Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 356 Return, Preparing for the Battle of Tianchun

"Yes, of course!"

Northern Black Horse nodded naturally and said, "It was specially selected by Ronghou-chan. Trainer, what do you think? Is it suitable? Does it look good?"

Sensing the expectation and a hint of unease in Kita Genko's voice, Yasui Makoto couldn't help but smile. After a moment's thought, he lowered his head again to examine the pocket watch in his hand.

The pocket watch was placed in a palm-sized velvet box. The surface of the box was very smooth to the touch, which was enough to suggest that the pocket watch inside was quite valuable.

The pocket watch lay quietly in the center of the box. The case was a matte gold with a pinkish tint. According to the description on the box, this color seemed to be called rose gold.

Take out the pocket watch; the watch chain is a mix of gold thread and woven rope, with black leather wrapped around the knots, and the edges of the leather are also stitched with gold thread.

There is a metal inscription on the outside of the leather, which reads "1779" and "John Arno".

Press the top of the pocket watch, and the cover opens with a light and crisp mechanical sound, revealing a simple dial.

The dial is milky white with no elaborate engravings. Two deep blue Breguet-style hands are in the center, and the tiny diamonds at the end of the second hand appear and disappear as the watch moves. The edge is decorated with a circle of Roman numerals as thin as a hair.

In the lower left corner of the dial, there are two small "clocks". Judging from the two buttons on the side, they should be able to keep time in minutes and seconds, just like a stopwatch.

Close the case back, flip the watch over, and you'll find the "hunter-style" case back can also be opened.

Inside, there is a relief of a racehorse girl. The relief is quite exquisite, with long ears, flowing hair and ponytail, muscle lines, and a confident smile, all of which are lifelike.

Yasui could tell that the pocket watch was quite valuable, but he was more interested in the horse racer than in its value or the inscription on it.

He curiously examined the relief on the back of the pocket watch for a while, but couldn't recognize who it was. He looked at the Northern Black Steed and asked in confusion:
"Who is this racehorse girl...?"

Upon hearing this, the Northern Black Steed was slightly surprised, then chuckled and said:
"So... there are things the trainer doesn't know. I thought you knew everything."

"Uh, I'm not a god, how could I possibly know everything..." Yasui Makoto chuckled as well.

"Indeed... It's mainly because I've never seen you confused before, so it feels... quite novel."

Northern Black Horse smiled and nodded, saying, "But after I tell you, you should understand. This racehorse girl... is Senior Eclipse."

As she spoke, to Yasui Makoto's astonishment, she enthusiastically put what she had learned into practice, explaining in detail the history of pocket watches, their manufacturing process, and their connection to the racehorse girl Eclipse, which she would discuss later.

Finally, she said expectantly:
"...In short, I also think this is the perfect gift for a trainer!"

"'One horse leads the way, and all others pale in comparison,' Ronghou-chan is right. This is both my determination and guarantee for the trainer, and also my blessing for the trainer."

"So, trainer, do you like this gift?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Yasui Makoto unconsciously gripped the pocket watch and nodded emphatically:

"Of course, thank you, Xiao Bei. I will keep this gift carefully."

"And I also accept your determination, your promises, and your blessings."

"After that... no, I should say from this moment on, this is also my determination, my promise, and my blessing to you."

……

He hadn't paid much attention to it before, but after the reminder or rather, the teasing from the other person, Yasui Makoto actually had a vague feeling that he might be showing signs of becoming a workaholic. For example, on the plane back to Japan from Dubai, he unconsciously started thinking about how to arrange the upcoming training and matches.

Regarding the schedule, it is undoubtedly the Emperor's Spring Appreciation Game 1, which was confirmed long ago and the registration process has already been completed.

The key lies in how to conduct targeted training for this competition.

As a G1-level race, the opponents are undoubtedly the strongest generation of female racehorses.

At the same time, this is also the longest G1 race, 200 meters longer than Kikukasho and a full 700 meters longer than Arima Kinen.

The starting point of this race, Kyoto Circuit, is located on the slope in front of the straight line opposite the stands, while the third and fourth turns are located at the top of the slope.

In other words, just like the Chrysanthemum Appreciation and Arima Commemoration, the Emperor's Spring Appreciation will also face the challenge of starting with an uphill climb.

Furthermore, since the entire race route requires circling the track more than one and a half times, it also involves two uphill sections.

Unlike the other two long-distance G1 races, the Emperor Spring Viewing Race goes downhill to the flat ground at the bottom of the slope after the second time through the fourth bend, which is also the final bend, with about 400 meters of straightaways remaining to the finish line.

This means that the finish line tactics used in events like the Chrysanthemum View and Arima Kinen cannot be fully applied; one cannot rely solely on the energy and momentum saved from the downhill run to reach the finish line in one go.

Instead, before making the final sprint, try to conserve some energy and then sprint after you've completely entered flat ground. This way, you can maintain your top speed for longer.

In addition to the venue, the running style that the Northern Black Horse excels at must also be considered.

Without a doubt, after more than a year of training and competition, the Northern Black Horse will definitely take the lead this time; the only difference is which escape method they will choose.

No matter how a horse tries to escape, escaping always takes the most physical exertion, especially in the first half of the race.

This requires integrating and adjusting existing strategies, and finding ways to conserve energy as much as possible before reaching the final straight line.

Of course, the rivals of the Emperor in enjoying the spring scenery are also a variable that must be considered.

However, compared to these variables, Yasui Makoto actually wanted to take the time to test the biggest takeaway from his overseas trip, namely, the mastery of the domain by the Northern Genko.

It's not that only by mastering this ability can one win the Emperor's Spring Festival celebration, but the strength of the participants is already determined even before the competition begins.

These racehorse girls, like the Northern Black Horses, either hover on the edge of their domain or have already stepped into that realm with one foot.

Either they are already at this level of racehorse girls, and they just need to consolidate their training or get a chance to compete to completely reach the top level.

However, how to specifically arrange this kind of special training, and how to allocate time for other special training, is not something that can be figured out in a short time.

It was precisely because he realized this that, throughout the entire return flight and in the first few days after arriving in Japan, Yasui Makoto did not actually start working like a workaholic.

Instead, after completing necessary tasks such as reporting and handing over to the student council, he would visit various places with Genko and Anzu, bringing back gifts and souvenirs from Dubai.

By the time training actually started, it was already the first Monday after we got off the plane.

On Monday, on the playground of Treson Academy.

Standing on the edge as usual, holding a tablet computer, Yasui Makoto now uses his Arno brand pocket watch as a timer for training Kita Genko and Apricot.

(End of this chapter)