Tannhauser was completely stunned. She checked the log multiple times to make sure she hadn't misread it.
Her name and the Chairwoman's name were right there.
She was the "son" of Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa.
"Oh wow, Canopus really has a big shot among us! I never suspected it, but looking back, the signs were there."
"Chairwoman Akikawa often visits Canopus to find Tannhauser and encourages her, saying her sunny, positive spirit fills Tracen with positivity. She said she had high hopes for her!"
As Nice Nature pondered this, she was struck with awe.
It had all come together, the timelines had truly converged. This was the manifestation of a parent's concern for their child.
"Come to think of it, Tannhauser, did you ever feel a special connection between you and the Chairwoman before? How should I put it... a connection of blood?"
Nice Nature asked before noticing that Matikane Tannhauser's CPU was about to burn out.
She gently fanned Tannhauser with her hand.
"Uh... a connection... Na-na-na-Nature-san... how should I put it... I think there was a little something, but I never thought of it that way before. I only felt deep gratitude for the Chairwoman's constant encouragement."
Matikane Tannhauser waved her hands frantically, speaking with fear and trepidation.
Clearly, she hadn't recovered from the shock yet.
"Honestly, you need to pay more attention! Your thinking is way too limited, Tannhauser-san."
Tokai Teio put her hands on her hips, giggling as she began her roast.
"Teio, aren't you the same? You didn't realize your relationship with President Rudolf at the time either."
"When you found out Rudolf was your father in the real world, you stood there frozen for a full thirty seconds without reacting."
Twin Turbo immediately pulled the rug out from under her.
She remembered Teio's reactions like the back of her hand, after all, Teio was her self-proclaimed fated rival.
"That was different! That was a fresh reveal! Who could have guessed that President Rudolf was actually my father in the real world? The President can't even do the Teio Step!"
"My child will definitely inherit my dance moves!"
Full of energy, Tokai Teio started hopping around again.
"Tokai Teio did indeed inherit Rudolf's leg strength, but she didn't inherit the President's sense of humor. That is truly a regrettable thing."
Narita Brian's words left everyone speechless.
"That kind of humor is fine not to inherit!"
Teio took a step back, completely deadpan. She couldn't imagine herself telling "dad jokes" like President Rudolf.
It was too cringeworthy.
'Teio-sama does NOT want to become a weird adult.'
"Oh? Matikane Tannhauser is actually the Chairwoman's son?"
Agnes Tachyon's eyes flickered with a mysterious thought. She immediately smiled and said to Tannhauser:
"Tannhauser-san, could you do me a small favor? I have a lot of expensive black tea at home, why don't you take it all?"
"In exchange, how about you ask the Chairwoman to arrange another lab for me?"
Jungle Pocket was horrified: "Tachyon, you... you corrupt person! This is blatant bribery!"
Tannhauser was dazed, stuttering: "Eh? Tachyon-san, but that's not something I can decide! And I can't accept such valuable gifts from you."
Agnes Tachyon spun her hands in circles, laughing: "It's fine! Whatever you like, I have it all here."
Manhattan Cafe couldn't listen anymore.
"Honestly, Tachyon, don't be so ridiculous. You know exactly why they won't give you more labs. Your experiments are too dangerous."
"If you had just listened to Tazuna and the Chairwoman from the start and stopped those experiments, you probably would have had a new lab by now."
Tachyon laughed.
"Oh, Cafe, that's why our thinking is different. Without eccentric scientists with bizarre ideas, without strange and grotesque researchers, without those exaggerated and unrealistic fantasies, our society wouldn't progress!"
Narita Brian cut in: "Tachyon, by 'bizarre ideas,' do you mean discussing bribing our Chairwoman right in front of me, the Vice President of the Student Council?"
"I have a temper too, you know. To teach you a small lesson, I'm confiscating your expensive black tea for now."
"Once you've learned your lesson, you can come to the Student Council to collect it."
Tachyon looked like she had been struck by lightning.
She immediately put on a pitiful expression.
'How could this be? All my black tea is gone...'
She wailed dejectedly: "Wuuu, Cafe, it seems I can't do this anymore."
Seeing Tachyon looking so miserable, Manhattan Cafe comforted her.
