"That was a great dance performance, but let's not do it again next time."
On their way out of the Hanshin Racecourse, Minamizaka tactfully expressed his opinion as her trainer.
Sure, the dance was actually pretty good—even a seasoned computer geek like him had to get a little misty-eyed watching it—but it just didn't fit the usual image of an Uma Musume.
There might be some backlash from the online crowd later.
Well, even without the potential criticism about the Winner's Stage performance, the pressure from her 330,000 Chinese fans was probably already significant enough.
He couldn't help but let out a wry smile at the thought, though he was still genuinely happy that Barbatos had won her debut race.
"Got it."
Barbatos nodded in acknowledgment.
She hadn't really thought much about it before dancing, but once she started, she did feel a bit embarrassed—especially with hundreds of thousands of people watching.
Next time, she figured she'd better just learn the standard Uma Musume dances. Even though she'd never formally learned them, she knew they probably weren't that difficult.
Seiun Sky glanced sideways at her, curious how she'd talk her way out of this one. "So, about the Winter Dream Cup—how are you planning to run?"
"Winter Dream Cup?"
"What Winter Dream Cup?!"
Barbatos looked completely lost. She hadn't made the connection to the Dream Cup at all. Sure, she watched the Dream Cup races every year, but what did that have to do with a rookie Uma Musume like her?
Minamizaka stepped in to explain, "Only legendary Uma Musume are selected to qualify for the Dream Cup."
"But how do you define a 'legendary' Uma Musume? They're all incredibly strong, but not all of them are Triple Crown winners."
Hearing this, a sense of foreboding suddenly washed over Barbatos.
"So you're saying selection for the Winter Dream Cup is based on... fanbase size?!"
This wasn't the first time she'd heard about this, but it was the first time it actually concerned her, so it finally clicked.
"Yep, it's based on fanbase. It's not that having 320,000 fans makes you a legendary Uma Musume—it's that those called legends all have over 320,000 fans. That's where the Winter Dream Cup's selection criteria come from."
"This selection method hasn't had any issues for decades. Until an exception like you came along."
Barbatos: "..."
Essentially, the Winter Dream Cup was a lot like the League of Legends All-Star Event—both are decided by fan votes.
The only difference is that All-Star voting can be unpredictable, while the Dream Cup lineup is pretty much the same handful of legends every time.
Compared to League, where a spring superstar might slump in another season, among Uma Musume, strong is strong. Even if they lose a race or two occasionally, it's still just a temporary setback.
So why on earth would she want fans to vote for her?!
"The committee wouldn't actually let me join the Dream Cup, right? People would question the event's prestige."
"Not sure. You'd definitely generate more buzz if you participated. Also, because you forced a last-minute rule change, it might happen in future seasons, but this year you're almost certainly going to be invited."
Barbatos: "..."
Should she punch herself in the nose on race day and claim a nosebleed to withdraw?
No! If she's selected, she might as well face those legendary Uma Musume head-on and see just how big the gap really is!
Minamizaka patted Barbatos on the shoulder.
"Don't stress too much about it. No matter how you perform in the Dream Cup, nobody has the right to criticize you. I believe in a year or two, you'll truly stand among them, competing with them on equal terms with your real strength!"
Barbatos felt genuinely touched for a moment.
With her system, why would she fear them in a year or two?
But Minamizaka didn't know about that—yet he still believed she could do it. He really was a treasure of a trainer.
"So let's set a small goal for now: don't get lapped by more than 20 lengths by the second-to-last place finisher."
"Is the gap between me and them really that big?"
"Sometimes watching a broadcast doesn't let you feel the real difference. Only when you're standing on the same track with them can you truly understand the distance between you."
"Alright, no need to think about that now. The Winter Dream Cup is still months away."
"For now, just enjoy the victory. Have fun playing around in Osaka."
Minamizaka waved and walked off first, leaving Barbatos and Seiun Sky behind.
He had other matters to attend to. The things Barbatos did today could spark negative comments online. As a computer expert and her trainer, he was going to mobilize countless alt accounts to steer any potential negative public opinion trends in a better direction.
If Barbatos saw some of the harsh comments, it might really bring her down.
--+--
After Minamizaka left.
Barbatos thought for a moment and made a suggestion. "How about we go ride the Ferris wheel?"
She'd planned this yesterday, and she figured the view from the Ferris wheel at night would be even better.
They could still play around all day tomorrow, but they'd have to return to Tokyo, to Tracen Academy, tomorrow evening.
"Sure."
Seiun Sky was wearing a white hoodie today, which was slightly long, covering most of her shorts underneath. Her legs, visibly bare, radiated youthful energy.
"About the Dream Cup... I think you probably have your own goal in mind, rather than just not losing by 20 lengths, right?"
"'Don't get lapped by more than 20 lengths,' 'in a year or two'—that's too far away."
Barbatos said with a serious face, "We Uma Musume live in the present. If possible, I hope to finish within 10 lengths of the second-to-last place runner."
Seiun Sky's ears twitched. She gave Barbatos a meaningful look. That probably wasn't the whole truth either.
She had a feeling Barbatos's real goal was much bigger than what she was saying. But realistically speaking, Minamizaka's suggested goal was the most reasonable, the most achievable—and likely the only one possible.
The Osaka Ferris wheel wasn't far from the Hanshin Racecourse.
The two soon arrived at the base of the Ferris wheel, bought tickets, and got on. Unlike any Ferris wheel she'd been on before, this one offered an almost 360-degree view of the surroundings, meaning the floor beneath them was mostly made of glass too.
As the Ferris wheel slowly ascended, Seiun Sky, who had been admiring the view, noticed something was off with Barbatos.
"What are you looking at?"
"Checking where we should land to escape if the Ferris wheel has an accident."
To be honest, her legs felt a little weak. Being somewhat afraid of heights already, having a transparent glass floor beneath her was downright terrifying.
"Pfft—"
Seiun Sky couldn't help but let out a soft laugh and reached out her hand.
"If you're scared of heights, just hold my hand."
--+--
T/N: OH yeah, yuri time
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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.