The seaside villa was quiet at night.
But in one of the main bedrooms, there were as many as two Uma Musume present.
Ruffian, a somewhat petite and adorable girl, fixed her pitch-black eyes intently on the girl before her, Flightline.
"He's mine! Mine!"
Ruffian immediately added.
"At least... he's mine first."
As everyone knows, when facing a relatively powerful boss, players can choose to employ a [war of attrition] strategy to secure victory.
Once the previous player achieves certain combat objectives, they withdraw to rest and recover health and mana, while the next teammate steps in to continue the fight. This cycle repeats until the boss is finally defeated.
But here's the question—what if the boss doesn't have much health and isn't particularly powerful?
For ordinary people, aren't the Uma Musume the real bosses here?
So, in a way, this was a case of two bosses taking turns "bullying" the ordinary human, Dr. Lin.
So even Ruffian understood perfectly well that whoever went second... would be at a huge disadvantage.
If the first Uma Musume drained Dr. Lin's health bar without restraint, leaving him critically low, or worse, completely depleted, with injuries to his pelvis or something...
Wouldn't whoever came next be utterly doomed?
As for "both sisters going together"...
Forget about whether Ruffian and Flightline could overcome their own psychological barriers.
At the very least, they couldn't get past the Secretariat.
In all likelihood, within a few days, that sharp-nosed Big Red Monster would catch wind of something amiss—why hadn't Dr. Lin returned to his clinic as promised after coming back to the country?
Moreover, if they both launched a night assault on Dr. Lin, his ordinary human body would surely be unable to withstand it. His pelvis would definitely give out, and he'd end up hospitalized himself within days, wouldn't he?
A physician who can't heal himself!
Therefore, both to prevent Big Red from noticing anything strange and to protect Dr. Lin's health, they had to take turns; they had to do it in shifts.
But then, the order of turns became absolutely crucial!
Even though Ruffian and Flightline were close friends, allies even, with a bond strong enough to form a pact...
When it came to matters involving Dr. Lin, Ruffian would not back down. The short, petite Uma Musume stared fixedly at the literary girl Flightline, waiting for her response.
Yet, an inexplicable sense of guilt lingered in Ruffian's heart.
After all, this alliance... had been Flightline's idea. And the battle plan, the invitations, even the seaside villa—all of it had been provided by Flightline.
Judging by contributions and effort, it only seemed fair that Flightline should go first.
By that logic, wasn't she, Ruffian, just freeloading and coasting to victory?
It even felt a bit like—[a maidservant accompanying the bride to her new family]??
No way, she refused to be some maidservant or bed-warmer.
But this involved Dr. Lin. Even if she felt somewhat guilty and ashamed, Ruffian still... stood her ground, unyielding!
Chin up, chest out—she wouldn't budge.
The struggle for the heir's position had always been like this!
Meanwhile, Flightline, perfectly calm, set down the literary book in her hands and glanced at her phone screen nearby.
She checked the current time.
[20:18]
It was only just past eight—nowhere near the right time yet.
Her composed demeanor showed she was already well-acquainted with Ruffian's personality and wasn't the least bit surprised by this inquiry.
Since she had chosen to form an alliance rather than keep Dr. Lin all to herself, Flightline had long been mentally prepared for situations like this.
Not only was she prepared for disputes over turn order in this "war of attrition," but she had even considered...
What if the "war of attrition" escalated into... a "two-player co-op" scenario?
As a wise and highly adaptable strategist, Flightline's preparations far surpassed those of the easily flustered Ruffian.
And so, Flightline spoke.
"Let's draw lots then. We'll see who gets the [First] draw. The one with bad luck will go keep an eye on the Secretariat and train with her."
"Huh? Wha—?!"
Flightline's seemingly calm and casual response, once processed, immediately made Ruffian's eyes widen in shock.
Huh?
J-just like that? Drawing lots?
Flightline wasn't going to argue her case and fight for the favorable position?
"Fine, let's draw lots."
Once it sank in, Ruffian promptly nodded repeatedly, like a woodpecker.
Flightline, already prepared, casually picked up a blank notebook from the nearby desk.
