I'm Ornn, and I'm about to be beaten to my knees by the Man-eating Horse Girl!

Only newly appointed trainers and their assigned mentors develop a strong bond; in the two years since she arrived at the central leadership, she has witnessed many such pairings.

The new recruits are ambitious and enthusiastic, pouring all their energy into their work as trainers. They show meticulous care for their responsibilities, even staying up all night to write training plans.

Their sense of responsibility is often moved by the sincerity of their trainers, leading them to train even harder. They also become more determined in their own dreams and strive to achieve their trainers' aspirations.

Young people recognize each other, their hearts collide, and ultimately, a fiery spark—perhaps pink, heart-shaped, rope-shaped, or basement-shaped—emerges.

Then, most of the newcomers officially resigned after three years and disappeared from the public eye.

However, the relationship between that guy and Oguri and the others was not one of the two relationships mentioned above, but rather a more unique one.

Everyone on Dolan's team trusted him, even the most complaining New Radiance.

Once that guy issues an order, no matter how counterintuitive, how strange, or whether it might embarrass them, they will steadfastly carry it out.

Meanwhile, on weekends, the three horse girls from Dolan's squad didn't seem to be constantly clinging to that guy. Tamamo Cross often saw Oguri and the others having study sessions with Yae Mutsuki, Mejiro Ardan, and Super Little Bay, while that guy was nowhere to be seen.

Can I trust Komi completely?

Every time she saw the members of Dolan's team putting on an eye-catching performance on the playground, she would think the same thing, but every time she came to the same conclusion.

Holding a senbei in her cross-shaped hand, Tamamo asked, "Oguri, do you... really trust your trainer?"

Little Chestnut Hat's face was buried in the bucket. When she looked up, the bucket of senbei was now over her head.

She replied in a muffled voice, "Yes, I trust him completely."

"why?"

Tamamo Cross asked softly, "I mean, why do you trust him so much?"

"If what's written on your student ID card is correct, then he's probably only known you for less than three months, right?"

Little Chestnut Hat pulled the bucket off his head; all the potato chips inside had disappeared.

She thought for a moment, then replied, "Because Tuorna is so amazing, I believe in him, and I want to become like him."

"When I, March, and Radiant first met him, he didn't have a trainer's license yet, and he didn't seem to know much about training horse girls,"

"To become a trainer, you have to pass the central exam. He said he would take the exam, and he actually passed."

"He said there would be no more bad people doing evil in Kasamatsu, and so there really were no more bad people in Kasamatsu."

"He said I could play in the Japanese derby, so I actually did,"

“He said that doing those training sessions would make us stronger, and we really did become stronger,”

At this point, a smile appeared on Oguri Hat's lips.

She looked at her roommate sitting across from her and said with a smile, "So I think, even if Orn said he could pluck the stars from the sky, he would actually be able to do it."

"That's what I believe."

Oguri Hat's eyes gleamed with a light that Tamamo Cross had never seen before. The light was so intense that it almost stung her eyes, causing her to turn her head away.

She lay back down on her bed and pulled the thin blanket to her mouth.

“I see…”

"Kuri, let's go to sleep."

"it is good."

Tamamo Cross really hates that guy.

It's less about dislike and more like an unfounded prejudice, a strange sense of unease.

She knew that this unfounded prejudice was wrong, but she still couldn't suppress these thoughts.

"Trainer Ornn? Well... he's probably the strongest rookie I've ever met, right? He's really impressive! He might be a formidable rival for us!"

This is Komiyama Komi's answer.

“Mr. Orn? I think he must be a very reliable person, right? And what he says is indeed very convincing. Look, my injuries have healed a lot now, haven’t they?”

This was Megumi Ardan's answer.

"Trainer Ornn? He and his teammate are formidable opponents. I will never forget the defeat in the Japanese derby, and I will definitely defeat them next time!"

This is Yae no Musou's answer.

"Oguri's trainer? I think he must be a very kind person, right? After all, when the match ended, both Oguri and he were willing to take me to the hospital immediately..."

This is Sakura Chiyo-oh's answer.

Tamamo Cross secretly asked many people who knew that guy and found that everyone had a very high opinion of him, even Yae Invincible's master, who didn't seem like a good person.

Even when she was submitting her documents to the student council, she could hear everyone in the student council praising that guy.

"Hehe, how was my lame joke? Did it make you chuckle?"

"Phew... President, I just want to ask one question: your joke-making skills have improved by four levels recently. Did you get some kind of secret technique?"

"Well, it's not really a secret manual, is it? It's just a treasure trove of four hundred corny jokes. Trainer Orn gave it to me, you know?"

Qisuo was also taken aback, then she suddenly burst into loud laughter.

"Hehehehe... Hehehe... Hahahaha!!"

Rudolf asked with a rather pleasant mood, "So happy about howling? You've finally grasped the true essence of a bad joke, haven't you?"

Qi Cao's eyes flashed with an eerie light, and she nodded with a howl, saying, "Yes!! Finally!! Finally!! I finally know!!"

"Ha ha ha ha!!!"

Look, even the student council president and vice president speak highly of that guy, which makes Tamamo Cross even more puzzled.

Where does this feeling of unease in my heart come from?

Is it because of disgust?

No, aside from initially calling me a dwarf, that guy hadn't done anything else offensive. I couldn't possibly feel disgusted just because of that.

Is it because of envy?

No, if she had to say who she envied, she was quite envious of Oguri. She envied Oguri's ability to trust her trainer so much, and she envied the unique relationship between them.

So... what exactly is the cause of this strange mentality?

Tamamo Cross made a long-awaited trip to the shopping arcade, searching for her answers in a bookstore on the second floor.

