Before the news could spread, Dream Weaver, who had publicly challenged the Mejiro family in front of numerous reporters, returned to the small estate that very day.
Fortunately, Mejiro Ardan was not present. With no further obstacles, Dream Weaver retrieved her mother's portrait and resolutely left the place.
She was returning to the Northern family—to the place where her grandmother and mother had once lived.
Meanwhile, the reporters worked at breakneck speed, swiftly weaving the incident into headlines.
Thus, just a few hours later, as people were still marveling at the revelation that Northern Dreams was originally a Mejiro Uma Musume, and speculating that the Mejiro family might achieve back-to-back victories in the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho, Dream Weaver's declaration of war against the Mejiro family exploded like a bomb across the racing world.
These two consecutive news stories focused everyone's attention on the Mejiro and Northern families.
Through Dream Weaver's statement that she was the last inheritor of the Northern family's glory, the hidden tale of the prestigious family secluded deep in the mountains was unearthed.
A few lines alluding to the complex history of love and enmity between the Northern and Mejiro families sparked widespread speculation.
As public opinion ignited, nearly the entire horse racing world turned its gaze toward this once-great, now-declined family. Through records and accounts from those involved, people gradually pieced together a story.
In the past, the Northern and Mejiro families, both prestigious houses, had intermarried for generations.
The Uma Musume born with the shared bloodlines of both families were regarded as future stars, and the most brilliant among them was the mother of today's renowned Northern Dreams.
That Uma Musume displayed exceptional talent during her classic years, showing remarkable improvement with every race. Thus, when she announced to reporters that her goal was to win the following year's Spring Tenno Sho, she garnered considerable recognition.
Bearing the bloodlines of both the Mejiro and Northern families, any glory she achieved would naturally be shared by both houses. It should have been a flawless collaboration—the two prestigious families working together to elevate the Tenno Sho-winning Uma Musume into a star.
But then something went wrong. The Uma Musume who had vowed to seize the Spring Tenno Sho never arrived at the Kyoto Racecourse on the day of the race.
From that point on, she vanished from public view as if she had disappeared, retiring from the track without even a farewell press conference.
Strangely, neither the Mejiro nor the Northern family ever spoke of her again. Afterward, the two families seemed to go their separate ways, with no further public interactions.
As time passed, the Mejiro family grew increasingly illustrious, bolstered by a continuous stream of talented descendants. They eventually fulfilled their long-cherished dream of achieving consecutive victories in the Tenno Sho.
The Northern family, however, faded into obscurity. For over a decade, no new generation of Uma Musume emerged to grace the tracks. Younger audiences had never heard of their past glory, while the older generation who had witnessed their brilliance had long tucked those memories away.
Such is the world of horse racing—new stars replace the old, and even prestigious families cannot remain prosperous forever.
Yet, no one could have predicted that years after the entire racing world had assumed the Northern family had withdrawn from the sport, a final successor, inheriting all the past glory of the Northern family, would once again step onto the track.
With the blood of both Mejiro and Northern families in her veins, she sought not only to reclaim her family's former glory but also to exact revenge on the enemy of old.
Since the Mejiro family valued the Tenno Sho so highly, she would seize it from them herself, cutting off the very wings that had brought them prosperity to this day.
A saga of wealthy families, hidden pasts, and shared bloodlines torn apart by history—a story spanning generations now converged in the present.
As more and more shocking details came to light, the rumors that had once swirled around Dream Weaver instantly dissipated. Claims that prestigious families had conspired against her or that the Northern family had bribed commentators now seemed utterly absurd.
What power could the Northern family, reduced to Dream Weaver alone, possibly wield? She not only lacked any backing but also had to shoulder the weight of her family's century-old legacy entirely on her own.
Under such immense pressure, she had endured months of slander.
Many who put themselves in Northern Dreams' position saw only a bleak future ahead.
Yet, surrounded by such pressure, she continued to win, one victory after another—not only defeating Narita Brian again but also triumphing over Rice Shower at the Kyoto Racecourse.
What captivated people was not just her strength, but her indomitable will.
As more of her background came to light, a portrait emerged of a final successor who carried the blood of her enemies yet bore the glory of a fallen house.
In the eyes of many, Dream Weaver transformed from the "shameless thief of the Kikuka Sho" into a tragic hero who had gritted her teeth and persevered through countless days and nights.
Naturally, the Mejiro family, locked in fierce conflict with Dream Weaver, became the antagonists of this narrative. Compared to the Northern family, which had declined to a single member, people were more inclined to believe that the Mejiro family, now at their peak, had been the masterminds behind that old grudge.
The Mejiro family found themselves at the center of the storm. As the one who had held the press conference and served as the family head, Mejiro Asama naturally faced even greater scrutiny and criticism.
The scrutiny didn't only come from outside—even within the Mejiro family, discontent began to simmer.
"What in the world is going on?!"
Mejiro Ramonu raised her voice, perhaps influenced by the habits she'd picked up during her months with Dream Weaver. No longer beating around the bush, she marched straight up to Mejiro Asama and slammed her hands on the desk, demanding an answer.
The elderly lady seated behind the desk removed the beret from her head, her characteristic Mejiro bluish-white hair tied back neatly, a pair of horse ears standing prominently atop it.
Mejiro Asama, who had previously concealed her identity at every turn in front of Dream Weaver, now finally revealed her true self.
She gazed calmly at her distressed granddaughter across the desk and said softly, "Ramonu… as the heir to the family, you mustn't be so impulsive."
Mejiro Ramonu's brow furrowed at these words, the anger in her eyes growing more intense.
"Impulsive, am I…?"
"Then again… compared to a family head who says nothing, acts unilaterally, and hides everything from everyone, I suppose I still have a long way to go!"
Facing Mejiro Ramonu's rebuke, Mejiro Asama offered no reply, only continued to watch her silently.
Under her grandmother's tranquil gaze, Mejiro Ramonu found it increasingly hard to contain the frustration churning inside her.
"You knew it would come to this!"
"If you won't talk, then I will!"
With that, she turned and strode away, imitating Dream Weaver's earlier gesture by slamming the door shut with a resounding crash.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! 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.