"...I have nothing to say. I lost, that's all. There are no excuses."
Driven by some inner turmoil, Muteki still couldn't bring herself to be honest with Kitano about her difficulties. She maintained a tough facade, unwilling to show him her weakness. "I understand. No matter how hard the process, if the result isn't what's expected, no one pays attention. Everyone only looks at the outcome."
"My only goal is victory. Until I achieve it, I will endure any trial alone—Ouch!"
This time, before she could finish, a sharp but not-too-painful tap on her forehead made her stumble back, clutching her head. Before her anger could flare, she saw the slender finger that had tapped her and immediately deflated.
"Don't say such grown-up things anymore," Ardan said, smiling as she retracted her finger. It was a gesture Kitano often used on the Gold family girls, and Ardan had learned it by osmosis. She smiled gently at the slightly aggrieved Muteki. "What do you mean, 'everyone only looks at the outcome'? Only outsiders who haven't been with you would judge you like that. But we won't."
"We see your effort. Mr. Trainer and I will be with you every step of the way as you grow. Keeping your troubles bottled up inside will only increase your stress and stop you from growing up."
"Adults may bury their sorrows, but you are far from being an adult. There's a time and place for everything. Acting like a grown-up now is actually a sign of being a child."
Ardan found Muteki's stubbornness adorable, but also heartbreaking. She suspected this forced maturity was a result of growing up without parents, forcing her to swallow her troubles.
Ardan knew Muteki's situation was not good. Though she didn't fully understand what Nakayama Festa meant by a "heart-knot," she knew that if Muteki didn't express her true feelings, her problem would never be solved.
All she could do was help the child slowly let down her guard and trust Kitano. Right now, only he was willing to pour everything he had into paving the way for her.
After all, Kitano had said he would treat every one of his charges like a father... The thought brought an indescribable joy and lightness to Ardan's heart. She tried to guide Muteki. "Alright, now tell Mr. Trainer the truth. Remember? He said he would guide you like a father. You have to try and trust him."
"..."
It was unclear if Ardan's words had an effect. Muteki looked at the gentle Ardan before her, the fading sting on her forehead clearing her mind. She silently lowered her head again.
In that moment, everyone saw it. This little horse girl, who hadn't shown a hint of fear even when facing her seniors in the endurance test, was now trembling, wavering... Clearly, Ardan's words had struck the softest spot in her heart, allowing her, for a moment, to reveal a sliver of her true feelings.
"...Actually, I've been stuck just before my full maturation for a long time now. About a year ago, I was already like this."
"But until now, I haven't been able to progress any further. No matter how much I train, how much I improve myself, it's like I'm stuck at a certain stage, unable to move forward."
Under the slight emotional turmoil, Muteki reluctantly revealed her secret predicament. At that moment, the expressions of Kitano and the others shifted from awe at her talent to grave seriousness. Muteki's problem was, in some ways, more difficult than any of the other horse girls' issues.
Full maturation marks a horse girl's transition from childhood to a period of rapid growth in physical strength, stamina, and resilience. Typically, within a month, a horse girl's body develops from a child's to an adolescent's, ideal for racing. Then, over several years of training and hormonal changes, she enters her peak, before gradually developing into a mature state suitable for childbearing.
To be unable to fully mature meant a horse girl would never reach her peak. No matter how hard she tried, her limit would be the "peak of a juvenile horse girl." This was the stage Muteki was currently stuck in.
"Could it be due to slow development?" Suzuka, who had also experienced a delayed maturation, asked. "I was delayed a year because of it and missed my rookie season, only debuting in my classic year."
"It's different. Your delay, Suzuka, was partly due to nutritional deficiencies. That's not the case for Muteki," Kitano replied instinctively, shaking his head. In his single-minded focus on Muteki, he had forgotten that in this timeline, he had never interacted with the younger Suzuka. How could he know about her classic year?
Fortunately, those who didn't know the truth didn't catch the slip in his words. But in that instant, Oguri Cap and Gold Ship both flinched, their eyes instinctively turning to Suzuka. Their gazes met, and in that silent exchange, the three of them seemed to understand something, their expressions shifting.