"It's good that you know you were wrong, Tachyon. I have coffee here you can drink. If you really want black tea, I'll go plead your case for you."
Manhattan Cafe was as gentle as ever.
However, a second later, Agnes Tachyon let out a sinister, cackling laugh.
"As expected, one learns from their mistakes! Cafe, next time I'll do this when Narita Brian and Air Groove aren't around. I will get my lab. If Plan A fails, I still have Plan B!"
Narita Brian was speechless.
'So you didn't change, you just changed your tactics? And can't you say these things where I can't hear you?'
'What is this? An open provocation?'
Brian's fists tightened. There were just too many difficult students at Tracen Academy.
Daiwa Scarlet was at a loss for words.
'Tachyon-senpai, stop talking! Can't you see the murderous look in Narita Brian-senpai's eyes?'
Gold Ship was laughing heartily, nudging McQueen next to her.
"McQueen, I also think Tachyon did the wrong thing. Her vision is too small."
"If you're giving gifts, you have to give enough to satisfy Brian and Air Groove too! She's still no match for me."
Mejiro McQueen was flabbergasted.
"Gold Ship-san, honestly, don't make it even more ridiculous! Where on earth did you learn this?"
"From Trainer Mizuki, of course! She said you shouldn't show up empty-handed for a meeting."
"Can't she teach you something good for once?!"
Special Week, munching on a carrot, opened her mouth.
"Suzuka-san, I didn't expect us to be brothers in the real world too! Both children of Sunday Silence. It's so wonderful, I can be with you forever."
Silence Suzuka paused.
Looking at Spe's cute face and hearing her straightforward words, even her usually stoic heart began to flutter.
"Yes, Spe-chan. Being with you, Trainer Mizuki, and everyone... even the scenery ahead has become more beautiful."
They both smiled, creating a very heartwarming scene.
In the distance, Grass Wonder watched them and smiled. Their bond was as strong as ever.
"U-Um... am I bothering you, Grass Wonder-san? Here is my carrot!"
Buena Vista looked shyly at Grass Wonder, offering a carrot she had taken from Special Week.
Truly, they were like a little couple from the real world.
Indeed, in the world of Tracen, besides admiring her father Special Week, she most admired Grass Wonder, who had defeated Special Week multiple times.
Her dream was to become an Uma Musume as strong as Spe and Grass— a "General of Japan" who could bring glory to her home.
To her, Special Week and Grass Wonder were the benchmarks she always chased.
Yet again, the natural attraction that Special Week's daughters have towards Grass Wonder is on display.
"Thank you, Buena-san," Grass Wonder smiled gently. Her voice had a warm quality that filled the younger girl with strength.
Meanwhile, Spe was still chatting happily with Suzuka, totally unaware that her carrot had been gifted to Grass Wonder.
When Twin Turbo read the most recent diary entry, she couldn't help but laugh.
"It seems Canopus has even more backing now! With Tannhauser here, we'll take down Spica in no time! Hahaha, I'm so happy!"
Turbo was quite the character.
She figured that at Spica, the best they had was President Rudolf, Teio's father.
But their backer was Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa!
Of course, Turbo was just joking
. If she wanted to beat Spica, she would rely on her "Turbo Drive."
'Just you wait, Tokai Teio, I'll show you a Twin Turbo who truly never gives up!'
As Turbo fantasized about crushing Teio, she burst out laughing, but laughed so hard she choked and started coughing awkwardly.
Daitaku Helios immediately stepped up to pat her back.
Tannhauser was confused: "Eh? Turbo-san, why are you suddenly more confident because of me? I'm not even confident yet!"
Agnes Tachyon explained: "After all, you're Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa's child. Once she retires, you'll probably be the one calling the shots at Tracen Academy."
"Though the Chairwoman might have more than one child, you being the first one listed by Trainer Mizuki means you hold a very important position."
"So, Tannhauser-san, I'm counting on you for my future lab space!"
Tachyon's scientific spirit of seeking the truth was relentless— or rather, her desire for a lab was.
Tanino Gimlet snorted: "Agnes Tachyon, I despise people like you who fawn over power. Unlike me, I have a spine of steel."
"By the way, Matikane Tannhauser, I happen to have a few extra bottles of fine 'juice' here for you."
