"Tracen Academy, huh..."
Shinji Kitahara sighed, looking up at the colossal academy that was as vast as a small city. He then glanced down at the crookedly hanging trainer's name badge on his chest.
"So, I couldn't escape it after all."
Tracen Academy, operated by the Umamusume Racing Association (URA), was Japan's most prestigious institution for nurturing horse girls, officially named the 'Japan Umamusume Training Center Academy'.
And a 'trainer' was a specialist employed by the academy, responsible for guiding and developing these horse girls, a role akin to a private tutor.
The pay was high, the benefits were excellent, room and board were covered, and it came with considerable social status. Plus, you were surrounded by beautiful young women. It seemed like the perfect job—at least, to those who didn't know the industry's dark secrets.
But to an insider...
"Do you have any idea how strong active-duty horse girls are?"
A senior trainer, his expression grim, had once addressed a room of new recruits at a seminar.
"Even the most average horse girl, after her 'full-fledged' development, possesses physical abilities at least three times that of a normal person. And those who have undergone specialized training can easily overpower a grown man, leaving him completely unable to resist."
"Furthermore, due to years of focusing on competition and racing, their competitive spirit and drive far exceed that of human women. Especially during their adolescence, they are prone to being overly sensitive and impulsive."
"Do you know what that means?"
"It means that the moment you get too close to them and develop feelings that shouldn't exist, your life is officially on a countdown."
"It's not that they intend to harm you, but when a being with several times your physical strength is involved, even a simple joke could result in a serious injury."
"And if you dare to refuse their 'goodwill' or do something to upset them, they might resort to violent, even extreme, measures."
"Scrapes, bite marks, stalking, confinement, basements, shattered pelvises..."
"Every year, numerous trainers end up in the hospital because of the horse girls they're in charge of. It's not unheard of for some to die."
"To the outside world, our job looks glamorous and safe. But in reality, the injury and fatality rate for trainers is no less than that of front-line police officers, and our turnover rate is consistently number one across all professions."
"Maintain your distance from the horse girl you're in charge of. No, maintain your distance from all horse girls. Never, ever develop inappropriate feelings for them. That is the only advice I can give you."
At the time, the new trainers in the audience had laughed it off, treating his warning as a joke. After all, in the public eye, horse girls were seen as pure beings blessed by the Three Goddesses. How could they possibly do such things? If it did happen, it had to be an isolated incident, not representative of horse girls as a whole.
But Shinji Kitahara knew it was all true.
As a transmigrator, he had lived in this world for over a decade. Due to certain circumstances, he'd had more interactions with horse girls than most, and he understood them on a deeper level.
Possessing both superhuman strength and the immaturity of youth, they were essentially ferocious beasts living in modern civilization. And because their intelligence was on par with humans, they were often far more terrifying than any wild animal.
Tracen Academy was the gathering place for the elite among horse girls.
In other words, the girls here were far stronger, and more terrifying, than the ones outside.
In his past life, he had been a player of the Uma Musume mobile game and loved reading all sorts of bizarre and twisted fanfiction. He'd even make comments like, "Not twisted enough," or "Boring, I want to see rivers of blood."
But now that it was his own life on the line, he was terrified.
He was still young. He had no desire to be locked in a basement or to have his pelvis shattered.
If he had a choice, he wouldn't just avoid Tracen Academy; he'd avoid contact with any horse girl whatsoever.
The problem was, he didn't have a choice.
The original owner of his body was an orphan. His family wasn't just poor; they were destitute. He had tried finding other jobs, but the oppressive nature of the Japanese workplace made him uncomfortable, and the pay was so low he could barely afford to eat.
After hitting dead end after dead end, he finally steeled himself and came to Tracen Academy.
Fortune favors the bold, he figured. The base salary for trainers here was ridiculously high anyway. He could just slack off, avoid provoking any of the horse girls, and once his contract was up, he'd walk away with the money. He couldn't possibly get into trouble that way, right?
Besides, he had made preparations before coming. He had arranged for a horse girl he knew to transfer into the academy, planning to have her become his charge.
A 'charge' was the horse girl a trainer was officially responsible for.
Although her personality was eccentric and her name had never appeared in the game—meaning she was likely just an ordinary background character who probably wouldn't win any major races and bring in prize money—that didn't matter. He wasn't trying to win anyway.
The most important thing was that he knew her inside and out. He could confirm that she was safe.
That was enough.
Imagining the wonderful, lazy life that was about to unfold, Shinji Kitahara took a deep breath. With a smile on his face, he stepped through the gates of Tracen Academy, which looked like the gaping maw of some great beast.
...
Upon entering Tracen, Shinji was greeted by a scene of harmony.
Clean, wide streets; neatly trimmed lawns. The horse girls walking by were chatting like ordinary teenage girls, the air filled with an atmosphere of youth and happiness.
There were quite a few trainers walking around as well, and they all looked perfectly normal—no missing arms or legs. Some were accompanied by their charge horse girls, discussing their training plans for the year.
"What a nice environment..."
Even though he knew this academy wasn't as peaceful as it appeared on the surface, the leisurely scene before him made Shinji momentarily doubt his own judgment.
Sure, there are all those rumors, but this is still a proper school, and the face of the entire horse girl world. Maybe it's not as terrible and dangerous as I imagined... or maybe not?
"No... please no... not here..."
"I beg you, I have a fiancée..."
As he passed by a remote, abandoned warehouse, Shinji overheard something he definitely shouldn't have. He quickened his pace, his expression growing complicated.
Well, okay. Looks like it's the same everywhere.
After a brief tour of the campus to familiarize himself with the layout, he headed to a shaded grove in the southwest corner of the academy. It was where he had arranged to meet her.
He was early, so she wasn't there yet.
Unconcerned, he found a cool spot, lay down, and pulled out his phone to watch some videos and kill time.
A few moments later, he heard footsteps.
Without looking up, Shinji spoke.
"Eclipse, what do you think of the school?"
"It's not bad," a somewhat cool female voice replied, stopping in front of him. There was a hint of confusion in her tone. "It's just that the horse girls here seem a bit... overly enthusiastic. I'm not used to it."
"You'll get used to it. Everyone here is very friendly," another, more cheerful female voice chimed in.
Hearing this unfamiliar voice, Shinji looked up in surprise.
He had only heard one set of footsteps—Eclipse's—which was why he had spoken so casually. He hadn't expected her to have someone with her.
Or rather, another horse girl.
A playful streak of white highlighted her brown hair, and her vibrant blue eyes, combined with an energetic expression, gave her an incredibly cute aura. Her whole being practically overflowed with vitality.
She's really cute.
That was the first reaction most people had upon seeing her.
But not Shinji Kitahara.
The moment he saw her face, his heart skipped a beat.
The horse girl named Eclipse coughed lightly, pretending not to notice his strange reaction, and then spoke.
"She's a new friend I just made."
"Tokai Teio."
-------
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