"I'm ready."
Inside President Rudolf's office, the words fell clearly.
Even indoors, the girl kept her hoodie up. Her expression was resolute as she spoke to the emperor seated behind the desk—relaxed, at ease, wholly in control.
She was ready.
And Garden Gale finally understood why Symboli Rudolf hadn't forced her into a race back then, merely telling her to prepare…
Prepare first. Talk about racing later.
Because—
She had faith.
The hooded girl was unmistakably Garden Gale. Only her clear, curved jawline showed beneath the shadow of the hood, yet one glance was enough to know it was her.
"The Wakagoma Stakes—I'm ready."
Garden Gale said it outright.
Across from her, President Rudolf laced her fingers, resting them lightly beneath her chin. A hint of amusement surfaced. "And it took you this long?" As she spoke, she raised the teacup at her side and took a sip.
Garden Gale had come in brimming with confidence.
Encouraged by Air Shakur, she'd realized some things. She'd even come to the student council president's office in broad daylight, declaring she wanted to enter the race—
Only to receive that response.
Was that… a jab? It took you this long? Not encouragement at all?
Her confidence deflated like a balloon pricked with a needle—though she managed to retain a little air.
She forced down the heartbeat that threatened to leap into her throat.
Don't let me turn back into a pop-at-the-slightest-touch, socially anxious kappa balloon, nooo…!
Garden Gale was about to stammer out a defense when the "Emperor" set down her green-tea cup.
"I knew you'd come."
"The Wakagoma Stakes," she continued at an unhurried pace—reaching into a drawer and pulling out some documents. "I haven't submitted you yet. Fortunately, as student council president, I can slip you in at the last minute. Which means you don't have much time left."
"And looking at the field… there are quite a few strong opponents."
As she spoke, she spread an A4 sheet on the desk—the same entry list as last time. The name at the top was unchanged.
"—Admire Vega."
The name echoed in Garden Gale's mind, filling the room. Symboli Rudolf tapped it, her voice calm yet firm. "If you want to win, your greatest obstacle is this Umamusume. Pay close attention."
"You know her record and her strength, don't you? Take her seriously. Otherwise… you'll wipe out."
A sliver of severity entered her tone.
In an instant, she shifted from casual teasing to unmistakable seriousness. Even from the Emperor's perspective, Admire Vega was noteworthy. Young, yes—
But strong.
Strong enough to demand respect.
"The enemy I have to thrash… is her." Garden Gale nodded solemnly, never looking away from the headshot. She stared, unblinking.
She already knew Admire Vega was strong, but hearing the Emperor praise her still startled Garden Gale slightly. It made the pressure feel tangible again—like a presence bearing down on her.
Garden Gale knew she might not outrun Admire Vega.
But—when race day came, she would thrash her. No matter what.
This wasn't just a vow to herself anymore. It was a promise to others. A promise not to let anyone down.
Thrash? Enemy?
That's some intense wording.
The Emperor's smile softened again.
"Um… President." After hesitating repeatedly, Garden Gale finally voiced her confusion. "Do you know… how to switch force-application patterns? I don't know how to explain it, but… it's completely different from running style, and, ah… I don't know how to describe it… it's just…"
As she spoke, she began gesturing wildly—hands and mouth moving nonstop.
The more she explained, the less coherent it became.
Long sentences were already hard enough for someone socially anxious. Garden Gale almost never talked this much, and now she was trying to describe an obscure, technical problem to someone else. Naturally, it came out as pure aba aba gibberish.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Symboli Rudolf couldn't take it anymore and cut her off. "Can you organize your thoughts?"
"Yes," Garden Gale replied earnestly.
A brief silence followed.
Then, once she believed she'd sorted herself out, Garden Gale broke the silence again. "It's like—running style and force-application patterns. Normally an Umamusume can only have one force-application pattern, right? Right? No—yes—my problem's a little complicated… aba aba…"
Halfway through, she began gesturing again.
Arms and legs flailed together, desperately trying to convey her meaning.
Symboli Rudolf's head started to ache. She interrupted again. "Stop, stop, stop."
"Uh…" Rudolf took over this time, not even attempting to make Garden Gale rephrase again. With a faintly suspicious look, she asked, "You're asking about force-application patterns, yes? You're having trouble with that? Wait—I remember. You're a… running-style devourer. If you want to perfectly imitate a running style, you'd need to adjust your force-application pattern accordingly."
"But…"
"That's rooted in the body's structure, isn't it? So how could you possibly copy it one hundred percent?"
Symboli Rudolf smacked her forehead.
She was… genuinely stumped.
Even an Emperor who'd seen everything—how had she encountered a problem like this?
For a moment, she could only think.
Running-style devourer?
Garden Gale didn't even have the energy to complain about that title anymore. She just blinked her big eyes, looking obedient as she waited for the Emperor to provide an answer.
After all, this was the pinnacle of Japanese Umamusume—the Emperor.
Surely she'd have something, right?
Garden Gale hadn't doubted it for a second.
But then Symboli Rudolf frowned, thinking deeply, and replied, "Your question is… complicated. I'll explain briefly. In my understanding, it goes like this, so…"
"..."
She'd clearly rehearsed countless speeches.
Except this time, it was less "polished oratory" and more that Garden Gale had completely thrown her off.
By the end—Garden Gale was nearing despair.
Then the Emperor suddenly slapped her hands together. "I've got it!"
"Force-application patterns correspond to the body. Since the body has only one optimal solution, an Umamusume naturally chooses that optimal running style… that's my guess. So even if you try to use a running style built on a different force-application pattern, your body won't accept it."
"Unless—"
She didn't finish the thought.
Only a trace of pity flickered in her eyes.
Unless you could change the structure of your body…
But how was that possible?
Garden Gale sank into thought.
She remembered the other Umamusume traits she'd received as rewards.
And as she considered it, she… actually kind of could.
---
T/N: 4 chaps meeting this weeks quota, last week it was 7dtd this week it was tomodachi life........ teehee
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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