She searched through the psychology section for a long time, but ultimately couldn't find any books that matched her current situation.

She looked up and saw a dilapidated tricycle veering uncontrollably down the street from the entrance.

The brand-new vehicle was carrying a brake lever-like object, and in front of it stood a junior with red hair.

'Oh no!! We're going to crash!'

Tamamo Cross felt a pang of panic, but when she saw the expression on the man's face, her panic subsided, replaced by confusion and bewilderment.

She couldn't understand why he could maintain such a calm expression in the face of such a crisis, why he could even smile, as if even if the sky were to fall, he could still sit there calmly and composed.

The four people on the tricycle... no, the five people, ultimately nothing happened. On the contrary, they continued chatting and laughing as they boarded the tricycle that Tamamo Cross would never ride again, and continued driving into the distance.

So she put down her book and quietly followed the creaking, overloaded tricycle.

She watched as everyone bought clothes, entered the mall, and discussed what to eat that evening.

It seemed that the members of Dolan's team had told a scary story; Little Chestnut's ears and tail curled up, and he looked much more listless.

The guy then led Little Chestnut Hat away from Dolan's team. He seemed to say something, and Little Chestnut Hat's curled-up ears returned to normal, and she began to choose a tent with him.

Reflected in the mall's gleaming white marble floor and illuminated by the overhead incandescent lights, the man, dressed in all black, stood there like a towering stone pillar.

Around the stone pillar, Little Chestnut's fear vanished instantly, and she became lively again.

After witnessing this scene, Tamamo Cross left the shopping street.

She returned to her dorm room and plopped down on her bed.

Savoring the scent of the bed, the girl with the gossamer feathers looked up at the ceiling.

There's a beam in the ceiling; it both bears the pressure from above and shelters itself below.

It's as if it will always cover for you no matter what mistakes you make.

After a long while, she muttered to herself, "Heh... so that's what it is."

"So, it turns out I was just jealous of that guy...."

"Ughhhhhh!!"

With a midnight howl, Tamamo Cross, who was already a light sleeper, suddenly opened her eyes.

Recalling the memories of her dream, she involuntarily covered her head with her hands.

"Why did I think of that guy again...?"

"Damn it, it must be because the food he cooked today was too delicious. I ate so much and now I can't sleep well."

"I didn't expect him to still find the ranch... Tsk, what a hassle,"

"Who was that yelling just now? Why aren't they sleeping at this hour?!"

The girl shook her head, then leaned out of the second-floor dormitory window and looked in the direction from which the scream had come.

Although it was dark and she couldn't see very clearly, she could still make out the identities of the people by the light of the streetlights. It was Uncle Nantian Longsan, and... that guy.

They first headed towards the restrooms, and a minute later, they both walked in the exact opposite direction from the teaching building and dormitory building.

Tamamo narrowed her eyes and looked in the direction the two had gone, towards an abandoned building at the other end of the playground.

According to the older men, the place had been abandoned for several years, and they usually didn't let her or the children get close, saying they didn't want them to get hurt.

"But if it's an abandoned house, why would there be lights on?"

"unless......."

Tamamo Cross was startled; she shuddered and immediately jumped out of bed.

She grabbed her coat from the side, quickly put on her shoes, and ran towards the light.

Chapter 180 Fireside Chat

Orn followed Nantian Longsan, crossed the perimeter cordon of the ruins, passed through two iron gates, and finally arrived at the only room with light shining deep within the ruins.

Nantian Longsan reached out and gently knocked on the door. He said, "Big brother, I'm here."

A slightly hoarse voice came from inside the door: "Come in, why are you being so polite with me?"

Nantian Longsan pushed open the door, glanced at Orn, and then went into the room first.

The room was quite simply furnished, containing only a large bed, a screen, a desk, a few sofas and a coffee table.

The only unusual thing was the thin old man on the hospital bed who was staring intently at Orn.

The old man's facial skin was somewhat loose, and under the warm yellow light, his skin appeared slightly swollen.

Several blue veins bulged on the back of his hand, and besides age spots, there were several bandages on the surface of his skin.

A hospital-grade IV drip line stood beside the bed, with several empty medicine bags hanging from it.

He was extremely thin, like a starving person wandering through years of famine; the skin on his hands clung to his bones, their sharp edges like sharp metal.

Nantian Longsan nodded to the old man, then waved and said, "Brother Aoun, this is the current director of Nojin Ranch, Nojin Soichiro."

The old man smiled in Ornn's direction, and said with a self-deprecating tone, "Hehe, young man, don't let my current appearance fool you, I'm not that old."

“Long San and I are of the same generation, but I am a few years older. I am only just over fifty-eight this year.”

Orn frowned, looking at the aged-looking Soichiro in front of him, and said softly, "But now you look like an old man in his seventies or eighties. Do you have some kind of intractable disease?"

Soichiro smiled and nodded, then pointed to his chest and said, "Seven years ago, a heart checkup revealed some problems, which prevented me from engaging in strenuous physical activity."

“I also have some cardiovascular problems. Four years ago, the doctor said I might die from a stroke within a few months, and that I would get cataracts and go blind, and that other more terrifying complications would occur at the same time…”

"Back then, I had even made preparations for my funeral. Now, I'm still alive, while the doctor who examined me back then died in a doctor-patient conflict... Ha, it's really heartbreaking."

Nantian Longsan approached the bedside and reached out to adjust the axles under the bed, causing one corner of the bed to tilt slightly upwards.

This would allow the old man to lift his upper body and make eye contact with Orn.

He looked at Orn and smiled, "I've already heard about it from Tasuke. I still have to thank you for this."

Orn waved his hand gently: "It was just a small favor, and besides, I also have things to investigate."

"investigation?"