Even though Gold Ship was usually mischievous and rarely participated in races, and almost everyone at Tracen Academy knew of Gold Ship's "notoriety," few knew that Gold Ship, as an Uma Musume, was not weak in physical fitness at all; it was just that few people had ever seen her train.
Which Uma Musume who could enter Tracen Academy was weak? Almost every Uma Musume at Tracen Academy, after systematic training and tactical adjustments and targeted training by excellent Trainers, had the potential to compete for the GI championship in the future. However, winning a GI required not only diligent training and persistent patience, but also luck, performance, and various factors of the arena were very important.
And after all that, the reason why Gold Ship was famous at Tracen Academy but no one still thought she was strong was because she hardly ever trained and rarely performed in races. This did not mean that she was truly a poor runner or lacked potential.
"Ha, ha…"
"How was it, old man? I ran pretty well, didn't I?"
"Hmm, this speed is completely fine for a Debut Race." Imanami glanced at the stopwatch results. Of course, it was still some distance from Gold Ship's peak period in his memory, but for a Racehorse who hadn't even run a Debut Race, it was undoubtedly enough.
What? Why would Imanami know that Gold Ship hadn't run a Debut Race? — Because when Imanami saw Gold Ship's current personality and McQueen's reaction next to her, he could guess that this child must not have been on a racetrack much.
No, it should be said that she definitely hadn't even done much training. But even so, being able to achieve such a result over a 2000-meter distance clearly indicated that Gold Ship's qualities were by no means inferior.
She was just too lazy.
"As expected, she's good at middle and long distances. But it would be too much to ask you to run 3000 meters right after finishing 2000 meters. Let's rest today."
"Yay, I'm tired from running too, it's time to go back to the dorm and sleep soundly!" Although Gold Ship said this, apart from a slight heavy breathing, she hadn't even broken a sweat. After a simple jog, she was effortlessly smiling again.
Before leaving, Gold Ship seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly turned her head to say:
"Oh, old man! Remember to wait for me here tomorrow! Gold Ship-sama will run a beautiful 3000 meters for you to see, so don't miss it!"
"Hmm, see you tomorrow." Imanami also gently smiled and waved goodbye to Gold Ship, watching until the child's figure disappeared from his sight before retracting his gaze.
McQueen, who was also seeing Gold Ship actively participate in a race for the first time, had already opened her mouth slightly in surprise, even forgetting to hide her reaction. For an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family who always upheld elegance and grace, this was a small mistake McQueen would never have made before.
"That Gold Ship… is actually that amazing… With such results, is the Debut Race completely fine?"
"How could this be? As an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family, having undergone such systematic training, I'm actually… similar to Gold Ship, who hardly trains?"
At this moment, Mejiro McQueen even began to doubt her own talent and ability as an Uma Musume. As an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family, although strictly speaking she was from a branch family, ever since her aptitude as an Uma Musume was revealed, she had always enjoyed the best treatment provided by the Mejiro Family, starting much faster than ordinary Uma Musume and avoiding many detours.
Although Mejiro McQueen had not yet debuted, as a rising star of the Mejiro Family, she had been a highly anticipated existence since her enrollment. Although her personality was gentle and she was not the type to get into conflicts with others, deep down, Mejiro McQueen still had her own pride — the pride of being a "Horse Girl of a prestigious family."
Mejiro McQueen firmly believed that her starting point was higher than most Uma Musume. She just needed an opportunity, an opportunity… that would allow her to flawlessly win first place in her Debut Race.
However, this pride was greatly shaken by Gold Ship's sudden performance this time.
"Could it be… that I'm not that strong? My talent and ability as an Uma Musume aren't that good?"
Mejiro McQueen couldn't help but murmur to herself. She had seen Gold Ship's speed earlier and believed that Gold Ship might be slightly inferior to her, but if this were truly the scene of a Debut Race, Mejiro McQueen also admitted that she couldn't 100% guarantee a win against Gold Ship, after all, a race and training were two different things, and there were too many influencing factors in a race.
Wouldn't that mean that she, who had undergone systematic training by the Mejiro Family, was not as good as Gold Ship, who hardly trained? How could this not shake Mejiro McQueen's self-confidence?
And at this moment, Imanami's voice pulled Mejiro McQueen back from surprise to doubt, just before she almost reached the point of self-pity.
"Don't be so modest, Miss Mejiro. Your talent is evident from your surname alone. Almost every Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family is a hope that can continue its glory."
Imanami had clearly noticed McQueen's silence and self-pity. Imanami wasn't a block of wood; he had been a Racehorse stablehand for so long that he could quickly detect even if a real Racehorse, let alone Mejiro McQueen with a human face, fell into a low mood.
As Imanami said, he had been a stablehand for so many years and could detect all kinds of Racehorse situations and sudden circumstances, let alone a human face that could speak and understand expressions? The ability to communicate made Imanami feel very convenient; he could detect the emotions of each Uma Musume faster and make adjustments.
"Miss Mejiro, you are the glory and pride of the Mejiro Family. Don't doubt yourself. Although you may not have even participated in a Debut Race yet, I have great confidence in you."
"Is, is that so?" Mejiro McQueen, seeing her emotions detected, smoothed her beautiful hair with a hint of embarrassment, then forced a calm expression and said:
"I, I wasn't feeling self-pity. Although that child Gold Ship's performance did surprise me a bit, I am an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family."
"For me, only equally strong Uma Musume can be considered my opponents, and challenging strong opponents can stimulate my potential and ability."
"I am also preparing for my Debut Race. With just a little effort, I am confident I won't lose to Gold Ship…"
As she spoke, Mejiro McQueen bowed slightly to Imanami with a respectful attitude. The worry and unease on her face slowly dissipated, and she regained her composure as the young lady of the Mejiro Family.
Imanami, upon hearing this, blinked slightly, seeing through the young lady's pretense. So, with a gentle smile, he asked:
"Then, Miss Mejiro, may I ask a question?"
"Please tell me, as an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family, why have you not participated in a Debut Race for so long?"
"…"
However, Imanami's rhetorical question made Mejiro McQueen's cheeks visibly redden rapidly. Then, the young lady, still feigning composure, coughed dryly and stammered:
"It, it's just that the timing isn't right, desuwa! As long as I try a little harder, I can overcome this small obstacle, desuwa!"
Even her verbal tic was becoming hard to hide. Mejiro McQueen only felt that Imanami's gaze next to her, as if he had seen through everything, was burning hot like fire, and her cheeks also felt a burning sensation from embarrassment.
Could it be… that he even saw through that thing?!
That shouldn't be. She had been controlling herself very well recently, at least it shouldn't be obvious on the surface. Why would it still be exposed… "I, I'm going to train, desuwa! I need to catch up to Gold Ship's pace and then win the Debut Race beautifully."
"Then, I, I'll be taking my leave!"
Finally, Mejiro McQueen slipped away from Imanami's sight as if fleeing. Imanami watched Mejiro McQueen's retreating figure, which apparently confirmed his suspicion.
Indeed… Is it because of weight issues?
"The Mejiro McQueen I remember was very striking; it was obvious at a glance that she was overweight. But I didn't expect that in this world… such a seemingly petite Uma Musume would also be troubled by this issue?"
"It seems that Uma Musume truly cannot be imagined with common sense…"
Through today's events, Imanami also gained a new understanding of the existence of Uma Musume. And he not only met Gold Ship but also the legendary Mejiro McQueen, which was worth the trip… If he had time, he should go watch Mejiro McQueen train. He hoped she would be determined to lose weight this time. If he, as a stablehand, could do something, he would do his best to help this legendary Uma Musume, who was still before her Debut Race.
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