"The weather hasn't been very good lately..."
Legend sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the curtain of rain in the sky.
Raindrops drifting down from the sky struck the glass, leaving behind streaks of lively water stains.
Legend was slightly lost in thought.
"It is autumn, after all. It is quite normal for there to be a lot of rain."
Ardan placed a freshly brewed cup of black tea in front of Legend and sat down beside her.
"Thank you." Legend came back to her senses, turned to look at Ardan, and asked, "...It has been a while, how have you been lately?"
"...We only saw each other yesterday, Legend." Ardan looked helplessly at the tongue-tied Legend.
"Ahahaha, sorry." Legend said awkwardly, "That is not what I meant..."
"Then, what did you mean?"
"...Sorry." Legend obediently lowered her head.
"Goodness." Ardan said with a slightly prickly tone, "So, Legend-san, you never visit without a reason. What are you here for?"
"It is about that, yesterday's matter." Legend pressed her palms together, "I am so sorry! I forgot during the livestream yesterday. I really did not mean to."
"Hmm..." Recalling her own performance yesterday, Ardan blushed slightly, "That was not your fault, Legend..."
"But it was indeed caused by my mistake!"
If you make a mistake, you have to own up to it. Legend said earnestly.
"I know, I am not blaming you, Legend..." Ardan said softly.
"Really?"
"Really."
"That is good. Phew, I feel much better." Having received Ardan's forgiveness, Legend breathed a sigh of relief and happily took a sip of black tea.
"Legend is quite serious about unexpected things." Ardan said.
"It is just self-satisfaction, to keep my mind at ease... This black tea is truly excellent."
"That goes without saying. The Mejiro Family's black tea is the best!" Ardan said proudly.
"Is that so? Although it is very delicious." Legend smacked her lips and then said, "Since you have forgiven me, Ardan, I have nothing else to do, so I will take my leave..."
Before she could finish, Legend felt a chill run from her tail all the way to her ears. She shivered all over.
"You rarely come to visit, and you only came to say this? Should I thank you for your concern, Lord Legend?"
Ardan's tone turned cold, and her ears flattened backward. She was clearly quite angry.
"Uh..." Did I do something wrong? Cold sweat broke out on Legend's forehead.
Legend stopped her movements and leaned back onto the sofa.
"Um, Ardan, are you angry?" Legend asked weakly.
"No." The temperature dropped again.
"Uh, well, this..." Cold sweat appeared on Legend's forehead. The two remained at a stalemate for a while.
"Sigh, forget it. I knew it would be like this." Ardan sighed and compromised.
"Sorry..." Although she did not know what happened, it should be correct to play it safe and apologize now, right?
Feeling the temperature rise, Legend breathed a sigh of relief.
"Speaking of which, Legend, have you moved out of the dormitory?" Ardan poured another cup of black tea for Legend and asked nonchalantly.
"Hm? Ah, yes, but on the surface, I am still a member of Ritto Dormitory." Legend said candidly, thinking that she should thank the Dorm Head and everyone on the Student Council for making this go so smoothly.
"I see. Where did you move to? Is it convenient? Will it be unsafe for you to live alone?" Should you move in with me? Ardan did not ask the last question. This was the girl's insignificant little secret thought.
"It is right next to Tracen, very close to the school. Plus, the Shopping Street is right next door, so it is very convenient." Legend said with a smile, "As for safety, there is no need to worry. The Police Station is nearby, and I am an Uma Musume, so there is no problem. If all else fails, Sister Chinm is there too."
"...Sister Chinm? You mean Senior Mr. C.B.?" Ardan caught the main point.
"Yes, did I not mention it? I moved into Sister Chinm's house."
"Oh~" Ardan narrowed her eyes. Why does it feel like the temperature dropped again? Legend rubbed her arms.
"Ah, right, speaking of which, when I arrived, I saw the old butler waiting outside. Is he waiting for someone?" Legend instinctively changed the subject.
"Could it not be waiting for you?" Ardan said in a monotone voice.
"At first, I thought he was waiting for me, but thinking about it carefully, I did not notify you that I was coming this time, so it probably was not me, therefore..." Legend leaned closer to Ardan, pretending to be curious.
"...Fine, fine, the butler is indeed waiting for someone." Ardan lost her composure due to the suddenly shortened distance and said with a blush.
"Who is it?" Mimicking the expression Ardan had while looking at her phone yesterday, Legend stared at Ardan as if enjoying the moment.
"It, it is my niece!" Ardan had never seen Legend like this and was caught off guard for a moment.
"A niece?" Legend became truly curious.
"Yes, she is my brother's daughter." Ardan leaned back, moving away from Legend's face, and feigned calmness.
"You have a brother?" I only heard that you had a sister. Legend said in surprise.
"Yes, I do. He is much older than us, and he did not want to bear the name of the Mejiro Family, so he did not become a Trainer but went traveling instead." So he is not well-known.
"Hmm? What kind of person is he?" Legend keenly sensed Ardan's complex mood and decided to continue with the topic.
Ardan said in a nostalgic tone: "If I had to say, he is someone very similar to you, Legend."
"Huh?"
"He is a very free-spirited person. How did he put it in his own words? Unrestrained and loving freedom?" Ardan frowned, trying hard to recall.
"No, he probably plagiarized that." Legend retorted, "By the way, is that the image you have of me?"
"Well, my impression of my brother is still from when I was ten years old, when he snuck me and my sister out to play, and then got caught and had to kneel on a washboard."
"What kind of mischievous child is that."
"He was already 30 years old at that time."
"Uh..." A retort was stuck in Legend's throat.
"To be honest, although I am not very close to my brother due to the age gap, we are on friendly terms. So, I am quite troubled that my brother suddenly sent her daughter over." Ardan sighed, "Will I be able to take good care of her? What if she does not like me? I do not have much experience taking care of children..."
"Uh, if I may ask, how old is your niece?" Legend looked blankly at Ardan, who had suddenly started radiating maternal instincts.
"Eh? That child is 16 years old this year, why?"
"Then why are you worrying about that?" Legend was stunned.
"I suppose so..." Ardan tilted her head, then thought of something else, "Will she get used to life here?"
"How would I know?" Legend rolled her eyes at Ardan, who had inexplicably fallen into a daze, and said, "Getting used to things? We are all Japanese Uma Musume, it is the same everywhere, right?"
"She is not a Japanese Uma Musume."
"Huh?"
"She is from China."
"...May I ask, what is her name?" Legend sensed something.
"Miss Ardan. Miss Invincible has arrived." The butler's words interrupted Legend's question and also answered it.
A dignified figure walked out from behind the butler, standing proudly.
"It has been a while, Aunt Ardan, and hello, stranger." She nodded slightly and said so.
This was the first meeting between Legend and Invincible.
---------------------------------
I hope you enjoy this fanfiction! If you're having fun and want to read 30 chapters in advance, feel free to check out my Patreon: patreon.com/TLScarlet
Your support means a lot so if you like the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone.