"Northern Dreams… in the Spring Tenno Sho?"
Sugimoto Kentaro muttered in disbelief as he stared at the documents in his hand. He never expected Northern Dreams to enter the Spring Tenno Sho at this time.
She had previously qualified for the Arima Kinen but never showed up. Back then, Sugimoto had assumed she was just like other Northern family Uma Musume he'd seen in his youth—appearing in a flash of brilliance before swiftly vanishing from the racetrack.
But this was the Arima Kinen, the most important race of the year! The hype around a second showdown between Narita Brian and Northern Dreams had set the entire horse racing world abuzz. Not showing up for a race like that was practically announcing her retirement.
"Why now? And why didn't she run back then?"
He didn't buy the rumors that she was avoiding Narita Brian. As a professional commentator, Sugimoto couldn't convince himself that Dream Weaver—who had beaten Narita Brian by a huge margin in the Kikuka Sho—could possibly lose to her.
So at the time, he figured Dream Weaver's no-show probably meant she'd decided to retire. After all, most of the Northern family's Uma Musume before her had retired after just a handful of races.
But now, seeing Northern Dreams' entry for the Spring Tenno Sho in his hands, all his earlier guesses crumbled.
If she wasn't retiring, then what was the reason for skipping the Arima Kinen? And why was she entering the Spring Tenno Sho now?
Just as Sugimoto was lost in thought, his eyes caught a familiar emblem in the corner of the document. He rubbed his eyes and looked again to be sure before exclaiming in surprise.
"The Mejiro family?! That's the Mejiro family crest?!"
Well-informed as he was, Sugimoto recognized the Mejiro crest instantly and immediately understood that this entry had been submitted by the Mejiro household.
This felt like a major clue to solving the mystery. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
After decades as a commentator, his connections in the racing world ran deep. But this time, the friend he was calling went back even further—to the days before he'd become a commentator at all.
They had once cheered together for their favorite Uma Musume at the track. Time flew; Sugimoto became a famous commentator, while his friend earned two medical doctorates and became the head physician for the Mejiro family.
"Hello?"
A voice came from the other end of the line—one that would have sounded very familiar to Dream Weaver. Had she been there, she would have recognized it as that middle-aged man's voice.
"Do you know about Northern Dreams? Is she with the Mejiro family now?"
As old friends of over ten years, Sugimoto didn't bother with pleasantries and shouted into the phone almost as soon as the call connected.
There was a long silence on the other end, as if the person was weighing his words carefully.
After more than ten seconds, he finally sighed and replied.
"You've seen the entry form, huh. Well, I guess it's normal for an old-timer like you to get his hands on it."
"Stop beating around the bush. Is there something you can't tell me?"
His friend's unusual hesitation made Sugimoto frown. They'd been friends for decades and never held back in their conversations. If the other man was thinking this hard, something else must be going on.
But before he could press further, the voice on the phone spoke again.
"Never mind. It's something that's going to be announced to the media soon anyway. Telling you a little early won't hurt."
"Northern Dreams has Mejiro blood. And just at the end of last year, the last head of the Northern family passed away due to illness. Northern Dreams was living all alone, so she was brought back into the Mejiro household."
The sheer amount of information stunned Sugimoto, but he pieced things together almost instantly.
So that's why she didn't run in the Arima Kinen—she must have been dealing with the loss of a family member.
And as for why she was entering the Spring Tenno Sho? That was even simpler. She was now with the Mejiro family, and the Mejiro took great pride in achieving back-to-back victories in the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho.
If Northern Dreams had the ability to win the Kikuka Sho, of course they'd have high hopes for her. The Mejiro family wanted to secure another Spring-Autumn Tenno Sho double!
Then, a surge of anger rushed into Sugimoto's head. Unconsciously gripping the phone tighter, he growled into the receiver, his voice low and fierce.
"What is the Mejiro family trying to do?! She's the last of the Northern line! Are they going to strip her of her family name just for the glory of a Tenno Sho double?!"
On the other end, the breathing grew heavier.
"Do you want her to stay alone in the Northern house? Let me tell you—that place is nothing like what we remember! In the dead of winter, with no water or electricity, you'd leave a kid to live there by herself?!"
"I'm not against bringing her to a better environment, but what's with the family crest on the documents?! Her surname is Northern!"
"She's also a Mejiro Uma Musume! Do you even know who her mother was?!"
Sugimoto froze. His friend's words brought back memories from over a decade ago, of the racetrack where they'd first met.
Back then, among the competitors, there happened to be an Uma Musume who carried both Mejiro and Northern blood.
"Northern Dreams… is her daughter?"
Sugimoto's voice trembled. Even with his commentator's connections, his sources weren't as good as his friend's. Only now did he learn that Northern Dreams was the daughter of the very Uma Musume he had admired in his youth.
Thinking back on what he'd just heard—the Northern family's decline, the last head passing away last year, and Northern Dreams being taken in by the Mejiro family after living alone—Sugimoto could no longer lie to himself.
The Uma Musume he'd once loved hadn't left the track to retire. She'd been torn away by a far crueler fate.
Hearing the tremor in his voice, the man on the phone softened and spoke wearily.
"I shouldn't have said this. It's a confidential matter within the Mejiro family."
"When did you find out?"
"After I became the Mejiro family's physician. I only learned about it because of a certain case."
Sugimoto's mind was in turmoil. He leaned against the wall just to keep himself standing.
He'd received too much information today—more than he could process calmly.
"What is the Mejiro family trying to do…?"
"Does Northern Dreams know what you're planning…?"
The man on the other end sighed, his voice low.
"This was decided by the family head. There's nothing you or I can do to change it."
Sugimoto was silent for a moment. Then, between heavy breaths, he finally said:
"I'll tell her about this. You can't keep it hidden for long!"
The man on the other end didn't reply. He simply hung up quietly.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.