Although the extreme training during the ascent had only been a test, Kitasan Black had clearly expended a great deal of energy.
Yasui Makoto was not surprised.
Having experience with Extreme Stunts training himself, he knew exactly how intense those exercises were and what kind of reaction someone would have on their first encounter with them.
In most cases, very few people could endure the full session on the first try. They would usually stop halfway to rest or end the training altogether.
Even those who managed to complete the entire course with difficulty often ended up with muscle strain or vomiting.
Compared to them, Kitasan Black's performance had actually been quite outstanding.
With that in mind, once they arrived at the Unkai-so Onsen Ryokan on the mountainside, Yasui Makoto motioned that he would take care of the luggage and told Kitasan Black to follow the attendant for hot spring therapy.
He had taken an immediate liking to this inn the moment he decided on the training camp location.
Mt. Mitsutou rose more than 1,500 meters above sea level, and the inn sat at around 900 meters—an excellent spot for both uphill climbing training and downhill extreme training.
Just outside lay Lake Okutama. As a tourist attraction, it had a well-maintained lakeside running track that could be used for regular training.
The lake itself was also a training ground.
Extreme Technique was not the most conventional method for improving stamina. It demanded high physical fitness, and not every Uma Musume could endure it.
In most cases, the stamina training a Trainer arranged for their Uma Musume was swimming.
That type of training was convenient to implement, worked most of the muscles throughout the body, and caused very little damage.
In the past, Kitasan Black had completed her stamina training in the Tracen Academy swimming pool. Although the facilities maintained a constant water temperature, other Uma Musume were always present, which made the sessions less free.
After asking Tokai Teio before coming, however, it was confirmed that only Kitasan Black had chosen this location for training. She would be able to train freely.
Moreover, it was summer, so there was no need to worry about water temperature.
Kitasan Black was unaware of these considerations by Yasui Makoto.
Upon arriving at the hot spring inn and entering the bath with the attendant, she only felt that both the surrounding environment and the internal facilities were very pleasing to the eye.
From the eastern corridor of the inn, a large lake could be seen in the distance, its azure surface reflecting emerald green like a gem embedded in the mountains.
Presumably to fit the nature theme, the entire inn seemed to be constructed of solid wood, with large slabs of slate for the roof.
The outer walls of the house and the hot spring bath were either painted or carbonized, but they were entirely her favorite black color.
The service was also excellent. Not only did they offer common sulfur hot springs, massage therapy, and nutritious meals, but also things like hyperbaric oxygen chambers.
Although she listened to the attendant's explanation about the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, she didn't quite understand it.
However, after lying in it for a while, it felt like her first time in the mountains as a child. The air was unusually fresh, making her so comfortable that she unknowingly fell asleep.
She didn't know how long she had slept when she woke up. Only after asking the attendant did she learn that she had slept for two or three hours straight.
Feeling refreshed, and worried that Yasui Makoto was waiting impatiently outside, she quickly asked a couple of questions, changed into a yukata, and ran to the outside of a room.
She knocked twice, heard Yasui Makoto say "Please come in" from inside, and eagerly pulled open the sliding door.
"Trainer! I didn't make you wait too long, did I…? Oh? Suzuka-senpai?"
First seeing Yasui Makoto, then instantly noticing the chestnut-haired Uma Musume beside him, Kitasan Black was both surprised and delighted.
"How did senpai come here?"
Silence Suzuka, looking like she was inspecting the futon spread on the tatami, was wearing sportswear and holding a pillow. She smiled as she looked over.
"Does Kita-chan not welcome me?"
"Ah? That's not what I meant, senpai. Of course I'm very happy and welcoming that you could come…"
Feeling like she had said something wrong, Kitasan Black scratched her head with a silly grin, then became puzzled.
"But… I remember senpai was helping Special Week-senpai with special training, right? Isn't the Summer Dream Cup next month?"
"Yes, it's one month from now."
Silence Suzuka nodded and explained.
"She's training at the beach now. I originally thought Kita-chan would also choose there, since it's recommended by Tracen Academy.
"But you came to the mountains, so we discussed it, and I came to take a look.
"A training camp is only a training camp when everyone is together."
Kitasan Black nodded involuntarily.
For the past month, she hadn't had any races, and her main energy outside of daily training had been focused on her final exams.
Tracen Academy placed great importance on studies outside of races, especially since the University Division was established. To continue her education after graduating from middle school, she still needed to face the pressure of college entrance exams.
She occasionally thought about what she wanted to do in the future.
What she used to think was to become a singer, like her grandfather. Everyone in her family, from her grandfather to her father, said she had great singing talent, and she also loved to sing.
During this time, she had some new ideas.
After learning about Extreme Stunts from Yasui Makoto, she became fascinated by this sport that looked very powerful and cool.
Especially since there were many racing competitions in such sports that were similar to running, which made her even more interested.
Yasui Makoto had also said that she might be a genius at Extreme Stunts, and if she went down this path, she might become the most outstanding Extreme Stunts athlete.
However, she later tried to look it up and ask around, and regrettably found that there seemed to be no Extreme Stunts competitions specifically designed for Uma Musume, so she had to temporarily suppress these thoughts.
Regardless of what she would do later, including the current Twinkle Series, studying hard was a certainty.
Her talent in this area was quite ordinary, so she had to work even harder.
To pass the exams smoothly and get good grades, she put in a lot of effort, and even sought out Satono Crown and others for tutoring.
They had talked about the training camp during tutoring, and she was quite disappointed to find that she was the only one who chose to come to Mt. Mitsutou.
As a result, the unexpected appearance of Silence Suzuka-senpai, knowing that she most likely wanted to help her, filled her with both gratitude and joy.
After a moment of surprise, she suddenly noticed that besides herself, Silence Suzuka, and Yasui Makoto in the room, there seemed to be another Uma Musume in the corner.
Her long black hair, under the sunlight from the window, seemed to have a slight purple tint at the ends.
On her left ear, she wore a small, deep purple, iris-shaped hat with a blooming light blue rose on it.
She was wearing sportswear just like Silence Suzuka, but her build was very petite. At first glance, she didn't seem much taller than Almond Eye, still looking like an elementary school student.
Presumably sensing her gaze, the Uma Musume, who was squatting in the corner doing something, turned her head, revealing a delicate, palm-sized face and beautiful light purple eyes.
"Uh, um, Kitasan Black, hello… I promised Mejiro McQueen I'd come over, um… You can just call me Rice Shower…"