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

Clearly, given the magnitude of the information, the security measures implemented by the news agency have made it virtually impossible to access the information through conventional means. Ikezoe did not hold out much hope that people in Japan would be able to discuss this information.

"This is my battle with Orpheus—we will face it regardless of whether we have intelligence or not."

"Don't worry about us. Orpheus and I are ready. We will definitely return victorious."

……

The tablet's communication was off, and Chi Tian, ​​standing outside the dormitory, exhaled a breath of cold air in the European night. October in Paris was starting to get cold, but for Chi Tian, ​​whose competition was approaching, even the warmer weather couldn't stop the trembling in his heart and body.

As Chi Tian said, this was his first time at such a racetrack. He was not qualified to ride Orpheus on the Longchamp Racecourse before—and he is not qualified now either. But now he is with Orpheus, and he is the only one who can command the Golden Master. The Golden Master has also recognized him and is riding with her on this track.

Even though Ikezoe believed that his abilities were superior to Wada's, and that the Golden Master's skills were definitely above those of Good Opera, he still felt the same trembling and lack of confidence that Wada had felt before. Even though there were more people helping him now than fewer, it still couldn't dispel the unease in his heart.

"Calm down, calm down, Chi Tianqian..."

"You're Orphie's partner. This is Orphie's best chance to reach the top of the world. If you fail because of nervousness, you'll never forgive yourself for the rest of your life."

"So, calm down, don't be afraid. Orpheus would laugh at you to death if he saw you like this, so don't be afraid!"

However, even with such hypnosis to numb himself, Chi Tian's symptoms did not improve. At this moment, a beautiful figure silently approached him from behind, noticing his unease.

"Honestly, you're such a grown-up, why are you shivering like a child?"

As soon as the gentle voice fell, a trench coat that was a little too small for Chi Tian was draped over his slightly trembling body. The trench coat did not provide much warmth to Chi Tian, ​​who was shivering from the cold, but it did provide some comfort to his fearful heart.

Ikezoe turned his head slightly and saw that, without him noticing, Maruzen was gazing at him with exceptional tenderness and a hint of heartache. Maruzen slowly approached Ikezoe's side, leaned against the railing of the platform, and whispered:

“You’re too nervous. You can’t win a race like that, you know? As a trainer, you should always stay calm so that your partner, the racehorse girl, can be as confident as you are, my dear student.”

"Are you still worried about the competition, dear Ikezoe-kun? Are you still worried about the unknown, earth-shattering second [domain] ability?"

"Could it be... that you lack confidence because you were unaware of the great shock?"

At this point, Maru Zenki narrowed her eyes slightly, seemingly testing Ikezoe, but obviously she didn't need to, because she knew very well that Ikezoe wasn't afraid of this.

"...Teacher, do you think...someone like me is the kind of person who deserves to lead Orpheus to the world stage?"

But the question posed by Chi Tian at this moment completely extinguished Maru Zenki's temper, who had originally intended to reprimand Chi Tian. She thought she would scold Chi Tian, ​​but when she saw her disciple, whom she had personally trained, showing such a lack of confidence and feeling so inferior about her decision and her abilities, all that welled up in her heart was tenderness and helplessness.

She really... couldn't bring herself to be cruel to this man.

Because he was not only her disciple, her student, but also her…

...Let's just forget about it. They are ultimately two people who cannot be together.

"I really am... defeated by you, my dear student."

A long sigh escaped Maruzensky's lips. Finally, she took a small piece of paper from her pocket, met Ikezoe's bewildered gaze, and softly smiled:

"Here you find... information about the second area of ​​the Great Shock—I got it from the current trainer of the Great Shock on the social platform."

"As for how you obtained them, don't ask too much, my dear student. I can only say that there are actually many potential friends in this world, and the many unrighteous deeds of some people will inevitably bring them the final consequences."

"This is the last lesson I'm going to teach you."

After saying that, Maruzensky stuffed the note into Ikezoe's hand. Finally, suppressing all the trembling in her heart, she slowly turned and left.