"Also, could you remind Chairwoman Akikawa that the fence where we train is broken again? I suggest installing more this time, right next to where I train, to ensure our safety."
Vodka was speechless.
Nice Nature was dying of laughter. She looked at the utterly bewildered Tannhauser, who looked like she was about to crumble.
Nature went over to help, but Tannhauser was still lost:
"Nature, what should I do? My father in the real world is the Chairwoman! What am I supposed to say to her? Should I prepare a gift?"
"Sigh, I'm just so ordinary. Even though I'm the Chairwoman's son, I haven't won many championships. Nature, have I failed the Chairwoman's expectations?"
"She even told me before that I could be an Uma Musume who changes Tracen Academy."
Only when she said this did Nature realize what she was worried about.
Nature told her not to worry. Tannhauser had actually achieved so much and wasn't ordinary at all.
She brought so much energy to Tracen. She was always disciplined and helped everyone.
Seeing that this didn't cheer Tannhauser up, Nature proceeded to remind her of a story.
Once, when a child near Tracen had lost their watch, Tannhauser searched for seven or eight hours through the night, eventually finding it by the park river at dawn.
When she came back to give it to the little girl, who clothes were covered in dirt, and she was already half-asleep.
The little Uma Musume had cried with gratitude. She hadn't expected Tannhauser to actually search all night.
In that moment, Tannhauser was a hero.
But Tannhauser had just scratched her head sheepishly.
She smiled and said she wasn't a hero because she had only done something very ordinary.
Anyone could have done that. It just took patience and a flashlight along the park and river.
The sad part was that although she found it, the watch was broken from being submerged.
Despite her effort and final success, it didn't seem to have a good result.
In actuality, the little Uma Musume didn't think so.
She firmly believed that broken watch was a treasure worth keeping for a lifetime. It represented the process of effort and a will that never gives up.
To her, it was more precious than anything.
Compared to that process, the result was unimportant.
The little girl wanted to tell Tannhauser her name that day, but decided that if she ever made it to Tracen Academy, she would find Tannhauser and tell her then.
In reality, that little girl was Tannhauser's offspring, but she never made it to Tracen.
Because although Tannhauser's offspring worked hard, their results weren't great. After retirement, Tannhauser sired 41 horses, but none won a major graded race.
Only two won central races, and one won a local OP race.
Since none of them had offspring of their own, Tannhauser's bloodline effectively ended.
Because Tannhauser didn't have great middle-distance results, he couldn't attract top-tier mares. His luck was poor.
He was named the "General" for the Japan Cup but missed it due to a nosebleed.
If he had run and won a G1, his breeding path would have been different.
But as the little Uma Musume said, even if results are sometimes unsatisfactory, the process of trying your hardest is just as radiant.
Great results are remembered by history, but the effort becomes a spirit that inspires the next generation.
In Nature's eyes, Tannhauser was exactly that kind of hardworking, sincere Uma Musume.
She might have fallen just short of the ultimate result, but her optimistic spirit had unknowingly inspired many at Tracen— including Twin Turbo, Ikuno Dictus, and Nature herself.
So, in everyone's hearts, Matikane Tannhauser was an incredible existence.
Then, Hayakawa Tazuna said gently:
"Tannhauser, don't be nervous. You are actually very capable. Just continue being yourself."
"The future of Tracen Academy needs you and everyone else to build it together."
Twin Turbo nodded her head.
"Maybe I'll be a teacher after retiring from racing! That sounds good."
Ikuno Dictus pushed up her glasses.
"Hmm, maybe I should work hard to be a secretary. If Tannhauser really becomes the Chairwoman, that'll be a scene worth looking forward to."
To be honest, Ikuno had the perfect "secretary" vibe. She sharp, dignified, and impeccable in her conduct.
If she ever wore a secretary's outfit, she'd be incredibly striking.
Hayakawa Tazuna was confused.
She had just encouraged them, and now her job was being targeted? Was her career at Tracen in danger?
'No way!'
"Ikuno Dictus-san, you could always come be a manager for the Mejiro family."
McQueen knew that Ikuno was her "beloved wife" in the real world and her inseparable roommate at Tracen.
When McQueen couldn't sleep, she used incense from her grandmother, and Ikuno never complained— she'd even get up in the middle of the night to tuck McQueen in.
