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

"This is an invitation letter we received from the central government—an invitation from the French Central Association of Female Horse Races."

"This is an invitation to the Arc de Triomphe expedition. Trainer Wada, you and Hao Geju will be invited to the Arc de Triomphe Grand Prix in France next October to become the team representing Japan on the expedition, competing with foreign racehorse girls in one of the most prestigious GI races."

"The invitation states that the race will be held at the Longchamp Racecourse in France, and we hope that you will be going there in September to participate in the Foy Stakes, the preliminary round. You may be the only pair of us this year who can go to the Arc de Triomphe."

"Kay, the Arc de Triomphe?!"

However, Rudol's symbolic words surprised everyone at that moment, and Wada looked at the invitation in his hand with an incredulous gaze, which was filled with French that he could not understand, and remained in a daze for a long time.

And the opera enthusiast, who originally thought that his future path would not be too challenging, suddenly felt an even greater pressure... a pressure called "If you want to wear the crown, you must bear the weight."

The long-awaited and bittersweet match of the entire nation, the Arc de Triomphe Grand Prix—now, the heavy burden of the expedition to France has finally fallen on their shoulders…

Chapter 224: The Arc de Triomphe's Strongest Opponent?

"If this invitation had been sent earlier, the list of invitees would probably have been different. But perhaps this is a kind of luck, because your names are on this list, the trainer from Hotan, and the opera singer."

"Therefore, this heavy responsibility falls on your shoulders. In any case, please be prepared. You have a long time to rest and recuperate. During this period, please be sure that nothing unexpected happens."

"This is not just the request of the uninvited racehorse girl, nor is it just the request of everyone at Treson Academy. What you are carrying on your shoulders now is the expectation of all the racehorse girls in Japan and everyone else. Please, do your best to meet this challenge."

"If we miss this one, we really don't know when the next invitation to the Arc de Triomphe will arrive."

—After everyone left the student council, Rudolf's symbolic admonition was still fresh in everyone's mind. After the racehorse girls dispersed, the four trainers casually found a place to sit down and began to discuss the incident.

"The Arc de Triomphe... I really never imagined that this dream, which was once so far out of my reach, would now be right in front of me, giving me and fine opera the opportunity to challenge this obstacle..."

"Are you nervous, Trainer Wada? I thought you were fearless as long as there was a good opera."

Faced with Ryuji Wada's muttering to himself, Fumino Naze, who was sitting in a chair nearby, made a rare teasing remark to Wada. It was the first time she had ever seen Wada so frightened.

"Of course I'm scared, that's the Arc de Triomphe!" Wada bluntly expressed his worries. Despite the winter weather, Wada was shivering, not from the cold, but from nervousness.

"The Arc de Triomphe, we Japanese haven't won it since 1969. It's become a knot in the hearts of the Japanese people. How can I not be nervous?"

The Arc de Triomphe is an insurmountable obstacle for Japanese horse racing enthusiasts. So many horses flock to this race, but since 1969, Japanese horses have never won a single Arc de Triomphe race. In the most recent few races, the two were runners-up for Golden Giant, the one for Divine Eagle, and the other was runner-up for Nakayama Festival.

What does this mean? You have to understand, in the neighboring country of China, where horse racing culture is practically a taboo, Hong Kong horse owners have won the Arc de Triomphe twice!

A country that treats horse racing as a national treasure and a popular sport for all its citizens, yet its performance in this area is far inferior to that of a neighboring special administrative region whose horse racing culture is still in its infancy. Isn't that shameful? It's incredibly shameful!

Now, Hotan and the Good Opera have suddenly been entrusted with this unprecedented responsibility. The state of the Good Opera is unclear, but Hotan is really nervous. After all, he has never been to the Arc de Triomphe in France, even in his previous life.

Wada has always believed that the reason he and Good Opera have been able to win so many times is largely because they learned from their past experiences. So, although there have been some changes this time, they have still managed to reach their current level of success.

