Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 541 Night Banquet
On the evening after the chrysanthemum viewing ended, at the Satomi family's estate.

The hall was brightly lit, and the light reflected from the crystal chandelier shone like diamonds on every inch of the floor.

The air was filled with the sound of champagne bubbles and the melodious tunes played by a live band dressed in suits and tuxedos.

The banquet celebrating Kozumi Satomi's victory extended the joy of the Chrysanthemum Festival into the late night.

Among the groups of well-dressed guests, Yasui Makoto held a wine glass and chatted with those around him.

As the results of the Northern Black Horse races became increasingly impressive, his reputation as a trainer also rose accordingly.

Especially because of the "Autumn Triple Crown" schedule, even though it was the night that Satomi Kozumi won the Chrysanthemum Prize, he received just as much attention as the main character of the banquet since he accepted the invitation to come here.

"Brother Yasui, it's been a long time."

Standing in front of Yasui Makoto, an elderly man with graying temples raised his glass and smiled familiarly:
"Judging from the current form of the Northern Black Horse, it seems poised to sweep all three autumn titles, right?"

Makoto Yasui recognized the elderly man; he was a very senior sports commentator in the industry.

However, to be honest, the two had only met a few times at URA Association meetings.

Despite not feeling very familiar with each other, he still greeted us with a warm smile and nodded modestly:
"You flatter me, senior. You should know very well that there are too many variables on the field. As a trainer, all I can say is that I will do my best."

"As for analyzing and evaluating this chrysanthemum appreciation, that should be a piece of cake for you, right?"

He tried to change the subject:

"I am ready to learn."

Sensing that he didn't want to discuss it further, the old man, with a polite smile, quickly returned to the topic of his work.

After exchanging pleasantries with the old man for a while and waiting for him to leave, Yasui Makoto hadn't even had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief when another fellow trainer approached him.

They weren't exactly familiar with each other, yet the trainer was still incredibly outgoing. He patted him on the shoulder and joked:

"Yasui-kun, autumn will be here soon after the chrysanthemum viewing. How are the preparations going?"
"To be honest, we originally intended to participate in the Heavenly Autumn Festival, but after learning that the Northern Black Steed would also be participating, we discussed it for a long time and then gave up."

"By the way, I heard you used a new pacing scheme during your special training a while ago?"

"This... is just an attempt to optimize traditional tactics."

Maintaining a perfectly measured, humble smile, Yasui Makoto shook his head slightly and said:

"After all, it's no secret that Xiao Bei isn't good at short-distance sprints. If she wants to achieve something at the Emperor's Autumn Viewing Competition, there's still a lot to do."

"Speaking of which, does your team have any plans to start mud racing events?" he tried to change the subject again.

Such pleasantries were not unfamiliar to Makoto Yasui; he had not only participated in extreme training but had also encountered many such situations after becoming a trainer.

However, he doesn't really like these kinds of occasions, and if possible, he would rather not attend them at all.

If he had to participate, he would prefer to be with people he was truly familiar with, such as Qisuo, or Alice, Yamato Akaki, and of course, the East Sea Emperor and the others.

Unfortunately, the gas tank is currently located in Europe, in order to host high-profile overseas events.

While Alice and Yamato Akari also received invitations to the banquet, they were not interested in such occasions.

One person said they needed to stay in the lab to adjust the parameters of the hypoxia chamber, while the other declined the invitation, saying they needed to finish their thesis.

As for someone like the student council president, they're equally busy, so it's definitely impossible to get them to be a guest or a shield.

While Yasui Makoto was patiently socializing, in an inconspicuous corner of the banquet hall...

Hiding most of his body behind the dining table in front of him, Beifang Xuanju peeked out for a while, then turned to Xingmu beside him and sighed:
"I feel... Ah Zhen has it so tough, having to deal with so many people."

"Yes, yes..."

While struggling to dismantle the lobster that was as long as an arm in front of her, her almond-shaped eyes nodded repeatedly in between glances:

"Looks like... he's even more tired than during training. Senior Kobei, is A-Zhen always this busy?" "Hmm... well, he wasn't this busy at first."

With his head slightly raised and eyes rolled upwards, Beifang Xuanju rested his fingers on his chin as he recalled:

"It's probably because of our fame. At the beginning, both A-Zhen and I were just starting out, so we didn't get much attention."

"Things are different now."

"Look, this is supposed to be a celebration party for Hikari-chan, but there are just as many people next to A-Zhen as there are for Hikari-chan."

"Well...indeed."

Nodding, she snapped the lobster shell open with a snap and handed over a piece of snow-white lobster meat:

"Senior Xiao Bei, please eat."

"Oh, thank you, Almond Eyes."

After Beifang Xuanju took a bite of the lobster meat, he smiled contentedly and then joked:

"If that's the case, then you're complaining about Makoto on behalf of Hikari-senpai."

"Eh, eh? That's not what I meant..."

He quickly shook his head in denial, and the Northern Black Steed raised his hands in surrender:
"That's just how I felt, and..."

She looked towards the very center of the hall and sighed:

"Guangzuanjiang has given so much. I live with her and see her every day."

"Moreover, she also carries the long-cherished wish of her family, so it's really not easy for her."

"Fortunately, everything paid off, and I... am really happy for her."

"Right, you agree, right, Naruto-chan?"

As she spoke, she looked down at the phone on the table.

On the phone screen was a video call with the loud banging of engines.

During the daytime competition, the Northern Black Horse charged forward, and its thunderous roar witnessed Satomi Hikari's victory.

Now that he was attending the banquet, thinking that since they were all friends, he should also let Ming Sheng Lei Dong feel involved, so Bei Bu Xuan Ju dialed the number again.

"Hmm, to win the Chrysanthemum Prize, Hikari... is very strong."

As soon as the Northern Black Steed finished speaking, the Thunderous Roar in the video nodded slightly, then momentarily lost in thought.

Just as he turned to look at the screen, Beibu Xuanju paused, quickly realizing the reason for his friend's change in expression.

The Chrysanthemum Appreciation Competition is on October 23, while the Arc de Triomphe Appreciation Competition was held three weeks earlier on October 2.

That day, just like now, Kita Genko was on a video call with Anzu and the Satomi sisters, watching the game broadcast and cheering for their friend.

To her great surprise, the winner of that race was neither Thunderous Roar, nor Harvest Festival (also a Japanese competitor), nor a race that would be decided later, but rather the racehorse girl whose love story could be found.

So, Narumi-chan... is thinking about her Arc de Triomphe prize right now, isn't she...?

Just as Beibu Xuanju was about to offer a word of comfort, Ming Sheng Lei shook his head on the video, looking at him with a determined gaze.

"Indeed, losing a game doesn't feel good."

"However, those world-class female racehorses are indeed very strong, but I won't give up so easily."

"Afterwards, I... will definitely challenge them again."

(End of this chapter)