Hearing Ikuno was interested in that kind of work, McQueen naturally wanted to recruit her to the Mejiro household with the best possible benefits.
"Thank you, McQueen. But that's for the future. For now, you and Spica are still our rivals."
Ikuno knew McQueen was her "husband," and she felt a bit shy, but because of that connection, she wanted to show McQueen her strong side.
She wouldn't be a wife who just followed behind someone else.
Ikuno Dictus was truly the Iron Lady.
At this moment, her every word and action declared Team Canopus's will to fight.
Of course, everyone was now staring intently at the diary, eager to see what content followed.
After all, this matter concerned Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa.
The previous revelation about Hayakawa Tazuna's counterpart, Tokino Minoru, had already shocked countless people.
So what startling news would Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa bring?
At the same time, people felt a bit of regret. If Tokino Minoru hadn't passed away so early and had offspring, perhaps the racing scene today would be even more exciting.
However, at this moment, only Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa remained relatively calm.
Despite her usually flamboyant demeanor, she seemed to have known about her relationship with Matikane Tannhauser for a long time.
She simply hadn't spoken of it, fearing that telling her might affect her.
She was also looking at the diary now, feeling that no matter what appeared, she should be able to remain unfazed.
Yet, she had overthought it. She didn't know yet what kind of expression would be frightened onto her face the moment the number of her offspring appeared.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Mizuki's diary began to update.
[Speaking of which, when I first started playing Umamusume: Pretty Derby, I thought Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa was just a virtual mascot like those in other games.]
[Like Paimon in Genshin Impact, Amiya in Arknights, the Conductor in Star Rail, or Ai-chan in Honkai. But now I know that's not right.]
[Cygames is actually very detailed because her setting and various Easter eggs are all very much based on reality.]
[For instance, the setting of the Three Goddesses in the world of Uma Musume is a reference to the previously mentioned Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian, and Byerley Turk.]
[And in the first season of the Umamusume anime, in the Tracen Student Council room, the school motto is "Eclipse First, The Rest Nowhere."]
[It's often translated as "The first horse leads, and the rest are lost in its shadow."]
[But in reality, this phrase is a tribute to the horse Eclipse.]
[Its origin is Lieutenant Colonel Dennis O'Kelly's evaluation of the British racehorse Eclipse—"Eclipse first and the rest nowhere!"]
[Because "Eclipse" means a solar or lunar eclipse. If translated directly, it means Eclipse is first, and the others are so far behind you don't even know where they are.]
[This phrase is widely used all over the world, including in China.]
[So, it's not just the UK and the US paying tribute to Eclipse, every time Japan shouts this phrase, they are honoring Eclipse.]
[This shows how great Eclipse was.]
[Cygames' attention to detail doesn't stop there. When establishing the Chairwoman of Tracen Academy, they chose Northern Taste over Sunday Silence.]
[Although both Northern Taste and Sunday Silence are hailed as the fathers of modern JRA racing, Northern Taste undoubtedly holds a more significant weight in the JRA's heart.]
[The reason is simple: Back then, the JRA was not as developed as it is today and didn't have many racehorses.]
[At that time, to maintain the JRA's development, Japan desperately needed a high-quality Thoroughbred to improve the JRA bloodlines.]
[What the JRA took an interest in was a son of Northern Dancer, born in Canada: Northern Taste.]
[You have to realize how strong Northern Dancer was. Among all North American national-treasure athletes, Northern Dancer was the only one inducted as a racehorse.]
[His prestige is incredibly high.]
[Mention any of Northern Dancer's offspring, and they all have great backgrounds: Sadler's Wells, Danzig, Nijinsky, Northern Taste, and so on.]
[Speaking of Nijinsky, many people might not know him and only wonder if he's related to Maruzensky because of his name.]
[The answer is yes, because Nijinsky is Maruzensky's father, and Sakura Chiyono O is Nijinsky's grandson.]
[And how many offspring did Northern Dancer have in his career?]
[In his lifetime, Northern Dancer produced 635 horses. 511 of them raced, 389 were winners, and 147 won graded stakes.]
[You could say he was incredibly strong.]
Mizuki wrote to this point and sighed.
