“You were asking about how to get yourself food?” Director Yayoi turns to me, her short stature forcing her to look up to meet my eyes. “We make sure to keep the cafeteria well stocked, and you don’t have to worry about ordering, as it’s buffet styled.”

  I walk with her, before staring down at her. “No ordering food?” I try to think about it for a moment. “So it is like a market stall, but without needing to pay?”

  “If that helps you adjust, then sure!” She nods proudly, arms folded.

  Tazuna smiles, continuing to lead. “It’s all you can eat. It’s very important that umamusume are properly fed.

  As I walk I try to picture things. Umamusume are replacements for horses. Back home, horses would need to eat much more than humans would, at least in weight. But, despite having the supposed strength of a horse, I am still the size of a human maiden. “How much… should umamusume eat per day?” I ask, looking towards Tazuna. “Back home, horses would need to eat a lot, especially if doing physical labor, but my body is much smaller than a whole horse would be.” I fold my arms. “If things are correct, and I’m supposed to be a strong uma, would I need to overeat compared to how I would as a human?”

  Rudolf nods as she approaches my field of view. “That’s correct, umamusume do need to eat more than humans.” She pauses, looking at me curiously. “These ‘horses’ are camel sized mules? I would not think we eat on the same level as that.” We approach a building that is connected to the main Tracen building, Rudolf sighs. “Some… do have appetites that may rival the animals you’re talking about.”

  Director Yayoi runs up to the door first. “Now, prepare yourself Young Aven! You are going to witness the miracles of modern day food!” She opens it and lets me in.

  As I enter the vast room I try to take it in. A mess hall this size? Only for an academy? It could full well support an army barracks. The entrance we came through has a few tables on a lower level. The floor continues to span beyond two steps that lead to a slightly higher elevation, full of tables surrounded by numerous seats. In the center of the room four pillars keep up a lowered circle of ceiling, underneath, a round table sits below it.

  The room itself is vast, but as I look around, I see multiple uma girls eating foods I’ve never seen before. There’s a large amount of constant movement, hands, tails, ears. I quickly try to access their eating situation. They do have more on their plate than fellow soldiers in my world. Yet, I don’t know if that could be due to excess food from being without worry of sieges, allowing more cultivation?

  I navigate myself forward, avoiding the moving of tails, mine of which continues to move naturally as well. My ears lean forward as I attempt to go through without causing much trouble for any umamusume around me. Once I’ve climbed the steps and circled past the round table in the center of the room, I see a large counter ready. Plates with a shining texture have been set up, having food that seems to be producing steam. At once a wide variety of smells try to entice me forward. The smell is a lot stronger than most rations we were given in both the lines and the barracks. I even notice the distinct look of cooked meat, which… seems to be having an orange carrot looking food just… stabbed in the middle? That part is a bit odd, but it could be some advanced slab like technology that keeps the meat warm for all I know. This world has had more bizarre contraptions.

  Director Yayoi and Tazuna approach me, seemingly happy at my expression of awe that is present.

  Director Yayoi points her fan at me. “What do you think, Young Aven, impressed?”

  I quickly regain control of myself. I did not realize how hungry I was. Learning this world and my next steps have been far too interesting to worry about my current stomach. My tail appears to keep moving left and right, seeming to betray my composure. I look at the Director, but something odd catches my eye behind her. I see an umamusume with white tail and hair. She wears the same tracen uniform as me. But her plate is stacked… it’s stacked higher than her?!

  Have I been a fool this whole time? I had asked before, they claim the uniforms were ‘style’ not aristocracy. But… to afford such luxurious food, the frills of the uniforms, the titles of ‘emperor’ and such, the idea of ‘fans’ that spread your name? My eyes squint towards the Director. “Aristocrats.”

  “Eh?” Director Yayoi's eyes open wide, as she stares at me confused.

  “Are you positive you aren’t nobility?” I sigh looking at the plates of food presented and free for anyone to grab. “The way this food is presented, it is certainly like the noble parties I have noticed when I was assigned to guard their perimeter. With this palace, your position, portion sizes, everyone casually gaining titles, are you certain you are not the role of nobility?”

  Yayoi blinks silently, unsure what to say. Tazuna quickly looks towards the director. “Director?”

