Chapter 182: Aftermath of the Grand Expedition

Several days had passed since the fierce and relentless battle in France came to an end.

After finishing the local cleanup and the final press conference, we finally began our journey back to Japan.

To be honest… the past few days had been pretty rough.

I had prepared by studying the industry here and believed I had a decent understanding of the local culture. Still, France was foreign soil—one of the places farthest from Japan, our home ground.

Working day and night without sleep in such an overwhelmingly unfamiliar environment was, unsurprisingly, quite a burden. Keeping that strain hidden from Wilm was no easy task either.

Well, somehow I managed to get through it. Though I did end up relying on makeup to hide the fatigue.

With that, Wilm’s work in France—and my work as her trainer—could finally be considered successfully concluded.

Now then, once the job is finished, the next step is naturally to arrange the return home.

Among the races that attract the greatest popularity in the world of racing Uma Musume, Hoshino Wilm had finally risen to become the strongest in the world.

A person like her now possessed time so valuable that even a single minute—no, even a single instant—was worth more than gold. Not even the smallest fragment of it could be wasted.

…That said, as Wilm’s guardian, I do have mixed feelings about that decision.

She’s still very much a child. …Well, can a reincarnated person even be counted as a child? That thought crosses my mind sometimes. But at the very least, emotionally she’s still a young girl with traces of childishness.

If so, experiencing a foreign land and culture firsthand would surely enrich her heart.

The fact that she can’t really do that now leaves me with a sense of regret.

Of course, it’s unavoidable—and Wilm herself agreed to it. In fact, she was all smiles, saying, "Let’s hurry back to Japan so we can watch Bourbon-chan’s race and prepare for Nature and Teio!!"

Even so, it’s still a shame we can’t make better use of this rare opportunity.

There’s the part of me that is Horino Ayumu, Wilm’s contract trainer… the part of me that is her guardian… and the part of me that is simply a man who cares for her.

Most of the time, those feelings align.

But sometimes they pull in different directions.

Raise one, and the other falls—such is life.

It really is complicated.

…Well, it’s not like there’s no solution.

After she retires as a racing Uma Musume, we can simply come back here together.

There’s no need to rush.

After all, Wilm and I still have a long time ahead of us.

And so, with that, Wilm and I departed from France.

Thankfully, the journey itself was peaceful and uneventful—aside from the moment on the plane when a half-asleep Wilm suddenly hugged me with terrifying strength during a nap, nearly breaking my bones.

I managed to catch about three hours of sleep on the flight, so I was feeling refreshed and energized.

…That’s a lie. My eyes are dry, and both my head and joints hurt. Honestly, I wish I could’ve slept a little more.

Still, I did manage to rest a bit. When we left France, hiding my fatigue had honestly been getting difficult, but now I could at least keep up appearances with a little breathing room.

And there’s no time to rest yet.

Once we return to Japan, things will likely become even busier than they were in France.

After all, my trainee Uma Musume had just done exactly what everyone hoped—and won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the first time in history.

Considering how intense that race had been, it was easy to imagine the storm of attention it had stirred up.

…Actually, is this really going to be okay?

The workload will probably be unlike anything we’ve faced before.

Won’t Masa and I collapse?

Or rather… won’t we die?

From overwork?

…Maybe I should prepare a will. Just in case.

Anyway, putting the black humor aside.

The plane arrived safely in Japan without being swallowed by turbulence or hijacked.

An enormous number of fans had gathered at the airport—so many that it looked like the crowd density of a certain doujin event.

Together with the URA staff who kindly came to help act as security—truly, I’m deeply grateful—I fulfilled my role as an escort and accompanied Wilm safely to the Training Center.

Calling it an "escort" just for traveling from the airport to the dorm might sound exaggerated…

But the current Wilm was practically a symbol of Japan itself.

Someone who had to be protected against possibilities like assassination, guerrilla attacks, or terrorism.

…Though honestly, compared to the world I lived in during my previous life, this world feels like it has a much stronger sense of human goodwill.

So perhaps such extreme vigilance isn’t entirely necessary.

Still, there’s nothing wrong with being careful.

Thinking about it again… we really have come quite far.

If she’s going to stand at such heights, then I have to keep pushing myself to be worthy of standing beside her.

…How many times have I told myself something like that already?

And with that, we finally returned to Fuchu Central Tracen.

A massive facility, equipped with a turf course as large as the race tracks used in the Twinkle Series, and a giant school building capable of housing two thousand students.

After looking up at it from the front gate, Wilm and I exchanged glances—and grinned.

"Man… it really feels like we’re home!"

