Running into the three sisters had added a little fun to Dyna's otherwise orderly life. Strike, especially, was such an adorable little cat-like horse girl—her way of thinking jumped all over the place. Dyna was such a gentle horse girl, after all. There was no way she would ever do something as crude as murdering someone to keep them quiet.
"So you really do like them, huh?" Sea the Stars' voice drifted over.
Dyna nodded seriously.
"Of course. All three of them are hardworking girls, and each of them earned a G1 with their own effort. Well… at least one G1. And besides, Donna and Verxina's story is just fun, okay? A rivalry where they keep finishing first and second over four or five races straight is exactly the kind of thing everyone loves to watch!"
Just thinking about that sort of thing got Dyna fired up. A long time ago, she'd also been the sort of person who reveled in blood-and-thunder drama, and had absolutely loved twisted stories about Verxina sneaking into Donna's house...
Of course, that was the kind of thing she could only think about in private. That weird nonsense absolutely could not become reality in the world of horse girls, or the whole place would descend into chaos.
Sea the Stars could clearly feel how genuinely delighted Dyna was, because she herself was currently in the garden, fighting a losing battle against the blood-red roses that kept spreading through the flowerbeds. She had already taken every protective measure she could think of, and yet these things still demanded constant vigilance. As the master of this mental space, Dyna's power was effectively limitless—Sea the Stars could seal off the entire garden in metal, and those roses would still bloom out of nowhere.
"It really has been a long time since I've seen Miss Dyna smile like this…" Cody's Wish, seated on the bench, suddenly said something that made no immediate sense.
Sea the Stars couldn't make heads or tails of it, but Dyna's cheeks puffed out and she nearly burst into laughter.
What was that supposed to be—some kind of butler-and-tycoon melodrama? Dyna distinctly remembered that she had not touched that genre in ages. How on earth had Cody's Wish suddenly started saying such embarrassing, impossible-to-keep-a-straight-face-at lines?
"Miss Cody's Wish! Where did you even learn something like that?!"
After stifling her laughter, all that remained was a rush of embarrassment. A flush spread from Dyna's neck all the way up her cheeks. That sort of reaction was only natural—anyone would be like this after getting hit with such shamelessly embarrassing lines.
And in Dyna's mind, there was only one possible explanation: Cody's Wish had once again wandered into the warehouse of discarded memories she kept buried away. Why were useless things like that stored in the warehouse of her mental space after being forgotten? Did her brain seriously not realize they were taking up room for absolutely no reason?
Cody's Wish didn't even look up from the book in her hands. Since she was in the mental space, lifting her head would have been pointless anyway.
"I got bored and stumbled across some novels you used to read, Dyna, so I picked them up. I didn't expect them to be so addictive. Before I knew it, I was quoting the characters."
"Ugh... Miss Cody's Wish, you really shouldn't be reading that kind of trashy novel. They corrupt people! If you really want to read something, I can sort out something proper for you…"
Dyna had clearly read plenty of classics too. Plenty of genuinely excellent novels. Why was it always the nonsense that Cody's Wish ended up finding? Damn it, brain...
Dyna kept squabbling with Cody's Wish like that all the way to Wada's training room. Once she arrived, she patted her cheeks to cool them down before knocking lightly and stepping inside.
Gentildonna, Kirei Jun, and Wada were all absent. Only Opera O remained, sitting alone on the sofa cracking open nuts, looking a little forlorn.
"Miss Opera O, where is everyone? Nobody's here?"
"Hm? Ah, Dyna~ Wada and the younger ones all went off to the training grounds. Since everyone's completely confident you'll win the Derby, Wada's attention is all focused on Gentildonna, who's about to debut, and Kirei Jun, who's about to run in a G2 dirt stakes race! This year absolutely is the luckiest year Wada's team has ever had! Hahaha!"
Opera O did not look lonely despite being the only one in the room. After all, she had learned how to use a smartphone. Of course the first skills she mastered were all the recreational ones.
Dyna sat down opposite her. Hearing all that, she smiled too. It was good that Wada was still able to push forward through his own effort. Dyna knew very well that even without her involvement, Gentildonna would have joined his team anyway, and Kirei Jun would still go on to win a Grade 1 someday. It might not be a turf G1, but for a stable that had struggled for years even to aim at graded stakes, that would still be a tremendous source of encouragement.
