"No good, there's still too little information on Nearl. This isn't nearly enough for me to build a character model."
Obey Your Master flipped through the papers in her hand once more, a deep unease settling in her heart.
Her strategy was like a vehicle assembled from precision instruments.
This vehicle performed exceptionally, and paired with her skills, victory was assured.
But now there was a foreign object in the engine. If she didn't replace it, the car would be wrecked and she'd be finished.
"A single person's investigative ability is just too limited. With only four days left, there's no way I can investigate every aspect thoroughly."
As she spoke, she pulled out two photos from the pile of documents, carefully studying and comparing them.
"Nearl? Or Oguri Cap? In the remaining four days, I only have enough time to properly investigate one person."
After a long hesitation, she finally put one down and pressed the other against her chest.
"So it's Nearl after all, is it?"
She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, painfully steeling her resolve. The winter sunlight wasn't strong, but it still felt piercingly bright to her.
Choosing to analyze Nearl was tantamount to abandoning the clearest path to winning the Japan Cup this time.
Because Nearl wouldn't be competing. Analyzing her wouldn't have much impact on the race.
But Nearl's strength was on a level she'd never seen before; it would undoubtedly be a tremendous boost to her own growth.
If she chose to analyze Oguri Cap, she could formulate a specialized strategy, significantly increasing her chances of winning the Japan Cup.
In other words…
"The present or the future… is that it?"
She covered her eyes with her hand, only a few slivers of light filtering through the gaps. The distant sky made her squint slightly.
'Well, since I've chosen Nearl, there's no point in hesitating now.'
Clenching the hand before her eyes into a tight fist, Obey Your Master stood up abruptly.
'Starting tomorrow, I'll keep an eye on Nearl. Even if I can't learn about Oguri Cap's training results from her, just learning something would be worthwhile.'
'I'll continue the long runs. Not being able to even finish the course that morning was a disgrace.'
After saying this, she gathered all the documents and continued training alone on the deserted track.
--+--
At the special guest lodgings, Tony Bianca was currently doing her acclimatization training.
This was essential preparation for any Uma Musume on an overseas campaign.
Adjusting to the local time difference, the local climate, the local food, and, most importantly, the local track.
"Not bad turf."
Tony Bianca, having run only half a lap, gradually slowed down and stepped off the track.
Her trainer, standing nearby, asked for her opinion.
"So, how does Japanese turf compare to Europe's? Can you perform at one hundred percent?"
"There are differences," Tony Bianca replied, taking the water bottle offered by her trainer, her expression still haughty.
"Compared to Europe, the turf in Japan seems a little thinner. But it's insignificant. The difference isn't great. I can still sprint at full power."
"That's fine then. As long as you can perform at your best, no one in this race can truly be your opponent."
Her trainer smiled with satisfaction at her answer.
"Hmph, isn't that obvious? I told you, I'd show them how vast the world is," Tony Bianca declared with full confidence.
Across the way, the extravagantly dressed Moonlight Lunacy was frowning, her eyes fixed intently on Tony Bianca.
'Is she joking? Looking down on everyone. I'll show you what's what sooner or later.'
Moonlight Lunacy muttered under her breath.
Truth be told, while their relationship seemed fraught with issues, she and Tony Bianca actually got along fairly well.
It was just that one was proud, and the other wasn't honest, leading to plenty of sparks when they met.
'But I thought there were two Americans coming for the Japan Cup? That big oaf is always playing basketball. Where's the other one? Why haven't I seen her?'
A sliver of unease passed through Moonlight Lunacy's mind, but the feeling was too faint and was eventually dismissed.
'Whatever. The others aren't a threat. I just need to keep my focus on Tony.'
With that thought, she also began her training, following in Tony Bianca's footsteps.
'This time, I will surpass her!'
As for Michelle My Baby?
She had gone to practice her jump shot first thing in the morning.
--+--
"Hey, Nearl, you're here."
Trainer Musaka Ginjirou greeted Nearl as she approached.
"Training doesn't start for another five minutes. You're early."
"Good day, Mr. Musaka."
Nearl greeted him first, then turned her gaze towards Oguri Cap.
"My afternoons are free now. I can accompany Oguri Cap around the clock. That way, whatever plans you have, I can execute them immediately."
"It's your character I like the most. Steady and methodical. If you were an Uma Musume under my care, I'd probably wake up laughing."
"You flatter me."
Nearl didn't pursue the topic further, instead showing concern for Oguri Cap, who was currently jogging to warm up.
"How is Oguri's current condition? Did yesterday's race have any adverse effects on her?"
The question brought a noticeable silence from Trainer Musaka. He sighed, looking somewhat pained.
"To say it had no effect would be unrealistic. There's some, more or less. After you all left yesterday, Oguri Cap seemed to become overly fixated on the 'Domain.'"
"But that's not something you can get just by being fixated! If anything, the more you obsess, the harder it is to comprehend the Domain's existence. It's giving me a bit of a headache now."
Hearing this less-than-positive news, Nearl also sighed.
"That's not right. It's not that the Domain lets you win; it's that most winners possess the Domain. Oguri has the relationship backwards."
After this lament, Nearl suddenly remembered something.
"Mr. Musaka, what is Oguri training right now?"
"Right now? She's just doing some basic training, nothing too intense. With the Japan Cup imminent, it wouldn't be worth it if she got injured from overtraining."
As he spoke, Trainer Musaka seemed to recall something. He turned and fetched a stack of documents from his chair.
"Also, it's countermeasure training based on the information we have on her opponents."
One word in his sentence piqued Nearl's interest.
"What kind of information? Mr. Musaka, may I take a look?"
"Ah, sure. This was painstakingly gathered by Oguri Cap's dedicated support Uma Musume. You should get to know her."
Nearl took the few thin sheets of paper, flipping through them as she asked, "A support Uma Musume? I don't know her name, but it must be very demanding being Oguri's support."
"Her name is Berno Light. She's a good kid, and she certainly works hard every day."
Trainer Musaka, saying this, didn't notice the frown gradually deepening on Nearl's face.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.