Japan Cup, Race Day!
Galileo, who wasn't feeling nervous or rushed to get to the racetrack early, was busy with one particular task.
The black-haired beauty Galileo, dressed in her gorgeous and elegant race outfit, was intently reviewing a document she had created.
The Stray Cat Investigation Report — by Galileo!
[Note: This is Version 1.0, preliminary edition. Revisions may follow based on changing circumstances.]
[Stray Cat No. 1: Tokai Teio]
[Known Info: Appears enthusiastic and pure-hearted. Achieved an Undefeated Double Crown in Japan. Has a lively, proactive personality with a strong competitive spirit.]
[Suffered a fracture several months ago and was treated by Dr. Lin. Since then, she only goes to him for check-ups and visits him frequently.]
[Initiative Level: ★★ (Low risk)]
[Contact Level: ★★★ (Medium risk)]
[Overall Threat Level: ★★☆ (Two and a half stars)]
[Evaluation: Currently low to medium threat, but stay vigilant. Do not overlook her just because the risk seems low now. As contact increases and bonds deepen, the threat level will inevitably rise. Preventive measures and caution are advised early on.]
--+--
[Stray Cat No. 2: Agnes Tachyon]
[Known Info: Unique personality, loves research. Winner of the Satsuki Sho, a legendary Triple Crown contender, known as the mad scientist among horse girls.]
[Contracted a critical tendonitis several months ago and was miraculously cured by the skilled Dr. Lin. She is undoubtedly deeply grateful, attached, and constantly seeks Dr. Lin for check-ups.]
[Initiative Level: ★★☆ (Low to medium risk)]
[Contact Level: ★★★ (Medium risk)]
[Overall Threat Level: ★★☆ (Two and a half stars)]
[Evaluation: Currently low to medium threat, but without a doubt, Dr. Lin's charm and exceptional medical skills perfectly match Agnes Tachyon's research interests.]
[Thus, we cannot let our guard down. There is a significant probability she will make a move on Dr. Lin in the future.]
...
[Stray Cat No. 3…]
[Stray Cat No. 4…]
The subsequent "stray cats" didn't take up much space in the report, and their threat levels were considerably lower compared to Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon. Overall, they weren't worth mentioning.
After all, at Tracen Academy, there were always a few unlucky ones who got injured easily and ended up in the infirmary more times than they could count.
Or perhaps there were some overly enthusiastic, lesser-known fillies utterly smitten with Dr. Lin.
But in Galileo's eyes, these were hardly worth worrying about—not exactly fearsome, dangerous stray cats that required high alert.
The real dangers, for now, were the top two: Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon.
"But the longer this goes on, the more stray cats I'll have to watch out for…"
"Just three weeks ago, there was this quiet Uma Musume who was all shy and timid during her first visit with Dr. Lin."
"By the second visit two weeks ago, she was already blushing, looking up hoping he'd call her by her name directly."
"And on her last visit a week ago, she'd even told Dr. Lin her nickname and asked him to become her personal physician!"
Thinking about this, even Galileo—who was quite popular in the European Uma Musume racing scene—was slightly taken aback.
Even she didn't possess the same astonishing, praise-worthy affinity as Dr. Lin! She couldn't make so many Uma Musume become so warmly attached after just a few meetings.
In terms of being a "mint" for Uma Musume, Dr. Lin was definitely stronger than her!
What's more, Dr. Lin treated every Uma Musume with gentleness and always strived to provide the smoothest, safest treatments, perfectly striking the most vulnerable spot in the heart of any injured Uma Musume.
Charm! Gentleness! Medical skill!
Every trait that was super effective against Uma Musume, Dr. Lin had maxed out. He was practically a "hexagonal warrior" (all-rounder).
This made Galileo, who considered herself well-traveled and knowledgeable, certain that Lin Anran was no ordinary Uma Musume Doctor.
Even in Europe, home to world-class Uma Musume racing, she couldn't find a doctor who left as deep an impression as Lin Anran!
So…
Thinking this, Galileo couldn't help but acknowledge her little sister's concerns. They were definitely not unnecessary or excessive worry.
"Hmm… let me add one more line."
Just before closing the document and heading to the racetrack for the Japan Cup, Galileo suddenly thought of something to add.
Immediately, the black-haired beauty began typing an addition.
