You Have a Problem, Logistics Uma Musume

"He was a man with a lollipop in his mouth, about this tall."

The serious-looking chestnut-haired Uma Musume gestured at roughly the man's height, and Kagura immediately remembered who she was describing.

"That lollipop freak... Something like that did happen. He helped me deal with the police, then asked if he could touch my legs. Uh... who are you two...?"

Kagura instinctively took a step back. Although she had already received a verbal warning from the police, she had no idea whether this world had other legal punishments or law enforcement agencies. If it did, she would have to prepare to run away right then and there.

"No, no. You can tell from our uniforms, can't you? We're students from nearby Tracen Academy, not police officers~"

As she spoke, the mature chestnut-haired Uma Musume smiled and stepped forward, bending down with her hands on her knees to look at Kagura.

"What an adorable child~! My name is Maruzensky, and the scary-looking one beside me is Rudolph Symbol. We're Uma Musume from Tracen Academy's senior division. And you, little girl?"

"Inari Kagura, a passing maid."

Facing strangers she did not know, Inari Kagura hesitated before cautiously giving them her name. Still unfamiliar with the structure of Uma Musume names, she did not notice anything strange.

"A maid? Not a cosplay maid, but a real one? Whose maid are you?"

"The Symbol family... Oh, the light's already green. I'm sorry, but I need to hurry back and make dinner, so I'll be going first!"

Kagura had only answered halfway when she heard the traffic signal change to green. She quickly bowed to the two of them in farewell, then hurried away.

"Wow... She ran so fast! I didn't even get the chance to hug that child... I never thought such a young Uma Musume could already have that kind of speed. Trainer Okino was absolutely right. She's a very promising child."

Maruzensky watched Kagura vanish from the street almost instantly, looking somewhat regretful. She was a little annoyed with herself for not taking the chance to hug her a couple of times.

When she turned to look at her friend, the stern-looking Rudolph Symbol was staring in the direction Kagura had fled. The severity on her face had vanished, replaced by an expression brimming with interest.

"Rudolph, that's a maid from your family. Have you seen her before?"

"No, but those are indeed our household servants' clothes. She should be the new girl that old woman hired recently. Heh, I don't know whether that woman has a good eye or just good luck. Those are some fine legs."

"You're already making that face, and you're not going after her? Surely you can catch a child who hasn't even reached her full form yet?"

Maruzensky knew how much her junior loved discovering talent. Normally, Rudolph went to great lengths to find promising prospects, even running hundreds of kilometers to remote rural areas to recruit them. Since she was already this interested, Maruzensky had not expected her to endure it without saying a word.

"Don't say that. I might have to put in some effort. That child is quite fast, and she's still so young, with plenty of time to grow stronger. She really is a child brimming with potential. But since she's a maid from my family, I don't have to worry about losing track of her, do I?"

"Oh~ You've become quite composed."

"People have to grow a little. But, Maruzensky, do I really look frightening?"

"Not at all. I think you're a very nice person."

"Then why did you just tell that little Uma Musume that I looked frightening? Do you know that none of my classmates at school dare approach me anymore?"

Rudolph Symbol smiled amiably and lightly placed a hand on Maruzensky's shoulder. Maruzensky immediately felt a wave of pressure.

"But Rudolph, that stern look of yours really can frighten children..."

"Then don't make my image as someone difficult to approach even worse! Please help me salvage my reputation!"

Rudolph Symbol pinched Maruzensky's cheeks and tugged them twice before letting go with a sigh. The traffic light, which had already turned red, happened to switch back to green.

"Looks like I should find some time to go home and take a look. I haven't visited that old woman in a while, either."

"Take me with you. That child was so cute! I want to go to your house and pet the little Uma Musume!"

"Could you at least hide your desires a little..."

--Kagura, did you notice anything unusual about the two people you met on your way home tonight?

That evening, after finishing dinner, Kagura's work for the day was essentially done. While she was changing clothes in her room after taking a bath, a line of text suddenly appeared on the mirror in front of her.

"Hm? You mean Maruzensky and Rudolph Symbol? What about them? Aren't they just two ordinary high school students? Uma Musume aren't exactly rare in this world, are they?"

--Doesn't the name Rudolph Symbol sound familiar?

The previous line vanished, and another line soon appeared on the mirror.

"Rudolph Symbol... Rudolph Symbol... Symbol... Ah!!"

Only after Eclipse pointed it out did Kagura suddenly realize what was wrong with that name. She had never met her, but she knew that Speed Symbol had a granddaughter who was away from home because of her studies.

A student, the Symbol name, and that almost identical inherited streak of dyed hair...

"I forgot! They're both from the Symbol family! Isn't she the Head of the Family's granddaughter who's hardly ever home!?"

Kagura let out an incredulous cry.

--You're only realizing it now? Haven't you always been curious what Speed Symbol's child looked like? You finally met her today. What did you think?

