[Small Fry · Dahlia: She seems to have taken a bit of an interest in Dr. Lin.]
The scheming young doctor stared at the message, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Lammtarra?
A horse girl I've never heard of…
Puzzled, Lin Anran immediately booted up his computer and ran a search.
Sure enough, the search results quickly confirmed his suspicions.
[Lammtarra: 1 Race, 1 Win]
A note next to the horse girl's name on the webpage stated that it meant "inconspicuous" or "unremarkable" in Arabic.
That single win from a single race was obviously just a debut victory. It was only slightly better than that other small fry, Big Red, who'd needed two tries to win her debut race.
In other words—another total small fry!
From her record to her very name, completely unremarkable.
And then there was the principle of birds of a feather flock together!
If she was friends with that small fry Dahlia, she couldn't be anything special. Dahlia hadn't said a word about this Lammtarra filly being strong or talented.
So it was just small fry +1!
Lin Anran let out a sigh. The black-hearted young doctor couldn't hold back his sigh. "Why is it always the overseas small fries who develop an interest in me?"
This small fry Lammtarra definitely wouldn't win many races either. She wasn't worth paying much attention or wasting any worry over.
Fortunately, the venture he was currently pursuing in Japan was starting to show promising signs of success.
As a doctor, he had already completed Tokai Teio's treatment and had earned Agnes Tachyon's trust, gradually beginning her long-term treatment plan.
Both of these geniuses were once hailed as potential Undefeated Triple Crown winners, and now they had successively become golden geese in Lin Anran's eyes.
As for his mission schedule and the challenge of the Irregular Triple Crown… that was also progressing unusually smoothly.
Therefore, his plan to complete the Irregular Triple Crown, boost his medical skills, and make a massive fortune off the Japanese Uma Musume was already half accomplished! That was the main event worth his attention!
"A small fry like Dahlia, who can't even cough up a single gold coin, sure isn't going to give me any [friend fees]…"
"Her new friend is definitely the same. But well, I've already invested this much time reeling her in, might as well see it through."
Even if he didn't care personally, Lin Anran would never say what he was really thinking in their conversations.
His fingers flew across the keyboard with practiced ease as he typed out his reply.
[Lin Anran: Even though I'm here in Japan, my worries have always been with you, off on your campaign in Europe.]
[Lin Anran: I'm relieved to see you've made a new friend so quickly.]
[Lin Anran: You must persevere. No one believes in your potential more than I do. Competing overseas is definitely the best choice for you!]
[Lin Anran: I know you're eager to get stronger and fulfill our promise, but your health comes first. As your doctor, your safety and well-being matter more to me than any race or victory.]
He had to maintain the image of the gentle, caring big brother doctor, after all.
The competing horse girls only needed to focus wholeheartedly on their races and run their hardest, but Dr. Lin behind the scenes had far more to consider.
For instance, how to gain their trust and even affection, how to properly care for those fillies' bodies, how to make them stronger while minimizing injuries, how to cast a long line to catch a big fish and get to know other lucrative, high-stakes horse girls… These were all things Lin Anran had considered and even actually done back in America.
Unfortunately, all he'd reaped was the worthless trust and fondness of a bunch of useless small fries, not a single gold coin. It had left him utterly disappointed, prompting his move to Japan.
But this patient, scheming young doctor didn't believe Dahlia was completely useless.
After all, who was to say Dahlia wouldn't meet some monster in Europe far stronger than herself, some horse girl with the potential to win a European G1?
Even if this Dahlia, in her new environment, couldn't provide any "friend fees," she still had value!
[Lin Anran: Dahlia, if you experience any physical discomfort at all, you must remember to come to me immediately.]
[Lin Anran: Since Lammtarra is your new friend, if she has any health concerns, she's also welcome to consult me.]
Lin Anran was subtly emphasizing his concern for Dahlia while making it clear he'd only help others for her sake.
After a short while… Dahlia's reply popped up.
[Dahlia: Don't worry too much. Unless it's a serious injury, I wouldn't dream of giving your contact info to anyone else.]
[Dahlia: I'll absolutely never let Lammtarra "trouble" you. There are plenty of doctors here in Europe.]
Reading this, the black-hearted young doctor nodded in satisfaction.
As expected of the most gentle and elegant of all the horse girls I've been… cultivating. She's so good to me.
[Dahlia: I'll remember every single word you've ever said to me, Dr. Lin~]
[Dahlia: So please, wait for me to fulfill your expectations, to keep the promise we made!]
[Dahlia: When the time comes, after I've conquered the European turf, I will fly to Japan to claim you.]
After reading the final messages, Lin Anran's expression remained largely unchanged.
He set his phone down calmly, a wave of emotion washing over him. 'Dahlia is perfect in every way, from her personality to her figure… it's just a shame… she's far too confident in herself.'
'Then again, she's just an incredibly young filly. She has no idea how terrifying the European turf really is.'
Since coming to Japan, Lin Anran had heard countless stories about the horrors of the European racing scene.
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, for example!
The Symboli family, home of the Emperor, Symboli Rudolf, once nurtured a genius horse girl who won the Japanese Derby, named Sirius Symboli.
Back then, the Symboli family did something incredibly bold, almost unthinkable: they sent both of their masterpieces on overseas campaigns simultaneously.
Symboli Rudolf to contest the American G1, the San Luis Rey Stakes; Sirius Symboli to challenge the European G1, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!
A daring all-in gamble! If successful, the Symboli family would be etched into the history books, their fame shaking the world!
The final result? In a field with only seven horse girls, Rudolf, hailed as the strongest in Japanese history, finished… sixth.
And Sirius Symboli couldn't handle the Arc environment at all, suffering a crushing defeat somewhere outside the top ten.
That overseas campaign sure brought them back down to earth!
Modern Japan had already come to terms with the gap between itself and the world.
Now, the URA was pinning its hopes on that unprecedented breakthrough from Mejiro Palmer! If Palmer actually achieved results in future overseas races, they'd probably be willing to treat her like their own ancestor!
The vast Japanese horse girl world had struggled for decades with almost zero achievement in European races.
What chance did a single Dahlia really have of winning over there?
Thinking this, Lin Anran calmly and composedly sent his final response.
[Lin Anran: I never break my promises. Do your best, Dahlia. I'll be so proud of you!]
[Lin Anran: When that time comes, no matter what you ask of me, I won't refuse!]
After all, they were all just small fries. Nothing to worry about!
He might as well lay it on thick. It wasn't like Big Red, Dahlia, or any of them were actually going to succeed, right?
--+--
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.