After Inari Kagura finished her course inspection, the weather remained unchanged for the next several days, just as she had expected. She estimated that the course condition should be about the same as when she had gone to Nakayama Racecourse that day.
What surprised Inari Kagura a little was that those clingy close friends of hers had not come looking for her much during this period. She did not know whether they had all settled down because they knew she was preparing for the second race in this back-to-back run. Even Mejiro Ardan had recently been getting up early and heading out. Inari Kagura often saw her training with Mejiro Ramonu on the track. According to the Mejiro trainer, her training had also gotten on track, and she might be ready to debut next year or the year after.
"Thank you, Kagura, for taking such meticulous care of Ardan-ojousama. Thanks to you, Ardan-ojousama's body has recovered far better than either the doctor or I expected. The Family Head is very grateful to you, Kagura, and hopes to invite you to the Mejiro family home during the year-end break."
That was exactly what the Mejiro trainer had said yesterday when Inari Kagura met them at the training grounds. This time, however, Inari Kagura did not agree too quickly. She had become much more cautious this year. She guessed there might still be other things going on at the end of the year. After all, Galileo was still in Japan and had not left. When the time came, Inari Kagura would definitely have to make time to meet with her. If she agreed casually now, only for everything to end up tangled together later, that would not be good.
As for Rudolf, Inari Kagura had not seen where she was these past few days either. According to Tojo, since there happened to be nothing to do at the end of the year, Rudolf had taken Maruzensky somewhere far away to watch regional races. It was only this time that Inari Kagura learned there were apparently other regional Tracen branches besides Central Tracen Academy.
[Tojo]:The unprecedented heat around the racing circle these past few days has made Rudolf happy, but also worried. All of this attention rose because of one or two people, but those one or two people can't be around forever. If those one or two people suddenly disappeared, would the racing circle return to the same silence as before?
[Tojo]:She can't sit back and watch an era of talent drought arrive. What happened with you this time made her understand that geniuses don't necessarily come only from Central Tracen. So, while she has free time at the end of the year, she decided to act first and try to search for talent worth uncovering.
When Inari Kagura asked about Rudolf's whereabouts, Tojo, who was still busy recruiting new members for the team, replied that way. Inari Kagura could not help sighing with admiration. Rudolf really was a Student Council President with a strong sense of responsibility. She considered not only herself, but the school and the entire circle as well.
She heard that Tojo had also recruited some new members into the team over the past few days, which was why she had been too busy to get away. And it seemed the ones Tojo recruited were all new students who had just entered this year. Inari Kagura felt a little anticipation in her heart. After all, if new students came in, that meant she could hear even more Umamusume call her senpai or big sister. Maybe she could even pet some cute little fillies. Just thinking about it made Inari Kagura a little excited.
So, in the end, I'm going to the Hopeful Stakes by myself this time?
Inari Kagura suddenly thought that as she swayed along on the train toward Nakayama Racecourse.
Although she had received blessings from Tojo, Rudolf, and the others, when Inari Kagura thought about it carefully, this time, she really was going to the race alone. Aside from Speed and Mejiro Iris, who always seemed to appear from strange places once a race began, it seemed no one else was traveling with her this time. Nice Nature also seemed to have some things going on recently and had not come running over to find her.
That said, Inari Kagura herself did not particularly care whether someone accompanied her. She was here to race, not to watch the stands. For something like this, it was naturally best to let her companions do what was convenient for them.
This year's Hopeful Stakes was also receiving far more attention than any previous edition. The reason was simple. Inari Kagura, who had performed so exceptionally and uniquely in the previous G1 race, had announced soon after the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes that she would be running the Hopeful Stakes back-to-back. After Inari Kagura posted the news on her personal account, the topic was pushed into the trending topics in less than two hours. At present, only Rudolf's popularity was still temporarily above hers. Incidentally, Inari Kagura's account had now surpassed two million followers, and she could already be considered a fairly famous influencer.
Trending topics always had a time limit. Unless that topic was given some other important meaning beyond timeliness, it could not remain popular for long. Rudolf's championship was exactly such a case. Aside from her topic, what netizens were currently discussing most fiercely was this packed race schedule and who the winner would be.
Before Inari Kagura, netizens had all seen the consequences of Bizen Nishiki's practically incomprehensible packed race schedule. Although the plan to prepare for the Japanese Derby had been abandoned because Inari Kagura had stepped in and stopped it in time, the online impact had already been truly created. So this time, seeing another competitor known as a genius preparing to run back-to-back G1 races, netizens inevitably worried about Inari Kagura's condition.
Inari Kagura naturally knew the state of her own body. Right now, her body was in excellent condition, so she paid no mind to that part of the discussion. As for the other debate about the winner, Inari Kagura had also paid some attention. Summarized, the netizens' opinions roughly amounted to this: if Inari Kagura had not been racing this densely, everyone would think she would definitely win this time. But now, considering Inari Kagura's uniquely young age among professional Umamusume, as well as the issue of her racing schedule, some people still maintained a skeptical attitude. They did not believe Inari Kagura could maintain the same condition as last time and complete the Hopeful Stakes.
——Ha! These people will soon see that this little bit of fatigue means nothing to you! To put it bluntly, 1600 meters is barely enough for me to warm up. There's no such thing as it affecting the next race!
"Well…"
Inari Kagura could only smile helplessly at those comments. Back when Rudolf had gone straight into the Japan Cup under the pressure of her own grueling race schedule, these kinds of opinions had been everywhere too.
Hearing the announcement for her destination come through the train car's speakers, Inari Kagura, still in disguise, put away her phone, shouldered her bag, rose, and stepped out through the doors.
"I'd say Kagura is probably going to win this time too."
"No way. She's that young, and she just used Runaway, a style that consumes an enormous amount of energy. She hasn't even had twenty days to recover. How could she possibly compete in perfect condition? This time's probably up in the air. If you ask me, it's got to be Yamato Queen…"
When Inari Kagura walked outside Nakayama Racecourse, she once again saw two familiar armchair experts, one plump and one thin. One of them had shaved his head, which looked inexplicably funny.
"Hey! Pretty confident, aren't you? Then want to bet something again?"
"Tch! Fine, let's bet! A professional has to dare to make judgments! If Kagura still wins this time, once my hair grows back, I'll change my hairstyle into a Wi-Fi pattern! Just go up and see whether Kagura can even get fast later, and that's that!"
"Good! You said it! I recorded that!"
No… Sir, small bets are harmless fun, but big bets hurt the body! Don't wager your dignity on something like this!
As Inari Kagura passed the entrance of Nakayama Racecourse, she heard the armchair expert who had analyzed last time that she would not win the championship start making another vow. She could not help retorting inwardly. To be honest, right now, she really wanted to go over and ask whether that armchair expert's surname was Huang.
If you jinx Yamato Queen out of it too, be careful. Once she finds out, she might come catch you together with Dyna-senpai and throw you into the tree hollow in the courtyard…
...
——So, who exactly is this Huang Daxian you were just thinking about? Is he famous in your world?
He really is quite famous. As for what kind of person he is… how should I put it? He's a great prophet who predicted the arrival of several major disasters.
——Wow… Someone like that exists in your world, even without special powers? Then he must be very respected, right? You even call him a great immortal?
Of course. His shrine's practically thriving! People make wishes there every day!
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T/N: hello i am back from japan, and i am sick heres some chapters i remembered you guys exist
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