"Snow Fairy, Solemia, and… Nathaniel."
Shirayuki looked over her notes and muttered the names under her breath.
After checking two different locations, she had found the training grounds of three seeded contenders. Every single one of them had chosen somewhere fairly remote.
As for the timing, two of them overlapped.
If she wanted to investigate both, she and Chiya would probably have to split up and move at the same time.
Trying to fight an information war alone really was rough. If only I had someone who could help me. Too bad uma musume can't really help with trainer-side work.
"Uwa, uwaaa~ Shirayuki, looks like you've run into a little trouble, huh?"
Out of nowhere, a voice floated over with its usual smug, goofy lilt.
Shirayuki did not even need to look to know who it was.
"Need me to lend you a hand? They call me Gold Ship, the Wandering Menace of Paris. Wherever there's trouble, there I am!"
"Gold Ship, several students have already complained to me. They said they used the greetings you taught them to talk to Japanese uma musume in VR, and all they got back was 'fuck you.'"
"Huh? Weird. The stuff little Gold Ship taught them was clearly polite, adorable everyday Japanese. Since when did Japanese uma musume get so aggressive?"
"By 'polite, adorable everyday Japanese,' do you mean, 'What're you staring at? You wanna get punched?'"
Shirayuki stared at her coldly.
A bead of sweat slid down Gold Ship's forehead.
"They must've learned it wrong! Their pronunciation wasn't standard! Not my fault! Anyway, forget that! Shirayuki, you're in trouble, right?"
"This has nothing to do with you. Go back and train properly. Don't cause problems."
"Oh? Is that any way to speak to the owner of the All-Seeing Eye?"
Gold Ship struck a pose that was clearly meant to look profound and mystical.
"I, the great Gold Ship, may be good at many things, but seeing through people? I'm even better at that. If a certain someone needs backup, or maybe someone to scout enemy intel, then I've got prior experience. I'm absolutely qualified."
"Wha… How do you know what I'm trying to do?!"
Shirayuki…
No, more accurately, Chiya had been hiding his tracks this whole time, making sure nobody noticed what he was up to.
And yet Gold Ship had torn through Fujiwara Chiya's disguise with a single sentence.
"Hmph-hmph. Too shallow, Shirayuki. Way too shallow. When it comes to scouting enemy intel, you and Trainer combined don't hold a candle to me. Don't forget, my spaceship back home is still hanging up in the sky. If you want to escape my divine gaze, you'd better leave Earth first."
Shirayuki lifted her head and glanced at the bright, cloudless sky.
As always, Gold Ship's illness was thriving.
That said, Gold Ship really had investigated opponents on Chiya's behalf before. Her notes had not been too bad, either. Worst case, she could just record footage. Surely even Gold Ship could manage that much without messing up.
With that in mind, Shirayuki said, "Fine. Then help me investigate this person."
She handed over the information.
"Snow Fairy, huh? That name sounds pretty gorgeous. Is she a pretty girl?"
"If we're talking looks, she is very pretty."
She had crystalline blue hair and eyes the color of ice, blue with a faint green tint.
"Then I'll get her contact info while I'm at it. Trainer'll definitely be happy."
"Absolutely not. Just don't let her notice you're filming."
"Relax, relax. My hidden-camera skills are top tier. She won't even know how her 18+ photos ended up on Trainer's phone."
"Hey…"
"And away I go!"
With that, Gold Ship dashed off.
Was it really okay to leave such an important task to Gold Ship…?
Shirayuki suddenly felt very uneasy.
After all, Gold Ship had gotten caught last time.
Whatever. If she gets caught, she gets caught. Worst case, I pretend I don't know her.
Shirayuki was just about to check on another uma musume when she ran into Orfevre, who had just finished training. Orfevre was wiping off her sweat, heat still rising faintly from her body.
"Yo, Orfevre."
"Empress…"
Orfevre raised an eyebrow.
"You're not training?"
"I'm doing some pre-race preparations."
"Mental preparations? Hmph. So even you get nervous."
"It's not exactly mental preparation…"
Shirayuki smiled.
"Well, I'll get going first, Orfevre. Let's talk later."
Orfevre watched Shirayuki's back as she left, then took a deep breath.
My attitude. I need to be nicer. Call her Shirayuki. Stop calling her Empress. She is Trainer's younger sister…
Orfevre firmly lectured herself.
After returning to her room, Orfevre carefully cleaned her feet, even wiping between her toes until every last bit was spotless.
Ever since she found out Trainer liked feet, she had never paid this much attention to caring for her soles before.
She glanced at the socks beside her, then could not resist picking them up and giving them a sniff.
So sour…
She flung them aside.
No matter how careful she usually was, after a run, that sharp sweaty smell still built up. Sweat evaporated and recirculated inside her shoes, until finally, five small pale-yellow marks formed along the bottom of her socks.
No. She absolutely could not let Trainer see this!
She had already embarrassed herself in front of him several times. At the very least, in this one area, Orfevre wanted to make Trainer show an expression like he could not get enough.
Nobody liked sour, sweaty uma musume feet.
Orfevre tossed the socks into the bathroom, changed into a fresh pair, and smoothed out the cuffs. Then she glanced at the clock on the wall.
Taking out her phone, Orfevre called her older sister in Japan.
It rang only once before the call connected.
"Orfevre?"
"Good morning, Nee-san. It should be morning over there, right?"
"Yes. I'm in the office right now. How are things on your end, Orfevre? Have you run into any trouble? If there's a problem, I can come over."
"No, there's no need. Everything here is normal."
"I see. How are things with Trainer?"
"With Trainer… good."
"?"
Dream Journey immediately noticed something off in Orfevre's tone.
"Orfevre, if you're having trouble, you can tell me. No matter what it is, I can help you solve it."
"I want to conquer Trainer. I want to see him lose his cool in front of me."
"Lose his cool… Do you mean in a race?"
"No. I have already surpassed him in races."
Orfevre clenched her fist.
After steeling herself, she spoke.
"I mean in that area."
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
"I see. It seems you and Trainer are getting along quite smoothly, Orfevre. It's only natural that an excellent younger sister would attract an excellent trainer."
"Do you have a method, Nee-san?"
"I do, though it will require a little practice on your part."
"That doesn't matter."
"Then I'll send you a guide. When the timing is right, go and conquer Trainer. I'm sure that man will show you a wonderfully flustered side of himself. Everything will go just as you wish."
"A guide?"
Very soon, Orfevre received an email.
When she opened it, she found a series of images inside, each one accompanied by written explanations.
Orfevre read two lines.
Her face went boom, turning bright red.
Th-This is…!
"Then I'll leave the rest to you, Orfevre."
"…Mm."
After hanging up, Orfevre stared at the images with trembling lips.
She swallowed.
This is way too… way too that!
No.
I have embarrassed myself in front of Trainer so many times already. It is time for Trainer to embarrass himself in front of me!
Orfevre would repay that humiliation. No matter what.
She found a cup and placed it upright on the bed.
"It should be… like this?"
Mimicking the images, Orfevre stretched out her pale, delicate foot, spread her toes, pulled the fabric of her sock taut, and gently pinched the cup between them.