  Symboli Rudolf quickly steps forward to me. “Aven, we understand how you can come to that conclusion given what you’ve told us of your origins. But we assure you, while Tracen is prestigious, it is not through noble blood.” She directs me to the food. “You see, thanks to, what you’ve been calling ‘lightning magic,’ every aspect of life has been improved compared to the world you know.”

  She leads me closer to the food, I feel my mouth salivating, my tail wags back and forth and my ears perk up.

  Tazuna steps forward. “Rudolf is right! Food can be stored for a long time, and fire is used with gas to cook at all! We have…” She pauses for a moment, seeming to take a moment on how to word it. “‘Ice magic’ boxes that allow food to stay good for long times.”

  Director Yayoi finally jumps forward. “Right! Ice Magic!” She smiles, pointing her fan at me. “If you want to call it ‘nobility’ I suppose you can if you’d like.”

  Tazuna turns around, seemingly shocked at the comment. “D-Director?”

  Yayoi then smiles, keeping her voice lower, to avoid eavesdropping. “That shouldn’t be much different to your previous world, should it?” She nods with a confident smile. “You said you were a cavalry commander, meaning you were with the military.”

  I nod. “R-Right.” The smell of the nearby food continues to assault my senses, making it harder to focus.

  “And you said you guarded the perimeter of nobles. So that means you served them before.”

  “Y-Yes, yes I did.” I mumble.

  Yayoi continues. “Then, maybe things aren’t too different from your world, are they?”

  I avert my eyes. “If that is the case… I don’t know if I truly am worthy to be treated with such vast… rich supplies after intruding in your space like this.”

  She pauses, looking at me curiously. “You keep saying you don’t deserve to be treated this well? Why is that?”

  I pause. “This kindness is not so common back home.” I mutter. I turn my head away from the food. Trying to minimize the distracting smells. “To be treated so… kindly, without me providing you anything…? Am I not abusing you? If I need food, I must work for it.”

  “Oh, is that why you’re so hesitant?” Director Yayoi looks up to me, her expression seeming to look more mature than it usually is. “Well, maybe we should think about this in a different way. Consider yourself my ‘cavalry commander’ in the new modern age of 'cavalry.' Instead of combat, you must prove yourself in the races! For your own goal of finding Archibald and the honor of Tracen!”

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  “Is that… truly enough? Doing these races, doing those movements in the mirrors? You provide all this help just for that? Your compassion towards me seems… unwarranted.” My fists clench. “I don’t… truly deserve…”

  Director Yayoi unfurls her fan, her face has a smile. “Young Aven. You keep saying you're older than me, but in terms of modern day. You’re no older than a newborn.” She smiles, pulling out a sheet of parchment. “I understand why you may be wary. If it will set your mind at ease…” She sets the parchment down on an empty part of the counter.

  I quickly glance at it. “Umamusume Registration Form.” It says on the top

  “If you’re truly afraid of not deserving such, then consider yourself hired as my ‘cavalry commander!’” She smiles, standing up tall. “You have a great resume! Even giving your life on the job for the previous employer” She jumps back. “Of course, I won’t ask for you to do that for me!” She then smiles and points to me with her fan. “This will be our contract! I will provide all the services of Tracen Academy for you! You will train as an umamusume, as my, ‘soldier!’ With your training you will become a representative of Tracen Academy! You will compete in the races throughout the URA, you will perform concerts after the race to the excited crowd.” She then folds her arms proudly as she turns to her side, side eyeing me. “If we have any findings on your ‘Archibald’ or someone with a similar name, we will present them to you.” She places a writing instrument on the form she provided. “Does this sound fair, Young Aven?”

  I stare at the form. Is it truly this easy? Serving a new vassal? With my only task to run, and have to do those strange movements in the mirror? With a future of running into Archibald, not just that, if horses do not exist here, then I will truly be able to talk and understand him! “I…” I face Director Yayoi and then bow. “O-Of course, D-Director Yayoi!” I let out firmly. Hints of tears sting my eyes. I do not want to be seen as soft, so I do all I can to hold them back.

  As I look up, I notice a few umamusume nearby stare at me, I appear to have made a scene, despite my steps of wearing the Tracen Uniform to fit in. Rudolf is smiling, arms folded. Tazuna seems to be looking around at the other umamusume. Director Yayoi's smile remains unbroken as she stares at me. She opens her fan. “Amazing” is written on it. “Perfect, just sign your name here, and Tazuna and I will take care of the rest.” She points to a line at the bottom of the form.

