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

No, no, if I say it now, the Golden Ship (Emperor) will definitely be very discouraged, right? After all, I dragged Na (the old man) into choosing me. If she finds out, she will definitely feel very bad, right?

At this moment... it's absolutely crucial not to say anything related to these matters. We must say something to properly comfort the Golden Ship (Emperor)...

Thinking this, both the emperor and the golden ship realized the same thing, but the emperor acted faster and immediately spoke:

"Golden Ship-san—that chase just now! It was truly impressive!" The Empress tried her best to find words to comfort Golden Ship, but for a moment, her vocabulary plummeted to Naritaji's level. She said, drenched in sweat:

"Really, you're really amazing! Golden Ship-san! You're definitely going to win this time! I was completely exhausted during that final chase!"

This is the truth, but not the whole story. The emperor was indeed exhausted at the last moment, but because of the blessing of the three goddesses, she took that final step, and therefore she knew very well that she had won this time.

But since the judgment hasn't come out yet, I can comfort myself with this thought for now. It should be fine, right?

"No, nothing like that!" Golden Ship, however, visibly panicked. As one of the freest horse girls in the entire Treson Academy, it was extremely rare to see her so flustered. But now, faced with the Emperor's concern for her safety, Golden Ship was flustered for the first time, even responding to the Emperor's words in a serious tone:

"The emperor's talent is indeed beyond my reach! I was so scared at the last moment that I didn't dare to take a step."

"You're definitely going to win this competition, Your Majesty! You've truly shown me something amazing this time!"

Oh no, oh no, oh no… The Empress has actually started congratulating me! She must have realized that the Three Goddesses helped me! At this moment, Golden Ship was preoccupied with how to comfort the Empress. Even though the Empress knew she had been helped by the Three Goddesses, she was still congratulating her and praising her all-out effort. This only amplified Golden Ship's own guilt. Besides inwardly marveling at the Empress's gentleness, he immediately comforted her, saying:

"Your Majesty, you are the one who is stronger than me! If you had trained for as long as I have, you would have won against me without a doubt this time!"

"Haha...yes..." The guilty emperor accepted the encouragement from the golden ship, but silently turned his head away. At this moment, the atmosphere between the two guilty horse girls was not tense at all, unlike the previous race, nor was there the mutual resentment that everyone had imagined after the race. Instead, they were harmonious, and even seemed to want to win against each other...

"Hahahahaha..." X2

Amidst awkward laughter, the emperor and the golden ship simultaneously turned their heads away, muttering to themselves:

"He really is a very gentle person... Golden Ship-san (Emperor)." x2

At this moment, the Golden Ship and the Emperor, their minds in turmoil, didn't even notice the announced result. Their minds were still preoccupied with what the three goddesses had told them earlier: their trainer had chosen his own path...

For a moment, both the Emperor of the East Sea and the Golden Ship had very complicated feelings, but without prior agreement, they both chose to keep the matter to themselves, not intending to mention it in front of each other, nor in front of Jin Lang.

After all... that's the kind of person their trainer is. No matter what he does for them, he never expects anything in return; he just wants them to become better.

"Golden ship, emperor."

At that moment, a soft call from not far away pulled the two women back to reality. On the other side, they saw that Jinlang and Wada had arrived in front of the two women with their people, and Megumi McQueen was the first to come forward and celebrate with them.

"Congratulations, Golden Ship and Emperor, you have both achieved your breakthroughs this time."

"Haha... It's all thanks to the Golden Ship-san (Emperor) for showing mercy..."

The emperor and the golden ship chuckled awkwardly, their expressions somewhat strange. However, everyone was enveloped in joy and didn't pay much attention to the two women's odd smiles. Only the emperor, as if suddenly remembering something, asked:

"By the way, what's the result of the match? Hasn't it been announced yet?"

"Huh? Didn't you hear that?" McQueen blinked, a little puzzled, and asked, "You two were getting along so well just now, I thought you already knew..."

"—You both won the Chrysanthemum Award, Emperor and Golden Ship." Rudolf, standing nearby, also seemed to be in high spirits, speaking to the bewildered Golden Ship and Emperor:

"You were judged to have crossed the finish line at the same time. The judges even tried to judge you by the length of your hair, but you were almost identical and it was impossible to tell the difference with the naked eye."

"Finally, you were judged to have crossed the finish line at the same time, jointly winning the GI championship of the Chrysanthemum Award - Emperor, Golden Ship. Congratulations to you both."

"Congratulations." Jin Lang, standing to the side, was clearly very calm. After choosing the future of the two girls from Godolphin, he knew very well that this would be the outcome of the competition. However, Jin Lang had no dissatisfaction. On the contrary, he felt that this result was really good.

After all, as Godolphin said, the determination of both children is commendable. Although they may feel resentful about the outcome, based on Jinlang's observation of the interaction between the Emperor and the Golden Ship, he believes that their relationship has not been affected in any way.

A draw...?

