"Stag beetles? Does that mean we can catch some and take them back?"
At the mention of stag beetles, Barbatos perked up, a hint of excitement in her suggestion.
Stag beetles—back in her past life, watching anime, she'd always seen episodes where characters went out to catch them, but she'd never actually encountered one in real life.
After transmigrating to Japan, the thought of stag beetles had just never crossed her mind.
Now that they happened to stumble upon them, she definitely wanted to experience catching one for herself.
"Sure."
Seiun Sky glanced at the woods, then looked up at the sky. "This time of day, though, it might not be the best for catching stag beetles."
"We could wait until tomorrow morning's training and bring some catching tools with us."
"Huh? Have you caught them before?"
Barbatos nodded. Bringing tools along for morning training wouldn't be a big deal. After catching some beetles, they could even head to the nearby village for breakfast.
During their barbecue, Grass Wonder had mentioned that if you kept walking past the beach, you'd eventually reach a village.
If there was anything they couldn't find at the beach shops, they could go there to buy it.
It wasn't exactly close, but for Uma Musume, the distance wasn't too bad either.
But judging by how knowledgeable Seiun Sky sounded, she must have caught stag beetles before, right?
Barbatos had been a little worried about not knowing how to catch them.
"Nope."
Seiun Sky crushed her assumption.
"Then how do you know we should catch them in the morning?"
"'Cause when I was little, the kids who went stag beetle hunting always went out in the morning too."
Reasonable, logical, and convincing.
"So, what now..."
Barbatos mulled it over. "How about we head to that village now? We can ask the locals how to catch stag beetles and pick up some tools while we're at it."
They'd been to the beach supermarkets and shops to buy ingredients before, so they had a decent idea of what was sold there.
And honestly, selling stag beetle catching tools at a beach shop just felt... off.
The village, though, probably had people who'd lived there for generations. Kids and teenagers from the area likely went into the woods to catch beetles all the time.
They'd probably sell the tools, and they could also ask some of the older folks for tips.
And so, they set off.
With their speed, it only took about twenty minutes. Along the way, they stopped occasionally to take in the scenery, so the time didn't feel long at all.
On the way, Barbatos even spotted Maruzensky and Taiki Shuttle heading back.
Even though it was called a village, being right next to the beach meant it wasn't exactly small.
It didn't feel behind the times either—Barbatos got the sense that its development wasn't much worse than Kochi's.
There were plenty of cars parked around.
The main difference from Kochi was probably the older buildings—none of the high-rises you'd see in Kochi City—but the streets still had chain stores you'd find in big cities like Kyoto and Tokyo.
Tucked away in the corners, there were also some older shops with slightly worn-out signs.
Since the beach was technically reserved for Tracen Academy now, the streets had a scattering of Uma Musume here and there.
Most of them were flocking to the chain stores—those were the ones they were familiar with.
Barbatos, however, tugged Seiun Sky's hand and headed toward the older, more worn-down shops.
Compared to the chains, these locally-run old shops would know the area better and have a clearer idea of how to catch stag beetles. Plus, the chain stores probably wouldn't sell catching tools anyway.
And just now, when they ran into Maruzensky and the others, the seniors had recommended a few old shops in the area.
With her age and experience, Maruzensky had been to these summer training camps so many times they were second nature. Of course she'd know which shops had the best food and the most authentic local flavors.
But Barbatos had already eaten grilled fish today.
Even though she could still fit more in her stomach, even during summer training camp, she had to watch her portions.
After discussing it with Seiun Sky, they settled on the most tucked-away shop: a place called "Fresh Coconut."
If they hadn't been specifically looking for old shops, they probably would've missed it entirely. The only sign was a small board propped up by the entrance; from a distance, it looked like an ordinary house rather than a store.
The reason they'd chosen "Fresh Coconut" was simple—the grilled fish they'd had earlier was a bit too salty, and now they were thirsty.
As they approached the shop, they saw a child playing with a ball inside. Beside the child sat an elderly woman with a slightly stooped posture.
"Grandma, hello. We'd like to buy ten servings of fresh coconut."
Barbatos was also buying for Special Week and the other two. As for why she ordered ten instead of five—well, with Special Week around, it was always safer to get extra.
And with elderly people, as long as you were polite, they were usually happy to help with basic questions.
"Ah, sure, sure."
The old woman, back still bent, moved slowly and carefully as she pulled out a few coconuts and began preparing them. Her movements were incredibly practiced.
It felt like it would take at least a few months of practice to match her skill.
Barbatos hadn't expected "fresh coconut" to mean literally fresh coconut. Sure, there were some other ingredients added, but the coconut content was undeniable—and made on the spot.
"Every year around this time, students from your academy come here for activities."
The old woman chatted away as she worked, surprisingly friendly. "Judging by your faces, this must be your first time here."
"Yeah, it's our first time."
The old woman sighed a little wistfully. "Uma Musume these days... they don't come to my shop anymore."
"We actually came because a senior recommended it—said the fresh coconut here was really good. Also, there's something we wanted to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Well, we heard there are stag beetles in the woods, and we were wondering how to catch them."
Hearing this, the old woman chuckled, a hint of nostalgia flickering across her face. "Stag beetles, huh? That's simple..."
By the time she'd finished preparing the ten servings of fresh coconut, she'd also finished explaining.
She handed the drinks over, studying Barbatos and Seiun Sky for a moment. They reminded her of Maruzensky, who'd come by earlier with a junior named Taiki Shuttle—apparently a fast runner in races these days.
Looking at these two little ones—not very tall, frames a bit slender—the old woman smiled and bent down again, pulling out a few more things.
"I've got some coconut cakes I made today. They'll just go to waste otherwise. Here, take them."
"Look at you two—if you don't eat more, how are you supposed to run fast?"
The old woman didn't really follow horse racing, but judging by their appearance, she guessed they were probably new students who hadn't debuted yet.
--+--
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.