In the office of Anthony, the European headquarters' chief representative in Japan, the lights were properly on for a change.
Anthony himself, usually the picture of leisure, was dutifully seated at his desk, plowing through paperwork.
After signing yet another document, he rolled his stiff neck, a series of faint pops accompanying the motion, and let out a long, weary sigh.
"Finally… all confirmed."
Hearing him, Richard, who had been working from the office sofa, immediately looked up, his expression urgent.
"Well? The list of police-type Uma Musume being dispatched from the main office—it's finalized?"
"Ah… every one of them is an elite who's clinched a Triple Crown in their region in recent years. Each a genuine prodigy in her own right, every one has even grasped that realm known as the 'Zone'."
"Who's asking about that? Everyone knows the caliber of a Triple Crown Uma Musume. What I'm asking is, how many is the main office actually sending this time?"
Richard frowned, snapping back at Anthony. While 'multiple' was technically correct, the sheer pressure exerted by two Triple Crown winners versus ten was a world apart.
Because of Europe's lax attitude last time, Richard was extra uneasy this round.
He'd even braved working in his disliked superior's office just to get the exact numbers as soon as possible.
Anthony was long used to this subordinate's lack of respect and didn't take much offense. He tossed his fountain pen aside and held up a hand, fingers splayed in a clear number.
"Five?"
Richard sounded skeptical. Only after Anthony gave a firm nod did he sink into thought.
"Such an awkward number. If only they'd just send a few dozen Triple Crown winners, it'd be a foregone conclusion."
Hearing Richard's muttering, Anthony's eye twitched in exasperation.
"What do you think Triple Crown Uma Musume are? A few dozen? It's a minor miracle the main office managed to persuade five to come participate."
He leaned back in his chair, counting off the reasons on his fingers.
"First, Triple Crown Uma Musume already occupy a very high tier within the system. Even in Europe's major races, they're frontrunners for the crown."
"When dealing with such figures, headquarters can't possibly treat them the way they would Triple Crown contenders anymore. These are the true pillars that hold European Uma Musume at the world's center—we must show them the respect they're due."
"It's absolutely not a matter of just pointing and ordering them about."
"We have to send people in advance to negotiate, discuss the compensation for this mission with each of them. Beyond that, we have to consider their feelings."
"After all, sending them, as Triple Crown winners, to gang up on an Uma Musume who's only won against rookies… frankly, it doesn't sound good."
"And there's barely over a month between the rookie's races and the Japanese Derby. Securing five Triple Crown Uma Musume is already the result of headquarters pulling out all the stops."
Richard had to nod in agreement. As Anthony said, even Europe couldn't afford to slight the status of a Triple Crown Uma Musume.
Moreover, the timeline was indeed tight, and the whole affair was rather unsavory.
"It's just… I feel that when facing a threat like that Dream Weaver, any price is worth paying to sever her path to the Triple Crown."
"Easy for you to say. We're not at a level where we can decide what price to pay. All we can do now is report the intel we have and wait for a response."
Anthony exhaled a heavy, dissatisfied breath, clearly unhappy about still being stuck in this tiny Far Eastern nation.
Compared to being the chief of such a backwater, he yearned to return to the heart of Europe.
Only there did he have a real chance to climb higher. That was precisely why Anthony had always appeared so idle before.
In this remote place where almost nothing ever happened, realizing his ambitions seemed utterly impossible. Anthony couldn't even conceive of what achievement he could pull off to hasten his return to Europe.
But just when he thought he'd have to idle away his days until his term ended, Dream Weaver's existence gave him a pleasant shock.
This Uma Musume was indeed a major crisis, but in Anthony's eyes, a crisis also signified opportunity.
If he could handle this Uma Musume who had headquarters fuming, he'd surely etch the name 'Anthony' into the memories of those higher-ups.
That's why he'd shed his usual laid-back demeanor, processing batch after batch of documents for the upcoming Japanese Derby.
Now, with the finalized list from headquarters in hand, seeing a full five Triple Crown Uma Musume, Anthony finally felt a wave of relief.
He stood up, stretched his limbs, and walked over to Richard, slinging an arm around his neck.
"Stop looking so glum. It's five, for crying out loud! Five Triple Crown Uma Musume! Do you really think that Dream Weaver is some kind of monster?"
"Trust me on this one. The Japanese Derby is absolutely foolproof this time."
Shaken by Anthony's enthusiasm, Richard truly couldn't think of a rebuttal.
There were five Triple Crown-level Uma Musume. And the list included another ten or so European Uma Musume who, while lacking Triple Crown titles, were still formidable powerhouses.
With that kind of encirclement and interception, even Dream Weaver couldn't possibly win, right?
Once that thought settled, Richard's expression softened a little.
Seeing his mood lighten, Anthony pulled Richard closer by the shoulder.
"Anyway, it's time to relax now. Rather than worrying about this and that, think about the rewards after we complete this mission."
"After solving such a huge headache, the bigwigs at headquarters are bound to remember our names. You, especially, for sounding the alarm right before the Satsuki Sho—you'll definitely get special commendation."
"Once we're back in Europe, us brothers united, how could those fools lounging in the headquarters' greenhouse ever hope to stand against us!"
Anthony grew more and more animated, already envisioning the day he'd climb to the pinnacle of the European Uma Musume Racing Association and become a true heavyweight.
Having gone through this period of shared hardship, witnessing Anthony's hard work to ensure the Japanese Derby plan went smoothly, Richard's opinion of him had improved considerably.
So he didn't push Anthony away, merely replying with a touch of resignation, "We still have to wait until after the Japanese Derby wraps up. Who knows if someone might snatch the credit away then."
His words made it clear he, like Anthony, already considered Dream Weaver's defeat a foregone conclusion.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.