Just as Dream Weaver was trying to think of a way to brush off Liberty Island's suspicions, the infirmary door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Agnes Tachyon and the others filed in from the hallway.
Seeing Liberty Island on the bed still clutching a half-empty bottle of water, Agnes Tachyon raised an eyebrow.
"Awake so soon? It seems the effects of this batch of medicine were even better than anticipated."
As she spoke, a blue-and-white blur darted past her, charging straight for the bed. Her eyes brimming with tears, Hishi Miracle let out a strange wail as she threw her arms around Liberty Island.
"Waaaaah! Liberty, you're finally awake! Thank goodness you're okay, we were worried sick!"
Wrapped in Hishi Miracle's crushing embrace, Liberty Island grimaced as her sore muscles screamed in protest. For a moment, she completely forgot the question she was about to ask Dream Weaver, and could only frantically pat Hishi Miracle on the back.
"I'm fine, I'm fine! But if you keep squeezing me like this, I really won't be!"
Realizing she had nearly smothered her friend out of pure kindness, Hishi Miracle let go abruptly. After a flurry of frantic apologies, she began tentatively poking at Liberty Island's fingertips, asking softly if that hurt too.
Ignoring the two making a scene, Dream Weaver turned her gaze toward Sugar Lights. Understanding the silent prompt, Sugar Lights rolled her wheelchair over.
"Everything's been handled. I've explained things to the Association and the media. Once Liberty has had enough rest, we'll just need her to say a few words in front of the camera."
Dream Weaver nodded in satisfaction, but Sugar Lights rubbed her temples with a helpless sigh.
"But normally... shouldn't the Trainer be the one doing this? Why am I, a member of the support staff, stuck handling it?"
"Thank you for the hard work, Doctor. Someone had to look after Liberty when she woke up, and I thought she'd prefer to see me first."
"Besides... I won't be a Trainer for much longer."
"What?!"
Before Sugar Lights could even voice her shock, Hishi Miracle, who had been hovering by the bed, whipped her head around toward Dream Weaver.
In the next heartbeat, she lunged forward without a moment's hesitation.
Just as Dream Weaver braced herself for whatever was coming, Hishi Miracle dropped to the floor, clinging to her leg and wailing at the top of her lungs.
"Trainer! Don't go! Please don't go!"
"Liberty might have stumbled this once, but surely you aren't so disappointed that you'd quit being a Trainer altogether?!"
"W-w-we promise to work twice as hard from now on! We'll never let you down again!"
The others stared at Dream Weaver with equally stunned expressions.
Their panic was understandable—dropping a bombshell like that right after a crushing defeat in the Japan Cup was bound to be misread.
Perhaps because she had just nearly jumped out of her skin when Dream Weaver had stopped mid-sentence earlier, Liberty Island was actually the calmest of the group. Taking the lesson to heart, she forced herself to settle down and think before speaking.
"Master isn't going to be a Trainer anymore... Does this have to do with that 'thing' you said you had to do?"
"Exactly."
The others calmed down slightly at her confirmation.
They remained silent, waiting for Dream Weaver to explain exactly what this "thing" was—something so important that she would cast aside her identity as a Trainer to pursue it.
Dream Weaver leaned down and helped Hishi Miracle up from the floor. Then, under the unwavering gaze of everyone in the room, she spoke slowly.
"I'm making a comeback."
"A... comeback?"
It was a simple enough phrase, but coming from Dream Weaver's mouth at this moment, they struggled to grasp the weight of it.
"That's right."
"I am returning to the turf to compete in this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
Her voice was calm, her expression unchanged.
She sounded as casual as if she were discussing what to have for dinner, but to the girls, it felt like a thunderclap had detonated in the room, leaving them stunned and ringing for a long time.
Agnes Tachyon was the first to snap out of it. She used her oversized sleeves to mask half her face, leaving only her furrowed brows and eyes full of disbelief visible.
"The Arc... Is this because I joked about it being moved to the end of the year? Is that why you have this idea?"
"But that was a joke! Today is already November 26th! Even if the Arc was moved to the very last day of the year, you only have thirty days left!"
"Thirty days... in thirty days, how could you possibly find your form after being away from the track for nearly two years?!"
When Agnes Tachyon had first approached Dream Weaver, her goal had been to use her medicinal concoctions to help her challenge the Arc once more. But when she made that decision, Dream Weaver had only been away for a few months and still maintained a proper training regimen.
But now? Dream Weaver hadn't undergone systematic training in ages.
At most, she had used her 'Zone' during mock races to push Liberty Island and Hishi Miracle. That level of activity was nowhere near enough to maintain a competitive edge.
Furthermore, Dream Weaver hadn't stepped onto a real racecourse in nearly two years. To Agnes Tachyon, entering the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe under these conditions was nothing short of madness.
Then there was the massive gap between European and Japanese tracks.
Usually, any Tracen Academy Uma Musume planning an expedition to the Arc would head to Europe months in advance to acclimate, often running a prep race there to find their rhythm.
Regaining competitive form, acclimating to the environment, and mastering the European turf in just over thirty days—in Agnes Tachyon's eyes, it was an utter impossibility.
Not to mention Dream Weaver would be dragging along a physical condition far weaker than her prime. Coming back for the Arc now was just asking for a world of hurt!
Hishi Miracle's eyes flickered. She suddenly remembered the conversation between Dream Weaver and Sea the Stars in the stands earlier.
"Is it because... the Trainer wants to win for Island's sake? Are you coming back to the Arc just to beat Sea the Stars?"
Hearing this, Liberty Island snapped back to reality. Without thinking, she cried out to Dream Weaver.
"Master! My loss to Equinox was because I wasn't mature enough! You don't need to enter the Arc for me—"
But before she could finish, Dream Weaver cut her off with a shake of her head.
"Miracle, Liberty, you've got it all wrong."
"I would never make an impulsive decision to enter the Arc just because of a bit of provocation from Sea the Stars."
"But if not that, Master, then why..."
"I'm doing it for myself."
Dream Weaver scanned the faces of everyone in the room before continuing in a soft, steady voice.
"It is for Dream Weaver that I have decided to return to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
"Not for anyone else. Just for me."
--+--
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.