"Wilm, please."

"Yeah. It really does."

It had only been three months since we last saw this place…

But before we knew it, the words “I’m home” felt natural here.

I suppose this is what people call a second hometown.

For Wilm, this place was a sanctuary where she could live a peaceful and warm life, and also a stage where she could compete and grow alongside irreplaceable friends.

For me, it was the place where someone precious to me lived beyond the Horino household—and where I had work I needed to do.

…Still, it’s surprising that after only four years, I’d feel this much homesickness.

At this rate, when the day comes for me to quit being a trainer, it might feel like abandoning my homeland.

Well, thinking too far into the future doesn’t really help.

Right now, what matters most to me is the girl standing beside me, smiling up at me.

"Alright, alright! Once again—!"

"Haha, I know."

"Ahem… good work on the overseas expedition, Wilm. A magnificent effort and a magnificent result. It truly was a wonderful journey."

"But as I’m sure you understand, even Japan’s long-held dream was merely a stepping stone for us."

"Let’s run together toward the next race—the Autumn G1."

"Yes!!"

…She gave me words far beyond anything I expected.

Mihono Bourbon.

Once, she had been completely fixated on a single goal—the Triple Crown—and showed no interest in anything beyond it.

But now, she was looking further ahead.

Winning the Classic Triple Crown remained unchanged… but beyond that, she declared she would defeat the strongest Uma Musume of all.

What had allowed her, once halted in place, to step forward like this was obvious.

Because in her eyes—eyes that once merely reflected the world around her like glass marbles—something now shone clearly within them.

Clad in glittering gray ash, carrying white and red on her back as she ran…

The back of the strongest Uma Musume in the world.

…Watching Mihono Bourbon quietly burn with determination, a thought came to me.

So this is how feelings are passed down.

Following the long-established traditions of Uma Musume racing, Wilm ran.

Watching her back as she ran, Bourbon’s heart quietly ignited—and she began chasing after it.

And someday, surely, another Uma Musume will appear—one who admires and chases Bourbon’s back in turn.

Their passion… their feelings for running…

They have been passed down like this, and they will continue to be passed down.

From yesterday’s dreams to tomorrow’s hopes… as long as they continue to carry their dreams forward.

That is what you might call the inheritance of will.

Racing Uma Musume entrust the future to those who come after them—and in doing so, the future entrusts itself back to them—refining itself, becoming faster, generation after generation.

…Well.

Maybe I got a little too sentimental there.

Anyway, after finishing our greetings with Bourbon and the others, I returned to the trainer’s office.

The energy I’d gained meant I needed to throw myself back into work.

As the trainer of both Wilm and Bourbon, I manage their accounts on Umatter and Umastagram.

There was no shortage of information that needed to be shared with the fans—news about our return to Japan, upcoming training plans, and updates on Bourbon’s adjustments as she prepared for the Kikuka Sho.

I condensed the posts as much as possible while making sure the meaning remained clear and free of misunderstandings.

Write them. Check for typos. Revise.

After posting one, I confirmed through a sub-account that it had been successfully uploaded.

The rest I compiled into files so they could be posted later.

Once that was finished, it was time to head out.

While preparing various documents, I noticed that the appointment time I had scheduled in advance was approaching, so I headed to the URA headquarters.

I’m not a direct employee of the URA, but during this overseas expedition they provided us with a great deal of flexibility.

In fact, without the cooperation of the URA—the organization that manages racing in Japan—we wouldn’t even have been able to enter overseas races, let alone travel abroad to compete.

Even if the whole endeavor began at the URA’s request, the truth is that the only reason Wilm can enjoy racing at all is because of the URA.

No matter how much gratitude I show them, it still wouldn’t be enough.

…Or at least, that’s what I thought.

But when I entered the meeting room, the upper management—including the chairman and several executives—bowed their heads to me with overwhelming intensity.

Not in apology, of course.

In gratitude.

I was honestly shocked and wondered what was going on, but to summarize their explanation…

Apparently, the results we achieved were considered capable of changing the future history of Japanese racing.

With Wilm’s rise, the number of racing fans in Japan had reached the highest level ever recorded.

And by winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the pinnacle of the global racing world, Japan had proven that its racing could stand on the world stage.

According to them, this was an extremely significant fact—even in terms of international politics.

Hearing that a single sport could affect the balance between nations sounded exaggerated…

But in this world, it wasn’t impossible.

After all, racing is an enormously popular sport worldwide.

Winning the Arc, by the standards of my previous life… would be something like winning an Olympic gold medal.

