During his travels in Europe, Fujimaru Ritsuka had come into close contact with a total of four European Uma Musume. Two of them had already mastered their Domains, while the other two had shown no signs yet—though, judging by Trêve's confident declarations, it was hard not to suspect the reason behind her bravado.
Perhaps she had already mastered her Domain and was now looking down on the rest of the world?
After all, Le Glorieux had awakened hers during her rookie year. This served as a perfect counter-example to the prevailing theory that one could "only awaken a Domain by breaking through one's limits after reaching a peak."
Before today, despite having watched the race tapes sent by Nijinsky and hearing her theories, Maruzensky had harbored deep doubts.
When they first met, Fujimaru Ritsuka had displayed obvious curiosity and a sense of unfamiliarity toward Uma Musume. How could someone like that understand the techniques for developing a Domain? One had to realize that even on a global scale, no one had managed to research the mysteries of the Domain. Not a single person understood even a fraction of it; even the Uma Musume who had already awakened theirs couldn't explain how it worked. All they could do was offer conjectures.
Could this Fujimaru Ritsuka truly help an Uma Musume awaken her Domain? Did he have some kind of "chosen" touch?
As an Uma Musume who had already awakened her own Domain, Maruzensky maintained a cautious stance.
But today, after watching Oguri Cap's race, her resolve wavered. She had sensed a flicker of something "other" in Oguri's run. That thirst for victory, that resolution to give everything just to seize glory—it reminded Maruzensky of herself just before her own awakening.
Yet Oguri Cap was only in her debut year. She hadn't even finished developing physically, so how could she already show signs of awakening a Domain?
Until now, the consensus among the "pioneers" like Maruzensky was this: one must constantly hone their skills and determination through growth, stepping toward their peak one stride at a time, and then, at a critical moment, break through themselves. Only then would it happen naturally.
Oguri Cap was clearly still on the first step. She hadn't even reached her prime yet, so how could she already possess the possibility of awakening a Domain? It was undeniably strange.
Maruzensky felt as though the common sense she'd gathered over her entire life was being overturned, which only served to pique her curiosity. She wanted to understand Fujimaru Ritsuka better; she wanted to know the secret of the Domain and the process he used to help those girls awaken theirs.
If Ritsuka's experience could be generalized and taught, wouldn't a "Golden Age" for all Uma Musume be right around the corner? The mere thought of such a future made Maruzensky tremble with excitement. As a pioneer among her kind, what she wanted most was to see her juniors charging forward, surpassing the old... ahem, surpassing their seniors.
As for why she had been curious about Fujimaru Ritsuka in the first place? Well, that wasn't something to be shared with outsiders. The future of her juniors was far more important!
However, there was still one problem. Logically speaking, humans shouldn't be able to "see" a Domain. It was a special existence that only Uma Musume could perceive, much like the skills they mastered through day after day of training.
Could it be that Fujimaru Ritsuka wasn't actually a normal person, but some kind of mythical "Horse-man" that may or may not exist?
Maruzensky's gaze turned subtle and searching.
"Miss Maruzensky, are you thinking about something very rude right now?"
It was phrased as a question, but Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice was certain, as if he had seen right through her.
Ritsuka kept a straight face, but he was definitely thinking along those lines: What's with that 'Could Fujimaru-kun actually not be human?' look on your face?
He remarked dryly, "I am, without a doubt, an ordinary human being."
He had once been harshly critiqued by a certain collective consciousness that incinerated the foundation of humanity; he'd been called "plain, mediocre, and average"—the kind of ordinary guy you'd lose in a crowd instantly.
Maruzensky's expression became even more nuanced. ...No, I think... ordinary people can't do things like reading minds...
She hadn't said a word, yet Ritsuka had called out the joke she was making in her head. If that wasn't mind reading, what was?
Fujimaru Ritsuka replied, "Mind reading is something that only exists in literature, or perhaps touches upon the concept of magic."
Maruzensky's expression grew even more complex: No, like I said, I didn't speak. I only thought it in my head...
"Cold reading," Ritsuka explained with a helpless shrug. "It's a little trick commonly used by psychologists. By observing the other person's body language and changes in expression, you make bold deductions to create an atmosphere of 'this person seems to see right through me.' That's pretty much it."
As someone who had survived countless life-or-death struggles by the skin of his teeth, it was only natural for him to master such minor skills, right? Otherwise, how could he distinguish friend from foe, or make ordinary people trust him in strange environments? It's not like he could use hypnotic magecraft.
To prove that he hadn't learned cold reading just to scare people or for some other nefarious purpose, Ritsuka continued:
"As a qualified trainer, it's only natural to guide your charge and resolve their troubles, right? But Uma Musume are all young girls in the bloom of their youth. They often hide their worries because they don't want others to worry, or they're just too embarrassed to speak up. So, this level of cold reading is a necessity."
Fujimaru Ritsuka felt his logic was perfectly sound.
Maruzensky, however, didn't agree at all. But that's basically mind reading, isn't it? Besides, Fujimaru-kun, your string of reactions just now was no different from actual telepathy.
"...Perhaps we should go back to talking about the Domain."
In Ritsuka's view, a Domain—or more accurately, a Reality Marble—was a special type of magecraft that materialized one's inner scenery. It was the craft closest to "True Magic."
Once activated, it would interfere with and erode the space surrounding the user, causing a landscape entirely different from the real world to manifest. The form it took couldn't be consciously chosen; it was molded based on a specific aspect of the user's soul. Furthermore, maintaining a Reality Marble required a massive amount of "energy," which was why they usually only lasted for a few minutes.
"Saying it like that... it seems it's impossible to understand... haha." Ritsuka saw it clearly. Maruzensky had forgotten to maintain her elegant image; her mouth was hanging open slightly in a state of utter disbelief or incomprehension.
It couldn't be helped. After all, this world lacked a "Magecraft Foundation," so magecraft derived from such a foundation naturally didn't exist here.
But the reality was just that miraculous. Even without magecraft or foundations, certain special "spirits"—the Uma Musume—could awaken "Inherent Skills" or even "Domains" (Reality Marbles).
The manifestation might be slightly different, but the essence was the same: consuming one's own stamina or even life force as a price to call forth a miracle!
After thinking it over seriously, Maruzensky slowly formed a single thought: ...Is he a Chunibyo?
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