Having trained real horses, why are we now training racehorse girls after time-traveling?

And soon, as time went by, the date of the Arima Memorial was drawing ever closer...

"Alright, Nutao and Haogeju, that's enough for today. Go and rest."

"Huh? Is today over already? So fast?"

Good Opera and Raging Waves also stopped one after another. In response to the two girls' questions, Wada nodded and answered as always: "That's enough for today. The Arima Memorial is not far away. Time is very tight. No matter how hard you train during this period, it will not be effective. During this period, you need to maintain your condition and make sure that there will be no accidents before the competition."

"So, go and rest. Coach Naise and I need to help you plan the arrangements for the upcoming matches."

"All right……"

At Wada's urging, Good Opera and Raging Waves obediently chose to return to their dormitory together. Wada and Naze Fumino watched the two racehorse girls walk away until Naze Fumino, unusually, took the initiative to speak to them:

"How about we go for a walk together? Trainer Wada, the time for Arima Memorial is coming soon, you should relax too."

Although it was said in a consultative tone, Naze Fumino took the initiative to walk in one direction without giving a chance to speak. Before Wada could even say anything, he could only awkwardly take a few steps forward to catch up with Naze Fumino.

"Trainer Nase seems to have relaxed a lot lately."

"Are you saying I've been slacking off lately? No, I think I'm pretty much the same as I am now."

Naze Fumino answered Wada's question without even turning her head, her tone carrying a hint of ambiguity as she said, "I always feel like there's something strange about my image in Trainer Wada's mind. It's been like this since the first time we met. What kind of bad person do you take me for?"

"No, no, what I mean is... after you gradually became familiar with us, you weren't as...cold as I imagined?"

It took Wada a while to come up with a suitable adjective. The two strolled along a green belt in Treson Academy. The sky was already approaching sunset, and facing Wada, Nase Fumino's expression was indeed much more relaxed, but she still spoke in a deliberately indifferent tone:

"I'm just doing my job. Besides, my love for being a trainer and for racehorse girls is no less than yours. Please don't misunderstand me as that kind of unscrupulous trainer."

"By the way—here's this; my father asked me to give it to you."

“This is…” Wada received a stack of wrapped packages from Naze Fumino’s hands. After he untied the silk cloth covering the packages, he discovered that there was a thick notebook inside.

"—This is a notebook compiled by my father. It contains many records and key points related to Uma Musume. My father used this notebook when he taught me about Uma Musume."

Naze Fumino, seemingly unconcerned, revealed the immense value of the heavy notebook. Wada was startled, nearly dropping the notebook, but quickly regained his composure and said with some disbelief:

"This...this is such a valuable thing, Mr. Naise, are you going to give it to me?"

“Trainer Naze…you must have said a lot of good things about me, right? Otherwise, even Mr. Naze wouldn’t have given me such a precious notebook so easily.”

Wada knew very well that this was no ordinary notebook; it was a summary of the life experiences of a legendary veteran trainer in Japan. It must contain a great deal of experience and insights summarized by veteran trainers. If this were given to any other trainer, they would be so grateful that they would kneel down and thank the trainer profusely after just one glance.

Sending him out... that's a really big deal. It's practically equivalent to Mr. Naze taking Wada as his personal disciple. If word got out, I wonder how many young trainers would be so envious they'd want to sneak up in the middle of the night, put a sack over Wada's head, and beat him up inside.

But... as a direct disciple, Wada didn't really think he was that good. Although Mr. Nase probably scoffed at his assessment of him as "mediocre," Wada really didn't think he was qualified for Mr. Nase to take him as a disciple.

Obviously, the answer is clear: Naze Fumino is helping Wada behind the scenes.

"Don't overthink it. I really didn't say anything nice to you. It's just that Father admires you... Maybe you two hit it off after you drank together last time. I don't know what you were talking about..."

Naze Fumino clearly noticed Wada's eyes, and slightly uncomfortably turned her head and coughed a few times, trying to remain calm as she said, "This notebook isn't important to me; it's just something I read before bed when I was little. My father brought it here so that I could help you improve your skills."