[PS: The above is The Stray Cat Investigation Report (Version 1.0), painstakingly compiled by your magnificent older sister at great effort, sacrificing precious training time. You must cherish it!]
[To prevent missing any more stray cats, your big sister has decided to stay for one more month after the Japan Cup concludes, until after the Arima Kinen, in order to protect your beloved Dr. Lin! I will strive to bring him back to Europe!]
After finishing the additions and reviewing everything to ensure it was correct, Galileo saved the document with satisfaction.
She then sent this Stray Cat Investigation Report to [Sea of Stars]'s email.
"It's the first time I've ever written such a long report!"
The black-haired girl couldn't help but sigh.
When it came to essays, she'd agonize over every word, struggling to write even one!
But when writing this Stray Cat Investigation Report, she felt uniquely gifted, bursting with inspiration, and finished it in one go!
It was as if… when it came to researching stray cats… Galileo was just full of natural talent and interest?!
"Ahem, that's enough for now."
"After this Japan Cup is over, I'll stay for one more month."
Galileo felt strong fighting spirit for this Japan Cup.
Regardless of winning or losing, she planned to stay for an additional month.
Over the past month, Galileo had plenty of contact with Lin Anran; all her regular physical check-ups were handled by him.
Thus, they had grown quite familiar by now.
And in the month after the Japan Cup, before the Arima Kinen ended…
Galileo planned—to invite Lin Anran!
And she wasn't considering something like those other Japanese fillies, wanting to sign some kind of exclusive contract with Lin Anran.
The black-haired beauty with grander ambitions, stronger interest, and bolder plans intended to invite… Lin Anran to come to Europe!!
"First, I'll try inviting Dr. Lin to come to Europe with me, as my [Personal Physician]."
Galileo muttered to herself, already calculating the odds.
The possibility of inviting him to Europe existed, but the chance of successfully signing him as a personal physician… was probably not high.
During her frequent interactions with Lin Anran over the past month, they'd had many conversations. Galileo had shared some news about her little sister Sea of Stars, and she'd also learned from Lin Anran that he had turned down Agnes Tachyon's offer of an exclusive contract.
This allowed Galileo to prepare herself early to be the next Uma Musume rejected by Lin Anran.
After all, the prize money for Japanese G1 races was very high. Even if the prestige wasn't top-tier, the actual "gold" was substantial.
With such high race prizes, even a top-tier talent like the Phantom Triple Crown Agnes Tachyon couldn't secure an exclusive contract with Lin Anran…
From this, one could conclude that Dr. Lin had probably already become the personal physician for certain other Uma Musume, or perhaps he simply wasn't interested in that for now.
"I'll try inviting him first. If he refuses to become my personal physician, then I'll switch to…"
"asking Dr. Lin if he'd be willing to become the family physician for the Sea family!"
That's right. If he couldn't be hers exclusively, then she'd settle for making him the family physician, to be shared with Little Star.
"I hope… it works!"
With this thought, Galileo's document was sent.
The next moment, the black-haired beauty in her race outfit closed her computer, picked up her phone from the desk, and turned to leave her dorm.
Japan Cup, here we go!
--+--
Meanwhile, in Europe.
A chestnut-haired girl resting in her room showed a flicker of excitement on her exquisitely beautiful face.
"Big Sister's Stray Cat investigation… finally has results?!"
Sea of Stars immediately clicked on it with anticipation and trepidation.
[Stray Cat No. 1: Tokai Teio]
[Known Info: Appears enthusiastic…]
[…]
[To prevent missing any more stray cats, your big sister has decided to stay for one more month after the Japan Cup concludes, until after the Arima Kinen…]
After reading the PS at the end of the document, Sea of Stars' delicate face was filled with disbelief.
Aside from being shocked that the report contained information about two top-tier genius Uma Musume in Japan who, within just a few months, had developed strong feelings for Dr. Lin and posed a threat as stray cats…
So, there were stray cats!
She was also surprised, and slightly delighted, by her sister's decision!
Extending her stay by another month? Staying in Japan that much longer?
Sea of Stars seemed completely unprepared for this. The next moment, the voice of this stunning chestnut-haired horse girl trembled slightly.
"Big Sister! Thank you!!"
She felt she must find a way to thank her magnificent older sister, Galileo.
This was a tremendous sacrifice!
Typically, a Uma Musume's peak career only lasts a brief two or three years.
