There's Something Wrong with This Logistics Uma Musume

Kagura had already guessed that the blue-haired Uma Musume running straight toward her belonged to the Mejiro family. She composed herself, and her tone became serious.

"Sorry! Sorry! This was a failure in our supervision! Thank you for promptly lending Miss Kagura a hand and rescuing our young lady! We discovered this morning that Miss Ardan wasn't at home, so we searched everywhere and finally found her here..."

The trainer hurriedly apologized to Kagura while crouching down to examine the blue-haired Uma Musume who had yet to regain consciousness. The girl's identity was finally clear. Kagura had heard her name from Speed Symbol and knew about this frail Uma Musume called Mejiro Ardan.

It sounded like even the Mejiro family's trainer had no idea where Ardan had gone. In other words, Ardan had decided on her own to run here at this hour without the trainer's permission.

Wasn't this girl supposed to be frail? Running out to train under such a blazing sun—is she trying to make things difficult for herself?

Kagura wondered inwardly.

Soon, Kagura saw doctors, servants, maids, and a large group of others rushing over from the same direction, carrying all sorts of medical supplies. She realized there was probably nothing left for her to do here.

"You can handle her condition, right? In that case, I won't stay here any longer."

Kagura moved her hand away from Ardan's head and stood up to leave. Still half-asleep, Ardan looked reluctant and raised her head, trying to rub against Kagura's hand. But she failed to reach Kagura's palm.

"Miss Kagura, thank you for helping her in time. We'd like to invite you to the Mejiro family for a meal. Would you happen to be free?"

Seeing that Ardan's condition had improved greatly and that it was only a matter of time before she regained consciousness, the arriving group extended the invitation to Kagura as well.

"Never turning a blind eye to a patient in need is my principle. There's no need to thank me. Besides, I have work today, so please allow me to decline your invitation."

"...That's all right. Whenever you have time, Miss Kagura, the Mejiro family will always welcome you. I also wish you success with your work."

"Thank you~ Same to you~"

Already some distance away, Kagura didn't turn around. She merely raised a hand and waved at the Mejiro family's large group, returning their good wishes as well.

24. Miss Nice Nature Still Hasn't Realized How Serious Things Are

"What a surprise! The little girl made lunch in the cafeteria!?"

After finishing her meal and parting ways with Rudolph Symbol, Kagura ran into Akikawa Yayoi, who looked as though she was about to inspect the cafeteria. Kagura had been preparing to deliver a meal to Nice Nature. When Akikawa heard that she had just missed Kagura's cooking time, she looked rather disappointed.

"Will there be some tonight? I can bring fresh ingredients!"

Faced with Akikawa Yayoi's pitiful gaze, Kagura couldn't bear to refuse her. She agreed to call Akikawa over for dinner. Since she now had a phone she could use for contacting people, she exchanged contact information with the chairwoman as well.

Kagura heard that Akikawa Yayoi had her own fields at Tracen Academy and personally grew all her ingredients. As for their quality, at least Rudolph Symbol had praised them highly. Kagura would have to see them for herself before she could judge.

After leaving the cafeteria area, Kagura sauntered back to Sokuto Dormitory. She still remembered Nice Nature's room number, so she knocked on the door from memory.

"Coming!"

Nice Nature's familiar voice soon came from inside, followed by a burst of hurried footsteps. The door opened quickly, and for some reason, Nice Nature appeared before Kagura wearing only her underwear.

"Uh... Nature, I understand wanting to relax during the holidays, but in this state... don't tell me you just got up?"

Kagura's eyebrows twitched twice. She didn't know where to begin complaining.

It was already past noon. Even when Kagura had been in school, she had lazed around during long breaks, but she had never slept until noon.

"S-sorry! I... stayed up a little late reading a novel last night..."

Nice Nature immediately grew nervous, her little face flushed as she stammered.

In fact, Nice Nature's housekeeping skills were also quite good. Her dorm room had clearly been cleaned until it was spotless and tidy. It was just that whenever Kagura was around, she instinctively relied on her.

"All right, all right. I brought you lunch, so get dressed and go wash up."

Seeing that Kagura had no intention of scolding her, Nice Nature fled back inside as if pardoned. She opened her wardrobe, quickly pulled on a skirt and shirt, then darted into the bathroom to wash up.

Kagura entered the dormitory. Nice Nature's roommate didn't seem to have arrived yet. The bed on the other side was empty, unlike Kagura's side, where the blankets were still laid out. The room was fairly bare, containing only the basic furniture and a small table Nice Nature had brought herself.

"It smells so good~ I can smell taro daikon cake!"

The moment she came out of the bathroom, Nice Nature was struck by the tempting aroma. Having eaten so many meals made by Kagura, she could identify the dish by smell alone. This meal was definitely filled with all her favorite foods again.

"That's right. You like it, don't you? I made it especially for you."

"Yay! Kagura's the best! I love Kagura the most!"

Nice Nature rushed over and sat beside Kagura at the small table, then gave her a big hug.

