Surrounded by the fragrance of sweet pastries and black tea, the afternoon tea time at Kasamatsu Tracen reached a fever pitch. The true "war" had only just begun.
Double Bell Luster's "nibbling attack" was like a stone cast into a placid lake, sending ripple after ripple through the office.
The moment she "succeeded," several pairs of eyes fell squarely on her face, their silence speaking volumes in a shared moment of understanding.
Norn Ace's fair face flushed. She was caught off guard by Double Bell Luster's boldness. She had always assumed that the socially awkward Luster occupied a position similar to Rudy Lemo or Mini Lady—a close friend meant to support Oguri Cap. She never expected...
As it turned out, Oguri Cap was completely out of the loop, while Double Bell Luster was the one actually trying to enter the fray?!
Or were these two taking the field together?
Norn Ace had originally thought she didn't stand much of a chance. After all, she couldn't compare to Oguri Cap, and Oguri and Fujimaru Ritsuka had known each other for a long time. Stepping onto the field would surely result in nothing but loss after loss.
But during their time together, Norn Ace was shocked to discover that Oguri Cap seemed to be a child who understood nothing of such matters. If that were the case, she might actually have an opportunity!
Now, seeing the otherwise unremarkable Double Bell Luster attempting to sprint onto the track, Norn Ace suddenly felt a surge of confidence.
It wasn't that she wanted to define a hero by victory or defeat, but among Horse Girls, one's own strength and the strength of their opponents directly influenced their self-assurance.
Norn Ace thought to herself: I can't compare to Oguri, so there's no point in competing with her, but Luster's strength is much weaker than mine. If she has the courage to step onto the field and compete, I can't afford to fall behind!
It wasn't that she looked down on Double Bell Luster; rather, it was Double Bell Luster who had given her courage.
Consequently, Norn Ace, whose eyes had widened subconsciously, gradually brought her expression under control. She replaced it with a smile that was half-understanding and half-helpless. A spark of competitive spirit ignited in her eyes, and along with it, her ears pricked up.
Noticing the shift in Norn Ace's emotions, Mini Lady didn't even bother to pick up the macaron she had accidentally dropped on the table. She straightened her expression, preparing to open fire on Double Bell Luster.
In truth, she had been trying to persuade Norn Ace to go all out. She believed that love didn't care about who arrived first, but Norn Ace simply wouldn't listen, which left her quite frustrated. Now that Norn Ace had figured it out for herself, as her best friend, Mini Lady naturally had to help out. They were a Trinity; how could they lose to a mere Double Bell Luster?
Mini Lady thought: Luster, although you've helped me out a lot normally, I'm sorry—Norn is my best friend.
Mini Lady slowly opened her mouth, her eyes shining as if she had discovered a New World. Her soul of "roasting" was burning fiercely! She felt she had to start her commentary immediately!
As she organized her words, she thought: Speaking of which, Luster usually looks so quiet and gentle, yet her initiative is surprisingly terrifying. Demanding to be fed by the Trainer in front of everyone and then biting his finger... that's way more explosive than Glorious's proactive feeding!
Then again, Double Bell Luster didn't seem like such a... "closet pervert." Was she inspired by Oguri Cap?
Mini Lady didn't care if her guess was right or wrong. She only felt her spirit for gossip burning, with a string of heckling lines already rolling on the tip of her tongue.
Things like, "Whoa~ Luster is so bold! I knew I was right before!" or "Trainer, you really are a man of many sins..."
Similar phrases popped into her head one after another, nearly ready to burst out of her mouth.
However, the very instant Mini Lady uttered the first syllable, a smiling Norn Ace stuffed a small piece of carrot pie into her mouth, instantly gagging her and making it impossible for her to speak.
Mini Lady was shocked. She instinctively thought: Norn?! Why!
Double Bell Luster and Oguri Cap might not know what kind of person she was, but how could Norn Ace not know? She was clearly trying to help Norn Ace, so why was Norn Ace backstabbing her?
Norn Ace naturally understood Mini Lady's intentions, but she did it anyway. Because she couldn't state the reason directly, she winked at her friend and made a subtle gesture with her chin, trying to make Mini Lady understand her goal.
Thus, Mini Lady's gaze bypassed the still-embarrassed Double Bell Luster and landed on the other side of the round table. She saw a golden-haired girl elegantly stirring her black tea with a small silver spoon, a faint smile playing on her features.
