They soon returned to the academy, and when the discussion about the upcoming "European Trip" began, regarding the statements made by Symboli Rudolf, Sirius Symboli didn't completely deny them—she admitted to part of it.
"Ugh, honestly, I really don't want to see that woman."
During the discussion, Sirius Symboli muttered bitterly, with a trace of resentment on her face:
"I don't know why, but that woman looks so frail, yet she talks with such confidence it's infuriating."
"Just like with Rudolf, whenever I'm in front of her, it always feels like I'm about to get lectured any second."
"It's so annoying! Don't you all feel the same way?"
At her words, everyone else in the chairwoman's office instinctively glanced toward Symboli Rudolf. Seeing the latter's helpless yet slightly irritated expression, they all wordlessly chose to pretend they hadn't heard anything.
Among the "Symboli Family" of horse girls, there weren't that many older ones, but Symboli Rudolf's innate leadership charisma and her excellence in every field made her practically a half-family head.
Combined with her position as student council president, it wasn't exactly a secret that her words often carried a bit of a "teacherly" tone.
Just as Mejiro Ramonu and now Mejiro Ardan would instruct their younger family members, Rudolf probably also often guided the younger Symboli girls—Sirius included.
And from Sirius's tone just now, it was clear she wasn't particularly fond of that.
Sirius Symboli, after all, had always been a rebellious type—historically prone to clashes with other racehorses, sometimes even right before or after races.
For example, before the 1988 Mainichi Okan, she had a confrontation right at the starting gate with other horses, and even kicked the legendary Emperor and Dyna Gallop, injuring the former and forcing him to withdraw from the race.
So, it wasn't surprising that even in front of an "Emperor" like Rudolf, she'd speak her mind so bluntly.
However, this was clearly a "Symboli family affair."The others, who had gathered to discuss the overseas trip, couldn't really interfere—any comment would've just made things awkward.
Everyone in the room could feel Rudolf's rising irritation, while Sirius herself remained blissfully unaware. After snapping her question and receiving no response, she simply grew more enthusiastic.
"Anyway, I'm definitely still going to Europe—just as long as I don't have to meet that woman!"
As she declared her condition, she raised a thumb at herself, grinning.
"Other than that, everything else is fine—just like we discussed!"
"Oh, and if you're really chartering a small plane to Europe, you have to let me fly it!"
Indeed, in the earlier discussions, two options were raised: fly commercial or charter their own plane.
Given Tracen Academy's finances, chartering wasn't a problem.
If they took a commercial flight, however, famous horse girls like Oguri Cap would inevitably attract attention in the airport and during boarding. Even with security, they'd likely be harassed by fans, which would waste time.
Thus, most favored flying privately.
And when Sirius heard they'd be flying themselves, she got fired up immediately.
"If it's self-flown, then please let me be the pilot!"
"I have a light aircraft pilot's license!"
She proudly pointed to herself.
"Back when Rudolf and I received military training together, she wasn't that interested in flight drills, but I was! I trained for a long time and even got licensed."
[Military Training? Why]
"I know flying a fighter jet is out of the question, but if there's a chance to fly any kind of plane, I'm not missing it!"
"So please, make me the pilot!"
(Why do the Symboli family horse girls even go through military training—or study imperial strategy? Does that have anything to do with racing…?)
Kitahara couldn't help thinking that, but in the end, they accepted the proposal.
Indeed, the Symboli family had something of a military air about them. Rudolf and Sirius's racing outfits both carried obvious military design elements.
Another Symboli horse girl, Symboli Kris S, even had such a "warlord-like" design that fans jokingly nicknamed her "Lady Guan Yu."
[Only CN fans I think. Also Sad fact in CN Umamusume alot of Horse Girl's boobs are made smaller and horseshoes are replaced with something else]
"...As long as you help Oguri and the others with travel and lodging arrangements, I'll allow it," Rudolf finally sighed, giving in."If you really want to fly the plane, I won't stop you."
