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

"Could it be... that Onii-chan is captivated by Karen-chan's cuteness? Hehe, Onii-chan is such a pervert~"

"But it's fine if it's Onii-chan, okay? But we have to wait until Karen-chan finishes her studies in Treson before we can consider anything else, otherwise Onii-chan might get flamed by Karen-chan's fans~"

...Well, and the intensity of this undisguised offensive. It truly left Chi Tian speechless. However, Chi Tian didn't take Zhen Jiling's teasing seriously; to him, Zhen Jiling's provocation was nothing more than a jab at him.

He and Zhenjiling are as close as mother and son! How could he possibly have any evil thoughts?

"Tch, what a guy with a head full of lewd nonsense."

However, at that moment, a cold snort suddenly rang out behind Chi Tian. Upon catching the sound, Chi Tian almost instinctively dodged to the side. Finally, after turning around, he was faced with the figure of the Golden Master who had appeared out of nowhere.

"...Why are you so afraid of me? I'm not going to kick you." The Golden Master also felt that Chi Tian's reaction was a bit too much, and said with his hands in his pockets, "Last time was an accident. Who told you to appear behind me?"

“I was a little afraid you’d appear behind me too…” Chi Tian patted his chest with lingering fear, and looking at the Gold Master who hadn’t appeared since their heart-to-heart talk that day, he smiled again and asked, “Master, what can I do for you?”

"Can't I contact you if there's nothing wrong? Besides, we don't think we're close enough to call each other by our first names, do we?"

The Gold Master, with a hint of emotion in his voice, addressed Chi Tian. However, Zhen Jiling, listening to the Gold Master's tone, couldn't help but ask with slight curiosity:

"Um... Master Goldsmith, you seem... a little different from usual?"

Among the horse girls, Golden Master is considered timid. While not as cowardly as Master Rage, she is still quite cautious. Furthermore, Golden Master is prone to overreacting, which also makes her rarely interact with people outside of her immediate circle.

Many people at Treson Academy mistakenly believe that the Golden Master has a strong aggressive tendency, so they are reluctant to interact with her and privately call her "Tyrant." But in reality, the Golden Master speaks very timidly.

But now... at least in Zhenjiling's eyes, the Golden Master's tone had absolutely nothing to do with the word "weak".

"Huh? Different? Yes, really?"

However, it was only belated that the Gold Master realized that his tone did seem somewhat different from usual. His usual tone of voice would never be as... domineering as Chi Tian's. The Gold Master couldn't find any other adjective to describe it.

During this time, the Golden Master had not met with Ikezoe. On one hand, she wanted to see how capable Maki-rei, Ikezoe's racehorse girl, was. However, she already knew that Maki-rei was a sprint racehorse girl with decent sprint results, but in other aspects, she was not comparable.

On the other hand, the Golden Master has also been experiencing complex emotions lately. She has been tormented by strange dreams and has been unable to wake up day and night. Her mental state is not very good, and she seriously needs rest.

It was only during this period that she managed to find a little relaxation from those chaotic dreams... but now it seems that she still hasn't completely relaxed.

"I guess I haven't been sleeping well lately, I'm really a bit tired." The Golden Master rubbed his eyes to clear his head before raising his head again to speak:

"Ikezoe, I'm participating in my debut competition next week, are you... coming?"

"—Let me make this clear first, I didn't come to invite you! I heard from the guild leader that she's coming to watch my match! And she asked me to invite you!" The Golden Master quickly realized his tone was a bit off and added:

"That club president keeps trying to get me to be your main racehorse girl, it's so annoying! But I can't refuse, so you have to help me!"

"...How can I help you? I can't stop the president and the others from going to the game." Chi Tian found it somewhat amusing and waved his hand, saying:

"If you ask me, the president came to watch your debut competition, so you should have performed well. What are you doing here looking for me?"

"Of course you're the one to refuse!"

However, the Gold Master's words, spoken without hesitation, made Chi Tiandu pause slightly... Was he really that disliked by the Gold Master?

Could it be that the Gold Master really did despise him that day? Or was it just an act? At this moment, Ikezoe, who considered himself the one who understood the Gold Master best, began to doubt his own judgment for the first time.

"No, you don't like me anyway, right? You were just trying to comfort me." However, the Golden Master clearly understood differently from Chi Tian. She crossed her arms, looking indifferent, but thinking back to what happened that day, she still felt a little embarrassed and turned her head away, saying:

"I'm just an ordinary racehorse girl... being called the strongest racehorse girl is too much of a compliment."

"I will win the debut competition, but I really think we're not a good match. I'm the kind of racehorse girl who gets angry and wants to kick people just by looking at you. How could we possibly get along?"

The Golden Master thought a lot, a great deal, about the encouragement Chi Tian gave her that day. Chi Tian's words, "I believe you are the strongest!"... The Golden Master didn't want to lie; she wanted to say that she was truly happy for a long time.

