[Sea The Stars: Dr. Lin, who did you go with to watch the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe the other day?]
The text from Sea The Stars got straight to the point, asking for specifics with pointed clarity.
Inside the clinic, the young black-haired doctor in his white coat felt his expression shift into something complex.
Huh?
So Little Star… didn't know?
Lin Anran fell silent for a beat, considering whether he should just tell the truth.
The very next second, a new message from Sea The Stars lit up his screen.
[SeaTheStars: It was my sister, wasn't it? I'm right.]
The new text was utterly certain, leaving no room for doubt. Lin Anran stared at it, stunned for another moment.
"This…"
How in the world did she figure *that* out?
This pair of foreign-born sisters had left a rather deep impression on Lin Anran.
After all, in terms of how long he'd known them, they were both among the top ten on this young, slightly unscrupulous doctor's list of familiar fillies.
One he'd known for a good long while back in America, even before her debut.
The other had purposely stayed on after the Japan Cup, and had continued her… interactions with him during the Dubai World Cup.
Though they were sisters, their personalities were strikingly different.
Sea The Stars seemed more lively and obedient on the surface, but actually had a bit of a rebellious streak. Burdened with great expectations and a promise from the past, she was utterly focused on racing and becoming the absolute strongest.
Her older sister, Galileo, came across as more proactive and passionate. But being sisters, Galileo was painfully aware of the vast gap in talent between herself and her younger sister on the track.
So, in Galileo's view, the golden period of her career—her best chance to avoid a direct clash and snag some wins—was that one year she debuted ahead of her sister.
After her defeat in the Epsom Derby at the hands of Platinum, and following her sister's request to seek out a certain young doctor during the Japan Cup… it was love at first sight. That, combined with her loss in the Japan Cup, led to a complete shift in her priorities.
Thus, that charismatic 'Monarch of Charm' so popular in European Uma Musume racing circles began to gradually shift her focus. Her primary goal was no longer victory on the track, but victory in the [Lin Anran Cup]!
She'd already won quite a few races, after all, and had done her family proud. Since she stood no chance of beating Platinum or Sea The Stars anyway, if she didn't pivot soon, it'd be too late!
Differences in personality, talent, and even age meant the two sisters' actions were completely divergent.
At least up until now, Sea The Stars, having returned to race in Europe, hadn't managed to see Lin Anran face-to-face even once. She was clearly training with sincere, intense dedication, preparing to reclaim the title of 'strongest' from Platinum.
Lin Anran had assumed he wouldn't hear from her again until after next year's Arc, once she'd finished her self-imposed 'seclusion.'
He never expected this little foreign filly would reach out just days after this year's Arc had concluded.
And what's more, she'd quickly picked up on it, stating her sister's name with such decisive certainty?
So this situation…
It probably… wasn't that big of a deal, right?
Lin Anran placed his hands on the desk, interlacing his fingers, and thought it over for a few seconds.
"This… really isn't a big deal, is it? It's perfectly normal to watch a race together."
"Besides, I'm not heading back to Europe anytime soon. Nothing's going to happen."
Ever the procrastinator, the unscrupulous young doctor decided not to make too much of it and put the matter out of his mind.
After all, Galileo and Little Star were *sisters*, and they'd always had a good relationship.
He was just a familiar doctor who also got along well with her older sister. That wasn't a bad thing, was it?
So, Lin Anran didn't dwell on it and put his phone down.
Then, he opened something else.
It was… the system's [Late Stage Races.]
[Eclipse Stakes (Europe Turf) (Completed)]
[King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Europe Turf) (Completed)]
[Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Europe Turf) (Completed)]
[Kentucky Derby (US Dirt) (Not Completed)]
[Preakness Stakes (US Dirt) (Not Completed)]
[Belmont Stakes (US Dirt) (Not Completed)]
"The later stage… it's half finished now."
"Just the other half left—the entire [US Triple Crown]—and it'll be done."
Lin Anran's gaze rested on the floating system task panel before him, a calm smile on his face.
Next year's US Triple Crown would, frankly, be over in less than two months.
