The group that had left the student council made their way near the training grounds.
Relay races were extremely rare among the Uma Musume. Compared to the team-oriented games of the League, the Uma Musume's glory was meant for the individual.
Even so, based on what Barbatos had learned about previous years' relay races, each leg usually covered the same long distance. But this cultural festival's relay race...
"A 2400-meter dirt and road track, a 3000-meter road run, and a 1600-meter road and turf track."
Grass Wonder repeated Symboli Rudolf's earlier explanation. "A three-person relay, yet the total distance is 7000 meters. It's a pretty tough race."
"And if I had to guess, seniors like Oguri Cap's team will probably have Inari One run the first leg, Super Creek the second, and Oguri Cap herself anchoring for the final sprint."
As a member of Rigil with close ties to the student council, Grass Wonder knew much more about the Heisei Trio than Barbatos and the others did. Super Creek, with her top-tier stamina; Inari One, who could adapt perfectly to any track; and the legendary Uma Musume Oguri Cap, with her monstrous closing speed.
Facing such a race...
Barbatos thought for a moment, then spoke up first. "Then I'll take the first leg. No one here is more suited to the dirt track than me."
Although all the races she had participated in were on turf, everyone present except Special Week knew that Barbatos's hometown, Kochi, was full of dirt tracks.
In their minds, she might perform even better on dirt than on grass.
The only issue now was the middle-distance 2400 meters—a completely different beast from the mile races she had run since her debut.
Moreover, in a relay race, she wouldn't be able to extend her skill duration by overtaking other Uma Musume.
"Then I'll handle the second leg," Seiun Sky said, her gaze lingering on Barbatos. Can she really handle middle distance?
In her opinion, it would be safer for Barbatos to anchor the final leg. Among the three of them, when it came to pure sprinting ability, Barbatos was undoubtedly the strongest and the most adept at mile distances.
But what about that dirt track?
"That means El gets the third leg—she'll be up against a legendary Uma Musume!" Special Week's big eyes sparkled. Truth be told, she wanted to join the race too.
It's just that the president hadn't asked if she wanted to participate. She wondered if sign-ups were possible during the cultural festival. If so, she could team up with Urara, or even run with Suzuka and the rest of the Spica crew.
The thought of running alongside Suzuka made Special Week feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
El Condor Pasa punched her palm. "Getting to race against a legendary Uma Musume? I couldn't ask for more."
"But..."
"If we want to win the relay, wouldn't the best strategy be for me to run the first leg?"
Having followed Barbatos's races closely, she knew the girl's situation well. If Barbatos wasn't intentionally hiding her strength, then that explosive sprint of hers probably couldn't last very long.
During races, there had been instances where, after overtaking all the other Uma Musume, her speed would suddenly drop.
In other words, Barbatos's sprint likely had a strict time limit—her stamina only allowed for that much. It wasn't that she didn't want to push all the way to the end.
If that were the case, her weakness would be fully exposed in a middle-distance leg, potentially leaving the first leg far behind.
"But the first leg is a mixed dirt and road track," Barbatos replied calmly. As for the skill duration issue, she'd have to consider if there was another way to compensate.
If El Condor Pasa had to start from scratch to adapt to the dirt track, she might not fully adjust by race day, wasting valuable practice time.
"El's adaptability to dirt tracks isn't low at all," Grass Wonder interjected.
As El Condor Pasa's current roommate, teammate, and classmate, she naturally knew more than the others.
"If El runs the first leg, Sei-chan the second, and you, B-chan, use your sprint to counter Oguri Cap's closing speed, we might just have a shot at winning."
"In that case, I'll take the anchor leg," Barbatos agreed.
No matter what race she entered, no matter who she faced, she always aimed for first place—even when up against a legendary Uma Musume.
In a one-on-one race, without the ability to refresh her skills, she was self-aware enough to know she wasn't yet a match for Oguri Cap.
But this time, she had teammates!
Both Seiun Sky and El Condor Pasa were comrades she could absolutely rely on.
Even though it was just a cultural festival race, Barbatos couldn't explain why she suddenly felt the weight on her shoulders grow heavier.
This was a clash between generations. It was the first time she would run alongside Seiun Sky—and possibly the only time they would race as teammates. After all, from what she knew, relay races among Uma Musume were few and far between.
Who knew if there would be another chance like this?
Come to think of it, she really wanted to ask Grass Wonder: among us Uma Musume, are there actually four members of the Heisei Trio?
But the current atmosphere didn't seem right for such a question.
"By the way, Grass, could you tell us more about Super Creek and Inari One?" El Condor Pasa asked.
"According to the seniors in the team, Super Creek's stamina, judgment, and positioning—all of her abilities—were top-tier, even by Heisei standards. She was an Uma Musume who once ran in the Kikuka-shō."
"So, even if her skills have declined since retirement, even if she's not widely known now..."
The smile on Grass Wonder's face faded for the first time, replaced with seriousness and gravity. "She will undoubtedly be a more formidable opponent than most active G1-level Uma Musume!"
If El Condor Pasa and Barbatos stood a chance at winning a G1 race now, facing Super Creek one-on-one would likely slash those odds in half—and then halve them again.
Of course, given Barbatos and El Condor Pasa's usual race schedules, they probably wouldn't compete in long-distance events anyway.
The question was whether Seiun Sky could withstand the long-distance pressure Super Creek would bring.
"As for Inari One, I think someone in Team Canopus might know her better?"
"Who?"
"Twin Turbo, from your Canopus team, is Inari One's roommate."
Barbatos pulled out her phone. "Roommates with a double impact? I'll message her on LINE and ask. That way, El can learn more about our opponents."
"Compared to past intel, after all this time, they must have changed somewhat. We still need to understand their current capabilities."
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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.