Japan, which had never managed to win that gold before, had finally claimed its first victory.

Of course the organization running the sport would want to express their gratitude.

And to be honest… that gratitude made me very happy.

"The racing Uma Musume Hoshino Wilm"—the strongest existence—was something Wilm and I had created together.

So to have that acknowledged…

From the bottom of my heart, it made me happy.

…Though while I was in such a good mood, they managed to slip in quite a few requests that I ended up agreeing to.

A formal social party, huh…

Bourbon would probably handle it in her usual airheaded way, but it might be a bit of a burden for Wilm.

…Still, considering the future, Wilm will need to get used to things like this anyway.

Maybe it’s not such a bad thing.

With that, my external obligations were finished.

All that remained were personal matters and internal reports.

Around sunset, I returned once again to the trainer’s office and sat back down at my desk to resume working.

We had gathered a great deal of data during the expedition to France.

Measured data on the local climate and track conditions.

Compatibility with front-running strategies.

The mismatch between Japanese Uma Musume and European racing styles.

And above all, the investigation results regarding Understandible’s explosive power.

There are still many unknowns when it comes to the explosive strength of Uma Musume…

But perhaps this could become a clue toward explaining it theoretically.

Research and analysis could come later.

For now, the data needed to be organized.

I transferred the files from the laptop I brought to France onto the computer I used here and created backup copies.

At the same time, I contacted the Horino main family.

I reported once more that we had won the Arc, and that the analysis would be delayed slightly.

…I thought the reply would arrive a few hours later, but it came before the backup process even finished.

It had only been about ten minutes since I sent the message.

Had they been waiting the whole time for my report?

If so, leaving them until later made me feel a little guilty.

Now then, the contents…

First, a few words of congratulations from my father regarding the Arc victory.

My father rarely celebrates others—even though he often evaluates them—but the message clearly showed his excitement about this unprecedented achievement.

Japan’s dream… something he himself had never been able to challenge.

And now his son had accomplished it.

…Perhaps, as a parent and child from a trainer family, this was a kind of filial duty fulfilled.

If so, I’m glad.

Next came more practical words.

To summarize:

"You must be busy, so the analysis can wait."

"You have already fulfilled your duties as a member of the Horino family."

"For now, focus on the girls under your care."

His typical seriousness… and his awkward way of showing concern made me smile.

…But then came the last line.

"Once the races settle down, please come visit with Wilm-chan. Let’s sit down as a family and talk."

That sentence had clearly been added by someone who was definitely not my father.

"Mom is the same as always… no, wait. Maybe back at the start of the year…"

I leaned back in my chair and stared up at the ceiling of the trainer’s office, feeling strangely conflicted.

For now, I sent a polite reply to my family.

Then it was time for the next task.

At last, I began finalizing the training plan for my trainees—especially Mihono Bourbon.

Because I had been away from her for three months, her development schedule had inevitably slowed.

To compensate for that—perhaps even improve upon it—I began planning while taking into account her physical limits, stamina, weather conditions, ground availability, and the work schedules of both her and Wilm.

I eliminated days that already had fixed appointments.

Then I considered what training should be placed on the remaining days… and when she should rest.

…Wait a minute.

There’s also the possibility that some revolutionary training method had been developed during the past three months.

Maybe I should skim through the latest research papers first.

How much progress had been made on improving woodchip tracks or turf surfaces?

What about the construction of the new flowing-water pool facilities?

Before leaving for France, I remember reading about research into improving turf water absorption through new grass breeds—making it easier for Uma Musume to run.

Considering the Kikuka Sho and future races, Bourbon would need stronger long-distance aptitude.

She should get used to uphill training and, if possible, acquire the "Mountaineer" skill—or even its superior version, the rumored "Ultimate Hill Climber."

If the woodchip tracks had improved cushioning, that might actually become feasible.

And both Wilm and Bourbon were serious training junkies.

Reducing the burden on their legs—and improving Bourbon’s weak point, stamina—made using the newest pool facilities extremely appealing.

"...Hmm. This is still at the hypothesis stage. Not bad, but it’s similar to existing methods… no, wait, it can function even in lower temperatures… that’s original… but the cost…"

"Yeah… betting everything on a gamble at this stage might be too risky."

"...Maybe I should schedule an appointment and hear directly from them."

In the end, I spent the entire night refining Bourbon’s training plan…

…and when all was said and done, there weren’t any groundbreaking changes.

I only ended up rearranging two of the scheduled items depending on her condition and motivation.

Considering how much time I spent on it, the results were rather modest…

But paradoxically, that also served as proof that the overall plan I had now wasn’t fundamentally flawed.

