"Please! Please save this Himeji Local Tresen Academy that's about to be abolished!"
Seiun Sky, who had been enrolled for less than a week, was called to the Director's Office.
With the door to the room closed, the Black-haired Uma Musume stared at the young man standing ramrod straight in front of her.
Just as she was wondering what the Director wanted with her, she saw the man in front of her take a step back, then bow ninety degrees towards her, and utter that sentence.
"Excuse me, I think I misheard you just now. Could you please repeat that?"
The Black-haired Uma Musume tried to escape reality.
"Please save this school that's about to be abolished…"
"Alright, please wait."
The Black-haired Uma Musume interrupted the Director before he could finish, pressing her hands downwards: "Other things aside, why do you think I, a new student who hasn't even been enrolled for a week, can do something like this?"
"Because you are our last hope."
Hearing Seiun Sky say this, the Director's face showed an awkward expression, and he silently averted his gaze.
"…What do you mean?"
Seiun Sky, hearing the young Director say this, was first stunned, then a bad premonition arose in her heart.
Wait, now that I think about it, I haven't seen any other Uma Musume besides me these past few days. Could it be…?!
"You are actually the only student left at our Himeji Tracen Academy."
As if to confirm her ominous feeling, the Director straightened up and sighed with a worried expression: "The previous Director of Himeji Local Tresen Academy, due to his advanced age, passed this position on to me not long ago."
"Please wait, the only student?"
A shocked Seiun Sky widened her eyes: "But when I registered, I saw that there were still over twenty students enrolled in this school?"
"Why, as soon as I arrived… just… just…"
At this point, the Black-haired Uma Musume's face suddenly turned pale.
Could it be that I accidentally got contaminated with something unclean when I wasn't paying attention?!
"Ah… you mean that."
The young man, unaware of what the Black-haired Uma Musume in front of him was thinking, began to explain: "That's just because we forgot to update the academy's information."
"And, those students had already gradually stopped coming to school about half a year ago."
When mentioning this, the man's face was filled with sorrow.
"…Originally, we had already prepared to completely close down if no students enrolled this year,"
But, when his gaze refocused on Seiun Sky, he joyfully took a step forward and grabbed Seiun Sky's hand: "…If Miss Seiun Sky hadn't appeared in time, there would be no one left in this Himeji Tracen Academy!"
"It's so wonderful that you chose our Himeji Tracen! Thank you so much!"
…I can't say it at all.
Seiun Sky thought silently to herself, looking at the Director who was unusually happy just because she had chosen this academy.
The reason, 'this academy is closest to home, so I can go home on weekends,' completely finds no opportunity to be said—!
"And! I also watched your training the day before yesterday!"
Recalling the sight of the Black-haired Uma Musume running on the training ground, the man couldn't help but get excited.
That speed… let alone a debut race, it would be more than enough for a G2 race!
If it's her… maybe it can work!
"So please! Please consider my request!"
The man clapped his hands together in front of the Black-haired Uma Musume, who was half a head shorter than him, with a 'snap': "…As long as you agree! I'll agree to any request you have!"
"You said… you'd agree to any request I have?"
Seiun Sky repeated the words the man had just spoken.
After seeing him nod repeatedly, the Black-haired Uma Musume asked again: "Aren't you worried that I might take this opportunity to make some outrageous demands?"
"…Given the current situation, could anything be worse than the school being abolished?"
The man replied with a bitter smile.
Unable to recruit students—no Uma Musume participating in races—unable to apply for funding.
For the current Himeji Local Tresen Academy, this had become an unsolvable vicious cycle.
If not for Seiun Sky, the academy named Himeji Local Tresen would have completely disappeared from history three days ago, ceasing to exist.
And now, Seiun Sky's enrollment, and everything he saw on the training ground the day before yesterday, reignited the flame in his nearly cooled heart.
If it's her… she can definitely do it!
"Seriously, so this is why you called me here, Director?"
After looking at the Director, who was staring at her expectantly, for a while, Seiun Sky's tone became helpless: "…And what you said when I entered the door also made me feel a bit confused at the time."
"Strange words? Wait, don't you think that sentence was very cool?"
Hearing Seiun Sky's words, the man was first stunned, then an incredulous expression appeared on his face: "…Like a guide in a game, leading the protagonist onto the path of saving the world."
"…"
Seiun Sky just looked at him silently, making the young Director quickly give in.
"…Alright, alright, for someone my age, it is indeed a bit childish."
The man mumbled softly, then looked up again at the Black-haired Uma Musume standing in front of him.
"Then you…"
"Wait, I still have one more question."
Seiun Sky raised her hand, interrupting the words the man had just spoken: "Why did the students who used to attend this academy choose not to come to school anymore?"
"…"
The man fell silent upon hearing the Black-haired Uma Musume ask this question.
He stood there blankly, seemingly pondering how he should answer the question, then sighed softly under her puzzled gaze and turned to walk to the desk.
"'Emperor,' you know which Uma Musume this title belongs to, right?"
"Of course."
Seiun Sky blurted it out without thinking.
Rudolph Symboli, who in this world doesn't know her.
Seiun Sky thought to herself, then added a sentence at the end.
…Although I'm not a native of this world.
But what does this have to do with Rudolph Symboli?
"She… has been 'poaching' from Tresen Academies in various places."
The man leaned against the desk, subconsciously taking out a lighter and a rolled cigarette from his jacket pocket.
But upon seeing Seiun Sky staring at him, the man smiled awkwardly at her, then put away the cigarette held between his fingers.
"…Of course, the main reason is still that this academy no longer sees any hope."