Meanwhile, on the other side of the training ground, just like Imanami, who was training McQueen and Teio, Ikezoe and Wada were also training their Uma Musume for the day.
The pressure on the two Trainers was no less than his.
Wada's stress levels were at the highest they have been. After all, this was a race where even Deep Impact, a famous Classic Triple Crown winner, had narrowly lost in.
Not only that, this Arima Kinen will be way harder as they'll be facing against The Emperor, Symboli Rudolf, as well as other powerful Uma Musume drawn in by T.M. Opera O's performance.
In his previous world, the only ones who had managed to achieve the honor of winning the Arima Kinen after completing the Classic Triple Crowns were Symboli Rudolf and Orfevre.
And this time, Wada aimed to have their names added to this list.
Thus, he can only try his best with his meager abilities to help T.M. Opera O win this century-defining race.
Ikezoe's stress levels were, of course, immensely high too.
Orfevre was about to enter her Classic Year, becoming their team's 'main' Uma Musume for the year.
And this Classic Year will not be easy at all; she'll not only have to go through the Classic Triple Crown gauntlet, but also compete against the likes of T.M. Opera O and Mejiro McQueen, who were about to enter their prime.
—In fact, the pressure Ikezoe was facing could be said to be even greater than Wada's.
Although Ikezoe had great confidence in Orfevre, her performance was still unstable, making Ikezoe constantly on edge, fearing another "2012 Hanshin Daishoten Incident" might occur again.
But Ikezoe also knew that worrying was useless; it was better to spend time helping Orfevre master the rhythm of the racecourse than to fret.
Ikezoe also related to Wada's anxiety, and so, as Wada's good brother, he quickly shared his 'exclusive secret technique' with him.
"...So, your exclusive secret technique is pet play?"
"Hey! How rude! I'm imparting a highly effective training method to you out of the kindness of my heart, so listen carefully!"
Currently, Ikezoe, who was riding on Orfevre's back and (A/N: presumably) controlling her with the homemade reins, was seriously explaining his training method to Wada.
However, apart from Wada and his cute little Curren Chan, Fumino Nase, T.M. Opera O, and Meisho Doto were looking at him with strange eyes, making Ikezoe feel particularly hurt.
He was clearly trying to kindly help Wada, who was about to enter the Arima Kinen, by teaching him a one-of-a-kind training method, yet, he was still faced with such discrimination! Oh, the humanity~!
While hurt, he also felt a bit indignant.
Everyone who had transmigrated were clearly successful Jockeys, but why could Imanami get the obedient Mejiro McQueen, the adorable Tokai Teio, and Gold Ship who basically became his assistant?
And Wada, that guy, had even more incredible luck; he refound his T.M. Opera O, and also had Meisho Doto who wholeheartedly supported him, as well as a beautiful and competent icy assistant.
Why was he the only miserable one?! This isn't fair!
Did the entity or phenomena who transmigrated them show differential treatment depending on the person?!
Could it be that the being who transmigrated them was a horse who didn't like his face?!
But despite so much indignation in his heart, Ikezoe still patiently said to Wada:
"Wada, this is my tried and tested training method to develop Orfevre's muscle memory, allowing her to actually somewhat control her stamina. The effects so far have been very good."
"I'll give you a demonstration now. You... ummm... don't need to feel too scared."
"Although balancing on an Uma Musume's back is quite a challenge, I managed to learn how to stay steady even when riding Orfevre, so I think you should be able to do it too."
"...Trainer Ikezoe, to be honest, I have doubts about this 'training method' of yours."
Before Wada could even speak, Fumino Nase interjected, saying,
"Human adults like us aren't that heavy for an Uma Musume. If it's for training an Uma Musume's endurance and strength, pulling large tires is more effective than this."
"Moreover, taking control of an Uma Musume's pacing... I'm sorry, but an Uma Musume should be more skilled at this than their Trainer. They are the ones running on the track."
"Heh heh, well then, just watch, Trainer Nase. This time, Wada-kun here and I will teach you a lesson."
Upon hearing this, Ikezoe chuckled. A confident smile appeared on his face, as if he wanted to convey his handsomeness to Fumino Nase.
However, Fumino Nase silently turned her head away, ignoring him... Well, I suppose it was to be expected, this ice beauty did have a slight aversion to men.
Ikezoe remembered this; Wada had once told him that due to her father's divorce, Fumino Nase had a slight distaste towards men, though it wasn't some deep-seated hatred, and she didn't usually show it.
However... turning your head is normal, but why look at Wada?! Do you think my smile is an eyesore, and you need to cleanse your eyes by looking at Wada's face?
He grumbled internally, but Ikezoe still fixed his gaze on the distance, and with a slight movement of his legs, Orfevre quickly understood and assumed a running posture.
