"WAH!"
After having her fill of the turf, the unconscious Avalon jerked awake. Looking around in a daze, until noticing what happened and burying her head back into the ground.
"Kill me…"
She was dying of embarrassment, falling asleep on the racecourse? She had to be the only uma in existence to ever do that, right?
"Are you alright now, Ava?" Violet, who had approached Avalon calmly, decided not to make fun of her, a noble must have elegance, "You were asleep for about 20 minutes…"
"Hm? Ah, i-im fine. I'm just not very experienced with actual races." This was true. Avalon had the theory down, and had watched plenty of races. But actual practical experience? Nada.
"Then perhaps thou shouldst not think so highly of thyself next time… Though, I shall admit it—thou dost possess considerable potential!"
Don had come over to check on Avalon too, but unlike Violet, she was much more direct than worried.
"Haha…" Avalon let out a helpless chuckle and thought, 'Don was the one who won right? At least that's what I remember before I collapsed. I wonder what her stats look like…' and used her insight on Don.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
[INSIGHT]
Name: Don Quixote
Title: Knight of delusion
Condition: Energetic
Running style: Front runner
Speed: B+ (750)
Stamina: C+ (560)
Power: D+ (400)
Guts: A+ (900)
Wit: D+ (350)
Unique Skill:
★ La Aventura Ideal (Lv. 2)
→ Reality is overwritten by knightly fantasy during critical moments
Domain: Locked
Injuries: None
Year: Classic
Description: An absolute anomaly that defines an era. A monster of delusion.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
"…" Avalon blinked, then rubbed her eyes and looked again. Nothing changed.
'WHAT ARE THESE GODLIKE STATS???' Avalon's jaw was on the ground, what the hell is this girl made of, vibranium?!
Don caught the look Avalon was giving her and asked, "Hm? What matter is this? Speak, then!"
"Ah! Nothing at all… heh…" Avalon tried to play it off but her acting was anything but consistent.
Thankfully, the two didn't think much of it and helped her up. And then Avalon sighed to herself internally,
'I have a long way to go…'
Meanwhile in the stands, an umamusume in a wheelchair watched Avalon with an odd look. It wasn't interesting, not even close.
If it had to be described, it was like watching your younger sibling play a game you have years of experience in. A frustration only a few could understand.
Chris, the wheelchaired umamusume, couldn't stand the sight anymore and wheeled away.
"Pathetic."
—
After Avalon was confirmed to be fine, it was beginning to get dark so the three umas went back to their dorms.
As it turns out, Don happened to be on the same floor as them, a little further down the hall though.
The next morning, Avalon went to the student council office, Avalon remembered to go from when Violet told her in passing. It wasn't anything serious, just a few things that had to do with her enrollment process and how she may not be able to come again next term if she can't pay.
The expected response.
After that fiasco, it was time for her first class in the horse girl racing course. Of course, there was a general course too, but Avalon didn't apply to that.
Mandatory lessons for basic stuff would take place in the racing course anyway so she really wasn't missing much.
That and the fact she was a grown woman who had already finished school ages ago. At least mentally.
Moving into the classroom, she immediately claimed the main character seat, not only was it next to a window for good ventilation, but it was also the prime spot for sleeping in class.
Soon enough, the room began filling up with students her age. The only difference between Avalon and them however was likely the fact that they were all stuck up, rich umamusume. At least that's how it looked in her eyes.
You see, unlike in real life where at around this time the war should have started and everyone here would likely be dead because of the air raids and blitz about a year later…
…In the world of Umamusume, only the first world war happened, Avalon couldn't tell you why if you asked her, she just puts it up to butterfly effect shenanigans.
During this first world war however, it was a well known fact that it lasted 8 years when it should have been half that time. It was also far more brutal than what the first world war was like in our world.
The deaths were almost doubled, and the Holocaust happened earlier than expected. That's right, Mr.Austrian painter was born earlier than expected.
Where am I going with this? Well, Umamusume also participated in this war, the ones who survived, which was surprisingly most of them, were hailed as war heroes and treated like nobility.
That's why there's a surplus of rich umamusume families in England in this time period. Thankfully, Avalon was born after the war, her parents were likely soldiers from the war and left her at an orphanage, as they couldn't take care of her.