Sirius cheered, while Rudolf looked helpless but relented.
"Also, if you don't want to meet Dancing Brave"
After a pause, Rudolf said firmly,"Then I'll go instead."
Because the academy placed great importance on this "Eisei" team's visit, what was supposed to be a simple "European trip" became a major event, carefully coordinated by Chairwoman Akikawa Yayoi and Symboli Rudolf.
At this moment, they were in Akikawa Yayoi's office.She was there along with her secretary, Tazuna, and her assistant, Kashimoto Riko.
The "Eisei Team" members—the trainers and horse girls involved—were all present, as were student council members like Rudolf, CB, Maruzensky, and Mejiro Ramonu.
Also attending, at Kitahara's suggestion, were Narita Brian and Air Groove, sitting in as observers.
Sirius Symboli was there as well, officially assigned as the group's guide.
There were quite a few people in the office, but most matters had been pre-discussed.
For example, it was already decided that Kitahara and Oguri Cap, Mihono Bourbon and Mejiro Ardan would go; Sirius would act as guide (and now, pilot). The current meeting was mainly to confirm logistics.
However—Rudolf's sudden statement that she herself would go to Europe had not been mentioned before. Everyone was stunned.
"Wait—you're going to Europe too, Rudolf?!"Akikawa Yayoi exclaimed in disbelief."That'll cause a massive stir!"
"Even though you've retired long ago and there aren't any races you can participate in, you still have fans who hope you'll make a comeback!"
"If it were America or Australia, fine—but Europe? And you're going to meet Dancing Brave, the recently retired European Champion?"
"The media will absolutely assume that the long-time Tracen Academy President and the newly appointed European Tracen President are meeting to discuss returning to racing!"
"They'll definitely think that!"
"Nya-nya-nya!"
With Akikawa's dramatic outburst, the atmosphere in the room became even more complicated.
At first, everyone was simply surprised that Rudolf had suddenly decided to go.But Akikawa's words made them realize—if these two legendary horse girls met, it would indeed carry great symbolic meaning.
[Lmao]
Of course, not everyone grasped it immediately.
Rudolf herself obviously understood, as did CB and the other veterans of the racing world. Kitahara too, who was familiar with historical details, caught on instantly.
Even the newer trainers like Komiyama, after thinking for a bit, realized what it implied.
But for others—Sirius, Oguri, and the younger horse girls—it wasn't so clear.
"...Kitahara, why…"Oguri tugged at Kitahara's sleeve, whispering softly,"Why is everyone so surprised?"
"Will something bad happen if Rudolf meets that Dancing… something?"
As usual, she'd forgotten the name again.
Everyone was used to it—Tamamo Cross and the others didn't even bother to tease her anymore.
Still, one horse girl kindly corrected her.
"Oguri-senpai, the European student council president's name is Dancing Brave, not 'Dancig' (Hero)."
Narita Brian said this with her usual casual air—chewing on a twig—but her tone was serious.
"She's an exceptionally powerful and accomplished senpai. So calling her by the wrong name would be a bit disrespectful."
Oguri blinked, then scratched her head awkwardly.
"Ah—sorry, I'm bad at remembering names. Dancing Brave, right? Got it."
Narita Brian froze for a moment, then averted her eyes awkwardly.
"...Ah, no, I wasn't scolding you."
She coughed to change the topic.
"Ahem—anyway, from what I know, Yuu Mai-senpai is the strongest horse girl in Europe—and maybe the entire world—right now."
"Her career: 10 races, 8 wins, 1 second, 1 fourth. More importantly, every one of her wins was in a top-tier international race—including the 2000 Guineas, King George VI Stakes, Eclipse Stakes, and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
"She's the only horse girl to have ever won all those premier races from different nations."
"In her Arc de Triomphe victory, her final 200 meters were clocked at 10.8 seconds—an unbelievable 18.51 meters per second. Her finishing time of 2:27.7 broke the record."
