Mr. C.B... Star Dancer had heard that name before.
She'd appeared in the list of Triple Crown contenders compiled by European trainers, ranking near the top with an undefeated record in the training camp.
But the roster was always being updated.
At some point, Mr. C.B.'s name had gradually faded from the list of Triple Crown hopefuls, and Star Dancer's impression of her remained stuck in the distant past.
Yet, fueled by her absolute determination to win the Satsuki Sho, she had inexplicably overlooked this discrepancy.
During her pre-race intelligence gathering, she had specifically investigated Mr. C.B.
To Star Dancer's surprise, this once-prominent genius who had withdrawn from the training camp had not participated in a single major race organized by the European training system since.
Consequently, Star Dancer couldn't obtain any more recent information through data searches.
Apart from past records, the most recent material Star Dancer could find was footage of the graded stakes race Mr. C.B. had entered to qualify for the Satsuki Sho.
But as someone born and bred in Europe, aiming for the continent's core regions to compete with its elite prodigies, how could Star Dancer possibly care about some minor regional graded stakes?
A race composed of Uma Musume who couldn't even pass the selection trials—how could it possibly force Mr. C.B. to reveal her true strength?
Still, Star Dancer wasn't overly wary of Mr. C.B.
No matter how talented she might have been, having been away from the European training system for so long, without even participating in a single proper training race, how much of her former prowess could she possibly retain in such an environment?
Watching that Uma Musume who still wore a carefree smile amidst the wind and rain, Star Dancer quietly allowed a smirk to curl her lips.
An Uma Musume like Mr. C.B., who had voluntarily given up her chance to advance—even without more information on her, Star Dancer didn't believe she would lose.
Now, she had data on every other Triple Crown contender except Mr. C.B., and the only missing one was a coward who had abandoned her progress long ago.
Star Dancer felt she could almost see the Satsuki Sho trophy waving to her already.
Just thinking of the honors and status that would follow the championship, Star Dancer secretly clenched her fists.
'Not yet, it's not time. Can't get excited now.'
'Wait. Just wait until after crossing the finish line, then you can declare your victory!'
Star Dancer desperately suppressed the excitement in her chest, forcing herself to remain calm.
This was something her European trainer had drilled into her time and again—only by staying calm could she bring her best form to the track.
She simply closed her eyes, letting the announcer's introductions of the racers wash over her ears.
Employing the mind-calming techniques she'd learned during training, she waited for the final contestant to appear.
One by one, names were called by the commentator. After number twelve, Mr. C.B., several more Uma Musume were announced, until finally the name of the last competitor for this year's Satsuki Sho echoed across the grounds.
"Were those bold claims during the trials just pride or ignorance? Can she truly reproduce that overwhelming speed that surpassed all others?! The final entry—"
"Number eighteen, Dream Weaver!"
The moment the commentator's words fell, a wave of murmurs swept through the spectator stands, seemingly sparking discussion about this Uma Musume's past.
But Star Dancer paid it no mind.
She slowly opened her eyes, which now held no trace of emotional fluctuation. This was one of the world-leading secret techniques of European Uma Musume Racing—a form of self-hypnosis to enter an optimal competitive state.
Only a select few Uma Musume recognized as geniuses ever got the chance to learn this skill.
And the reason Star Dancer could be called a genius even in Europe was precisely because she had mastered this method. It was her second trump card for seizing victory in the Satsuki Sho.
Legend had it that this system, through layer upon layer of training, could allow an Uma Musume to reach a mysterious state known as "The Zone."
She was certain that among the competitors here, no other Uma Musume had progressed further in this than she had.
Perhaps only those prodigies from Europe's core regions were ahead of her, maybe even infinitely close to that realm already.
However, knowing she lagged behind didn't discourage Star Dancer. As long as she won the Satsuki Sho, the higher access privileges she'd gain, combined with increased resource allocation, could allow her to reach that state just like those elites.
So, what came next was simple.
Carve out her own glory from among these formidable Triple Crown contenders!
As for that final contestant the commentator had just mentioned, Dream Weaver, Star Dancer truly didn't care.
To her, it was just a signal that the race was about to begin.
She'd learned of Dream Weaver's existence during her pre-race intel gathering, but the moment she saw that Dream Weaver had refused an invitation to Europe, she immediately dismissed her.
An Uma Musume like that, no matter how gifted, could never hope to compete with those like herself, forged by years within the European training system.
Take the secret self-hypnosis technique Star Dancer had just used—an Uma Musume like Dream Weaver, who turned down Europe, might never even get a chance to hear of it in her entire life.
Her goal was the Satsuki Sho championship, to advance further and become one of Europe's core elites, to continue training in the secret techniques until she neared that miraculous state called The Zone.
An Uma Musume like Dream Weaver was nothing but a weed by the roadside, intersecting with her path for only the briefest of moments.
She would use the Satsuki Sho victory as a springboard to the true heart of Europe, while Uma Musume like Dream Weaver, who refused Europe's invitation, would be stuck here forever, rolling in the dirt of regional graded stakes alongside countless others who had lost their potential.
Without sparing so much as a glance in Dream Weaver's direction, Star Dancer walked straight toward her assigned starting gate.
By heading over before the announcer's official call, she failed to notice what was happening behind her.
The other Triple Crown contenders, whom she took seriously enough to research their weaknesses for an advantage, were now staring with grave expressions at the crimson figure about to emerge from the competitor's tunnel.
Because she left early, Star Dancer missed that sharp, blade-like aura that made hearts quail.
She wasn't suffocated by the terrifying pressure radiating from Dream Weaver like the other contenders were, but in turn, she lost the chance to recognize her strongest opponent in this race ahead of time.
Who could say whether that was fortune or misfortune?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.