Well, let’s just convince myself that the time spent was worth it.

Before long, the day ended and the next began almost seamlessly.

In the training room, where I was wrestling with paperwork alongside my far-too-capable little sister Masa—who had come in at dawn—our two trainee Uma Musume gathered before us.

On one side sat Hoshino Wilm, smiling brightly and practically glowing, apparently having thoroughly enjoyed doing independent training again in Japan after so long.

On the other was Mihono Bourbon, who briefly glanced toward Wilm, her eyes burning with two dreams.

Both of them wore expressions full of determination as they sat down on the sofa and chairs.

"Alright! Alright, alright, alright! Our long-awaited full-team strategy meeting! Let’s do this!"

"I infer that it is necessary to share our intentions regarding the upcoming Kikuka Sho."

When it came to the formal start of action for our camp, it always meant a strategy meeting.

And so, our adorable trainees were fired up and ready…

But—

"Sorry to pour cold water on that enthusiasm, Wilm. First, you’re getting a full medical examination."

"You can start morning classes again tomorrow. For now, you’re going immediately."

"Huh?"

"They’ll check whether you brought back any illnesses from overseas, of course. But more importantly, we need to measure how much damage your legs took from the differences in environment and turf."

"As my Uma Musume, you must run healthier and safer than anyone else. You understand, right?"

"Ugh… y-you’ve gotten really good at persuading people, Ayumu!"

And so, Wilm ended up spending the entire morning undergoing examinations at the hospital I had reserved in advance.

Meanwhile, Bourbon.

For her, I had her do only light training—just enough to loosen up without exhausting herself—while I observed the results of the past three months of work.

"...Wow."

Watching her run across the turf again made me marvel at how much she had grown.

No, I already knew.

Bourbon’s stats were thoroughly memorized in my head. I should have understood the steady and reliable pace of her development.

But seeing it with my own eyes…

She looked completely different from three months ago.

Not just on the level of an average Classic-class runner—she now matched even first-year Senior-class G1-level Uma Musume. A truly remarkable level of completion.

She hadn’t yet finished her final preparations for the Kikuka Sho, but even now, if she entered the race, she would almost certainly be the top favorite.

In fact, three weeks ago, Bourbon had run in the G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai as a preparatory race for the Kikuka Sho.

There, she crushed Fruits Parfait with a staggering seven-length victory.

According to the rotation announced at the beginning of the year, Rice Shower had originally been scheduled to run there as well—but she withdrew, so we couldn’t see a direct comparison between them.

But at this point, up to middle-distance races, it was fair to say Mihono Bourbon had no real rivals.

Even in long-distance races, there was little doubt she could maintain a certain level of advantage.

…That said, I’d had similar thoughts about Wilm before.

And yet, whenever the race actually began, another Uma Musume would always appear who could push her to the brink.

This world really is something of a demon’s den… or maybe just an unpredictable one.

No matter how strong we become, the level of those around us rises to match it.

It always leaves me with a strange feeling.

And Bourbon must feel the same.

Her greatest rival…

The girl who, in the history of my previous life, stole the Kikuka Sho from her.

Rice Shower.

For now, she was carefully staying out of sight…

But there was no doubt she would become a formidable opponent in this world as well.

…That said.

For Mihono Bourbon, racing was ultimately a battle with herself.

Talking about others was meaningless. Let’s return the focus to Bourbon herself.

Her development had seen a few minor fluctuations, but nothing significant.

Calling it “smooth sailing” might be a stretch, but it was certainly within acceptable limits.

As I had explained to her earlier this year, Mihono Bourbon had three major weaknesses when it came to competing in the Kikuka Sho.

First: she lacked the stamina required to run long distances.

Second: she had a tendency to become overexcited when she sensed other Uma Musume nearby.

And third: according to the knowledge I retained from my app reincarnation, she had poor natural aptitude for long-distance races.

Those three.

Of those issues, the stamina problem was now mostly resolved.

Her stats—her physical capabilities—were already two tiers above the other runners of her generation.

Not just her speed, which represented her top velocity—her stamina, once her greatest weakness, had now reached a level that no longer appeared inferior even among middle-distance runners.

Pushing it further through training would be inefficient.

From here on, it would be better supplemented through study and skill acquisition during real races.

It was the result of Bourbon’s tireless effort in executing my training plans perfectly.

Next was her tendency to overpace.

A complete solution was likely impossible, but we had managed to establish countermeasures.

Her personality-driven tendency to overpace would probably take a long time to correct.