In the fiercely competitive Europe and America, the prime might even be as short as one or two years before a new generation takes over and form declines, leading to retirement.
Doing the math, a career might only last about twenty-some months. And her sister Galileo, after already spending one month investigating stray cats, was now sacrificing another precious month to protect her Dr. Lin?!
That was almost directly giving up nearly a tenth of her racing career to help her, her little sister!
Thinking this, the chestnut-haired Sea of Stars was deeply moved!!
"Who would have thought Dr. Lin would still be so popular after going to Japan."
"And… Big Sister actually did so much for me, sacrificing another month of her time to try and bring Dr. Lin to Europe!"
Galileo could have just taken a few days to casually ask which Uma Musume visited the infirmary most often, lightly inquiring about a few…
Instead, she invested significant effort, undoubtedly sacrificed valuable training time to interact with Dr. Lin, and then spent considerable mental energy thinking and judging to produce this precious Stray Cat Investigation Report!
Energy, time—these were all crucial things for a horse girl.
[Big Sister sacrifices for Little Sister. Galileo good!]
[Making Big Sister sacrifice. Sea of Stars bad!]
Thinking this, Sea of Stars felt a twinge of guilt and couldn't help but ponder how to compensate her older sister, Galileo.
Galileo, world's best big sister!
"Once Dr. Lin comes to Europe… I must reward Big Sister properly!"
--+--
Outside the Japan Cup racetrack.
Countless spectators were lining up.
While waiting, rain began to fall, pattering down, steadily wetting the grounds outside and the turf inside the racetrack.
But this rain failed to dampen the crowd's enthusiasm; instead, it made many even more excited for the race.
"Huh? The Japan Cup is 2400 meters, the closest thing to a long-distance race here, and it's… raining before the start?"
"Is this good news or bad news for Pegasus Platinum and Teio? The track condition has turned heavy?"
"Go Fantastic Light! Go Fantastic Light!"
"Galileo fought her way here from Europe. Don't let us down! Stay sharp!"
"If Platinum can adapt to a heavy track at this distance and defeat foreign champions… then surely next year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, she can adapt and aim for the win too?!"
The heated discussions didn't cool down because of the rain; instead, the voices grew more numerous.
Besides the consistently huge number of spectators, there was a scene that left local Japanese Uma Musume and fans utterly astonished.
Namely, visibly mixed within the queueing crowd were many foreign spectators.
Even though the Japan Cup was an internationally open G1, its recognition overseas was actually not high, even quite low.
Overseas Uma Musume who chose to race abroad here were mostly just signing up casually to grab some prize money. Rarely did they take time to adjust to peak condition, adapt to the Japanese track, so their performances often weren't their best.
Under these circumstances, the Japan Cup in the past attracted very few foreign spectators, far fewer than the world-renowned super G1s in Europe and America.
But now! The proportion of foreign spectators at this Japan Cup was higher than any previous edition!
This directly caused a voluptuous red-haired horse girl waiting in line to look utterly surprised.
Daiwa Scarlet had never seen so many foreign spectators in Japan before.
"This is… the Japan Cup?"
"No, no, the past Japan Cup races I've seen on tape, three or four of them combined didn't have as many as this one."
Currently, Daiwa Scarlet was in line with Agnes Tachyon.
After her lament, she heard Agnes Tachyon's question.
"Scarlet, I heard you trained with Teio a few days ago?"
"Yeah, Teio-senpai wanted to check her condition, so we had a practice race."
"And the result?"
This made Daiwa Scarlet's smile stiffen slightly. She didn't answer immediately but held up one hand, fingers spread.
Five lengths…
Again, five lengths!!
Seeing this answer, Agnes Tachyon was stunned for a moment.
Again… five lengths?
That meant, among the four top contenders in this race—from Heavenly Pegasus Platinum to Galileo, Tokai Teio, and Fantastic Light—Daiwa Scarlet had faced off against three of them!
Only Fantastic Light was left; she hadn't raced against her yet.
"So… between Galileo and Tokai Teio, who do you think is stronger, Scarlet?"
Agnes Tachyon didn't mention Platinum Pegasus.
Even though it was also five lengths, the timing was too long ago, making it irrelevant for comparison.
But Galileo and Tokai Teio, raced within this past month, were fair game.
