Deal Sealed

"How strange. I thought idiots were supposed to be immune to colds. Why did that stop working with you?"

Looking at her bedridden little brother, Ogawa Kanna spoke with barely concealed glee.

"I'd say it's still working just fine."

Ogawa Masaru weakly fired back.

Just then, his phone chimed with a message notification.

A slimmer arm beat him to it.

"Idiot sis, don't touch my stuff!"

The boy tried to sit up, but Ogawa Kanna easily pushed him back down.

"If you're sick, then rest properly."

Though her words sounded considerate, Ogawa Kanna's other hand tapped open the screen.

She unlocked it with ease.

Just as expected from someone who only used birthdays as passwords.

"What? You don't even have a single female contact besides me? A-Sheng, you're disgusting."

Covering her mouth as she snickered, Ogawa Kanna kept scrolling through the screen.

Then she lowered her head and rapidly typed something onto it.

"Hey, hey! What the hell are you doing—"

Ogawa Masaru had a bad feeling about this.

"No need to thank me~"

With that, Ogawa Kanna tossed down the phone and drifted away.

"What do you mean, no need to thank you?!"

Shooting a glare at that awful person's retreating back, Ogawa Masaru hurriedly checked his phone.

"Thank goodness she didn't mess around too much."

After reading through the chat history, the heart that had been hanging in his throat finally settled.

Still, he added a few explanations just to be safe.

The next day—

"Is A-Sheng feeling better?"

When he arrived at Nishiken Farm, Kitano asked first.

"Thank you for your concern. My younger brother is still somewhat weak, but he can already get out of bed and walk around."

With a smile on her lips, Ogawa Kanna greeted him with flawless poise.

If Ogawa Masaru had seen this, he probably would have been unable to stop himself from mocking his idiot sister's hypocrisy.

"That's a relief."

Kitano nodded, then bent forward slightly.

"I'm counting on you, Miss Ogawa."

In truth, Kitano was not very familiar with the eldest daughter of the Ogawa family.

He had dealt more often with Ogawa Joe and Ogawa Masaru.

However, when it came to appraising horses, the girl before him was said to be nearly as skilled as Ogawa Joe.

Though unwillingly, Ogawa Masaru had no choice but to admit that fact.

[When it comes to judging horses, my sister is far more professional than I am.]

That was exactly how he had explained it to Kitano.

"Please rest assured."

A confident smile appeared on Ogawa Kanna's face.

The two arrived at New Life Ranch.

Though they had arrived a little earlier than agreed, Kimura was already waiting at the ranch entrance.

"Welcome, Mr. Kitano!"

When he saw Ogawa Kanna step out of the passenger seat, his gaze paused for a moment. However, he quickly acted as though nothing had happened and said, "Please follow me, both of you."

Ogawa Kanna began examining the surroundings with the intensely pressuring gaze of a JA inspector.

Kimura scratched his head, unsure what was going on.

The ranch staff, who had prepared early, led Resistance Queen to the open area before the grazing field.

The girl's brows furrowed slightly.

From the very beginning, she had noticed Resistance Queen's conspicuous right hind leg.

"Mr. Kitano, you know what lameness can do to a racehorse, right?"

Standing on tiptoe, she whispered into Kitano's ear.

"I wouldn't say I've studied it, but I do know about that."

Kitano nodded.

"Then there's no problem."

The vigilance on Ogawa Kanna's face vanished at once.

If it had been her idiot little brother, he would probably have foolishly tried to persuade Mr. Kitano right about now.

But she was not the sort to meddle in other people's business.

Since he already knew about it, there was nothing more for her to say.

Thinking that, the girl walked to Resistance Queen's side.

Unlike other two-year-old horses that tended to be more energetic, Resistance Queen appeared to be the docile type.

Even with an unfamiliar person suddenly approaching, she showed no sign of becoming wary.

Ogawa Kanna raised her hand and waved it before Resistance Queen's eyes.

Tilting her head slightly, the bay mare looked at the girl with curiosity.

"She's a little too dull... but she does have an exceptionally good body."

Ogawa Kanna bent down again and examined her legs and hooves more closely.

She could somewhat understand why Kitano wanted to buy this horse.

She looked like the type with tremendous endurance, and even her walking carried a powerful sense of strength.

Judging from her pedigree, she truly leaned toward dirt tracks.

Setting aside the lameness, she was undoubtedly a racehorse born for dirt.

"She is a good horse—"

After finishing her inspection, Ogawa Kanna returned to Kitano's side.

"Temperament-wise, she leans toward being docile, though she may be so docile that she is somewhat slow-witted."

"Her leg strength seems extremely powerful. You can sense that potential in her occasional movements."

"Her body is sturdy as well. She should be able to use her hindquarters effectively."

Without mixing in any personal feelings, Ogawa Kanna gave a highly impartial assessment.

Kimura and the staff gathered around them quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"What a pity about the lameness."

Immediately afterward, the girl added that crucial sentence.

Their hearts instantly leaped into their throats again.

"It's fine. That was within my expectations."

Kitano nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for the effort, Miss Ogawa."

"It was nothing worth mentioning."

Ogawa Kanna narrowed her eyes slightly, watching the uneasy expressions on the ranch staff's faces with interest.

Opening the system panel, Kitano used up all three uses of the [Detector] at once.

Naturally, the target was Resistance Queen.

[Miss Pro2023/Resistance Queen (Unnamed)]

[Filly, 2]

[Bay]

[Distance Aptitude: ?]

[Track Aptitude: Turf △ Dirt ◎]

[Running Style: ?]

[Growth Type: ?]

[Temperament: ?]

[Personality: ?]

[Speed: ?]

[Stamina: ?]

[Competitive Grit: ?]

[Acceleration: B-]

[Power: C+]

[Health: ?]

[Wisdom: ?]

[Mental Strength: ?]

[Flexibility: ?]

At least based on the abilities already revealed, she truly was a racehorse with potential on dirt.

Don't worry. Even if you can't become a great racehorse, I'll make sure you run as healthily as possible.

After gazing deeply at Resistance Queen, Kitano silently thought.

To keep running in good health—

That was what he hoped for Resistance Queen.

Then he spoke.

"I have no issues on my end, Mr. Kimura."

He shook Kimura's slightly sweaty hand.

"Deal sealed."

At the side, Ogawa Kanna watched the scene with a smiling face.

Apparently, this horse would also be entrusted to Nishiken Farm for management.

That meant her dad and A-Sheng would have plenty to keep them busy.