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

Meanwhile, Chi Tian kept glancing subtly at the person Golden Journey was carrying, whom the Golden Master called "Sister Meng." Without a doubt, upon hearing this title, he knew who this drunken, black-haired racehorse girl was—the origin of his inextricable connection with the Golden family, the Golden Master's older brother (sister)—Meng Zhilv.

Of course, Chi Tian prefers to call her "Jiao Ni". However, this is a name they used when they were still working together and when they visited her after she retired. Normally, Chi Tian wouldn't dare to get that close to Dream Journey unless he felt he hadn't lived long enough.

Dream Journey's temper is even more violent than that of the Golden Master, to the point of being a violent maniac. Moreover, he gets angry without any warning or reason—at least Ikezoe himself didn't see it. Furthermore, Dream Journey is much more ruthless and has a real chance of killing someone.

As for Dream Journey and Golden Master, who does Chi Tian prefer... Chi Tian can only say that if he really had to choose between the two, he would definitely choose Golden Master.

This isn't because the Gold Master was his most compatible comrade-in-arms and the pinnacle of his career; it's simply a very easy question of comparison.

If Dream Journey and the Golden Master were both women, then Dream Journey would be the kind of violent girlfriend whose daily routine is unpredictable. You never know what you did wrong that day and you'd get dragged out and beaten up by her. And this girlfriend really does have a certain probability of killing you. Even if she occasionally gives you face when she's normal, this normal routine is completely irregular and unpredictable.

As for the Golden Master, although she showed even less respect to him than Dream Journey when she was actually riding a horse, and appeared very disdainful, at least before she got angry, she was like Genichiro from Sekiro. Their starting moves didn't lie; you could anticipate them and protect yourself.

Moreover, the Gold Master's small hands are not too heavy, so he won't really put you in any danger. You're just a little sensitive and have a bit of a bad temper.

Of course, what Chizue was talking about was their own image. Although he knew that he would meet Dream Journey sooner or later, he kept extending that timeframe. But now it seems that he can no longer avoid meeting Dream Journey.

Incidentally, Ikezoe was also curious about what kind of person Uma Musume's Dream Journey was, and whether her opinion of him would change slightly, at least... that he wouldn't be thinking about killing her every day.

"Ah, isn't this—the master craftsman? You're back too~"

However, after hearing the Golden Master's voice, Dream Journey slowly raised her head and glanced at him. Slightly drunk, she made out the Golden Master's figure through her hazy vision and subconsciously smiled, saying:

"Master! I went out to celebrate with you this time! I heard you won the Classic Triple Crown, you're now a Triple Crown racehorse girl!"

"And you also won the Japan Cup this time, and you shone brightly at the Arima Kinen! Although you lost in the end, your fame is now no less than that of the first place winner!"

"You've really made something of yourself, Master! But you didn't even congratulate your older sister—do you already think your sister is incompetent?"

"What are you saying, Sister Meng? I think you've had too much to drink and your brain is all muddled."

Dream Journey's words were indeed somewhat sharp, even tinged with jealousy. Although Dream Journey's tone wasn't sarcastic at all, it was clear that she was genuinely happy for that reason. However, whether she was truly happy for the Master or for some other reason... remained unknown.

"How much did she drink?" But Chi Tian was concerned about another issue at the moment. Although Meng Zhi Lu looked older than the Golden Master, he doubted whether Meng Zhi Lu was old enough to drink alcohol. Japan has strict regulations on the age of drinking.

Of course, since there are no ID cards in Japan, people usually use driver's licenses or other forms of identification to prove their personal information. This creates some loopholes, and most sales clerks selling cigarettes and alcohol have developed the habit of judging people's age by their facial features. This allows some students who look older than their age to occasionally buy cigarettes and alcohol.

As for Dream Journey... because it was pitch black outside, and Dream Journey kept her head down with her bangs covering her face, he couldn't tell what she looked like. However, judging from her outfit, she seemed to be a tomboyish girl with a very sexy style.

In other words, faking one's age to buy alcohol... is actually something Dream Trip could actually do.

"No... Sister Meng has a low alcohol tolerance and a terrible drinking habit, so she rarely drinks alcohol. She gets drunk very easily. She only drinks low-alcohol beverages when she's really happy..."

The gold master's answer surprised Chi Tian. The master said helplessly, "She probably ate something containing alcohol again, or drank some low-alcohol beverages... Sister Meng really has no resistance to alcohol."

"What? I only ate one or two more pieces of alcoholic chocolate than usual..."