"I've memorized this notebook perfectly. You can take it now. I'll be teaching you again later anyway. Just review this notebook after each class, consider it a review."

"This notebook will be helpful to you. It's just a pity that Japanese express delivery is really slow. It only just arrived. You can keep it, but don't spread it around, or you'll get into trouble."

Fumino Naze seemed genuinely unaware of the notebook's importance. In reality, she hadn't been interested in "bedtime reading" books filled with Uma Musume stories when she was a child, but since becoming a trainer, she'd come to understand just how precious the notebook was.

What she didn't tell Wada was that although Mr. Nase did admire Wada, he was definitely not quite a direct disciple. However, the reason this notebook was here now was because Nase Fumino had indeed said a lot of good things about him to her father.

In the end, it was almost a matter of pleading and cajoling to finally get my hands on the notebook; otherwise, it wouldn't have been delivered so late. Moreover, Naze Fumino was mentally prepared that if her father really wasn't willing to teach her, then she would write it down by hand from memory.

—Of course, Naze Fumino didn't say a word of these words. Just as her father had predicted, she was cold on the outside but warm and kind on the inside, though she didn't want others to see her kindness.

"That's all I can do for you right now, Trainer Wada. I know that your two racehorse girls are not people I can command. You are the only person they trust the most. So, I can only help you as much as I can."

“You’ve helped me understand a lot. I’ve also experienced a lot within this team. Once I truly understand what I want, I will leave this team and start over.”

"By then, you should have already achieved great success. I don't want anyone to say that in the future, there was a mediocre trainer in the team that I, Fumino Nase, have been in."

"So, strive to become better, Trainer Wada. This is the only thing I'm allowing you to think about right now."

After finishing her sentence, Fumino Naze slowly stood up and left, seemingly not intending to say anything more. Wada stared at the notebook in his hand for a long time before slowly putting it away.

Unbeknownst to him, he has now gained a completely different life in this world. He has more friends, more help and support, and even those he once considered enemies have become his supporters in a different way...

For some reason, Wada inexplicably thought of Good Opera. At this moment, it seemed that his life and Good Opera's life had been changed because of coming into this world.

He and good opera are no longer walking a lonely path; they have so many people who truly support them.

"A bond of fate..."

"If our fate could be changed from this point on... then, Three Goddesses, this is the best gift you could give me."

Chapter 206: The Opening of the Arima Commemoration

For the Japanese, the Arima Festival usually begins in the last few days of the year, and this year's Arima Festival is no exception. Coincidentally, it falls on Christmas Day, December 25th—a day that is like New Year's Day for everyone.

"Welcome everyone to Zhongshan Racecourse on this Christmas Day! On a day when families should be reunited, everyone is here to watch this epic race. It is no surprise that this race will be a moment that will be recorded in history."

"Well then, I readily accept the invitation to commentate on what may be the most exciting Arima Memorial ever. I will be the commentator, Misato Akasaka, and the live broadcast will be handled by Junko Hosoe!"

It was still the same lineup of two women from the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Competition. Akasaka Misato said to Hosoe Junko beside her, "Ah, I didn't expect that the Arima Commemoration would be held during Christmas. I thought everyone would be watching the live stream at home on such a day, but I didn't expect that so many viewers would gather today."

“Because it’s winter now, and Christmas is approaching, we don’t need to schedule races in the morning or afternoon like we do in the summer, considering the condition of Uma Musume. Now we can finally start the races at the normal times.” Junko Hosoe smiled gently as well.

"So, we would like to remind all viewers that today's Arima Memorial will be broadcast on television at 8 p.m. If you would like to relive this epic battle, or if you were unable to attend in person for any reason, please ask your friends and family to keep up with the event."

"Well then, without further ado, I'm sure the audience is already looking forward to this historic Arima anniversary showdown!" Akasaka Mitsuko also looked at the list in her hand. Even though she had seen the list several times before, she still couldn't help but smack her lips when she was about to announce it.

"This list still gets my blood pumping, and I'm sure it does for those of you who participated in the pre-race and in-race voting. Now, let's announce the Arima Kinen contestants one by one, based on the results of the in-race voting."