"..." In the end, this time, Chizue did not chase after Maru Zenki. Instead, he unfolded the note in his hand, the last bit of support his teacher had given him, the final helping hand that would help him and Orpheus reach the pinnacle of the world.

Chapter 561: The Second Arc de Triomphe

Several more days passed, and for Ikezoe and the others, those days were drawing ever closer in fear. But now, with Maruzensky's final strong support, Ikezoe seemed less panicked.

He had already given the information that Maruzensky had obtained from who-knows-where to the Golden Master and the others. He never doubted that Maruzensky's information was wrong. As for the Golden Master and the other racehorse girls, when they heard that the information was provided by Maruzensky, they had no doubts at all.

Maruzensky was the senior of almost everyone present. Even the head of the Golden Family, the Golden Journey, had to respectfully call Maruzensky "senior." Such a person was Ikezoe's teacher, wholeheartedly supported Ikezoe, and had great conflicts with the TV station and the central government. Naturally, no one felt that such a person's strong support for Ikezoe was harming him.

Therefore, despite the tight schedule, the group immediately made tactical adjustments to the Golden Masters based on intelligence. Everyone was preparing to do everything possible to create more opportunities for the Golden Masters to win before the start of the competition.

Of course, all of this had to be done without the people at the company finding out. Fortunately, with the help of the Golden Journey team, this wasn't a difficult task.

……

A few days later, exciting news came from Japan again: Megumi McQueen had achieved an unprecedented and miraculous success.

"Mejiro McQueen! Mejiro McQueen has crossed the finish line! Finally—the first racehorse in history to win the Spring and Autumn Emperor's Sho title for two consecutive years! It's born now!"

"Despite facing a host of formidable opponents, Megure McQueen remains undefeated! She has delivered an extremely solid victory for us! She is like the most powerful overlord in the Spring and Autumn Imperial Tournament! She has dominated this arena for two consecutive years!"

"Let's congratulate Mejiro McQueen! The first racehorse girl in history to win the Spring and Autumn Emperor's Slam for two consecutive years! She has achieved a feat that no racehorse girl has ever accomplished before! The strongest racehorse girl in the Mejiro family! The champion of the strongest long-distance races in Japan!"

Accompanied by the passionate commentary of Mitsutoshi Akasaka, Mejiro McQueen won the Autumn Emperor's Slam with almost no resistance, winning the match very smoothly, even effortlessly.

Behind Megumi McQueen were many familiar faces in this competition: Megumi Rei, Oosuka, Daiyusaku, and the noblewoman. However, without exception, they all lost to Megumi McQueen this time.

This time, relying on her own "domain," and without the formidable rival of the Golden Master, the Lady immediately launched a major attack on Daiyusaku, who had shone brightly at the Arima Commemorative Awards. Whether it was because he hadn't recovered from the exhaustion of the Arima Commemorative Awards or because he had truly burned himself out, Daiyusaku was utterly powerless to resist in this Autumn Emperor's Slam. He left with the fourth most popular ranking but ultimately suffered a crushing defeat, finishing last.

However, in the end, the noblewoman was completely unable to shake Megure McQueen because of her [Domain] attack. Undeterred, she launched many attacks on Megure McQueen, but without exception, they all ended in failure.

Ultimately, unable to disrupt McQueen's rhythm, the helpless lady could only accept defeat, ending in second place.

Excellent Quality was perhaps one of the few individuals who managed to disrupt McQueen this time. Although she failed to break through her own limitations and reach the level of awakening her [Domain], her disruptive abilities were becoming increasingly troublesome, forcing McQueen to activate his own Domain early to avoid being greatly affected by her.

Excellent quality also lost in third place this time, while Meguro Rayon lost in fourth place, once again to his genius sister who made her both proud and helpless.

"Indeed... I can't compare to you, McQueen."

Behind McQueen, Meguro Ryan looked at his sister, who was now separated from the family, or perhaps had regained her freedom. She claimed to be running without any constraints, but she still chose to fulfill the Meguro family's long-cherished wish—simply because she was also a Meguro family racehorse girl.

