[SeatheStars: Thank you, Big Sister!]
Under the soft glow of the lights, the raven-haired beauty stood quietly, her silky hair cascading like a waterfall, shimmering with the depth of a midnight sky. Her fair, snow-like skin created a striking contrast against her dark locks.
Galileo's ears twitched gently, a subtle hint of the unique liveliness that only horse girls possess. Her deep, bright eyes and the slight curve of her lips added an air of mystery and allure as she gazed at the thankful message from her little sister.
This trip to Japan had been more than worth it for Galileo.
Even if Mission One had ended in failure—losing to that Pegasus by over ten lengths, and still failing to share the stage as her dance partner…
Compared to winning the Japan Cup, none of that mattered when weighed against Dr. Lin's value.
So Mission Two was the real priority, the one that truly demanded her attention!
It was just a shame she hadn't yet succeeded in inviting Dr. Lin to Europe to become her personal physician.
'My current relationship with Dr. Lin is decent enough—we're friends.'
'But taking it further… that's a bit tricky.'
Right now, Galileo was troubled over how to deepen her interactions with Lin Anran.
She'd already noticed… Dr. Lin's routine and self-discipline were almost terrifying.
His comings and goings were clockwork-precise, though he'd occasionally stay late to overtime for Uma Musume who arrived late, tenderly treating poor injured fillies.
Beyond that, he hardly did anything else.
Galileo had tried before—inviting Dr. Lin to stroll around Tracen Academy, even to the shopping district just outside the campus.
But she'd failed every time. That gentle, dark-haired young man didn't seem interested in any of it.
Three points, one line—punching in and out on time, with occasional overtime! His self-discipline was absolutely extreme!
Seriously, how could someone as young as Dr. Lin already be living the life of a corporate drone?
Faced with such a workaholic, super-dedicated routine, and a Dr. Lin completely unaffected by her natural Uma Musume charm, Galileo was feeling a slight headache coming on.
In the past, she'd always been the one exuding charm, drawing crowds of Uma Musume eager to befriend her and deepen their connections.
But now, even when she took the initiative and tried everything, getting closer to Dr. Lin felt frustratingly difficult!
It left Galileo feeling somewhat helpless, unsure what to do for the moment.
'How could someone like me—a celebrated young lady from a prestigious European family—fail to attract Dr. Lin? I refuse to accept that!'
'Hmm…'
The sharp and clever Galileo soon realized something, finding a point to comfort herself and ease her worries.
'No wonder… Dr. Lin's constitution is similar to mine… perhaps even more captivating than mine, the so-called Monarch of Charm, with that level of natural allure.'
'Yet he remains content as a school doctor, not becoming the personal physician for any specific Uma Musume, nor serving as a family doctor for some prestigious Japanese household.'
'It might largely be because he has no deep interest in Uma Musume beyond treating them?'
Just imagine: a young doctor, popular and widely discussed, appearing only in the school infirmary every day, engaging only with injured or ill Uma Musume for treatment.
What's more, Lin Anran would leave the moment his shift ended, never venturing to the training fields out of curiosity or interest to watch the young, vibrant Uma Musume.
He uniformly declined all offers for exclusive contracts from numerous Uma Musume.
Thinking it over, Galileo understood: no matter how attractive he was to Uma Musume, and despite having treated so many of them, Dr. Lin remained just the School Doctor, never becoming the exclusive physician for any top-tier Uma Musume.
Galileo was even more certain that after Lin Anran successfully treated the famously troublesome Agnes Tachyon of Japan, he'd undoubtedly receive lavish offers from prestigious Japanese Uma Musume families hoping to secure such an outstanding talent as their in-house physician dedicated to nurturing Uma Musume.
Despite his growing reputation and increasing invitations from horse girls and elite families alike, Lin Anran never agreed. Only Agnes Tachyon and Tokai Teio managed to capture a bit more of his attention.
To this day, Lin Anran remained a school doctor—exceptionally skilled yet never actively approaching other Uma Musume.
He continued dutifully manning the infirmary, occasionally working overtime to treat fillies who arrived late or were seriously injured.
Unswayed by lucrative offers or the allure of beautiful young Uma Musume, he simply focused on treating one injured filly after another!
Dr. Lin was practically… a Doctor of Universal Love?!
Unaffected by profit, dedicated to healing all Uma Musume—what else could that be but a Doctor of Universal Love?