"Oh dear, looking closer, there's someone else next to me... Is it your boyfriend, Master? Let me see—"

However, Dream Journey suddenly walked past Golden Journey without saying a word, then shoved Golden Master aside without ceremony, and put his arm around Chi Tian's shoulder. In that instant, Chi Tian and Dream Journey finally saw each other's faces clearly.

What an exquisite face! This was Chi Tian's true feeling when he saw Meng Zhilu's face. She had an eight-tenths resemblance to the Golden Master, even her pupils were exactly the same. However, unlike the Golden Master, Meng Zhilu did not use a mask to cover her beauty, but instead chose to use her bangs.

Even with her slightly longer bangs, the star-shaped mark naturally present on them is very eye-catching, adding a touch of beauty to her wild yet smooth black hair, which resembles that of a master craftsman.

Compared to the arrogant and spoiled demeanor of the Golden Master, the first impression I got of Dream Journey's face was "cold and aloof." It was a genuine sense of coldness and aloofness, as if no one could approach or understand him. Keep in mind, Dream Journey was currently drunk; if it were any other time, I wonder how much pressure that cold and aloof face would put on others.

While Chi Tian was staring blankly, Meng Zhilu's expression gradually turned serious. She carefully examined Chi Tian's face, and after a long while, she pushed Chi Tian away and said to the Gold Master beside her:

"Is this your boyfriend, Master? I feel like I've seen him somewhere before?"

"...You're mistaken, Sister Meng. I don't remember you and Chi Tian ever meeting."

However, when the Gold Master answered this question, a strange clenched in his heart, and a subtle, unreadable light flashed in his eyes before he replied in a rather indifferent tone:

"You're drunk, Sister Meng. I'll take you back to your room."

"Oh, so his name is Ikezoe. I feel like I've heard that name before." The tipsy Dream Journey was suddenly grabbed by the Golden Master. The Golden Master was already considered a little short among the racehorse girls of the same grade, but Dream Journey was actually half a head shorter than the Golden Master. However, compared to the Golden Master, she had a very strong presence. Despite being less than 1.6 meters tall, she gave people the oppressive feeling of being 1.9 meters tall.

“Master, I must say, as my sister, your taste has deteriorated... You actually like this kind of guy…”

"Yes, yes, I hope you never like this guy's appearance, my dear Meng."

Chapter 445: The Dream Journey and the Imbalance in One's Heart

The Golden Master helped Dream Journey walk step by step toward the room, while on the other side, Golden Journey also silently walked to Chi Tian's side, and together they watched the two of them walk away with slightly melancholy eyes.

“…This is our Golden Family’s child, Trainer Ikezoe.” Golden Journey shook his head upon hearing this and said to Ikezoe beside him, “I hope you won’t take offense. Dream Journey isn’t a bad child…although she is indeed a bit willful.”

"She came back completely drunk. At her age, it's hard for me to believe her words."

Upon hearing this, Ikezoe shook his head. His first impression of this dream journey in the world wasn't particularly good. He now understood very well that racehorse girls and real horses couldn't be completely confused. Their performance on the track might be the same as what they remembered, but that didn't mean their temperament was the same as what they thought or felt.

For example, Golden Master, Ikezo had never felt the feeling of "gentleness" from Golden Master before, but now, Golden Master is still his savage girlfriend who softens at the slightest touch, has shed her irritability and anxiety, and has become gentle and affectionate. This has greatly changed Ikezo's perception of racehorse girls' personality.

However, his first impression of the Dream Journey was not good, but it wouldn't be accurate to say that Chi Tian started to hate the Dream Journey of this world because of this.

He was just worried. Although Dream Journey was also a racehorse girl and her physique was definitely much stronger than that of an ordinary person, she was still a girl. Anyone would worry about her safety if a girl came home drunk in the middle of the night, or even on Christmas Day.

If some people don't understand, then Meng Zhilu's situation is roughly equivalent to the Spring Festival, when everyone is enjoying themselves together, but she is absent for no reason. While everyone is watching the Spring Festival Gala and playing mahjong, she comes back drunk all by herself. You can see whether your parents will beat you in this situation.

"That's just how this child is, she's also a child who likes to show off... Or rather, all the racehorse girls in our Golden Family are more likely to show off."

Upon hearing this, Golden Journey shook his head and said, "Moreover, Dream Journey is also a very competitive child. As the older sister of a master craftsman... she has always been a horse girl who wants to be number one in everything since she was a child. Unfortunately, she has never been able to win."