Matikane Tannhauser had only 41 horses in his life and didn't even have a graded stakes winner, yet Northern Dancer left behind so many terrifying existences.
That is his value as a sire.
The children Northern Dancer sired didn't just win graded stakes, it could be said that almost every legendary racehorse you can name today has an inseparable connection to him.
However, while Mizuki was sighing, she didn't realize that the entire Tracen Academy— no, the entire world— had fallen silent due to sheer shock.
Tracen Academy
"Wait, how many?"
Kitasan Black was stunned, unable to believe what she was seeing.
'Did she really sire 635 offspring in one lifetime? Did Trainer Mizuki write it wrong?'
'Is having children in the "Real Horse" world different from their world? No ten-month pregnancy or anything, just... having them?'
"My, my, compared to that, our efficiency in having children seems much lower," Agnes Tachyon laughed.
"It's not a matter of efficiency, is it?"
Manhattan Cafe was also startled, not knowing how to describe it.
She thought of her senior, Sunday Silence, who also had many offspring.
Thinking about it now, perhaps there was a hidden story behind all this.
"It truly isn't a matter of efficiency, but what kind of issue is it then?"
Agnes Tachyon was also pondering.
To be honest, she was wondering what the "Real Horse" versions of them were like according to Trainer Mizuki.
Breeding, three-year-olds, five-year-olds, and so many offspring... honestly, there were many similar steps to how she bred high-quality laboratory mice.
'Could it be that in the Real Horse world, we are... also animals?'
Tachyon smiled coldly, but she felt that was impossible. She couldn't imagine what that would look like.
A more important point was that if Mizuki had found the Uma Musume to be different from those in her world, she would have had a huge reaction when she first arrived.
But she seemed very calm after crossing over, as if she already knew them, suggesting that in the Real Horse world, she knew them to some extent, just with a difference between male and female.
As Tachyon thought, another bizarre possibility occurred to her.
'Mizuki had mentioned Cygames before. Could it be that in the Real Horse world, racehorses are animals, but people there created virtual entities called "Uma Musume" in their image?'
'And after creating these virtual entities, an anime or game was born, and the creator was the "Cygames" Mizuki spoke of?'
But Tachyon felt her thoughts were too ridiculous.
How could that be?
They were real, they could clearly feel the emotions and thoughts of their "other selves" in the Real Horse world.
Tachyon felt that if she wanted the answer, she would know once she went to the Real Horse world.
Furthermore, according to Tachyon's deduction, if Trainer Mizuki was right, the day the training goals in the diary were all completed, they would obtain a key.
Perhaps that day was truly coming soon.
Stay Gold: "I can't even look at this anymore. Damn it, I want to go to the Real Horse world and see for myself more and more."
Sunday Silence: "Yes, if there's a chance. But it's undeniable that if Trainer Mizuki is telling the truth, we might see scenes that would stun us in the Real Horse world."
"Though I don't know what it is, I feel... it certainly won't be peaceful."
Orfevre scoffed. "I have never known fear. I believe that in the Real Horse world, I am still the ruler of the era."
"My counterpart must be as elegant and quiet as I am."
Sirius Symboli shrugged. "As long as it's not as dramatic, it's fine. But it can't be denied that Northern Dancer was indeed amazing."
"Stay Gold, honestly, you should learn from Northern Dancer and his kids. Look at Gold Ship, Orfevre, and Nakayama Festa— each one is crazier than the last."
Stay Gold snorted upon hearing this.
"I'm being framed. I admit, Sadler's Wells, Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa, and Danzig are indeed very polite. But have you ever thought that they are polite because those three were born sensible?"
"Look at these three in my family. Do they look like they were born sensible?"
At this moment, everyone at Tracen turned to look at Gold Ship, Orfevre, and Nakayama Festa.
Simultaneously, everyone gave a helpless smile, a drop of sweat appearing on their foreheads.
To be fair, Stay Gold wasn't wrong. These three Gold siblings were indeed not ones that ordinary people could suppress.
Gold Ship was stunned, then immediately rushed up to hug Stay Gold.
"Stego, how can you shift the blame like that?"
Orfevre was the same, going up to question her directly: "How am I impolite? Tell me!"
Nakayama Festa also chased after Stay Gold, shouting for an explanation.