"With that kind of record, she was unanimously voted Europe's Horse Girl of the Year—the first unanimous vote since Brigadier Gerard Fifteen years ago."
"And that year, in the International Umamusume Federation's WUR (World Umamusume Rankings), she earned an unprecedented score of 140 points."
Brian paused, her tone turning more serious.
"The World Umamusume Rankings is the globally recognized scoring system. The Federation rates our races based on technical performance, running form, and environmental adaptability."
"But it's nicknamed the '140-point system'—because that's its theoretical maximum."
"So Dancing Brave's 141 points literally broke the scale. She's the strongest horse girl in the world—beyond the defined limits."
Although everyone had already discussed this earlier, hearing it again, the atmosphere shifted.
Sirius, who had once raced against Dancing Brave in the Arc de Triomphe, grew tense—the excitement of getting to fly the plane was gone.
Her ears folded back, her eyes gleamed with awe and frustration, her whole presence burning with fighting spirit.
The others—Maruzensky, CB, Oguri, and the rest—felt that same yearning and drive in their gazes.
Brian continued, her tone calm but steady, almost as if to steady her own heart.
"Oguri-senpai, you asked if something bad would happen if Rudolf and YDancing Brave met. Actually, no—it's not that."
"It's just that… their retirements had some coincidences."
"Coincidences?" Oguri tilted her head, glancing at Kitahara and Tamamo."What kind of coincidences?"
The one who answered wasn't Kitahara, but Air Groove, who had come with Brian as an observer.
"The Saint Louis Ray Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Turf."
"Those were Rudolf and Dancing Brave's final races, respectively."
Calmly, she explained:
"Coincidentally, both races were held in America."
"Even more coincidentally, both took place at Santa Anita Park."
"And, due to the tight turns and the dirt kicked up on the bends, both suffered the same misfortune—mud flung into their eyes mid-race."
"I'm not saying this excuses anything—both of them are legendary competitors who would never complain about such circumstances. But the similarities are uncanny."
She gave Rudolf a respectful nod and continued:
"Both are student council presidents, both legends in their own right, and both retired under eerily similar conditions."
"So if the two were to meet—even casually, reminiscing about past races—it's easy to imagine them finding common ground... and perhaps rekindling their competitive spirits."
"If it were anyone else, no one—neither the URA, Europe, nor Japan—would believe a comeback was possible. It'd violate current regulations."
"But these two? With their positions, influence, and access to resources? No one could stop them."
"And that's exactly what the media would think."
Her final line carried a tone eerily similar to Rudolf's own commanding style. Rudolf's expression softened; she even chuckled.
"Well said. Now I understand why Kitahara recommended you two to me."
"Most students your age focus solely on training and races. Few pay attention to international affairs."
"Even many in the middle and upper divisions—trainers included—lack that broader vision."
"You two are quite exceptional."
Neither Brian nor Air Groove knew that Rudolf had been considering them for student council training. They had only followed Rudolf out of curiosity when she mentioned learning about the Eisei Team's planning.
Surprised yet flattered by the praise, both humbly declined.
"No, we still have much to learn from our senpaos."
"You overpraise us, President Rudolf. Most of what I know comes from conversations between my mother and elder sister."
Seeing their modesty, Rudolf's eyes glimmered approvingly before she turned serious again.
"Chairwoman Akikawa's concerns—by now, I think everyone understands them clearly.""If I meet with Dancing Brave, the outside world will definitely speculate that we're planning comebacks. That would violate URA rules, as well as certain unwritten conventions."
She paused for a moment.
"I know I'm still far from the world's absolute top level. But within Japan, I'd say I still have a bit of confidence left."
"As for Dancing Brave, I've heard reports that her health hasn't been great since retirement."
"I even had some channels quietly look into it—it's true. Aside from her academy duties, she often visits health resorts."
