Slacking Professionally at Tracen [76]

Although Kitahara Sota had previously refused all monetary temptations from the Uma Musume under his care, it didn’t mean he disliked money.

On the contrary, precisely because he needed money—both to pay back his debt to the retired designer and to save up enough to eventually support Eclipse—he was very eager for more income. If that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t have accepted Tokai Teio’s reverse nomination in the first place.

But there was one key issue: Teio, Tachyon, and Digital were still his underage students. He absolutely couldn’t touch their money.

Because once he started, human greed could quickly flood past moral boundaries. It was impossible to predict what might happen afterward.

More importantly, Kitahara had absolute confidence in his own self-control, so he simply never gave himself the chance to slip.

But when it came to the Chairwoman and Hayakawa Tazuna, there was no such concern.

Money was everything in the adult world.

He’d joined Tracen precisely to make money, and he felt no shame admitting it openly.

He was just earning his money honestly—was there something wrong with that?

When he stated his terms, the Chairwoman readily agreed.

After all, while Tracen Academy lacked many things—such as trainers, intact trainers, and especially trainers with intact pelvises—money certainly wasn’t one of them.

Uma Musume racing was among the largest industries in the world, and Tracen sat at its very heart. How could they possibly lack funds?

Thus, the deal concluded smoothly. Kitahara happily left the Chairwoman’s office carrying a box filled with money, from beginning to end completely ignoring Symboli Rudolf’s presence.

Then what exactly was her purpose there?

Kitahara was genuinely curious, but given that it was Symboli Rudolf, he didn’t dare inquire further. After completing the deal, he swiftly retreated.

As for why Rudolf had come…

Uma Musume hunting was a matter concerning the whole academy—especially the students—and naturally Rudolf cared deeply. Hearing from the Chairwoman that they’d found an “expert” on the subject, Rudolf had prepared numerous questions beforehand.

So why hadn’t she asked?

Because after overhearing Kitahara’s conversation with the Chairwoman, a much bigger question had emerged.

As Student Council President, Rudolf deeply loathed Uma Musume hunters. She’d even used the Symboli family’s influence to access related files from the URA.

Yet, curiously, she had never once seen Kitahara Sota’s name mentioned in any of those records.

She wasn’t suspicious of the Chairwoman or suspecting deception. Rudolf’s opposition to the Chairwoman was complicated, but they shared mutual trust regarding matters of Uma Musume welfare.

Then why hadn’t Kitahara’s name appeared in the files she’d reviewed?

Ever since Kitahara became Tokai Teio’s exclusive trainer, Rudolf had investigated him quietly, even without direct interaction. During that investigation, she had encountered an inexplicable “resistance.”

She hadn’t noticed it initially due to limited scope and urgency, but once she expanded her investigation, the resistance became obvious.

At the same time, she finally remembered why his name felt oddly familiar.

She had encountered it before.

Several years ago, before Rudolf had become the legendary “Emperor,” when she was still a mere adolescent, she’d once sneaked into her grandmother Speed Symboli’s office, glancing through documents left carelessly unattended.

And there she saw Kitahara Sota’s name.

Under normal circumstances, such a trivial thing wouldn’t have stuck in her memory.

Unfortunately, she’d been caught red-handed by Speed Symboli herself—and severely punished, imprinting the incident vividly in her mind.

Speed Symboli was notoriously short-tempered, rigid, arrogant, and intolerant of disagreement—a tyrant by all definitions. Yet within the Symboli family, she wasn’t merely tolerated; she was revered as the greatest family head they’d ever had.

That was the Symboli way.

Traits like coldness, ruthlessness, arrogance, and decisiveness—considered flaws by outsiders—were viewed as virtues within the Symboli clan. Rudolf had naturally inherited this disposition, and as a child, her temper had even exceeded Speed Symboli’s, earning her frequent beatings.

As she grew older, her personality softened somewhat, though her relationship with Speed Symboli never improved. Eventually, her time at Tracen had slowly healed her harsh edges, shaping her into the respected leader she was today.

Even so, some students still whispered that she appeared intimidating at times. Only Rudolf herself—and a few close confidants—knew how gentle she had become compared to her past.

But that was irrelevant now.

Back in the Student Council room, Rudolf lightly tapped her finger on the desk, eyes darkening thoughtfully.

Kitahara Sota, the Symboli family, resistance…

It appeared that at some point, an invisible net had quietly ensnared her.