But the Arc de Triomphe is different. Hotan had no experience with it at all. He had never been to the Arc de Triomphe in France, nor had he ever competed with foreign horses in foreign races. Both of them were completely clueless about it, so it was normal for Hotan to lack confidence when going to race at the Arc de Triomphe.

After all, it's becoming a widely accepted fact that Japanese horse racers tend to underperform when racing abroad. While a few strong horses have defied this perception, the fact remains that none have beaten the Arc de Triomphe.

"Don't be so nervous, Mr. Wada. Good opera is like a fish in water in Europe. You don't need to worry that good opera won't adapt to the European competitions."

At this time, Jinlang, as a senior, gave Wada a strong boost of confidence. In his opinion, although Wada and the opera enthusiasts had not been to the Arc de Triomphe in their previous lives, it was not fair to say that they had no chance of winning.

Good Opera is already several levels stronger than its peak when they first saw it. If it were Good Opera in its previous peak, whether it could achieve a good ranking at the Arc de Triomphe would be uncertain. But now Good Opera is slowly advancing to a whole new level. Under these circumstances, even if Wada and Good Opera were to go to the Arc de Triomphe for the first time, it wouldn't be entirely without a chance of winning.

But more important than a good opera is giving Wada the confidence to go to the Arc de Triomphe. Their combination is perfect, but it is not without weaknesses. Once one of them wavers strongly, their problems will be easily exposed. And right now, at least, the problem still lies with Wada.

Wada must not waver in his confidence; otherwise, even if he is in the best condition for a good opera, his performance will be affected by his emotions.

“Wada-kun, you’ve been busy with competition matters lately. Now that you have the invitation, take this opportunity to study it carefully and hone your skills. This will be beneficial for your trip to France in October.”

"Yeah, Wada, there's really nothing to be afraid of at the Arc de Triomphe. Just treat it like a normal game. Look, I've been to the Arc de Triomphe twice, and I lost both times, but it's no big deal."

“Ikezoe-kun, your situation is a little different… but thank you for your comfort.”

Fortunately, Hotan's tension came and went quickly, and he gradually regained his composure. He knew very well that although the list invited him and the great opera to go to the Arc de Triomphe together, he also knew that his level would definitely be a hindrance. All he could do was to improve his level as much as possible.

"Trainer Naze, I—"

"No need to say more, Wada, I understand what to do." Naze Fumino waved her hand, indicating that Wada didn't need to continue. She understood everything. The capable, strong woman, with her legs crossed, exuded the charm of a woman dressed as a man, and said calmly:

"I will teach you with all my might, all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. Please be prepared, my test will be very strict."

"Please! I promise I'll study hard!"

Now that Wada is finally at ease, he immediately prepares to face the severe test with a positive attitude. His serious demeanor makes Naze Fumino shake her head.

"However... I'm a little curious, if we're going to the Arc de Triomphe, which foreign racehorses will we be facing this time?"

"Yes, if we could know which racehorses are in advance, we could know the tactics and strategies of Wada's opponents in this year's Arc de Triomphe, and make some predictions."

As the four were talking, Wada took out the invitation again. He couldn't recognize a single word of the French text, and it only made his head spin. He muttered to himself:

"Couldn't you just give me a Japanese translation? Central... don't be lazy with something as simple as this..."

"...But this name looks familiar."

At that moment, Jinlang seemed to notice something noteworthy, and immediately everyone's attention was drawn to him. Wada, as if grasping at a lifeline, exclaimed with delight:

"Senior Jinlang, you also understand French?!"

“No, I know absolutely nothing about French. I’m completely helpless when it comes to these foreign languages.” Jin Lang shook his head and said, but he still stared at a word on the screen and said calmly, “But this spelling looks familiar. I might know this name.”

"What is it?" Even Fumino Naze was drawn in. She only knew a little French, but she still felt overwhelmed by what she saw and couldn't help but ask curiously.

"If I'm not mistaken, this sentence means..." Jin Lang squinted slightly, trying to recall the few French words in his mind. After a long while, he slowly said, with a hint of uncertainty in his voice:

"The French Horse Contestants Association...the president...a prominent family?"