"Let's start with the fourteenth most popular character. You'll be surprised to find that even the fourteenth most popular character is a well-known Uma Musume! Of course, just so you know, popularity doesn't represent Uma Musume's strength! Besides, this year's Arima Commemorative event is full of top-tier contestants!"

……

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! That bastard Rudolf! Why didn't he approve our Arima Memorial proposal?! And she gets to play! It's unfair! This is abuse of power! I'm going to file a complaint against Rudolf for abusing his power!"

In the stands, from the very beginning of Arima Kinen's popularity announcement, a female horse racer with a goose hair seemed very unhappy. Sitting next to Oguri Kashiwagi, Tamamo Cross was seen waving her little fists at the air in frustration, as if she could hit Rudolf Symbol with that.

Clearly, Tamamo Cross's proposal to participate in the Arima Memorial and compete against the Good Opera was ultimately rejected. Furthermore, judging from Oguri Hattori eating a huge chicken leg next to Tamamo Cross, Oguri Hattori was also unable to participate in the Arima Memorial.

"Tama, stop arguing. It's okay if you didn't attend the Arima Memorial. We'll have another chance at the Takarazuka Memorial next year, won't we?" Oguri Hat seemed unconcerned, only concerned about the chicken leg in her hand.

However, in reality, she was merely numbing herself. Her constantly upturned ears revealed her deep dissatisfaction with Rudolf's behavior of not allowing them to perform while he excitedly went up to challenge the opera singer.

Everyone here is a highly competitive racehorse girl, so they all understand how intense the excitement and restlessness are when they encounter a strong opponent again after so long. And being able to compete on the same stage as the strongest racehorse girl of an era in a race like GI is something that almost every highly competitive racehorse girl hopes for.

It's not just about the honor and attention; more importantly, it's about how they can unleash their full potential and show their true strength under such pressure. This kind of thrill is unmatched by any simulation competition.

It's not that they just race casually and don't give it their all in the simulation races, but the combination of factors like GI, the final race outfit, and the spotlight makes the racehorse girls even more eager and impatient.

"Ugh! But I'm still so angry! Who knows if Good Opera will still be at its peak after this Arima Memorial? If this Arima Memorial burns out Good Opera, then even if we win the race later, we won't be as excited, right?"

Tamamo Cross still said with great reluctance that her biggest worry was that after this Arima Commemoration, Good Musical's performance would decline after the classic year. After all, judging from Good Musical's current growth trajectory, Good Musical is one of the early-maturing Uma Musume, and there are many Uma Musume whose performance declined rapidly the year after the classic year.

This is also why Tamamo Cross was unwilling to accept that she didn't have the chance to challenge the peak performance of good opera at the Arima Memorial. In her mind, even if she could meet good opera again at the Takarazuka Memorial the following year, the other party probably wouldn't be giving it their all at the Arima Memorial.

However, Oguri Hat seemed to have a different opinion, as she removed the chicken leg from her hand and said to Tamamo Cross:

“Xiaoyu, the peak of Good Opera may not be now. I have sensed her momentum and domain. At the Chrysanthemum Award competition, I could feel that although Good Opera is very strong, her true strength should be far more than that. She is still missing a key thing.”

"Without this, her [aura] cannot reach its peak, and her [domain] cannot be stabilized. She may be very strong, but if she wants to compete with the president... she is still a little lacking."

"Therefore, I think that this Arima Memorial is definitely not the strongest performance of a good opera. Even if it is, I think that she should be able to maintain her peak strength until the following year without any problem."

“Oh… I’m not as good as you at perceiving the [domain], Oguri… Since you say so, let’s be patient and wait.”

Upon hearing this, Tamamo Cross nodded as if she understood but not quite. She did indeed possess a [Domain]. It could be said that she could do what a good opera could do. However, Tamamo Cross's peak had already been set. Even if she unleashed her full power once more, she would not surpass her peak. She was destined to remain in a state of confusion regarding the [Domain].

But Oguri Hat is different. Oguri Hat's talent is higher than hers, and her mastery of the [Domain] is no less than that of Rudolf. She is a true "monster of the goose feathers".

