The thousand-meter straight was all about speed. No strategy, no pacing, just pure acceleration from start to finish. Conservation didn't matter here, you either had the speed or you didn't.
Under normal circumstances, the rankings were always the same. Silence Suzuka first, King Halo second, Seiun Sky third.
On good days, Seiun Sky could fight for second place. On bad days, the gap widened.
"Treat every race as if it's the final straight." Hayato stood at the sidelines, arms crossed. "Show your Guts. Find what you consider the fastest, best running method and breathing rhythm."
The three horse girls lined up at the starting point, catching their breath from the previous run.
"Clear your minds of distracting thoughts. The finish line is your only goal. Imagine the audience's cheers on the racetrack. What you need to do is not be disturbed by anything external. Wholeheartedly complete the final straight in this race."
After listening to Hayato go on for another races, Seiun Sky finally couldn't take it anymore. She jogged over, her breathing still uneven. "Trainer, we've worked so hard. How about relaxing today?"
"No time to relax." Hayato didn't even look at her. "Especially you, Seiun. Your race is earliest. Next month is your debut race."
Seiun Sky's ears drooped. Pain flashed across her face. "Ah! Trainer, Seiun doesn't seem ready yet!"
"That's fine. Registration can be canceled." Hayato's tone was flat, almost indifferent. "Then your race can only wait until next year, or we abandon the original arrangements entirely."
"Ah? Then forget it." Seiun Sky fearfully backed away, waving her hands.
Next year meant losing an entire season. Abandoning the arrangements meant giving up on the Tenno Sho sweep. Neither option was acceptable.
The time schedule was tight, sure, but it was just a debut race. Nothing compared to what was coming.
"Stop wasting words. Extra training at noon today." Hayato finally looked at her. "If you can't complete today's tasks, tomorrow we'll increase the amount."
"Eh eh eh!" Seiun Sky's tail went rigid. She regretted coming to talk to Hayato. Inexplicably, her training load had increased again.
Why did I open my mouth? Why?
Hayato had arranged for Seiun Sky to debut first for a reason. Silence Suzuka's escape running tactics weren't completely perfected yet. The later her debut, the more time she had to refine them. Delay as much as possible.
"Get ready! The next round is about to start!" King Halo headed to the starting point with high fighting spirit, her competitive energy practically radiating off her.
Silence Suzuka also silently jogged over, her expression focused and calm.
Only Seiun Sky yawned and walked over like she was heading to a nap. "Alright, for the big fish, Seiun will try a little harder too."
Watching Seiun Sky's lazy demeanor, Hayato felt genuinely worried. Hayato knew she wasn't as lazy as she acted, it was mostly an act, but still, that attitude made him nervous.
When did it start? When did I begin caring this much about these three horse girls' results?
If they lost, he'd probably cry harder than them. The kind of soul-crushing disappointment that hit deeper than any personal failure.
Made sense, though. They were his dedicated horse girls. He'd poured his heart and soul into their growth.
"Training?"
A low voice came from behind him.
While Hayato was still thinking about the upcoming race, Symboli Rudolf had somehow already arrived beside him. Silent as a shadow.
Brown hair, purple eyes, handsome features, determined gaze. A white streak hung by her cheek, distinctive and elegant. Every moment exuded a king's dignified dominance—the kind of presence that made people straighten their backs without thinking.
"Yeah, is something the matter? Student Council President, or perhaps I should say Emperor."
Hayato faced her without any timidity. No point in cowering.
Barring any accidents, this was supposedly a kind and approachable president who liked cold jokes. Emphasis on supposedly.
"Please call me Rudolf. No need to be too formal." Symboli Rudolf's tone was gentle, almost warm. "I'm not here to cause trouble. Just wanted to come take a look."
"Is the president here to inspect the people's sentiments?"
"Not really." Rudolf's gaze shifted to the three horse girls at the starting line.
They were getting into position for another sprint. Silence Suzuka stood perfectly still, her focus absolute. King Halo bounced slightly on her feet, energy barely contained. Seiun Sky stretched lazily, yawning.
Rudolf watched them for a long moment.
"Actually, I'm quite looking forward to it," she said quietly. "The Golden Generation after Oguri Cap, who knows how many excellent horse girls will appear? They might be among them."
"You think so?" Hayato glanced at his three trainees.
"That one." Rudolf nodded toward Silence Suzuka. "Her form is impeccable. Natural talent for speed. But she's holding back, isn't she? Like she's afraid of something."
Hayato's expression shifted slightly. Rudolf had noticed that already?
"And the energetic one." Rudolf's gaze moved to King Halo. "She has the spirit of a champion. Raw competitive fire. But she's undisciplined. Wastes energy trying to overpower everything instead of reading the race."
Two for two. Hayato kept his face neutral.
