Chapter 42: Encounter — Symboli Rudolf

It happened one day, just before the summer training camp.

"Hmm, so you’re Mithialx."

"Y-yessir…"

I found myself standing face to face with the “Emperor,” Symboli Rudolf, inside the student council room.

It had been a sudden summons. When I arrived—half expecting some bureaucratic errand—I was greeted instead by the council president herself: Symboli Rudolf in the flesh.

Uh… did I do something wrong?

"I’ve heard the rumors about you. They say you’re one of the new whirlwind talents shaking up the sprint division, which has been rather stagnant lately."

"Ahaha… well, I haven’t actually managed to win a short-distance GⅠ yet, though."

"If you had, that would be a problem. You’re still in the Classic class, aren’t you?"

Well, yeah. Fair point.

…Wait, is that the only reason I got called here? Kind of anticlimactic. I thought I was about to get grilled or something.

"So, uh, is that all? If so, I’ll just—"

"Of course, there’s another reason. For instance… the way your running style resembles mine."

Oh crap.

Well, of course she’d notice. Even though I’ve made a few tweaks of my own, what I’ve been imitating is the Emperor’s form. Someone at the very peak of the Uma Musume world wouldn’t miss that.

"Ah, um…"

"…Hmph. No need to look so frightened. I’ve no intention of scolding you for that. In fact, I’d say you deserve praise."

"…Praise? Honestly, I thought for sure you’d be mad about it."

"Who would be? I know better than anyone that my technique isn’t something that can be replicated through ordinary effort. You must have studied me quite a bit, haven’t you?"

Well… yeah. I spent countless hours poring over Symboli Rudolf’s race data from morning till night, working it into my own running form. Honestly, it was exhausting. But when I finally managed to pull it off—even just a little—I was over the moon.

"So after all that, why would I be angry? Fufufu. It’s a shame you specialize in sprint and mile races. If you were a middle-distance runner, I’d gladly face you on the track myself."

Please don’t. I’d die.

I mean, sure—it would be an honor to race against the Emperor—but still! After analyzing her runs, I know exactly how terrifying her racing really is.

"That’s the highest compliment I could ever hope for. I’d be honored to train alongside you sometime, though!"

"Is that so? Haha, perhaps I’ll drop by your training one of these days. Though, I’ve got plenty of council work to handle for now."

Ha ha… good one. Wait—that was a joke, right? You’re not actually coming, are you?

…Let’s just pretend I didn’t hear that. Not that I’d complain if she did show up.

"And that brings me to the second reason I called you here."

"Second…? Uh, does that mean there’s still more?"

"Yes, well…"

I could see Symboli Rudolf’s expression dim.

What’s going on here? That look—something she’d never show in public. Clearly, something serious was bothering her. Don’t tell me I’m about to get dragged into something messy. Wait. Wait, wait, wait—

"It’s a little embarrassing to bring this up, but… could you tell me how you were scouted by your trainer?"

"Huh? Why that all of a sudden? In my case, it was just the usual—I got scouted after a mock race."

Upon hearing that, Symboli Rudolf let out a long sigh.

"You placed last twice in a row during your mock races, didn’t you? I also heard some trainers avoided you because of rumors about a difficult temperament. I thought your experience might serve as reference, but it seems…"

"Reference…? Wait, President Rudolf, you’ve already debuted, haven’t you? Don’t tell me there’s some secret way to enter the Twinkle Series again—"

"Oh, no, nothing like that. It’s just that… one of my juniors—someone who looks up to me—still hasn’t found a trainer yet."

That’s… rough. This late in the season?

Recruitment’s all about merit. If you’re strong, trainers will line up to scout you. If you’re left unpicked early on, it usually means you’ve been deemed lacking in potential—and many never recover from that.

But hang on—this is Symboli Rudolf’s protégé we’re talking about. There’s no way someone like that is weak.

"And, um, what’s this junior’s name?"