She tore out two pages and wrote elegant characters on them.
[First]
[Second]
Then, she crumpled them into paper balls, hid them behind her back, switched their positions a few times, and finally presented both balls in her outstretched hands to Ruffian.
"Choose."
Ruffian's breathing grew slightly rapid as she stared at the two crumpled paper balls. Her dark eyes darted between them, as if trying hard to recall and figure out which one held the coveted [First].
But... there were no clues to be found.
The inexplicable tension was even stronger than when she faced formidable rivals in training races. After hesitating for a good while...
"T-this one."
Ruffian snatched the paper ball from Flightline's left hand...
And instantly refined it!
But as she unfolded it and saw the character inside, her pupils constricted sharply.
"!!!"
The character that made her heart pound with utter regret was revealed.
Namely—[Second].
Suddenly, Ruffian felt like crying.
Refinement... failed!!
Oh no, was she really going to become Flightline's maidservant, Dr. Lin's bed-warmer?
How could she be so unlucky!
Drawing the [Second] order left Ruffian deeply disappointed.
But fair was fair—since her luck had been bad and she lost, there was nothing more to say.
A slight smile graced Flightline's lips, her expression cheerful.
"It seems the Three Goddesses are on my side."
Clenching her silver teeth in frustration, Ruffian could only stand up.
The first to be blessed... would be Flightline!!
--+--
Two hours later.
In her room, Flightline's mood remained cheerful, her heart racing incessantly.
Seated at her desk, she began writing.
--+--
[Summer Training Camp Diary]
[Day One: Excellent, I'm starting first. Sorry, Ruffian.]
[Ehehe...]
[All I need to do now is pace myself and jump until he's exhausted.]
[The first three days are all mine; there's no need to rush.]
--+--
Mature, wise, and steady, Flightline knew her body wasn't the strongest—but that was only in comparison to other top-tier champions, those 'Monsters' who had won multiple G1 titles.
Even compared to ordinary, lower-level listed race Uma Musume, Flightline's body was considerably stronger, let alone compared to Dr. Lin, who wasn't even an Uma Musume but an ordinary human.
So, in Flightline's estimation, the worst-case scenario was... Dr. Lin suffering pelvic injuries from their 'jumping.'
To prevent this, Flightline continuously tried to curb her excitement.
"Alright, it's about time."
After taking a deep breath, Flightline closed her notebook and set it aside.
The seemingly delicate girl with a lovely figure had already changed into cool, form-fitting sleepwear that accentuated her curves.
She hesitated for a few seconds.
"Does Dr. Lin prefer black silk, or white? Or maybe..."
But she quickly stopped dwelling on the question.
After all, she could just ask Dr. Lin herself later, couldn't she?
She had bought more than a few pairs anyway; surely that would be enough to "use."
The next moment, she stood up and prepared to leave her room, heading towards Dr. Lin Anran's room right next door.
--+--
A short while later.
In Lin Anran's room.
The unscrupulous young doctor was still tapping away at a document on his computer.
The document contained schedules for future treatments or meetings with the foreign fillies he was involved with.
For example, Sea the Stars' good friend Treve—the most crucial initial training plans were already set, so there was no need to see her every day or two.
Besides that, there were other injured foreign fillies whom Lin Anran had scheduled for treatments spread out over several sessions.
As for the timing, Lin Anran had deliberately scheduled them all for over a week later.
"That should do it. It's been a while since I've slacked off properly. Hopefully, I won't be disturbed."
The lazy, unscrupulous young doctor felt that this was his first real break since arriving in Japan and then returning to the States—the longest stretch of rest he'd had in quite some time.
In a way, it was almost like Uncle Mlynar Nearl, who had to work for ten years to accumulate a three-month vacation.
So, to some extent, Lin Anran, on his long-awaited break, was actually looking forward to this summer training camp.
After saving and closing the document, Lin Anran was just about to get up.
The next moment, he heard footsteps approaching from the hallway outside.
Click...
The door handle turned from the outside.
When Lin Anran turned his head, he saw the smiling face of Flightline.
