Another restless night; a thunderclap boomed, silver-white lightning spreading like vines, tearing through the dark, silent sky.
...
Time flashed to August.
On the Tracen training grounds, Lucian was organizing everyone's training.
They were currently doing pursuit running: the last person continuously overtakes to reach first place.
"Urara, I told you to take the outside lane—charge up, charge up!" Lucian shouted.
The pink little filly was already gritting her teeth and giving it her all, but she just couldn't pass Seiun Sky in front.
Lucian glanced at the stopwatch and shouted again: "Seiun, no more accelerating!"
"Stinky Seiun!" Haru Urara tilted her head back, finally reaching first place.
Next was Dextrous Bailey.
...
"Trainer, Bailey's current results seem unable to enter higher-level races." Ines Fujin said.
After these months, she had fully taken on the role of trainer assistant.
"Mm." Lucian nodded. "The G3 was sixth, right?"
"Yes."
"No problem. Run as far as you can." Not all his team members were prodigies, so Lucian's mindset had always been relaxed.
Including Special Week and Seiun Sky—after every major race now, they needed a long rest. It was impossible to run unlimited races with a limited body, especially at their level, where every race required burning themselves.
"Last time's physical test data? All organized?" Lucian asked again.
"Mm, the folder is already on Trainer's desk."
"Good, I'll look tonight when I get back."
...
After training, the sweat-drenched horse girls gathered in the lounge.
"Everyone else can leave. Rice Shower and McQueen, stay."
After the others left, the two called horse girls remained in place, unsure.
Lucian signaled Ines Fujin to close the door, then took out two sheets. "This is your August training plan, plus some dietary suggestions."
The two horse girls took them and glanced at each other's sheets—they were actually quite different.
"Follow these plans for your upcoming training. No secret extra practice, especially McQueen." Lucian knew McQueen's previous minor fracture came from secret extra practice.
"Trainer-san, understood." Mejiro McQueen said embarrassedly.
"No need to pressure yourselves too much. Building confidence just needs one victory. But McQueen, are you sure about such a dense schedule?"
Before the Kikuka Sho, Mejiro McQueen was entered in four races: September 2nd Shimotsuki Special, September 16th Kikonai Special, September 23rd Onuma Stakes, and October 13th Arashiyama Stakes.
Mejiro McQueen nodded. "Trainer, like you said, win more races, gain more confidence."
"Good. I believe in you and support you."
Lucian knew Mejiro McQueen wasn't overreaching. After healing and resuming training, she was growing and improving at a remarkable rate.
He often saw silver-white streams like lightning vanishing on Mejiro McQueen during training—pure and bright, as if announcing the infinite potential within her—a rising future heart.
This was the main reason Lucian agreed to such a tight schedule.
In these races, in terms of strength, she was completely head and shoulders above the rest.
As long as no accidents, at least second place, fighting for first.
"Then Rice Shower." Lucian's gaze turned to Rice Shower.
In September, Rice Shower had one race: September 2nd Niigata Stakes.
A G3 event—this was why Lucian valued it.
But... from daily training, he felt Rice Shower wasn't ready at all. He wasn't forcing a duck onto the rack.
"Onii-sama, I'll follow your arrangements."
"Mm, good luck. No problem."
It was just looking at Rice Shower's face made his hands itch.
But now Mejiro McQueen and Ines Fujin were still here.
Neither had seen Lucian rub Rice Shower's cheeks.
"Alright, that's all. I'll focus on you two from now on."
...
September 1st, Niigata Stakes.
The race was at Niigata Racecourse. Besides Lucian, Haru Urara and Mejiro McQueen had taken leave to attend.
"Rice-chan~ go~ Rice-chan~ go~" Haru Urara waved a banner left and right.
Mejiro McQueen cheered for Rice Shower beside her.
Rice Shower smiled in response to Lucian and the others before entering the gate.
Cheering was done, but the result was unsatisfactory. In this race, Rice Shower only got 7th.
In the final straight, she couldn't break out from the pack.
This was due to poor timing. Once surrounded by the pack, even with strength, there's nowhere to use it.
...
"Onii-sama..." Rice Shower returned to the entrance passage, her little face full of disappointment.
Lucian rubbed her head. "Great, you passed nine competitors."
"It's not like that..." Rice Shower clutched her little hands, head down staring at the floor, like a wilted rose.
Haru Urara consoled: "Rice-chan, it's okay. If this time didn't work, win next time. Trainer always tells Urara that."
Mejiro McQueen stood aside, unsure how to comfort.
"Rice-chan." Lucian squatted down, hands on Rice Shower's shoulders. "In the final straight, did it feel like no matter what, you couldn't catch the horse girls ahead?"
"Mm, I didn't have a good sprint line."
"Very good, you know the problem. Then did Rice-chan feel like she had a lot of stamina left after the full distance?"
"Mm." Rice Shower nodded.
"That's because this 1200-meter distance is completely unsuitable for Rice-chan. If the track were longer, wouldn't Rice-chan be able to show more strength?"
"Onii-sama, is that so?"
"Of course~ You're the horse girl I trained myself. How could you be worse than others? It must be the track's problem." Lucian successfully made Rice Shower laugh.
"For the next race, listen to my advice, okay?"
"Mm!"
Lucian spread his open palm.
Rice Shower carefully looked back; seeing no more competitors entering, she placed her little face in Lucian's palm. "Onii-sama, is this okay?"
Haru Urara was already used to it.
But Mejiro McQueen was shocked.
Trainer wouldn't do this to her too, right?
...