There's Something Wrong With You, Logistics Uma Musume

This was also the most bizarre race Rudolph Symbol had ever participated in since her debut, because there were so few participants. In the past, many Uma Musume ran races with the idea of just getting into the top five, but this time, including Rudolph Symbol, there were only five on the field.

With Kagura and Toujou Hana's meticulous support during this time, Rudolph Symbol, in perfect condition and well-trained, demonstrated her overwhelming power. She quickly broke away from the sparse crowd and began her sprint, crossing the finish line with an undeniable nine-length lead.

'The young lady really is... letting people win near the finish line, isn't she?'

Kagura, watching from afar in the audience, quickly noticed the unusual performance of Rudolph Symbol this time.

Those unfamiliar with Rudolph Symbol might not be able to tell, but Kagura, who was bullied by Rudolph Symbol every day, could see it at a glance. On the final straight before the finish line, Rudolph Symbol intentionally slowed down, creating a lead of exactly nine lengths.

Kagura could understand. Compared to the other Uma Musume participating this time, Rudolph Symbol was indeed too strong. If Rudolph Symbol were to go all out in this situation, some unlucky soul would be banned from racing for a while, according to the rules. These Uma Musume who came to run the race could be said to be courageous, and it would be an undeserved disaster if they were banned because of this.

--Your family's young lady is so kind. I never thought about showing mercy to others when I ran races back then.

Eclipse's words appeared on Kagura's phone screen, quickly disappearing.

'Did Miss Eclipse often leave others far behind back then?'

--Far behind? I wasn't as friendly as you guys are here. If you exceed ten lengths here, they won't even give you a result, just put up a "far behind" sign. And some people will let you win a little so you don't get banned. Back then, I could make those guys behind me unable to even see my shadow in every race. Fifteen or twenty lengths wasn't something I could just casually pull off.

'Miss Eclipse... are you really not exaggerating?'

Kagura felt it was a bit unbelievable. As far as she had seen, whether in Japan or abroad, no Uma Musume had ever been able to leave her opponents far behind in every race.

--I'm not interested in bragging about things that don't exist. These are all my personal experiences. It's my pride, and also my lifelong regret.

This wasn't the first time Kagura had seen Eclipse mention this kind of thing. She always felt that Eclipse's victories seemed to carry a hint of regret, even though she won every race overwhelmingly. Kagura thought that this might be the loneliness of a so-called expert.

Rudolph Symbol was communicating with her opponents below while waving her hand to greet the audience. Kagura even saw the Uma Musume who had finally caught up surrounding Rudolph Symbol, shaking hands and bowing, as if in gratitude.

"By the way, Miss Toujou, does the young lady have any race plans for this year?"

Kagura calculated how much time was left this year. In her opinion, she was very much against consecutive races. It was already the end of November, and if possible, she didn't want Rudolph Symbol to participate in any more races.

"No, pushing too hard won't help Rudolph's career at all. By the way, Kagura, did you see today's news? About the Japan Cup."

"What happened to the Japan Cup?"

Today was also the day of the Japan Cup, another G1 race. It seemed to be the only race in Japan that had connections with foreign countries. Kagura was planning to go see the Japan Cup race after Rudolph Symbol's event was over today.

"Our Uma Musume, Kyoei Promise, has finally proven to the world that our Uma Musume can also run fast. She took second place with a gap so small that they almost crossed the finish line at the same time. The internet is already boiling."

"Ah, well, the way you put it, Miss Toujou, I thought Miss Kyoei Promise had won... But second place isn't a good thing? Why are you so serious, Miss Toujou?"

Kagura often heard Eclipse criticize the Japanese Uma Musume for running slowly. Although it was objectively true, the Japanese Uma Musume were indeed not as fast as the foreign Uma Musume in terms of speed. It was rare for an Uma Musume to be able to prove herself in such an international event.

"Kyoei Promise... collapsed right after crossing the finish line. The paramedics went directly onto the field to carry her out. Just now, her trainer released an announcement that Kyoei Promise has announced her retirement because of severe, irreparable damage to her leg. It may be a problem for her to even stand up in the future."