Flightline stepped closer, her breathing slightly hurried. A faint blush spread from her delicate face down to her ears and slender neck.
The alluring figure of a mature older Uma Musume was on full display.
"Dr. Lin, about the rent for this summer training camp period..."
"Isn't it time to pay up?"
"...Pay with what?"
Flightline closed the door, not forgetting to lock it. This stunning girl, who had come prepared, was nothing like her usual deceptively fragile self.
Instead, she was like... a cunning fox that had finally cornered its prey.
"Of course... pay with [you]!"
(Omitted 30,000 words of content that proper gentlemen wouldn't care to read...)
(T/N: I may have done it for Sham, but I no longer have the time and i am tired)
--+--
Early next morning.
The petite Ruffian was glaring fiercely at the room next door. She then walked to the living room and drank some prepared milk with bread.
It's worth noting that she seemed a bit off, with some dark circles under her eyes.
Clearly, Ruffian... seemed to be suffering from a [lack of sleep].
[Lack of sleep] meant she hadn't gotten proper rest at night. For Uma Musume who needed intense training or participated in high-stakes races, this could have a significant impact.
Therefore, any professional Uma Musume would almost never let this happen, unless it was during a specific off-season period.
While Ruffian could be considered on a brief summer training camp break, which might barely count as a "half off-season"...
She had drawn the [Second] slot and soon had to face that terrifying Big Red Monster, the Secretariat, for training or practice races.
So Ruffian had little time to rest, yet she was now unprofessionally suffering from sleep deprivation—something that shouldn't happen to a talented girl like her.
'Damn it, for most of the night, Flightline's noises never stopped.'
'She clearly promised to pace herself and not drain Dr. Lin dry, but she didn't listen at all?!'
Not only was she in a bad mood and unable to sleep because she drew [Second], but the damn room's soundproofing was just terrible.
How could an innocent young filly like her sleep under such conditions?
But she couldn't just... join in, could she?
So, when she woke up, she was left with these dark circles—a clear sign of sleep deprivation, having barely slept all night.
Now, after her "rest," Ruffian's resentment was even greater than when she had returned to her own room.
She was starting to worry: when her turn came in two days...
Would Dr. Lin's body even hold up by then?
But now, sleep-deprived as she was, she had to leave and go train with the Secretariat for the time being.
"Hope Dr. Lin is okay!"
--+--
Meanwhile.
In Flightline's own room.
This once confident, seemingly flawless strategist girl was lying bent over on her soft bed with none of her former grace.
Clearly, she seemed to have little strength left.
In fact, she had had to lean against the wall for support just to make it back to her own room.
Somewhere along the line, that inexplicable [confidence] Flightline had possessed had completely vanished.
'Dr. Lin... is amazing.'
'But why is it completely different from what I knew, what I imagined?'
Flightline's mood was extremely complicated. A sense of shame made her cheeks burn bright red.
In all her estimations and preparations, she had considered almost every scenario.
But the one thing she never even contemplated was the possibility of herself being the first to succumb to exhaustion.
When her body could take no more, she had been the one gasping and pleading repeatedly with the familiar yet "terrifying" Dr. Lin, until he finally relented and let her leave.
How could this be!
Even when she suffered that crushing defeat against the Radiant Knight from the Nearl family in the [Pacific Classic Stakes]...
The blow hadn't been as heavy as this one.
After all, there were no certainties in racing, and the legendary Margaret Nearl was capable of defeating her.
But for Margaret Nearl's uncle, Dr. Lin, to also defeat her?!
This was something Flightline, no matter how vivid her imagination or meticulous her planning, could never have anticipated!
Her strong self-esteem made her search for reasons and excuses for last night's "defeat."
"I-It's... definitely because it was my first time launching a night assault, so things got a bit out of hand, that's all."
"Next time, it definitely won't be like this."
Besides, there was a silver lining: at least it proved that Dr. Lin's body... was in much better shape than she had thought.
No need to worry about him getting pelvic injuries from their 'jumping'!
Her face still flushed, the seemingly delicate girl immediately made a decision.
—Tonight, she would continue her efforts and seek revenge!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
There should be... around 70+ advanced chapters?
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.