Mini Lady was shaken once again: Glorious?! After seeing such a shocking scene, that girl can still smile? What incredible composure!
If it were any other Horse Girl, they would be drowning in jealousy right now, perhaps even turning tail and running.
But what about Le Glorieux?
This world champion with brilliant blonde hair sat perfectly straight, her posture impeccable. Not a single trace of dissatisfaction could be seen, as if she were watching people and events that had nothing to do with her.
But was that right?
Mini Lady remembered clearly that on the day Norn Ace was "requisitioned," Norn came back and vented about Glorious, feeling that the other girl was definitely after Fujimaru Ritsuka and might even crush Oguri Cap.
At the time, Norn Ace was even considering whether she should help Oguri Cap secure Fujimaru Ritsuka.
Mini Lady had even encouraged Norn Ace back then, saying: "Oguri doesn't seem to understand feelings of love. Norn, this is your big chance! Go for it, we'll support you in taking down the Trainer!"
Unfortunately, Norn Ace lacked confidence in both her looks and her strength. She felt that the relationship between Oguri Cap and Fujimaru Ritsuka was already very harmonious—like it was only separated by a thin layer of window paper. She didn't dare to take the challenge, saying only:
"Instead of that, I think we should observe a bit more. Not just Oguri, but that outsider as well."
Mini Lady finally understood: Yes, the outsider. Glorious was a French Horse Girl, not one of their own. Moreover, she was extremely proactive and had a clear goal. She was the formidable rival they should be most wary of—the powerful enemy they had to form an alliance to defeat!
Fujimaru Ritsuka had coached her for a long time. Even with one in Japan and one in France, they never lost contact. She had even chased him all the way from France, crushed the Japan Cup, and then stayed in Japan to pursue Fujimaru Ritsuka.
If Oguri Cap was the childhood friend, and they were the "new arrivals," then Le Glorieux could be considered the "Childhood Friend from the Skies." She was a special existence who possessed the advantages of both archetypes while discarding the weaknesses!
So, what kind of person was the current Glorious? Mini Lady sneered in her heart: Hah, obviously the kind of domineering woman who slaps the Japanese Horse Girls in the face and then tries to steal our excellent Trainer!
Especially now, when faced with a scene that would stimulate the sensitive nerves of any Horse Girl, Glorious didn't seem surprised or angry at all. Instead, she watched with a beaming smile, as if everything were under her control.
As this thought took shape, Mini Lady's urge to heckle faded. As she chewed the carrot pie in her mouth, the sparkle in her eyes dimmed. She no longer wanted to tease Double Bell Luster; she felt she had discovered a much greater opponent.
She felt Norn Ace's thinking was correct. Compared to Double Bell Luster's small, somewhat clumsy "recklessness," the one they truly needed to be vigilant against was the lady sitting over there.
Mini Lady's mind raced. She realized that if she jumped out to roast Double Bell Luster now, she would draw everyone's attention to this "feeding farce." Not only would this harm their internal unity, but it would also blur the focus, allowing Glorious—the "true threat"—to remain an idle bystander.
Perhaps that Glorious would even think the Kasamatsu Horse Girls were incredibly childish and easy to deal with.
Although Double Bell Luster had done something that left them all speechless, she was one of their own after all. As the old saying goes: "Brothers may squabble within the walls, but they stand together against insults from without."
How they made a fuss internally was one thing, but how to deal with the aggressive invasion of a foreign Horse Girl was quite another.
More likely, she would end up hurting Luster—this companion who was always helpful and a bit timid, but always trying her best.
Having realized this, everything became clear to Mini Lady.
She looked at the calm and collected Glorious, then at Double Bell Luster, who was still blushing and afraid to look up. Finally, she curled her lip and swallowed the heckling remarks she had wanted to say. She thought gloomily: To think I, the "intelligence specialist," was inferior to Norn... this won't do. I need to work harder.
Seeing that the Kasamatsu Horse Girls weren't fighting among themselves, Eperlan breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She looked at Oguri Cap and found her still happily stuffing her face. She felt that her charge was simply too thick-headed. Although she had known this from the start, seeing Oguri Cap show zero reaction made her break into a cold sweat.
She thought: Everyone else is manageable, but Oguri is a real problem. How am I supposed to get her to act and snipe Glorious's invasion?
