Not long after, the red sports car smoothly drove into Central Tracen Academy.
As soon as they got out, Symboli Rudolf explained the situation to Kuroha.
Apparently, after Chairwoman Akikawa heard from Symboli Rudolf about Byerley's view of the incident, and learned that Sunday Silence's "spiriting away" could only be handled once Kuroha returned, she had become sick with worry.
She had specifically instructed Symboli Rudolf to bring Kuroha to her as soon as he returned home.
"So the main reason you came to pick me up this time was the Chairwoman's request? I thought you suddenly missed me," Kuroha said with a light laugh.
Symboli Rudolf froze for a moment, then broke into a smile. "Missing you was part of it too."
The four of them opened the car doors and got out.
"Looks like I'll have to deal with business first."
Kuroha turned around and gently rubbed Fujimasa March and Mejiro Ardan on the head.
"You two go home and wait for me first. I'll make a trip to the Chairwoman's office."
"Mm. Take care of your work first, Trainer."
March's expression softened, and she nodded obediently.
After retiring, she had slowly shed the shell of the "Silver-White Storm."
Now, as Kuroha's first wife, she had gradually begun to understand how to protect this hard-won happiness with a gentle posture.
Ardan, however, lightly beckoned to Kuroha before leaving.
When Kuroha lowered his head in confusion and leaned closer, the gentle young lady of the Mejiro family leaned in by his ear and whispered softly, her breath fragrant and warm.
"Trainer, once things here are settled, you need to find time to come home with me."
"Mother said... she very much wants to meet you."
"From what I understand, she likely has something she wants to consult you about."
"..."
Kuroha straightened up, his expression somewhat helpless.
Why did it feel like, now that he had returned, one person after another was lining up to see him?
"All right. I understand, Ardan."
Though he felt a little speechless inside, when he looked at Ardan's hopeful, gentle eyes, he still smiled and nodded, agreeing to it.
After watching the two girls leave, Kuroha and Symboli Rudolf walked side by side along the familiar tree-lined path of the academy, heading toward the Chairwoman's office.
"Come to think of it, while I was away, how did the domestic Grand Prix close out?" Kuroha asked casually.
Symboli Rudolf smiled faintly when she heard that.
"I don't mean to hurt your pride, but to be honest, the atmosphere and condition of the races were even more heated than when you were here."
Kuroha laughed. "So it was my fault before?"
Symboli Rudolf winked playfully. "Perhaps it was~"
Only in front of Kuroha, Maruzensky, and her other closest friends would she reveal this almost girlish side of herself.
The two joked for a while longer before Symboli Rudolf slowly explained the situation.
As it turned out, after finishing her Classic Year and stepping into the domain of Senior Year, Mejiro McQueen's previous strength had simply been too far beyond the standard.
In any race she entered, there was almost no suspense over who would win.
To a certain extent, that had suppressed the brilliance of the other top uma musume of her generation.
And ever since Kuroha had taken McQueen overseas for her expedition, his Chasing Light team had temporarily lost its current Senior Year uma musume within Central Tracen.
That also meant they had lost eligibility to compete in Senior Year races.
"Now that she's left Central to seize glory on the world stage, the domestic racing scene has instead entered a true Warring States era," Symboli Rudolf explained.
"Uma musume like Mejiro Ryan, Ines Fujin, and Bright Rock are all among the very best Central-affiliated girls of the same generation."
"Before, under McQueen's shadow, they were merely the 'many strong' beneath the 'one absolute.'"
"Now that the 'absolute' has left, the battles between the 'strong' have become genuine life-or-death struggles."
"Every race is extremely exciting."
"I see. That's a good thing, then."
After quietly listening to her explanation, Kuroha nodded, then changed the subject.
"What about the Classic Year races?"
At the mention of that topic, Symboli Rudolf's expression turned a little strange.
"Classic Year... What's there to say? You're Teio's Trainer. Don't you know how frighteningly strong she is now?"
"Even I at my peak might not be able to outrun her..."
There was a hint of self-deprecation in her words.
But when she spoke of Tokai Teio, a gratified smile appeared on Symboli Rudolf's face.
The two chatted along the way, and before long, they arrived outside the Chairwoman's office.
Kuroha had just raised his hand to knock when Yayoi Akikawa's murmuring sobs, filled with regret and self-reproach, came from inside the room first.
"Ugh... It's all my fault..."
"If I hadn't insisted on inviting Shizuka over to visit, she never would have disappeared halfway here..."
"What do I do? What am I supposed to do...?"
Listening to the tearful muttering inside, Symboli Rudolf sighed helplessly, then turned to Kuroha with an apologetic, wry smile.
"Sorry you had to hear that..."
"We haven't been able to find any trace of Sunday Silence these past few days, so Chairwoman Akikawa has been blaming herself like this the entire time."
Kuroha nodded slightly to show that he understood, but he did not immediately respond.
Because through his auditory perception, inside the room separated from him by only one door, aside from Yayoi Akikawa's weeping, another girl's voice was clearly echoing as well.
That voice was clear and pleasant, but carried urgency and helplessness.
"I keep telling you, Akikawa-san, I'm right here!"
"Why do you keep refusing to listen to me...?"
Hm?
Without changing his expression, Kuroha turned his head and glanced at Symboli Rudolf beside him.
Judging from her completely undisturbed expression, this second voice was clearly something only he could hear.
Spiriting away...
A strange condition...
Unable to resolve it...
Thinking back to the assessment given by the two goddesses earlier, Kuroha fell into thought.
After briefly considering the situation, he knocked on the door.
"Chairwoman Akikawa."
(End of Chapter)
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