In an instant, Stay Gold was frightened into a wild dash, with her three sons in hot pursuit.
In Canada
"Cough... cough cough cough..."
Northern Dancer was drinking water.
She was extremely beautiful with a perfect figure, long straight black hair, wearing a sleeveless shirt and over-the-knee boots.
She originally wanted to see the content about herself, but after seeing that she sired 635 offspring, she started coughing uncontrollably from the shock.
"By the way, how did you have so many, Northern Dancer?"
Dancing Brave was also there.
As the record holder for the highest score in the history of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, she was also shocked.
"How should I know?" Northern Dancer was also puzzled.
"Speaking of which, you always said you wanted to break world records. Could it be that you were breaking this world record?"
"I just checked, and the world record for a human male having children is 888. Other than that, I can't think of any reason," Dancing Brave said.
"Hey! What are you talking about? The world record I wanted to break was a racing record, not this child-bearing record!"
Northern Dancer's face turned bright red, and she rushed towards the other Uma with her fists clenched, wanting to kick Dancing Brave.
"Anyway, let's keep reading. Maybe we'll find the answer later," Dancing Brave continued.
"I guess so."
Northern Dancer stopped her charge and continued reading.
At the same time, she expressed that no matter what, she would remember the names of all her offspring.
She wasn't the type of teacher who only liked children with good grades, to her, character was more important than results.
As long as they worked hard and were positive, they would have a happy life.
At this moment, Mizuki's diary continued.
The moment it updated, the eyes of countless Umamusume were drawn to it.
After all, this update was just too explosive!
[Northern Dancer's career was even more powerful: 14 wins in 18 starts. He was truly a famous horse.]
[Unlike Sunday Silence who, despite good results, wasn't recognized after retirement and was later bought by the JRA, Northern Dancer had a smooth journey all along.]
[In 1971, Northern Dancer's son, Northern Taste, arrived at a ranch in Canada and was later moved to France to compete.]
[However, his career results were average. He couldn't compare to Tokino Minoru at all. With 5 wins in 20 starts, the media's evaluation of him was that he was good at G2-G3 events, with most of his races being short to medium distances.]
[However, Northern Taste's contribution to the JRA wasn't in racing but after retirement. He was noticed by the JRA and bought to Japan in an attempt to improve JRA bloodlines.]
[He produced a massive number of offspring. To date, he has sired a large number of excellent children.]
[Statistically, he has 1,009 offspring, with a total of 1,743 wins, including 63 graded stakes wins.]
[His child, Matikane Tannhauser, is arguably his most excellent son.]
[If someone were chosen to inherit Tracen Academy, it should be her, haha.]
[Northern Taste's bloodline is widely passed down in the Japanese racing world. His excellent offspring supported the operations of Shadai at the time.]
[It was through Northern Taste's efforts that the JRA had the money to buy the aforementioned Sunday Silence.]
[Only then did Sunday Silence begin breeding, leading to horses now known to everyone, such as Special Week, Silence Suzuka, Admire Vega, Deep Impact, and Stay Gold.]
[And Stay Gold sired Orfevre, who drove the JRA crazy, as well as Gold Ship, Nakayama Festa, and a whole host of horses possessing the "Gold Spirit."]
[As for Deep Impact, he is hailed as the crystallization of all historical accumulation in the JRA.]
[His is a bloodline personally nurtured by the JRA, an improvement in racing technology, and the operation of training methods, creating the existence named Deep Impact.]
[But standing at the current point in time and looking toward the other side of history, everything here originated from Northern Taste.]
[Yes, if anyone wants to understand Japanese JRA racing culture in the future, you can say this:]
["The modern Japanese horse racing history you see now all originated from Northern Taste."]
[I believe after they understand the JRA's racing history, no one will contradict you.]
[I wonder what the name of China's first future Thoroughbred, the horse hailed as the origin of the China Horse Industry Association, will be?]
[Of course, Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa usually stays low-profile and likes to wear a hat. Sometimes at first glance, you don't even think she's an Umamusume because you can't see her horse ears.]
[Speaking of her hat, there's a little cat on it. This little cat actually has a prototype in the Real Horse world: A cat that lived beside Northern Taste and played well with him .]
