"One more set of strength training."
The training track was nearly deserted as Kousei's intense training session drew to a close. She was about to finish her final set of strength exercises and call it a day.
Huff!
Fatigue had accumulated, and even Kousei was beginning to feel the strain.
"Oh~ you're still training?"
Jade appeared, holding a cup of honey water. Kousei immediately stopped her exercise. "No, I was just finishing up."
Jade glanced at her, then casually remarked, "You're incredibly strong. Your power is impressive."
"It's one of my strengths, I guess."
Kousei's physique spoke for itself, so there was no point in hiding it.
"I've been watching you for a while now. Your training regimen far exceeds everyone else's. Tell me, isn't training incredibly tiring? Why don't you ever cut corners?"
"I can't. I lack natural talent; I can only rely on hard work."
Jade seemed genuinely perplexed. "Does running make you truly happy?"
Kousei paused for a moment before replying, "Yes. Happy."
Whether she won or lost, feeling the wind's currents on the racetrack and competing against formidable opponents—all of it filled Kousei with unparalleled satisfaction.
"So that's it... You're the kind of person Grandfather always talked about," Jade murmured under her breath. "Still, I can't quite wrap my head around it."
"Oh, by the way, since your training's over, wanna grab some food together?"
"Sure! Just let me wash off the sweat and change."
As mentioned before, Jade and Kousei had grown quite close outside of training. The Young Lady seemed rather fascinated by the "commoner."
"Jade! That little rascal sneaked out again. Rohan's gonna be looking for you soon!"
"Uncle, you're such a buzzkill!"
Despite her protests, the uncle handed Jade a candied hawthorn skewer. Her eyes lit up as she gleefully accepted it.
Along the way, many greeted Jade. As the family's sole Umamusume, she was not only beloved within the clan but also adored by outsiders.
Having spent so much time with Jade lately, Kousei had grown accustomed to her ways. Some people are simply born to be showered with affection, and Jade was undoubtedly one of them.
"Give me this one! And that one too! Actually, I'll take them all!" With a flourish of her small hand, Jade paid with effortless grace.
"..."
Kousei didn't mind Jade buying things; after all, she wasn't spending her own money. But having to carry all the items for Jade was a different story.
"You're buying too much..."
It wasn't the weight that bothered Kousei; carrying so many things was just drawing attention, and she wasn't used to being stared at.
"That girl with the ears and tail... She's an Umamusume too. Since when did Jade have such a close Umamusume friend?"
"That child... she's strong and powerful."
Anyone who saw Kousei for the first time would marvel at her physique. From that first impression alone, no one would mistake her for an ordinary girl. Compared to her early days as a rookie, she had indeed made remarkable progress.
"Kousei, is there anything you particularly like? Just name it, and I'll buy it for you as a gift!" Jade seemed to be in a particularly good mood.
"Running."
"What kind of answer is that? How boring!" Jade clearly wasn't satisfied with the reply.
After shopping for a long time, Jade's stomach began to rumble.
"It's about time. Let's go get something to eat."
"Weren't we already planning to go out for dinner...?"
Jade's capriciousness once again reminded Kousei just how difficult it could be to serve a young lady of noble birth.
During the meal, Jade stared dumbfounded as Kousei devoured her food with ravenous hunger.
"What's wrong? Lost your appetite?" Kousei asked, her hands never stopping as she ate.
"You're eating so much..." Jade said, seeing someone eat so much for the first time. "Do you always eat this much?"
"It's alright, I guess. Back in my hometown, there are people who can eat far more than this."
"Even more experts?"
Kousei frowned, lost in thought. "I'm only about 80% full. I'll have some late-night snacks later."
"Heh—"
A horse won't grow fat without night grass. For Kousei's training regimen, this level of consumption was perfectly normal.
"Miss Jade, you have training scheduled for today, don't you?" The warm, honeyed voice sent a chill down Jade's spine.
"Rohan!"
Turning around, she found Rohan Ye standing behind her, as expected. He always seemed to be smiling, but this time, the expression felt forced and strained.
"Damn it! There's a traitor in the cafeteria!" Jade exclaimed, immediately convinced that someone had betrayed her.
"Miss Jade, if you keep skipping training, it will put me in a very difficult position. If there's no other way, I'll have to resort to some necessary measures."
Kousei noticed beads of sweat on Jade's face for the first time, realizing she seemed genuinely nervous around Rohan Ye.
"I understand! I'll definitely practice tomorrow!"
Kousei couldn't help but wonder what kind of "measures" Rohan Ye was referring to.
"Miss Kousei, I have some matters I'd like to discuss with you. Would you mind stepping aside for a moment?"
"Alright."
"What?! What are you doing?! A man and a woman alone in a room! What do you think you're going to do?! I'm warning you! Three years minimum!" Jade instantly bristled, her fur standing on end.