The Emperor and the Golden Ship were also somewhat incredulous upon hearing this. After all, this was the Chrysanthemum Sho, not a race hosted by a wealthy Saudi Arabian organizer. There, if the difference is within the smallest margin, the probability of being judged to have crossed the finish line at the same time is very high. In Japan, however, even a half-centimeter difference can determine a winner, especially in a GI race like this, where the possibility of crossing the finish line at the same time is almost nonexistent.

However, this time the judgment was undoubtedly much faster than the Arima Memorial's simultaneous second place for the Lady and the Golden Master. After all, the Lady and the Golden Master were backed by two forces, the SHA-DAY and the Treson, and neither of the organizers could afford to offend either of them, making the judgment very difficult.

However, in the current Chrysanthemum Appreciation, facing the same situation, but since both Golden Ship and Emperor are from the same team, the organizer's decision will not offend anyone. Moreover, Golden Ship and Emperor appeared to be in harmony before the match was announced, which made the referee team make this decision relatively easily.

Upon receiving this news, the golden ship and the emperor, for some reason, felt relieved and very satisfied with the outcome.

That's good... I'm not as strong as the Golden Ship (Emperor), and I was only able to get a tie for first place with the help of the Goddess... As expected of the Golden Ship (Emperor).

However, this is good. The two women thought this to themselves at the same time, and after exchanging a glance, they quickly showed relaxed smiles.

"That's great." Seeing that the Golden Ship and the Emperor were both smiling easily, Mi Yu in the group also sighed softly, expressing the feelings of everyone present.

Rudolf nodded in satisfaction. However, the golden ship and the emperor both looked relaxed and harmonious, yet there seemed to be some subtle emotions between them, which made Rudolf frown slightly.

In particular... Lu Duo noticed that the emperor was paying attention to Jin Lang at this moment, and his eyes kept glancing at Jin Lang intentionally or unintentionally, and he unconsciously narrowed his eyes slightly.

The outcome of this match... seems a bit odd? And the Emperor seems to know all about it?

Chapter 557: The Emperor of the East Sea Passes the Test

From the very beginning of the Chrysanthemum Awards results announcement, Rudolf Symbol had begun to suspect that some unforeseen incident had occurred during the competition. The reason was simple: while the difference in strength between the Emperor and the Golden Ship wasn't significant, the probability of them crossing the finish line at the same time was simply too low.

Moreover, Rudolf noticed that the Empress clearly knew that there was an unexpected element to this victory for her; the Empress was well aware of it, but she herself was simply unaware of it.

Although the final result of the Chrysanthemum Appreciation was a very fortunate thing for Rudolf Symbol and the Miracle Team, Rudolf Symbol was troubled by the truth behind it—especially the matter of the Emperor.

She could vaguely guess that this matter must be related to Jin Lang. After all... the way the emperor looked at Jin Lang with a slightly strange expression was enough for Lu Duo to feel that this matter must be related to Jin Lang.

Or... should we just ask Jinlang's trainer? Rudolph thought to himself, pondering how to bring up this topic with Jinlang in a more natural way.

"...What's wrong, Rudolf?"

Perhaps Rudolph was thinking for too long, so much so that everyone in the otherwise peaceful lounge noticed that something was wrong with him.

Fortunately, Rudol possessed a strong mental fortitude and quickly put these matters aside, smiling as he said, "It's nothing, I'm just... a little worried about what the Emperor will think of your condition."

"The intensity of this competition... Your Majesty, are you alright with your leg?"

"Hehe, the president is worrying too much, I'm perfectly fine!"

Although the emperor was exhausted, this race against the Golden Ship was perhaps the most difficult race he had ever experienced. Running a long distance while in such pain was far beyond his current physical capabilities, but the emperor gritted his teeth and persevered, which was incredible for him.

However, after the competition ended, the East Sea Emperor also received her reward for her perseverance—not only the victory in the Chrysanthemum Appreciation, which proved her worth, but also her breakthrough.

"President, I'm not only fine now, but my leg doesn't even hurt anymore!" The Empress didn't forget to show Rudolf and the others her current condition. Even the Empress herself found it very amazing. She raised her leg high and shook it repeatedly. Her leg, which was originally very fragile in the eyes of everyone, was now surprisingly healthy.

"Look everyone! I really don't feel any pain at all now! And Tuona even checked my bones just now, and there's absolutely nothing wrong!"

"...It's truly surprising." Jin Lang, facing such a situation for the first time, couldn't help but remark with a sense of wonder:

"After such an intense match, the Emperor's leg bone is actually completely fine... Although the specific situation still needs to be determined after a hospital diagnosis, I at least think that the Emperor's leg bone is perfectly healthy."

"Not only that, the emperor even said that his pain has subsided... Could it be that the trials of the three goddesses have ended? So now, the emperor's condition has recovered?"

Based on Jinlang's description, Wada, standing nearby, couldn't help but offer his own assessment. After the East Sea Emperor accepted the three goddesses' blessing—which was actually a test—everyone in the Miracle Team was well aware of the situation. While worried about the Emperor, they didn't dare interfere, fearing they might disrupt the three goddesses' test for him.