He was such a kind, compassionate doctor, truly too gentle!!
So it probably wasn't that Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon weren't making moves—it was that, like her, they found no opportunity to do so.
It seemed the threat levels in that "Stray Cat Investigation Report" would need a major revision when she had the time…
Confirming this information only made the clever young lady from the Sea family more frustrated.
Good news: Dr. Lin would never be easily snatched up by stray cats—his sense of virtue was impeccable!
Bad news: His virtue was too impeccable, making it hard for even her to succeed…
Once the Arima Kinen ended, she'd have to leave Japan and return to Europe. Time was short—only three weeks left.
The chances of growing closer to Dr. Lin and securing an exclusive contract in such a short time were slim to none!
Even with her status as a world-class Uma Musume or as the representative young lady of the Sea family, inviting Dr. Lin to become her exclusive or family doctor would likely be difficult.
It seemed—
'Only after next year's Takarazuka Kinen ends, when Dr. Lin's exclusive contract with Platinum concludes and he journeys to Europe, will there be a real opportunity.'
Galileo frowned slightly but didn't feel too anxious.
After all, Dr. Lin had come from the US to Japan, not from Europe, so he probably didn't know many European Uma Musume.
While Sea the Stars prepared for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, she would undoubtedly be the only European Uma Musume to welcome Dr. Lin and serve as his only guide!
With the first-mover advantage and plenty of time for deeper interactions, she'd have no trouble making Dr. Lin grow attached to her.
Therefore, the advantage was hers!!
Originally, Galileo had wished for the Arima Kinen to arrive slowly, hoping this final month of the year would stretch longer.
Now… she wished time would fly faster, speeding from the Arima Kinen to next year's Takarazuka Kinen, so she could welcome Dr. Lin to her home turf!!
'If I can't win the Japan Cup, then I'll win the far more important Lin Anran Cup beyond the races!!'
--+--
A few days later.
A red-haired girl named Daiwa Scarlet was heading toward the infirmary of the famous Dr. Lin on campus.
Normally, Daiwa Scarlet wouldn't specifically choose one particular infirmary. Within Tracen Academy, which accommodated thousands, there were plenty of infirmaries to choose from.
As someone who pursued perfection and always trained diligently, she'd previously seen regular check-ups as a waste of time. Even when she needed one, she'd just go to the nearest infirmary.
But after her admired idol, Agnes Tachyon, developed tendonitis and was nearly forced into retirement, it scared Daiwa Scarlet into starting regular, thorough high-intensity check-ups.
When Agnes Tachyon's tendonitis was completely cured by the miraculously skilled Dr. Lin, the red-haired girl was overjoyed to see her idol return to the track.
From then on, she fully trusted Dr. Lin's excellent reputation and would only go to his infirmary for check-ups!
On her way, Daiwa Scarlet glanced down at her phone screen and, feeling bored, opened the Tracen Academy forum.
It was—[Tracen Academy Activity Room]
There were posts discussing races, heated debates among power-scaling fans, and even fan-made art of popular Uma Musume.
Upon entering, Daiwa Scarlet saw numerous threads.
[Discussion and Poll: Who is Japan's GOAT—Symboli Rudolf or Pegasus Platinum?]
[Dr. Lin's medical skills are amazing! I had a minor fracture, and several doctors said I needed a month of rest, but Dr. Lin healed me in just a week!]
After seeing the first two posts, the intrigued Daiwa Scarlet clicked on the first poll discussion.
The popular thread had hundreds of lively comments.
"No doubt, Symboli Rudolf has seven G1 wins—the highest honor in Japan, far above second place. She's definitely stronger than Platinum!"
"White Platinum won the British Derby by a huge margin. Could Symboli Rudolf do that?"
"But the Emperor is an Undefeated Triple Crown winner!"
"Platinum won the Kikuka Shō by a huge margin. Could Symboli Rudolf do that?"
There were even fans of Symboli Rudolf and Platinum constantly rebutting each other.
"The Emperor is the all-powerful Student Council President of Tracen—doesn't that prove her influence?"
"Platinum won the Japan Cup by a huge margin. Could Symboli Rudolf do that?"
"Can't you talk about anything besides winning by huge margins?!"
"Well, in overseas G1 races, Platinum has one win from one attempt. Symboli Rudolf has zero wins from one attempt?"
