Two days had slipped by once more. The summer training camp was now in its third day.
Tonight… it would finally be Ruffian's [designated time].
Inside Secretariat's training ground.
A slightly puzzled Secretariat was staring at the girl beside her, Ruffian.
'Her condition… how has it deteriorated this badly?'
As the second-generation Big Red Monster and widely acknowledged as one of the greatest dirt track racers in history, there were very few Uma Musume that Secretariat held in high regard.
In the entire dirt racing scene, only those who had reached legendary status or had the potential to challenge for it—the historical greats—could catch her eye.
Names like Nearl, Man o' War, Seabiscuit, Flightline, and Ruffian were among them. If they only counted active racers, the number wouldn't even fill one hand.
Thus, Secretariat had considerable respect for Ruffian, who had shown exceptional potential even in her classic year, achieving an undefeated Triple Tiara.
But right now, Secretariat was caught off guard. How had Ruffian become… so fragile, so weak?
She simply had—no strength!!
That speed and power, so close to legendary, that should have made even Secretariat feel a thrill of excitement… Ruffian couldn't summon any of it at all.
Starting yesterday, Ruffian could barely keep up with her training regimen.
And today, it had gotten to the point where she could hardly manage the training itself. Secretariat hadn't even taken a break yet, but Ruffian was already sitting on a nearby bench, resting.
This wasn't the first time Secretariat had trained with Ruffian, but it was the first time she'd seen the girl in such poor form.
Something was definitely, seriously wrong!
"Ruffian, haven't you been resting well these past few days?"
"What happened?"
Secretariat didn't beat around the bush. She looked down at the comparatively petite and currently much less imposing Ruffian and pressed for an answer, her tone leaving no room for evasion.
An Uma Musume in such poor condition usually came down to three possibilities.
First, an unhealed injury.
Second, fatigue from consecutive races or intense training.
Third, and most likely, multiple nights of poor sleep—insufficient rest time and low-quality sleep over several days leading to a drop in form.
It was true that Ruffian had been injured before, defeated and hurt in her race against [Margaret Nearl]…
But in Secretariat's eyes, the young filly's adoration for Dr. Lin was plain as day. She couldn't hide it if she tried.
If her injuries weren't fully healed, she'd probably be hounding Dr. Lin relentlessly. Why would she come here to train with Secretariat?
So the first possibility was out. The second was equally unlikely.
After all, Secretariat hadn't invited Ruffian to train together; Ruffian had come of her own accord.
Only the most specialized top-tier doctors and the Uma Musume themselves truly understood their physical condition. Someone as strong as Ruffian would undoubtedly know if she was fatigued.
That left only one plausible explanation: lack of sleep, or some unforeseen event had prevented her from getting proper rest.
"Yeah, I haven't been resting well… I accidentally messed up my sleep schedule, had some insomnia."
"And then I've been busy thinking about whether there's a better running style for me."
"Front-running is too technically demanding. Is there a simpler, yet still dominant, style?"
The petite girl delivered her answer in a calm, even tone.
Frankly, she couldn't think of a better excuse.
She even casually turned the question back on Secretariat, deftly changing the subject.
"Front-running… too demanding?"
"There is one. A style just as powerful," Secretariat replied, her gaze lingering on Ruffian with a hint of scrutiny. "Learn from that Pegasus on the turf, Platinum's late charge. Go on, try it."
Seeing the topic of her poor condition being sidestepped, Ruffian let out a subtle sigh of relief internally.
'Hah… Starting tonight, it's finally my turn.'
'That damn Flightline, her moaning made it impossible to sleep.'
'Only last night was it a bit quieter. She only showed some restraint on the final day, letting Dr. Lin get some proper rest.'
It was precisely because of these consecutive nights of poor sleep, combined with an inexplicable excitement last night, that she found herself in this state.
The thought that it was finally her turn tonight had excited Ruffian so much she lost all desire to sleep, going from managing a few winks to not sleeping a wink at all.
Thankfully, Ruffian was a superbly gifted Uma Musume with exceptional physical prowess, allowing her to endure this chaotic schedule.
The trade-off, however, was that her current form had dropped so noticeably that even Secretariat, who just wanted to focus on training, could sense something was amiss.
But still, it was finally over, time to "change shifts"!
What Ruffian didn't quite anticipate was that Secretariat was still mulling over the question of her current state.
'Messed up sleep schedule? Insomnia?'
The crimson-haired girl listened to Ruffian's explanation, but an inexplicable sense of unease stirred within her.
For some reason, Secretariat felt something was… off.
But she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
'Hold on… Could it be that Ruffian's poor condition is because she… like me, like Sham did before, tried a night assault on Dr. Lin…?'