—

Meanwhile, having solved his financial problems and successfully avoided entanglement with the dangerous Symboli Rudolf, Kitahara was practically walking on air.

This really was an incredible win!

On his way back, Kitahara’s face radiated happiness.

As for the Black Forest assignment?

Forget the Chairwoman’s request—if he’d known sooner the Black Forest had ties to Uma Musume hunters, he would’ve volunteered eagerly, even if she had tried to hold him back.

Kitahara wasn’t particularly hot-tempered—he’d even describe himself as cowardly. He typically avoided trouble, firmly believing in compromise and the rule of three.

But this was different. It wasn’t three times, nor even thirty. It was sixty-four times.

These bastards weren’t hunting Uma Musume; they were hunting him personally.

Considering their dogged pursuit, Kitahara felt obligated to offer a suitable response.

As for precisely what response…

Truthfully, Kitahara was fairly easygoing. He held no grand ambitions and would’ve been perfectly content living a quiet, mediocre life. Even a bit of misfortune was tolerable as long as he remained stable and safe. If there had been a home to return to, even better.

But as long as Uma Musume hunting persisted, as long as those pulling the strings remained hidden, even if he survived his three-year tenure at Tracen and accumulated enough wealth, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy true peace.

He could happily slack off—but if he stayed quietly in his own corner yet someone still came over to kick him, he wouldn’t hesitate to drag them down and drown them.

So, if only for his own future peace, he had to do something.

But those were problems for later.

Right now…

Holding the box filled with cash, feeling its satisfying weight, Kitahara smiled genuinely.

Although he hadn’t successfully requested an advance on his salary, this amount was more than enough for his clothing for Agnes Digital’s race, with extra left over to treat the team to dinner.

Of course, not a fancy restaurant—probably just a casual eatery. Otherwise, forget this box of money—even selling himself wouldn’t cover the expenses incurred by his three ravenous Uma Musume.

But that was enough.

His attire for Digital’s race, Special Week and Oguri Cap’s racing outfits, and soon-to-arrive racing uniforms for Grass Wonder and Agnes Digital…

Plus, costs from the trainer gatherings, daily beverages bought for his girls after training, and numerous unavoidable expenses…

His original advance had already run dry. Even the compensation from the Black Forest incident was nearly gone. Without this new income, he’d barely last another week.

Truthfully, even without Digital’s earlier suggestion, he’d been planning to ask the Chairwoman for an advance anyway.

Who would’ve imagined Black Forest would step in—not only providing critical information on Uma Musume hunting but also securing this generous payday?

Come to think of it, ever since he’d joined Tracen, despite their hostility, Black Forest had indirectly been nothing but helpful.

First, they immediately smeared his reputation upon his arrival, exactly as he wished. Next, after learning of his financial troubles, they’d thoughtfully arranged for attacks to secure compensation—dispatching easy-to-handle pawns. When Eclipse had seemed down, they’d sent convenient punching bags. Now, at his most dire financial moment, they’d practically sacrificed their entire organization to fund him.

He understood this wasn’t their intention, yet he couldn’t help feeling sympathetic toward them. Especially after hearing from the Chairwoman that Black Forest’s members—both human and Uma Musume—were essentially harmless dupes, failing spectacularly at every attempt.

But despite sympathy, he fully agreed with their punishment.

Regardless of age or species, everyone must face consequences for their actions. If anything, he thought Tracen was being lenient.

But that wasn’t his concern right now. The important question was: how would he approach investigating the Black Forest issue?

Even as he pondered, Kitahara arrived back at his dormitory, and immediately noticed a familiar red-haired Uma Musume nervously pacing in front of his door.

She hesitantly raised her hand to knock, sighed and lowered it again, turned away as if leaving, then quickly returned again—clearly torn.

Kitahara stopped in his tracks, expression turning complicated.

Why is she here…?

He knew this Uma Musume—very well, in fact.

Indeed, she was the very same girl he’d used as a test subject during his early experiments in Uma Musume physical care techniques. In other words, a victim.

Kitahara had long known she attended Tracen, and certainly she was aware of him after his name repeatedly appeared on the academy’s forums. But he never expected she’d actually seek him out.

He instinctively started backing away.

But after taking just one step back, Eclipse, standing behind him, moved forward without hesitation. Under Kitahara’s speechless gaze, she approached the anxious red-haired girl and greeted her casually.

“Long time no see, Nice Nature.”

“Are you perhaps looking for that idiot over there?”

—

This is a fan translation of 人在特雷森，专职摆烂 by 多功能复读机 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!