[Supposedly, Northern Taste loved petting cats very much. He was a cat-petting monster!]
At this moment, everyone saw this and was dumbfounded.
Across the world, countless people rubbed their eyes, seemingly unable to believe the number of Yayoi Akikawa's offspring.
They were already terrified when they saw Northern Dancer, but after seeing Northern Taste, they realized that Northern Dancer's numbers paled in comparison.
Naturally, the most shocked was Tracen Academy.
Air Groove stood up immediately.
Even Symboli Rudolf, who usually appeared steady and reliable in all aspects, silently swallowed her saliva, not knowing what to say to express the shock in her heart.
As for Narita Brian, she couldn't even keep the twig in her mouth steady, it fell out with a "clack."
Biwa Hayahide was the same.
She had thought 635 was an astronomical figure, but Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa's 1,009 left her stunned on the spot.
Daiwa Scarlet was also stunned. Her pupils trembled with fear, and her legs even wobbled.
If Vodka hadn't been quick to support her, she would have lost her balance.
"How can this be? 1,009... I wouldn't even dare to guess that many."
Seriously, Daiwa Scarlet couldn't believe it.
She wanted to say 109 was already exaggerated enough, so what was with this 1,009?!
Vodka remained relatively calm and said quietly, "I think everything is definitely different from what we think."
"That other world is very different from ours. The way they... 'reproduce' is probably a lot different from how we do it."
Daiwa Scarlet suddenly had a thought and said, "What if the 'offspring' Trainer Mizuki mentioned doesn't mean children, but that even children's children count as offspring?"
"That would make 1,009 much more reasonable."
Tokai Teio said, "I feel Scarlet's explanation is the most reasonable. For example, if I am President Rudolf's offspring, then my children are also Rudolf's offspring."
"If you count it that way, 1,009 is clearly not impossible."
Special Week rubbed her aching head.
"Ugh, I feel like I don't know anything anymore. It's probably better to go to the Real Horse world and see for ourselves when the time comes. We can just ask them directly!"
"But I believe Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa must have made an extraordinary contribution to the JRA."
"Even if we're confused about the 'offspring' stuff, the JRA is what it is today because of the Chairwoman."
"And here at Tracen Academy, the Chairwoman is so good to us. She often fixes the roads in the middle of the night so we have better places to run." Cesario added.
"All her money goes into upgrading the facilities for us. We really feel so grateful to her."
"Exactly, Cesario is right. Last time I wanted carrots, Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa went to get them for me."
"When she found out there was an issue with the carrots in the cafeteria, she personally turned a plot of land in Tracen Academy into a field specifically to grow carrots for everyone to eat." Special Week said gratefully.
She knew that area was originally designated for a new teaching building since the student body was growing, but the Chairwoman did everything in her power to help them.
She was the type who, even if she got scolded by Hayakawa Tazuna, would work herself to the bone for everyone without ever complaining.
She always looked cheerful, but in reality, she worried about Tracen more than anyone else.
"Yeah, we've gotten so used to Tracen Academy that we take everything here for granted." Mejiro Ardan said.
"If Tracen didn't exist, we'd be like Invincible-san in China. We wouldn't be able to run or achieve our dreams."
"We should be thankful for everything we have within reach and for the sacrifices of our seniors."
"Did you hear that, Tosho-chan? Nothing comes from nothing. So, even if they're vegetables you don't like, you have to eat them!"
"After all, many of these were grown by Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa herself." Fuji Kiseki smiled, leaning back with her hands on her hips.
"Yada yada! That's so mean, Fuji Kiseki! Making me eat vegetables at a time like this... Hmph, fine! For the Chairwoman's sake, this Little Witch will eat them like her life depends on it today!"
Sweep Tosho bit her lip with a look of grim determination, an expression she hadn't even shown during a G1 race.
"Hey, hey, it's just eating some vegetables. Is it that serious?" Kitasan Black was at a loss for words.
"Of course! It's life or death!" Sweep Tosho cried out.
"I will also work hard to eat them." Oguri Cap said with a smile.
"You don't need to work that hard!" Tamamo Cross immediately shot back.
However, Tamamo Cross agreed with the sentiment.
Coming from a poor background, she couldn't afford anything as a child. She never took what she had for granted, and she never felt unhappy.