"But I believe that someone of her strength wouldn't be defeated by mere illness."
"Once she recovers, with that level of ability—across all of Europe… no, across the world—there will be no horse girl who can rival her."
"Not even me."
After speaking those words frankly, Rudolf concluded:
"That's also the reason why, outside of the Twinkle Series events, there's been no structured global tournament system."
"I'm a horse girl who has completely mastered my Domain. It'll probably still be several years before my strength really starts to decline."
"Even though Dancing Brave didn't manage to fully grasp her Domain before retirement, once her injuries heal, she'll most likely reach that stage—breaking through by rebuilding herself."
"For horse girls at our level, we'll need more Domain-class horse girls to appear before there can be proper races—and a real chance for us to return."
As she said that, a faint look of regret flashed in her eyes.She instinctively glanced at her friends—CB, Maruzensky, Mejiro Ramonu—others who were in the same situation.
Finally, her gaze fell on Kitahara, meeting Director Akikawa Yayoi's concerned eyes.
"But isn't that exactly why this trip to meet Dancing Brave will be meaningful?"
Akikawa Yayoi froze for a second, then her eyes lit up.
"Rehahahaha! I see now—it's me who misunderstood!"
With a flourish, she snapped open her fan and laughed heartily.
"I was so worried because if you, Rudolf, went to see Dancing Brave, all sorts of rumors would start flying—especially about you making a comeback. That'd be a nightmare to deal with."
"But isn't that exactly what we're trying to do?"
"We want to create more races where horse girls can compete—and we want horse girls like you, Rudolf, to be able to return to the track!"
"Good grief, I've really let those URA Association people get in my head lately. No wonder I've become so hesitant! Rehahahaha!"
"You're right, Rudolf."
With a sharp snap, she closed her fan, pointing it directly at Rudolf Symbol. Her eyes were firm.
"You should go meet her. Forget what the public says."
"If this had been a year ago, we would've had no way to explain or calm the media frenzy. Back then, neither of you had any realistic chance of returning—at least not anytime soon."
"If you can't answer public expectations—or your fans' hopes—that's the real headache."
"But over this past year—especially after Kitahara discovered the way to actively grasp the Domain—there will definitely be more Domain-class horse girls emerging. That day might come sooner than we think."
"So in that case, we might as well just let the public believe what they want."
"With that kind of hype, it'll be perfectly natural for us to start promoting new racing events!"
"Rehahahaha! How ridiculous—this is such a great thing, and yet I was hesitating? Clearly I've been letting a bunch of annoying people confuse me."
"Meow meow!"
The director laughed and grumbled with her little cat in her arms, her voice echoing between mirth and exasperation.
Most of the people in the office could follow what Akikawa Yayoi and Rudolf Symbol were discussing—especially the key members of the student council.
The same went for Team Eisei.
The racing-focused members like Oguri Cap only vaguely understood the "Domain," but Kitahara and the other trainers knew everything.
Akikawa Yayoi had long wanted to reform the URA Association—to improve conditions for all horse girls and open up more racing opportunities. That would obviously benefit horse girls, and the student council naturally supported her.
The crucial part was Kitahara's training breakthroughs—especially his methods for actively triggering and mastering the Domain. That was revolutionary.
However, two newer members, Narita Brian and Air Groove, were completely confused.
"…Domain? Mastering it? What…?"
The twig that Narita Brian was chewing on shifted from one side of her mouth to the other."Is that really something you can actively control…?"
Her voice was small, but the horse girl beside her—Air Groove—heard it clearly.
"…I don't think I've ever heard of that. My mother and sister mentioned that a Domain is a very special ability—something only the top horse girl of a generation can ever touch."
Her eyes drifted over the other horse girls in the office."President and the others are definitely Domain-class horse girls. Oguri Cap and her group probably are too."
"But horse girls that strong are rare… aren't they?"