Therefore, Tamamo Cross was quite convinced by Oguri Hat's words and finally quieted down. However, her gaze unconsciously turned to the other side.

"...Huh? Isn't that trainer Wada?"

"Why is he dressed like that? He looks like a race car driver?"

Tamamo Cross's words made Oguri Hat silently turn his head to look, and he noticed a very conspicuous figure at the very front of the stands, with Ikezoe, Imanami, and a group of horse girls who did not participate in the Arima Kinen race. The figure was wearing a helmet, protective gear and clothing that seemed to have a protective effect, and even a windproof goggles.

Although Wada's attire completely concealed his appearance, making it almost impossible to discern his features, his identity could be discerned from the presence of Naze Fumino standing beside him.

"...I don't know, but I feel that this outfit probably represents Trainer Wada's intention to fight alongside Good Opera, right?"

"Huh? Horse races? Do trainers need to wear outfits like that? How come we didn't know that?"

However, Tamamo Cross also expressed some incomprehension, as did Oguri Hat. But for some reason, she vaguely felt that this outfit looked familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

Moreover, Oguri was belatedly surprised by her own judgment. Why did she think that this outfit represented the trainer and the horse girl fighting together?

Oguri wasn't quite sure, and finally shook his head, turning his attention back to the arena. Meanwhile, the popularity announcement was still ongoing…

Chapter 207: The First Clash Between the Emperor and the Overlord

"Next up is the sixth most popular, Kusakabe!" At this moment, Misato Akasaka had only announced half of the popularity rankings, and under her announcement, Kusakabe, who had met the "Miracle" team once before and was as quiet as a Yamato Nadeshiko, also stepped onto the stage in her final outfit.

"After several months of rest, Grasshopper immediately participated in this epic battle. In the Arima Memorial, Grasshopper participated with a pre-race popularity ranking of fourteenth and a race popularity ranking of sixth. His popularity is surprisingly high."

"After all, although her performance before her recovery was regrettable, everyone still remembers Grasshopper's outstanding performances in the past." Junko Hosoe said with a smile, "I hope Grasshopper can bring us a wonderful performance this time."

“That’s right, so next up is the fifth most popular! Mejiro family’s racehorse girl, Mejiro Ryan! And the fourth most popular is Mejiro McQueen!” Akasaka Misato immediately announced the names of the two racehorse girls from the Mejiro family.

"After the last Chrysanthemum Appreciation, Mejiro McQueen and Mejiro Ryan, the Mejiro sisters, reappeared on the Arima Memorial stage and gained considerable popularity. I'm sure many fans are hoping they can redeem themselves this time."

"Oh dear... I'm starting to get nervous. Is Xiaocao alright...?"

Meanwhile, in the stands, Special Week and Silent Suzuka stood beside their trainer, Okino, while Tojo Hana stood there with all the racehorse girls in her team, attracting the attention of many.

"Don't worry, I made sure Kusakami was well-adjusted before letting her compete. She said she wanted to participate in this epic competition." Tojo Hana said calmly, her arms crossed over her chest.

Hearing this, Okino couldn't help but chuckle, then looked at Tojo Hana and said, "Hana, are you nervous this time? Your team has three Uma Musume contestants in Arima Kinen this time. Are you afraid they'll all lose?"

"...I made this bet with trainer Wada. If he can really bring good opera to us, to my proudest racehorse, Ludo, and challenge her position, I will fight him to the end."

Tojo Hana, however, did not seem nervous at all; on the contrary, she was quite excited, with an appreciative and competitive smile on her lips. She said, word by word, "But no matter what the result is, after this Arima Memorial, Good Opera will undoubtedly be selected as this year's 'Best Classic Year Uma Musume'."

"As for trainer Hotan... as long as his performance in the opera this time isn't too bad, he should be able to win at least three awards this time."

"Best New Trainer of the Year," "Youngest Classic Triple Crown Trainer," and "Central S-Level Trainer Certification."

"Just watch, Okino. These young trainers are getting better and better. If you don't work harder, your A+ certificate will soon be too weak."

"Hey, let's chat, can you please not dampen my enthusiasm?"