...
"Everyone ran very well today."
"Spe-chan finally showed her true strength—that's more like it."
"Suzuka still took first place as usual."
"Seiun Sky also surpassed her personal best."
Lucian offered appropriate encouragement and summaries for everyone's performance today.
However, unlike before, when Seiun Sky waited for Lucian's evaluation, what filled her heart wasn't anticipation but a trace of unease.
"And Urara..." Lucian gently patted Haru Urara's head beside him. "You did great today too—much better than last time."
Haru Urara lowered her head, savoring Lucian's touch.
She could be strong, but whenever Lucian comforted her in that gentle voice, her tears would uncontrollably spill.
It happened every time. Unconsciously, Urara had developed a sense that she didn't need to hide her emotions in front of Lucian—that it was okay to cry freely.
It wasn't about dumping negative emotions into a trash can but being accepted. She didn't yet understand that this feeling was called "reliance."
"Trainer, am I...?"
Haru Urara raised her head. Her heart felt like a waterlogged rag, unable to hold any more, so tears welled up from the depths of her eyes.
"Hm? Did you forget the words I gave you again?"
"I didn't." Urara sniffled and edged closer to Lucian.
"Good. Tomorrow night is the celebration party for Spe-chan. Think about what we should eat—I'm entrusting this important task to you. You wouldn't want me to show up empty-handed, right?"
"This is really important..."
Urara instantly became serious, her mind flooding with images of all kinds of delicious food as she swallowed hard.
As for the insecurity she'd felt earlier? It had long since vanished without a trace.
After handling Urara, Lucian turned his attention to the other three.
They seemed too exhausted to even speak much.
"How do you feel?" Lucian asked.
Special Week took a sip of water. "Running with Suzuka and Seiun-chan was really fun."
Silence Suzuka rubbed her thighs. "It's just... really tiring. Spe-chan and Seiun gave me a lot of pressure."
Finally, Lucian's gaze settled on Seiun Sky.
"Hmm... As expected, Suzuka and Spe-chan are both amazing. I just can't surpass them~"
Lucian carefully observed Seiun Sky's expression, but she was so natural that he couldn't detect anything.
Perhaps she hid her disappointment too well.
Or perhaps he was overthinking it—maybe a setback like this meant nothing to her.
"Alright, today's training ends here. But since there's still time, you can sit and watch other teams train."
The members of "Spica" weren't much of a concern yet, so Lucian was mainly referring to "Rigil," led by Toujou Hana.
"You can study their running styles. El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder will both be formidable rivals in your future races." As he spoke, a trace of gravity entered Lucian's eyes.
Both Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa were exceptionally talented horse girls.
Especially El Condor Pasa—her recent performances had been dazzling.
She debuted around the same time as Special Week but had since dominated nearly every race, crushing her opponents.
Like a rising star, she attracted widespread attention, her popularity soaring straight to the top.
El Condor Pasa's rate of improvement could only be described as monstrous.
In his current team, only Silence Suzuka could hold her own against her. Special Week and Seiun Sky still had some catching up to do.
"Trainer, um... She's so fast too!"
Just then, Special Week exclaimed, staring at a figure on the track.
Lucian turned to look and saw a tall figure—distinct from El Condor Pasa and Grass Wonder—sprinting past.
He explained, "That's Taiki Shuttle... another incredible horse girl."
When Lucian had invited the "Rigil" members to his home for a gathering, Special Week hadn't joined the team yet, so it made sense she wouldn't recognize her.
"But don't worry about her. She's a horse girl who specializes in short-distance races."
The undisputed ruler of sprint races—Taiki Shuttle.
However, Lucian didn't elaborate further. Some competitions hadn't even begun yet, and he didn't want to overwhelm his team with unnecessary pressure.
"And over there." Lucian pointed toward the "Spica" training grounds. "The one running right now is Daiwa Scarlet—another outstanding horse girl."
"Honestly, it's no surprise coming from Hana-nee and Nishizaki Ryo-senpai. Their eyes are razor-sharp. I really wish I'd come to Tracen Academy earlier."
If given the chance, Lucian would've loved to recruit Daiwa Scarlet into his team.
As Lucian rambled on, he completely missed the four pairs of eyes burning with jealousy beside him.
"How nice. Maybe I should've stayed in 'Rigil' after all," Silence Suzuka huffed, protesting Lucian's admiration for another team's horse girl.
Seiun Sky sighed languidly. "Maybe I should've tried out under Trainer Toujou Hana~"
Special Week stayed silent, only glaring at Lucian with the resentful expression of a neglected wife.
I'm plenty good too! Why does Trainer always think about other horse girls?!
Only Urara seemed conflicted, but since everyone else had voiced their grievances, she felt compelled to join in. "Should I leave then?"
Finally snapping back to reality, Lucian chuckled and quickly backpedaled. "They might be good, but I still think the horse girls in our team are the best. Being your trainer is an honor, truly."
"Trainer just says whatever sounds good. Weren't you singing a different tune earlier?" Urara lifted her chin, not ready to let Lucian off the hook so easily.
That said, his earlier phrase—"our team's horse girls"—had struck a chord in her heart.
The others felt the same.
"Haha, maybe that line of thinking was influenced by a certain 'Cao'-surnamed man from my hometown... I apologize. Don't be mad anymore, alright?"
"Hmph. That's more like it." Special Week mimicked Urara's haughty tone.
"Spe-chan's cold stare is terrifying. Why so harsh?"
Lucian teased, and Special Week immediately broke character. "Huh? Really? Was I really that scary just now?"
"Yep. Absolutely horrifying," Lucian replied with exaggerated seriousness.
"I was just... that was..."
Special Week flailed in a flustered attempt to explain, only making Lucian laugh harder.
"Trainer-sensei, you're bullying people again?!"
Lucian swiftly changed the subject, standing up from the grass. "Ahem. Alright, girls, head back to the locker room and change. If you stay any longer, your sweat will dry, and with races coming up, we need to keep your bodies in peak condition."
"Especially you, Spe-chan and Seiun."
...