"You… better just go back to talking about huge margins."
Beyond these, as Daiwa Scarlet scrolled down, she noticed over half the voters had chosen [Platinum is the strongest]!
This surprised Daiwa Scarlet, her pupils narrowing slightly.
It wasn't that she thought the Emperor was stronger—she knew Symboli Rudolf was the first "Super Uma Musume" many had seen in the past.
So, with the advantage of age and era, she should have had a natural edge in polls and discussions.
But Platinum was too young, and the thread likely included many older Uma Musume who, in theory, should stubbornly insist Symboli Rudolf was the strongest.
Yet in the end, over half had voted for White Platinum?
Was this the influence of the Pegasus?
'It seems, if White Platinum wins the Arima Kinen in a little over half a month…'
'She'll go from being recognized by over half to being acknowledged by everyone!'
'Then, the Pegasus will be the undisputed GOAT of all Japan.'
And Symboli Rudolf would probably become… the Vice-GOAT?
After this reflection, Daiwa Scarlet continued browsing other posts.
[Share: All the stunning photos of Platinum taken by Digital Carbon!]
[(Literary Creation) I Want to Be Platinum's Dog So Bad—by Little Dia]
Daiwa Scarlet immediately skipped past this with a weird look and kept scrolling.
[(Weird Fanfic) Agnes Tachyon N.T.R's Tokai Teio? Let's All N.T.R Tokai Teio Together!]
[The background is Dr. Lin and Tokai Teio, whom he healed, being together, but a foreign Agnes Tachyon makes a move on Dr. Lin after his marriage.]
[It's a wonderful story—hope everyone enjoys it.]
[Chapter 1: The Gentle Dr. Lin, Targeted by Other Uma Musume—Tokai Teio Gets Cuckolded!]
Dumbfounded, Daiwa Scarlet's face flushed, unsure if it was from shock, excitement, or embarrassment.
She suddenly realized she'd unconsciously arrived at the door of Dr. Lin's infirmary.
Taking a deep breath, she hurriedly tried to close the popular fanfic thread.
But before closing it, she accidentally clicked the bookmark button, then shut off her phone.
"Gulp…"
"Dr. Lin and Platinum are both so popular."
"One is a school doctor, the other isn't even from Tracen Academy, yet they have top-tier discussion posts within Tracen."
"It's hard to imagine how terrifyingly popular the Pegasus must be outside, given her votes for the Arima Kinen."
The Arima Kinen had nothing to do with her, so she didn't dwell on it.
Next year, after completing her own Classic Triple Tiara, she'd face Platinum in the Arima Kinen.
She still had a year to grow stronger and seek revenge against the Pegasus!!
For now, she'd just be a spectator, watching closely how her idol, Agnes Tachyon, would compete against Platinum!
If it's Tachyon-senpai, she might… just might… have a chance to win, right?
After this reflection, Daiwa Scarlet knocked on the infirmary door.
"Dr. Lin, are you in?"
--+--
A short while later.
The black-hearted young doctor released Daiwa Scarlet's fair foot, his expression calm.
"Mhm, a minor injury."
"Oh, I can go back to traini— Huh??"
Daiwa Scarlet, who'd habitually prepared to return to training after the check-up, froze in confusion the next moment.
"M-minor injury?"
"Right, not serious. It's just from recent overloaded, extremely taxing high-speed running."
"Treatment is simple—mainly rest. Don't go to the training field for the next week. I'll prescribe some medicine."
Lin Anran spoke while turning to prepare the prescription, carefully controlling his expression.
Such minor injuries were common among excellent Uma Musume, but it felt a bit off happening to Daiwa Scarlet.
Because this type of minor injury usually only occurs in competitive G2 or G1 events after continuous high-intensity competition..
But the current Daiwa Scarlet's record was two races, one win!
She was a fledgling who'd just won her debut race—extremely young. Where would she have gotten G1-level battle experience?
"Eh??"
Hearing this, Daiwa Scarlet's expression stiffened.
She knew exactly how her body had become overloaded from high-speed running!
First, she'd been crushed by Galileo fresh off the plane by five lengths.
Then, just before the Japan Cup, she'd lost to Tokai Teio by five lengths, got angry, and beat Vodka by two lengths.
Soon after, she'd been lightly defeated by Fantastic Light by five lengths in a practice match, and just yesterday, she'd beaten Vodka by three lengths…
Altogether, that was five practice matches in just over a month?
