T.M. Opera O was irritated. Her irritation had been growing ever since she was discussing Kitano Ryuichi with Air Groove, received news of the commotion in the cafeteria, followed her there, saw him, and before she could even feel happy about it, discovered King Halo and Mihono Bourbon gathered around him.
She didn't know the source of it, but she knew her annoyance and anxiety intensified the moment her gaze fell upon Mihono Bourbon and King Halo standing so close to him.
The reason was very simple—both of their figures were better than hers.
It was a strange feeling. The old Opera O never cared about differences in figure or appearance. First of all, horse girls were born beautiful; they couldn't possibly be unattractive. All of them collectively had higher-than-average looks. Even if not devastatingly beautiful, they were at least elegant and charming. There was no such thing as appearance anxiety.
Opera O's looks weren't among the most outstanding, one might even say she was more "handsome" than "beautiful." She was well aware of her strengths, so she had deliberately honed her charisma.
The "Overlord's" current captivating aura was forged through countless "trials." Her unparalleled confidence and composure were developed precisely so she could face anyone without fear or weakness.
But in the end, she wasn't the type to get jealous just because someone had a better figure or face. If she were, why was she so close with her "follower," a Uma Musume named Meisho Doto, whose figure was rivaled by few in the entire academy? Why wasn't she jealous of her at all?
But her current abnormal behavior surprised even herself—she just couldn't stand the anxiety.
Whenever her eyes landed on the scene of Bourbon and King Halo surrounding Ryuichi—it was as if a strange voice in her head told her to go forward and stop it all.
And Opera O, who always followed her heart, once again chose to obey her inner feelings without hesitation. Although she didn't understand why she had to step forward, at least it would make her feel a little better.
"Since you are not a retainer of this seemingly insecure Princess, then a retainer should not be able to make decisions for His Highness, should they?"
"Princess..."
Opera O's description of Ryuichi made everyone present's faces darken. When King Halo saw Ryuichi's embarrassed expression, she almost burst out laughing.
For a moment, an image flashed in her mind: Opera O in a suit, holding "Princess" Ryuichi in a wedding dress. The nickname was just too impactful.
...Huh? Why does thinking about that make my head feel a little heavy?
King Halo didn't know why she was so happy one second and then suddenly felt her mood drop the next. But no one noticed her condition right now. After a moment of silence, Mihono Bourbon replied without any change in expression:
"...Correct. Mihono Bourbon has not yet confirmed Mr. Kitano as the highest authority."
"However, Mihono Bourbon is in the process of transferring command authority to Mr. Kitano. As long as Mr. Kitano agrees, Mihono Bourbon will move her legs for his command."
"Hahaha! What an interesting cyborg retainer! So loyal to Her Highness the Princess!"
Opera O didn't mind her words at all. She was not one to blame anyone, for anything. However, on this matter, she didn't choose to stop it, but she didn't express her approval either.
She had her own method. A good one, she believed.
"But, oh loyal cyborg retainer to the beautiful Princess, you are not yet a knight sworn to Her Highness. And this beautiful Princess is destined to attract many outstanding knights to pledge their loyalty. If you do not possess the greatest strength, how can you become Her Highness's First Knight?"
"I feel like there's a lot to unpack in that sentence... I don't know where to start."
Kitano Ryuichi, having lost his right to speak, was now relegated to the role of the straight man. But even so, he found that although everyone here was a Uma Musume he had once trained, he no longer understood their words or thoughts.
A hostile King Halo, a suddenly overly-enthusiastic-towards-strangers Mihono Bourbon, and a meddling T.M. Opera O... well, Opera O was always meddlesome, but it usually revolved around him. But now, she shouldn't know him, so why was she so invested in this?
"Let's not even talk about your nickname for me, Opera O... I don't think I have enough charm to attract that many 'knights'."
"And so what if I do? That 'First Knight'... that just means the first assigned Uma Musume, right? Is it really necessary to care so much?"
Ryuichi didn't understand. Although he had restarted so many times, he had never tried to teach more than one Uma Musume at a time.
The reason was simple. He couldn't even teach one well, let alone several at once. Wasn't that overestimating his abilities? Therefore, in any given loop, he had never recruited another Uma Musume while he already had a charge. All his energy was focused on one girl.
Thus, he never thought a guy like him, with no talent or charm, could attract anyone. In fact, he had to pester several of his past charges for a long time before they successfully signed a contract. What charm could he possibly have?
And was this "first charge" position really worth fighting for? He didn't really get it.
"Hahahaha! No need to be so modest, oh beautiful Princess! Your appearance is not the only way to make countless knights bow to you. Your heart is the supreme treasure that is most pursued!"
As expected of Opera O, she could praise you no matter what. She could find numerous good points even in Ryuichi, even though she didn't know him at all right now.
But she spoke highly of him, or perhaps she was like this with everyone, saying in a lofty tone, "And do not underestimate your charm, Your Highness. According to the Empress, you are the youngest new trainer in this grand palace of Tracen Academy. Your exam scores are in the top three of the Central circuit, and you are so young! A princess like you is worthy of being called a genius!"
"A person like you will not lack for any knights willing to give their all for you, oh beautiful and wise Princess!"
"So... if I said I'm only good at theory, would you guys believe me?"
Opera O's words left Ryuichi speechless. And sure enough, as her words fell, Mihono Bourbon looked at him with surprised eyes, seemingly astonished by his achievements.
King Halo also looked at him with a rare sense of shock. She had thought he was just a boastful rookie, but Opera O's words changed her perception of him.
"He's actually a trainer worthy of a first-class me?" King Halo thought, a strange sense of pride welling up inside her.
The other onlooking Uma Musume were also stunned by Opera O's words, and began chattering among themselves. A few of them, just as Opera O had said, were amazed by his accomplishments.
Suddenly, many more curious and attentive eyes were fixed on Ryuichi, making him break out in a cold sweat.
No, don't believe this. I'm really only good at theory! If you could restart as many times as I have and take exams from the same question bank, you could definitely do better than me!
But could he say that? He didn't dare. He now truly understood the feeling of suffering in silence.
And Opera O's praise clearly wasn't over. She even struck while the iron was hot:
"And the position of First Knight, that's even more important, my dear Princess."
"Just like King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, there can only be one true chief! And that is the strongest knight! And your First Knight will undoubtedly be your chief knight, the strongest among them, and also the one closest to you!"
"Such an important position, of course, cannot be taken lightly. This is the crucial question of who will be Your Highness's strongest guardian!"
As Opera O's voice fell, the interest of the already intrigued Uma Musume was instantly ignited. Their eyes turned green, like a pack of hungry wolves staring at the now sweating Ryuichi.
Strongest, closest. These two words held an immense appeal for any Uma Musume, especially those with strong competitive spirits and possessiveness.
Instantly, the looks in Bourbon's and King Halo's eyes changed. The crowd of onlookers also realized the importance of this position. The already restless girls became even more motivated.
Seeing that the atmosphere was sufficiently hyped, Opera O continued to strike while the iron was hot, her voice even more resounding:
"Therefore! The contest for the Princess's chief knight will surely not be limited to one! With so many knights and only one chief, there is only one solution!"
"Gather all the knights who covet Her Highness the Princess and hold a Royal-Audience Race! The true strongest among them will become Her Highness's chief knight!"
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