In Tracen, I'm Good at Doing Time

It was sudden, but how about a test?

Air Groove suddenly spoke up, drawing Zhou Yuang's attention.

"What is it?"

Zhou Yuang's hand, which had been petting Oguri Cap, suddenly stopped, and the delighted Oguri Cap froze as well.

Noticing that Oguri Cap seemed unhappy, Zhou Yuang continued stroking her gray coat.

"Do you think it's normal for a Trainer and an Uma Musume to get married?"

As soon as Air Groove said this, Silence Suzuka and Daiichi Ruby froze. Only Oguri Cap remained happily at a loss.

"Don't misunderstand. I only made the connection after hearing Daiichi Ruby's earlier comments about her CP."

Air Groove looked at Zhou Yuang with a gaze that said, I'm the Police, hoping he wouldn't overthink it.

"Well, I've heard of something like that. There was once an Uma Musume known as a Pegasus because of her Last Spurt. She had a relationship with her Trainer that her parents didn't approve of, and after that..."

That couple later had an adorable daughter who was loved by the players.

That daughter was the new horse who appeared in the game's second anniversary update—the one commonly known as Mr. C.B., or Mr. C.B. himself.

The real-world horse this Uma Musume was based on had a rather unexpected birth.

Her mother was Shimmei Queen, an excellent Mare.

After Shimmei Queen retired, however, her owner found himself in a difficult position.

The stallion he wanted to breed Shimmei Queen with was a high-quality sire belonging to a certain group. The horse was known as a Pegasus and was named Fuji Kiseki.

Because of various messy regulations, breeding was impossible unless the owner was a member of that group.

So the owner went to great lengths and secretly arranged for the two horses to mate.

Once the pregnancy was confirmed, those regulations were no longer of any use.

As a result, the group later established a rule that the Mare had to be confirmed before breeding.

After that, this rule-breaking horse named Mr. C.B., who had also shattered certain conventional rules of the racetrack, came to be known as a horse that broke common sense.

Incidentally, Mr. C.B. was also Shimmei Queen's only offspring.

She was also one of the very few Uma Musume to come to her mother's side after retiring.

She was also a special case: a horse who died in front of her mother and was later buried together with her.

But that's getting off topic. Because of this history, Mr. C.B.'s background in the Uma Musume world was rather special.

She had a mother who was known as a Pegasus and who had eloped with her Trainer.

This was a case of Cygames acknowledging that Trainers and Uma Musume could get married.

It was only an elopement, but it was a major step forward for TL—Trainer Love.

Back when this story came out, TL players went wild with joy, while a bunch of white-haired-girl fans had mental breakdowns.

There was a white-haired-girl fan in one of Zhou Yuang's group chats who loudly cursed the developers, not realizing that the story had been written by the scenario writers. After he was kicked from the group, people discovered that he had posted the idiotic statement "From now on, I will discriminate against all TL equally" on Qzone.

Strictly speaking, the "T" in the game could have its gender set by the player. It didn't matter whether the Trainer was male or female. Female T's TL was yuri, and it was still TL... As expected, white-haired-girl fans had no brains... Sorry, I'm getting off topic.

"Let's leave that matter aside for now and talk about something else."

Thinking about a certain senior student's family background, Air Groove suddenly lost her momentum.

She couldn't criticize her senior to her face. Whether it was the person involved, Mr. C.B., or the Mare whose elopement with her Trainer had set a bad example for other Uma Musume, both were Air Groove's seniors.

How was she supposed to judge that?

Japan took seniority and hierarchy rather seriously. There were cases of juniors challenging their seniors, but no one did that unless they were pushed to the limit.

"Suppose you heard that a Trainer planned to marry an Uma Musume. What would you think?"

As soon as the topic came up, Silence Suzuka and Daiichi Ruby pricked up their ears.

Girls in their youth were quite interested in romance and such things. As for marriage... Wasn't that a little too soon?

"Well, that depends on what both sides want. If the Uma Musume doesn't agree, then there's no way a Trainer can say something like that. After all, a Trainer is an elder. They have to set an example. Uma Musume are students, so you can't give these minors the wrong idea."

You could always tell a well-intentioned lie like Sakura Bakushin O did in her story: three 1,200-meter races made 3,600 meters.

But if you tricked an Uma Musume into marrying you, you deserved to die.

Deceiving an Uma Musume with an impaired mind violated not only the Trainer's identity but also the principles of being human.

That was why Zhou Yuang had never used the excuse of caring for her to ask Oguri Cap for any intimate contact.

There was nothing shameful about wanting to marry an Uma Musume.

Who didn't like an excellent and wonderful girl?

But the Uma Musume had to become mature enough to understand the matter and still be willing.

If the feelings were mutual, even the Chairperson had no right to object!

"I see. Suppose a Trainer announced in front of everyone that he wanted to marry thirty Uma Musume. What would you think?"

After hearing Zhou Yuang's answer, Air Groove seemed fairly satisfied before tossing out another hot potato.