'No, that doesn't make sense. How? Why?'
How could Ruffian's body possibly be robust enough… to handle a night with Dr. Lin and then turn up for this ultra-high-intensity, nightmare-level training regimen with her during the day?
In Secretariat's recollection, even she herself, when facing Dr. Lin, would end up—[slightly at a disadvantage], forcing her to drastically reduce her training load, sometimes even stop training altogether.
And as everyone knew, Ruffian had recently been defeated by Nearl and sustained injuries.
Even if those injuries were healed, her body absolutely could not be in better shape than Secretariat's own.
So, judging by Ruffian's physical capabilities, she simply wasn't qualified to pull off such a feat.
Not to mention… shouldn't Ruffian be addicted to enjoying her time with Dr. Lin, continuing to sneak ahead? Why would she come here to train?
Furthermore, Secretariat had only received the news from Lin Anran this morning that he had returned to the country, complete with a photo sent from the clinic.
Considering Ruffian's physical condition, what would she stand to gain, and the timing of Dr. Lin's return…
All of it, every last bit, made it impossible for Ruffian's poor condition to be the result of a night assault on Dr. Lin. She was just overthinking it!
With that thought, Secretariat felt relieved and let out a long breath.
'I was overthinking it. Dr. Lin only just returned today, and Ruffian's condition was already poor yesterday.'
'Alright, time to get back to training!'
And so, the crimson-haired girl, her mood restored, turned and prepared to head back onto the training track.
--+--
Time: Night.
In Flightline's room.
Flightline, who always possessed a somewhat delicate air, was currently bowing her head, writing in her diary.
For some reason, her fragile demeanor seemed more pronounced than usual, as if her physical state wasn't at its best.
This shouldn't be happening to a Uma Musume during her off-season, when she wasn't even training.
Especially not to a famous legendary Uma Musume!
Flightline remained silent, focusing solely on her diary.
Ruffian on the front lines only had to focus wholeheartedly on training and monitoring Big Red, but Flightline in the rear had many more things to consider…
Such as, horsing around.
And also, horsing around.
And furthermore, horsing around.
Or perhaps… writing her diary.
Summer Training Camp Diary
--+--
[Day One:]
[Excellent! I've bought all sorts of cute, cool summer outfits, even two or three pairs of both white and black thigh-highs. I'll mix and match later to see what he likes best…]
[Must remember, night assaults shouldn't be overdone. Need to take good care of Dr. Lin's health.]
--+--
[Day Two:]
[Urk… How did this happen? How is Dr. Lin's stamina… this good?]
[Why is this completely different from what I imagined? Instead, I'm the one begging for mercy?]
[It must be a fluke, probably due to my lack of experience. It won't happen next time!]
[That embarrassing history of me pleading and whimpering… once is enough.]
--+--
[Day Three]
[Kgh… Why is it the same as last time? Forced to whimper and plead all over again…]
[Although… it really was quite pleasurable.]
[Is Dr. Lin's stamina really endless? Just who is the Uma Musume here, him or me?]
[It's not even my first time horsing around… this is my third day! Why do I end up completely dominated every single time? ugh…]
--+--
As she finished writing the latest entry, closed the diary, and set down her pen, the events of the past few days replayed incessantly in Flightline's mind.
Her… multiple night assaults!
They had, without exception, all ended in her defeat.
[The Tragic Tale of Legendary Uma Musume Flightline!]
Night Assault Encounters Dr. Lin, Possessing Monster-like, Limitless Stamina, Fought with All Her Might But Could Not Prevail!
In a way, this extreme humiliation felt even more intense to Flightline than losing her race to [Margaret Nearl].
After all, no matter what, Margaret Nearl was still a member of the [Uma Musume] species, right? Losing to a fellow Uma Musume.
But Margaret Nearl's uncle, Dr. Lin, was a complete and utter human male, an ordinary person!
As a dignified Uma Musume, to be counter-assaulted during a night raid… it was like being a captured female knight or saint!
Shameful!
Nothing but shame!
Her face flushed a deep red, Flightline's breathing grew ragged once more.
"Ugh… My time is up, too."
"For the next few days, it'll be my turn to keep an eye on Big Red and train together."
Logically, having failed in her night assaults multiple times, she should probably consider herself [out of the tiger's den]. But Flightline didn't feel much relief.
Instead, her ample bosom heaved slightly with a tinge of… reluctance.
But then, as if thinking of something, a faint smile touched Flightline's lips.
"Ruffian… she's bound to think…"
"That on this last day, I was the one going easy on Dr. Lin."
"Little does she know, it was Dr. Lin who was going easy on me."