But there was no doubt that, with Secretariat's legendary precedent…
Even if The Radiant Knight, Nearl, displayed brilliance no less than Secretariat's!
Even if her Triple Crown performance surpassed Secretariat's own stellar record, it was absolutely impossible for her to surpass Secretariat's world ranking or her reputation, both domestically and internationally.
It wasn't about ability or performance, but timing and context.
The reason was simple: Secretariat, as the predecessor, had already amassed a huge fanbase. Trying to poach the majority of her fans was no easy task.
A [Triple Crown Winner] was like the resources you accumulate on a losing streak in 'Teamfight Tactics'. The longer the gap since the last Triple Crown Winner, the more the entire nation yearns for the next one to appear.
So, when an Uma Musume finally ignites all that anticipation and claims the Triple Crown, it's like cashing in a huge wave of 'harvested crops,' sweeping up all the fans who were waiting for it.
Not only that, but Secretariat had also held the titles of [World's #1 Dirt Horse Girl] and [Dirt Legend] for a full consecutive year!
It was like… Secretariat had thoroughly become the 'White Moonlight' in the public's eye.
A monster of that caliber, one of the greatest in the entire history of dirt horse girls, a potential GOAT, couldn't be surpassed by merely winning another Triple Crown.
Besides, even if a new Triple Crown winner emerged the very next year, generally speaking, the fan reception and excitement would be significantly diminished compared to the previous one.
This was clear from the popularity comparison between the Triple Crown winner Mr. C.B., and Symboli Rudolf, the Undefeated Triple Crown winner who came just one year later.
In terms of pure achievement, Mr. C.B. was the third Triple Crown winner in Japanese history.
Symboli Rudolf was the fourth, and also… the first *undefeated* Triple Crown winner in history! And yet, her popularity was once completely overshadowed by Mr. C.B.'s.
In fact, for a long time, Symboli Rudolf was seen as a sort of 'villain,' while Mr. C.B., who had claimed the crown the year before, was the heroic 'protagonist' the fans wanted to see defeat the villain.
The only way Symboli Rudolf surpassed Mr. C.B. was by directly overtaking and defeating her on the track.
And the only path to the top for Nearl was that exact same one: first achieve a Triple Crown performance no less brilliant than Secretariat's classic year, then defeat that Big Red Monster in a direct confrontation!
There was no other way!
Picking up his newspaper again, Lin Anran looked down at it, a thoughtful, almost amused expression on his face.
He could easily imagine it: his transformed self, The Radiant Knight Nearl, would probably only have her fighting spirit and excitement ignited, leading her to say something like…
'That's exactly what makes it more challenging, isn't it?'
Carved into that tall, dazzling golden figure was an extreme sense of honor and indomitable spirit. She would never be intimidated by so-called 'the strongest' or 'legends.' On the contrary, it would only provoke an even fiercer will to fight!
Now that the Arc was over, it was already November, nearing the year's end.
The time until next year's US Triple Crown wasn't exactly long, but it wasn't short either.
'Well then, we'll just wait for those few months to pass.'
--+--
Meanwhile, in Europe.
At the Sea The Stars Family Estate, on the private training ground.
The chestnut-haired young girl was gritting her teeth, her face a mask of sheer disbelief.
It was actually…
It was actually true!!
"Dammit, my sister actually betrayed me?"
"Then what was the point of me asking her for help during the Japan Cup?"
Sea The Stars remembered it clearly—she had specifically asked her sister Galileo, upon arriving in Japan, to interact with Dr. Lin on her behalf.
She was supposed to learn about and investigate which fillies had a close relationship with Dr. Lin, potential 'thieving cats' she needed to watch out for.
Well, Galileo had certainly done it… if you focused *only* on the first part—'interact with Dr. Lin on her behalf'!
Somehow, all that interacting had led to her secretly going on what looked like a date with Dr. Lin to watch the Arc together?!
After the shock, anger, and frustration faded, the petite, exquisitely-featured chestnut-haired girl quickly regained her composure.
In her memory, many things suddenly clicked into place.
