Chapter 5: Dad Jokes
3:00 PM, Chukyo Racecourse, Outdoor 1800m Track.
Stardust Mirage and the other thirteen horse girls had all entered the track and were now freely moving about, warming up.
In half an hour, they would face their debut race, beginning their careers as racehorses.
She was currently squatting on the grass, slowly stretching her limbs while studying the Horse Girl Training System in her mind.
After researching it, she found there weren't many operable parts. She couldn't simulate training to boost attributes, nor could she spend money to buy some overpowered abilities. Currently, the only help it provided was purchasing skills and quantifying her physical attributes.
While the quantified physical attributes didn't increase, they significantly improved Stardust Mirage's stability while running. As for purchasing skills, the system wasn't stingy, listing all the skills available in the Chinese server version.
Now she needed to use the remaining 573 PT points to choose and purchase suitable skills to increase her chances of winning this race.
"Guess I still need to think around this innate skill…" Stardust Mirage looked at the innate skill already loaded in her character panel: [Festive Miracle], and pondered.
"With my attributes, to reliably trigger this innate skill, I need at least four blue skills to be safe. So now I should choose…"
[Straightaway Recovery]: Slightly recovers stamina on straight sections.
[Moxie]: Becomes slightly less prone to fatigue on uphill sections.
Spend 360 PT to purchase these two recovery skills.
"Then among the remaining skills… probably passives are more reliable, right?" Thinking this, Stardust Mirage used the remaining 213 PT to buy two more skills:
[Non-Standard Distance o]: Becomes slightly adept at non-standard distances.
[Left-Handed ○]: Becomes slightly adept at left-handed tracks.
"Do you know Tokai Teio?" A horse girl with short reddish-brown hair suddenly spoke up.
This horse girl and Stardust Mirage had gotten acquainted after arriving at the track. After all, this horse girl also appeared in Stardust Mirage's memories: her name was Nice Nature.
"Can't really say we know each other. We just met this morning on the shopping street."
Stardust Mirage, who was doing light steps in place to warm up, answered casually.
"Ah! You mean when Teio caught the robber this morning? I saw it on the noon news." Nice Nature suddenly understood.
"It was reported that quickly?"
Stardust Mirage smiled wryly and shook her head.
As expected of a big star, a genius horse girl. Even her every move was noticed. And even though she was there at the scene, no one paid her any mind. Judging by Nice Nature's reaction, it was clear the report didn't mention her at all.
Thinking this, she looked around.
The soft, slightly damp turf, the azure sky above, the already bustling spectator stands, and the horse girls each warming up on the field.
Seeing all this, feeling the gradually intensifying tension in the air, Stardust Mirage couldn't help but close her eyes slightly. The white-tipped, red-based twin ears on her head trembled faintly.
What is this feeling? Her body was calling to her. It seemed to have developed its own consciousness, urging her to participate, to strive, to seize victory on the track.
"Nice Nature, who do you think will win today?"
Stardust Mirage suddenly asked.
"Eh?!" Nice Nature, asked so directly, even stopped her warm-up exercises. She froze in place, seemingly not expecting such a blunt question.
"W-well, anyway, I'm running to win first place!" As if feeling her hesitation showed a lack of confidence, the horse girl declared loudly.
"Then you'll have to beat Tokai Teio."
Stardust Mirage recalled the scene from this morning, her right hand involuntarily clenching into a fist. That feeling of running yet being powerless as someone overtook her… Even if her goal was just the prize money, it was still hard to accept.
How would it actually be during the race?
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"Air Groove, what do you think of Nice Nature?" Standing by the viewing room window, observing the people below, Rudolf Symbol asked.
"Are you asking if she can pose a threat to Teio?"
Air Groove stood beside the President like a personal secretary.
She looked down at Nice Nature, who was talking with another deep brown short-haired horse girl, recalled the usual training records at Tracen Academy, and replied:
"Honestly, based on data, she's still a bit behind Teio. If she can make a breakthrough in this race, she might be able to threaten her."
"Needs a breakthrough, huh…" Rudolf Symbol pondered the words, her gaze shifting slightly as if thinking about something, and didn't continue speaking.
"Are you paying attention to the one next to her? I think the name on the profile is… Stardust Mirage. What do you think of her?" Air Groove also pointed at the horse girl standing next to Nice Nature and continued:
"The records show Stardust Mirage is a horse girl without formal training. Her registered address is a local training academy, not much information. But usually, such cases don't perform very well – not every local horse girl is Oguri Cap, right?"
"Oguri Cap?" Rudolf Symbol certainly hadn't forgotten that name. Back when she barged into the student council room, full of confidence, and demanded Rudolf help her enter the Japanese Derby.
Although she ultimately failed, the submitted application at least prompted the Japan Racing Association to revise the Derby entry conditions. Next year would be the first year under the new rules.
Mentioning Oguri Cap's name, Rudolf Symbol now looked at the short-haired horse girl standing next to Nice Nature. While she seemed rather ordinary at first glance, there was a faint feeling of something familiar, reminiscent of Oguri Cap.
"I have a feeling this horse girl isn't simple." Rudolf frowned. "But, I can't mistake that look in her eyes. She doesn't have much will to win yet."
"Not simple?" Air Groove also focused her attention on the horse girl named Stardust Mirage, but she couldn't see what was different about her.
"Hmm… Judging from her steps while moving and the way she stretches her legs, she shouldn't be weak."
Rudolf Symbol explained:
"Every step is quite precise. That's not a quality ordinary horse girls possess. And I keep feeling there's something very familiar in that gait."
"Truly worthy of being called the Emperor, Rudolf Symbol, to notice such things." Air Groove praised the student president's keen observation, then seemed to remember something and asked with a mischievous smile:
"Could she be the one you were hoping for, someone who can threaten Teio or even take her winner's status?"
"Anyway, I've done all I can for Teio before her debut."
Rudolf Symbol stood in the viewing room, watching the horse girls now entering the starting gates. Among them, the one with the smallest figure was still walking and waving to the spectators.
Rudolf suppressed the urge to run down and hug her, standing her ground and sending her blessings towards the track: "I hope Teio can achieve immediate success."
"Indeed, all we can do now is bless Teio." Air Groove agreed.
"Eh?" Rudolf Symbol turned her head in surprise, looking at Air Groove, seemingly puzzled by her plain reaction. She repeated:
"I said, I hope Teio can achieve a "Teio"rific Success."
"…"
Air Groove felt her mood dropping. This guy actually… chose this moment again to suddenly tell one of her inexplicable bad jokes!
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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