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[Congratulations, Host, Achievement Unlocked: Provincial Trainer]
[Reward: System Fully Activated]
[Welcome, Trainer!]
Pushing his suitcase along, Kuroha kept his gaze fixed on the transparent sky-blue screen that only he could see.
[Host: Kuroha]
[Rank: Provincial Trainer]
[Physical Ability: G1 Tier]
(Boasting a physique on par with G1-entry level Uma Musume)
[Abilities: Body and Breath Insight (Accurately judges the optimal running posture and breathing rhythm for Uma Musume), Massage (Utilizes massage techniques to clear energy channels, aid healing, and relieve pain)]
It had already been eighteen years since Kuroha was hurled into this world by fate, and by now he was more than familiar with what kind of world it was.
Uma Musume—blessed by the Three Goddesses, born bearing names of glory and legend from a fantastical world. Girls who inherited those souls ran with purpose and brilliance across this realm.
From the moment he learned where he'd ended up, Kuroha had committed himself to becoming a trainer for Uma Musume.
He studied nutrition, massage therapy, and more—graduating college early through sheer effort.
Just recently, he finally met the age requirement and passed the licensing exam with top scores to obtain his provincial trainer license.
In this world, horse racing culture was deeply ingrained, and its regulations highly sophisticated.
Trainer licenses were categorized into three tiers: Provincial, Central, and National.
For someone like Kuroha, turning 18 meant he could take the Provincial Trainer License exam. To qualify for the Central License exam, he'd either need to achieve significant results with a provincial Uma Musume, or wait a full year while having trained at least three of them.
The latter path was something Kuroha absolutely refused to accept. So the moment his trainer status was officially recorded yesterday, he immediately submitted his application to Kasamatsu Tracen Academy, and wasted no time heading there today.
As he walked, he studied the golden finger system that had activated the day before upon receiving his trainer credentials. Nearby, a shop's TV screen began replaying a broadcast of the recent Golden Youth Stakes.
"She's coming! Oguri Cap takes the lead!"
Kuroha's steps paused, and he turned toward the store display.
On screen was a grey-haired Uma Musume. Her outrageously forward-leaning posture and unparalleled closing speed created a stunning visual impact, overtaking one opponent after another in crushing fashion as she crossed the finish line.
"She finishes! Oguri Cap takes first place! Is there no one left at Kasamatsu who can stop her?!"
The announcer's passionate voice lit up the scene, and the crowd's cheers roared like a tidal wave.
Oguri Cap, huh?
Kuroha let out a sigh. If only he had arrived a year earlier.
The Golden Youth Stakes was Oguri Cap's final race at the provincial level. She would be transferring to the Central circuit after this, missing the newly minted trainer Kuroha by mere months.
Oh well. Time to see if there are any hard-working Uma Musume left at Kasamatsu.
He turned his gaze away and continued onward.
...
Kasamatsu Tracen Academy
Looking at the somewhat run-down school building, Kuroha took a deep breath and stepped inside.
It happened to be training time. There weren't many Uma Musume at Kasamatsu Tracen, and most of them were currently out on the track.
"This is a good chance."
Kuroha set down his suitcase and approached the training field, observing the girls from up close.
But it didn't take long for him to shake his head in disappointment.
Most of the Uma Musume were running purely with brute force. The trainers nearby merely acted like PE teachers, recording data without offering any guidance.
In essence, they were just training the girls' stats.
But ever since coming to this world, Kuroha had learned that Uma Musume races weren't just about stats.
Running posture, breathing rhythm—and what had been called skills in his past life's game...
To Kuroha, those were techniques—personalized, comprehensive techniques unique to each Uma Musume!
Though he wasn't yet capable of teaching these unique techniques, the system he'd activated yesterday granted him a power that combined and enhanced all the knowledge he'd accumulated so far: Body and Breath Insight—a passive skill that let him pinpoint the optimal running form and breathing pattern for each girl.
And as for skills...
Kuroha opened his system panel.
[Skill Shop]
[Focus, Mile Straight, Mile Curve, Speed Devourer, Lightning Stride...]
It was a familiar pool of skills from the game in his past life. He could earn PT points through race participation and use them to unlock detailed training methods for these skills.
This was Kuroha's ace up his sleeve—his confidence that he could raise a provincial champion Uma Musume!
Though he regretted the generally weak performance of Kasamatsu's girls, Kuroha braced himself and resumed searching for a talented, unclaimed Uma Musume.
But...
"There's no one!"
The young man let out a long sigh toward the sky. All the girls without trainers had average speed, stamina, explosiveness, and coordination.
"Whatever, I'll take it slow."
He slapped his cheeks and refocused. He couldn't place the blame on these hardworking, earnest girls. Whether they had talent or not, as long as they had dreams and were willing to give their all, Kuroha believed he could take them to the top.
Just then, beside him, a grey-haired Uma Musume with a cool expression walked off the track, wiping sweat from her brow. Her trainer was off to the side, jotting down notes.
Kuroha glanced at her. While the unclaimed girls were mediocre, those with trainers did seem to have decent physiques.
Watching her go through another round of ineffective "stat-based" training, Kuroha instinctively activated his always-on Body and Breath Insight and muttered softly:
"When you run, your legs tend to move laterally. Try correcting that habit first. You'll get more out of your training."
The girl paused mid-sip from her water bottle, turning her deep, focused eyes toward him.
"And you are?"
She looked him up and down, confused by his attire.
"Ah, I'm a new trainer at Kasamatsu Tracen... Well, technically I haven't checked in yet."
Kuroha glanced at his clothes and realized how inappropriate his comment had been just now.
'I'm not even her trainer—what right do I have to give advice?'
He shook his head and offered a small bow.
"Sorry, just a suggestion. You should continue your training. I need to go report in anyway."
The grey-haired Uma Musume nodded dazedly and watched him walk away. Then she looked down at her legs.
"March, your 200-meter time was 12.67. Not bad!"
The trainer, Shibasaki, approached while taking notes, breaking her train of thought.
Fujimasa March—that was the name of this grey-haired Uma Musume. Over the past few months, Kuroha had focused mostly on Oguri Cap, so his knowledge of Fujimasa March—who had competed alongside Oguri Cap twice—was limited to name recognition. He barely remembered what she looked like post-transition from 2D to 3D.
"Trainer Shibasaki, do you know who that was? He said he's a new trainer."
"A new trainer?"
Shibasaki rubbed his head as if remembering something.
"Oh, right! I think a new colleague was supposed to start today."
He looked in the direction Kuroha had gone and let out a sigh.
"So young... The licensing exam was brutal when I took it. He might be a genius."
Genius?
That word shook Fujimasa March. Her mind drifted back to the final stretch of the Golden Youth Stakes.
As she watched Oguri Cap's figure vanish into the distance, it was the first time she truly understood the painful chasm between talent and mediocrity.
She bit her lip slightly and remembered what Kuroha had said earlier.
"I'll do another lap!"
(End of Chapter)
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