Now that the Emperor's leg has recovered, Wada's guess left the team members looking at each other in bewilderment—they all hoped that Wada's guess was correct, after all, no one wanted to see the East Sea Emperor continue to endure the pain and run forward in such a miserable state.

"Sigh... Then, does that mean they can no longer use the simulated domains they painstakingly explored?"

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this news, the Emperor of the East Sea showed no joy whatsoever. Instead, his face fell, clearly displeased, as if he was deeply unwilling that the ability he had painstakingly developed, comparable to a [Domain], had suddenly become ineffective.

It was precisely because of this ability he developed that the Emperor of the East Sea was able to compete with the Golden Ship, which was far superior to him in terms of resources, momentum, and domain, in this competition. Although such pain was also very unpleasant for the Emperor, he had no reason to dwell on the pain.

However, this pain is indeed the driving force that sustains the Emperor's virtual realm, and now that such pain has been lost, it means that the Emperor's capital to compete with truly top-tier GI horse racing girls has also disappeared, so it's no wonder that the Emperor looks so hard to accept it.

"I don't think so," said the opera singer, one of the horse racers who had interacted with the three goddesses, confidently addressing the somewhat dejected emperor.

"As the Overlord, I have also interacted with the Three Goddesses together with Ryuji. Back then, the Three Goddesses also put Ryuji and me to the test."

"The trials of the Three Goddesses are not merely tests of our limits, but also an opportunity to break through our own boundaries after we pass them. Therefore, I, the Overlord, am absolutely certain that if you, Your Majesty, pass the trials this time, you have definitely broken through your own limits!"

"Good opera friend...you mean...this time, I'm finally able to awaken my own [domain]?!"

While her words about good opera contained an element of comforting the emperor, they undoubtedly greatly encouraged the emperor, who was slightly dejected at the moment. The emperor immediately stood up with delight and excitedly asked:

"Then, how do I use it? This is my first time using [Domain]! What are the abilities of my [Domain]?"

"Calm down, Your Majesty. You need to go back and digest these abilities slowly before you can gain any insight into them. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for you to awaken them."

Seeing the emperor's excited expression, Lu Duo smiled gently and said, "Our most important task now is to make sure there's nothing wrong with your leg bones before we try to understand whether you've made a breakthrough."

"If there are no problems, let's go now and go to the hospital first."

"Ah—that..."

However, when Rudolf made this suggestion, the emperor reacted differently for the first time, raising his hand and saying:

"Um, everyone... I don't want to go to the hospital right now. I'm too tired from running around, and I want to rest a bit more."

"Also, um..." At this point, the East Sea Emperor's face flushed slightly, his tail swayed gently, and he spoke with an unnatural look in his eyes:

"I... I have something I want to talk to Tuorena about privately, so, could everyone please..."

"--no."

However, before the emperor could even suppress his embarrassment and speak, the expressions of Megumi McQueen, Golden Ship, and Rudolf, who were present, suddenly changed. The three women interrupted the emperor in unison, speaking without hesitation:

"Your Majesty, you are very tired now and should go and rest properly."

"If you're too tired to walk, just call me. Lord Golden Ship, I'll carry you to the hospital."

"Your Majesty, your condition cannot be delayed. Delaying even a moment could lead to more unexpected events, so please go to the hospital this time."

"Huh?! Why?!"

However, the emperor thought that he could gain everyone's understanding by doing this. After all, shouldn't it be taken for granted that a meritorious official who had just won the Chrysanthemum Award would make a small request?

But before the emperor could react, he saw Megumi McQueen and Golden Ship each grab him on one side and carry him out, while the emperor's legs continued to swing in the air to express his dissatisfaction.

"This is outrageous! Let me go! McQueen! Golden Boatman?! Why are you doing this?!"

The emperor's lament was automatically ignored at this moment, and the members of the Khotan team were also helpless. They could only leave as well, since it was none of their business. At that moment, Lu Duo Xiang and Jin Lang slowly walked out of the room, but Lu Duo Xiang seized the opportunity.

"Trainer Jinlang, can we talk?"

"I want to know, regarding this competition for the emperor... does the final result of this competition have anything to do with you?"

At this moment, Rudolf's expression was unusually serious, showing none of the respect he usually showed to Jin Lang. Instead, he was looking at Jin Lang with the attitude of a guardian, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Lu Duo had witnessed the East Sea Emperor's reaction to Jin Lang, and she gradually realized that... this matter was no joke; the Emperor might actually be experiencing that kind of stirring.

Therefore, she had to get to the bottom of this matter, as it concerned the future of the emperor.

Chapter 558: Rudolf and Jinlang's Discussion on Emperors

"No problem, shall we talk here?"

Now, upon hearing this, Lang was not surprised at all by Rudolf's perception of the symbol. In fact, the reactions of the East Sea Emperor and the Golden Ship were so obvious that Rudolf could clearly see that something unexpected must have happened in the final outcome of this match, otherwise it would not have been such a coincidence.