Twenty Minutes Earlier…
Lin Anran was still wearing a composed smile as he examined his potential golden sponsor, Agnes Tachyon—calm, collected, a veteran of countless battles.
If one had to describe his expression, it'd be something like:
—Hehe~
But ten minutes later, the shady young doctor started to feel something was off. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
And his expression slowly shifted into…
—Not hehe~
"Beware the doctor who grins too wide, worse still when his gaze drops low."
Then, Lin Anran's smile vanished entirely. His face stiffened as he straightened up. He ran his hands over Agnes Tachyon's legs again and again, verifying his suspicions.
Finally, drenched in sweat, he turned and rushed to the bookshelf behind him, frantically searching for a medical reference.
[Good news: It's not bad enough to have an illness named after Agnes Tachyon yet.]
[Bad news: No need to think about races anymore. Agnes Tachyon can dedicate herself full-time to research.]
[Worse news: The shady doctor might not get his medical fees. No race winnings to skim from his golden sponsor, because it's time to prepare her retirement speech.]
This wasn't because Lin Anran was incompetent or forgetful. No, it was simply that Agnes Tachyon's condition was… just a tad [rare] and [severe].
Honestly, the debuffs had stacked to the max. Any seasoned doctor would've broken into a cold sweat or straight-up given up by now.
And right now, Lin Anran desperately wished he'd misdiagnosed her. If he had, there'd still be hope—and maybe a fat paycheck for him.
But if he was right? Then his golden sponsor was gone.
No, scratch that—she was done for. Might as well start drafting her retirement announcement on the spot!
Just two days ago, she'd been prepping for the Japan Derby, shouting "Platinum, you're the challenger here!" and "Will I win? Of course I will!" Now? She was on the brink of disaster.
The shady young doctor—who still had some medical ethics—prayed he'd misremembered or misdiagnosed. So he flipped through the thick medical tome, searching for any alternative explanation.
But alas…
After cross-referencing, the truth was undeniable.
Exact. Match.
His diagnosis hadn't been wrong. The problem was Agnes Tachyon's legs. It was this disease.
Tendonitis.
The so-called "incurable disease" of Uma Musume. It wouldn't destroy the body or take a life, but it would ruthlessly strip away a horse girl's ability to race.
She could still walk freely afterward, but high-intensity running? Forget it. It would reduce her from a [Racehorse Girl] to just… a [Horse Girl].
For a racer, this was as devastating as a human facing terminal cancer. Even the greatest champions, the ones who dominated G1 races, could only accept retirement in the face of this curse.
After all, in Japanese horse girl racing history, Tokai Teio—who overcame a fracture—was already hailed as a "miracle comeback."
And fractures? There was at least a slim chance of recovery. But tendonitis? Hopeless. Compared to that, it was infinitely more terrifying.
If injuries were ranked, [Tendonitis] would undeniably sit at the very top—a true incurable disease beyond modern medical science.
"I'm afraid… we no longer need to consider things like rest, training, or races."
Lin Anran spoke slowly, his voice heavy with regret.
"Tendonitis. I assume you're familiar with this condition, Ms. Agnes Tachyon?"
"You… have it. The so-called incurable disease."
The moment the word "tendonitis" left his lips, Agnes Tachyon's pupils contracted violently. Her heart pounded like a drum.
For the usually cool, hyper-intelligent, borderline mad genius that was Agnes Tachyon, losing her composure was unthinkable.
"Hah?"
"I—"
"Tendonitis?!"
But now? She froze on the spot. Her mind went blank, her thoughts stalled.
Every horse girl trained for years for the sake of racing and victory. And tendonitis? It stole all of that away.
So even the most ignorant horse girl knew of tendonitis. And someone as knowledgeable as Agnes Tachyon? She understood just how terrifying it was.
As Air Groove stood there, stunned—
Lin Anran looked up from his book, his mind already racing toward his invincible system.
Snapping back to reality, he suddenly felt a glimmer of hope for Agnes Tachyon.
First, he'd already used a one-time [Intermediate Healing Ability] on his golden sponsor, Tokai Teio.
And after winning the Irregular Triple Crown, his reward would be a permanent [Intermediate Healing Ability] plus two trial uses of [Advanced Healing Ability].
With that, he could first test whether his upgraded "Intermediate" skill could cure Agnes Tachyon.
If not? Well, he still had the Advanced trial cards. Something would work.
The shady young doctor could already picture it—after he cured Agnes Tachyon…
This already unhinged horse girl scientist would go completely berserk, willingly showering him with endless gold, right?
'Gotta treat her. She's got as much potential—and profit—as Teio!'
'After this, even if I hand her a sky-high bill, she'll pay up happily, won't she?'
Lin Anran was certain that after performing such a miracle—saving her career—even the difficult, eccentric Agnes Tachyon would look at him with the same admiration as those American fillies.
'Keh keh keh, I can't wait to see her tearfully handing over her wallet!'
Money. That's what Lin Anran wanted.
So Agnes Tachyon would be treated. Even an incurable disease wouldn't take her away—he said so.
But the condition for that was…
Platinum had to win the brutally difficult Irregular Triple Crown first.
Which led to another delicate situation.
[Bad news: To cure Agnes Tachyon's tendonitis, he must win the near-impossible Irregular Triple Crown.]
[Good news: The scariest opponent in the Triple Crown is gone. They'll probably show up in the Japan Cup or Arima Kinen instead.]
Regaining his composure, the shady young doctor solemnly addressed the stunned, utterly broken Agnes Tachyon before him—offering both a warning and comfort.
"For now… please rest. And try to calm yourself, Ms. Agnes Tachyon."
The gentle young doctor leaned down, lightly grasping the wide white sleeve of the emotionally unstable, unusually distraught girl in front of him.
Finally… Agnes Tachyon lifted her head, meeting his gaze again. Her pupils trembled slightly.
"No matter what, I'll keep treating you until the very end."
"Believe me… miracles can happen."
--+--
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 advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.