Chapter 3: Do Not Disrespect the Central!
Meanwhile.
In a viewing room at Chukyo Racecourse.
The racecourse manager, a portly middle-aged man, stood hunched obsequiously before a sofa, expressing his deference to the young girl seated there.
Across from this man sat two famous Uma Musume:
One was a mature woman with luxurious green attire and long brown hair, save for a streak of white at her forehead.
She was an insurmountable peak in the current world of Uma Musume, the student council president of Central Trecen Uma Musume Academy, the first undefeated Triple Crown record holder, with a career record of 16 races, 13 wins, 1 second place, 1 third place, revered as the "Emperor": the legendary Uma Musume, Symboli Rudolf.
Sitting beside this "Emperor" was her assistant, the vice president of the Trecen Academy Student Council, another legend with an impressive record, revered as the "Empress": Air Groove.
"...It is an immense honor to have the Emperor and Empress grace us with your presence," the man said, wiping sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief due to his nervousness.
Logically, while these two Uma Musume had remarkable records, they had no direct authority over the racecourse manager, so he shouldn't need to be this fearful.
However, the student council they belonged to was the de facto administrative body managing all affairs at Trecen.
It could be said that with just a word from the Emperor or the Empress, all Uma Musume from the Central region would refuse to compete at a particular racecourse. If that happened, Chukyo could practically shut down.
So, seeing these two suddenly appear, the portly manager was extremely tense, afraid of inadvertently offending them and causing irreversible consequences.
"Manager, there's no need for this. Air Groove and I are just here to watch today's races, nothing more," Symboli Rudolf said with some helplessness.
She had originally come here quietly in her spare time to watch that child's important debut race but was unexpectedly recognized by the racecourse manager.
To maintain her perfect image, she had no choice but to engage in some polite conversation with the man, which made Symboli Rudolf feel quite weary.
"Then at least allow me to arrange the most premium VIP viewing room for you two!" the portly manager hastily replied.
"No need, Manager. We've already reserved this viewing room in advance. You just need to focus on your own duties," Air Groove, sitting to the side, interjected coolly, rejecting his offer.
After all, Air Groove would never permit any abuse of power within the Trecen Student Council.
"Then, regarding Tokai Teio, should we make some..."
"Manager, do you wish to bring shame upon my reputation?"
Symboli Rudolf didn't let the portly man finish, cutting him off directly.
As she spoke, she turned her head and stared directly into the middle-aged man's eyes.
In that instant, the man felt as if he were being stared down by a vicious dragon. The air around him grew oppressive, making even breathing difficult.
His entire body screamed in overloaded distress, his legs trembling uncontrollably, and countless voices in his mind shouted: Run, get away now!
"O-Of course not!!! Then, I'll... take my leave...!"
The man barely managed to utter the final pleasantry, then, clamping his legs together, scrambled out of the viewing room and dashed straight for the restroom.
"So annoying. We finally managed to coordinate a day off today, only to have to deal with such people," Symboli Rudolf said to Air Groove, her expression full of exasperation, after the man fled the room.
"It can't be helped," Air Groove replied, picking up a document from the table. "But he was at least somewhat useful—he brought this to us."
In her hand were fourteen files, the detailed profiles submitted during registration by the fourteen participants, including Tokai Teio.
"Any noteworthy talents? The principal previously complained to me about the low number of Uma Musume admissions this year. She gave me several special recruitment slots to increase the numbers," Symboli Rudolf asked.
"To be honest, aside from Teio and our school's Nice Nature... judging purely from the documents, there aren't any particularly notable individuals. But these are, after all, just data on paper. How they truly are can only be confirmed by seeing them on the track with our own eyes, right?" Air Groove replied, flipping through the documents.
Their demeanor was so natural, as if they were simply working in the Trecen Student Council office. Symboli Rudolf noticed this atmosphere and quickly interrupted to avoid letting her rare day off turn into work:
"Anyway, Teio's race is about to start... I actually hope someone in this race can pose a challenge to her."
"Is that so? Given how much you dote on that child, I can't see you truly feeling that way," Air Groove teased.
Even before Tokai Teio's debut, this previously stern and imposing student council president had been excessively doting on her, allowing Teio to playfully cling to her during work and checking on Teio's training progress daily—she was practically like the child's father...
"This... Well, that's one thing, and this is another!"
Symboli Rudolf, of course, knew she was somewhat overly doting normally and had even been called out on it by Air Groove several times. Now, she could only quickly change the subject:
"Because of my achievements, Teio has been fixated on replicating the undefeated Triple Crown even before her debut... Though it might sound conceited coming from me, achieving an undefeated Triple Crown is as difficult as climbing to the sky. It requires not just comprehensive strength, technique, and awareness, but also a touch of rare luck."
"Teio doesn't even understand the meaning of failure yet; she's simply idolizing it." At this point, Symboli Rudolf's expression also showed concern. "If she doesn't learn to understand the weight of victory, she might one day be completely crushed by failure..."
"So, it'd be better if she failed in her debut race?" Air Groove glanced over, her expression somewhat peculiar.
"I never said that!" Symboli Rudolf quickly explained. "Of course I hope that child has a perfect debut! But... if someone could at least pose a threat to her, it would make her realize that victory doesn't come easily and teach her to cherish every race."
"Just like my rival, Katsuragi Ace, back in the day. Horse racing is about competing with other Uma Musume to grow."
"You just keep spoiling her."
Air Groove rolled her eyes and stopped engaging, continuing to browse through the fourteen profiles.
Tokai Teio, this young filly hailed as the "future second Emperor" even before her debut—would she encounter her own "Katsuragi Ace" among these fourteen participants?
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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