She was born with a roof over her head, and her parents worked hard to give her pocket money. At least compared to those Umamusume without homes, she was much better off.
She was grateful for everything she had growing up. But as the White Lightning of Tracen, she would leave the future to her own strength.
'But still... 1,009?! Chairwoman, what the heck were ya doing over there?!'
Of course, the most surprised of all was Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa herself.
"1,009?! What on earth is going on? Why is it 1,009?!"
Chairwoman Yayoi Akikawa rubbed her eyes, thinking she had misread it. She even had Hayakawa Tazuna check.
Tazuna was speechless, her expression a mix of shock and utter disbelief.
This was truly a case of the new generation surpassing the old.
However, Akikawa eventually agreed with Daiwa Scarlet's explanation. She felt that even if she spent every single day having children, she couldn't possibly have that many.
What she didn't know was that once she reached the Real Horse world, her shock would be countless times greater than it was today.
They continued to read, eager to see what came next..
However, the subsequent content was even more earth-shattering.
[Now I've talked about the Three Goddesses, Eclipse, Northern Dancer, Northern Taste, and Sunday Silence...]
[That's most of the racing history covered.]
[Next, let's talk about some very unfortunate horses who didn't leave any offspring. Of course, Hayakawa Tazuna counts. Tokino Minoru was indeed a great pity.]
[You have to realize that in the entire history of horse racing, any horse with a record as impressive as Tokino Minoru always had top-tier, premium bloodlines.]
[If he could have produced offspring, he really could have created so many impossibilities.]
[Of course, in the JRA, it wasn't just Tokino Minoru who left no children.]
[Among them is the very tragic Rhein Kraft.]
[Why mention her? Because almost all the mares from her generation became great broodmares in the future.]
[This includes those she defeated like Air Messiah, Daring Heart, and Cesario. They'd go on to produce countless excellent offspring.]
[Only Rhein Kraft passed away unexpectedly while preparing for a race, leaving no children behind.]
Back at Tracen Academy.
"Wha... what? I... I don't have any children?"
Rhein Kraft felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She had always fantasized about what her children would be like.
Upon hearing this news, tears couldn't help but fall from the corners of her eyes.
She had expected so much, and now that those expectations were shattered, she didn't know what to do.
But she suddenly felt she was lucky.
It was better that she was the unlucky one, rather than Cesario, Air Messiah, or Daring Heart. She couldn't bear to see her friends leave like that.
"Rhein Kraft... how could this happen?"
However, Cesario didn't see it that way at all.
Seeing Rhein Kraft cry, her heart ached so much she didn't know what to say.
She tried to stay calm, thinking that if she started crying too, everything would spiral out of control.
But Cesario was still just a kid herself, and she couldn't control her emotions perfectly. Her eyes involuntarily turned red.
"It's okay, it's okay. Let's see what happened. No matter what, I will definitely help you." King Halo immediately walked over, gently hugging Rhein Kraft and patting her head.
"Uuu... waaaah..." Rhein Kraft could no longer hold it in.
Under King Halo's gentle care, she released her emotions and sobbed into her arms.
It was a good thing, crying it out allowed her to vent.
Special Week was trying to comfort Cesario, but Special Week wasn't as smooth as King Halo and didn't know how to initiate a hug.
"I'm sorry, King Halo-senpai... I got your clothes wet." Rhein Kraft said apologetically after she finished crying.
"Oh~ ho ho ho! Don't worry about it! I am a first-rate Uma Musume, what do a few tears matter?"
King Halo flashed a smile, gently wiping Rhein Kraft's tears away with a voice full of doting care.
"Yeah, it's alright. Now that we have Trainer Mizuki's diary, we can change many tragedies."
Rice Shower also stepped forward.
She knew she also had no offspring in that world, but things were different now.
Knowing how painful it was, she immediately came out to comfort Rhein Kraft so she wouldn't be as sad as she once was.
"Thank you, everyone. You're all so kind to me, just like the sun." Rhein Kraft wanted to cry again, but she held it back.
If she cried again, she'd be letting everyone down. She bit her lip, looking quite adorable.
"It's okay, Rhein Kraft. We'll all be with you." Cesario said gently, holding Rhein Kraft's hand with a faint smile.