"Are you not going to accompany me for my next race?"
Just as Godolphin was mysteriously dragging Folkqueen into the bedroom, on the sofa on the other side, McQueen had finished listening to Kuroha's explanation. She frowned slightly as she asked him.
Though she was trying her best to restrain herself, a careful look still revealed a trace of hurt in the grey-haired little horse girl's disappointed expression.
Just now, Kuroha had explained in detail to Mejiro McQueen what his schedule would look like for the near future.
McQueen's expedition race schedule naturally remained unchanged.
According to the original plan, after successfully challenging the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, her next three races would be the turf 2,080-meter Juddmonte International Stakes, also held in Great Britain.
Then the turf 2,012-meter Irish Champion Stakes, which Oguri had also challenged last year.
And finally, the ultimate goal of this expedition, as well as its highest stage.
The turf 2,400-meter Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France!
As for Kuroha, he was planning to return to the Far East in a few days to handle some personal matters, as well as various affairs involving Mejiro and the family.
Seeing that the purple-haired girl in front of him seemed a little unhappy, a trace of softness flashed through Kuroha's eyes. He reached out and gently patted her little head to comfort her.
Maruzensky, who was sitting beside them, also leaned over with a bright smile and naturally rested her smooth, rounded chin on the back of the hand Kuroha was using to pat McQueen's head.
The added weight immediately made McQueen, who was underneath, feel an immense pressure bearing down on the top of her head.
After a moment of silence, McQueen ultimately proved herself to be a very reasonable and gentle Umamusume.
She quickly restrained the dejection in her heart, then nodded solemnly.
"I understand, Trainer. Even if you are not by my side, I will definitely win the next race perfectly!"
"Good. Confidence is important. Still, don't put too much pressure on yourself for the next race."
Kuroha smiled with relief.
"The entry list for the Juddmonte International Stakes has already been released. Among them, the only one who poses any real threat to you is Terimon, who lost to you by a huge margin in the last race."
No matter how vast the gap was, Terimon was still an Umamusume who had stepped into the second stage: Domain.
She was one of the few Umamusume in all of Europe who could put even a little pressure on McQueen.
"However, if her Trainer is rational enough, he is probably already considering withdrawing from the race by now."
Kuroha understood this very well.
Unless there was no other choice, or unless some extremely special circumstance arose, challenging an opponent one knew could not be defeated was not courage. It was irrational recklessness.
It was even a vain refusal to take responsibility for oneself and others.
And a gap at the level of a huge margin was the clearest proof of that "impossible to defeat" reality.
Umamusume were a race with an extraordinarily powerful competitive spirit by nature.
When one already knew that one's own talent ranked among the finest of the generation, then even if Terimon understood that she was no match for Mejiro McQueen, if she truly entered the same race, the fierce pounding of her blood and heart would still drive her to explode with everything she had, even to surpass her own limits.
All for the sake of chasing that nearly impossible victory.
That instinctive outburst would raise the race's intensity to a level her original body could not endure.
Whether she won or lost in the end, it would cause tremendous damage to Terimon's body, and even to her future career.
Kuroha was judging her by his own standards.
For that reason, he concluded that unless Terimon herself stubbornly insisted on competing, then as a fellow top-tier international Trainer, Terimon's Trainer would certainly choose to withdraw from the race in order to protect his own Umamusume.
Of course, if it were someone like Generous, where the gap was only a few lengths, then trying to fight it out would still be understandable...
Seeing that McQueen was listening seriously, Kuroha continued softly, "So, this race will not have monsters on the level of Generous or Suave Dancer, nor will it have the next tier down, such as Terimon or Sanglamore."
"You only need to rest your body properly, and you will be able to win this race without any effort."
"I understand."
After hearing that, McQueen obediently nodded.
Then those amethyst-like eyes blinked, and she asked curiously, "Then what are you going back to Tracen for, Trainer? When will you return?"
Kuroha smiled when he heard that.
"This time, I'll mainly be handling the arrangements for my wedding with Fumino, as well as Bourbon and Rice's debut races. I'll probably stay at Tracen for about a month."
As he spoke, Kuroha paused, then turned to look at Maruzensky, who was holding McQueen and listening intently.
"Speaking of which, Maruzen, are you going back with me this time?"
Maruzensky was taken aback, but very soon, she raised a smile and said, "If Kuroha-kun is going back, then I'll go back too. There's nothing much for me to do here anyway."
"That works out well. Luna has been urging me for the past few days too, telling me to hurry up and let you go back."
Kuroha smiled teasingly.
"The spring season on Tracen's side just ended, and student council work has kept her so busy that her feet have barely touched the ground."
"The detailed arrangements for the autumn season are about to come down soon too. She's eagerly waiting for you to go back and help."
"..."
After hearing that, the brown-haired bombshell of an older girl immediately sank into an uncanny silence.
Then she suddenly raised her head and said with an utterly serious expression, "On second thought, after you leave, I can stay here and keep little McQueen company, so she won't be too lonely all by herself in a foreign country! So I think I won't go back after all!"
"...Maruzen-senpai."
Mejiro McQueen, who had been used as a shield, immediately had dark lines practically hanging from her forehead as she made that quiet retort.
"Hm? Little McQueen, do you have an objection?"
Maruzensky lowered her head and looked at the Mejiro girl in her arms with an exceedingly gentle gaze.
"...No."
McQueen conceded decisively.
Kuroha smiled.
"Fine. Since you're not going back, I'll go back alone."
"As for Luna's work, I'll help handle it. Don't worry."
"Kuroha-kun really is the best!"
Maruzensky instantly broke into a radiant smile. She let go of McQueen, wrapped her arms around Kuroha's neck, and was about to kiss him.
McQueen, realizing what was happening, immediately pulled her back with all her strength.
"Maruzen-senpai!"
"Oh my, little McQueen. Do you want to take my place? You can't."
The hall was immediately filled with the girls' bright sounds of play-fighting.
At that same moment, in the bedroom on the second floor...
"T-T-These... Lady Godolphin... what are all these things?!"
Folkqueen covered her bright red cheeks tightly with both hands.
Through the gaps between her fingers, she looked at the several revealing "winning outfits" laid out across the bed and cried out in a shy, low voice.
(End of Chapter)
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