"Hmm... She's the cool, handsome type who dresses like a beautiful man. She's a very dashing Uma Musume..."

Kagura recalled the Uma Musume she had met that evening. To be honest, she had not found her frightening. She had met plenty of people who were difficult to talk to during her work, and compared with them, Rudolph Symbol was practically gentle.

Besides, Rudolph Symbol gave her a strong sense of security. Kagura rather liked people who were meticulous, carried a certain dignity, and still had pleasant personalities. Such people were less troublesome to deal with, and communication was convenient as well.

"...Yes! As expected of the Head of the Family's granddaughter!"

--That's it? You don't have any other thoughts?

"Should I have any other thoughts?"

--Tsk, it seems there really isn't a problem. Forget it. We'll talk about it another time. You've been busy all day, so you should rest.

Without thinking too much about it, Kagura finished changing and lay back down on the bed. She stretched comfortably before burrowing under the covers. After falling asleep, she felt the bed sink slightly. A chill followed her in, and she felt something press against her back.

"Good night, Miss Eclipse."

She had grown used to Eclipse clinging to her every night. In truth, it did not feel particularly noticeable, aside from being a little light and airy.

As if responding to her good night, Kagura felt something gently stroke her head. Then Eclipse made no further movements.

5. A Major Mistake

"So, you ran into more than ten red lights in a row on the way home, which was why you came back late... Is that right?"

After listening to Kagura explain why she had returned nearly half an hour later than usual, the Head Maid finally let out a sigh of relief.

Kagura never would have expected that she could encounter more than ten red lights in succession while buying ingredients for lunch. She had been forced to wait through the full duration of almost every red light at every intersection. Only after passing the intersection near Tracen Academy did she finally encounter several green lights. She began to suspect that she had been possessed by something unlucky that day.

"Yes, I'm really sorry for delaying the cooking!"

"No... That doesn't matter. The important thing is that you came back safely."

The Head Maid sighed and raised a hand to stroke Kagura's little head. The pleasant sensation was almost intoxicating.

It was always unsettling to let a child run errands outside. The Head Maid and Speed Symbol both felt that way. Besides, Kagura did not have a phone. If she had taken any longer, the maids might have gone out in force to search for her.

The Head Maid took the bag from Kagura and gave it a quick look. As usual, it was filled with extremely fresh, high-quality ingredients. Judging by the receipt, Kagura had also spent less than the other maids usually did when shopping.

"By the way, Kagura, how do you know how to choose good ingredients?"

Strictly speaking, that sort of information could easily be acquired by spending enough time in the nearby shopping district. But Kagura had been here for less than two months. How could such a young child already have the awareness to observe and make use of that information?

What the Head Maid found even more incomprehensible was that Kagura not only found high-quality goods at reasonable prices, but also had an extremely professional eye for selecting ingredients. Everything she brought back was quite good, and the prices were lower than what the maids usually paid. The Head Maid had never received poor-quality ingredients from her. That alone put her far above the other maids in the household.

Moreover, Inari Kagura's cooking skills had astonished both the maids and Speed Symbol. At first, Speed Symbol had wanted the child to take things easy and cook fewer meals. But after being hit by Kagura's eagerness to take on the work and her excellent cooking skills, Speed Symbol had no choice but to give in and hand over all the shopping and cooking duties to Kagura, including directing the work.

"I just paid a little more attention whenever I went shopping and happened to remember things. I guess... it's mostly intuition? There isn't really any special method."

Hearing the Head Maid's question, Kagura merely tilted her head in confusion.

As someone who had once been a food lover, Kagura had long since engraved things like getting up early to snatch fresh ingredients at the market and identifying ingredient quality into her DNA like instincts. So she did not find anything strange about it.

"I see..."

The Head Maid felt that this child was far too mature for her age. The time it had taken her to recover from the confusion of her amnesiac state had been extremely short—abnormally short. But considering Inari Kagura's current family situation, she truly had no choice but to learn independence. Recovering sooner was certainly a good thing.

As usual, Kagura carried the ingredients to the kitchen. She had just prepared to turn on the gas stove when the Head Maid stopped her.

"Kagura, the Head of the Family wants to see you about something. I'll handle things today."

"The Head of the Family? All right. I'll go now."

Although setting aside her work made Kagura slightly uneasy, since it was Speed Symbol's request, she had to put that order first.

She ran to Speed Symbol's room with practiced familiarity. After knocking and receiving permission, Kagura pushed open the door and entered.

"Head of the Family, did you ask for me?"

Speed Symbol was holding a newspaper and leaning back in a lounge chair facing the floor-to-ceiling windows. A steaming cup of tea sat on the small table beside her, making her look completely like a retiree enjoying her leisure time.

"Yes, Kagura... Are you free after lunch?"

"Yes. I've finished my work for today, and I don't have any plans this afternoon."

