Leaving her room, Dream Weaver headed down to the hotel gym.
She spotted Liberty Island immediately; it was hard to miss an Uma Musume in a room full of ordinary people, especially one who had the treadmill cranked to its absolute maximum setting.
"Maintaining your condition is fine, but there's no harm in waiting until we're back at school tomorrow to resume your full training regime," Dream Weaver said, stepping forward to interrupt the workout.
She handed over a bottle of water she'd just grabbed from the vending machine by the entrance.
Hearing her voice, Liberty Island hopped off the machine.
She wiped the sweat from her neck with a draped towel before taking the bottle. After draining half of it in one long, thirsty gulp, she let out a satisfied sigh.
"I just wanted to push myself as much as I possibly could," she admitted.
Dream Weaver didn't bother with the obvious lecture—that the Japan Cup was only a month away and Liberty Island's physical stats weren't going to see a massive breakthrough in that window.
Instead, she simply beckoned her over, leading the girl to a quiet, empty corridor outside the gym.
Looking out at the city skyline, where neon lights shimmered against the dark, Dream Weaver spoke up.
"I just received word. Symboli Kris S is also registering for the Japan Cup."
"It seems to be a last-minute decision on her part. Even though the official registration period has passed, the Association isn't likely to turn her down, given the sheer dominance she's shown on the track."
"After all, adding another powerhouse to the roster only makes the race more of a spectacle. With her in the mix, half the field now consists of contenders with the potential to seize a G1 title."
Liberty Island blinked, her eyes wide with surprise. "I see! So that's why you looked so grim back at the Kyoto Racecourse, Master!"
"And you went out just now to verify the rumors, didn't you?"
She looked at Dream Weaver with pure, unadulterated admiration.
In Liberty Island's mind, she had already constructed a heroic image of her mentor rushing out the door the moment she got a tip, scouting for intel, and returning to the hotel immediately to brief her.
Under the weight of those sparkling, expectant eyes, Dream Weaver found it a bit awkward to admit she had simply bumped into Symboli Kris S by chance and the girl had just bluntly told her. She scratched her head, offering a vague, non-committal reply.
"Something like that..."
Regardless of the "why," the result was the same: she had delivered the news.
Seeing the affirmation, the trust in Liberty Island's eyes practically overflowed. Determined not to let her mentor's efforts go to waste, she squared her shoulders and gave her chest a confident pat.
"Don't you worry, Master! I watched her closely during the Kikuka Sho. The current Symboli Kris S is no match for me!"
Dream Weaver nodded. Symboli Kris S was undoubtedly a genius, but based on her previous performances, she seemed to be a late bloomer.
Before the Aoba Sho, she hadn't even won a graded race. It was only between the Aoba Sho and the Tokyo Yushun that she began to emerge in the public eye as a true prodigy.
Compared to Liberty Island and the other heavy hitters, she simply hadn't had enough time to truly come into her own.
That was precisely why Dream Weaver had been left speechless when Symboli Kris S declared her intent to win the Japan Cup.
"But it's not just her. There are plenty of other threats in the Japan Cup—Titleholder, Panthalassa, Stars on Earth..."
Before Dream Weaver could finish listing the rivals, Liberty Island cut her off.
"I thought you came here to encourage me."
"It turns out, Master, that you're the one who's feeling uneasy."
"Wh... what? Uneasy? Me?" Dream Weaver frowned as she shot back the question, but Liberty Island didn't answer. She just stared directly into her eyes.
The city lights reflected in Liberty Island's pupils like shimmering starlight. The gaze was so piercingly bright that Dream Weaver instinctively looked away.
As she averted her eyes, Dream Weaver unconsciously clenched her fists. In that moment of evasion, the reason for her unease finally clicked.
It was because she could no longer do anything about the race itself. Her role was now that of a Trainer, and a Trainer cannot stand in the center of the stage.
No matter how much data she gathered or how many tapes she studied, she could no longer take matters into her own hands.
She was no longer a direct participant in the theater of the turf.
She had stepped back to the second line. When she first arrived at Central Tracen, students would still occasionally swarm her for autographs, asking when her next race was.
But now, after she had guided Liberty Island and Hishi Miracle to G1 glory?
The students at Central Tracen looked at her only as a Trainer, hoping she might take them under her wing.
No one saw her as an Uma Musume anymore.
No one expected her to win a race.
People's eyes naturally followed the girls who could actually change the outcome on the track, not a Trainer standing on the sidelines.
The truth was, she really couldn't change the race with her own strength anymore.
No matter how much information she compiled, she couldn't run the distance herself to seize victory.
Dream Weaver was no longer the person who could shoulder the entire burden of a "must-win" race. She was disconnected from the track, and that power to change the world of racing no longer belonged to her.
The Japan Cup belonged to Liberty Island. It wasn't hers.
Of course, Liberty Island had no way of knowing the existential crisis swirling through Dream Weaver's mind in those few seconds. She simply thought her mentor had dazed off. She let out a soft chuckle.
"Master, you once said we would take a second victory against Equinox together."
"And we really did it. Even Equinox didn't manage to take the Triple Crown, but I am a true Triple Crown winner now!"
"The old me—the one who was so intimidated by Equinox that I was too cowardly to move forward—was saved by you. I'm not afraid of her anymore!"
"So... so!"
Liberty Island took a deep breath and grabbed Dream Weaver's hands. Her voice rang out with conviction.
"Please, believe in me too!"
"Just like you believed I could win the Triple Tiara, I'll make you believe I can defeat Equinox in the Japan Cup!"
"All of your unease... I'll be the one to wipe it all away!"
Staring into those eyes that seemed to hold all the radiance of Kyoto, Dream Weaver stood frozen for a long moment before remembering to nod.
Looking at Liberty Island's blossoming smile, she spoke silently to herself.
That's right. The one who holds the power to change the race now... isn't me. It's her.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.