"The Uma Musume have begun entering the gates; the time for the race to begin is almost here!"
"It's finally here." Symboli Rudolf and the two Student Council vice-presidents, seated in the stands, all watched intently in the direction of the starting gates. The moment they spotted Orfevre, the Student Council members all secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Their biggest worry was that Orfevre would get cold feet at the last minute and wouldn't even dare to compete... If she didn't even dare to participate in the race in the first place, then victory would be out of the question.
But at least Orfevre has appeared. The Debut Race is going smoothly so far, and so they simply watched... "Suddenly, I feel like Orfevre is a child we've watched grow up." Air Groove also belatedly realized her current level of nervousness was unexpectedly high and couldn't help but say with a chuckle:
"Orfevre has nothing to do with us; she's just another Uma Musume from Tracen Academy... yet we're so nervous about whether she would even appear."
"She carries our hopes, Air Groove, and not just ours either." Symboli Rudolf also nodded in agreement, saying, "Trainer Ikezoe made a bold claim, saying she would be the strongest Uma Musume in Japan. Shouldn't we all be looking forward to it?"
"...President, do you really think Orfevre can become the strongest Uma Musume in all of Japan as Trainer Ikezoe said? Even if she's shown almost no actual outstanding qualities before this?"
"—If it were a few months ago, I definitely wouldn't have believed it. But ever since the three new Trainers arrived at Tracen Academy, and one unbelievable thing after another has happened, I've found myself starting to believe in miracles again."
"If Orfevre has a quality that makes Trainer Ikezoe believe she has the talent to become the strongest Uma Musume in Japan, then she most likely has the ability to do it. How could we not pay attention?"
Symboli Rudolf said with a playful chuckle, yet the look in her eyes as she gazed at Orfevre had undergone a subtle change—while still filled with care and concern for a junior, implicitly, her competitive spirit as the "Emperor" also began to gradually emerge.
"Hm? Look, isn't that Mr. C.B's disciple?" At this moment, Narita Brian suddenly noticed the figure of an Uma Musume on the track and said with a slight surprise, "Her disciple is also participating in the Debut Race, and she's the first favorite."
"I remember her name is... Seiun Sky? And she's the first favorite, a competitor for Orfevre this time."
"...It seems Mr. C.B's disciple's win will be postponed."
At this moment, Symboli Rudolf's lips curved slightly. The Aura of majesty as the "Emperor" involuntarily released a bit when she heard the name "Mr. C.B," causing Air Groove and Narita Brian nearby to glance at her.
It seems that their Emperor, even after being the Student Council President for so many years, still hasn't lost any of her competitive spirit... "Hey, that Uma Musume..."
"Why is she running with a mask on? Can she breathe?"
"She looks so fierce..."
Naturally, Orfevre's appearance drew the attention of the other participating Uma Musume. After all, it was the first time they had seen an Uma Musume wearing a mask during a race. Although Uma Musume have special physiques, and some have strange "charms," a face mask... was indeed a first.
But Orfevre didn't shift her attention to the other Uma Musume. She calmly walked into the gate, which she found a bit cramped, and repeatedly took deep breaths, trying to maintain her composure.
"Eyes on the track, eyes on the track..."
"—You seem very nervous. Is this your first race?"
However, at this moment, from a gate next to Orfevre, an Uma Musume poked her head out slightly and smiled at Orfevre, saying, "Don't be nervous! I was just like you during my first practice race, but after participating in a few more, you won't be nervous anymore."
"This is also my first official Debut Race, but I'm determined to win."
But soon, this Uma Musume noticed that the style of Orfevre's training uniform was different from her own. After a slight pause, she asked, "Are you... from Central Tracen Academy?"
"Y- yes." Orfevre also forced herself to remain calm and nodded, saying, "I am Orfevre."
"Is that so... My name is Seiun Sky, from the URA Tracen Academy Branch School."
Seiun Sky, like Orfevre, hadn't paid attention to her opponent during the earlier popularity introductions. But now, she spoke to Orfevre like an experienced senior, saying, "My teacher is the famous Triple Crown Uma Musume, Mr. C.B!"
"Mr. C.B... Isn't she the one who competed with Symboli Rudolf?" Orfevre was also surprised and instinctively said, "You're her disciple, huh? Wow, that's amazing."
At the same time, a hint of fear couldn't help but sprout in Orfevre's heart. Wouldn't that mean winning will be very hard?
"Yes! This is my first Debut Race, and I promised my teacher that I would win!"
Seiun Sky clearly regarded Orfevre as her junior, as Orfevre's reaction was truly that of a novice. Seiun Sky was initially a bit nervous because Orfevre was a student from Central Tracen, but Orfevre's rookie demeanor made her relax a lot.
It seems she's just a newbie. At this moment, Seiun Sky, considering herself a "senior," offered Orfevre her advice:
"This race is only 1600 meters, so there's no need to be so nervous. My teacher told me that most of the runners in this race will probably be Front Runners or Pace Chasers, and the competition for the front will be fierce. If you're scared, you can conserve your stamina at the back of the pack and then make your move on the final straightaway."
"Conserve stamina, sprint on the straightaway..." Orfevre nodded blankly. She suddenly remembered what Ikezoe had told her earlier, recommending the End Closer running style.
Was that how you run as an End Closer? Orfevre seemed to suddenly understand how an End Closer should run. (T/N: Her head was completely empty)
"Correct! When everyone else is exhausted and might not be able to sprint on the final straight, you can make a sudden burst of power. While you might not necessarily win, placing would definitely not be a problem!"
Seiun Sky kindly offered her experienced advice to Orfevre, her junior, and then confidently added, "But I will definitely win! I look forward to you dancing beside me on the winner's stage."
Not being in the spotlight on the winner's stage means coming in second or third. However, Seiun Sky's words made Orfevre, who was initially very timid, pause slightly, and the smile hidden by her mask immediately faded.
"...That's not necessarily true," Orfevre murmured, as if talking to herself.
At this moment, she remembered the shoes Trainer Ikezoe had given her, which she was currently wearing. The inscription on them would not allow her to fail. She had to win this Debut Race—not for anyone else, but only to be worthy of Trainer Ikezoe's praise!
"Clang!"
"Oh! Something has happened! Orfevre is not running at all!"
"...Huh?"
However, the commentator's words awakened Orfevre, who was still deep in contemplation. She looked forward blankly, only to find that the other Uma Musume had already started running.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
Almost instantly, all of Orfevre's psychological defenses that she had built up collapsed. She frantically rushed out; luckily her speed was quite good, and she quickly caught up to the end of the pack... "...Onii-chan, do you really think Orfevre is a strong Uma Musume?"
However, in the stands at this moment, the Uma Musume who had been called by their Trainer to watch Orfevre's race, and were quite invested, almost fell over. Beside them, Curren Chan, for the first time, looked at Ikezoe with a slightly doubtful expression and couldn't help but ask.
After all, not even running when the race starts... was quite a serious issue. And Orfevre's delay was about 2 seconds. Although she seems to have caught up to the pack now, with such a huge mistake, how could she possibly win?
"Just watch, Curren Chan." However, despite his wry smile, Ikezoe still said confidently, "Being late out of the gate might be a big problem for other Uma Musume, but for Orfevre, it's nothing."
Don't ask why, just know I'm used to it. Ikezoe had nothing to say about it in his heart, only that the initial adjustment period with Orfevre... being late out of the gate, was simply a minor issue.
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Orfevre: Would you rather have $1, or $2?
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.