The agony that had felt like her entire body being crushed was gone.
The muscles and nerves that had been screaming in protest just moments before had now quieted.
Once Dream Weaver could no longer feel the pain from forcibly surpassing the curse's restraints, she slowly opened her eyes.
What appeared before her was a black void she had grown familiar with. Dream Weaver didn't do anything unnecessary, instead quietly waiting in place for that mechanical voice.
Sure enough, before the thought had even fully formed, that icy mechanical voice sounded once more beside Dream Weaver's ear.
--+--
[Scenario Quest: The Last Glory of a Noble House]
[Quest Completed]
[Quest Evaluation: S-Rank
Description: Through your own power, you have made the name of a prestigious family, nearly lost to the dust of history, resound throughout the horse racing world once more. You are the Northern family's last hope, and also the Uma Musume they can be most proud of.
When the shackles of the Tenno Sho (Spring & Autumn), which bound the long-cherished wish of three generations, were severed by the demon blade, both the Mejiro family and the Northern family gained the courage to move toward the future.]
--+--
[S-Rank Evaluation Reward: 10,000 SP + Skill Awakening Voucher]
[Special Item Unlocked]
--+--
Staring at the semi-transparent blue screen that had materialized before her, Dream Weaver finally let out a sigh of relief, unconsciously murmuring under her breath.
"It's finally over."
With the quest finally settled, the tension that had been pulled taut in Dream Weaver's heart could finally relax.
To be frank, the difficulty of this scenario quest wasn't actually that high. If Dream Weaver had used the Perfect Limiter the moment she felt the influence of the Northern family's curse, then even a peak-condition Narita Brian would have struggled to defeat the current her.
After all, she had cleared two scenario worlds now. The accumulated items and skills were more than enough to allow Dream Weaver to defeat Narita Brian without harming herself.
But she had deliberately chosen the more difficult path.
If wanting to save the Perfect Limiter for her mother in the real world could still be considered a reasonable excuse, she had gone and given it to Mejiro Ardan instead.
Not only did this increase the difficulty of the scenario quest, but it also cost her that slim possibility of waking her mother.
'Ah, well. I was always a fool anyway.'
Dream Weaver whispered the words softly, not feeling particularly regretful.
This was just the kind of person she was. She'd done a similarly stupid thing back when she faced Orfevre.
Rather than dwelling on what couldn't be changed, it was surely more important to keep looking forward.
Thinking this, Dream Weaver finally began to seriously examine the post-quest settlement screen. After a minute, she stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"I'm surprised the evaluation reached S-Rank. I thought you had to win the Triple Crown to get that."
But upon further reflection, it made sense. Consecutive wins in the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho was an incredibly difficult achievement. Perhaps even fewer Uma Musume attained this honor than those who won the Triple Crown.
And she had achieved this Spring-Autumn double with an undefeated record, which was even more astounding.
While her low number of participated races was a factor, an undefeated record was still an undefeated record. Dream Weaver had never even heard of an Uma Musume who achieved the Tenno Sho double without a single loss.
With that blessing, receiving an S-Rank evaluation wasn't really all that shocking.
After processing the evaluation, Dream Weaver routinely switched the screen before her. Seeing two unfamiliar items in her inventory, she nodded slowly.
"Now, let's see what the rewards from this quest do."
The main objective this time was winning the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho, and the reward item was called 'Proof of Spring and Autumn.' This seemed to share a certain commonality with her long-standing goal, the 'Triple Crown Proof.'
But she wasn't in a hurry to investigate that just yet, instead turning her gaze to the other item, which had a bandana icon.
--+--
[Victory Bandana]
[Durability: 100/100]
[Description: There's a tradition in a certain place of tying a bandana around one's forehead after resolving to go all out. While it can't guarantee victory, such determination can itself be considered a form of triumph.
When equipped, it increases training effectiveness. It seems to be particularly effective for training Guts.]
[Note: 'Oh, alright then. Go on, wear it. But if your resolve wavers, you'll get a headache, you know?' — A blue tanuki holding the bandana spoke like some kind of apparition.]
--+--
"A training-type item, huh…"
It had been a long time since Dream Weaver had seen this type of item. The last time she used one was the Gravity-Adjusting Horseshoe, which trained both Power and Stamina simultaneously, a reward from her first scenario quest.
But that item had depleted its durability during training in the second scenario world and in the real world. During this scenario quest, Dream Weaver hadn't exchanged for any similar items to assist her training.
"Is this what they mean by 'the more you have, the less willing you are to spend it'?"
Back when she had few points, Dream Weaver didn't hesitate to exchange them for items. But now, with her goal drawing nearer, every point spent potentially delayed exchanging for the Hope Gem.
So, after her first scenario world, she had barely bought anything from the shop, to the point she had almost forgotten this category of items existed.
"If I had remembered these items during this scenario world, would it have been easier…"
Dream Weaver shook her head before she even finished the thought. With the influence of the Northern family's bloodline curse, as long as she still refused to use the Perfect Limiter on herself, the difference wouldn't have been as big as one might think.
And just as she had thought earlier, with the points needed for the Hope Gem so close, she was indeed reluctant to spend them.
With this in mind, Dream Weaver's gaze shifted away from the Victory Bandana.
This item wasn't useless. It might have decent effects in future scenario worlds or in reality.
But right now, for Dream Weaver, the most important thing was undoubtedly the Proof of Spring and Autumn.
As her focus intensified, another semi-transparent blue interface materialized before her eyes.
--+--
[Proof of Spring and Autumn]
[Description: This is a badge of honor only attainable by an Uma Musume who has achieved consecutive victories in the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho. The story beneath this glittering golden emblem has become legend, ensuring it will never be forgotten, no matter how the river of history flows.
Possessing this proof slightly increases an Uma Musume's Stamina in spring races and slightly increases her Speed in autumn races. The bonuses increase further the more the race's track, distance, and prestige resemble the Tenno Sho.]
[Note: The shackles of three generations, severed from this day forth. — So spoke the Uma Musume burdened by the bloodline curse.]
[Medal-type items do not need to be equipped; they remain effective simply by being placed in your inventory.]
--+--
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.