Kitahara and Everlamp were shrouded in frustration, Nearl's ordeal feeling as if it were their own—a visceral, shared weight.
For a moment, a gloomy atmosphere fell over them like an iron curtain, that deep-seated melancholy taking root in their hearts, lingering and unshaken.
"Is that all, Trainer?"
Like sunlight breaking through gray clouds, Nearl's firm, resonant voice cut through the stifling air like a drumstick striking a drum, shattering the heavy silence.
"If that's all there is to it, then it's hardly worth mentioning."
"But once you dodge a race once, it'll keep happening! Before you know it, you won't even get to run in normal competitions anymore!"
Kitahara flailed as he explained, desperate to make Nearl grasp the severity of the situation.
But Nearl paid it no mind.
"So what if it does? I can still run. Even if there are no opponents, it doesn't matter. I'll just compete against myself."
"I'll use my own strength, my own presence, to show everyone that the summit is right here—that a rival only the brave dare to run alongside stands right here."
After saying this, Nearl turned her gaze to Kitahara Jo.
"Trainer, is this race planning to cancel its event?"
"No, not at all."
Suddenly faced with Nearl's intense presence, Kitahara instinctively straightened up, chest out and stomach in.
"The Kasamatsu Year-End Prize isn't just some privately sponsored race. Like the New Year's festival, it's Kasamatsu's year-end celebration—something like an old-fashioned stage gathering. It won't be canceled unless things get extreme."
"Then there's no problem, Trainer. We'll participate as planned. Even if I'm the only one, I'll finish this race."
Nearl looked down at her tightly clenched fists, her gaze unwavering. She knew her path was about to take its first real step.
"I'll deliver a record-breaking performance and show everyone that I don't need strong rivals to make my victories shine."
"On the contrary, they should be proud to have the courage to face me in a race."
"Even if I'm only running in a SP3 event, that one race will carry more weight than any SP1."
Nearl spoke with earnest passion, her extraordinary spirit seeming to ignite a fire in Kitahara's heart as well.
"What a willful partner you are…"
He pulled his cap down low, hiding his eyes completely, but the smile at the corner of his lips was unmistakable.
"But isn't it a trainer's job to make an Uma Musume's words into reality?"
Kitahara thrust his clenched right fist toward Nearl, his usual laziness gone, replaced by radiant energy.
"Do what you want to do, Nearl. I'll do what I can do. Show me your future."
"You'll see it, Trainer."
Seeing Kitahara Jo like this, Nearl happily extended her own right fist, meeting his in a solid bump.
"And me! I'll do everything I can too! If it comes to it, I'll make a comeback and run with Nearl-nee!"
Everlamp eagerly stretched out her fist to join them, completing a steady, triangular overlap.
The three exchanged smiles, their worries about the boycott already tossed to the winds.
"Come on, let the audience, let everyone know just what kind of Uma Musume Margaret Nearl really is."
--+--
"This is troublesome," murmured Symboli Rudolf, reading a news report with intense focus. "I knew Nearl would face something like this eventually, but for her third race? That's far too early."
Her mind wholly occupied, the Emperor walked thoughtfully into the student council room, not even noticing Mr. C.B lounging smugly on the sofa.
Naturally, Rudolf's demeanor piqued Mr. C.B's curiosity.
"Rudolf, what's on your mind? You're so deep in thought you didn't even hear me say hello."
"Ah, it's you, Senpai."
Preoccupied with Nearl's situation, Rudolf had completely forgotten her own morning mishap. Right now, she could use another opinion.
"It seems Nearl has run into some trouble."
"Hm?"
At the sound of Nearl's name, even the usually carefree and easygoing Mr. C.B furrowed her brow.
She leaped up from the sofa and strode quickly to the desk. "What's going on?"
"Nearl's been boycotted. In the third race of her career."
Rudolf then recounted everything she'd learned to Mr. C.B, hoping for some advice.
But to her surprise, after hearing the whole story, Mr. C.B—who had seemed a bit concerned at first—just relaxed and shrugged.
"Seriously, that's all? Why worry over something so small? You're making a mountain out of a molehill, Rudolf."
Mr. C.B shrugged again and casually slipped back onto the sofa.
"Senpai, this is a serious situation. If it isn't handled well, Nearl could end up retiring early."
"It's fine. You're underestimating Nearl, Rudolf. She's not the type to be held back by something like this."
Mr. C.B lay back on the sofa, speaking confidently.
"There's a toughness in her, a sharpness that cuts through obstacles. I'm not wrong about this. A little thing like this isn't even a stumbling block."
"I hope it turns out as you say, Senpai. If Nearl can keep moving forward safely, I wouldn't mind worrying like this a few hundred more times." Symboli Rudolf sighed.
"Oho~ You seem especially focused on Nearl. Even for a kouhai, that's a bit much, don't you think?"
Mr. C.B teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Senpai, you don't understand. Nearl and I aren't just senior and junior."
"Though she's still young, Nearl's thinking is already mature. She and I are travelers on the same path—that kind of companion is rare, and all the more precious for it." Symboli Rudolf closed her eyes, her voice carrying a softness that was hard to define.
But clearly, Mr. C.B didn't get it.
"Eww~ That's seriously creepy."
That blunt remark shattered the Emperor's reverie and reminded her of the culprit from this morning.
"Heh. Senpai, there's something I'd like to discuss with you…" Rudolf rose with a cold smile.
"Uh, you know, I just remembered something…"
Sensing the shift in mood, Mr. C.B immediately tried to bolt, but Symboli Rudolf wasn't about to let her off that easily.
"Don't even think about running!"
"Stay away from me!"
Inside the room, the two engaged in a game of cat and mouse—all while dealing another blow to a certain "auntie" waiting nervously outside, too afraid to enter.
"C.B… I was too late. I'm sorry…"
Maruzensky's mind conjured images of what was happening behind the door, her heart filled with dread and guilt.
--+--
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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.