Their voices were so quiet that Kitahara and the others didn't hear, but Rudolf Symbol and her group, whose hearing was much sharper, did notice.
Though she couldn't make out the words exactly, Rudolf Symbol caught their confused expressions and quickly guessed what they were whispering about.
"If you're curious about Domains," she said, turning toward Narita Brian and Air Groove,"stay behind after the meeting. I'll explain it to you."
"But if you just want to listen, you'll need to promise me—everything about this stays confidential."
Her tone was calm but commanding. She was already beginning to acknowledge these two juniors.
From both past impressions and today's behavior, Symboli Rudolf agreed with Kitahara's assessment: the two of them had great potential to become core student council members.
Since CB and the others were now mainly focused on assisting with training—and with the "new events" she'd just mentioned likely to start soon—those same colleagues would eventually want to compete themselves.
That meant the student council would inevitably need more capable hands.
Given that, it was best to start nurturing these two right now—and maybe, when the time came, ask if they'd like to receive mentorship from the Symbol family.
With that thought, Symboli Rudolf watched the two exchange glances, then solemnly nod in agreement. Satisfied, she nodded back and turned to address the group.
"Now that Sirius's little tantrum has been settled—"
With a final, summarizing tone, she said,
"Let's follow what we've discussed. Notify the horse girls who need to be invited, arrange the logistics, pack up, and get ready to head for Europe."
"If there are no objections, meeting adjourned. Gather at the academy's back gate at six p.m. tomorrow—we'll head to the airport."
No one had objections. After the meeting, everyone scattered to handle their respective tasks.
This upcoming 'European Expedition' was centered on Team Eisei.
With the support of the URA Association, the Academy Board, and the Student Council, the team's plan for the next year was to launch a full-scale expedition to Europe.
Kitahara, along with Akikawa Yayoi, Rudolf, and the team, had agreed that leaving earlier would help them acclimate to the venues, the events, and other conditions—so going ahead of schedule made sense.
The URA Association, however, didn't want them gone for so long. They preferred that Team Eisei compete in more domestic races—especially next year's classic series.
From their perspective, horse girls like Oguri Cap were already the generation's top stars.If they weren't active on Japanese tracks, it would hurt the association's promotional efforts.
So, in short, there were still disagreements over the details of the "expedition."
Akikawa Yayoi and Rudolf both told Kitahara not to worry about the politics—they'd handle the negotiations with URA. He just needed to focus on training and racing.
Hence, the meeting's practical arrangements would be handled by the director and president.
And the "horse girls to be invited," as Rudolf mentioned, were precisely those Kitahara was planning to train and race with.
He didn't just plan to bring Oguri Cap and the main team to Europe—he also wanted to take some of the younger, more familiar horse girls along for the experience.
Girls like Special Week, Opera O, and the "Gold Family," plus their close friend Just A Way.
The reasoning was largely historical.
Special Week's most famous win was the 1999 Japan Cup—where her rival happened to be Europe's champion, El Condor Pasa.
So, in this timeline, if they could go to Europe several years early, that bright, clumsy horse girl might actually realize the dream she never could before—an overseas expedition.
Opera O was a similar case. Seven G1 wins, an undefeated season, and European lineage—if she could adapt early, she might have a real shot overseas.
[Opera O's Sire was Opera House who was the son of Northern Dancer]
As for the Gold Family, their history was interesting too—they were frequent travelers to Europe and had achieved respectable results.
For instance, Nakayama Festa had run the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe twice—11th the second time, but 2nd the first.
Orfevre also ran it twice—both times finishing 2nd.
If those two little ones could go early this time, maybe they'd even have a shot at the championship.
Among the other "Golden" horse girls familiar to Team Eisei, Stay Gold and Dream Journey had never raced in Europe, and Gold Ship's 14th-place finish clearly looked like she was just "there for the sightseeing."
Still, with this world being what it was, an early trip certainly couldn't hurt.