"Ah, I didn’t say? T・O・K・A・I・T・E・I・O—Tokai Teio."

I nearly fainted on the spot.

Teio!? That Teio!?

Wait—she seriously doesn’t have a trainer yet!? What the hell happened to the Invincible Emperor’s heir!?

"How do you even know she hasn’t been scouted yet…?"

"Apparently, she claims there’s no trainer worthy of her."

"Ahhh…"

Yeah, that tracks.

Tokai Teio—historically, the Emperor’s son, undefeated double crown winner, and four-time GⅠ victor. Her racing career was one of the most dramatic ever. Four recovery breaks during her active years, placements of 11th and 1st in her two Arima Kinen runs, sudden jockey changes, canceled overseas trips due to injury—stories so unbelievable they were dubbed “miracles.” No wonder she became the main heroine of Uma Musume’s second season.

As for this world’s Teio… she’s probably a super-genius—and a total brat.

"Has she been going through trainers, maybe?"

"You guessed it. Either she gets angry when they try to interfere with her methods, or the trainers give up on her stubbornness. I believe we’re on the ninth temporary contract by now."

Yikes. Though, honestly, not surprising.

Tokai Teio is a genius, no doubt about it. But because she’s a genius, she probably clashes with the perspectives of both the talented and the ordinary. The only ones who could handle her would be either another genius… or a total eccentric.

(Apparently, both the game’s and the anime’s trainers fall into the “eccentric” category anyway…)

"So… what exactly do you want me to do?"

"I thought you might have some insight—perhaps something that could help me find a lead. I apologize for burdening you with such a strange consultation."

"It’s fine, really. …Actually, now that you mention it, there is someone who might fit. Someone who could catch Teio’s interest and earn her respect…"

"Truly!?"

Symboli Rudolf leaned forward sharply, eyes gleaming with hope.

A bit startled, I recalled the face of one Uma Musume. A genius. A mad scientist. And a teacher, in her own way.

"Agnes Tachyon. If anyone could, maybe her."

"Ah, her. But she’s not a trainer, is she?"

"Apparently her team’s the ‘hands-off’ type. Word is, she’s the one actually managing Manhattan Café’s training."

"I see… Agnes Tachyon, hm. Yes, she might indeed meet Teio’s standards. And her racing sense is quite refined as well."

…Wait. Hold up. Tachyon hasn’t even debuted yet. How does she know about her racing skills?

She must’ve noticed my puzzled look, because Symboli Rudolf answered before I could ask.

"Agnes Tachyon came to run alongside me recently, didn’t she? I assume it was your doing. My guess is she traded me her own data as payment for making you her test subject."

"You figured all that out…?"

"It wasn’t hard. A pre-debut experiment maniac shows up to race against me, and right afterward, someone begins mimicking my running style. Connecting the dots was only natural."

I never know who’s connected to who anymore… Well, at least it saved me the trouble of explaining things.

Still, in the end, this came down to Tokai Teio’s own decision.

"Would it be alright if I entrusted Teio to you? I’m sorry, but I don’t think there’s anything more I can do…"

"Of course. I’ll see what I can do."

"I’m in your debt… If there’s anything I can do for you in return, don’t hesitate to ask. I believe in proper gratitude."

And that’s how I ended up taking on the task of scouting Tokai Teio. But before that, I needed to talk to Tachyon first.

"So, what do you think, Tachyon-san? Her ability’s the real deal."

"Hm~. Before, I probably would’ve turned you down flat, but… I owe you one, and I’m curious. I’ll take a look."

"Thank you! Here, this is the footage from her selection race…"

The moment the race started, one word came to mind—“incredible.”

She left every other student in the central division far behind, crossing the finish line by a huge margin.

"…Yeah, that’s impressive. Especially that move on the final stretch."

"Apparently she calls it the ‘Teio Step.’ So, what do you think, Tachyon-san?"

Tachyon placed a hand under her chin, deep in thought, saying nothing for a moment.