  I grab the writing instrument and sign my name. “Aven.” Right where she directs.

  Director Yayoi smiles as she grabs the pen and the form. “Perfect!” She smirks, seeming to look at my eyes as I quickly turn them. “Now, I’m sure you’re hungry, and Tazuna and I have to make sure to get this properly documented!” She begins walking away.

  Tazuna turns between the Director and me a few times. “Director? Should we not stay with her?”

  The Director turns to Symboli Rudolf. “Rudolf! I’m putting you in charge of Aven for now! Tazuna and I will prepare her paperwork and her dorm room.”

  Rudolf nods. “Of course, Director.”

  Tazuna looks to me, then to Rudolf before smiling one last time. “You’ll find Tracen Academy is very accommodating for all umamusume!” She smiles, seeming to sense some umamusume watching her from the corner of their eyes. She then quickly follows behind the short director.

  I finally turn back to look at the food, I don’t think I can handle much more waiting. As I approach, I notice a grey haired umamusume already stacking up plates. I pause, the way her hair splits in two long strands seems familiar. Quickly, I sneak a glance to the space where food was piled up, only to see that... it’s all gone?! My head pivots quickly. This is the same girl, and she’s getting even more?!

  The girl notices me staring, she turns to me. “Are you new?” She asks, her voice shows little emotions I can pick up on.

  “I suppose I am.” I let out, trying to read her expression. “I’m Aven Doram.”

  The girl looks me up and down. She then turns and grabs a plate with stacks of meat impaled through with the orange carrot looking thing. “You should try this.” She says, handing the plate to me.

  I take the plate, unsure what else to do with this hungry girl. The smell of the meat is so close it assaults my senses far too much. If I truly was sleeping for as long as they said, I haven’t had anything to eat in nearly thirty hours. This could also be from the superior senses horses have. Either way I am struggling, and my mouth continues to produce too much saliva.

  The girl in front of me continues to pile up her own plate, she peeks at me again. “I’m Oguri Cap.” She pauses, as if examining my face, which I imagine is making quite an unfortunate face with my willpower doing all it can to scarf down everything on the plate using my hands. “The food here is good.” She says as she picks up her plate balancing her towering pile impeccably. She quickly shuffles back over to the seat she was sitting in prior.

  Rudolf stares at me with a smile. “When I said some of the students might match the ‘horse’ beasts you talked about. She was one I was referring to.”

  I do my best to tear away from the food in front of me. “I have not eaten in thirty hours, and I think this horse... uma thing is making it harder to not... want to eat immediat-... right away.”

  Rudolf pauses. “Is your grammar getting worse?”

  “Help...” Is all I can muster.

  Symboli Rudolf takes the plate from my hands as I manage to get more air with less delicious scents in it. I take a deep breath through my mouth and recompose myself. “Right...”I avoid looking at the plate Rudolf is currently holding. “What is expected for me to eat?” I try to peek over at other umamusume. “Oguri is the outlier.” I look at her devouring the plate in front of her. “Thank goodness horses ate grass. I can’t imagine feeding one with the best rations...”

  Rudolf chuckles at that. “It’s all you can eat. No one will judge you for how many times you go back and forth. You can try each thing individually.

  I take a quick peek at the plate of meat in Rudolf’s hand. I quickly look around the counter, finding a quick source of utensils. Knife, fork, spoon. I pause, seeing what appears to be sticks near them. “Stick...?” I try to think of how it would be used, suddenly it dawns on me. “Ah, so like a skewer?” I ask. “A small spear for eating, interesting.”

  Rudolf’s smile doesn’t fade. “We’ll cover chopsticks later. For now, it looks like you are suffering from not eating.” She hands me the plate as the scent powers itself through me.

  “R-Right...” I quickly scan around the room, finding an empty table. I swiftly make my way over. As I sit down I notice my tail exits out of a hole in the back of the chair smoothly, but my tail keeps moving left and right, showing my inner excitement, my ears perk themselves up. I swiftly move to grab my knife, and begin cutting a slice off. Instantly my fork takes hold of it and brings it into my mouth.

