The next day, inside the clubroom marked with a "No Entry Except for Members" sign, King Halo, Admire Vega, and Narita Top Road had somehow managed to haul in a computer and were now huddled around it, their eyes fixed on the screen.
Displayed on the monitor was none other than the intra-school forum—a platform beloved by nearly all students and staff at Tracen Academy.
Whether it was up-to-date race information, general training tips, mysterious campus legends, or all sorts of rumors and gossip, you could find it all there.
The "Relationships" section alone was filled with countless little stories between Uma Musume and their trainers, or between one Uma Musume and another.
Truly, it was a vast ocean of information—nothing was off-limits.
Except, perhaps, for one particular Uma Musume whose routine consisted solely of school, training, part-time work, and races, and whose hobby was diving into dungeons across different worlds.
Nearly everyone else was quite familiar with the forum.
And today, a thread that served as a vital source of intelligence for King Halo's trio had just been updated.
--+--
[Gold Ship's Frontline Report: Trophy Changes Hands! Are We Witnessing a Major Shift in the Warring States Era?!]
[How goes the Golden Star Campaign?]
["As everyone knows, the Warring States era among the Uma Musume—composed of the 'Three Dummies' faction, the Kasamatsu Club, the Mejiro family, and various other powerful 'daimyō' Uma Musume—has now lasted a full week. Although conflicts and alliances have flared up repeatedly, no one has truly laid hands on the trophy that symbolizes supremacy over all."]
["But yesterday, an anonymous reporter from this outlet obtained confirmed intelligence: the Kasamatsu Club, long viewed as incompetent despite having a trainer in their grasp, has actually taken the trophy itself back to their territory!"]
["Does this mark the victorious end of the Warring States era, or is it merely the prelude to reignited conflict?! All will be revealed in Gold Ship's Frontline Report."]
--+--
King Halo's expression grew more solemn the further she read, but she kept reassuring herself internally that Gold Ship was capable of anything if it meant stirring up drama or entertainment—the intel might be true, but it also seemed too unlikely.
It was probably like last time: while something similar might have happened, most of the details were likely Gold Ship's own fabrications.
Just like that incident with Mejiro Ardan, who was merely cheering for Dream at the school gate, yet Gold Ship had spun it into a shocking "confession on the spot" battle report.
Having been frightened once before, King Halo was determined not to fall for Gold Ship's tricks again.
She forced a faint smile and shook her head at the two beside her.
"I think Gold Ship's running out of ideas," she said.
"It's probably just that Dream happened to run into them by chance. There really isn't much room for rumors there, so Gold Ship had to make up something this plain."
As she spoke, she didn't forget to bolster Narita Top Road and Admire Vega's spirits.
"We're still the group with the fastest progress, you know."
"Dream said it herself—she told us we're welcome to come play with her anytime! Can any other Uma Musume say that?"
Hearing this, Narita Top Road offered a wry smile. Dream Weaver had indeed said that, but they simply couldn't find the right moment to get close.
Not long after the "Stomped Bread Operation" had concluded, Orfevre had appeared behind Dream Weaver, locking horns with T.M. Opera O.
The tension between them was so thick you could practically ignite the air.
If the three of them even tried to approach, they were immediately blocked by the combined efforts of T.M. Opera O and Orfevre.
It was like having a claim, but lacking the power to enforce it.
And that wasn't even mentioning Narita Brian, who had shown up a few days ago, making it harder and harder for them to get near Dream Weaver.
Still, King Halo wasn't wrong. Even if the promise couldn't be fulfilled right now, at least they were the first—and currently the only—small group in this Warring States era to have secured such a promise.
So Narita Top Road nodded in agreement.
Admire Vega didn't join in the pep talk. Silently, she took the mouse from King Halo and scrolled further down the post.
When she saw the photo Gold Ship had taken yesterday, Admire Vega—usually expressionless—rarely bit her lip.
"Today's report… is true."
Her tone seemed unchanged, but there was a subtle tremor in it.
King Halo and Narita Top Road were shocked, their tails and horse ears standing on end as they hurriedly leaned in to look at the screen.
Seeing the picture of Kobayashi Kaze holding Dream Weaver's hand, Narita Top Road's pupils shook, and her jaw dropped involuntarily.
King Halo's face turned pale, disbelief written all over her features.
"How could this…"
She snatched the mouse back from Admire Vega and immediately pulled up the trainer directory on Tracen Academy's official website.
The school's trainer page was updated in real time—if a trainer took on a new charge, it would show up on the site within a day.
As old rivals, King Halo was well aware that the Kasamatsu Club had two trainers inside. Using a trainer to get close to Dream Weaver was their greatest advantage.
It was only because there had been no movement before that King Halo had let her guard down.
But now, with evidence right before her eyes, she could no longer pretend to ignore it. She went to the website and typed in the names of those two trainers to verify.
First, Satou Ken. Seeing that he still had no Uma Musume listed under his charge, King Halo quietly let out a sigh of relief.
But when she looked up Chizuru Haibara, that breath caught right in her throat.
There, in the list of Uma Musume under her care, was a name King Halo knew all too well.
In truth, King Halo was a step behind. She still thought all this had happened just yesterday.
Little did she know, yesterday was merely when Chizuru Haibara had brought Dream Weaver to the Kasamatsu Club.
As early as the day before yesterday, Chizuru Haibara had eagerly completed a heap of paperwork, finalizing her status as Dream Weaver's trainer.
At this point, there was no longer any way to claim they had the fastest progress.
Compared to a casual "come play anytime" promise, the bond formed under the same trainer was clearly deeper.
A long-absent sense of urgency surged through the three Uma Musume. Before, even when their plans kept failing, they could comfort themselves with being the furthest ahead.
But now, with their only advantage gone, they had no choice but to deploy their final weapon.
King Halo took a deep breath. Honestly, she really didn't want to resort to this ultimate measure.
But times were tough, and she could no longer afford to hesitate.
Under the eager gazes of her two companions, King Halo nodded, pulled out her phone, and scrolled through her contacts.
Staring at the name pinned at the top, King Halo felt her heart beat faster.
After several heavy breaths, she finally steeled herself, clenched her teeth, and made the call.
"Brrr—"
The ringtone dragged on, long enough to feel suffocating, before it finally cut off. King Halo lifted the phone to her ear.
"Mom…"
--+--
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.