But when she looked back and thought about it carefully, she realized that she had indeed been comforted at the time. That feeling of insecurity returned to her mind, making her feel compelled to come to Chi Tian to discuss her situation.

As expected... I'm still not good enough, am I? The strongest racehorse girl... that was too much of a boast. Hasn't that "Emperor" already set his sights on me?!

The Golden Master was quite aware of her own limitations; in fact, she might not even be able to outrun her own family's Golden Ship—the Golden Ship was clearly her younger sister, yet it was taller and bigger than her! What was going on?!

The fact that the Gold Master lacked confidence now made Chi Tian find it inexplicably funny. Seeing his strongest partner so insecure made Chi Tian realize that the Gold Master he knew seemed a little different.

"Master of Gold, you..."

"Oh dear~ If you, the Golden Master, feel you're not up to the task, then Kallen-chan wouldn't mind taking on Onii-chan as your disciple~"

Suddenly, Zhen Jiling smiled and grabbed Chi Tian's arm, saying with a sly smile to the goldsmith in front of her:

"Anyway, even the Golden Master isn't confident, and I, Kallen-chan, don't want to share half of my Onii-chan. Since the Golden Master is so generous, then I, Kallen-chan, am very happy too~"

"..."

However, in an instant, just as Chi Tian felt that something was wrong, he immediately noticed the suddenly aggressive look in the masked goldsmith's eyes—as a victim of the goldsmith, Chi Tian's vigilance was immediately at its peak, and he dared not relax his guard in the slightest.

The still immature aura emanating from the Golden Master began to spread, but although Zhen Jiling smiled, a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes, which she quickly suppressed.

The subtle rivalry between the two women put immense pressure on all the racehorse girls around them, causing them to scatter like birds and avoid the area.

So clever sportswear.jpg

Chapter 61: A Clever Provocation

"I can't pretend I didn't hear what you just said, you're so clever."

For some reason, the Golden Master and Maki had very little contact. In fact, before Maki became Ikezoe's designated racehorse girl, the Golden Master had almost no interaction with her. If Maki hadn't been Ikezoe's designated racehorse girl, the Golden Master wouldn't have bothered to pay attention to Maki's affairs at all.

One is a stallion, the other a mare; one excels only at short distances, the other is good at almost everything except short distances; one is timid yet fierce, the other is cunning yet gentle; one considers herself ordinary, the other is a racehorse girl with 400 million fans even before her debut.

The two women were almost complete opposites in every way and had never met before. However, from the first day that the Golden Master met the real Ji Ling, when she saw her so shameless and so intimate with Ikezoe, she felt a subtle and very uncomfortable feeling in her chest.

"Hmm? But didn't that's what Master Gold himself said?" However, Zhen Jiling wasn't afraid of Master Gold at all and maintained her smile as she said:

"Since Gold Master lacks confidence in herself, why not just go and talk to the Student Council President directly? The President isn't unreasonable, is she? I'm sure she'll understand if Gold Master explains her shortcomings properly."

"Oh my, Karen-chan thought she was already the type who wasn't good at running, but I didn't expect Master to be so insecure. I can at least run short distances, but Master doesn't even have the courage to do that~"

"Heh heh...you really dare to say that." However, the Golden Master could not tolerate this kind of subtle provocation at all, and said with icy eyes, "She's clearly just a racehorse girl who can only run short distances."

“Master, that’s too harsh.” Upon hearing this, Chi Tian’s eyelids twitched slightly, and he unusually reprimanded the Golden Master, “And Karen-chan, don’t talk about the Master like that either. The Master is very strong.”

"Hehe, Onii-chan is really confident, but Karen-chan feels that your trust has been betrayed." However, Makoto still maintained a smiling demeanor as she spoke to Ikezoe, but her eyes unconsciously drifted towards the Golden Master.

"After all, it's hard for a racehorse girl to win if she doesn't have confidence in herself. I, Karen-chan, am quite confident in my short-distance races, but..."

Makoto didn't continue speaking, but everyone knew that he was referring to someone else. At this moment, even the timid Gold Master's face darkened, and he stared intently at Makoto, who was clinging to Chi Tian's arm.

This guy—he's so pretentious and annoying!

"——Chi Tian!"

"Yes!" Startled by the sudden loud voice of the Gold Master, Chi Tian stood at attention. Seeing that Chi Tian was still so reserved with him, the Gold Master was furious and his tone became stern once more:

"You! You absolutely have to come to my debut battle next week! I'll prove to you, and to that annoying racer girl of yours, that the true strength of the Golden Master!"

"And one more thing—you clever one! I can't pretend I didn't hear what you just said. Let's settle this in a race like in a horse race!"