"Ah? D... directly carried out?!"

"Yes, that's why I say that Uma Musume also need to relax appropriately. Running like this, burning themselves out, is dazzling, but after the burning, only dead ashes remain."

Saying that, Toujou Hana's gaze turned to Rudolph Symbol on the field:

"Rudolph is my important student. More wins are certainly important, but I don't want her to become like that too."

77. Huh? Why me?

Although there weren't many participants in this open race, Kagura was surprised that there were so many reporters and industry insiders after the race, even more than in previous races.

Many of the people who came were praising Rudolph Symbol's performance. Kagura even saw some foreigners marveling.

This time, Kagura listened for a long time and roughly understood what these reporters were concerned about—the primary issue was naturally Rudolph Symbol's race schedule. Currently, rumors were rampant online about a showdown between Rudolph Symbol, Daitaku Helios, and Mr. C.B., with fans from each side arguing fiercely.

"Miss Daitaku Helios has been undefeated since her debut, and Senior Mr. C.B. is also a legendary champion who has won the Triple Crown. They are both very strong opponents, and I also look forward to competing against them. However, I still need to consult my supporters regarding the race schedule, so I cannot give you a definite answer at this time."

Regarding the race schedule, Rudolph Symbol did not give a definite answer, but instead passed the question to Toujou Hana.

"I still need to discuss the race schedule with the logistics personnel who have been supporting Rudolph, so I cannot give you a specific answer at this time. However, what is certain is that there will be no plans to participate in any races within this year."

Toujou Hana also simply passed the buck to Kagura, who was hiding behind her. However, she had not yet made any plans for the next race. Kagura had already become an indispensable part of her work, and she had to coordinate with Kagura on related matters before making a decision.

"I've heard Miss Rudolph mention the supporter before. May I ask who that supporter is? Is it another student from Central Tracen Academy?"

Seeing that they couldn't seem to get the most important race schedule information, the reporters quickly changed the topic.

Kagura had not specifically told the two of them not to reveal her existence. In fact, she didn't mind the reporters knowing about her, but Rudolph Symbol and Toujou Hana were both consciously concealing Kagura's existence. They didn't want the young Kagura to have to face these messy entanglements so quickly.

"I'm sorry, I'm not at liberty to disclose that. It's also to protect the privacy of the person involved. Please understand."

Rudolph Symbol refused to answer this question without much thought. She would not reveal Kagura's identity until she had Kagura's permission.

On the other side, Kagura, who was watching from the periphery of the backstage, noticed a small Uma Musume jumping up and down outside the dense crowd. She seemed to want to squeeze in, but there were too many people surrounding her, and this little Uma Musume had no space to squeeze in. She could only worry on the outside.

--Wow! That child looks just like your young lady! She even has her ancestral highlights!

Eclipse exclaimed on Kagura's phone. Kagura looked closely. Ancestral chestnut hair, ancestral highlights, and even her face seemed to resemble Rudolph Symbol's in some ways. If Kagura didn't know that Rudolph Symbol was the kind of person who only had work and races on her mind, she would have thought that Rudolph Symbol had a child in secret.

Originally, Kagura was thinking about whether to go down and ask this strange child what she wanted, and then she saw two adults, presumably the child's parents, walking over. They squatted down and smiled to persuade the child, and the child left with a disappointed expression.

'Ah, taken away by her family...'

Kagura still wanted to go down and take a closer look at this child, but it seemed like she wouldn't have the chance now. She guessed that she was probably a fan of Rudolph Symbol. She had also seen many children in the audience cheering for Rudolph Symbol with shining eyes before. This one was probably one of them.

"Speaking of which, this child seems a bit like that running prodigy Nice Nature mentioned seeing in the park before... There shouldn't be any other Uma Musume who looks so much like the young lady, right?"

Remembering that Nice Nature had mentioned seeing such a person before the selection race, Kagura thought that the description she heard from her was a bit like this child. If there were no other candidates that fit the description, then this was probably the child. She wondered if she was a student at Tracen Academy.

