Uma Musume no Nama no Nichijou (Horse Girl), First and foremost

Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Affirmation of the Strong

The rain eventually subsided over time.

In terms of the day's weather, the rain only lasted for about an hour, which is within the margin of error of the weather forecast.

However, this has a significant impact on the entire horse racing competition.

To everyone, from the audience to the Central Teresen Academy student council, this was indeed a matter that could affect the outcome of the competition.

However, after it was confirmed that the final champion was Saima Musume from Kasamatsu, no one questioned or speculated about these things anymore.

This is the answer they expected, whether it's the Fujimasa March or the Oguri Hat, it doesn't matter.

Not to mention that the second place in this match was shared by Fujimasa March and Tamamo Cross.

In a sense, Kasamatsu achieved a great victory, or rather, the local area won a major victory, defeating the opponent in various ways.

They even managed to save face for the central government in a similar manner.

What? You're asking if winning first place is also a victory and you can even save face?

nonsense!

If all three of them get first place, then what's the point of their local audience supporting them?

Isn't it obvious at a glance that this is all an act?!

After all, it wasn't the first time everyone had heard what Kasamatsu Racecourse was like.

Therefore, the performance of the three horse girls in the race under such severe weather, and the final judgment, were ultimately accepted by the audience with a degree of reluctance.

It wasn't until everyone noticed the symbol representing Central Teresen Academy on the winner's stage that they were completely convinced.

For all the reasons mentioned above, the three female horse-drawn carriages performing on stage were finally met with unprecedented cheers.

At least for Kasamatsu Racecourse and for the fans of Kasamatsu.

Such cheers were unprecedented in their grandeur, making one's blood boil with excitement.

"きみの爱马が～"

The crisp sound originated from the center position of the singer, Xiao Limao, while the other two provided backing vocals.

However, everyone's focus at this moment is not on the winner Oguri's hat, but on Tamamo Cross.

"Turns out this Central Race Horse Girl is quite good too!"

"I initially thought she was here to provoke us. At least in terms of her performance, Xiao Limao and the march should learn from her."

Among the supporters were die-hard fans who had been completely captivated by Tamamo Cross's amazing performance and were cheering wildly from the audience.

"Tamamo-chan! Tamamo-chan! Lovely Tamamo-chan!"

......

The female horse riders watching the performance below the stage, like the audience, all wore expressions of satisfaction as they watched the three racehorses perform.

Even judging from the discerning eye of Central Horse Racing Girls, not to mention Oguri Hat and Fujimasa March, who were not used to the three-person performance.

Tamamo Cross's brilliant performance on stage was enough to earn their approval and be recognized as one of the few outstanding performances they could see.

"Your Majesty, you have done very well."

In response, the president patted the East Sea Emperor's head affectionately.

The success of stage performers is not solely due to their efforts; the contributions of those backstage are also crucial.

"Hahaha, I'm fine, President. Actually, Maruzen-senpai took care of most of the preparations and details. I only gave some guidance on the choreography details."

While enjoying the "reward" given by Rudolf, the Emperor of the East Sea humbly attributed his credit to Maruzensky.

"Oh dear, yes, yes, I did pretty well too, so why didn't anyone pat me on the head?"

The slightly sarcastic and somewhat bitter remark came out of the mouth of the older sister, Maruzenski.

This immediately made the otherwise warm atmosphere slightly awkward.

But this problem was quickly solved by the pure white horse girl, who was still licking her lips, seemingly unsatisfied, and whose aura hadn't quite subsided:

"Hey! Big Sister Maruzen, if you really need it, I can let you touch it as much as you want later. After all, didn't Teibo say that you've contributed a lot?"

"Eh... if it's a small gold one, then... then we don't need to, ahahaha..."

Sensing that the atmosphere was very unpleasant for him, Maruzen quickly changed his tone and changed the subject: "By the way, Tamamo's performance seems to have changed quite a bit compared to the last Naruo Memorial Match."

"Yes, she was very relaxed and even somewhat immersed in the performance. She was supposed to be a supporting role, but she actually delivered a performance that surpassed what the winner should have."

"If I had to criticize, it would be that it's a bit too sharp, but this kind of change is very rare for every female racehorse and deserves encouragement."

"So what exactly did you say to her, White Disaster?"

At this point, Rudolf's lips curled slightly with interest, seemingly curious about the details of what happened during that time alone with the Golden Victory and the Tamamo Cross.

"What are you talking about... Hehehe, that's just encouragement from a senior to a junior."