Under Opera O's enthusiastic urging, Dyna tried a few nuts despite not really liking that kind of snack. The rich flavor and peculiar texture were hard to handle if you didn't love them already, and the moment she chewed, she had the immediate illusion of choking. Luckily, there was an unopened bottle of mineral water on the table. Dyna drank half of it before the sensation finally faded.
"So you don't like these, huh? You could've just said so. Hmm... what fruit do you like, then?" Opera O asked, laughing a few times at Dyna's hurried reaction.
Only then did she realize that while the room always had some snacks lying around, none of them were actually things Dyna particularly liked. Dyna had never really revealed her preferences before. Whenever she spent time with Opera O and the others, it always felt more like a formal interaction than anything else.
Not quite like friends.
"Me? The fruit I like..." Dyna froze for a moment.
What did she like? Ever since coming here and struggling to make a living, she had not really stopped to think about that kind of thing. Back in France, whenever Trough dragged her around town and recommended some delicious food, Dyna would always eat it happily and say it was good—but she had never once said she liked it.
"Apples," she said at last.
Maybe she did not particularly love them as fruit, but she loved what apples had symbolized back home:
Peace. Safety.
Even if that symbolism only existed back there, it still gave Dyna a little bit of comfort.
Opera O stroked her chin and nodded.
"Apples, huh. I'll remember that."
In Opera O's mind, apples were basically the most ordinary fruit imaginable, and in their own way, close to perfect. She truly had not expected Dyna's favorite to be something so plain.
What Dyna herself failed to realize, though, was that ever since she had used Triumph Ballet's power card, she had developed an odd fondness for anything red. That was one of the subtle side effects that came with borrowing those powers.
Triumph Ballet had given Dyna an affinity for red.
And Sea the Stars' power had strengthened the maternal aspect in her.
Dyna herself had no way to verify any of that, but the people around her could feel it clearly.
At the bakery, Oguri Cap was practically fighting every day not to reflexively call Dyna "Mom." She had even talked about it with her mother over the phone one night. To her shock, her mother had answered:
"There's another horse girl who can make Oguri feel that kind of thing? Now I'm curious~ If I ever go to Tokyo, you'll have to help me ask about it, okay?"
"But be polite! Absolutely do not call her 'Mom'—that would be incredibly embarrassing for the poor girl!"
After hanging up, Oguri had slapped her own face bright red.
Why would her mother say something like that?! Dyna was her boss lady!
How could she possibly do something like that?!
Every power card brought Dyna some unpredictable side effect.
Lately, she had been thinking about using Sea the Stars' power in the Derby, but no matter how much recognition she'd earned, no matter how undeniably strong she had become among her generation, Dyna still harbored a bit of unease about borrowing the power of such overwhelming champions. Sea the Stars was simply too strong. Dyna genuinely worried there might be backlash.
"Why are you even worrying about something like that?"
Sea the Stars appeared at that exact moment and clapped both hands down onto Opera O's shoulders. The sudden move startled Dyna so badly she nearly shot to her feet, but when she saw that Opera O had no reaction at all, she forcibly relaxed.
Don't suddenly appear and grab other people's shoulders! You nearly scared me to death...
Dyna didn't say it aloud. She only blinked furiously, trying to convey the message with her eyes. Sea the Stars withdrew her hands, and Opera O, noticing Dyna's rapid blinking, arched a brow.
"Dyna... you're not developing some kind of eye problem, are you? You're blinking... kind of a lot?"
"Ah, no, no. My eyes just felt a bit sore for a second, so I was adjusting them. I'm perfectly healthy, really."
To prove it, Dyna rubbed the corners of her eyes behind her glasses.
Only then did Opera O relax.
"That's good. If you ever do feel unwell, go see a doctor immediately... the academy physician is fine too."
Inside, Dyna was still grumbling at Sea the Stars.
She nearly thought I was sick... Miss Sea the Stars! Don't scare me like that!
"I've told you before, haven't I? I can only create actual touch when it's with you. The rest of the time, it's just something you can see. There's no real contact at all, so relax~ Anyway, I was just curious about this undefeated Classic-year mare in front of me."
Coming from Sea the Stars, the remark felt a little strange. After all, Sea the Stars herself had gone undefeated during the Classic year. If she had continued into the open class, the heights she might have reached would likely have been even more terrifying.