"I'll go back to school after the winner's stage is over and ask about it..."

"A little kid who looks a lot like Rudolph Symbol?"

If you want to ask the students at the school, Kagura thinks the most direct option is to go straight to Miss Green Hat at the school gate. After all, Hayakawa Tazuna really has that bizarre memory to remember so much.

So, after returning from the racetrack, Kagura went straight to Hayakawa Tazuna at the gate and asked her about this student.

"Let me think... no, I have absolutely no memory of seeing such a child. Rudolph Symbol is so famous, if I saw a child who looked like her, I should remember it."

After thinking for a while, Hayakawa Tazuna shook her head, she had no memory of seeing such a Uma Musume.

"I thought so..."

This result wasn't too surprising. If there was such a child at the school and her talent was as good as Nice Nature said, then she would have known about it already. Since there's no news about it, then it can only mean that the person is an Uma Musume who hasn't enrolled yet.

"After all, with such obvious features, I shouldn't be mistaken. Speaking of which, it's almost winter break, right? Kagura, do you have any plans?"

"Hmm? Me? I should... stay at school."

"Not going back to the Symbol family?"

"I'm not really a member of the Symbol family. Last time I went back, everyone was busy doing this and that. I'm embarrassed to always bother everyone in the Symbol family to take care of me..."

Remembering the days when she went back to the Symbol family last time, Kagura was so bored that she was about to explode. The maids and Speed Symbol were practically treating her like their own young lady, protecting her. Although Kagura was very happy that everyone cared about her so much, she still felt that she, a mere maid, wasn't suitable for such treatment.

"Ahem... Kagura, you really are just like Speed Symbol said... Oh right, if Kagura isn't planning on going back to the Symbol family, Chairwoman Akikawa said she'd like to invite you to her home during the winter break. How about it?"

"Eh?! Chairwoman Akikawa wants to invite me to her house?!"

Kagura was stunned. This was completely unexpected. She couldn't figure out what Akikawa Yayoi wanted to do by making this decision.

"Yes, and also, there's something to give to Kagura. Not long ago, the chairwoman was originally going to give it to Kagura at the student assembly, but Kagura was busy with work, so she was too embarrassed to ask you to come to the meeting."

As she spoke, Hayakawa Tazuna picked up a small bag from beside the school gate and gave it to Kagura. Kagura opened it and saw a small golden trophy inside. It looked a bit like the competition trophies Kagura usually saw in Rudolph Symbol's office, except this trophy had a carrot on it.

"What's this..."

"The chairwoman and the logistics department give awards to the most outstanding logistics Uma Musume every year. Congratulations, Kagura. You received the most votes for the top prize nomination. This year's winner is you."

"Eh?! Is... is that so? Ehehe... I'm suddenly a little embarrassed..."

Okay, it seems like there's something to put on the shelf in her dorm room. Kagura, who had been burying herself in work, hadn't paid any attention to these selections. She didn't expect to get on the list without even knowing it.

"And then, the most voted comment from the students is... 'Thank you, Kagura-sama's notes helped me get through the phase exams! Please take care of me next year too!'... Haha, Kagura, you're usually quite helpful, aren't you?"

"It was kind of an accident..."

It seems that her notes have spread quite widely among the students. Kagura didn't expect that just casually giving that pink-haired Uma Musume a copy of her notes would have such a result.

"So, Kagura, are you going to accept the chairwoman's invitation and go to her house?"

"...It shouldn't be a problem. Anyway, the training won't be so intense for a while."

"Okay, then I'll tell Chairwoman Akikawa. She's been looking forward to Kagura's reply for a long time."

"Eh... what is it about me that's so worth looking forward to..."

Kagura tilted her head in confusion. She couldn't figure out what the chairwoman was looking forward to.

But she was still in a hurry to go back and cook for Quality and the others, so Kagura didn't think too much about it. After agreeing, she hurriedly said goodbye to Hayakawa Tazuna and headed straight to the cafeteria.

"Oh dear, Kagura, you're kind of adorably serious..."