This time, in the audience seats, Ryan, McQueen, and everyone from Team Miracle could see the figure of the old lady Megumi sitting next to Jin Lang, who deliberately wore ordinary clothes and makeup and was not accompanied by any other people.

"Clap clap clap." Madam Meguro silently sat down beside Jinlang and applauded the two children she supported. Jinlang did not say anything when he saw Madam Meguro sit down next to him, just as he had acted as if nothing had happened.

"...This child runs so well." The old lady Meguro spoke in a kind and gentle tone:

"The figure running without a care in the world, without the slightest hesitation, solely for its own honor and value... is so beautiful."

"I don't know how many years it has been since I've seen a figure like this, I've almost forgotten... this kind of free running."

Everyone heard the old lady's sighs, but no one answered her soliloquy. After a while, the old lady finally got up slowly and silently, intending to leave.

"Aren't you going to say hello to McQueen?" Finally, Jinlang couldn't bear to ask any longer. Madam Meguro trembled slightly upon hearing this, then replied calmly:

"No, seeing how happy the child is now... I'm relieved."

"Trainer Jinlang, my time is running out, but McQueen is so happy right now, I think it's best not to disturb her or pressure her any further."

"But I still hope... that she can come back someday, after all, that's her home too."

After saying that, Madam Meguro left the scene silently. As she left, many people in the racecourse stands also silently and slowly got up and followed her out of the scene.

"...That old lady Megumi is quite pitiful."

At this moment, Maru Zenki, who was unexpectedly present, watched the departing figure of the old lady of the Mejiro family and said calmly, "She was also doing this for the sake of the Mejiro family, ignoring the fact that what racehorse girls really need is to run freely without any constraints. But she still treated all the racehorse girls of the Mejiro family like children."

"She just wanted the Mejiro family to continue. She didn't do anything wrong... Perhaps the only mistake was being born into a large family."

Rudolf, standing to the side, replied calmly, "We cannot decide our own birth, but we can only fulfill the necessary obligations that come with it. This is not something that only racehorse girls should do, but something that everyone should do."

"—But, Maruzen-senpai, I heard you went to France to assist trainer Ikezoe. Why are you back now?"

"Ah, this..." Maru Zenki smiled faintly upon hearing this, "I just felt that there was nothing to worry about regarding that child anymore. Besides, it's either their team or the Golden family there, so I felt awkward like an outsider. That's why I came back first."

"...I see."

Rudolf, upon hearing this, did not ask any further questions. However, Rudolf certainly did not believe Maruzensky's explanation. Since Maruzensky's return, Rudolf had noticed many changes in Maruzensky.

She, who used to live alone, suddenly said that she wanted to go back to her dormitory at Tressen College, which was somewhat unexpected for Maruzensky, who was used to living a carefree life alone. Of course, most importantly, Rudolf discovered that Maruzensky's red supercar, which her father had given her, had been replaced with a different car this time.

Rudolf didn't believe that Maruzensky had suddenly changed his mind and switched to a supercar. Although Rudolf didn't know the reason behind it, he did know what Maruzensky had done.

"Is all of this worth it, Maruzen?" Rudolf asked abruptly, but Maruzen simply smiled and replied without hesitation:

"As long as my dear students can slap the Central Radio and Television Station and the Central Committee in the face on my behalf, then it will be worth it even if I have to work ten times harder."

Chapter 562: The Master of Gold VS. A Great Shock

Another day passed. On the night of the second day after the Autumn Emperor's Prize had just ended, the entire Treson Academy had not yet been immersed in the joy of Megumi McQueen's consecutive victories in the Spring and Autumn Emperor's Prizes for two years. Following closely behind was another international GI event with much higher attention than the Autumn Emperor's Prize—the Arc de Triomphe Grand Prix.

"Hurry, hurry! The Arc de Triomphe is about to begin!"

"It's the Arc de Triomphe, where the Great Shock and the Gold Master compete! Come and see! It's about to start!"

Everyone at Treson Academy, and indeed all the horse racing fans in Japan, had been waiting for this day for far too long. Although Opera King had broken this spell, how could they possibly miss out on the fact that Japanese horse racing had won the Arc de Triomphe Grand Prix for two consecutive years?