"Orfevre, be serious this time. Don't embarrass me like all those other times."
"...Depends on my mood."
Orfevre didn't agree immediately, merely replying with an uncaring attitude.
Then, as Trainer Ikezoe waved the reins, Orfevre immediately rushed off.
With a gust of wind, finally, everyone except Wada, who had already anticipated it, was captivated by the performance of Ikezoe and Orfevre.
"It... it actually works?!"
Fumino Nase watched Orfevre, who was now circling the track with Ikezoe on her back, with some surprise.
She noticed that Orfevre's strides were indeed much steadier than before, without her premature acceleration, as well as her fatal slow starts improving a tad bit.
More importantly, Fumino Nase had watched several of Orfevre's races before and could tell that Orfevre had a tendency to drift.
Although it wasn't to the point of disqualification, too much drifting could lead to a foul and a loss, thereby automatically losing the race.
Moreover, drifting unnecessarily consumed an Uma Musume's stamina and was usually a major flaw that needed to be corrected immediately.
Now, through the binoculars, Fumino Nase could see that whenever Orfevre showed signs of drifting, Ikezoe would signal to her, making her aware of her mistake and return to position.
Although she still occasionally made mistakes, each time she did, Ikezoe would react immediately, and Orfevre would instantly realize her error and correct herself.
This kind of tacit understanding surprised Fumino Nase, who was seeing this for the first time.
As a human, to be able to guide an Uma Musume while they were running?
Not only Fumino Nase, but even T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto beside her were stunned; they too were seeing this method for the first time.
Curren Chan seemed to see through everyone's surprise and smiled, saying,
"Hmph hmph, Onii-chan is very capable, you know! This is just the beginning~"
The reason she hadn't spoken up to defend Ikezoe earlier was because she knew her Onii-chan would amaze everyone.
And as if to confirm Curren Chan's words, no sooner had she finished speaking, Orfevre, who had already run two-thirds of the way, suddenly increased her speed under Ikezoe's instructions, bursting forth with speed!
Orfevre didn't even use her Aura; it was simply her pure base physical strength.
Yet, it was enough to make others feel a dangerous sense of oppression, stemming from the Gold Family's inherently powerful physique.
After a few more seconds, a gentle breeze swept by, and the entire 2000-meter course was completed.
"Amazing..."
Fumino Nase was the first to react, belatedly applauding and saying,
"What a weirdly efficient method... Trainer Ikezoe, you truly are a genius in your own right."
"If this training method had been discovered years ago, many Uma Musume suffering the same problem as Orfevre could have improved significantly, couldn't they?"
"For a Trainer to personally guide Uma Musume who aren't as perceptive, teaching by example, is truly remarkable."
"Hey, are you saying I'm stupid?!"
Fumino Nase's words, however, were overheard by Orfevre, who immediately became displeased and intended to start throwing down hands right that instant.
Luckily, Ikezoe forcefully held her reins and turned her in a different direction.
"It seems... it seems very interesting."
Seeing this, Meisho Doto couldn't help but raise her small hand, saying to Wada beside her with a hint of excitement,
"Trainer, pl- please ride on my back too! I also want to experience this feeling of being controlled by my Trainer." (T/N: The Uma Musume do get a little... quirky at night)
Meisho Doto, who had a very high level of compatibility with her original Racehorse self, felt a strange sensation from this method.
She suddenly felt that this method might be incredibly effective on her.
And if it were Wada riding on her... for some reason, Meisho Doto trusted him deeply, believing that even if it was their first time, they could perform just as well as Ikezoe and Orfevre! (T/N: Ohio bewilderment)
However, before Wada could even respond, T.M. Opera O was already standing on the track, exceptionally excited, waving at Wada and saying:
"Ryuji! Hurry up!"
"—Coming!"
Finally, in response to T.M. Opera O's call, Wada agreed almost instantly.
After giving Meisho Doto an apologetic smile, Meisho Doto also showed understanding and silently lowered her hand.
But after lowering her hand, Meisho Doto's slightly clenched fist revealed her true thoughts; she didn't seem as calm as she appeared on the surface.
"This feeling... it really is a bit different!"
T.M. Opera O, who already had Wada on her back, was very lively.
Wada had a similar weight to Ikezoe, and although T.M. Opera O's physique didn't compare to Orfevre's, carrying Wada was still no problem for her at all.
"Then, hold on tight, Ryuji. I'm going to run across the track with you!"
"Ok, let's go together, T.M. Opera O!"
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Hey guys, when you say something is for T.M. Opera O and Wada, can you include me in that as well? T.M. Opera O, Wada, and Meisho Doto if it's not too much trouble, thanks guys.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.