Just A Way was the same. In Gold Ship's 14th-place Arc run, Just A Way had finished 8th.If they went as a "travel group" first, maybe next time they'd actually win it.
[lol lmao even, to win the Arc you need lighter horse and horses who can run in both soft turf and dirt]
With those thoughts, Kitahara began contacting each of them—and to his relief, they all agreed.
Special Week's mother, Aiko, had long since gone home, but with her mother's blessing, Special Week now trusted Kitahara fully.
When she heard they'd be going to Europe for training and study, she agreed instantly.
Opera O agreed just as quickly.
Her father had brought her to Tokyo on a business trip but was too busy afterward, and he didn't understand anything about training or racing anyway.
According to Special Week, "Opera O trains herself! She's amazing—she knows all sorts of training methods, even more than some trainers!"
With that kind of natural talent, Opera O instantly grasped the importance of going to Europe—and agreed without hesitation.
Her only small request was that she'd like to visit as many opera houses as possible.
Kitahara had expected that, and of course, he didn't refuse.
The "Gold Family" also agreed right away.
At their home, the elder Jinrō Takatoshi spoke plainly—he hoped Kitahara would take good care of the youngsters in training.
As a veteran of the horse girl world, he understood how vital early adaptation was.
But while Kitahara was there, he lingered a bit longer and asked one more question.
"So… you'd like Little Dream to ask one of her classmates if she wants to come along to Europe?"
He was speaking to Jinrō Takatoshi in the Gold family courtyard.
Little Dream referred to Dream Journey, and the old man raised an eyebrow.
"That classmate of hers… is she talented?"
Kitahara hesitated.
…In the original history, she wasn't very famous early on—but later…
"Well… I only learned about her by chance. I haven't met her yet, but her name really stood out to me."
He explained first.
Seeing that the old man looked intrigued but not suspicious, Kitahara finally said the name.
"Deep Impact."
[The GOAT]
"Does Dream Journey remember that classmate?"
The idea came to him because of the Symboli family's Kris S—who, in another timeline, had a good relationship with Deep Impact.
Though they weren't from the same generation—Symboli Kris S was born in 1999 and Deep Impact in 2002—both later lived at the same stable and got along well.
Kitahara had even seen videos of them walking together.
So he thought, why not take her along to Europe early too?
With that kind of talent, maybe she'd really shake the world.
After all, in history, Deep Impact ran 14 races—winning 12, placing 2nd once, and 3rd once, including 7 G1 victories.
That career earned him the title "The Jewel of Modern Japanese Racing."
His only 3rd place was in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe—and though that result was later voided due to medication issues, his performance showed she was clearly capable overseas.
Still, while Kitahara wanted to meet this "little Deep Impact" and maybe bring her along, he had one concern.
The original horse had been timid and shy.
Small in stature, gentle-tempered—she often avoided her herd and preferred human company.
In races, she'd drift away from nearby opponents to avoid confrontation, sometimes losing speed because of it.
So, if the horse girl inherited that same timid nature… he'd have to be careful.
As he thought that, a surprised voice suddenly piped up.
"Eh? Uncle, you actually know Shuu-chan? Most of our classmates barely notice her."
While Kitahara and Jinrō were talking, the Gold family's horse girls—thrilled about the Europe trip—were packing and chattering excitedly.
Then, from the house, Dream Journey emerged, dragging a bed frame, having overheard them.
She plopped the bed down with a thud, sat cross-legged on top, and continued cheerfully:
"Mm, Shuu-chan's really quiet. Hardly anyone notices her. She eats alone, goes to and from school by herself, and doesn't talk much."
"Because she's so quiet, sometimes during group activities or when we're walking, people accidentally bump into her."
"And before they can even say anything, she's already bowing and apologizing over and over—then whoosh, she's gone!"
"How to put it… she's just a really timid classmate. That's the impression I get."