'Sob… looks like I really need to rest properly.'
'With Tachyon-senpai's precedent, I have to listen to Dr. Lin and recover well.'
Though practice matches weren't as intense as real races, aside from Vodka being "easy mode" or "reward stages," the others were all "nightmare difficulty" or "training hell"!
Such battle experience was a bit too much for a young filly.
Lin Anran had accurately identified Daiwa Scarlet's physical issues and given medical advice, suggesting she start resting.
A moment later…
The black-hearted young doctor cheerfully collected the medical fee and saw Daiwa Scarlet out.
--+--
Some time later.
The black-hearted young doctor returned home after work.
As soon as he entered, he heard the ringtone from his second phone in the drawer.
That was… the one he prepared for his transformed self as a Uma Musume!
Platinum had only added a few fillies she'd defeated, like Mejiro Dober, and some race officials.
"Who could it be?"
The next moment, Platinum activated!
...
The silver-haired girl grabbed the phone, instantly assimilating it.
She answered the call.
"Hello, dear Miss Platinum, I'm a staff member from the URA."
Hearing this, Platinum immediately understood.
The Arima Kinen and Takarazuka Kinen were two G1 races in Japan with unique entry methods.
Most G1 races required achieving certain prize money to qualify.
But these two were fan-voted—after the fan voting list was finalized, popular Uma Musume would be invited based on their rankings, making it the so-called 'All-Star Event'".
Thus, the Arima Kinen had very high prestige—it was Japan's year-end, most representative, and influential super G1, one of the few races with some recognition overseas.
In the eyes of many outside viewers, the Uma Musume who won the Arima Kinen was the strongest!
"To clarify, you've achieved overwhelming popularity, roughly… equal to the combined votes of the second through thirteenth place Uma Musume."
"You've broken the record for the highest votes ever received by a classic-year Uma Musume in the Arima Kinen!"
"May we ask if you intend to participate, Miss Platinum?"
It was worth noting that if a highly popular Uma Musume chose to avoid the race, the slot would go to the next ranked Uma Musume.
So in theory, it was possible for the top one or two Uma Musume to be so overwhelmingly strong that others would collectively avoid the race, turning the all-star event into one with mostly unknown or very few participants.
But even the Emperor at her peak couldn't achieve that.
And Platinum was too young—many Japanese Uma Musume believed classic-year Uma Musume would find it difficult to win the 2500 meter Arima Kinen.
Additionally, there was a stereotype that Uma Musume who ran the Japan Cup found it very hard to win the Arima Kinen a month later.
After all, the Japan Cup was 2400 meters, while the Arima Kinen was 2500 meters—one was the closest to long-distance, the other truly long-distance.
On the surface, Platinum appeared to be full of "debuffs"—both a classic-year Uma Musume and having undergone a hellish battle schedule even more brutal than Japan Cup followed by Arima Kinen!
Namely—the Kikuka Shō, Japan Cup, and Arima Kinen, totaling almost 8000 meters, all within about two months!
So even though Platinum was already recognized by many fans and horse girls as the GOAT, most hadn't avoided the Arima Kinen.
The former GOAT, the Undefeated Triple Crown winner Symboli Rudolf, had lost to the front-running Katsuragi Ace in her classic year, ending her unbeaten streak!
Now, facing a Pegasus even more battle-hardened and still in her classic year, they felt they still had a chance to win—so why avoid it?!
Thus, the number of participants in the upcoming Arima Kinen was bound to be very high.
In other words—there would be many Uma Musume for Platinum to surpass.
Many Uma Musume for the Pegasus to shoot past, many opportunities to showcase her special effects to the world!!
The silver-haired girl was very satisfied with this.
A large crowd? Excellent!!
Without hesitation, she gave her answer.
"I'm in!"
Just wait, little Tachyon, little Teio, little Cafe.
I'm… coming for you!!
--+--
Time flew by.
At year's end in Japan, as the new year approached, the final G1 race drawing worldwide attention—the Arima Kinen—was about to begin!
The silver-haired girl sat on her bed, pulling on her knee-length white stockings before rising to pick up her bow case.
Clad in pure white race gear, the Pegasus wore a pleased smile.
"Finally… I can showcase all my special effects before the entire world."
"Let's go!"
Her great bow was thirsting for action!
--+--
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.