"...Sorry, but I don't understand what you mean, sir. Mejiro McQueen is indeed one of the best long-distance Uma Musume of her generation, but I don't think she's worth so much attention from Shadai."
"Her talent is a major boon, and also a great limitation."
"All of my training regimens have been centered around ensuring that Mejiro McQueen is healthy and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future."
"And I think she might not be suitable for Shadai's training methods, especially those... training camps that Shadai designed to stimulate the potential of an Uma Musume."
"It's a bit too stress-inducing for my liking."
Imanami clearly expressed his refusal to Shadai.
Even though Shadai does produce high-quality Umas, both in this world and in Imanami's original world, it was only because they held a monopoly over almost every resource relating to horse racing in Japan, which, through process of elimination, made their group the best in Japan.
Imanami has no strong opinions about monopolies in the horse racing space; after all, he was just a stablehand.
But he also had nothing good to say about Shadai's intensive training of their Racehorses.
At the very least, he believed Shadai had some boundaries and wouldn't go as far as to abuse their Racehorses.
However, Imanami had made a promise to the Mejiro Family Head. He would ensure that this little rising star of the Mejiro Family could retire safely while fulfilling the Mejiro's dream.
On this point, even Symboli Rudolf, without a word, entrusted Tokai Teio to Imanami, which symbolized the trustworthiness Imanami had garnered.
Whether it was the Mejiro Family Head or Symboli Rudolf, their trust was because his actions and words reflected him as someone who genuinely cared for every Uma Musume.
He might not have the same drive as Wada and Ikezoe, but he is the pillar of the entire team, supporting and stabilizing each and every single member of Team Miracle.
It can be said that the work Imanami has done behind the scenes was inseparable from Team Miracle's past and current success, allowing everyone to train and compete with peace of mind.
And the current Team Miracle needs Imanami's judgment more than ever. Dealing with Shadai is akin to placing a double-edged sword in front of you.
Wield it well, and it's an effective weapon that can benefit you greatly; wield it poorly, and the next thing it cuts may very well be your throat.
Thus, Imanami had no intention of joining Shadai, nor did he intend to let Mejiro McQueen or Tokai Teio go to Shadai. For they know not of the weight behind McQueen and Teio.
"Trainer Imanami, if I may be so bold, the resources Shadai possesses are unmatched by anyone else in Japan."
"As long as all of you join Shadai, we will provide all your Uma Musume with the best training resources, ensuring better safety for them while also helping them achieve better results."
Speaking of this, the Shadai representative also said confidently:
"Our medical team is among the best in the field. They are experienced and can provide medical care for Uma Musume at the first sign of any abnormality."
"Oh? Then I have a small question, please tell me,"
Imanami closed his eyes and said upon hearing this.
"Can Shadai's so-called professional medical team find a way to perceive subtle changes in an Uma Musume's leg condition just by touching their leg?"
"Even detect potential accidents in an Uma Musume before she herself notices any abnormality?"
"Uh... sir... is that supposed to be a joke?"
Imanami's words made the staff member falter slightly. Although he was not very familiar with the deep intricacies of training an Uma Musume, he worked at Shadai.
Daring to come here to negotiate with Imanami, he naturally knew more or less about the tricks and methods of training an Uma Musume.
But unfortunately, he had never heard of such a technique, and Imanami was sure he hadn't, because in this world, Uma Musume are not horses.
Thus, professions like stablehands don't exist. And as a stablehand himself, he actually possessed experience and theories that no one else in this world has.
Horses can't speak, so a stablehand has to check their condition to make sure that they're alright.
As stablehands, Imanami and his colleagues would carefully check the horse's legs every morning or early morning, feeling for any temperature differences in their legs and any changes in their leg bones compared to the previous day—this is an essential part of a stablehand's job.
It's no exaggeration to say that as an expert stablehand, even when Imanami was so old, his sensory abilities were completely undiminished.
Even if a horse's body temperature changed by 0.1°C, he could keenly detect it. Leg bones were similar.