"To give an example, it's like dragging Tamamo-no-Mae to the sunset and telling her not to be discouraged, not to give up her love for running, and to keep running towards the sunset!"

It's all nonsense, but the general idea should be similar to that of a golden victory.

If we really want to break it down, it can probably be divided into the initial rebuilding of confidence and the later, more in-depth infusion of confidence.

"Heh... Well, I originally thought that Tamamo Cross could handle this blow as a Central Race Horse Girl on her own. Although it's a bit of a shame to rely on others to cheer her up, is this alright?"

Upon hearing the president's answer, Golden Victory shrugged indifferently and replied:

"Isn't it good to have partners and mentors to help you?"

"That's true."

"At least the other person can still choose to accept guidance from a senior when they can't handle setbacks, and such behavior is commendable."

"Moreover, it seems that Tamamo Cross's harvest is no less than that of the other two Ash Hair Racer Girls."

Upon hearing this, Golden Victory raised his eyebrows slightly.

Highlight the key point: two horse racers with flowing hair.

Well, it seems that our stubborn and inflexible Emperor Rudolf is finally starting to revert to Luna-chan mode...

Noticing the other party's exaggerated facial expressions, Rudolf finally understood and gave a wry smile.

"At least let me be prepared. I'm not like you, White Disaster, who can so easily spout all sorts of things."

"I rarely say things like that."

At this point, Rudolf's expression conveyed a mixture of admiration, some感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions), and perhaps a touch of embarrassment stemming from pride.

The legendary racehorse girl's professional judgment was ultimately shattered by the opponent's desperate efforts.

Just like she favored Oguri Hat, even if Oguri Hat successfully defeated Tamamo Cross after that, it was still within the predetermined outcome imagined by Rudolf Symbol.

But Fujimasa March was ultimately able to create something that allowed them, who stood at the pinnacle of Uma Musume, to be recognized even by Chiaki, the representative who was clearly at odds with them.

"Well, we still have to give you, Rudolf, the symbolic emperor, some face, right? Anyway, there's still some time before the performance ends, so we'll just leave you there to worry about it for now~"

Seeing the other person's depressed expression, the pure white horse girl happily drew her conclusion.

"Hmph... alright, I'll think about it carefully." The defeated tone was barely halfway through when the emperor retorted defiantly, "Also, there are some things I know. Bai Zai, you even included the Tamamo Cross in your bet. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Hey?

Which one are you referring to?

Golden Victory merely showed a somewhat embarrassed, even slightly dejected, thoughtful expression.

But in reality, the pure white horse girl didn't reflect on her actions at all; instead, she was thinking about which one of her things had been exposed.

Logically speaking, once the fact that he had trained Tamamo Cross is exposed, both things should come to light.

Anyway, the other party doesn't seem to be planning to expose me, so I can just play dumb and hehehe~

So what was supposed to be a lively stage performance turned into a bizarre scene in a viewing area below the stage, where one person was testing the waters and the other was just sitting there pretending to be silly and cute.

"Huh? Why are we talking about Tamamo-senpai again? And what's with the bet? Does it refer to my situation?"

"Hey, hey, can anyone tell me?"

"President?"

"Senior Bai Zai?"

"Senior Maruzen?"

"...Little Glorious?"

The East Sea Emperor, standing nearby, knew nothing about this and could only ask these seniors with great curiosity, even inquiring about the brand-new radiance.

However, even the newly radiant one wore an expression of complete ignorance, unlike the others.

The awkward situation only eased slightly after Maruzensky spoke up.

"Oh dear, it's alright, it's alright. There are some things that it's better for you not to know yet, Your Majesty. The adult world is much more complex than you can imagine."

This immediately quelled the East Sea Emperor's curiosity, while also subtly implying with her eyes that it was enough for both of them to understand.

After all, if those words were spoken, the sensitive little sister of the emperor might immediately change her mind.

It's best not to leave the child without a way to save face.

After all, she's a genius, a proud, and adorable little pony girl!

Thus, the three senior horse spirits instantly reached a consensus.

To protect the Emperor of the East Sea, of course we should let the Imperial Treasure continue to act all bewildered and cute!

......

The performance time passed quickly.

Just after the stage dance performance ended, the three racehorse girls who performed on stage thanked the audience for attending the day.

As the stage lights dimmed and the audience was still enjoying themselves, they took the opportunity to leave the stage and return to the backstage preparation area to rest for a while.

"Whew... Ha! I'm exhausted!"

"Hey, this isn't Kasamatsu's home turf, so why are there so many people cheering us on?"