"You little glutton... Hey, don't eat so quickly. I brought soup too, so drink a couple of sips before eating!"

Seeing Nice Nature wolfing down her food, Kagura reminded her to slow down so she wouldn't choke.

Uma Musume ate very quickly. Even those with small appetites were no exception. Within a few minutes, Nice Nature had finished everything Kagura brought.

"It's wonderful~ Kagura's cooking is still as delicious as ever. How do you manage to make it so well?"

"It's all intuition~ As long as you like it, Nature."

Although Kagura could have simply let Nice Nature go downstairs to eat, she had still chosen to prepare the meal herself.

Nice Nature, who was still on her summer break before advancing to higher education, naturally had no plans and didn't need to train yet. After eating, the two of them slipped into a state of having nothing to do.

Kagura had wanted to tutor Nice Nature, but after thinking it over, the holidays had only just begun. There was no need to keep forcing Nice Nature to study, so she didn't bring it up.

"Let's go running!"

When Kagura asked Nice Nature what she wanted to do that day, Nice Nature gave an answer that surprised her slightly.

"Because I've never run with you before, Kagura. I'm a little curious what it feels like."

"Didn't you say you wanted to rest during the holidays?"

Kagura didn't mind running a couple of laps. She was mainly curious why Nice Nature wanted to drag her along.

"Running counts as a kind of rest too, right? I actually like it."

Kagura couldn't quite understand the Uma Musume's hobbies, but judging by the time, the hottest part of the day had passed. She decided there was no harm in running, so she agreed.

For ease of movement, Nice Nature changed into sportswear. Kagura hadn't received a school uniform, sportswear, or anything similar yet, so she could only run in her maid outfit.

Since the afternoon sun wasn't as fierce, some Uma Musume who had stayed at school to train had appeared on the track. As Kagura and Nice Nature approached the field, they happened to run into Rudolph Symbol, Maruzensky, and their trainer, Toujou Hana, warming up beside it.

"Good afternoon, Kagura. Are you running with a friend today?"

"Yes. Nature said she wanted to run with me, so here I am."

Kagura nodded at Toujou Hana. Toujou Hana fell silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, then looked toward Nice Nature.

"You're Nice Nature, correct? Have you trained in running before? Do you know what distances and running styles you're good at?"

"Huh? Me? I... I usually run 2,000 meters, I think. As for my running style, I'm not really sure."

After thinking for a moment, Nice Nature answered somewhat uncertainly.

"I understand. Nice Nature, I have a small request. Would you be willing to race Kagura in a training match under official race conditions?"

25. Nice Nature: Oh No, I've Become the Fish That Got Blown Up!

"Track condition: good. Weather: clear. Distance: 2,000 meters. Counterclockwise."

Kagura and Nice Nature had taken their positions on the track. Toujou Hana stood beside a signboard depicting an Uma Musume and announced the track conditions.

Rudolph Symbol and Maruzensky, who had been training, stopped and moved aside to watch the supposed friendly training match with great interest.

"Nice Nature, Kagura, stand by for the starting signal!"

Toujou Hana gave them a reminder, mainly because Kagura's concentration was poor. Nice Nature was extremely focused and looked ready.

The two bent slightly and took their starting stances. Kagura stole a glance at Nice Nature beside her. Nice Nature looked very serious, staring straight ahead and completely unaware that Kagura was watching her.

Since we're having a race... I can't embarrass myself in front of Kagura!

Nice Nature stared ahead. Kagura had always looked after her. Although Nice Nature had always wanted Kagura, who was two years younger, to treat her like an older sister, it was obvious that Kagura was more mature than her in every respect. In the end, Nice Nature was the one who seemed like the younger sister.

Why does every one of you act like you're competing professionally the moment you step onto the track...? We're here to train, right!?

Feeling the pressure, Kagura complained inwardly with a speechless expression.

She remembered running with Rudolph Symbol and the others before. Everyone had agreed to run only a training match, but once they started, Kagura discovered that each of those Uma Musume became more fired up than the last.

"Rudolph, who do you think will win?"

Maruzensky watched the two young Uma Musume preparing to start with great interest. Unlike Nice Nature, who was dressed coolly and looked ready for exercise, Kagura's maid outfit was completely unsuitable for sports. Still, Kagura probably hadn't had any sportswear to change into, which was why she had come dressed like that.

"I don't know how strong Nice Nature is, but beating Kagura requires a certain level of ability. Personally, I believe Kagura will win."

Rudolph Symbol didn't know how strong Nice Nature was, but she was certain that among Kagura's peers, only a handful could defeat her. The question was whether Nice Nature belonged among those prodigies.

The field fell briefly silent. A moment later, Toujou Hana's starting whistle broke the quiet. Nice Nature, who had long been prepared, immediately burst forward. As usual, Kagura stood still for half a second before sprinting after her.

"Oh dear... The little girl's concentration really isn't very good... She's an Uma Musume who runs front-runner style, too."

Maruzensky was somewhat worried about Kagura. From what she had seen, Kagura's starts were consistently half a beat slow. That would be no good for her future development.