"But as the elder sister of a master craftsman, she absolutely could not allow herself to appear weak. She was doing this to protect her younger sister... although her methods of protection were rather clumsy."

"This child must be feeling terrible right now."

"Feeling unwell? Why?" Chi Tian was somewhat puzzled by this. His younger sister, whom he had always protected, had now become a Triple Crown racehorse girl. Such an honor was enough to make any racehorse girl in the same family proud. Why would Dream Journey feel unwell?

"...Perhaps it's the feeling of no longer being needed."

Golden Journey shook her head upon hearing this. Even she wouldn't dare claim to know every racehorse girl in the Golden Family. Therefore, she could only offer a guess based on her understanding of Dream Journey:

"After all, she protected the master for so long, but now she no longer needs to protect her younger sister, and has even been surpassed by her younger sister... As the older sister, she must feel bad about it."

"You could even say... she might be a little jealous of the master. Jealous that her younger sister, who has always been protected by everyone, can enjoy such honors and achieve such great things, while she is still troubled by her own 'inner knot'."

"..." Upon hearing this, Chi Tian fell silent for a long time without answering, but the words of the Golden Journey were enough for him to understand the tangled and complicated thoughts of the Dream Journey at this moment.

As the older sister, she has always protected her ordinary younger sister who has suffered bullying since childhood. She puts on a strong and easily angered exterior to resist these bullying tactics. Now, her younger sister has achieved great success while she herself has achieved nothing. This feeling can indeed make one feel unbalanced.

"This child has also been troubled by her own inner conflict, and she is older than the master. She is now old enough to enroll in school, but because her inner conflict has not been resolved, she has not been able to produce the grades that would allow her to successfully enroll in Treson Academy."

Upon hearing this, Golden Journey shook his head and said with a touch of emotion, "This child's inner conflict... is actually harder to resolve than that of the Master. She doesn't trust anyone, and her defenses are even thicker than those of the Master... and... she's much harder to get along with."

"She's probably the one in our family who's the most 'sick,' but there's nothing we can do... Without proper guidance, most of the racehorse girls in the Golden Family can only let nature take its course and try to untangle their knots on their own."

"But this process will be very, very slow... so slow that the peak of their careers may have already passed before the problem is solved. This is the biggest limitation of our Golden Family."

"Perhaps, great talent is always accompanied by insurmountable limitations, a hurdle that every racehorse girl from the Golden Family must overcome."

After recounting the Golden Journey, she let out a long sigh, then turned her gaze to Ikezumi, whose eyes held a slightly profound look. After a long pause, she finally asked in a low voice:

"Trainer Ikezoe...can I ask you for a favor?"

"--If it's about the trainers of the Dream Journey, my answer is that I'm ready for it."

Before Golden Journey could speak, Chi Tian turned to look at Golden Journey with a very serious expression, nodded softly, and said, "However, this is after Orpheus's journey is over. Now is the time when Orpheus cannot afford to be distracted. I don't want Orpheus's condition to be affected because of the Dream Journey, which is about to reach the highest peak. I hope you can understand."

"Thank you so much, Trainer Ikezoe, thank you so much."

Upon hearing this, Golden Journey's usually aloof face broke into a smile of excitement, and he immediately bowed to Chi Tian, ​​but was quickly helped up by Chi Tian.

"No need to thank me, Miss Golden Journey. I just did what I thought was right."

"Perhaps one day in the future, not only will I be able to join the Dream Journey team, but I will also be able to join the team with more temperamental racehorse girls. I will not refuse them. They have not done anything wrong. It's just that... no one has discovered their talent yet."

"Now that I have the ability to help them resolve their inner conflicts, perhaps my future is to save more children whose talents have been buried by their own personality and flaws."

Ikezoe had already made up her mind about this. After talking with Dali, one of the three goddesses, and after getting along with so many temperamental racehorses and racehorse girls, Ikezoe had come to understand one thing: there are many things that she may not be able to avoid, but at least she can do her best to help more racehorse girls.

Sometimes Ikezoe thinks that he is approaching retirement age, and after he, a professional and temperamental rider, retires, who will be the rider and partner for these temperamental racehorse girls?

Ikezoe didn't know yet whether he would be able to find another rider to take over his job, but he knew that even if he retired from being a rider, jobs as a horse trainer, stable boy, or something else that could still save temperamental racehorses were waiting for him, and he could continue to work hard.

If I have the ability but don't help these children achieve greater success, wouldn't my abilities be wasted?

