Chapter 4: Inspiration. Right?
"A Sheng, how many times have I told you not to just pile carrots directly in the stable!"
"What does it matter? They're going to be moved anyway, sooner or later."
"What if Fu-chan steals them again? And your white hair is disgusting!"
"Huh? How can a landmine girl even say that to me!"
"Both of you, quiet down!"
The old man with short white hair loudly scolded the two bickering individuals behind him, then rubbed his throbbing temples with a distressed expression.
"It's all your fault."
"No, it's your fault."
Even after being stopped by the old man, the two continued to secretly blame each other.
"When Mr. Arakawa's guests arrive, you absolutely must not be disrespectful in front of them."
Fearing that his troublesome children would cause another incident, Ogawa Take warned them with some apprehension.
"Tch, it's just a new Horse Owner. If you ask me, Dad, you're being overly cautious—"
The white-haired teenager named A Sheng immediately put on a disdainful expression.
"Idiot! If we offend the Light Breed Horse Association because of this, we won't even find a place for breeding next year!"
Picking up his cane, Ogawa Take repeatedly tapped his son's head, instantly feeling as if he had aged several years.
Meanwhile—
"This should be the place, right?"
Kitano looked at the sign that read "Nishiken Ranch" in front of him with some uncertainty.
At the end of April, he successfully registered as a personal Horse Owner with the Hokkaido Horse Racing Association.
To meet the threshold for personal income review, he had even used up quite a few green omamori accumulated from daily tasks.
Of course, this money exchanged through green omamori would not just sit idly in his account.
Kitano decided to use this money to purchase his own racehorse.
As for a loan.
The agricultural cooperative had a large business and didn't lack this small amount of money.
He would just pay it back slowly.
As soon as he parked his car in front of the empty space marked with the letter "P," Ogawa Take, the representative of the ranch, came forward, leaning on his cane.
"Welcome, Mr. Kitano."
Ogawa Take's short silver hair was neatly combed, and his smile, though a bit exaggerated, was not off-putting.
"Thank you for having me, Mr. Ogawa."
After exchanging pleasantries, Kitano's gaze went past Ogawa and landed on the two people following him.
The teenager with an exaggerated white pompadour like a Yakuza let out a "tsk" and deliberately turned his head away.
"This is my son, Ogawa Masaru. He's currently helping out at the ranch. A Sheng, hurry up and say hello to Mr. Kitano!"
Ogawa Take introduced him with a smile, while his cane discreetly poked the teenager's toe.
"Hiss... Hello, Mr. Kitano."
Ogawa Masaru first gasped, then spoke weakly.
"Greetings, Mr. Kitano."
At this moment, the girl who had been silent until now also spoke.
Kitano turned his gaze to the girl standing on the other side.
Based on skin and facial features, the girl was estimated to be a young individual aged between 18 and 25, with a height between 5.3 feet and 5.5 feet. Her hair was healthy and smooth, with no obvious signs of shedding or parasite attachment.
Her facial features were well-proportioned, with no obvious deformities. Her cheekbones were soft, and her jawline was clear, with no edema, scabs, or flaking. Her sclera showed no yellowing or congestion, and there was no obvious accumulation in the tear secretion area. Her ears and nasal cavity were normal.
Her skin tone was even and fair, with no obvious erythema, ecchymosis, acne, or rash. No obvious pathological pigmentation was observed under natural light. Her posture was upright, with normal physiological spinal curvature, no limping, or postural compensation.
She was quite healthy.
However, her attire was somewhat intimidating.
Long black hair, a black dress, and a black choker around her neck.
In a place like Hokkaido, this outfit could almost be equated with a landmine girl.
"It looks more like a hideout for some violent group than a production ranch."
Although he was clearly aware that labeling someone arbitrarily was very impolite, Kitano couldn't help but have similar thoughts.
"This is my daughter, Ogawa Kanna."
When introducing his daughter, Ogawa Take's tone softened considerably.
Kitano greeted the two of them again.
After this, Ogawa Take directly led Kitano to the grazing area.
The various facilities along the way looked like they had only recently been put into use.
Seemingly noticing Kitano's confusion, Ogawa Take explained, "Our ranch was established only in recent years, and the racehorses produced by the ranch only started competing last year."
Noticing Ogawa Take's slightly embarrassed expression, Kitano wisely did not inquire about the competition results.
Since it wasn't a formal auction, the horse presentation segment was omitted.
Worst case, if Kitano really took a liking to a certain horse, it would just be led out for him to see.
Ogawa Take, leaning on his cane, introduced, "These are two-year-old horses that have already begun preliminary training. Although their bloodlines might be slightly lacking, they are a good choice for beginners in horse racing, and the price is also..."
Kitano was no longer listening to what was said afterward.
His gaze was completely drawn to one horse.
It was a remarkably beautiful dark bay horse.
Its coat was glossy black, smooth, and shiny, with no obvious signs of parasite infection or skin disease.
Its physique was well-proportioned, and muscle distribution was even, with no emaciation or localized swelling observed.
Its limbs were symmetrical, joints showed no swelling or lameness, and its center of gravity was balanced when standing, suggesting no obvious damage or dysfunction in its skeletal, muscular, and ligamentous systems upon initial assessment.
Its gait was normal when walking, and its hoof structure was intact.
Even from a veterinarian's perspective, it was a healthy and fine horse.
As if sensing Kitano's gaze, the dark bay two-year-old horse pranced over like a fawn.
Kitano couldn't help but hold his breath.
Ogawa Masaru, observing with folded arms, pouted.
He had seen too many people like this.
They got into horse racing on a whim, neither professional nor having any motivation to stick with it.
They would soon slink away with their tails between their legs.
However—
The racehorses in their care would be unlucky.
Ogawa Masaru gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
Even if he was punished by his father, he would do everything to stop him from buying their racehorse.
Before Ogawa Masaru could speak, an unexpected event occurred.
Slap—
Kitano suddenly slapped himself across the face.
The stinging pain immediately sobered him up considerably.
"Mr. Kitano... Are you alright?"
The sudden scene made even the experienced Ogawa Take pause, and it was a moment before he asked with some uncertainty.
Nodding, Kitano replied calmly, "It was just a mosquito flying by."
He had almost forgotten how low his Inspiration was.
However—
Indeed, he still harbored a Luck mentality .
Opening the panel, Kitano, somewhat defiantly, used the detector on the dark bay colt in front of him.
【Diva's Dance 2023 (Unnamed)】
【Colt 2】
【dark bay】
【Distance Aptitude: ?】
【Track Aptitude: ?】
【Leg Type: ?】
【Growth Type: ?】
【Temperament: ?】
【Personality: ?】
【Speed: G-】
【Stamina: ?】
【Fighting Spirit: ?】
【Burst Power: ?】
【Strength: ?】
【Health: ?】
【Wisdom: ?】
【Mental Fortitude: ?】
【Flexibility: ?】
Unsure whether to lament his luck or misfortune, Kitano silently closed the system panel.
At this point, he completely gave up struggling.