"A prominent family?" X3

However, when Nami uttered the word with an uncertain tone, Wada, Ikezoe, and Naise Fumino all subconsciously repeated it. Gradually, they realized just how powerful the formidable opponent they were about to challenge at the Arc de Triomphe truly was.

Chapter 225: The Eagle's Special Training for a Good Opera

"Hey? My dear opera student, what are you looking at?"

On the other side of the training ground, the racehorses, who had been sent away by the four trainers to train, were training on their own. At this moment, the East Sea Emperor noticed that the opera singer sitting to the side had a book with words he couldn't understand in his hand, and curiously went over to ask him about it.

Having just glanced at it, the Emperor of the East Sea was already dizzy from the densely packed words printed on it, while Good Opera put away the book and replied with a smile:

"This is a book about French. I borrowed it from the library. It's great that the Tresson College library has books specifically for learning French."

"French? Good opera student, are you already preparing for the Arc de Triomphe?"

The Emperor of the East Sea was slightly startled upon hearing this, but upon further reflection, he realized it made sense. Good Opera is arguably the strongest horse racer in Japan right now, and she doesn't really need to pay attention to races in Japan anymore. Preparing for the Arc de Triomphe is what Good Opera needs to do most right now.

With the Osaka Cup already decided, Nuotao is the chosen participant. In the meantime, besides the Arc de Triomphe, the biggest enemy of Good Opera is the Takarazuka Memorial Tournament. However, the Takarazuka Memorial Tournament doesn't seem to pose a particularly huge challenge to Good Opera.

Moreover, preparing for the Arc de Triomphe doesn't mean stopping training, right? It just means participating in fewer domestic competitions to avoid any accidents during the competition.

Of course, the bigger reason is to give the other members more opportunities to perform. The status of good operas today no longer needs many GIs to prove it. It has already created a new era, and the Arc de Triomphe will be the most glorious stage for it to face in its peak form.

"How envious I am!" The Emperor of the East Sea, sitting beside the opera singer, said with undisguised envy:

"I also want to participate in the Arc de Triomphe and bring glory to everyone in Tresson, but I can only debut next year. After Golden Master and McQueen finish this year's race, will we still have a chance to compete?"

“There will definitely be an opportunity, Your Majesty.” Good Opera smiled slightly upon hearing this. She knew very well the competitive spirit in the heart of Your Majesty, the racehorse girl who had not yet made her debut. Looking at her teammates who were now at the peak of their careers, while she herself had no hope of even making her debut, she was naturally very lonely and hoped to be able to compete on the same stage with everyone at the top.

Unfortunately, Good Opera knew very well that if the Emperor were to actually realize this wish, it wouldn't be a good thing for her. Good Opera and the Golden Masters had the resources to go all out, while the Emperor... truly had one less chance to go all out.

"You'll be able to debut around the end of this year. At that time, no one will be competing with you for the Classic Triple Crown. You'll have a real chance to achieve your dream of an undefeated Triple Crown racehorse girl, something even I, the Overlord, couldn't accomplish."

"Ugh—but I feel like this undefeated triple crown isn't very valuable... The strongest players don't compete with me... They all treat me like a kid..."

The Empress was still not happy to hear this. She wanted to defeat her strong opponents fairly and squarely to win the undefeated triple crown. What was the point of crushing other racehorse girls like the Golden Master did back then?

As they were still talking, suddenly, a figure seemed to notice the opera singer and ran towards them almost immediately, accompanied by a cheerful voice with a slightly strange tone:

"Good afternoon! Good opera classmates! Good emperor classmates! Everyone from the Miracle Team! Good afternoon, Desi!"

"That voice—is it Shenying?"

As expected, amidst cheers from the Emperor of the East Sea, the beautiful, outgoing, masked racehorse of American descent strode into the distance with the speed of a whirlwind. Just like her name, she was proud as an eagle, swift and majestic.

When the Divine Eagle arrived in front of Good Opera at full speed, Good Opera suddenly felt a subtle sense of "encountering a formidable enemy." This feeling puzzled Good Opera, as she had never competed against the Divine Eagle on stage before, and she judged this feeling solely through intuition.