Dyna took advantage of the moment when Opera O turned away and pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Anyway, don't just appear like that... you'll scare me!"
"Got it, got it~" Sea the Stars said casually. "By the way... so you like apples."
She seemed oddly interested in that, then moved over and sat in the seat beside the one Opera O had just vacated, staring fixedly at Dyna.
Sea the Stars still remembered that the very first time they met, Dyna's hair had seemed to contain traces of red. Ever since Triumph Ballet's power had fully become Dyna's own, that red hue had vanished.
In truth, Sea the Stars had begun to suspect that what Dyna thought of as "borrowing power" was in fact Dyna gradually reclaiming a power that had always been her own—or perhaps her body was simply sending her mind signals, making her aware of her own growth.
But all of that was baseless speculation, so Sea the Stars had no intention of telling Dyna. The current situation was good enough. At the Derby, if Dyna borrowed Sea the Stars' power, then at 2400 meters she would be running on the rightful stage of kings—and Sea the Stars was universally acknowledged as the best in the world at exactly that distance.
Dyna's own comfort zone stretched from 1600 to 2400 meters. She felt she could run farther than that, but only with great discomfort. She had no experience there, and no ready-made techniques to learn. She would have to figure it all out herself bit by bit. Opera O might be able to offer some help, but even she had never won at 3000 meters or beyond... so there was only so much she could do.
So Dyna lowered her head and lightly thumped her own thigh.
She was still growing. If that was the case, then questions about October could wait until summer camp. Her rough plan was to use the camp for specialized stamina training, and if possible, find an older mare with real expertise in long-distance racing and learn from her. She had to admit she could never match the advantages of a family-bred horse like Orfevre when it came to access to training resources.
Even though 3200 meters was outside Orfevre's strike zone, 3000 still ought to be within her range. Dyna absolutely did not want to talk big only to get slapped in the face before the end of the year.
Unlike Dyna, Orfevre didn't need an academy camp at all. If the academy teams had no summer camp, the Gold family would simply rent a whole place of their own. That was the difference between an individual horse girl and a horse-girl dynasty.
And Dyna had to acknowledge it.
"Oh, right~" Opera O said suddenly, returning with a bottle of sparkling water. "Lately, Wada hasn't been sleeping well at all."
When she passed the bottle over, she went on, "He's actually more nervous about the Derby than you are. He keeps worrying that the training plan he put you on after the Satsuki Sho might somehow affect your performance."
"Hm? There's no such thing. If I felt uncomfortable, I'd definitely say so. Mr. Wada's just worked himself into a spiral, hasn't he~?"
Dyna laughed softly, but she understood perfectly well why he was like this. For so long, the mares on his team had struggled to win, and to be more precise, he had made mistakes in guidance before. Years of failure had eroded his confidence.
Opera O only shrugged and smiled helplessly.
"I've told him that countless times already, but he just can't hear it. I suppose he'll only calm down after you win the Derby? Though once that happens, he'll probably start tying himself in knots over the Kikuka Sho instead."
Back then, when Opera O lost to Narita Top Road, the actual mistake had been Opera O's own call during the race. And yet after the race, Wada had taken the blame entirely onto himself. It had left Opera O completely speechless, because it was one of the rare occasions when Wada had shown real firmness.
Even if that firmness was only directed toward taking the fall.
"No worries. I'll go tell Mr. Wada myself."
In the end, Dyna still didn't touch the sparkling drink.
She would tell Wada that he didn't need to carry so many unnecessary burdens.
Because in Dyna's heart, Wada truly was an excellent teacher—just like Opera O, Sea the Stars, Cody's Wish, and Kirei Jun. He was one of the people who had taught her so much.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 142)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter181)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter103)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter192)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 173
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 166
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 110
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 190
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 165
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 156
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 81
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 102
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 120
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 80
Uma Musume: I Want All 95
I Can Copy Unique Skills 84
Summoning an Evil God, but the 66
Supernatural Multiverse 83
My Harem Is Indescribable 75
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 81
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 75
Still playing traditional Honk 55
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 60
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 57
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 45
Transmigrated as Sukuna 55
Checking In in Demon Slayer 60
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 65
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 35
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 35
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 39
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 58
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