Rohan Ye simply smiled. "Do you really think I could coerce an Umamusume?"
Jade fell silent immediately. "Never mind, you two talk."
Kousei observed their interaction. She's been completely played.
Kousei and Rohan Ye entered the private room. The quiet atmosphere was indeed perfect for a serious conversation.
"Miss Kousei, there's no need to be nervous."
"I'm not. Mr. Rohan, if you have any questions for me, please ask."
"Of course. Though should I call you Miss Kousei or 'Demon of the Festival'?"
Kousei froze, her voice hardening. "You've been investigating me?"
Rohan Ye smiled enigmatically, offering no explanation.
"The Eastern Lands truly have eyes and ears everywhere."
Kousei never imagined her past would resurface. Central was supposed to have purged all records related to the competition.
"We naturally have our own channels."
"So, Mr. Rohan, what do you want?" Since Rohan Ye had sought her out, Kousei assumed he had a request.
"As I said earlier, Miss Kousei, there's no need to be tense. I harbor no ill will toward you. On the contrary, I sincerely wish to earn your favor."
Confusion flickered in Kousei's eyes. Rohan Ye continued, "To cut to the chase, I propose forming an alliance with you."
"An alliance? I don't need one. Reiko and the others are enough."
Rohan Ye remained unruffled. "Of course, Miss Reiko and Mr. Aoi are both exceptionally talented, and Dr. Takuya is renowned in his field. The assistance I offer you lies elsewhere."
"But I don't need anything else. The competition is all I need."
"I can help your father."
Kousei's brilliant eyes trembled slightly before quickly regaining their composure. Of course, she thought. If he could uncover my past records, he wouldn't be fooled by such a trivial matter.
"Before long, Central will undergo a seismic transformation. The key figure in this event is Tokai Teio."
"Teio?"
Since joining the Student Council, Teio had vanished without a trace. Hearing her name from Rohan Ye now shook Kousei's composure.
"What kind of transformation?"
"You'll understand when the time comes."
That same enigmatic phrase again. Everyone kept telling Kousei the same thing.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to defeat Jade. You should already know the reason why."
"To evolve again."
"Exactly."
Kousei had long suspected this. Jade was the Mejiro McQueen of the Eastern Lands—an absolute prodigy whose indolence stemmed from arrogance. In this competition, she had never considered anyone a worthy opponent.
"Jade is the sole prodigy to emerge from the Eastern Lands in the past century. We hold great expectations for her. While we naturally don't want her to lose, continuing down this path will only hinder her growth."
Brilliance and clarity: arrogance is a double-edged sword. Intense pride can drive Umamusume to grow. McQueen was arrogant, Teio conceited. Yet both promptly sought the right path after experiencing defeat.
As Air Groove said after defeating McQueen, "The fruit of evolution is called Defeat." After her awakening, McQueen became the "Strongest Long-Distance Runner in History."
Rohan Ye hoped to emulate Air Groove's actions.
"Is that all? I'll beat Jade even without you telling me."
"Of course. As I said, we're allies, so I won't make excessive demands. Our terms must be equal."
"But this hardly seems equal, does it?"
Kousei didn't know what her father was planning, but she suspected it was far beyond anything that could be addressed with such obvious measures.
"Smart. Then let's add another condition: If you lose to Jade, you'll transfer your registered citizenship to the Eastern Lands."
Kousei feigned contemplation, giving Rohan Ye a strange look. "You're planning a harem?"
Rohan Ye's lip twitched, forcing a smile. "Hang out with Jade less from now on."
How did he know Jade told me? Kousei wondered.
"She probably told you I'm all prim and proper on the outside, but secretly quite a flirt."
"Mhm."
"You could have denied it, you know."
"Jade seemed to recognize the Mejiro Family Crest. Have you been investigating the Mejiro Family too?"
"Initially, we planned to win over the Mejiro Family. Though we hadn't decided which Young Lady specifically, we definitely intended to collaborate with them."
Though Kousei sensed Rohan Ye's dangerous aura, she knew he harbored no ill intentions. If she could help her father and the Emperor through this, why not?
When Rice Shower faced public criticism, Kousei had been powerless to intervene. This time was different.
"I accept."
"So readily?"
"Mhm. I won't lose anyway." As the words left her mouth, Kousei was surprised. Since when have I started saying things like that so confidently?
Rohan Ye seemed highly satisfied. "Good, good. Confidence is a virtue, but don't underestimate us. I've prepared numerous countermeasures specifically for you."
"I know. It's astonishing how you managed to assemble such a large-scale team despite this being your first time working with Umamusume. I'm genuinely curious how you achieved this. Have you had any prior experience with Umamusume?"
"More or less. What I possess is the accumulated wisdom of the Eastern Lands, honed over centuries. To this day, we continue to coexist with time itself."