At least, that's Avalon's working theory.
"Alright then, hello there students, my name is Mr.Smith. I am your homeroom teacher and a retired trainer. It's nice to meet you."
The teacher, Mr. Smith, finally arrived and introduced himself with a smile, the students felt he was a surprisingly normal looking teacher but they didn't mind it as he began to explain the Schools rules again for those that missed the orientation the day before, as well as talk about which ones applied to the course.
The school understood that the umamusume in the racing course would not be in classes everyday as they were technically trainee athletes, so not all of the rules applied to them.
"Ah right," Mr. Smith spoke up as if remembering something, "Your first two weeks here are scouting weeks, meaning you must find a trainer to take you under their wing, otherwise you will likely be dropped out of the course."
Stunned silence.
Mr. Smith casually dropped a bomb, no one expected to drop out of the course within the first two weeks, they all simultaneously hardened their expressions.
"But don't worry." Mr. Smith reassured, "I have a list of every trainer currently looking for a trainee, their strengths, and what you want to look out for. So you don't need to worry too much, simply find whichever trainer interests you and apply."
That slightly eased the worried faces across the board, as the homeroom teacher began to pass out the sheets he had made for them.
It was rather extensive, there was more than enough to give every student their own personal trainer.
'Wow that's more than I thought…' Avalon knew the academy was huge but she didn't expect this much faculty.
'Well then… let's go trainer scouting then. After this of course.' Avalon resolved.
The homeroom teacher continued to say that for the next two weeks there would be no lessons until the event ended. This was so that they could all get situated properly.
After he finished saying his peace, he said that they were all free to leave and go find a trainer.
And so began Avalon's quest for a master trainer.
—
"My trainer?"
Violet was currently in the middle of training herself when Avalon suddenly appeared and asked where her trainer was.
"Yeah I need to find one in the next two weeks…" Avalon said
A flicker of understanding appeared in Violet's eyes, "Aha, the trainer scouting weeks… I almost forgot that the school did that. I'd love to recommend my trainer, but that really depends on what type of running style you want to specialize in."
"?" Avalon tilted her head, confused.
"You see Ava, every trainer has a specialisation for a type of running style. Mine, for example, is exceptionally good at raising pace chaser runners.The sheet you have on you should tell you the specialisations of each trainer does it not?"
Avalon looked at the sheet again, next to each trainer was a running style in brackets.
"Ah, I see… how did I not notice that…" Avalon cursed herself internally, "Thank you, Vi."
"No trouble at all. Now go find your trainer before someone else steals them from you." Violet replied with a smile.
"Ah right, buh-bye!" Avalon said while walking away, waving at Violet.
"Sigh~ Alright then, let's actually look at the sheet, shall we?" Avalon muttered to herself taking a good look at the sheet.
Realistically, with her stats, she could run any of these styles. She was the perfect mold for any 4 of them.
But, Avalon wasn't attracted to the running styles that kept you in the front the whole race, not that they weren't cool but she didn't exactly see the appeal of such a style.
Wouldn't that get boring eventually? Just running as fast as you could at the front until you win with no competition at all?
'Yeah no thanks, that sounds boring…' Avalon confirmed ruling out all the front runner and pace chaser trainers.
All that was left was all the late-surger and end-closer trainers.
'Hmm… someone experienced would be good right? At least 5 years.' That whittled it down even more, leaving 3 options:
[Victoria Bevan] (Late-Surger specialist)
Active: 6 years
[Ethan Winters] (End-Closer specialist)
Active: 9 years
[Christmas in Berlin] (End-Closer specialist)
Active: 15 years
Avalon's gaze naturally gravitated toward the third option, 'Christmas in Berlin?' She thought it was a rather unusual name, especially for an umamusume trainer.
But then she thought about it and realised why it felt so unusual to her. It was because the trainer wasn't human, but an umamusume herself.
That definitely caught Avalon's attention. Umamusume trainers that were umamusume themselves were exceedingly rare.
The only one that Avalon knew of was Belno Light, who at this point in time, didn't exist yet.
'Hm…' Avalon thought for a moment, soon ultimately coming to a decision, 'Alright!'
Let's go find this elusive umamusume trainer shall we?
—
END OF CHAPTER
Discord: discord.gg/rmPpXSkznr