The student council's judgment of Gold Ship wrapped up quickly. Under the escort of several academy security mares, she would be taken to Tracen's Special Education Base in the suburbs for six months of "thought reform."
Gold Ship herself didn't object, and accepted the sentence quietly.
But during the routine security check for dangerous items, Gold Ship suddenly broke her earlier obedience and absolutely refused to hand over the palm-sized blue pebble she kept in her pocket.
It wasn't exactly a dangerous item—a small stone like that could be crushed by any mare in an instant—but it wasn't on the list of permitted possessions, so by the rules, it had to be confiscated.
When security tried to take the stone, Gold Ship crouched low, baring her sharp teeth—a clear warning she'd fight anyone who tried to take it from her.
"President, what should we do?"
The security mares had no idea what to do and turned to Symboli Rudolf for help.
After a moment's thought, Rudolf nodded. "Let her keep it."
After all, it was just a rock, not a bomb—letting Gold Ship bring it in was harmless, and counted as a small favor to her.
"Oh?"
After Rudolf let her off easy twice, Gold Ship's image of her as an iron-fisted tyrant softened just a bit.
"President, did your menopause finally end? Have you graduated to the kind grandma stage?" Gold Ship teased.
Rudolf's face immediately fell.
She'd hoped to use this to show everyone—especially Mizuno—that she could be reasonable, and not to fear her. But Gold Ship just wouldn't let it go, even making an old lady jab in front of everyone. She wasn't even that much older than the others!
No way was she "old"!
Rudolf decided she really didn't like Gold Ship—too infuriating!
"Mizuno-dono, wait for me~"
Clutching her blue pebble, Gold Ship shot Mizuno a final wink before being led away by security, vanishing from sight.
With Gold Ship taken away, the Trainer kidnapping incident finally came to a close.
After that, Mizuno's life seemed to return to its pre-Gold Ship-abduction routine—
Eat, sleep, train Uma Musume.
Except now, unlike a week ago, there were far fewer Uma Musume joining Mizuno at night. Mejiro McQueen, Daiwa Scarlet, and others eliminated in the basement trials no longer showed up.
Maybe failing the trials had seriously shaken their confidence—they felt they weren't good enough to protect Mizuno, and until they could prove otherwise, they wouldn't come to sleep by his side.
This meant Mizuno was spared the torture of sharing a bed with a whole pile of adolescent Uma Musume, and his sleep quality improved drastically.
Now, only Haru Urara, Rice Shower, Tokai Teio, Symboli Rudolf, and Air Groove came to see him at night. But unless King Halo brought her along, Urara rarely appeared, so really it was just four.
Of all of them, Rice Shower was the most qualified to care for Mizuno.
With Gold Ship gone, she was the only one who could protect this powerless Trainer with no selfish motives.
Even though rescuing Mizuno meant she'd lost a day of training with only three left before her GII race, Rice Shower didn't let it affect her—she easily took first in the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup.
After her victory, Rice Shower approached Mizuno for a reward.
"Um… can I see Onii-sama's real face again?"
Rice Shower hooked her pinky bashfully, staring up at Mizuno with eager eyes.
"Uh… all right…"
Mizuno hesitated, but agreed.
It was a bit risky, but how could a good brother refuse his little sister's request?
Besides, Rice Shower had already seen his true face once—letting her see it again wouldn't hurt.
So Mizuno found a chance, and when they were alone, secretly lifted his hood to show her.
"Hehe~"
Rice Shower's cheeks flushed, ears flapping with excitement as she gazed at Mizuno's handsome face—utterly delighted.
She didn't care about Onii-sama's looks, but seeing how handsome he really was filled her with joy.
The babies I have with Onii-sama will be so cute…
Aside from Rice Shower, Tokai Teio was also qualified—she'd cleared all eighteen of Gold Ship's trials.
But Teio wasn't there just to keep Mizuno safe; her motives were much stronger.
Where once she'd begged for attention, now, after the basement incident, her approach had shifted.
Teio no longer demanded responses from Mizuno. She cared only about how long she could spend with him.
At meals, after school, before bed—she'd seek him out, nestle against him, breathe in his scent.
No matter how Mizuno tried to reason with her, Teio was unmoved—guarding her treasure, unwilling to leave.
Even when Symboli Rudolf would show up every night in pajamas with a bag of balloons, announcing she had "important business" to discuss with Mizuno, Teio ignored her idol and stayed wrapped around him—forcing Rudolf to retreat, every time.
This lasted two weeks, only getting worse.
With only two days until the Artemis Stakes, Teio should have been buzzing with nerves, eager for extra training.
Yet she did the opposite—cutting her workouts short, always sitting on Mizuno's lap like a homebody, refusing to move.
"Teio, you're young, you should be more active. Don't just lie there…"
Mizuno tried to counsel her like an old father:
"If your joints get rusty, you'll never take first place."
"Date…"
Teio murmured softly against his chest.
"Hm?" Mizuno didn't catch it.
"I said, date."
Teio looked up, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.
"If I take first in my next race, my reward is a real date—just Trainer and me!"
---
T/N: heh poor rudolf getting blueballed by her favorite kouhai
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