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

At that moment, not only at Treson College, but also in many places throughout Tokyo and even the whole of Japan, deafening cheers erupted in the dead of night. For a moment, it was as if there was no night in all of Japan, and everyone was enveloped in cheers and joy.

"We won! Our opera classmate really won!"

"She did it! They really did it!"

Amidst the equally enthusiastic cheers and applause from the Longshang Racecourse, it seemed as if the sounds from both inside and outside the screen overlapped. And amidst the thunderous applause, the figures of Good Opera and Hotan finally arrived on stage, surrounded by the crowd.

However, at this moment, the thick cast on this "tyrant's" left foot, which had not yet been removed, was somewhat in the way.

"This award is for us, Ryuji." The opera enthusiasts, naturally, also heard this. When the award was presented not only to her but also to Wada, they extended a hand to Wada and said:

"We need to go up to receive the award together, but my leg isn't very convenient right now."

"Then I will be your legs, let's be together, good opera."

Without hesitation, Wada grasped Hao Geju's hand, and Hao Geju smiled and nodded, using the strength of Wada's hand to climb the stage steps one by one.

As the two of them supported each other as they walked onto the stage, the entire racecourse quickly fell silent again. Everyone turned their attention to the injured "Overlord" and her subject, who was supporting her without hindering her progress.

Good opera moves slowly; she doesn't use a cane—because that would affect her prestige. She prefers to rely on the strength of Hotan and walk step by step rather than walk like a fallen monarch leaning on a cane.

This was her dignity, and this was also the farewell she valued most.

She had to come over herself.

And so, the two of them slowly climbed the steps, one step at a time, and slowly walked towards the center of the stage. Just those few steps, and sweat began to trickle down the opera singer's face, but from beginning to end, she maintained her calm and unwavering smile.

This alone commanded the utmost respect from everyone, while Nu Tao, watching this scene on the other side of the screen, was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Finally, as time ticked by, Good Opera's hand landed on the microphone on stage, slowly pulling it out of the holder. After taking a deep breath to regain his composure, he revealed a calm smile once more.

"—This victory belongs to us. We have won the Arc de Triomphe Grand Prix. I am the 'King of the End of the Century'!"

Chapter 387: The Overlord's Farewell, the Decision to Retire

When Good Opera and Wada announced their victory, the Longchamp Racecourse erupted in celebratory applause once again. Below the stage, a group of French Teresin academy students, as well as female racehorses from other countries participating in the Arc de Triomphe race, also expressed their celebration for Good Opera's victory.

"Is that the Opera King? I didn't notice him during the competition, but now he doesn't seem to be anything special."

"Isn't the racehorse girl from the Kurani family supposed to be precocious in both physique and career? I think I understand why she was sent to Japan."

"Hey, isn't that incredibly rude? And even if she's not in great shape, she still beat us, didn't she?"

The female racehorses below the stage were conversing in hushed tones, a soft exchange of English and French. It wasn't until Doremi heard this that she shook her head, looking at them with disdain, and said:

"You're not actually envious of the Opera Queen winning, you're just envious of her having such a good trainer, right? Stop pretending, you can't have that kind of envy."

"Sigh...you're right."

"Sigh, my trainer just tells me to train hard, but he doesn't seem to get the hang of it at all."

"Yes, me too."

"I'm so jealous that The Opera King has such a trainer..."

For a moment, Dorothy's words made the female racehorses in the audience deflate like defeated roosters. Having their feelings touched, they had to admit that their criticism of Good Opera based on her figure and appearance was not only because they envied her for winning the Arc de Triomphe and becoming a star female racehorse in Europe, but also because she had such a good trainer.

They clearly believe that they are in no way inferior to good opera singers, whether in appearance or talent—to be honest, most of the racehorse girls who can come to the Arc de Triomphe are actually quite similar in talent. They can all be said to be the best racehorse girls in their country, and they have overcome many obstacles to get here.

This time, they were relegated to supporting roles not because they lacked talent or effort... but because they lacked a bit of opportunity. That opportunity was precisely a combination of details they usually overlooked, their own thoughts, and various other reasons.

Unable to muster absolute determination, the racehorse girls, under almost identical conditions, lost to the racehorse girls who would run themselves ragged to win. They asked themselves honestly—at least, they couldn't do it, or rather, no one, nothing had ever made them unleash such power.

But Haogeju was found, which is why they were jealous of her. They were clearly better in every way, but she just happened to snatch up such a good trainer.

"—I'm starting to think about poaching the opera king's talent."