  Delicacy I cannot begin to describe overflows my entire sense of self. This is the best thing I have ever eaten. Nothing from my old world even comes close. As I swallow, the deliciousness still hovers in my mouth. I truly lost myself for a moment there. My tail flicks back and forth, as my ears stand up straight. I peek a glance at my plate in surprise.

  This isn’t normal at all. Was that just because I went so long without food? I need to try again. Is this another culprit of their electric magic? My body works quickly to cut off another slice. As I place it in my mouth again… the sudden blast of flavor continues where it previously stopped. Leaving my body acting on its own. My face beams with a smile, as my tail and ears express themselves in excitement.

  I hear the chair next to me pull out as Symboli Rudolf sits down, having a plate of the very same impaled meat. She gives me a smile. “It seems you like it.”

  I swallow the piece quickly, eager to speak. “This… isn’t normal Rudolf.” My expression shifts to be as composed as normal, but my tails and ears betray me, showing the inner enthusiasm. “What sort of magic is done to make this food taste much more… vivid than back at my old home?”

  Rudolf smiles, beginning to cut a slice of her own slab. “Studies have shown umamusume's sense of taste is stronger than humans. Could that be it?”

  I shake my head. “No. That can’t be completely it. Sure, back home I noticed horses have a heightened sense of hearing and smelling. As Archibald and other horses would constantly notice if I was eating something with a distinct smell nearby.” I shake my head. “But… that can’t be the only reason. This is… beyond anything comprehensible.” I find myself quickly cutting another piece. “If this existed, wars would cease and everyone would turn to producing agriculture as much as possible.” I lead the slice to my mouth, I enter the divine state of bliss again.

  Rudolf smiles watching my reactions. “I wonder if our food doesn’t taste as great as you think, but maybe the food back at your home was just so bland?” She smiles. “Historically there had been advancements in cooking since the time of combat cavalry.” She pauses for a moment. “I wonder… are you aware of spices?”

  After the next bite, I begin cutting again. “What is this ‘spices’ you mean… I’m aware of something being too hot to try, like certain vegetables farmers tried to cultivate, but were often used for… selling horses.” I mumble, attempting to be vague, as it was a barbaric practice.

  Rudolf smiles. “It’s similar.” She takes a bite, thinking while she chews, deciding to speak up after she swallows. “Maybe if I rephrase… is there anything you could put on food that would change the taste?”

  My eyes widen. “Yes, salt!” I smile, happy to know what she means. “It was very expensive though. The idea of putting a rock on food was a strange one, but it seemed to be big with nobility and people of higher class.” I frown slightly. “I did not enjoy the same lifestyle they did, so I only had it sparingly.”

  Rudolf nods. “Right, so you know salt. Are there any other spices you would place on food to change the taste?”

  I pause staring directly at Rudolf’s eyes. “... There’s more than salt?”

  Rudolf smiles triumphantly. “Well that explains it. You see, now people commonly add many spices to dishes to make the taste stronger.”

  I quickly cut another piece and place it in my mouth. “I see.” I mumble out with the food in my mouth. “Well, it works… It's so good!”

  Rudolf stares at me then smiles. “Careful now, once you accept a little spice, your world may gain… flavorful consequences.”

  I stare at her, confused by her statement as I slowly bring another slice to my mouth.

  Rudolf chuckles to herself, seemingly very proud of her comment.

  I just go back to eating. “So…” I look at the orange piece of the dish that is still stabbed through both pieces of meat. “This carrot looking item? What does it do?”

  Rudolf stares at me before looking at the item. “It’s a carrot.”

  I pause. A tinge of embarrassment fuels my face, causing it to faintly become red. “Look, in this place, I don’t know what anything could be. I’m still trying not to question how much lightning magic runs.” I avert my eyes, cutting around the carrot item that, is in fact, a carrot.

  Rudolf smiles. “Not everything here is enchanted. Some are simply… well-rooted.” She chuckles to herself with a smile.

  I look at her, seeing her smile more than I’ve seen her all day. I suppose making oddly phrased statements is what she does for fun in this world of peace? In a world without horses, I too should find a purpose beyond racing. But until I am reunited with Archibald, I must make repaying the Director and gaining fans my priority. As I bring another slice to my mouth, I continue to feel bliss as this unknown world continues to flesh itself out to me slowly.