"Hehe, Golden Master, are you planning to race me, Karen-chan?" Upon hearing this, Makoto's tail twitched slightly, and she smiled calmly, "It's okay~ Although I'm not that good at running, Karen-chan is still very confident when it comes to short distances."

"Then next time, at Hakodate Racecourse in July, on the 1200 meters, on the grass, Karen-chan will be there looking forward to her showdown with the Golden Master!"

"Just you wait! I will definitely win!" The Golden Master said to Zhen Jiling indignantly, his tone filled with barely suppressed anger.

At this moment, Ikezoe had the illusion that "this is the true nature of a gold master," but experiencing this nature was perhaps too much pressure for Ikezoe.

The Gold Master left in a huff. Ikezoe watched him until he was out of sight before speaking to Makoto in a slightly reproachful tone: "Kallen-chan, what you did just now was wrong. What you said went too far."

"Hehe, Onii-chan is so naive. Do you think that by continuing to encourage Gold Master, she will stop feeling inferior?"

However, upon hearing this, Makoto smiled mysteriously, met Ikezoe's somewhat puzzled gaze, and said with a grin:

"Gold Master is very insecure about herself, but since Onii-chan is such an insightful person, the fact that she was chosen means she has great potential, right?"

"It's just that, like me, Karen-chan, I haven't discovered my own potential. Onii-chan, you can persuade me, but you might not be able to persuade the Golden Master in the same way."

"At a time like this, how can we not provoke her a little?"

"So you were deliberately provoking her?" At this moment, Chi Tian realized that Zhen Jiling's reaction this time was different from Wang's. How could Zhen Jiling, who was usually such a polite and easy-going girl, suddenly say so many hurtful things?

Moreover, Ikezoe had unusually reprimanded Maki-rei at that time. Normally, Ikezoe wouldn't even need to say a word; Maki-rei would know exactly where to draw the line.

Sometimes, even when Ikezo makes some "emotionally inept" remarks, Makoto needs to help him smooth things over. How could Makoto possibly need Ikezo to teach him how to speak?

"Hehe, do you think I can't tell, Onii-chan? You actually really like Golden Master, don't you?"

However, at this moment, Makoto had a mysterious smile on her face as she looked at Ikezoe and said, "Back then, I didn't get angry even though I was kicked by the Golden Master so many times. Instead, I encouraged her and believed in her. Karen-chan, I really thought you were super cool back then."

"Does this mean I should still say things like 'Onii-chan only needs me' or 'Onii-chan can be the only one for Uma Musume'? Onii-chan wouldn't be happy about that, would he?"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Zhen Jiling's words made Ikezoe chuckle awkwardly, thinking to himself, "Was my intention so obvious? Does that mean I'm just like that kid Wada, unable to hide it at all?"

However, Maki-rei took in Ikezoe's smirk without reservation. A look of "I knew it" flashed in Maki-rei's eyes, and she secretly felt fortunate for her decision.

Does Maki really want to give up half of Ikezoe? Of course not. Maki is the type who "falls in love at first sight" with her chosen trainer, meaning she either won't choose a trainer at all, or she'll always stick with one trainer. As a possessive racehorse girl, she certainly doesn't like another racehorse girl taking a share.

But importantly, Maki-rei saw a certain special quality in the Golden Master's feelings for Ikezoe. This special quality also existed in Maki-rei, but it was manifested in a different way.

Therefore, Makoto chose to give up a position this time, because she knew that she probably couldn't stop the Golden Master from becoming her older brother's horse girl—so what she could guarantee was that she would always be the most important person in her older brother's heart.

By the time this arrogant goldsmith realizes what's happening, it will probably be too late.

Of course, Makoto still hopes that the Golden Master is really just an ally of her Onii-chan. However, Makoto is worried that while Ikezoe thinks so, the other side doesn't... just like Ryutō and Trainer Wada.

"...What's wrong? Are you really that clever? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Hehe, there's nothing there."

In the end, Zhen Jiling kept all her thoughts to herself, clinging tightly to Chi Tian's arm, and said affectionately as always:

"Onii-chan, let's go train. I'm under a lot of pressure dealing with an angry Gold Master."

"So, you have to teach Karen-chan properly, otherwise she'll be sad if she loses~"

And you, Onii-chan, definitely won't make Kallen-chan sad, right?

Chapter 62: The Gold Master's Debut Battle, A Gift from Ikezoe

"Welcome everyone to Niigata Racecourse! Today we're here to hold the debut race for our newest racehorses! The race is 1600 meters on turf! The winning racehorse will be crowned the newest Victory Racehorse Girl!"

"Next, we will announce the popularity rankings of each of the participating horse girls!"

"We've finally arrived... I thought that during my years as student council president, I probably wouldn't see the Gold Master step onto the field."

Just as predicted, in the stands of Niigata Racecourse, the three main members of the student council—Rudol, Kissou, and Narita Shirahito—were all there to watch the first race of this rising star representing the Golden Family.