Good... A perfect start... Did Kagura start late? Or is she running from behind?

Nice Nature reached the lead position. Her perfect start allowed her to relax slightly. She hadn't immediately noticed Kagura's position, but Kagura's footsteps were behind her. Unless Kagura was slower or had chosen a late-charge strategy, she must have started late.

Toujou Hana naturally noticed this flaw as well. She began considering how to correct Kagura's problem. Concentration training couldn't solve it in a day or two; it required a long process. Fortunately, Kagura was still young. She had plenty of time to correct the issue.

"This girl... isn't continuing to fight for the lead?"

Toujou Hana had initially thought Kagura would accelerate wildly as she had before to seize back the lead. But Kagura didn't do that this time. She watched Kagura steadily follow behind Nice Nature, moving nowhere near as quickly as when she had previously run an all-out front-running race.

Since she hadn't immediately fought for the lead, Kagura had probably chosen a stalking or pace-running strategy this time.

Should I charge ahead?

The main reason Kagura hadn't exploded forward immediately was that she wasn't familiar with the distance. She had dared to sprint at full power before because she had run 1,600 meters and knew that even after completing that distance, it wouldn't put any strain on her stamina. That was why she had dared to explode forward the entire way.

Now that the race had been extended to 2,000 meters, Kagura felt it probably wouldn't be too demanding, but she wasn't certain whether she could finish after charging so fiercely. She decided to observe Nice Nature's condition ahead of her before making a move.

"Nice Nature can't widen the gap at all while leading, even though Kagura is still running from the stalking position."

Rudolph Symbol shook her head. A front-runner being unable to open a gap from the racer behind was not a good sign.

The two soon ran several hundred meters. Their abilities began to show. Kagura remained in the stalking position, clinging tightly to Nice Nature. Nice Nature appeared to be accelerating as much as she could within her abilities, but she still couldn't widen the gap from Kagura.

"Rudolph, during your debut race, the front-runner ahead of you was just like Nice Nature."

"...Are you saying Kagura is as strong as I am, Maruzensky?"

"Who knows? Maybe she'll be even stronger than you when she grows up."

"That would be more than welcome."

Rudolph Symbol smiled. She longed for an opponent like that. The Uma Musume in her debut race hadn't put enough pressure on her, and she hadn't even been able to experience the thrill of pursuit. But when she had chased after Kagura that day, she had felt threatened and excited for one of the few times in her life.

Catch her! Overtake her!

It was only when facing Kagura's all-out front-running that she had experienced those feelings for the first time. Before that, only Maruzensky had been able to give her such a sense of oppression.

Why... Why are Kagura's footsteps still so close?! Has the distance between us not changed at all!? How can this be... It's impossible...

The one under the greatest pressure was Nice Nature, who had just passed the second corner. She could clearly hear Kagura's footsteps following behind her. The volume had barely changed, which meant that the distance between them had remained almost exactly the same!

For Nice Nature, this was extremely bad news. If the front-runner couldn't open a gap, the odds of being overtaken on the final straight were very high.

If I accelerate again... I'll run out of speed at the end. But if I don't...

Nice Nature assessed how she should run the final stretch, weighing whether she should accelerate with all her strength now to shake Kagura off.

But during that brief hesitation, she and Kagura had already entered the third corner together. Only the final corner and the final straight remained until the finish!

"Nature—sorry about this!"

Kagura had confirmed that the distance and her stamina were at the right point. She lowered her posture and began increasing her speed.

The footsteps that had remained unchanged beside Nice Nature suddenly drew closer. Toujou Hana, Rudolph Symbol, and the others watching from beside the track couldn't help widening their eyes. Kagura moved outward onto the outer lane, lowered her body, and began accelerating dramatically!

"So fast!! You've got to be kidding me!!"

In the blink of an eye, Kagura's figure flashed past like a shadow and appeared two lengths ahead of Nice Nature on her right. Kagura continued increasing her speed at a terrifying rate, rapidly widening the distance between them!

Nice Nature no longer had time to worry about whether she would lose speed on the final straight. She had to accelerate immediately and chase Kagura. Otherwise, once they reached the final straight, even her finishing burst wouldn't be enough to make up the distance.

"I can't close the gap... How...?"

What drove Nice Nature to despair was that her acceleration simply couldn't match Kagura's. Even after accelerating with all her strength, the distance between them continued to grow.

Kagura was already four lengths ahead when she passed through the fourth corner and stepped onto the final straight first. Nice Nature heard a crisp shout carried through the howling wind. Kagura had accelerated again!

"That speed is ridiculous... I can't do this!!"

As Nice Nature let out a desperate, oyster-like wail, Kagura—who had already pulled far ahead—crossed the finish line first. Nice Nature, having lost her speed, took a little over four more seconds to cross it.

Fresh from the intense exercise, Kagura was breathing slightly hard. She took several deep breaths and quickly adjusted her breathing rhythm. Nice Nature, meanwhile, was utterly exhausted, supporting herself on her knees and panting heavily.