Monday.
The dorm room was dark, only slivers of light seeping through the curtains. Then, a heart-stoppingly shrill alarm clock shattered the silence.
A pale hand darted out, swiftly silencing the phone's alarm before it could disturb her sleeping roommate.
Even fresh from sleep, King Halo's hair remained impeccably neat and elegant, maintaining a regal bearing worthy of her name.
Eyes still blurry with sleep, she grabbed her phone to check the time. Moving with deliberate quiet, she began to slip out of bed, careful not to wake Urara.
Just then, another nerve-grating alarm blared.
King Halo frowned at her own phone, puzzled. She was certain she'd only set one alarm.
That's when she saw Urara's hand shoot out to smother her own phone's alarm. In one fluid, carp-leaping-up-from-water motion, Urara sat bolt upright in bed. Her face, however, was still soft with sleep, her hair adorably mussed.
"Mmm... Halo-chan, morning."
"Eh? Halo-chan? Why are you up too?"
All traces of drowsiness fled from Urara as she checked her phone. Confirming it was just past 5 AM, she sighed in relief. But why was Halo-chan already awake?
King Halo offered a small smile. "I watched the races of El Condor Pasa, Seiun Sky, and Barbatos. It left me... restless."
"I'm confident I can secure a G2 victory within six months, earn that 'Prodigy of the Era' title. But after that? Facing them in the classics, in the Tenno Sho, in the mile races... I must admit, my confidence wavers. What good is being called a prodigy, what good is a king's running form, if I cannot win a G1?"
"So, I thought I'd get in some extra training this morning. What about you?"
"Let's go together then!" Urara said.
Her reasons were similar.
She had a feeling she could win her debut race, but her feelings were often unreliable. Their trainer had warned them it would be tough.
After seeing how amazingly Sei-chan and the others performed in their debuts, how could she possibly embarrass Team Canopus?
Sharing a look of understanding, the two finished their morning routines, changed into training gear, and slipped out of the dorm. They broke into a light jog, heading for the training field.
But as they approached the grounds, King Halo stopped short. Urara, however, trotted right over. "Grass-chan! What are you doing here?"
Surely, Grass Wonder shouldn't be running, not with her leg still injured.
Seeing them, Grass Wonder blinked in surprise, though her ever-present gentle smile never faded. "I just happened to wake up early, so I came to keep El-chan company during her extra training."
The group was quite familiar with each other; after all, King Halo had originally been Grass Wonder's roommate.
"El?! The Rigil training regimen is already so strict, and she's doing more?"
King Halo's gaze shifted to the turf track, where indeed, El Condor Pasa was already running.
So it wasn't just her and Urara. El Condor Pasa, and even the injured Grass Wonder, were pushing themselves relentlessly.
She imagined Barbatos and Seiun Sky were probably doing their own morning training somewhere.
Although, thinking of Seiun Sky's constant napping and Barbatos's permanent state of sleep-deprivation, that conclusion felt a little less certain.
'Well,' she thought, 'only mares like these are worthy of being rivals for a king.'
Grass Wonder's voice held a note of yearning. "El-chan said that if she doesn't put in the extra work, the December Youngster's Special might be difficult."
"Youngster's Special? What's that?"
Urara looked utterly confused. Was there a race by that name in December? She'd never heard of it.
"It's the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. A G1 race. Now that you mention it, it seems El-chan and Barbatos are really charging headfirst into this." 'A torrential flow, aiming to conquer all...'
The thought struck King Halo. Both of them planned to charge into a G1 in December, after being pros for only three months, to challenge their seniors. She couldn't afford to fall behind!
More training. She needed even more training! She had to ask her trainer to schedule more races too!
And so...
In the classroom, the instructor watched as a few more "sleep-deprived" students joined the ranks of the drowsy. For a moment, the teacher was left questioning reality. Just what were these fillies getting up to at night?
--+--
Student Council Room.
Symboli Rudolf scanned the latest newspaper.
A prominent headline covered the hot topic of El Condor Pasa and Barbatos preparing to enter G3-level races.
There was also coverage of Seiun Sky's flawless debut victory and the official recognition of the "Prodigy of the Era" assessment.
As the student council president of Tracen, Rudolf could easily tell that the influential account promoting this was run by the racing committee itself, giving it an official stamp of approval.
"President, what's your take on this 'Prodigy of the Era' label?" Air Groove asked, standing beside Rudolf.
It felt like these flashy labels were multiplying. First, it was "Main Protagonist of the Generation," now it was "Prodigy of the Era." It was enough to make one feel like an old person, confused by the latest trends.
"A more fitting term than 'Main Protagonist of the Generation,'" Rudolf replied succinctly. A faint smile touched her lips.
"Though, El Condor Pasa and Barbatos jumping into a G3 right after their debut... it reminds me a bit of Oguri Cap when she first arrived at Tracen Central."
Back then, Oguri Cap had transferred from the local circuits and immediately entered a G3 race.
While she'd already run several local races beforehand, the level of competition there was nowhere near the central league.
As for El Condor Pasa and Barbatos taking on a G3, Rudolf, Air Groove, Narita Brian, and Maruzensky—with their experienced eyes—could all see that these two had the ability to win even at that level. There was no doubt about it.
"Speaking of which," Rudolf shifted topics, "the academy's cultural festival is approaching. Any thoughts?"
"Cultural festival?" Air Groove was momentarily taken aback. It was true, October was the time for Tracen's cultural festival, but weren't they just going to hold it as usual?
"Are you planning a specific event for the festival, President?"
Rudolf's smile widened slightly. "Thinking of Oguri Cap just now reminded me of a poster I saw outside recently."
"You've seen that trending topic about the 'Prodigies of the Era' too, I assume. The racehorses of the Heisei era are largely forgotten now."
"I propose we hold a relay marathon during the festival, centered around the 'Three Heisei Stars.'"
"A relay marathon?" Air Groove's eyebrows knitted together. "But if Oguri Cap participates, wouldn't that make the match rather..."
Her words trailed off. She wanted to say it would be a foregone conclusion.
While the other two of the Three Heisei Stars might be past their prime due to retirement, Oguri Cap, who had been continuously competing in the Dream Cup, was still in her absolute peak condition!
"Hmm, you're right. Facing Oguri Cap would indeed be premature for them at this stage."
"Them? You mean El Condor Pasa and the others?!"
--+--
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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.