She couldn't help but want to see the look on Ruffian's face—the sheer shock, and… the whimpering pleas for mercy.
But alas, she could only imagine it. She wouldn't get to witness it firsthand.
After all, their alliance and agreement was for a—[relay battle], not a [duo]!
With a sigh, Flightline stood up and returned to her bed.
It wasn't very late, but the clever, strategic lady had already made her preparations.
"Tomorrow, it's my turn to train with Secretariat. I need to rest well and adjust my condition."
Flightline picked up the melatonin bottle by her bedside, took some, put in her earplugs, and lay down early to sleep.
"At the very least, I can't be sleep-deprived, right?"
The wise Flightline chose to fall asleep before a certain [night assault] could even begin.
--+--
Half an hour later.
In Lin Anran's room.
A petite and exquisitely beautiful girl quietly pushed the door open.
As she peeked her head in, she immediately noticed the sound of running water coming from the room's bathroom.
"Is Dr. Lin showering?"
"The [ingredient] is cleaning itself? How convenient."
Ruffian already saw herself as… the master of the night!
--+--
Ten minutes later.
The petite girl was growing a bit bored waiting.
She sat on the edge of the bed, her flawless, fair feet swinging idly back and forth—an unconscious move that could deliver a critical hit to certain specific types of gamers.
Click…
The bathroom door handle turned from the inside.
Instantly, Ruffian straightened her petite yet by no means underdeveloped frame—which certainly outclassed a certain Pegasus's—and looked over.
The next moment, the cheerful little foreign filly saw the familiar figure of the black-haired young man.
But different from before, the Lin Anran she saw wasn't in his usual white coat, but had most of his body exposed.
Ruffian instinctively raised her hands to cover her eyes, then peeked through her fingers at Lin Anran.
But she quickly remembered why she was here—she wasn't some inexperienced, pure maiden!
So, Ruffian quickly composed herself and lowered her hands, though she couldn't completely hide the blush on her cheeks.
"Dr. Lin, I'm here."
"You're here."
Lin Anran's expression immediately turned somewhat complicated, a trace of surprise in his eyes.
Wait, they'd switched already?
This little foreign filly is really eager, even earlier than Flightline was the past few days.
Oh no, this summer training camp… it's targeting him!
In a way, what summer training camp was this even supposed to be?!
For the first three days, Flightline always left, exhausted and leaning against the wall for support. And Ruffian had mysteriously vanished, nowhere to be seen.
Now that Ruffian had reappeared, it seemed like it was Flightline's turn to disappear?
The training fees for this summer camp felt a bit… ill-gotten.
"Heh heh…"
Contrary to Lin Anran's expectations, the petite foreign filly hopped off the bed, brimming with confidence.
'You're not running away? Instead, you're approaching me?'
"Dr. Lin, I'll be gentle, don't worry."
--+--
(Omitted 30,000 words of content that neither virtuous gentlemen nor scoundrels would care to read.)
One hour later.
"N-no! This isn't right!"
--+--
Two hours later.
"St-hop!"
--+--
Three hours later.
The source of those incessant moans that had kept a certain little foreign filly awake…
Ruffian, finally understood where they came from!
--+--
Time was inching closer to a certain world-renowned race.
The European turf, mile distance, Queen Anne Stakes.
There was still a while before the start of the destined-to-be-historic [Legendary Battle].
But the eyes of the entire world were converging on that impending race.
And currently, Japan's Tracen Academy was practically in a frenzy.
The number of active Uma Musume choosing the "pack up and run" option had reached innumerable levels.
At the school gate, young girls dragging suitcases kept appearing, each bearing the distinctive ears and tails of Uma Musume, proving they were active racers who should be busy with classes or race schedules.
Yet they all seemed to be planning to leave Tracen early. The Green Demon, Hayakawa Tazuna, who should have been at the gate, wasn't stopping them in the slightest. Instead, she was directing traffic, helping them leave.
Among the tide of departing Uma Musume, there was even an exceptionally buxom girl with crimson hair in twin tails.
She was none other than… the famous [Scarlet Queen, Daiwa Scarlet], who had been invited multiple times by overseas international races hoping to see her true capabilities!
After all, she was—[The first Uma Musume in the world to set foot on a Pegasus Winner's Stage], [The monster who was the only one to lose to Platinum by less than five lengths]!
Now, to go watch Platinum's race, Daiwa Scarlet was finally leaving Japan.
The twin-tailed scarlet maiden, Daiwa Scarlet, pushed her suitcase forward.
"Alright, let's go."
As if moved by some unseen force, a thought crossed Daiwa Scarlet's mind.
"I wonder… does Platinum still remember me?"
--+--
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.