The potion didn't cause any special problems. Perhaps the Three Goddesses were busy with other things and didn't notice, so they didn't have time to cause any trouble?
In any case, after recruiting two assistant Trainers, Ling stayed there, drinking tea and chatting with them, spending a pleasant afternoon.
It was evening, and on the way back, she encountered an unexpected person.
"Yo, long time no see."
Sirius Symboli, an Uma Musume who was very complex to her.
Her goodwill towards the other party? Almost none; instead, there was a heap of negative emotions.
But in other senses, the other party did change the trajectory of her life. If it weren't for the other party's actions back then, perhaps there wouldn't be the "King" she was now.
The other party was an Uma Musume whose delinquent aura was evident at first glance, and indeed, she was. She even specifically managed some problem children in the academy and formed the "Student Council Resistance" to go against her own older sister.
And because of her outstanding appearance, she seemed to have many fangirls.
From a strength perspective, the other party was also a very powerful Uma Musume, it's just that she really disliked starting gates, often unwilling to enter or being late, and when forced into the gate, she would often erupt and attack staff members.
But none of these were the main point for Ling. Ling's complex feelings towards the other party entirely stemmed from the other party's actions.
It was something that happened before she was able to participate in the qualifiers.
After all, being underage, she had to obediently study for a period before she could participate in the qualifiers. But at that time, if one were to call someone a problem child, she was definitely the biggest problem.
She didn't attend classes, didn't communicate with anyone, had a bad temper, but her grades in all aspects were ridiculously good.
It was so severe that she couldn't even be called an "eccentric genius"; she could only be called a "weirdo."
But she didn't mind; as long as someone could understand her, that was enough.
And the people who could understand her were, naturally, the Three Goddesses.
At that time, the Three Goddesses were still relatively serious; they became silly after she came to the city and exposed them to the internet.
And what made Ling this way was the conversation her adoptive parents had before their passing.
The two elders left one night, a scene Ling would never forget.
They often sat by the courtyard, enjoying the moon and chatting (referencing the final conversation between Kiritsugu and Shirou in Fate/Zero), and this day was no exception.
And Ling, worried they might catch a cold, brewed hot tea and brought warm clothes, intending to hand them to the two elders.
She often did this, and every time she did, the two elders would smile, praise her, and stroke her head.
Today, they were also chatting, and Ling, as usual, quietly put down the tea and draped the clothes over the two elders, then left them to their private space.
The two elders were very kind to her, caring for her like their own child, and they were very loving; in outsiders' eyes, they were a model elderly couple.
But today, Ling, by some strange impulse, wanted to hear what they were talking about, so she quietly listened outside the door.
Even if she was discovered, she would probably just be laughingly scolded for being a child not sleeping at this hour and then told to go to bed.
"Sigh... Old man, you say, if we're gone, what will Rei Zai do...?" The old woman sighed.
"She's very sensible and independent. She's not very old, but she can already take care of old folks like us." The old man must have picked up his tea and taken a sip.
They knew better than anyone that their health was getting worse and worse, just like how a moment ago, even lifting a cup of hot tea felt very strenuous.
"Yes... the child has grown up... after all, she's an Uma Musume..." The old woman also chuckled softly.
"But she's just a child, yet she has to take care of old people like us. It's really unfair to her." She then started sighing again.
"Yes... back then, we just thought about having a child in the house, so we adopted one. But now..." The old man also sighed.
This was what they owed her.
Even without them, Ling could still grow up in an orphanage, and seeing how sensible she was, surely someone better would have adopted her, right?
Because of their momentary desire, they brought this child to such a remote mountain forest to accompany two old people who could leave at any moment. If it were another child, if they died due to some accident, they would starve to death in this deep mountain, wouldn't they?
After adopting Ling, the two elders realized they had made a big mistake and planned to call someone to manage the house, also to ensure she wouldn't be left uncared for after their deaths. But because Ling refused and they saw how independent she was, they could only give up.