"That final acceleration… it’s dangerous. Let’s see… I’d say she could manage two GⅠ races at most."

I froze. Wait—she figured that out from just the footage!? Even with my knowledge of the original timeline, I couldn’t tell that much! As expected, I had to admit it—Agnes Tachyon truly was a genius.

Now then, what would she decide to do with that conclusion?

"Fascinating—truly fascinating! To think I’d get such a perfect sample delivered to me like this. I really am blessed by luck. If you manage to recruit her, I’ll have you help me study her as well, alright?"

"Sure, I don’t mind. I’m interested in that step too."

Perfect—negotiation successful! Now all that was left was to find Tokai Teio herself.

And so, the search began…

"She’s nowhere to be found! I’ve checked every training facility in the academy!"

"Which means exactly what you think. At this time of year, it’s nearly impossible for an Uma Musume without a trainer to reserve training grounds."

"Ahh… makes sense."

We finally found her near a park close to the academy.

"Hmm… something’s not right. When the President runs, she just goes—zoom! But I can’t seem to do that…"

Watching from a distance, I could see that Teio’s training was impressive. As expected from a so-called genius. For self-directed practice, her form and focus were far above average.

But that form would destroy her one day. If she kept pushing like that, it wouldn’t be long before she broke down completely.

"Tachyon-san, c’mon, time to go scout her."

"Hm? That’s your job, isn’t it? I’m afraid persuasion isn’t my strong suit."

"Damn right! You’re good at talking circles, not winning people over!"

With no other choice, I stepped forward and called out to Teio.

She stopped mid-training, giving me an annoyed look—but at least she acknowledged me.

"Hmm? What is it? Sorry, but I’m kinda busy right now."

"Uh, are you looking for a trainer, by any chance? I know a really talented one—"

"No need! I’m gonna win the Triple Crown all by myself!"

Ah, yep. She’s completely lost faith in trainers.

But if I backed down now, I’d never be able to face Symboli Rudolf again. I desperately tried to keep her attention, but if a few words could’ve swayed her, she wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with.

"Well, I’ve got training to do, so—bye!"

"Wait—hey! Oh, for crying out loud!"

As her legs kicked off the ground, she became one with the wind.

Fine. Guess I’ll use that move.

I sprinted after her, catching up and pressing just enough to make her lose her balance. The moment she faltered, I pushed off the ground hard—passing her in a single motion.

Blocking her path, I faced her head-on.

"Now will you listen to me?"

If she saw that I was faster, she’d at least hear me out—or so I hoped. But the effect was far beyond what I expected.

"Whoa, that was amazing! Hey hey hey! How’d you do that!? You went zoom!—just like the President!"

"Uh, well… if you’ll just hear me out—"

"Sure sure sure! Can we talk over some honey drink!?"

"Uh—s-sure…"

And so, we moved over to the honey drink vendor. There, the three of us—Tachyon, Teio, and I—sat down to talk.

"So, you’re saying this is the President’s recommendation, huh? She’s so overprotective…"

"I think it just shows how much she cares about you, Teio-san. So, what do you say about the scout?"

"Well, fine. I was kinda thinking it’s about time I found a trainer—or maybe a team—that doesn’t tell me what to do."

Not the most enthusiastic answer, but hey, compared to being flat-out ignored, this was major progress.

Now it was up to Tachyon.

"I don’t mind either. Though, we’ll need to have a talk about those legs of yours later."

"My legs? What about them? They’re my pride and joy!"

Yeah… they’re beautiful, alright—like glass. Way too fragile.

Why is it that everyone around me has fragile legs!?

"Well then, let’s get everything ready for your debut race. Come now, Teio-kun, let me introduce you to your senior!"

"It’s not even official yet! Hmph!"

"Ahaha…"

Anyway, it all worked out in the end.

A few days later, word spread through the academy—Tokai Teio had officially joined the team.

Well, they’re both geniuses. Guess their wavelengths matched.