"The lazy-looking one, though..." Rudolf tilted her head, studying Seiun Sky. "That's an act. I've seen her type before. Playing weak to conserve energy, observing everyone else. Smart, but it could backfire if she can't turn it on when it matters."
Hayato said nothing. He just watched as the three took off down the straight.
Suzuka pulled ahead immediately, her acceleration smooth and controlled. King Halo chased hard, pushing with everything she had. Seiun Sky lagged behind initially, then found her rhythm halfway through.
"Interesting choices for a rookie trainer," Rudolf continued. "Three completely different running styles. Three different personalities. Most trainers pick horse girls who fit a single philosophy."
"Maybe I don't have a philosophy yet," Hayato said.
"Or maybe you're more ambitious than you let on." Rudolf's lips curved slightly. "The Triple Tiara for one. The Classic Triple Crown for another. And the Tenno Sho path for the third. That's not a rookie's training plan, that's someone aiming to sweep the major titles."
Hayato finally looked at her directly. "You've been doing your research."
"I'm the Student Council President. It's my job to know what's happening at this school." Rudolf's expression remained calm. "Especially when a complete unknown appears and immediately takes on three promising horse girls."
The three finished their sprint and jogged back, breathing hard.
"But here's what I'm curious about," Rudolf said, her tone shifting subtly. "Do you actually believe they can do it? Or are you just setting impossible goals to see how far they'll reach before they break?"
"They won't break," Hayato said flatly.
"Confident, huh...."
Rudolf's eyes gleamed with something like approval? Challenge? Hard to tell.
"I hope you're right. Because if you're wrong, it won't just be them who suffer the consequences."
Rudolf didn't say more. She simply turned and left, her footsteps barely audible against the track surface.
Hayato scratched his head, not quite understanding what Symboli Rudolf wanted to say. It sounded like encouragement, but there was an edge to it. Like a warning wrapped in silk.
Rudolf didn't say more. She simply turned and left, her footsteps barely audible against the track surface.
No wonder Tracen could be so peaceful and harmonious. Symboli Rudolf really deserved great credit for that.
Whether new students or transfer students, even horse girls at the bottom in ability, she'd especially look after them. Made sure they had support, resources, and opportunities.
But that statement just now? That was a declaration and a warning. If Hayato couldn't produce results matching the expectations she'd just mentioned, the consequences would definitely be dire. Rudolf took care of her students, which meant she also held their trainers accountable.
It can be seen from the system's penalty for failure if the student council gets involved.
"Trainer, what did the student council president just say to you?" Seiun Sky ran over, gasping for breath and looking curious.
Hayato said flatly, "She said if you all lose races, she'll dismember me into eight pieces."
"Eh? Is the president that kind of person?" Seiun Sky's eyes went wide.
"The meaning is about the same."
King Halo's expression darkened. She said angrily, "Our own business doesn't need her to interfere. What's it to her if we lose?"
"Probably still because I'm a rookie trainer." Hayato shrugged. "She thinks of me as a child trafficker or something. No one believes I can train you all into Triple Crown winners."
"Hmph, then we'll use facts to make them shut up." King Halo's competitive fire flared in her eyes.
Hayato didn't mind the skepticism. For King Halo's sake, he really did have a kind of forced first-rate trainer setting imposed on him now. Even his own tone had shifted, casually mentioning the Triple Crown like it was already decided.
Compared to King Halo's first-rate horse girl confidence, his tone was even more arrogant.
Couldn't help it, though. I had this task whether I liked it or not.
Not completing the task meant only a dead end. If he had to blame something, he could only blame himself for coveting those 12 attribute points.
Even without King Halo's Triple Crown requirement, Silence Suzuka's situation was troublesome enough on its own.
"Right, don't worry about these things. Let them say what they want." Hayato waved dismissively. "You all hurry and rest. You just started running, leg muscles are heavily burdened. Massage more, stretch properly."
Seiun Sky immediately found a rattan chair near the track and sat down. She stretched out one leg with a theatrical sigh. "Trainer, Seiun will rest a bit. Help me massage."
"Eh?" Hayato looked somewhat dumbfounded at that smooth, extended leg. His gaze went vacant for a second.
"Give this King a massage too." King Halo also found a place to sit, her cheeks slightly red as she snorted and turned her head away. She stretched out her own leg with exaggerated nonchalance.
"Then I also..." Silence Suzuka looked around, noticed the pattern, and started searching for a seat.
"Wait, I'm a trainer, not your servant, right?" Hayato snapped back to reality, his rationality somehow intact despite the situation.
"Trainer, you should be quite looking forward to it, right?" Seiun Sky winked at him with sparkling eyes, smiling mischievously. "A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
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The illustration of Symboli Rudolf and 'trainer' on the other side.