Dream Weaver sat in a heavy silence, words failing her.
She had never imagined that Agnes Tachyon—who usually wore a practiced, unreadable smile—carried a past like this.
What she understood even less was why Tachyon chose this moment to say any of it.
Agnes Tachyon could have kept that story locked away forever.
As long as she stayed silent, no one in the clubroom would have pried into her history. She could have remained that eccentric pharmacist, an enigma to everyone around her.
But by speaking out, a crack had formed in the flawless, invulnerable mask Tachyon used as a disguise.
This sudden, voluntary display of vulnerability was something Dream Weaver simply couldn't wrap her head around.
This was supposed to be a casual chat, just a way to kill time while waiting for Liberty Island and the others to return to the training ground.
Tachyon could have easily brushed the topic aside or steered the conversation toward something that didn't expose a weakness.
Dream Weaver's gaze was blunt—so blunt that Tachyon didn't need words to read it. She asked softly:
"Do you know why I agreed to form a team with you?"
"Wasn't it because of my physical data?"
"Data from a world-class Uma Musume is certainly precious, but it's far from enough to move me."
Agnes Tachyon shook her head, her expression suggesting that Dream Weaver had once again underestimated her.
"I developed a cure for the 'glass legs' that plagued me years ago. Thanks to my work, no Uma Musume has to leave the turf because of a congenital defect anymore."
"Given that I've achieved something like that, what kind of standing do you think I have here at Tracen?"
Hearing this, Dream Weaver suddenly remembered how Northern Taste had acted—shifty and hesitant to explain why she was handing over the files on Agnes Tachyon and Sugar Lights.
According to Tachyon's own account, even the Chairwoman probably couldn't force her to do anything. That left only one answer.
"You... you sought me out on your own?"
For a fleeting second, Dream Weaver wondered if she actually possessed some kind of supernatural charm in this world.
Aside from Hishi Miracle, the other three had apparently wanted to get close to her from the start.
"But why?" Dream Weaver asked, frowning. She couldn't see what value she held for two researchers beyond being a convenient test subject for real-time biometric data.
"Perhaps it was to chase a possibility."
"A possibility?"
Dream Weaver was more confused than ever, but this time, Tachyon didn't wait for her to ask for clarification.
"My legs broke, so I could never step onto the turf again. Sugar Lights has been in a wheelchair since she was very young. For us, the 'possibility' of being a Racing Uma Musume vanished long ago."
"Everything since then—whether it's my physical enhancement projects or Sugar Lights projecting her consciousness into a mechanical Uma Musume—is essentially just a struggle. It's like chasing a fleeting, hazy hope while being fully aware of the futility."
"I can't return to the race with physical modifications, and the Association would never allow a mechanical Uma Musume to enter an official race. This obsession with the possibility of racing is more like self-indulgence than an actual goal."
"But you're different."
Agnes Tachyon turned to look at Dream Weaver, her eyes burning with an intensity that felt like it could set her on fire.
"Your physical functions are declining, but the rate is incredibly slow. If it's just for mock races, you could hold on for a long time."
"In you, that unique possibility of a Legendary Uma Musume hasn't faded yet."
"With my concoctions and Sugar Lights' help, you still have one chance."
"One chance to step onto the turf at your absolute peak."
Dream Weaver was stunned. She had never dreamed that Tachyon had approached her for such a reason.
"Why me? Why not Liberty Island or Hishi Miracle? They have far more potential than I do, don't they?"
"Uma Musume like them, who have just debuted and have an infinite future, don't actually need us. But you're different. Without me and Sugar Lights, even if you wanted to rally in the future, you would eventually succumb to time."
The realization hit Dream Weaver like a bolt of lightning.
For Agnes Tachyon and Sugar Lights, someone like her—with one foot in retirement but still possessing her strength—was the perfect candidate to validate this so-called "possibility."
Because she was just a hair's breadth away.
She was moments from becoming like them—an Uma Musume who had completely lost the chance to race. Dream Weaver had one shot left, and that was exactly what they were betting on.
In their eyes, the Dream Weaver of this moment was the version of themselves that had stood on the brink before the light went out.
"...You want to achieve your own impossible dreams through me?"
And the reason why they chose her out of the many athletes who retire every year was simple.
"Because you are the Strongest."
"If we're going to pursue the final possibility, why not do it on the grandest stage?"
Dream Weaver didn't need any more hints. She understood exactly why they had chosen her.
"The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, right?"
Burdened by the "Curse of the Arc," where victory always seemed within reach only to slip away by a fraction—that was the possibility Tachyon and Sugar Lights valued.
Dream Weaver had the chance to win it.
Tachyon, her secret finally out, didn't respond. She simply turned her head, refocusing her gaze on the training ground.
"Though, we didn't expect things to turn out like this. You've gone quite far down the path of a trainer."
"Leading Liberty Island to two G1 victories, with the Triple Tiara even within sight... you've already surpassed many as a trainer."
"In that case, I suppose it doesn't matter if you never go for the Arc."
"Because you've found your successor. She will fulfill your unfinished dream and reach that distant Arc de Triomphe for you."
In Tachyon's view, Dream Weaver had lost the will to fight for the Arc.
At least, in the six months they had spent together, she had never seen a hint of lingering regret or desire for it in Dream Weaver's eyes.
It seemed she had truly made up her mind to leave the turf and pin all her hopes on the Uma Musume seen as her successor.
"But that's fine, too."
"That's just how biological organisms are. Since they can't achieve immortality, they naturally treat procreation—or passing the torch—as a continuation of their own life."
"You've found someone to take over your career as an Uma Musume, so there's no need to risk your life chasing the Arc anymore."
As she spoke, Agnes Tachyon stood up, brushed the grass clippings from her clothes, and gave Dream Weaver a nonchalant smile.
But the words Dream Weaver spoke next caused that smile to freeze on her face.
"If that is what you all hope for, I can try to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
--+--
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.