"T.M. Opera O, as class president, I can't just stand by and watch you go down the wrong path!"
Narita Top Road spoke up first. As the most responsible of the trio, she was determined to protect Dream Weaver here and now.
"I'm not even in your class! How can some title like 'class president' hope to restrain the Conqueror?"
T.M. Opera O planted her hands on her hips, unleashing a blinding confidence—like some solar flare fist she'd pulled out of nowhere—that made Narita Top Road falter with a defeated croak.
King Halo silently caught her from behind, offering a look of reassurance to her companion before stepping forward.
"T.M. Opera O, such behavior is utterly inelegant! As a top-tier Uma Musume, I must correct you!"
"Ha! A ruler need not follow etiquette set by others! And I, the Conqueror of the Century's End, am no exception!"
Faced with T.M. Opera O's overwhelming confidence, King Halo opened her mouth to retort, but then memories flooded back—the other's racing record, and what she herself had done in the dream world for a single G1 title—and her strength simply drained away.
The second contender fell. King Halo had been defeated by her own foolish self from the dream world!
Now only Admire Vega remained from the trio. Under the hopeful gazes of her two companions, could she overcome T.M. Opera O?
Admire Vega stepped forward, her expression blank as she stared down T.M. Opera O, who responded with an audaciously bright grin.
Tension crackled between the two, so palpable that the surrounding Uma Musume slowed their steps, eager to witness this epic clash.
Even Dream Weaver, caught in the eye of the storm, quietly retreated to the sidelines, curious to see what kind of trouble these guys would stir up next.
But just as Dream Weaver focused all her attention on Admire Vega and T.M. Opera O, a pair of large hands reached out from behind, grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, and whisked her away from the scene at breakneck speed.
"Who goes there?!"
T.M. Opera O rushed forward to intercept, but the crowd of onlookers was too thick, preventing her from building up any speed.
"Incredible moves…" Admire Vega narrowed her eyes, murmuring as she watched the figure—already at the school gate—yank open a car door and shove Dream Weaver inside.
"Isn't this a kidnapping?! Shouldn't we do something?!"
Narita Top Road, who hadn't gotten a clear look at the abductor, frantically tugged at her companions' sleeves. King Halo, however, stared dumbfounded at the retreating car and slowly uttered:
"Mom… Mom?"
"Just because you couldn't catch up doesn't mean you call her Mom!"
Narita Top Road exclaimed in shock, but Admire Vega shook her head slightly and explained:
"That really is King Halo's mother."
Indeed, it was none other than King Halo's mother, the world-class Uma Musume Dancing Brave.
The day before, King Halo had returned home acting strangely. Having also experienced the dream, Dancing Brave had keenly picked up on her daughter's odd words and behavior.
That very day, while King Halo and the others were at school, Dancing Brave had already gathered all the information there was to know about Dream Weaver.
Now, after staking out the school gate for hours, she'd seized her chance and taken Dream Weaver away.
Such is the wisdom of the older generation of Uma Musume!
Bewildered, Dream Weaver was ushered into the car and taken to an upscale restaurant. Only when the waiter led them to a pre-reserved table did she finally snap out of her daze.
"Um…"
Dream Weaver hesitated. After all, this Uma Musume had been her mother for several years in another life. Now a stranger, yet she'd dragged her here—Dream Weaver wasn't sure what to say.
Thankfully, Dancing Brave, a truly mature adult, had anticipated this. Smiling, she gently tied a napkin around Dream Weaver's neck before speaking softly.
"Little Dream, actually, I'm a friend of your mother's."
The words hit like a thunderbolt, shattering all of Dream Weaver's attempts to make sense of Dancing Brave's actions. She could only stare blankly, waiting for an explanation.
"Your mother suddenly lost contact with everyone all those years ago, and none of us at Tracen Academy could find her."
"I only recently learned what happened to her. I never imagined she'd faced such tragedy."
Dancing Brave adopted a sorrowful expression, and Dream Weaver found herself drawn into her words.
"You… knew my mother?"
Dream Weaver vaguely remembered her mother mentioning she'd attended Tracen Academy, but beyond that, she'd never spoken about her past.
Could Dancing Brave be the key to understanding her mother's history?
"Of course, we were very close back then."
"If she hadn't deliberately cut ties with everyone, I might even have become your godmother."
Seeing that Dream Weaver was captivated, a flicker of delight shone in Dancing Brave's eyes.
Her words were a mix of truth and lies. She had indeed known Dream Weaver's mother, but not nearly as well as she claimed.
After all, Dancing Brave had only been an exchange student at Tracen for a short time—hardly long enough to form such a deep bond with Dream Weaver's mother.
She probably knew less about her than the owner of the coffee shop near Tracen did.
But this informational advantage was enough for Dancing Brave to win Dream Weaver's trust.
Besides, Dream Weaver still had memories from the scripted world and had never been particularly wary of Dancing Brave or the others to begin with.
"What was my mother like in the past?"
Now convinced, Dream Weaver asked with curiosity. What kind of past did her mother—who'd single-handedly raised an orphan like her—really have?
"Her?"
Dancing Brave pressed a finger to her lips, as if reminiscing about their shared past, though she was really just recalling the intel she'd gathered.
"She was a remarkably skilled Uma Musume, with quite a bit of talent. If she hadn't left Tracen, she might have achieved great things."
"It's such a shame. If she hadn't deliberately severed her ties with the past, I would never have stood by and let you two live like that."
As Dream Weaver listened, enthralled, Dancing Brave suddenly took her hands.
"Little Dream, it must have been so hard, struggling on your own all this time."
Hearing this, Dream Weaver fell silent. It would be a lie to say it hadn't been difficult—juggling exam prep for Tracen while caring for her mother.
Watching the numbers in her bank account dwindle, an anxious Dream Weaver had squeezed in whatever time she could for part-time work.
But it was never enough. If it had been, she wouldn't have staked everything on entering that debut race with almost no preparation.
Back then, Dream Weaver had truly reached the end of her rope.
"So, let me take care you in your mother's place, alright?"
Dancing Brave held Dream Weaver's hands, speaking with heartfelt sincerity. She'd said many ambiguous things today, but this one came straight from the truest part of her heart.
--+--
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.