"The Emperor and Empress… at the Emperor's Cup? An Imperial Attendance?"
"Yup…"
Rampage broke the news to Minamisaka the next day, urged by the chairman to deliver it herself. It felt like her fault, adding to Minami's burden. Even Minami's cool-headedness cracked, her brow furrowing—
"Got it. Keep it in mind and stick to the training menu."
"Wait, that's it?! No freakout?!"
"Expecting one?"
"C'mon! The Emperor and Empress at the race?! Even you have limits, right?!"
"I could fake a meltdown, but I'm no actress. I'd be a ham."
"Shut up!!"
Minami resumed training as if nothing happened, unfazed. Rampage didn't need dramatics, but this calm was almost too much.
"No… reaction at all?"
"Nope."
"Seriously?!"
"Guess the Sacred Hoof Festival built my immunity."
"Hope you get anaphylactic shock."
Rampage sulked, head in hands, wondering why she was the one freaking out.
"I blurted Italian and German when the chairman told me!"
"Odd choice, but sounds like you stayed pretty cool," Minami said.
"With legends popping up nonstop, you build some tolerance. Still, the Emperor? That's next-level!"
"That's why basics matter. A big stage with VIPs watching—panicking and neglecting fundamentals is the worst mistake."
Fancy techniques mean nothing without a solid foundation. Canopus drilled basics relentlessly; slacking off because of the Emperor would be the ultimate disrespect. True respect meant giving her all.
"I get it, but your calmness is borderline freaky, Minami."
"Thanks to a certain Uma Musume, I've dealt with big shots. Guess I'm used to it."
"…Me?"
"Yes, you."
Minami's words carried weight, her usual smile radiating an eerie pressure. Rampage could only look away.
"Truth is, my old job had me meet some heavyweights. Once, I grabbed coffee with a client who turned out to be a corporate bigwig."
"That's terrifying. My heart would've jumped out."
"Same here," Tazuna chimed in.
So, Rampage wasn't entirely to blame. Minami's past gave her this composure—though comparing that to the Emperor was wild.
"The Emperor watching shouldn't faze you," Minami said. "You're aiming for the world stage."
"You just called Japan's symbol 'just' a thing!"
"You're the one claiming you'll take on the world."
Fair point, but hard to swallow. If Japan's top figure was this big, what craziness awaited globally?
"Actually, we got an invitation you didn't see. I handled it quietly," Minami said.
"For real? From where?"
"Dubai."
"That Dubai? Rich tycoon central?"
"Crude, but yes."
It traced back to Rampage's two-pronged path after winning the February Stakes. An invitation arrived from Dubai for the Dubai World Cup.
"Dubai World Cup… right, February Stakes is a qualifier!"
"Yup, hence the invite. Didn't pass it on, though."
"Could've mentioned it. Not like I'd have gone."
"Sorry, thought it best to handle it."
Rampage planned to build strength for overseas races this year, so Dubai's invite, even for a prestigious race, was just another international G1 to her, like the Japan Cup she'd already conquered.
"Pretty clueless of me not to notice…"
"Anyway, I declined the invite. Then Dubai called."
"From Dubai?"
"Yup."
Minami was floored when an unknown number turned out to be Dubai's top brass, asking why Rampage skipped the World Cup. Her Japan Cup run and streams had won them over.
"Explained it, and they got it, but they pushed hard for you to race."
"Wow… my fame's gone global."
"No joke. That's why the Emperor news didn't faze me."
"…Sorry."
"No worries."
Rampage felt the weight of her chaos-causing streak. Not intentional, but still. Focus on the Emperor's Cup now—then the Elizabeth Queen Cup and Champions Cup. Busy times.
"Y'know, no point freaking out over His Majesty. I'm swamped anyway."
"And I'm slammed too—Nature's Chrysanthemum Stakes, Turbo's Autumn Flower Stakes," Minami added.
"Oh, right…"
Dubai World Cup started in '96… who'd even race? Worrying about this now feels late, with the Autumn Flower Stakes and all.
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