'That treatment was for the undefeated, two-time champion Tokai Teio… What could the reward be…?'
Lin Anran couldn't help but feel intrigued.
Up until now, he had only unlocked treatment rewards for Secretariat, while Tokai Teio's rewards remained unclaimed.
Secretariat had looked impressive in training races—full of spirit, yet unable to win—proof that her talent wasn't anything special. At least she was healthy, though, never suffering anything worse than minor injuries.
Compared to a weak but oddly sturdy horse like Secretariat, the petite, adorable, wealthy, and… fragile-boned Tokai Teio seemed infinitely more valuable!
After all, Lin Anran couldn't exactly expect much from a rookie who couldn't even win her debut race.
How much money could a failure like her even have? Not enough to interest a black-hearted doctor like him, that's for sure. Those meager earnings weren't even worth his time.
But Tokai Teio was different—she was the real deal, a golden goose!
So, Lin Anran maintained his best behavior in front of the undefeated, two-time champion.
"Miss Tokai Teio, the treatment is mostly successful now."
"You can resume training, but keep it under half your usual intensity. No exceptions."
"Just two more sessions, and you should be fully recovered."
The black-hearted young doctor smiled as he explained her condition.
His words lit up Tokai Teio's delicate, slightly youthful face with excitement.
Even though she had already asked him—the miracle-working, kind, and handsome Dr. Lin—several times during her treatment and knew she'd recover soon, hearing it again made her giddy.
After all, just a week ago, multiple renowned doctors had examined her injury and declared she'd need half a year of rest.
But now? In less than a month, Lin Anran had nearly fixed her. Calling him a miracle worker wasn't an exaggeration! How could an innocent, race-obsessed girl like Tokai Teio possibly stay calm?
"Thank you, Dr. Lin!!"
Hopping off the bed, Tokai Teio beamed at him with gratitude.
The black-hearted doctor simply waved it off, his expression unchanging.
Overjoyed, she immediately wanted to rush back to the training field, following Lin Anran's advice to prepare for her next race!
Right now, Japan's horse-girl racing scene was more competitive than ever. In long-distance races, there was the unbeatable Mejiro McQueen, who had defeated her before, and terrifying newcomers like Agnes Tachyon, flaunting their monstrous talent.
And just a few days ago, two dark horses—Platinum and Daiwa Scarlet—had delivered the most intense debut race in Japan's history!
In this increasingly cutthroat era, Tokai Teio refused to fall behind. She wanted revenge against Mejiro McQueen, wanted to challenge Agnes Tachyon and Platinum!
To do that, she had to recover and return to the track as soon as possible!
"Then… I'll go train now!"
After thanking him, Tokai Teio turned and dashed out of the infirmary, practically sprinting toward the training field.
Just before closing the door, the petite horse-girl glanced back at the doctor who had left such a good impression on her, taking a deep breath.
'Am I imagining it…? Dr. Lin's scent… seems even nicer now?'
--+--
Once Tokai Teio's figure had completely vanished and the door clicked shut, Lin Anran finally looked away.
His gaze fell on the system screen that had just appeared before him, pulling up the treatment panel.
[Note: The more horse-girls you treat and the better their recovery, the more your own "Transformation" Progression and Innate Skills will improve.]
[Treated: Tokai Teio (Fracture – 80% Recovery)]
[Reward: Slight improvement in Platinum's heavy track adaptability, slight reduction in fracture risk, +4% Horse Mint(Pre-Transformation)]
[Treated: Saegusa Misa (Minor Injury)]
[Reward: +1% Horse Mint(Pre-Transformation)]
[Treated: Nara Sachiko (Minor Injury)]
[Reward: +1% Horse Mint (Pre-Transformation)]
[Treated: …]
"…Huh??"
Staring at the rewards, Lin Anran felt something was off.
Aside from Tokai Teio, there were treatment rewards for other horse-girls listed too.
But Tokai Teio's fracture injury had somehow given Platinum a reward—reduced fracture risk?
Wasn't that a little… dark?
And more importantly—
"Teio's rewards being better than no-name horse-girls makes sense—her injuries were worse, and she's way more famous."
"But why do her rewards look… about the same as Secretariat's?"
That was the real surprise.
[Treated: Secretariat (Minor Injury)]
[Reward: +5% Transformation Progression, slight increase in horse-girl strength, +10% Horse Mint (Pre-Transformation)]
That was the reward from treating Secretariat—who had only suffered a minor injury, just like those Japanese fillies.
Yet while the others gave pitiful "+1% Horse Mint," Secretariat—another supposed loser—had rewards on par with Tokai Teio, far surpassing the rest.
"Something's not right!"
"Why the hell does a useless horse like Big Red have such insane rewards?"
The black-hearted doctor had stumbled upon a clue.
Only two possibilities remained:
First—maybe Secretariat was his first patient, so the system gave a "newbie bonus," making the rewards abnormally high?
Second—maybe Secretariat wasn't the "useless" horse he thought she was. Maybe she was even more incredible than Tokai Teio, the undefeated anime protagonist?!
Just considering the second option made Lin Anran's expression twist.
"Which one… is it?"
For now, he couldn't say for sure.
But if it was the latter… if Secretariat really was some kind of monster…
Then… could she actually fulfill that half-hearted promise he'd made when he abandoned her? Could she really become… the strongest?
Gulp.
The young doctor swallowed hard, shaking his head in denial.
"Surely… surely not, right??"
"E-Even if there's a one-in-a-million chance it's true… Big Red wouldn't ask for anything too crazy, would she?"
"…Probably?"
As he lost himself in thought, footsteps echoed from the hallway outside.
Then—knock knock.
A refined voice called through the door.
"Excuse me, is School Physician Lin available?"
"I'm Student Council President Symboli Rudolf. I'd like to have a word."
--+--
T/N: Bro is cooked. Just search up Secretariat if you don't know already.
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and in the future, advance chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
p@treon.com/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.