Why was Norn Ace able to stay calm in this situation? It was actually because Eperlan had given her a heads-up. Of course, this wasn't her credit alone; Maruzensky, far away in Tokyo, had put in a great deal of effort.
Eperlan gathered intelligence and sent it to Maruzensky; Maruzensky analyzed the situation and remotely "controlled" Eperlan to move their plans forward.
The original goal was to secure Fujimaru Ritsuka, which was the direct reason and ultimate goal for Eperlan's transfer. However, Glorious's arrival had disrupted their plans. Since Maruzensky temporarily didn't have time to come to Kasamatsu, they could only support the local Kasamatsu girls for now and let them lead the charge.
After all, it was many against one here. There shouldn't be any problems, especially with Eperlan secretly working to influence the situation.
With everyone harboring their own thoughts, the atmosphere in the office became somewhat subtle.
No one commented on Double Bell Luster's behavior, nor did anyone try to escalate the "feeding war" or initiate a "being fed war." The girls' whispers vanished, and even their exchanges of glances became cautious and restrained.
Fujimaru Ritsuka felt this change and found his mood quite complicated. He felt as if he had stepped into a "War of Divine Will."
For example: Glorious represented the Kingdom of Wei, a world champion suppressing the field with the momentum of a great victory. The Kasamatsu Horse Girls were the alliance of Shu and Wu, with Oguri Cap delegating power while the trio constantly "beseeched with words to discuss the matter." They had essentially created a Three-Way Deadlock.
Naturally, Fujimaru Ritsuka wanted the girls to get along, but this "reconstructed family" of theirs was indeed difficult to balance. If nothing else, the differences in language and customs were enough to cause all sorts of misunderstandings.
Fujimaru Ritsuka withdrew his finger from Double Bell Luster's mouth, wiped her lips with a tissue, and joked, "So Luster is a child who loves sweets too. To think you almost bit the wrong thing—that doesn't sound like the Luster I know, who is so good at details and independent thinking."
Hearing Fujimaru Ritsuka's teasing, Double Bell Luster's face instantly turned even redder. She stammered, unable to find words.
Fujimaru Ritsuka didn't need her to say anything; he was just there to define the event. Japanese Horse Girls were happy to "read the air," so the only difficulty now was getting Glorious to accept his definition of the matter.
Eperlan decisively followed up on Fujimaru Ritsuka's words, helping to frame the incident as a mistake on Double Bell Luster's part. The trio chimed in one after another, and the atmosphere in the office finally relaxed.
Glorious felt the shift in atmosphere and sensed Fujimaru Ritsuka's gaze. She maintained a gentle smile on her lips, as if she didn't care at all about Double Bell Luster's actions.
In reality, however, a dark glint flashed in those emerald-blue eyes, and her emotions deepened by an imperceptible margin.
On the surface, Glorious accepted Fujimaru Ritsuka's explanation and even joked, "Trainer-san, your relationship is truly wonderful~"
But as for the reality...
That evening, a magnificent sunset plated the gradually quieting Tracen Academy in a brilliant gold border.
As Fujimaru Ritsuka was doing a final check on the equipment, Glorious walked over, carrying a thermos and a towel.
"Trainer, please." She handed the thermos to Fujimaru Ritsuka, then naturally used the towel to wipe his brow, dabbing away a barely noticeable trace of sweat.
Her movements were fluid and her expression gentle and natural, as if this were the most ordinary thing in the world—or perhaps, as if she had done it countless times before and was perfectly accustomed to it.
"!!!" Not far away, Double Bell Luster, who had been planning to strike while the iron was hot, happened to witness this scene. Her pupils underwent a seismic shock, and the sports drink in her hand nearly fell to the ground.
She had thought Glorious was shocked by her radical move, but she never expected... it turned out the girl was waiting for her here! Miss Glorious really refused to take a single loss!
Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded slightly. "Thank you, Glorious. This is... goji berries and Codonopsis? And it has the scent of medicinal wine."
Glorious withdrew her hand with a beaming smile. Her blue eyes quickly darted toward Double Bell Luster's direction, an inscrutable light flitting through the depths of her gaze. "It's medicinal wine steeped with Tiger ○."
Fujimaru Ritsuka: "?"
In that exact moment, Glorious lunged into Fujimaru Ritsuka's embrace.
Double Bell Luster: "?!"
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Musume: Oguri Cap Grand Order (122 Chapters – Ongoing)
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