"Don't let the Queen of Opera hear this, or she'll probably fight you even if she breaks her leg."

Dorothy also reminded the French horse racer next to her who was trying to poach the opera's talent, and then they finally saw the nobleman, who was the student council president of the French school of Trésin, personally walk onto the stage with the trophy symbolizing the victory of the Arc de Triomphe.

As the horse racer who lost to Good Opera this time, Nobunaga showed her magnanimity as the student council president. She personally handed the trophy to Good Opera, and Wada and Good Opera smiled at each other and then extended a hand.

However, at that moment, the noble family deliberately withdrew their hand holding the trophy slightly and said with a smile, "It's not elegant to hold a trophy with one hand."

"If you don't mind, I can lend you one of my hands."

As he said this, the nobleman extended a hand to Good Opera, indicating that she could lend him her strength. Good Opera glanced at it and nodded with a smile.

"Then, thank you for your help."

"Serving my sisters of the same blood is no trouble at all."

As the noble family spoke, they first handed the trophy to Hetian, and then they supported Haogeju's waist with their palms so that she could stand steadily.

The next moment, Good Opera and Hotan finally raised the golden trophy high together, and with a burst of colorful fireworks that had been prepared beforehand, it was finally announced that the championship of this competition belonged to them!

Amidst the cheers and applause that lasted for several minutes, and with flashes of light capturing the two figures forever in that moment, the opera house finally handed the trophy to Wada, who then picked up the microphone and said:

"Everyone, I was already thinking about my acceptance speech when I was in the hospital, but my friend Ryuji and I thought about it a lot and found that there were just too many things we wanted to say and too many people we wanted to thank."

As she spoke, Good Opera took out a roll of paper from her pocket. When she unfolded the roll, she discovered that the paper was so long it almost dragged on the floor. Immediately, accompanied by a professional translator, a burst of snickers rippled through the racetrack as everyone laughed at Good Opera's humor.

But at the same time, everyone was worried: would the opera king just read the whole note aloud? That would take several hours!

"But in the end, after much thought, Long Er and I realized that many of the people we need to thank may not actually need our gratitude. What they really want is for us to return home safely."

Good Opera smiled and casually tossed the note on the ground, leaning on Wada with one hand as he said:

"Ryuji and I have completed this world-class grand opera, and now, the curtain is about to fall, and the lead actors are about to leave. This is the ending that every grand opera should have."

"We have won the honor and performed our best opera, and now, like the lead actor taking his final bow, I will finally step down from the stage."

"I hereby have to decline the invitation and goodwill from the French Central Bank, and hereby announce that I will withdraw from official racing competitions of horse race girls within two years and retire from racing."

However, when Good Opera finished speaking, it caused a huge uproar. Not only the audience at Longchamp Racecourse, but even the female racehorses from Japan were taken aback. Everyone was extremely confused about Good Opera's choice.

She won the Arc de Triomphe and achieved unprecedented success. Now should be the time when she is at the peak of her career and can achieve even greater things. Why did she announce her retirement at this time?

Could it be that her leg injury... is actually more serious than she claims?

However, Good Opera made a booing gesture, and only after the room quieted down again did she continue:

"Perhaps some people think my choice is unwise, but my Ryuji and I made this decision after thinking about it for a long time."

"A magnificent grand opera that maintains its peak performance may leave you wanting more, but it will never leave you with regrets. Only when you know that the lead actor is not in the right state of mind, but still insist on giving a terrible performance, is it an insult to the lead actor."

"I may be able to maintain my form for a while, but my body and my bloodline have destined me to gradually become unable to continue to dominate the field like this."

"Therefore, I chose to give this stage to other younger and more talented lead actors."

"They will continue to build this world stage that I created, and come back here again to perform one magnificent opera after another for the world!"

"And I will, as the 'King of the End of the Century,' freeze my glory at its peak and retire from this stage that belongs to young female racehorses."

"I hope they can continue my journey, and that there will be more Uma Musume (girls' love) on this stage, offering more performances. I look forward to the day when a leading lady can surpass me, surpass the achievements I have made, and become a Uma Musume who goes even further than me!"

"I will be waiting for you to surpass my achievements, so, you racehorse girls who want to become world-class leading ladies, if you want to, please step up!"

"In the future, you will also stand on this stage, just like me, and hand over a broader stage to the next generation of outstanding talents."

Just as Rudolf symbolized the best possible farewell, good opera, after its current setbacks, has seen through many things. With the changing times, even the "King of the End of the Century" will no longer be able to maintain its winning streak.

