Silver Tear turned her head slightly at the sound of approaching footsteps.
Three staff members came into view, advancing in a tight, purposeful formation.
At the center was a small woman with a youthful face and a composed, almost doll-like expression. It was none other than Yayoi Akikawa. Despite her petite stature, her posture was rigidly upright, radiating quiet authority with every step.
To her left stood Tazuna Hayakawa, hands folded neatly in front of her. Her smile was flawless, but the tension in her eyes betrayed her unease.
Silver Tear recognized her immediately.
'So that's the green lady I met at the academy gate.'
Understanding dawned… well, at least, what Silver Tear believed was understanding.
'I see. She was rushing off to gather others to come pick me up.'
As always, the Uma Musume smoothly filled in the gaps with fabricated logic of her own, feeling an unexpected warmth at the thought.
'How thoughtful.'
[¬_¬]
Even the system seemed unsure how to respond, and it wisely chose not to comment. Saying anything now would have been… impolite.
Somewhere and somehow, the Uma felt like someone was giving her a side eye.
On the right stood a senior trainer, his gaze locked onto Silver Tear without wavering for even a second. It wasn't hostile, but it was surely intense with heavy scrutiny.
Silver Tear instinctively straightened beneath the stares. She stepped away from the counter and offered a polite nod in greeting.
"…Ah. There you are." Yayoi Akikawa said, stopping a few meters away. "Welcome to Tracen Academy."
Silver Tear raised her application form to her eye level. "I was looking for someone to submit this."
Her voice was calm, trying to sound as courteous as possible, but her naturally sharp gaze carried an unintentional pressure, as if she was down to business. The young trainer on the right stiffened, visibly flinching under it.
'To be shivering in this hot weather. He must be sick.'
[≖_≖]
'Weird, why do I feel that stare again?'
Tazuna stepped forward at once, reaching out with both hands to accept the document.
"…Thank you." She said.
She had never, in all her years at Tracen Academy, felt this much pressure from a single student.
Silver Tear watched their reactions with faint confusion, her brows knitting ever so slightly.
'…Did I do something wrong?'
Unaware that her mere presence had already set the room on edge.
The principal skimmed through the form. Her eyes paused for a second on the name.
[Silver Tear.]
"…You arrived early." The principal said neutrally, looking at the time written on the form.
"So I thought." Silver Tear replied. "I wasn't sure whether the reception was unmanned, or if I had simply misread the time."
She felt rather embarrassed now because the moment she saw the invitation letter, she rushed to Tracen Academy because she had no money or contact. Who would believe her if she said that she just literally spawned in this world?
"No." The principal said, shaking her head. "That would be on us."
The principal unfolded her fan with a practiced flick, lifting it just high enough to veil her lips. Only her adorable eyes remained visible.
"Before we proceed with formal enrollment, there are a few… confirmations we would like to make."
Silver Tear tilted her head, her hair sliding over her shoulder. "Confirmations?"
"Yes. Nothing complicated." The principal replied, her voice calm and reassuring, as though discussing routine paperwork.
Silver Tear's shoulders stiffened despite herself.
'Don't tell me this is just a roundabout way of saying I need to take an entrance test…'
"We would simply like to observe your capabilities in a mock race." Yayoi continued, her tone light, almost casual, as if the words carried no weight at all.
Just as Silver Tear was about to ask if this was obligatory, she was forced to shut her lips by the principal's following words.
"Of course, if you feel your condition isn't optimal at the moment, you're free to decline."
The instant those words reached her ears, Silver Tear's thoughts accelerated.
She raised a hand to her face, fingers resting lightly against her cheek as her mind raced ahead, mapping out every possible implication. Her gaze swept the room in silence—from Yayoi, then Tazuna, then the other staff members standing behind them.
For a fleeting moment, everyone caught beneath that gaze felt a chill crawl down their spine as if they were standing before a beast on the verge of awakening, its presence pressing down without taking a single step forward.
'That's right, why would someone like the principal of a prestigious Academy come out directly to accept my admission to the school and even ask me to participate in the mock race?
These works could be easily assigned to someone else, considering that I'm only a normal Uma Musume.
Her eyes flicked briefly to the figures standing behind the principal.
Not only that, but the people standing behind her aren't ordinary staff. That could only mean… They are important figures in the Academy, probably trainers.'
The corner of Silver Tear's lips curved upward.
Silver Tear smirked.
'So that's how it is.
Decline? Sorry, that isn't an option now.
If I refuse now, I'll be categorized as nothing more than an ordinary Uma Musume.
No expectations. No major investment. Minimal advertising.
Low exposure leads to low fame. Low fame leads to fewer sponsors.
In conclusion, a direct loss of profit.'
Her hand lowered slowly as her gaze settled back on the principal, calm returning to her expression, but the tension remained. Though to the outsider, it seemed as if she had found something interesting.
'Unacceptable! To think that I almost fell to your deceptive words! Truly, not just anyone could sit in that chair. You'd have to be this cunning and possess the shrewdness to match it to hold such a position.'
Behind her composed exterior, Silver Tear had already reached her conclusion. She would not let her guard down… well, not against this seemingly adorable principal standing before her.
Silver Tear straightened, her hand dropping fully to her side, posture composed and unshakable.
"…No." Silver Tear said calmly.
The principal blinked in mild surprise.
"My condition is perfectly fine. There's no need to delay." Silver Tear continued, her voice even.
For the first time, the principal smiled, relief softening her expression. She had seen far too many promising Uma Musume push themselves beyond reason at the very beginning. Only to be met with injuries, burnout, and shattered potential. Expectations, when misplaced, were often the most dangerous thing of all.
"I'm glad to hear that. Let's head to the training field." Yayoi stepped forward and gestured toward the exit, her tone warm and inviting.
"Then let's head to the training field."
At that moment, the system window pulsed a new line.
[Condition Fulfilled: Admission at Central Tracen Academy]
[Skill Unlocked: Runner from Another World]
________
[Status]
Name: Silver Tear
Condition: Normal
Stat:
Speed: B+, Stamina: A+, Power: A, Guts: C, Wisdom: C
Surface:
Turf: A, Dirt: B
Distance:
Sprint: B, Mile: A, Medium: A, Long: B+
Running Style:
Front Runner: A, Pace Chaser: A, Late Surger: A, End Closer: A
Skills:
(New) Runner from Another World (S)
_____
Silver Tear stared at the translucent status panel hovering before her, then let out a quiet sigh.
None of them reached S-rank…
Her eyes lingered on the numbers, pausing at Stamina: A+. The plus sign sat there almost mockingly as if a single push would be enough to make it break through. Close, but not quite.
To her, it felt… a bit lackluster.
Yet if any player were to lay eyes on these stats, the reaction would have been immediate and unanimous.
Hack!! She's hacking!!
These weren't numbers an early-stage Uma Musume was supposed to have. Not even remotely. Balanced across every distance, adaptable to every running style, and backed by a raw, stat-monster physique that already rivaled seasoned racers. This was the kind of status that shattered progression curves and made a mockery of game balance.
And yet, Silver Tear merely frowned at it, dissatisfied.
'Still not enough, she thought quietly. Against those with true talent, I can only stat-check them.
If they cross that threshold… I don't have a trump card left to play.'
Her gaze sharpened.
'Well. I'll set that aside for now.'
Silver Tear followed a step behind the chairwoman, her attention shifting away from the numbers and locking onto a single line on the panel.
[Skill: Runner from Another World]
'Let's test this one first.'
__________________________
A/N: Feel free to shout out your suggestion.
Give me your horse girl's name so I can do some research and put it in the fic later.