This silent communication was not lost on the observant Mr. C.B., who, though lacking the memories of the previous playthroughs like Rudolf, sensed a difference in the three of them... a "shared secret" that only they understood, one that outsiders could never guess.
But what is that secret? What secret does Kitano have that I don't know?
"Could it be that 'heart-knot' is affecting her maturation?" C.B. joined the conversation, speculating. "I've heard of the term. A very small number of horse girls are limited in their abilities due to childhood experiences or some unknown obsession."
"But if they can resolve this heart-knot, their strength often increases dramatically, reaching a new level. So, little Muteki, why don't you tell us what your heart-knot is? What is it that you can't let go of?"
C.B. felt she had found a breakthrough. Muteki, who was clearly receiving special attention from Kitano, might be the key to uncovering his secrets.
But to C.B.'s disappointment, Muteki, her head still bowed, seemed lost in thought. Under everyone's concerned gaze, she gently shook her head, her voice still flat. "...Honestly, I don't know. I don't know what it is in my heart that I can't let go of."
"My parents... though I never met my father, I know now he didn't abandon me willingly. He died of illness. If he had been a scoundrel, my mother wouldn't have been the type to forgive everything, nor would she have spoken of him with such deep affection even before she passed..."
"I should have resolved my issues... What else could I be holding onto?"
Her question hung in the air, unanswered. Even Ardan could only stroke Muteki's hair with a pained expression. Muteki, who had rejected C.B.'s touch, did not shy away from Ardan's.
"It's okay, Muteki. No matter what, you must believe that your parents absolutely loved you. They would never have wanted to leave you."
"Your parents would also want you to let go of all this and move forward."
"I know, I know... but..."
Muteki seemed to want to say more but couldn't. The information she had revealed was enough. Her "heart-knot" was definitely related to her parents. Her words of acceptance were perhaps just a way of deceiving herself.
At this, Kitano, who had been silent, slowly closed his eyes. He understood the meaning behind her words. And because he understood, because he had long known she was his daughter, the fact that his past had caused her a wound so deep it still hadn't healed... was a heavy blow for the now incredibly responsible Kitano.
But it was clear she wasn't ready to talk to him about it. If not for Ardan, he wouldn't have even heard these true feelings. He knew she blamed him.
Kitano knew he could never make up for the years he wasn't there to accompany her. But he felt he could do something for her future... not as compensation, but because he wanted to see her stop dwelling on the past and stride confidently into the future.
To see one's child move forward, fearlessly. That should be what every parent wants most.
"—Looks quite lively here. It seems Tracen Academy has welcomed another talented genius."
At that moment, the familiar voice of Symboli Rudolf broke the silence. The moment she spoke, her eyes immediately locked onto Kitano, a flicker of joy quickly suppressed. She smiled and greeted him. "Mr. Trainer, long time no see. Your team has grown quite a bit in this time."
"...Who is that?"
Muteki, who had been lost in her own sadness, sensed the unusual aura from Rudolf, the dignity of a "Horse King," and immediately became wary.
But more than that, she felt a sense of familiarity... Have I seen this person somewhere before?
"That's Symboli Rudolf, the Student Council President," Ardan whispered in her ear. "She's a Seven-Crown winner here in Japan. Don't provoke her."
"...Huh?"
Hearing Ardan's words, Muteki's expression turned strange. Her gaze on Rudolf became peculiar, and she muttered to herself, "This is that Auntie Rudolf? I only met her once back then... she's changed so much... she was so young and beautiful back then. Looks like Auntie Takamine wasn't lying."
But the one next to her... I don't think I've seen her before.
Muteki narrowed her eyes at Tokai Teio. Coincidentally, Teio's gaze had been fixed on Muteki the entire time. Muteki quickly recognized the hostility and fighting spirit in her eyes... a look she had seen on Gold Ship during the endurance test.
Another one? Muteki's eyebrow arched. She understood immediately. Inadvertently, her eyes turned cold, her gaze on Teio now filled with a thick fighting spirit of her own...
The "Horse King" and the fledgling "Emperor," the two horse girls' gazes clashed in mid-air. At that moment, the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the palpable, explosive threat they felt from each other.
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