Hayakawa Tazuna watched Kagura run all the way in, and couldn't help but smile with relief. Then, she picked up her phone and typed out a string of replies to send to the chairwoman.

78. Ardan's Little Worries

Back in the dorm, Kagura, who originally wanted to take a bath first and then dive into bed and fall asleep, saw a square table-like thing in the dorm room, covered tightly with a pile of blankets. Ardan was also lying on the ground, looking for something under the cabinet by the window in the middle of the room, only her tail was exposed and wagging back and forth, making Kagura inexplicably want to go up and pat Ardan's butt.

"Miss Ardan, what's this? What are you doing again..."

Suppressing that rude thought in her heart, Kagura decided to ask Ardan what she was doing first.

"Ah! Kagura, you're ba... ouch!!"

Hearing Kagura's voice, Ardan subconsciously wanted to raise her head and turn around to say hello, but she bumped her head hard on the top of the cabinet, and couldn't help but hug her head and moan as she lay back down.

"Are... are you okay?"

Kagura quickly ran over and squatted down to check on Ardan's condition, but Ardan stopped her.

"I'm okay... I just bumped my head... it's not a big deal..."

Ardan rubbed her head and crawled out from under the cabinet. Only then did Kagura see clearly that she was looking for an outlet here. This outlet was directly connected to the new little table-like thing in the center of the room.

An electrical outlet? This thing... could it be the legendary Britannia Destruction Furnace?

Kagura immediately understood why the thing in the middle looked familiar. Having watched so much anime, she had some impression of this thing.

"You have to be careful when crawling under cabinets next time... I'm afraid something will happen to you, Miss Ardan, and then your grandma will come after me."

"It's okay! Grandma even praised you recently for fattening me up!"

When Ardan first came here, she was a little thin due to long-term recuperation and hospitalization. During this time, under Kagura's care, she had obviously become much fuller, and her skin had also improved a lot. According to Ardan, when she went home this morning, Old Mejiro's eyebrows relaxed when she saw her, and she looked very happy as she looked her up and down. Then, Kagura inexplicably received another sum of money in the afternoon.

So that's where that money came from... I thought the Mejiro family's finance department made a mistake and gave me an extra salary...

"Now that the weather's getting colder, and since I'll be living at the school for a long time anyway, I thought I might as well buy a kotatsu to use here. When I was in China, I saw all sorts of heating gadgets in people's homes up north."

"I see... speaking of which, Ardan, you used to live in northern China?"

"Yeah, I lived in the suburbs of the capital. Invincible was living near me back then, and she often took care of me... Hehe, I guess I'm pretty lucky. Wherever I go, I always meet classmates like Invincible and Kagura who look after me."

Ardan nodded, then clapped her hands together.

"Oh, right! I was just about to try out the kotatsu. Kagura, would you like to lie down with me?"

"Eh... me?"

"Yeah! Come on, try it! It's really comfortable!"

Come to think of it, snuggling into a warm kotatsu in this weather does sound nice. As long as Ardan doesn't mind squeezing in with someone else, Kagura herself doesn't have any problem with it.

However, Kagura decided to take a shower before enjoying it. She doesn't like lying down when she's all dirty, and Ardan would probably mind too, so she grabbed her pajamas and ran off to the bathroom.

"Kagura~ Over here, over here!"

By the time Kagura had dried her hair and returned to the room, Ardan was already lying in the kotatsu. Seeing Kagura come out, she immediately lifted a corner and beckoned Kagura to come lie down with her.

Ideally, one person per side is best, but thanks to her petite size, Ardan, who isn't very big to begin with, could easily fit two Kaguras next to her.

Kagura walked over to the kotatsu, sat down, and slipped her little feet inside. She didn't know if it was because Ardan had warmed it up or if it had been on long enough, but the temperature inside immediately warmed Kagura up from her chilly state.

'There's a reason so many anime characters love this thing...'

Kagura snuggled into the kotatsu, unable to resist squinting her eyes like a contented tanuki. The warm kotatsu gave her the feeling of soaking in a hot spring.