Rather than being lifted too high and falling too hard, it's better to choose the best way to end things while you can still walk away unscathed, handing the future over to better racehorses, while still maintaining your dignity and prestige.

Therefore, Good Opera has made this choice, so let more female horse racers chase after her "end-of-the-century overlord" figure.

All she can do, besides striving for more honors and prize money for herself, is leave to the next generation of racehorse girls.

She will bring inspiration and dreams to more younger generations; this is the last thing she can do before her career ends.

Chapter 388: The Final Decision—The Overlord's Retirement and Proposal!

"Retiring within two years...?"

"It seems that our good opera friend is also starting to pave the way for her future, becoming a racehorse girl who is not simply striving to run."

Inside the student council, Lu Duo, representing the group, watched the live broadcast of Good Opera's words and, after a slight pause, understood Good Opera's intention.

As a student council president whose goal is to create a school where "Uma Musume Girls can all be happy," Rudolf symbolizes that from the day she chose to become student council president, she had already chosen to give up many of her responsibilities as a Uma Musume Girl. Like the choice of Kogeki, she strives for more Uma Musume Girls to run freely. She sincerely hopes that every Uma Musume Girl at Tressen Academy can run without restraint.

Being the student council president is a very demanding test of willpower. Every day you have to face a mountain of work, and you can only get a short break at least every weekend. Don't be fooled by how free Rudo seemed during the Arima Memorial period; it was because he delegated a lot of work to the air tank and Narita Shirahito. Even so, Rudo still had to deal with the remaining documents until midnight every day.

Choosing to become the student council president means you have to give up some of your rights as a Uma Musume (a popular Japanese female mascot), and you have to make more contributions to your juniors. It sounds like a great job, but it's actually very hard work.

Otherwise, why do you think Lu Duo, after working for ten years, would desperately try to seize an opportunity to resign smoothly? She's been wanting to change her lifestyle for a long time.

Therefore, when she heard that her next successor was also prepared with the same awareness as herself, she was gratified, but on the other hand, she felt sorry for the youth of good opera at this moment.

"I wonder how long your passion can last. Great opera. I hope you don't have to stay in this position for as long as I have."

"Huh? President, what are you talking about?"

"It's nothing, just a bit of a sigh."

Rudol shook his head, looking at the spirited opera and Hotan on the screen, as if he were watching two people falling into a seemingly glamorous but actually difficult-to-escape golden pit, and he had finally managed to climb out of it.

...At least, perhaps he could help lighten their burden? Rudol felt a little guilty and planned to give Hao Opera some guidance when he became familiar with the work of the student council president in the future.

……

"Retire... my good opera classmate..."

"Yes, this is the limit she can reach. Back then, her performance started to decline around this time. Rather than plummeting to the bottom, it's better to retire safely while she's still on her throne."

On the other side, the renowned dancer Nu Tao was somewhat surprised, even incredulous, upon witnessing this scene. She couldn't believe that she had followed in the footsteps of her former idol all the way to where she was today, and now, at the peak of her career, she was hearing the opera announce her retirement.

For a moment, Nu Tao felt a mix of emotions. Although during the classic years, she and Good Opera had a relationship that could be described as open and covert competition, and although they were very obedient in front of He Tian and got along well, when it came to competitions and training, they were the best rivals who would do everything they could to beat each other.

They started from the Daily Cup and continued all the way until she watched the opera go to the Arc de Triomphe. Now, she stands at the pinnacle, but suddenly, this goal has become a distant memory, a memory she may never be able to catch up with.

In an instant, a mix of shock, regret, and resentment surged through Nu Tao's heart, but only "General Nu Tao" could truly understand it.

She knew very well that good opera was powerful, but her bloodline brought her not only legend, but also limitations. After the age of four, her condition declined drastically, almost every day. This was a sign of her premature aging.

Four years old is already considered good for a saddle-craftsman lineage like Haogeju. Judging from her physical development, Wangzu and Nutao are undoubtedly at their peak now and unlikely to become stronger. After this year, it is unknown how much of Wangzu's form she can retain in the second year.

Therefore, she understands why Good Opera chose to retire gracefully at this time, and even thinks that Good Opera's choice is very smart. Knowing that he may not be as strong in the future, he left a legacy for future generations to follow, without having to personally step onto the stage.

The legend will always remain; it remains to be seen whether future generations can break it. For her, this choice of opera was indeed a magnificent finale.

"Why are you so sad? The other me, maybe this is a good thing for you?"

"Huh? Good news?" Nu Tao was a little confused. Her most admired and most wanted-to-be Overlord had actually retired. How could this be a good thing for her friend?