Their application for the team was approved faster than anyone expected; what they discussed in the morning was approved by the afternoon. Symboli Rudolf, as the Student Council President, then allocated a building to the group to serve as the team's private meeting place. It also meant that from today onwards, the three Trainers and their assigned Uma Musume were now official teammates that were part of the same team.
—However, rather than a small storeroom which they expected, it was practically a single-story house about a hundred square meters big, a building capable of living comfortably in. It didn't resemble the building for a new team at all! Not only did it have a meeting room that was practically a living room, but it even had three small rooms, as if specifically designed for the three Trainers.
Not only that, there were even two bathrooms, a whole kitchen, and even beds in the three rooms!
The beds weren't very large, but they were big enough for one person. Two might be a bit tight, but with a little squeeze, it would still be somewhat comfortable.
When the three Trainers and their Uma Musume arrived, they were all slightly startled by Symboli Rudolf's generosity. At that time, Symboli Rudolf, with a somewhat mysterious smile, said:
"Shh, don't say too much. This has nothing to do with me. I'm just the middleman. This building was given to you by the Chairwoman. I didn't abuse my power, you know?"
"This place has actually been built quite a while ago. I'm not entirely sure of its original purpose, though I heard it was initially constructed to be a new training camp where young Uma Musume could stay in Tracen Academy for a few days. However, for some reason, the plan was put on hold, and the building was already built by that point."
"The building has been completely furnished; it's just that no one has cleaned it for a while, so it might be a bit dirty. It will take some effort to tidy it up—but all the equipment inside is fully functional, so I'd recommend you to just put in the effort to clean it."
"Oh right, one final thing. Don't tell the other Trainers that your team's meeting point is here... After all, even my Trainer has to use the same meeting room as the other Trainers."
Before leaving, Symboli Rudolf kindly reminded the three. Although she kept saying that this was purely the Chairwoman's arrangement and had nothing to do with her, the amount of attention and care she had given them in the past... clearly, she must have put in a lot of effort to secure this place for their team.
Finally, after the group thoroughly cleaned the long-unused building, everything fell into place. The newly formed Team Miracle was about to face its first GI—the Satsuki Sho.
"Meisho Doto, T.M. Opera O, I know we want to win. However, the current situation is not favorable for us, at least the public thinks so."
Wada began specifically explaining the precautions for this race to his two Uma Musume who were about to embark on the Satsuki Sho, the first leg of the Classic Triple Crowns.
"T.M. Opera O, you got first place in the Yukinayanagi Sho and second place in the Mainichi Hai, which indeed qualifies you for priority entry into the Satsuki Sho. But Meisho Doto, you only have the Mainichi Hai as your only win. A single GIII victory was simply not enough to get priority over others."
"Fortunately, the number of strong Uma Musume in our current generation is not many. McQueen is also not participating in the Satsuki Sho due to her Debut Race being on a later date, instead focusing on the Japanese Derby. Therefore, you just barely squeezed in at the end, Doto."
"T- that's great! Thank you, Trainer!"
Upon hearing this, Meisho Doto's slightly drooping ears perked up and wagged happily again. To be honest, Meisho Doto initially wanted to compete with T.M. Opera O in the Satsuki Sho because of her impulses. She wasn't confident about getting a spot.
But now, she, who had only won one race outside of her Debut Race, actually had the qualification to directly participate in a GI... One must know that without placing in the Yayoi Sho, the so-called 'Satsuki Sho prep race', one would need to run more races to enter the Satsuki Sho.
T.M. Opera O, with her two good race results, allowed her to enter the Satsuki Sho. But Meisho Doto was indeed very lucky to get in... She was probably the only Uma Musume in this GI race whose prize money just barely made the cut.
"I've looked at the list for this race. Not many Uma Musume are participating, but there are two that you need to pay attention to."
Wada then posted two pre-prepared photos on the whiteboard and pointed to the two Uma Musume, saying:
"The first is Narita Top Road, who got consecutive wins in the GIII Kisaragi Sho and then the GII Yayoi Sho. Her strength is very formidable, and she is a strong favorite to win this time." (T/N: Do I have to say it again at this point?)
"The second is Admire Vega, who finished fourth in her Debut Race due to a violation, but then won her next Debut Race with overwhelming superiority, and achieved consecutive victories in the Erica Sho and then the Radio Nikkei Sho."
"As for Admire Vega, Meisho Doto, you should know her."
"Ah, yes... I once... considered recommending her to you back then..."
Meisho Doto nodded, feeling quite pressured. She, Air Shakur, Fine Motion, Agnes Digital, and Admire Vega were all close friends. Admire Vega's personality was the complete opposite of Meisho Doto's; she was cold to others and uninterested in anyone, always suppressing her outward emotions, giving off a very cold feeling.
At that time, Meisho Doto, lacking confidence to beat T.M. Opera O, had indeed thought that if she left the Team, she would recommend Admire Vega to Wada. Although she was unlikely to agree, Meisho Doto felt that if it was to defeat T.M. Opera O... Admire Vega might agree.
After all, Admire Vega and T.M. Opera O had known each other for a long time... though it was a one-sided intolerance of T.M. Opera O's exaggerated performances.
"Hahahaha—I didn't expect that this time the Overlord would not only be facing their most beloved subject, but also compete on the same stage with rivals who have always challenged her? Excellent!"
T.M. Opera O, hearing this, immediately became excited. She was very familiar with all the big challengers in this race, whether Meisho Doto, Narita Top Road, or Admire Vega. They had been acquaintances and rivals long before they even started racing. Therefore, T.M. Opera O was very much looking forward to meeting them in the Satsuki Sho.
"B- but... I have no confidence in beating Admire Vega and the others..."
However, Meisho Doto, having reverted to her usual state, also exhibited the same problem. Even after beating T.M. Opera O once in the Mainichi Hai, when facing two potentially stronger opponents, Meisho Doto was still very unconfident in her strength.
After all, this time, it wasn't just a one-on-one battle between her and T.M. Opera O. Admire Vega and Narita Top Road were also competitors whom she could not take lightly.
At the thought of having to compete with an additional two Uma Musume who each were approximately as strong as T.M. Opera O, Meisho Doto's tail unconsciously wagged nervously. She immediately said to Wada:
"I- I'm going to train first! There's not much time left to prepare! Trainer, I'm leaving!"
"Hahahaha! My most beloved Doto, don't leave me to train alone! I'll come along too!"
"Wada, you come too. This is where the Overlord needs you. You must help me continue to consolidate my tactics so we can secure the Classic Triple Crowns."
T.M. Opera O immediately followed Meisho Doto's frantic steps. Even with T.M. Opera O's confidence, she felt quite nervous about this race, so training naturally couldn't be neglected.
T.M. Opera O was then seen grabbing Wada and running outside. Although T.M. Opera O's Pace Chaser running style had improved quite well over this period, and she could be said to have fully mastered both the Late Surger and Pace Chaser running styles, if someone were to ask Wada if she could run a GI... at the very least Wada felt there were still some areas that needed strengthening.
Wada also planned to, as much as possible during this time, quickly impart all the insights T.M. Opera O had once taught him back to the current T.M. Opera O—after all, he wanted to cherish this limited time where he could actually teach T.M. Opera O how to race rather than the other way around.
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Yes, I have to say it again. I LOVE NTR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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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.