Dream Weaver glanced at Haibara Chizuru, then down at the gear in her hands—which, for some reason, actually fit her measurements perfectly.
Without dwelling on it further, she took the clothes and headed to the locker room to change.
After all, she'd have to run tests sooner or later, and Chizuru had said she'd handle any issues with their homeroom teacher.
Even though Dream still had no idea what this "Chizuru-gumi" was supposed to be, she decided to trust her for now.
While Dream was changing, Haibara Chizuru pulled a small notebook and fountain pen from her pocket. With methodical precision, she began sketching out a data table in a strict, formatted style.
By the time she finished, Dream had changed and returned to the track.
Seeing her back, Chizuru motioned for Dream to start warming up on the field, while she herself pulled a stopwatch from her pants pocket and carefully calibrated it.
Only after double-checking everything did she give a satisfied nod.
This test was fairly basic—many things weren't fully prepared yet—but as a top-tier trainer from Central Tracen Academy, Chizuru at least carried the essential equipment with her.
Notebook, pen, and stopwatch were ready.
Later, they could use Tracen's professional gear for more precise measurements.
This might not yield the most accurate data, but it would give a rough idea.
Besides, Chizuru had already studied Dream Weaver's performances in her debut race and the Niigata Juvenile Stakes through video recordings.
Compared to her debut speed, Dream had clearly improved by more than a notch in the Juvenile Stakes not long after.
Based on what Chizuru understood about Dream, she believed Dream was the type of Uma Musume who matured early, with physical abilities that surged rapidly in the beginning.
For Dream's goals, such a constitution was a good thing—it made winning one of the classic races easier compared to late-blooming Uma Musume.
But racing at full throttle came with a higher risk of injury.
The outcome from her other world, facing Orfevre, was already an omen.
So this time, Chizuru would have to protect Dream even as she helped her improve.
'The Triple Crown matters, but Dream's health matters more.'
Picking up her training manual, Chizuru gradually calmed down. The initial surge of excitement faded, and she regained the composure expected of an elite trainer.
'By my estimation, Dream's current speed should be even faster than in the Juvenile Stakes, but there's a limit. According to what happened in the other world, Dream's physical growth is rapid, but her plateau will also arrive sooner. From the Satsuki Shō to the Japanese Derby, her progress actually slowed.'
'The reason she beat Orfevre and won those two Triple Crown races was mainly because Dream always shows greater power in actual races than in training. She's the type who performs better under pressure.'
Chizuru narrowed her eyes, tapping the tip of her pen against the training manual.
'My goal should be to train Dream for the Triple Crown races while keeping her safe! Her physical growth and race-day performance are predictable. As long as we improve her understanding of track conditions, the first two legs shouldn't be a problem.'
'So, I should start focusing her training on front-running tactics and building toward the Kikuka Shō right away.'
After roughly mapping out a plan in her mind, Chizuru let out a long, slow breath.
'It won't be easy, but the main challenge lies in the Kikuka Shō! As long as Dream can break through her plateau between the Derby and the Kikuka Shō, then the Triple Crown isn't out of reach!'
Satisfied with her reasoning, a smile finally surfaced on Chizuru's face. Seeing that Dream had warmed up sufficiently on the field, she called out to her.
"Dream! That's enough for now!"
"Let's start with a speed test, just like before!"
On the track, Dream turned and nodded at Chizuru, then made her way to the starting line.
Meanwhile, Chizuru quietly tightened her grip on the stopwatch. Once Dream was in position, she shouted.
"Ready!"
"This time—"
"3!"
"I'm definitely going to—"
"2!"
"Bring Dream—"
"1!"
"—to the greatest stage!"
The moment her words—and inner resolve—settled, Chizuru pressed the start button on her stopwatch.
Just as she was about to observe Dream's starting form, a sudden gust swept across the field, rustling the pages of her training manual.
Bending her head to smooth the fluttering pages, Chizuru wasn't particularly annoyed. Even if she missed the start, the focus of this test was speed.
All she needed was to record Dream's time as she crossed the finish line.
So then…
As she straightened the manual, Chizuru glanced sideways at the stopwatch.
At this point in time, she should be… around here, right?
Based on her understanding of Dream's pace, Chizuru lifted her gaze toward the expected spot on the track.
But when she looked up, Dream Weaver was nowhere in sight.
Did I miscalculate? Chizuru frowned. Impossible—her sense of speed and distance wouldn't fail her that badly.
There was only one explanation: Dream's speed data was off!
She's progressed even faster than I anticipated, Chizuru thought, a touch of awe stirring in her chest.
Silently, she began adjusting the plan she'd just formed.
If her growth is this rapid, she'll hit her ceiling sooner. We'll need to start track familiarization much earlier.
With the revised plan in mind, Chizuru began scanning the track for any sign of Dream.
But that search sent a cold sweat breaking out across her forehead.
Huh?
Even after sweeping her gaze far down the straight, she still couldn't spot Dream.
That can't be right. Based on the elapsed time and estimated speed, she should be within the range only top-tier Uma Musume could reach.
Why… why can't I find her?!
Just as panic began to set in, Chizuru caught a familiar blur in the corner of her eye. Trainer instinct took over, and she slammed the stopwatch button.
Yet several seconds passed before she could process what had just happened.
Only when Dream's voice carried over from the track did Chizuru finally look over, bewildered.
"Chizuru-nee! What's the time?"
In the distance, Dream Weaver was standing past the finish line, waving at her.
Hearing the call, Chizuru's mind went blank. On reflex, she looked down at the stopwatch in her hand.
It displayed a number beyond imagination.
A number that shouldn't be possible here.
Chizuru couldn't make sense of it. She recognized every digit, but put together like this, they refused to form something she could understand.
"...Huh?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.