Since the household was maintained every day, the amount of cleaning required each day was not very large. Even with all the miscellaneous tasks included, it did not take too much time. Inari Kagura also did not yet have a phone of her own and could not surf the internet, so she usually found an open space to exercise during her free time. After all, it would be a waste not to make use of this powerful new body.

"Good. Then come with me later... Hehe, Kagura, come a little closer. You don't have to be so formal."

"Yes. Then... excuse me, Head of the Family."

Speed Symbol did not explain what she intended to do later. Kagura found it strange, but she trusted Speed Symbol's decisions. Since Speed Symbol did not want to tell her yet, she did not ask further. She obediently walked a few steps toward the chair where Speed Symbol was reclining, then sat upright in front of her.

This was not the first time Speed Symbol had asked her to do this. Whenever Speed Symbol was free and not working, if Kagura happened to come by, Speed Symbol would have her sit in front of her, then hug her, stroke her head, or rub against her a couple of times. Kagura had been a little nervous at first, but she had grown used to it.

"Oh my... I always feel as if there's some kind of magic about you, child. Being near you makes people feel at ease, and all those troublesome matters seem to fade into the background."

Speed Symbol wrapped her arms around Kagura's petite body, lifted her onto her lap, and gently stroked her head as she spoke with emotion.

Those words came from Speed Symbol's heart. Kagura herself had not yet realized how special she was, but Speed Symbol had already noticed. Kagura possessed a unique air that made people feel comfortable and relaxed. Combined with her gentle, quiet personality, it was easy for people to lose themselves in her without realizing it.

Speed Symbol had originally only intended to help a poor, homeless Uma Musume. She had never expected Inari Kagura to be capable of every household task, skilled at cooking, and meticulous in everything she did. Kagura had taken such good care of her that Speed Symbol was practically becoming useless. Now, she was actually reluctant to send the child away.

"I'm glad you're satisfied, Head of the Family."

Inari Kagura sat quietly and properly on Speed Symbol's lap. It was not that she failed to understand Speed Symbol's feelings. After all, she was an old woman whose granddaughter was away from home most of the year. Wanting to pet a child was perfectly normal.

"Kagura, I've noticed that you sometimes jog around the courtyard when you have free time. What are you doing?"

"I just wanted to get some exercise. I might as well do something while I'm free..."

Without a phone, Kagura had no way to surf the internet, so she could only focus her energy on studying her own body. An Uma Musume's body was far healthier than her former frail human body, and she felt as if she had endless strength.

"The courtyard is so narrow that you must find it rather unsatisfying to exercise there, right? Would you like to go somewhere you can really let loose?"

"Hm? Is there somewhere like that nearby?"

"Come with me after lunch, and you'll see."

Seeing that Kagura had agreed, Speed Symbol smiled and rubbed her head twice more.

After finishing their meal, Speed Symbol changed into what looked like a comfortable set of sportswear and led Kagura in a direction she normally never went. Kagura had seen that area from a distance before. It seemed to be a sports field, with a very long track. But since it had nothing to do with her and was outside the area she maintained, she had never paid much attention to it.

As she walked onto the track with Speed Symbol, Inari Kagura suddenly felt an inexplicable throb of excitement. Standing in such a broad, open space made her feel strangely exhilarated. Even her tail began to swish uncontrollably, striking the hem of her maid uniform with repeated smacks.

"Head of the Family, what are we doing here?"

"Would you accompany this old woman for a little exercise?"

"I don't mind, but are you sure you'll be all right?"

Kagura was not afraid of exercising. After running out to buy groceries so many times, she had gained a basic understanding of her current stamina. She was simply worried that running at her age might be too much for Speed Symbol.

"Hehe... I was once the glory of the Symbol family, you know. I'm in excellent health. A little running is nothing. Come on, keep up with me. Stay close, and don't fall behind."

"Oh... Yes, Head of the Family."

Since Speed Symbol had put it that way, Kagura stopped worrying and jogged after her.

Running on the Symbol family's track was very comfortable. Compared with the concrete roads she usually hurried along, the soft grass was a little harder to push off from, but her feet felt far more comfortable while running.

Still, perhaps it was just her imagination, but Speed Symbol's pace ahead of her seemed to be growing faster and faster. To keep up, Kagura had no choice but to increase her own speed.

There seem to be people beside the track?

As she ran, Kagura caught sight of several men in black suits standing beside the track from the corner of her eye. They seemed to be watching this area—or rather, watching her and Speed Symbol.

What are they doing?

Feeling uncomfortable under their gaze, Kagura decided not to concern herself with the people beside the track. She guessed they had probably been called by Speed Symbol, though she did not know what they intended to do. Surely Speed Symbol could not be planning to sell her and had brought people over to appraise her, right?

Probably not, right?

Although the work was somewhat physically demanding, Inari Kagura still liked staying here very much. The Head Maid and Speed Symbol treated her well, and the pressure of the job was not great. If she had to move somewhere else, she had no idea how long it would take to adjust again. Besides, there might not even be anyone willing to take her in.