…In fact, it likely wouldn’t truly disappear until she matured further as a racing Uma Musume.

However, if she consciously redirected the competitive instinct she felt in those moments into her Domain, she could suppress it to a certain degree.

Of course, things might be different if she faced overwhelming presences like Wilm in the Senior class…

But in the Kikuka Sho, where the competitors were fellow Classic-class runners, it should be manageable.

Probably.

…Most likely.

In fact, during the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, she had faced Souri Cross, another front-running Uma Musume, and showed almost no sign of panic.

Rather than panicking, she simply suppressed her opponent through a sheer difference in specs.

She had also acquired Concentration and First Move Advantage, giving her a perfect start dash.

While it wouldn’t necessarily hold up against extreme front-runners, she now had sufficient measures against ordinary front-running competitors.

…And finally, the lack of long-distance aptitude.

Unfortunately… that one couldn’t be fully resolved.

Bourbon’s long-distance aptitude had risen by one rank around the time of Wilm’s Arc victory…

It had become Rank B.

Considering it had originally been Rank C, overcoming the limitations of her bloodline through her own effort was an incredible achievement.

But even so, there simply hadn’t been enough time to push it all the way to Rank A.

Of course, Rice Shower—a natural-born stayer and likely one of the greatest threats in the Kikuka Sho—had an A in long-distance aptitude.

There were several others with A as well.

In that regard, we would inevitably be fighting with a disadvantage.

Out of the three major problems, two had been resolved.

Looking at her stats alone, it almost seemed as if her victory were already assured.

The remaining issue was how well she could truly understand herself…

"...There doesn’t seem to be a problem."

I recalled what had been said yesterday. As I watched Bourbon running in front of me now, I allowed a faint, crooked smile to form on my lips.

---

By early afternoon, Wilm returned from the hospital.

"I barely had to wait, but they kept sending me here and there, running all sorts of tests I didn’t really understand."

Among the middle school division students, there were quite a few who still felt uneasy about hospitals. But Wilm wasn’t one of them.

She seemed a little disappointed that she couldn’t train, but at the same time she understood it was necessary. Her attitude was more like, “Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”

"Alright! Now we can finally start the strategy meeting…!"

"Before that, I need to check your condition. Show me a light run on the turf."

"Still not yet!?"

This time Wilm puffed out her cheeks and grumbled openly.

But even that couldn’t be helped. I hoped she would forgive me for it.

After all, my top priority is your safety and your future.

Wilm had been pouting with her lips sticking out, but once she actually started running, she looked fairly happy.

Even if it was just light exercise, someone like her—who loved moving her body—would find it more than enough to satisfy her.

On top of that, this was her home ground. A place she was completely used to. Running here carried a kind of reassurance that was different from racing overseas.

At the same time, that was precisely why I had to remain cautious.

"...Hmm."

I started to tilt my head in thought—then immediately stopped myself.

In this situation, even small suspicious movements might spark strange rumors.

Since Wilm was running at Tracen again for the first time in a while, many of her fans—mostly underclassmen—as well as trainers hoping to gather information about her had gathered outside the turf and at the academy windows to watch.

This wasn’t serious training, and I had no intention of hiding it.

I figured it might serve as a bit of a break for the academy students, so I didn’t say anything and simply let it happen.

…That said, even without any prior announcement, the fact that hundreds of people had shown up purely through word of mouth made it a little difficult to move freely.

After winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—an achievement as big as they come—Wilm’s popularity had reached its peak.

…Or rather, since she would likely keep winning G1 races from here on, that popularity probably wasn’t going to fade anytime soon.

Well, I suppose this is the price of fame.

All we can do is accept it—and think of ways to deal with it moving forward.

…Anyway.

While I was watching Wilm run and thinking about these things, an envelope arrived for me.

It was a medical report—both a diagnosis and a detailed summary—from the hospital where Wilm had undergone her examination.

Because of my older brother, who works as a nurse at a regional Tracen facility, I have a bit of medical knowledge related to Uma Musume.

So I had asked them to send me the detailed test results.

…And yet.

"…………I see."

Under the watchful eyes of so many people, I couldn’t say anything strange out loud.

I couldn’t—but still…

Based on Wilm’s running, and the results in this report…

It looked like the plan would need to change.

---

After Wilm finished her run, she gave a quick bit of fan service to the underclassmen who had come to watch.

Then we returned to the trainer’s office.

At last—finally—I declared the start of the strategy meeting.

"Wilm, we’re skipping the Autumn Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup."

"…………Huh?"

And just like that, I announced that Wilm’s race schedule would be reduced.