"This just doesn't add up!"
Files scattered into the air from Symboli Rudolf's desk, and she could only grip her pen with a resigned look at the Uma Musume before her.
A day had passed since the end of the Hopeful Stakes, and the victory brought by Dream Weaver was swiftly making waves in Japan's racing world.
Whether it was retired trainers turned analysts or editors and journalists from specialty magazines, everyone was spurred into a frenzy of writing, filling pages with predictions about the future shaped by this Hopeful Stakes.
Dream Weaver's win, which shattered the historical record of the Hopeful Stakes by a wide margin, had moved countless people.
Combined with her flawless debut victory over Tokai Teio, some had already begun to see her as a future Triple Crown Uma Musume.
On top of that, Tracen Academy's internal forums were buzzing with heated discussions about Dream Weaver.
At first, everyone had thought she was just a strangely popular runner, but now, finally, her true strength was confirmed and debates raged.
Still, if you were to rank who was most affected by this victory, the undisputed number one was the one now standing before Symboli Rudolf.
Muttering 'how can this be' under her breath, Tokai Teio dashed back and forth across the student council office, while the other council members watched with expressions of utter familiarity.
Finally, after who knows how many laps around the room, Tokai Teio returned to Symboli Rudolf's desk and slammed her hand down.
"It doesn't make sense! It's only been four months since the Niigata Nisai Stakes! How could she possibly have gotten this strong?!"
"It's not like some comic book training arc power-up! How did the power scaling get this broken?!"
Watching the pile of documents—freshly sorted and now sent flying again—drift through the air, Symboli Rudolf's mouth twitched slightly.
"But Dream really is just that strong."
"No way! Absolutely impossible! The tapes and the broadcast must've been tampered with!"
"I was there in person. Air Groove was too. We can both vouch it was real…"
Seeing Symboli Rudolf blinking frantically, Air Groove, standing nearby, could only reluctantly nod in confirmation.
Faced with two witnesses, even Tokai Teio, as unwilling as she was to believe it, could only let out a frustrated 'wah—' before flopping onto the sofa and starting to roll around.
"I've been training so hard ever since my debut race! After watching her Niigata Nisai Stakes footage, I even cut back on my Hachimi!"
"Why did things still turn out like this? It's not fair!"
"What's going to happen to my Triple Crown dream? Wah—"
Watching Tokai Teio rolling and sulking on the sofa, Symboli Rudolf was at a complete loss, and could only reply helplessly,
"Well… at least there's more than just the Classic Triple Crown. What about trying for a different triple crown?"
Hearing this, Tokai Teio shot upright and leapt to her feet, turning to fix Symboli Rudolf with a deeply aggrieved stare.
"But Prez, you won the Classic Triple Crown…"
"And also… the way you just referred to Dream Weaver sounded a bit off, didn't it…"
As Symboli Rudolf's admirer, Tokai Teio had set her goal early—since childhood, she had vowed to become a legendary Undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume just like her idol.
But now, no matter how stubbornly she refused to admit it in front of the other, Tokai Teio knew her undefeated status was already gone.
The only thing driving her training all this time had been her longing for the Triple Crown.
And Dream Weaver's performance in the Hopeful Stakes had delivered another harsh blow, leaving Tokai Teio utterly lost, which was why she had come to the student council office seeking Symboli Rudolf's guidance.
What Tokai Teio hadn't expected was that even the seemingly invincible Undefeated Triple Crown legend, the Student Council President of Central Tracen, the fabled Midnight Emperor herself, had no answer.
How could she not feel humiliated? How could she not feel agitated?
For everyone else, no matter how great Dream Weaver's victories were, they were just topics of conversation.
But for Tokai Teio, she would have to face Dream Weaver head-on in next year's Satsuki Sho.
'I wanted to become an Uma Musume just like the Prez…'
Meeting Tokai Teio's resentful gaze, Symboli Rudolf opened her mouth, but no words came out. She truly didn't know what to say.
In any other generation, Tokai Teio would undoubtedly be a strong contender for the Triple Crown.
Even if she couldn't remain undefeated, Symboli Rudolf believed she had a chance to become another Triple Crown winner.
But now… she just had to run into Dream Weaver.
Memories from another world made Symboli Rudolf certain—Dream Weaver was the kind of runner who could step onto the world stage, and even become its centerpiece.
And in this reality, with even greater talent than her counterpart in that other world, Dream Weaver was naturally even more formidable.
Symboli Rudolf simply couldn't bring herself to say that if Tokai Teio just tried hard enough, she could win.
Seeing Symboli Rudolf fall silent, Tokai Teio grew even more upset.
With a sharp 'hmph!' she turned her head and darted out of the office.
"I don't like the Prez anymore!"
Watching Tokai Teio sprint down the hallway toward a window and leap straight out from it, Symboli Rudolf's expression grew even more troubled.
She could only rest her forehead in her hand and sigh helplessly at her desk.
To this, Symboli Rudolf's loyal comrade, her right-hand Vice President Air Groove, offered this assessment:
"What an incompetent Emperor we have."
"Fortunately, Teio no longer wants to become an Uma Musume like you. Otherwise, I'd be truly concerned for her future."
Faced with Air Groove's sharp critique, Symboli Rudolf's head drooped lower and lower, until she finally buried it completely in her arms on the desk.
"Both are precious to me. This Emperor truly does not know what to do."
Adopting the imperial title Air Groove had bestowed upon her, she tilted her head where it lay and shot a sidelong glance.
"Does my esteemed minister Air Groove have any wise counsel to offer this emperor?"
Air Groove answered with a cold 'hmph' and pointed toward another Uma Musume in the office who was helping sort documents.
"Why not let your new favorite minister solve your worries?"
Noticing the attention, Shiragawa shook her head slightly, looked around, then pointed at herself.
"Huh, me?"
"Don't you know everything, our new secretary?"
"N-no, not at all! I only know what I'm supposed to know."
Ignoring her protest, Air Groove placed the files in her hand on top of Symboli Rudolf's head and strode calmly toward the door.
"Air Groove?"
Symboli Rudolf lifted her head in confusion, sending the stack of files tumbling to the floor.
"My work for today is done. It's off-duty hours now."
With that, Air Groove left the student council office without looking back.
Having lost both her little admirer and her right-hand aide within mere minutes, Symboli Rudolf's expression grew even more mournful. She slumped over her desk and sighed once more.
--+--
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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.