Before Dream Weaver could even get a word out, the Uma Musume with the manic grin leaped from her chair. Her oversized white sleeves swayed as she stalked toward Dream Weaver, eyes narrowing.
When she spoke, her voice carried the honeyed, dangerous pull of the serpent tempting Eve in Eden.
"Even with the curse of the Arc de Triomphe, second place is still something. It keeps a flicker of hope alive."
"But now, you can't even hold onto second. It's easy to see your physical condition is only going to plummet from here. Your time is running out."
From within the cavernous sleeve that completely swallowed her hand, she produced a glass vial shimmering with an eerie, shifting light. She dangled it tauntingly before Dream Weaver's eyes.
"But I have an opportunity here—"
"A chance for you to break free from that curse."
"Care to give it a whirl?"
Dream Weaver instinctively pulled back as the purple potion swayed in front of her.
It wasn't so much the girl's crazed, cult-like tone that spooked her; it was more that, with her own meager knowledge of chemistry, Dream Weaver figured any liquid glowing with a weird light was probably bad news.
"Don't go shaking that thing until it explodes," she said warily.
The other Uma Musume blinked, seemingly caught off guard by the response. She tilted her head, a hint of confusion in her gaze.
"How strange. I don't hear a trace of obsession with the Arc in your voice. It's as if it doesn't even matter to you."
"But that shouldn't be right. After carrying that curse for so long, after being branded the 'Nightmare of the Arc de Triomphe,' how could you possibly be content?"
With a careless shrug, the girl tossed the potion aside and scratched at her messy, chestnut curls before scurrying back to her chair.
Dream Weaver watched the spot where the vial landed with a grim expression. Only after she was certain there would be no explosion did she step forward.
"I don't know what that was, but is it really okay to just throw away a potion you worked so hard to brew?"
"Oh, don't worry about it. That was actually just grape soda."
Agnes Tachyon curled up in her chair, facing her computer. Her giant sleeves blurred in a frantic clack-clack-patter across the keyboard and mouse, her intentions unknown.
"Normal grape soda doesn't glow like that..."
"It's the bottle that glows. I coated the outside with some fluorescent material."
"Why?"
"Don't you think a glowing potion just looks more impressive?"
As she spoke, she gave the mouse a heavy final click, as if finishing a difficult task. She turned back to Dream Weaver.
"So, you're looking for me to be your assistant! You should have just said so!"
Dream Weaver glanced at the monitor. There it was—an email sent by Northern Taste in the name of the academy.
So, she just shoved me over here without even checking with the person first...
Dream Weaver sighed inwardly at Northern Taste' antics. Still, she reached out a hand toward the girl.
"That's right, Agnes Tachyon. I want you to be my assistant."
She wasn't sure if she wanted to recruit her personal Uma Musume just yet, but she could at least get acquainted with her colleagues.
Tachyon squinted, an unreadable smile spreading across her face. She tilted her head, staring at Dream Weaver as if calculating something deep behind those eyes.
"I suppose I could."
"But, I have one condition—"
After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"What is it?"
"I need you to be my exclusive guinea pig. This is the physical data of a world-class Uma Musume we're talking about; I'll need you to cooperate with some medicinal experiments from time to time."
Dream Weaver hesitated for a moment. But then she remembered that Tachyon was a top-tier talent at Central Tracen, hand-picked by Northern Taste.
If Northern Taste had the confidence to recommend her as an assistant, Tachyon had to be a professional.
Since it was a professional pharmacist's experiment, Dream Weaver figured she would be fine. She nodded in agreement.
"As long as nothing explodes."
She meant it as a joke, but Tachyon nodded with terrifying seriousness and immediately began typing into a digital notepad.
[1. No use of explosive potions.]
Dream Weaver's lip twitched. "Wait... are there actually potions that explode?" she asked, her voice wavering.
"Ahaha! How could such a thing exist? I'm simply recording it to show respect for my partner's wishes. Rest easy, rest easy."
Tachyon laughed, patting Dream Weaver on the shoulder with a hand hidden deep inside her lab coat sleeve. She gestured for her to relax, but the more she did, the more uneasy Dream Weaver felt.
Dream Weaver stood over the computer, dictating terms word by word, establishing one treaty after another. It took half an hour before she felt she had scrubbed every dangerous condition from the agreement.
"You're quite the strict one, Miss Guinea Pig. Can't you show a little more support for the advancement of science?"
"Go find a real guinea pig for that."
Looking at the slightly disappointed Tachyon, Dream Weaver couldn't help but shake her head. She wondered what kind of dangerous element Northern Taste had saddled her with.
Still, she was already here. Since she had connected with Tachyon, she might as well round up her other colleague.
"Do you know where Sweet Light is?" Dream Weaver asked.
Tachyon was currently crouched by her feet, her hands already wandering curiously over Dream Weaver's legs. "She's supposed to be working with us too."
Tachyon stopped, reluctantly pulling her hands away from Dream Weaver's calves.
"This entire building is reserved for the scientists. Her activity room isn't far."
She gave Dream Weaver a playful wink. "Are you sure you can't wait until I've finished gathering this data before you go find her?"
"No."
Dream Weaver's answer was short and final. After getting the directions from Tachyon, she strode out of the room. But before she had gone two steps, she suddenly turned back as if remembering something.
She grabbed Tachyon by her oversized sleeves and pulled her along.
"If we're going to be colleagues, we might as well all get together and get to know each other."
The two of them headed toward the end of the hallway. As they drew closer, the noise grew louder—a chaotic, mechanical din.
By the time they reached the door, the racket was so intense that Dream Weaver suspected the room was undergoing a full structural renovation.
"Is her room under construction?"
"It's always like this. Even with the soundproofing foam, it doesn't do much when you're this close."
"Don't bother knocking; she won't hear you anyway. Just go on in."
Dream Weaver nodded, gripped the handle, and threw the door open.
The sight that met her made her freeze on the spot. Staring at the Uma Musume before her, who was covered in the glint of polished metal and machinery, she muttered in disbelief:
"Iron... Iron Man?"
--+--
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.