 a.m. in the summer was the time when the sun was at its fiercest. Even Uma Musume generally wouldn't appear on the playground at this time. In theory, that should be the case, but Kagura, who was passing by the playground, found that there was actually someone up there at this time.

'Who's running there in the middle of the day?'

Kagura stopped beside the playground. She was a little curious as to who would be running up there at this point.

The Uma Musume girl had sky-blue hair like the sky itself. Her steps weren't powerful, and she was visibly weak. Her posture wasn't as firm and healthy as Rudolph Symbol's. Compared to them, she was like a swaying flower, struggling to support her own body in the wind.

This girl's condition is completely off, isn't it?!

Seeing the Uma Musume staggering on the track, even someone without medical knowledge could tell that something was wrong. After all, the weather was what it was, and even Uma Musume couldn't resist that.

Knowing that the situation wasn't good, Kagura didn't continue observing. She put down what she was holding on the ground and immediately chased after her, starting a great escape. The staggering Uma Musume in front, who was constantly slowing down, naturally couldn't outrun her. However, the Uma Musume looked like she could no longer maintain her posture, her body leaning forward, about to fall.

"I made it!!"

As the blue-haired Uma Musume fell in mid-air, Kagura, who was a head shorter than her, finally ran to a position where she could catch her. She immediately reached out and hugged the falling Uma Musume, letting her lean on her shoulder. Since she wasn't as tall as the other girl, Kagura quickly adjusted her posture, carried her on her back, and ran towards the shade of the trees by the edge of the field.

This girl must have heatstroke. Why is she exercising on the track in the middle of the day? Where's her Trainer?

Kagura carefully placed the blue-haired Uma Musume on the grass under the shade of the trees, keeping her in a position that was convenient for resting and drinking water. She opened the bottle of water she had just swiped from the venue and fed it to her.

Logically speaking, no Trainer would assign training tasks to Uma Musume at this time. At least, Toujou Hana and the others wouldn't pull people out for training at this time. Kagura was quite curious about what this Uma Musume's Trainer was thinking, but she looked around and didn't see a Trainer's shadow.

"Unsupervised?"

Since she didn't see a Trainer, it could only mean that this Uma Musume's Trainer wasn't present at all. Otherwise, the Trainer definitely wouldn't have the guts to go out for training in this weather and leave without permission, unless he was really the kind of Trainer with abnormal morals. In that case, Kagura should consider reporting him to Rudolph Symbol.

The blue-haired Uma Musume, whose body temperature was too high, gasped in small breaths, not responding to Kagura's movements. It seemed like she was unconscious.

Kagura took out a towel she always carried with her from her pocket, wet it with some water, and placed it on the Uma Musume's head. Fortunately, this Uma Musume was dressed lightly, so the heatstroke symptoms weren't too severe. Based on her experience, Kagura estimated that the girl would wake up in a while.

"What a silly girl, why are you making things so difficult for yourself..."

Seeing the blue-haired Uma Musume's complexion gradually returning to normal, Kagura finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It was also at this time that Kagura saw a familiar man running out of the dormitory building, rushing onto the field, looking around anxiously, and finally fixing his gaze on Kagura under the tree, and the blue-haired Uma Musume next to her.

"I remember you, the Mejiro family's Trainer. What's wrong? What are you looking for?"

"...I apologize for the rash contact earlier, Miss Kagura."

"No need to apologize, I didn't really mind... By the way, this is your family's Uma Musume, right? What on earth are you thinking? Letting her run at this time? Even if you big families are pursuing results, you can't oppress Uma Musume like this, right? If I hadn't happened to pass by here, this young lady would have collapsed on a track that's over fifty degrees."