After the surrounding silence, the vast cafeteria erupted once more into heated discussion.
Who is the horse girl she most admires and likes?!
"Pegasus... is actually attempting to challenge the Irregular Triple Crown, hailed as an unprecedented feat?"
"Since she's aiming for the Irregular Triple Crown, the one she admires... must be the previous winner, Kurifuji-senpai, right?"
"But back in Kurifuji-senpai's time, the Oaks and the Derby were months apart. Wasn't it much easier then?"
"Maybe she admires a Triple Crown horse girl like Emperor-senpai or Symboli Rudolf-senpai?"
Amidst the incessant buzz of conversation filling the cafeteria...
Facing Platinum, who did not answer immediately, the interviewer added.
"You may also choose to answer ['the opponent you most want to defeat'] or ['the horse girl who left the deepest impression on you']."
The small, silvery-white Pegasus immediately lowered her head slightly.
First of all, she truly didn't have any horse girl she particularly admired.
As for horse girls she liked...
Currently, Platinum hadn't interacted with many horse girls.
The ones she'd had slightly more contact with were the two big spenders, Tokai Teio and Agnes Tachyon, whom she'd treated while transformed as that unscrupulous black-hearted doctor.
But she obviously couldn't reveal any of that, so it wasn't suitable to mention. She could only opt to answer the latter question.
"I'll answer the latter question. No horse girl has ever left a particularly deep impression on me."
"To the challengers of the upcoming Japanese Derby and Kikka-shō, my answer is..."
"—Turn back now, and no one gets hurt."
The cold, assassin-like young lady delivered her icy warning.
In the Oaks she had just concluded, while no horse girls had directly suffered physical discomfort or fractures...
It seemed after the race, more than one participating horse girl had burst into tears, and some were even booking appointments with therapists on the spot.
Who says magical attacks don't count as attacks?
The blow from that Look Back seemed to be... a teensy bit too overwhelming.
Such a cold and cruel and utterly domineering answer wouldn't be questioned by anyone.
Some horse girls had boasted before the race about running to the ends of the earth.
Arrogant horse girls were never in short supply throughout history.
But arrogance requires capital.
And Miss Pegasus... happened to have it!
"As for ['left the deepest impression']..."
This final question plunged her into deep thought, a rarity.
Again, aside from the big-spender horse girls who could be squeezed for money, she had no impression of any others.
She really hadn't been in this world for long; it was true she couldn't think of anyone...
Instead, what popped into Platinum's mind was a certain terrifying monster capable of a 'Grand Starfall'.
The fearsome existence jokingly called ['Pantheon'] or ['Margaret Pantheon (The Unbreakable Spear)']!
Her real name was Margaret Nearl, a Kuranta girl from Arknights—just like Platinum herself after transformation—a warrior known as The Radiant Knight!
Platinum, skilled with a bow, and Nearl, a knight and warrior, were both of the same race but vastly different.
And when playing the mobile game, that black-hearted young man used the Radiant Knight Nearl even more often than Platinum. Her gameplay strength was excellent!
('Me = Kuranta = Pegasus = Horse Girl')
('Nearl = Kuranta = Pegasus = Horse Girl')
So theoretically, Nearl could also be considered a horse girl!
Since no horse girl in this world had left a deep impression on her, she'd just name a "horse girl" from another world!
"She is a monster utterly worthy of the title ['Pegasus'], named Pan—"
Under the gaze of countless elite Japanese horse girls and audiences worldwide, the now-famous Pegasus Platinum calmly uttered that name.
"The Radiant Knight [Margaret Nearl]."
Perhaps it was her imagination, but upon mentioning that name, Platinum felt a faint throb deep within her flat chest.
As if this petite body of hers could sense the power of that "other Pegasus."
It seemed no one understood the Radiant Knight's strength better than she did!
After her words fell... the staff member before her was completely stunned, unable to place any horse girl by that name.
Was I just ignorant?
But for someone of Pegasus Platinum's stature—a monster who won the Oaks with such an aloof Look Back—to praise another as worthy of the same ['Pegasus'] title... that horse girl couldn't possibly be ordinary!
One thing was certain: this statement would undoubtedly spark significant discussion and shockwaves!
"Unfortunately—"
"Barring unforeseen circumstances, she won't be coming to Japan to compete..."
--+--
Meanwhile, in the Tracen cafeteria.
The place was now buzzing to the extreme, with a continuous stream of discussion rising up.
"Nearl? Never heard that name. Is she strong?"
"['Nearl'] does sound more like a foreign surname. It's not among the famous horse girl families in Japan."
"So she's a foreign monster? That explains it!"
At another table, Agnes Tachyon was pondering with great interest.
As a scientist skilled in research and possessing keen observation, when Agnes Tachyon first heard Platinum was challenging the Japanese Derby and even the Irregular Triple Crown...
She was only surprised for a moment before calming down.
After all, a monster capable of pulling off a [Look Back] in the Oaks definitely had the qualifications to challenge the Undefeated Triple Crown or even the Irregular Triple Crown.
But now, hearing the name Platinum finally mentioned, along with the high praise...
This plunged Agnes Tachyon into deep confusion and thought.
"[Margaret Nearl]?"
"The Radiant Knight?"
"A foreign horse girl who won't come to Japan?"
This made Agnes Tachyon lose all interest in her meal. She began desperately racking her memory, trying to recall any information she had collected or knew that might include this foreign horse girl's name.
Agnes Tachyon's data contained thousands upon thousands of foreign horse girls, some not even debuted yet, still unknown, yet she could already identify their potential.
But among all that data...
There was no [Margaret Nearl]!
"Interesting—"
"I wonder what relationship Platinum has with this Radiant Knight Nearl?"
The mad scientist girl curled into a smile of keen interest.
"I'll have to go back and search through my data again!"
--+--
After returning to her room to rest!
The black-hearted young doctor sat back down on the bed, sitting upright and pondering something seriously.
"To win the Oaks so beautifully!"
"Platinum's potential and strength are undoubtedly terrifying! Coming to Japan was definitely the right call!!"
"Then, the ultimate trial of the Japanese Derby in a week... the chances shouldn't be..."
Before he could finish his soliloquy.
Lin Anran's phone rang. It was a text message from a contact saved as [Small Fry · Dahlia].
As Lin Anran opened it, he saw...
[Small Fry · Dahlia: Dr. Lin, I'm in Europe now. Met some pretty good friends here.]
[Small Fry · Dahlia: There's one especially cute and fragile little thing. Her health is really poor!]
[Small Fry · Dahlia: She seems quite interested in you, Dr. Lin.]
--+--
T/N: It seems chinese people call Margaret "Pantheon".
--+--
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.