Even if there was only a slight change, as long as there was a hint of something wrong, Imanami could instinctively feel the horse's condition that day and whether it was suitable for continued training.
In this world, Uma Musume can speak. They can detect their own abnormalities. They also know they can get sick.
But because of this, many pieces of knowledge that should have been mastered in Imanami's original world have never appeared or have been ignored in this world.
Trainers need to arrange training routines based on the Racehorse's condition, and the Racehorse's condition is determined by stablehands and veterinarians.
Imanami doesn't think he's so amazing as to call himself a veterinarian, but when it comes to checking a Racehorse's condition, he has enough confidence to say that he is even more accurate than some professional veterinarians.
This is experience honed over half a lifetime dedicated to the same profession; it is something that no amount of professional training can replace.
"Well... Trainer Imanami, as far as I know, Shadai doesn't have a miracle doctor like that. But we do have state-of-the-art medical equipment that can accurately deduce an Uma Musume's condition."
"Though, it's reserved for weekly checkups only since daily physical examinations are simply too time-consuming and not worth the cost..."
The staff member clearly said with some defiance: "And I don't think something like that is even possible, not even for you Trainer Imanami..."
"—If you are questioning me, why don't we make a bet?"
Imanami said calmly, holding up a finger. "If you'd like to, after you go back this time, please select ten Uma Musume whom you consider relatively healthy and bring them to me."
"I will palpate their bones to determine their condition and judge whether they are healthy. Perhaps I can even discover a few hidden injuries among them."
"If my findings are accurate to your own examination results, then Shadai should admit that we are more than qualified to train these Uma Musume and that our team doesn't need Shadai's 'help.'"
"How about it, sir? Are you willing to take part in a little gamble? Can you represent Shadai and bet with an unremarkable young Trainer like me?"
"..."
The staff member opened his mouth, wanting to call him out on his bluff and agree immediately.
But as he looked into Imanami's eerily confident gaze contained within seemingly calm but bright eyes, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
For some reason, just looking into Imanami's eyes made him feel like he'll definitely lose...
And if he really lost, and the board of directors released their anger on him... he would probably never be able to find another job in this industry.
"Trainer Imanami... I believe that refusing Shadai's invitation may not necessarily be the wisest choice for you and your Uma Musume."
"Oh? May I interpret that as a threat?"
Imanami narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, staring back at the representative.
He didn't want to appear too aggressive; he didn't want to offend Shadai too much, otherwise, truly tumultuous times would follow.
But now that things had come to this, and the other party was openly threatening him, even with Imanami's good temper, he wasn't the type of person to let others step all over him. His expression finally began to turn serious.
Just as the representative was about to say something else, he suddenly felt his fight-or-flight response kick in and subconsciously shifted his gaze slightly.
And within his vision was Gold Ship, who had arrived at some point behind Imanami, holding an empty aluminum can of cola, staring at him along with Imanami.
Then, with painfully slow motions, Gold Ship's hand squeezed the metal can, crushing it into a ball—undoubtedly, this was an overt threat.
"...Trainer Imanami, Shadai will remember your answer."
"Then, I won't bother you any further... See you on the Racecourse."
In the end, in fear of having his body eviscerated under the power of an angry Uma Musume, the Shadai representative left the scene with a forced smile.
After Imanami watched him leave, Gold Ship came to his side.
"Old man—who was that? So full of himself, I almost wanted to punch him."
"People with power are all like that. They look down on small groups like ours, especially since we are threatening their dominant position; things are bound to get worse from here."
Imanami shook his head, then immediately said to Gold Ship: "Gold Ship, let's go back and continue watching the match. Don't ruin today's rare day off."
"And... tonight, let's have a team meeting. There might be some unexpected events in McQueen and T.M. Opera O's upcoming races."
-----+-----
Yeah! Whoop Gold Ship's ass random Shadai guy #512! You've got this!
-----+-----
If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.