But precisely because Ling was so independent, the guilt in the two elders' hearts grew even greater.
Because of their momentary impulse, a child who should have grown up happily had to become independent prematurely. Was there anything more tragic?
Fortunately, they were still wealthy, at least, they should be able to satisfy her in other aspects, right?
Because she was an Uma Musume, she loved to run, so they specially bought other mountains around, successfully acquiring a natural grassland.
And it also contained sources of sweet carrots and phantom honey.
But even so, the two still felt they had given too little to this child.
"Old man... that child's smile is beautiful, isn't it?" While chatting idly, the old woman suddenly asked an irrelevant question.
"Yes... very beautiful." The old man's voice softened.
"If we hadn't adopted her... would she have had a better life?"
"I don't know... but if it were her... she would definitely live very well on her own, wouldn't she?"
"After all... it's that child, isn't it, old woman?"
"Old woman?"
Realizing something was wrong, Ling quickly pulled open the door and saw the old woman quietly leaning her head on the old man's shoulder.
Ling quickly notified the nearest hospital, and the hospital staff rushed over from the mountain road.
Perhaps because of the old woman's passing, the old man's illness also flared up, and according to the doctor's words... he wouldn't see tomorrow's sun.
Finally, the hospital decided to wait a little longer to allow the two elders to be buried together. Both Ling and the old man agreed.
In the hospital room, the doctor left them alone, but after the doctor left, crying gradually began again.
The one crying was the old man.
"Rei Zai... we... truly... are sorry for you..." His words were intermittent, even gasping for breath due to crying.
"It's okay... I thank you for bringing me here." Ling's voice was calm.
A smile hung on her face; this was her heartfelt gratitude to them.
She couldn't cry. If she cried, the old people would leave with regret, wouldn't they?
She thanked them for taking her from the orphanage, thanked them for giving her a home when she was most lost, thanked them for always taking good care of her, and thanked them for worrying so much for her...
Thanking him sentence by sentence, the old man's emotions gradually stabilized.
His speech was no longer so intermittent, as if the illness he was suffering from had improved.
"Rei Zai... do you want to run? On that racetrack?"
"Mm..."
"Then go... you... you can definitely become an Uma Musume that everyone looks up to." The old man's words were very firm, as if he was convinced that she would definitely become the strongest Uma Musume.
"Mm..."
"If you find it difficult to be alone, go to the Mejiro Ranch... tell the people there my name, and then... tell their family head... they will adopt you."
"Mm..."
"Also... there's a small wooden box in the cabinet in our room, it contains birthday presents that my wife and I prepared for you, we might not live to see that day..."
"Mm..."
"And... and..." The old man kept repeating himself, as if thinking about something.
"Thank you..."
The hand he was holding gradually lost its strength.
"Go..."
His voice also became smaller and smaller, but with an Uma Musume's hearing, she could still hear it.
... But she couldn't hear anything anymore.
She called the doctor, and after the doctor came over, he tried to pat her head, but she dodged him.
"How about you rest for a bit? I'll come and call you when it's time."
Ling did not refuse.
The next day, a funeral attended by only one person was held.
The old couple had no children, and Ling didn't even know who their relatives and friends were.
The doctor paid for the funeral himself, and Ling later specifically put the money in an envelope and sent it over, but it was returned by the other party.
She found the gift in the cabinet in the old man's room, it was a wooden hair ornament, carved by the old man himself, in the shape of the old woman's favorite flower.
After that, no one saw this little Uma Musume until she entered Tracen Academy.
The old man's words that night, his gratitude to her, his guilt towards her, and his vision for her future, made her give her all for these things.
Injured during training? The system can heal it anyway, so she continued after healing.
Sick? Continued after healing.
Lonely? So what?
Bored? What thoughts could she have during training?
Day off? Just sit where the old couple used to talk that day and drink hot tea, she could feel them watching her.
She didn't need to rely on others, she could live very well by herself.
Don't worry about her, she's fine on her own.
Really, it's okay to be alone.
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