Therefore, in the minutes leading up to the start of the live stream, countless people accessed the channel using their TVs, tablets, computers, laptops, and mobile phones, making it the first place they could watch the live stream. Within minutes, the number of viewers on the channel, which already had many people waiting all day, surged countless times!

Fortunately, TV Tokyo had already made preparations. The order from the central government was that, under no circumstances should there be a single second of black screen or interruption of the live broadcast, as long as the broadcast was still going on.

Moreover, CCTV and China Central Television had already made arrangements for this Arc de Triomphe Grand Ceremony. This time, they specially invited professional commentators, namely Misatoshi Akasaka and Junko Hosoe, to provide live commentary for the Japanese public on the broadcast channel.

Meanwhile, at Treson Academy, the Miracle Team had already gathered in front of the large screen in their dormitory. At this time, the live broadcast from Longchamp Racecourse was still showing several professional central trainers analyzing the pre-race situation, and there was still some time before the start of the competition.

"Hurry up! I really want to see the master craftswoman!" the impatient emperor shouted anxiously. Beside her, McQueen Megumi didn't say anything, but her eyes were also fixed on the big screen, not blinking for a moment.

"Master! You must win! Crush that big shock from the stage!" Golden Ship was very enthusiastic, cheering for the Golden Master even before the match started. She was the only one shouting like that, but no one else had any objections.

After all, everyone knows that Gold Ship is the younger sister of Gold Master. Now that the Gold Master, the racehorse girl of the Gold family, has stepped onto the world stage, how excited must Gold Ship be, who was not present like the other family members?

"Ryuji, do you think the Golden Master has a high chance of winning this time?"

Meanwhile, He Tian, ​​who was sitting with Hao Geju and Nu Tao, was also watching the big screen intently. He was so nervous that he felt as if he were there himself. Hao Geju asked a question in an attempt to ease He Tian's tension.

"Well... I think the combination of the Golden Master and Mr. Ikezoe is absolutely unbeatable—I can't see any way we could lose this match."

Meanwhile, as Ikezoe and the Grandmaster appeared on the screen but had not yet, Wada recalled the regretful scene from the past when Ikezoe couldn't go to the Arc de Triomphe with the Grandmaster. At that time, many people attributed the Grandmaster's mistake of veering diagonally at the end to Su Minglun (the rider who participated in the Arc de Triomphe at that time) not understanding the Grandmaster's habits like Ikezoe did, so that he missed the championship at the last moment because he did not know the Grandmaster's veering diagonally.

But in reality, as a team that genuinely wanted to win against the Arc de Triomphe, how could the Japanese team not have fully informed the Gold Master of his temperament and habits? Even if there were some oversights, it was still more than three months of familiarization time. Did they not notice the Gold Master's slanted movements at all?

To put it bluntly, attributing the defeat of the Golden Master to the change of rider to Su Minglun is unfair. There were many reasons why the Golden Master ultimately lost that race. However, everyone is more willing to believe that horses, as intelligent animals, would prefer to win with someone they are more familiar with.

At the time, Wada agreed with this in his heart but wouldn't say it out loud. But now, facing the Golden Master of Uma Musume and Ikezoe, Wada finally has the confidence to say it.

"—In this match, as long as the Gold Master wants to win, she will definitely find a way to win."

"Ikezoe-kun will provide the motivation for the Gold Master to win. Now, we can only hope that Ikezoe-kun will do a good job in this regard."

However, Chi Tianjun has probably already confessed to the master about his decision and his intention to let her spread her wings and fly high.

This was the only thing Wada was worried about at the moment, even more so than the second [Area], which was still unknown and about to be greatly shocked. His experience had taught him that the bond between racehorse girls and trainers could easily unleash the power of miracles.

But all of this suggests that the Gold Master and Ikezoe must have the same goal. What Wada is most worried about now is whether Ikezoe and the Gold Master have reached a consensus on this point.

"Oh! It's starting! It's finally starting!"