"I will help more racehorse girls, including, of course, the head of the Golden family—Golden Journey, don't worry."

“…I think I understand now why the master likes you, Trainer Ikezoe.”

Upon hearing this, Golden Journey paused for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on his face as he said, "For those who have given up hope but still hold onto a sliver of hope, you are the one who has expanded that hope to the point where it can be realized..."

"If I had met you sooner, I would have fallen in love with you too—of course, don't tell the master this."

Having said that, before Chi Tian could react, Golden Journey turned and strode off in another direction without looking back, leaving Chi Tian standing there alone. After a long while, he muttered to himself:

"Looks like... I've pushed myself into a fire pit... Chi Tian, ​​you're hopeless..."

Chapter 446: The Difficult-to-Learn Independence from Ikezoe's Side - Nanagi

For Chi Tian, ​​this Christmas trip to the Golden family was of extraordinary significance. He not only realized what he should do in this world, but also what he needed to do to save these talented children who were closed off by their own temperament and experiences, or even born closed off.

They should choose a more glamorous path, one that better reflects their glorious past. Ikezoe may not be able to help each of them, nor can he guarantee that every temperamental horse girl will have the opportunity to compete. He also cannot guarantee that they can all become GI racehorse girls.

But at least, he will walk this path, and this time, he will walk it more firmly than he did when he was confused before, as a true educator, so that they can all have a brilliant and regretless life.

But now, Ikezoe naturally has to pay more attention to the races of Golden Master and Makoto. These two veteran members of the team are still several years away from retirement, and Tosho Reform has not yet set off. Ikezoe knows very well how difficult it is to train a temperamental racehorse girl. Even for him, teaching two at a time is already the limit.

Even though the Gold Master is no longer considered difficult to deal with by Chi Tian, ​​he's still not someone to be trifled with. Chi Tian's energy is limited, not to mention the upcoming changes in the Eastern Merchant Guild that will continue to torment him…

On the last day of Christmas, Chi Tian and his group said goodbye before Meng Zhilu even woke up from his dream. They left the Golden House without even having breakfast. For them, the short rest was just the beginning of a less stressful, but in some ways more severe, test.

Undoubtedly, after some time, an invitation from the Arc de Triomphe will be sent to the Gold Master and Ikezoe. The Gold Master may not be able to continue participating in the competition until after the Spring Emperor's Sho. However, it will also be after the Takarazuka Memorial that the Gold Master will embark on his journey to Paris.

And equally undoubtedly, Ikezoe did not face the same dire situation as Wada. Even if he and Good Opera wanted to stay in France, the Japanese Central Administration would have to pull them back, one being Japan's best horse king and the other a chief trainer. However, Ikezoe and Golden Master were much luckier, and they had every opportunity to stay in France.

This time, Ikezo does not intend to give the spot of the Golden Master to someone else. He will send the Golden Master to Paris for further studies, and then to a bigger stage on the world stage, to create an even greater peak in this era founded by the King of Opera!

As for him... Ikezoe has decided to go to France a few years later. He will reserve this spot for Maru Zensky, his dear mentor who gave him the confidence to embark on this path and who guided many of his teachers.

But this news... it wouldn't be good if the Gold Master found out. She would definitely throw a tantrum and say she wouldn't go to France either. Separating from Chi Tian for several years... she definitely couldn't do that.

However, Ikezoe is also very firm on this point, because Maruzen's age no longer allows her to wait any longer. If she does not have the opportunity to go to Paris next year to study as a trainer, then her career and value as a racehorse girl will really come to an end. What should she do then?

She has made so many silent contributions to so many younger generations, isn't that what she deserves? She has received so many favors from Maruzensky, and even witnessed her spend all her bounty to tailor-make the most suitable final outfits for the Gold Master and the True Machine, and even now, she has not asked Ikezoe for the slightest reward.

Faced with such kindness, if Ikezoe didn't repay her, would he still be considered a true man? Therefore, Ikezoe would definitely give this opportunity to Maruzensky.

As for the Gold Master... it's only a few years. He's already prepared to act first and inform later. By the time the Gold Master realizes he wants to stay in Paris, and Chi Tian still needs to wait a year, Chi Tian will have already arranged everything.

This might affect the Golden Master's condition, but Ikezoe has a way to solve this problem. After all, in Japan, the Tosho Group needs Ikezoe to manage its reforms, and there are many more racehorse girls who need him. He is already destined not to be able to go to France for further studies with the Golden Master.