For instance, why, after the Japan Cup ended, her sister, despite losing, had inexplicably stayed in Japan for a full extra month.
For an Uma Musume, the golden period of a racing career was short—a year at minimum, two years, maybe a little over two, but rarely a full three.
From before the Japan Cup until a month after, that was a whole two months spent in Japan! That was far too extravagant!
Other European horse girls challenging the Japan Cup, even knowing they'd suffer from jet lag and had little chance of winning, would only spend a few days at most—flying in two or three days before the race and returning to Europe to rest immediately after.
Spending just a few days for a shot at the Japan Cup's massive prize money, and not being seen as a disgrace even if they lost, was a cost-effective choice in the eyes of many European horse girls.
But Galileo staying for over two months? That was dozens of times longer than other European horse girls.
And as for the racing? She'd only run that one Japan Cup, same as everyone else, with no different result, only managing second place.
Back then, Sea The Stars had been deeply moved by what seemed like a huge sacrifice, thinking her sister had stayed in Japan specifically *for her*, to continue investigating the situation around Dr. Lin.
Well, now the truth was out.
'The investigation was a lie. Getting close to Dr. Lin was the real goal, right?'
'How shrewd.'
'So the most shrewd little filly isn't Big Red, or Ruffian and Dahlia.'
'It was… my own sister??'
Sea The Stars remembered perfectly clearly—during the Dubai World Cup, her sister Galileo had met Dr. Lin *a second time* in Dubai!
Counting this recent Arc, that made *three* times.
Even if the Dubai World Cup and the Arc were short, adding up to only a few days total, the *number* of meetings was high!
If she let her guard down completely, those three meetings could easily become six or seven, or even over a dozen. It wouldn't be strange at all.
'This won't do. I can't trust my sister anymore.'
'But…'
The chestnut-haired girl fell into deep thought.
The problem was, she still had that promise to reach the top, to become the strongest. She had the glory her family, and all of Europe, craved.
When you're too powerful, standing at a super peak, you can't just make decisions lightly. Sea The Stars couldn't lower her focus on racing like her sister had.
If she really tried, her mother, Urban Sea, her school, and the racing authorities would all hit the roof.
'Probably, I'll have to wait until well past the middle of next year, maybe even after the *second* Arc…'
'Then I'll have more free time, and there won't be any resistance.'
'But the time in between is incredibly dangerous!! If my sister or some other thieving cat makes a move… it's over.'
After some thought, Sea The Stars landed on another, bolder possibility.
Namely—find a *new* helper!
It sounded incredible, even a bit reckless.
But in reality, it was the best option she could think of.
If you looked at it like romance stats in a galgame, her sister Galileo had made three moves, spending over two to three months with Dr. Lin…
Her favorability with Dr. Lin had to be at least 60 or 70 by now!
If Sea The Stars found a new helper, they'd be starting from zero, and wouldn't have much time to interact with Dr. Lin either.
So, even if this new helper gradually started eyeing Dr. Lin hungrily too… it wouldn't matter!
Her sister hadn't managed to snag Dr. Lin in months. Could a new helper she found do it?
Impossible!
'Then that's what I'll do.'
'[Using one rival to check another]—it's the best choice I have.'
'Then I'll choose… Treve!'
Finally, Sea The Stars uttered a name.
That name was—Treve.
--+--
Time flew by.
Early next year.
The new year had begun, and some major races had already concluded.
For instance, Japan's most prestigious race, the Arima Kinen.
Or, America's most influential event, the Breeders' Cup.
The winner of the Arima Kinen was [The Golden Tyrant, Orfevre], who dominated by five lengths over Daiwa Scarlet, topping the field and earning fame across Japan for replicating the Pegasus Platinum's classic year winning feat.
Thus, the tyrant was seen as… the Pegasus's successor!
In a room somewhere…
A certain unscrupulous young doctor was looking down at his phone, preparing to head out.
The next second, a text message chimed.
[SeaTheStars: Dr. Lin, I'd like to recommend another filly to you!]
Hm?
There's *another* expert?
--+--
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.
There should be... around 70+ advanced chapters?
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.