"Oh right, but if we're going to Europe, I don't think Shuu-chan would dare to go."
After finishing, she looked at Kitahara and Jinrō's stunned faces, thought for a moment, and added:
"Oh yeah—Shuu-chan's the one you were talking about, Uncle! 'Deep Impact'—that's her nickname."
"She told me herself."
…Kitahara groaned inwardly.
That's not what I'm surprised about—I already knew her nickname.
But seriously—what's with that bed?!
Before he could ask, Jinrō Takatoshi gave a helpless chuckle.
"Little Dream, why are you hauling out a bed? Don't tell me you plan to bring it to Europe?"
He was clearly joking—but Dream Journey's eyes lit up, and she slapped her thigh excitedly.
"That's right! I am bringing my bed to Europe!"
She grinned proudly.
"Grandpa, you know I can't sleep without my own bed! When I first moved into the dorms, I couldn't sleep for days!"
"So I thought, since Uncle said we're flying there ourselves, I'll just bring my bed along—then I'll sleep perfectly!"
"Oh—and Grandpa, don't tell Big Sis! I snuck it out while she was busy chasing Gold ship!"
Dream Journey laughed wickedly.
"Gold ship's the weird one! She keeps complaining European food is awful and wants to bring the fridge along instead!"
"Big Sis scolded her, but she and Just A Way tried to sneak the fridge out anyway!"
"Hahaha, and they got caught—well, Just A Way did. A-ship ran away yelling, 'Just a Way, hang in there! I'll go get Stay Gold to rescue you!' Hahaha!"
…Please. It's not that Gold Ship is weird—it's that all of you are weird.
Who brings a bed on a trip?!
Kitahara could only sigh—but then, something in Dream Journey's story made him thoughtful.
Actually, she and Gold Ship had made a good point.
If they were going to Europe, they'd need time to adjust—to the food, the time difference, the environment.
They were young now, but those sensitivities would only grow stronger as they matured.And with Oguri Cap and the main team heading to Europe next year, he really needed to start preparing for that.
As he was thinking, he turned to the side.
Oguri Cap had come along to help him invite the others.
She'd been standing nearby the whole time, half amused by Dream Journey's antics.
Watching the girl sitting proudly on her bed, Oguri Cap found it strangely funny.
But suddenly, her expression changed slightly.
"Hmm… Little Dream," she said, pointing behind the girl, "your sister's here."
"Eh? Wha—what?! Oguri-senpai, why didn't you say so sooner?!"
With a shriek, Dream Journey leapt off the bed and tried to sprint for the gate—but she didn't make it far.
Two quick steps later, Stay GOld stormed up, grabbed her by the ear, and yanked her back.
"Dream! Journey!"
Under one arm, she was carrying a limp, noodle-like Gold Ship, and with the other, she had Dream Journey by the ear, face dark with fury.
"You dare sneak out the bed while I wasn't looking? You're so getting punished today!"
"It hurts! It hurts! Big Sis, please, not the ear!"
"Quiet! Hey, Festa! Are you packed yet?!"
Ignoring Dream Journey's pained yelps, Stay Gold turned and shouted toward the house's second floor.
"...Big Sis, I—I didn't do anything today! If you're punishing Little Dream and A-ship, don't drag me in!"
From the open window, Nakayama Festa's terrified face peeked out.
"Less talking! Where's the feather duster?!"
"Big Sis, hang on, I'll grab it right now!"
"Wait—Festa-senpai, why are you excited about this?!"
"Yeah, Festa-senpai, don't use the feather duster! You'll kill us! Just a Way, Orfevre, help me—!"
"You two shut up! And as for Orfevre and Just A Way—they've gone missing again, hauling that fridge somewhere! Once I find them, they're not escaping either!"
Soon after, Rudolf, Sirius, and the rest of Team Eisei completed their own packing as well.By the next evening, the full group heading for the European Expedition boarded their plane.
(End of Chapter)