But... this feeling is different from the feeling of encountering a strong opponent on the field. Good opera senses not only a strong opponent from the Divine Eagle, but also a kind of "similar" feeling.

This feeling is something she never had before in opera, but since she broke through her own limits, she is much better at recognizing people than she used to be.

However, Good Opera could sense that although Divine Eagle seemed to be in a good mood, there was actually a shadow in his heart, and... it seemed to be about her?

"Good afternoon, Shenying." Good Opera temporarily concealed his thoughts and asked with a friendly smile, "Are you here for our team's friendly training? We're free here, so we can have a good match."

"Hmph, you're really energetic, what a great opera! Elu (the onomatopoeia of the Divine Eagle's self-reference), I thought you'd become complacent now that you've become the strongest in Japan. It seems I was worrying too much, Elu."

Shenying's words carried a hint of arrogance without malice, which was actually due to her straightforward personality and lack of tact. In reality, she had no intention of looking down on anyone.

However... this time, Good Opera doesn't think she's completely without malice. No, rather, it's not that she's not malicious, but there's a strange feeling that she wants to compete with Good Opera.

"I really want to have a match with Good Opera-san, after all, Good Opera-san is the strongest in Japan right now. If I defeat Good Opera-san, wouldn't I be the strongest in Japan, right?"

"—But this time, Ailu isn't here for the opera competition. Ailu is here to help the opera singer with special training!"

"...Special training?"

However, when the Divine Eagle said those words, not only was the opera sung, but the Emperor of the East Sea also tilted his head in confusion, and for a moment even wondered if it was April Fool's Day and the Divine Eagle was there to play a joke.

After all, Good Opera is now the "Emperor" who rightfully defeated the pinnacle of Japanese Uma Musume in the Arima Kinen race. She is now the undisputed strongest in Japan. Who dares to say that they have the qualifications and ability to train Good Opera?

Just as Rudolf symbolized his success, even Ms. Tojo Hana frankly said, "I have nothing left to teach. Rather, it is Rudolf who taught me how to be a trainer." It is conceivable how perplexing it is that she now proposes to teach the opera troupe the Divine Eagle.

"Hmph, I see, you all look confused, don't you? You look down on me, Ailu, don't you think?"

Shenying seemed to have had this premonition all along, but she wasn't angry. Instead, she put her hands on her hips as if she had been praised and said confidently, "When it comes to the Japanese track, even if I disagree, I can't help it. I'm definitely no match for Good Opera-san."

"But, I know, Elle, that Good Opera is going to the Arc de Triomphe this October, right? If we're talking about foreign tracks like those in Paris, Elle is very confident now that she can beat Good Opera!"

"Huh? Eagle, how do you know that Good Opera is going to participate in the Arc de Triomphe?"

However, Shenying's confident demeanor revealed a blind spot to the East Sea Emperor. She instinctively glanced at Hao Geju, then considered the context: Tojo Hana wasn't present. How did Shenying know about the Arc de Triomphe and that Hao Geju had received an invitation?

Before the Emperor of the East Sea could even come up with the answer, Good Opera had already gleaned some meaning from the slight change in the Divine Eagle's expression, combined with the mysterious hostility the Divine Eagle had shown towards her earlier, and her confidence...

At that moment, Good Opera seemed to understand why the divine eagle had appeared before her now.

"Hahahaha! As expected of my former teammate, Divine Eagle. From the moment you joined the team, I could see that you had an extremely strong talent. I never thought that even now that I, the Overlord, have achieved great success, you still have such amazing talent!"

Good Opera, with its exaggerated acting, masked the embarrassment that Divine Eagle was trying to hide, and stood up as if it hadn't noticed anything, saying to Divine Eagle:

"Then let me, the overlord, experience the feeling of endless learning once again! Divine Eagle, no matter what the challenge, I will never lose!"

"Hmph, quite confident, huh, Opera-san? But this is the Opera-san I truly admire!"