In the temporary dorm room, Copano Rickey stared wide-eyed, her lips twitching stiffly, a few beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead.
Black Ghost... How dare she call herself that!
Did she really think people had no way to deal with a ghost?
Everyone knew ghosts had been discovered centuries ago, and people back then had already developed methods to exorcise them.
Though with the rise of modern science, these unproven phenomena had gradually faded from public awareness.
But the truth was, those methods of dealing with spirits had been passed down through the generations.
Feng shui masters, exorcists, shrine maidens—they were all branches stemming from the original ghost hunters. Even today, they remained active in society, operating largely unnoticed.
By brazenly proclaiming her ghostly identity in the newspaper, wasn't she afraid of drawing the attention of these very people?
Or did she assume no one would be naïve enough to believe a ghost would openly reveal herself in print?
That it was more likely a publicity stunt than the truth—was that the idea?
If so, Copano Rickey could only say: how naïve.
Even attracting just a handful of exorcists would pose a serious threat to any ghost.
Aside from a rare few malicious spirits, ordinary ghosts stood no chance against trained exorcists—they couldn't even fight back.
Copano Rickey furrowed her brows.
She just couldn't figure out what the other party was trying to achieve.
"Whoa, impressive, impressive! I never thought I'd run into such a huge story right after getting here! Haha—!!"
From the chair behind her, Inari One let out an exaggerated laugh.
News about this so-called ghost had spread like wildfire through Oi—practically every student at Oi Tracen knew about it.
Some were even eager to see the scene for themselves.
Too bad, even though Oi was in Tokyo, the Tokyo Racecourse was still a considerable distance away in such a massive city.
Plus, since the ghost's appearances were unpredictable, the curious students had no choice but to give up.
Inari One was no exception.
A true child of Edo at heart, she saw nothing wrong with crashing a race.
After all, the more intense the competition, the better—it made victory all the more meaningful.
If you didn't want your win stolen, then just go out and win it back, right?
No matter who you were, no matter what arena you competed in, the victory that belonged to you would always be yours.
What was the point of winning if all the real challengers were kept out, leaving you to cross the finish line unchallenged?
That's right—if you had the skill, you had every right to enter the arena!
Everyone knew how brutal the world behind the [Twinkle Series] could be. What was the point of piling on all these unnecessary restrictions?
There were no such formalities on the battlefield—survival was what mattered.
"It'll bring misfortune to a lot of people."
Just as Inari One was engrossed in the article, Copano Rickey spoke up abruptly.
"If she really shows up, a lot of people will end up suffering because of it."
"Huh?" Inari One's eyebrows shot up.
"For every winner, there's a loser. If you see losing as misfortune, then the racetrack is just a stage mass-producing tragedy."
"That's not what I meant." Copano Rickey shook her head. "Ghosts themselves are an omen of misfortune. A powerful ghost can even alter the local feng shui, bringing disaster and calamity."
"The more people who see the ghost, the worse the effect will be."
She folded the newspaper, set it on the table, and sighed. "It has nothing to do with the ghost's intentions—it's an inevitable consequence brought about by the ghost's very presence."
"Ghost... You're not talking about that signature, are you? 'Black Ghost' or whatever."
Wasn't that just a pseudonym to hide her real name?
Nobody who openly challenged the Central Racing Association would be foolish enough to use their real name in the paper! They'd be arrested by the police the next day, forget racing.
"Even when the truth is right in front of them, people still refuse to believe…"
"What do you mean?"
"...Nothing. Just reflecting on how people nowadays fail to grasp the essence of science. Just like how they don't realize feng shui is a discipline rich with profound principles."
So we're back to feng shui again.
Inari One's ears drooped.
Ever since they'd moved in, Copano Rickey had complained that the room's layout had bad feng shui, and rearranged all the desks and chairs.
Then she claimed the color scheme was causing an imbalance in the five elements, went out and bought a bunch of decorations, and started redecorating.
It was supposed to be temporary housing, but she was treating it like a full renovation.
It had nearly driven Inari One crazy—all she wanted was a peaceful afternoon nap.
If there hadn't been a limit on temporary rooms, Inari One would've moved out long ago.
Really, almost no one believed in that mystical stuff these days.
--+--
Meanwhile, far from Tracen, inside a media company office, not long after the newspaper had gone out, officials from the Central Racing Association showed up.
They stormed straight into the director's office the moment they entered.
Soon after, Fujii Senosuke, seated at his workstation, heard the sound of angry voices from inside.
"What is the meaning of this?"
The Central Association Chairwoman slammed the newspaper onto the director's desk, her voice sharp with demand.
"To think the Chairwoman would grace us with a visit in person! Let me see... Ah! I see. You'd like to know the source of this article, is that it?"
The office director clapped his hands together, feigning sudden understanding.
What an act!
Gritting her teeth silently, the Chairwoman fought to keep her anger in check.
He knew exactly what publishing this piece would mean for the Association—all eyes would be on the racecourse. What had once been a name only mentioned by commentators would now be seen by tens, even hundreds of thousands of people.
The resulting court of public opinion would spiral out of control, sending shockwaves throughout the entire Uma Musume racing world.
Did they have any idea what kind of consequences their actions would bring?
The entire [Twinkle Series] would be swept up in a whirlwind of controversy!
"Give me a reasonable explanation," she hissed, the words squeezed out from between clenched teeth.
The murderous sharpness in her eyes made it clear—if this turned out to be a publicity stunt, she would pursue legal action to the fullest extent.
"Now, now, Madam Chairwoman, no need to rush. I can assure you the source of this news is reliable."
Just as the director was smoothly trying to defuse the situation—
"Allow me to explain."
Fujii, who had been listening from outside, stepped into the office.
"And you are?" The Chairwoman's brow furrowed, her gaze piercing as she stared at him.
"Fujii Senosuke. I'm a reporter covering Uma Musume."
He had called upon every connection he'd made in the journalism industry, reaching out to managers at other firms, using every means possible to convince them of the story's authenticity.
After some negotiation, and considering the economic potential of such a headline, several companies had agreed to print it.
His office director was among them.
From start to finish, there had never been a unified front.
What the media companies cared about was capturing the public's attention, so long as the content wasn't too far from the truth.
First, it was the Association providing the material.
Now, it was a reporter.
As she listened to Fujii's calm, detailed explanation, veins bulged on the Chairwoman's forehead.
These spineless, opportunistic bastards!
--+--
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.