This was AT's dream.

So, what did this Trainer think about that dream?

Silence Suzuka and Daiichi Ruby were both startled.

"Then I recommend sending him to a Psychiatric Hospital. Was he asleep when he said something like that in front of everyone?"

It was true that this was my dream, but I'd have to be out of my mind to announce it in front of everyone in real life.

Unless the other person was one of the thirty Uma Musume who had already become my wives.

Zhou Yuang answered honestly, then looked at Air Groove in confusion.

His gaze made Air Groove feel embarrassed.

What normal person would think about marrying thirty people?

"Sorry, I was only asking casually."

Were you really only asking casually? I don't even have the heart to point it out.

Zhou Yuang watched Air Groove apologize but said nothing more.

Who knew what Air Groove was thinking?

"Thank you for teaching me today. You've worked hard. I'll make sure not to let your help go to waste."

Air Groove thanked Zhou Yuang. In her eyes, Zhou Yuang counted as a Trainer who wasn't all that bad.

He was merely a somewhat talkative idiot.

And he also seemed like a Trainer worth trusting.

Once Air Groove's little interlude ended, Silence Suzuka eagerly stepped forward.

"Um, me too. Could I come here more often and compete against Senior Oguri Cap? I feel like there's a lot I could learn."

Silence Suzuka didn't give up either, and she expressed her own opinion.

Zhou Yuang agreed without a second thought.

After that, Zhou Yuang left with Oguri Cap.

Oguri Cap was about due for a meal.

She got hungry faster than normal Uma Musume, and her previous trip to the Cafeteria had at most only taken the edge off her hunger.

When Air Groove and Daiichi Ruby saw Zhou Yuang about to leave with Oguri Cap, neither of them reacted much.

Only Silence Suzuka stared blankly at their departing backs.

For some reason, she felt a little disappointed.

For a moment, all she could feel was the bleak autumn wind. Some things came quickly and left just as quickly.

"Silence Suzuka."

"Ah, yes."

Hearing Air Groove's cool voice, Silence Suzuka turned toward her in a panic.

"In any case, if an unknown Trainer comes looking for you, remember to call the Student Council."

Air Groove noticed Silence Suzuka staring at Zhou Yuang's back. She hesitated, but there were certain things she would never compromise on.

The Student Council existed to improve the atmosphere at Tracen Academy and make every Uma Musume happy!

Anything harmful to Tracen and the Uma Musume had to be eliminated!

After warning Silence Suzuka, Air Groove left.

As for Agnes Digital?

"Miss Silence Suzuka, don't worry! I will protect you!"

I will protect your CP with AT!

And I will put a stop to AT's cheating thoughts, too!

This little knight, Daiichi Ruby, intended to work hard for the sake of her adorable princess, guarding the marriage between the princess and her prince.

She had no intention of tolerating anything that would ruin the fairy tale!

"Um, suppose you encountered that Trainer you mentioned. What... would you do?"

Silence Suzuka remembered what Air Groove had said, then became curious about what Daiichi Ruby would say.

Daiichi Ruby immediately clenched her fists.

"I'll make him swear to give up on that idea. If he refuses, then I'll beat the shit out of him!"

Not far away, Zhou Yuang, who was heading to the Cafeteria with Oguri Cap, suddenly sneezed.

He felt like someone had cursed him.

I Am a Proper Trainer!

"Trainer? Did you catch a cold?"

The moment she saw Zhou Yuang like this, Oguri Cap immediately leaned her head against him.

Zhou Yuang didn't push Oguri Cap away or distance himself from her.

That would make Oguri Cap sad.

Besides, Zhou Yuang didn't want to start having frequent physical contact with Oguri Cap too soon.

Although being affectionate with Oguri Cap was something he had only just managed to do, Zhou Yuang didn't let himself indulge in it.

Indulgence was the beginning of decadence.

Someone who constantly tested a girl's boundaries and then tried to break through them was scum.

Zhou Yuang sincerely wanted to become a Trainer capable of marrying thirty Uma Musume wives.

He wanted wives, not tools to satisfy his lewd desires.

Sometimes Zhou Yuang did use Oguri Cap as a tool to get things done, but afterward, he always thanked her properly and brought her snacks as a reward.

If the Uma Musume he planned to bring into his harem and have help him came over to his side, he would still discuss things with them before asking them to do anything.

Of course, Zhou Yuang didn't mind paying a price.

So even though Oguri Cap could be rather airheaded at times, Zhou Yuang still had to respect her properly. This was the bottom line he had set for himself.

Moreover, ever since setting that goal, Zhou Yuang had never looked at any spellcasting materials, and he had stayed well away from Japan's thriving red-light districts.

"No. I guess someone was just saying my name."

"Your mother, Trainer?"

Oguri Cap tilted her head in confusion, making Zhou Yuang chuckle.

No matter how he looked at her, Oguri Cap was incredibly cute. Her little face made him desperately want to pinch it.

Unfortunately, he had no idea when he would get the chance.