"Teio-senpai, once her Zone activates, has incredible fighting spirit and endurance, capable of bursting with strong acceleration and resistance."
"But… overall, I think she's not quite on Galileo's level."
"Because Galileo's Zone is truly terrifying. In terms of influence and intensity, it's definitely above Teio-senpai's!"
Uma Musume races ultimately come down to physical ability and the ultimate expression of fighting spirit—the Zone, right?
Physically, in terms of stamina, burst power, and even strength, Tokai Teio was at most even with Galileo, perhaps even slightly inferior in some aspects.
And in terms of Zone, there was a noticeable gap.
With this calculation, naturally, one would conclude Galileo was stronger than Tokai Teio.
Actually, this could be seen just from both beating Daiwa Scarlet by five lengths…
Tokai Teio was fully prepared for the Japan Cup, in her best condition, when she won by five lengths.
But that foreign monster Galileo won by five lengths the day after getting off the plane, without fully adapting to the track.
Sometimes, even among fives, there were differences.
Among those four top contenders, looking purely at hard stats, achievements, etc., Tokai Teio was ranked last.
But now, Agnes Tachyon smiled with keen interest, not believing Tokai Teio was the weakest among the favorites.
"Hmm, looking overall, there is indeed a gap."
"But… the biggest, the only variable, has arrived!"
As she spoke, she tilted her head up towards the oppressive, dark sky above.
Heavy track!
Galileo, who could adapt to the Japanese turf, might not adapt to the current Japan Cup's heavy track!
And that world-touring Champion Fantastic Light was famously bad at heavy tracks!
The variable was born here.
"Four powerful Zone users, encountering rare heavy rain for the Japan Cup."
"Who… will ultimately win?"
--+--
Racetrack, Preparation Area.
Over a dozen Uma Musume sat waiting for the final countdown.
Because of the rain, even the lazy assassin who preferred late starts and early finishes had arrived early.
Platinum calmly scanned the room, looking first at the joyfully smiling Tokai Teio, the calmly composed Galileo, and then into the corner…
A tall, blonde, mature Uma Musume whose expression was somewhat grim.
She was the outstanding European contender who raced across the world: Fantastic Light!
Fantastic Light adapted extremely well to turf, so even when racing abroad in G1s across Australia and Asia, she could dominate freely and achieve great results frequently.
But within that near-perfect record… she had one fatal flaw: she was not good at handling heavy tracks!
'This is… troublesome.'
Even through a wall, Fantastic Light could hear the rain outside.
If it were her preferred firm track, Fantastic Light was confident she could use the chaotic race situation and her rich experience to teach that newly famous little Pegasus a lesson.
But this rain, this heavy track…
'Can't give up. Since it's a chaotic race on a heavy track, not a one-on-one, there's still some chance!'
The experienced Fantastic Light quickly adjusted her mindset, ready for the race to start.
Meanwhile, Tokai Teio in the middle was utterly thrilled.
She clearly knew her hard stats were probably… the weakest among these top contenders.
But this heavy track absolutely introduced a lot of uncertainty into the race.
The greater the storm, the more chaotic the race!
'Good, with a heavy track… there might really be a chance to end Platinum's Undefeated Legend!!'
Compared to the competing Uma Musume with their various thoughts, the lazy Miss Pegasus didn't overthink it, quietly waiting for the countdown.
Finally—
Soon after, the door opened from outside, and a staff member's voice rang out.
"Next, please, the first popularity-ranked contestant, Platinum, enter the track."
Hearing her name called, the Heavenly Pegasus Platinum in white race attire stood up abruptly. She carried the huge bow and empty quiver that drew attention even from European ladies, turned, and strode towards the entrance.
Aiming for the Japan Cup?
No, the Heavenly Pegasus was next aiming her arrow at her opponents!
--+--
[Next! Let's welcome with the most passionate cheers the one and only "Undefeated Irregular Quadruple Crown" winner in all of Uma Musume racing history! The Heavenly Pegasus Platinum!!]
[Under this pattering rain, challenged by foreign champions, can the proud Heavenly Pegasus once again spread her wings and soar?]
[Let us wait and see!]
Amid the commentator's words echoing through the venue and the continuous roar of cheers!
Platinum, making her entrance, calmly walked towards her… Number 15 gate, the outermost lane.
'Huh, outermost lane?'
'With this position, what running style should I use?'
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.