Chapter 28: Luck-Based Game and Skill-Based Game

Between classes, as usual, I was trying to nap with my head on my desk when I caught snippets of a conversation about a nearby race.

Listening more closely, it sounded like they were talking about the Derby. And what they were saying was genuinely shocking: the Derby is a luck-based game.

I panicked and did some quick research, but the Derby is just a normal race. There’s no random item distribution, no lottery deciding the distance—nothing like that.

Well, if such a race did exist, I wouldn’t mind trying it. Honestly, races might be more fun with a few game-like elements instead of just running in a straight line.

Still, why on earth do people call the Derby a luck-based game?

I asked the Internet, and people were discussing course analysis and race timing. It all sounded complicated and flew right over my head. The only thing I understood was that it’s not really a “luck game,” but more of a race where winning seems to require—or maybe grant—good luck.

Even so, it still sounded suspicious. We don’t need luck—we have blessings from Shiraoki-sama. Yes, I should trust the power of Fukukitaru-sama’s specially crafted eraser. Those who believe shall be saved.

Still… wouldn’t it be nice if, even just a little, my chances of picking the right answer on multiple-choice questions could go up…?

I had left the ridiculously powerful “Uma Musume” game in the dorm room, but somehow, Stay-senpai (that’s what I was ordered to call them—a true tyrant) had been playing it without asking.

And not just casually. They were playing thoroughly. Very thoroughly.

Apparently, they even played quite a lot while I was asleep. I can’t believe I didn’t wake up from all that noise.

Of the two modes, they didn’t like the one where you grow alongside a single Uma Musume as their trainer for three years—it felt too short. So they chose the other mode, where you manage a whole team.

Unlike me, who got bored before even getting started, they were playing with intense focus, obsessively trying to figure out how to beat Suzuka-san with their team.

Wait… looking closely, I’m actually on Suzuka-san’s team. When I expressed surprise, they told me it was obvious, since the game only reflects races up to the end of last year.

At that moment, one of the girls on Stay-senpai’s team—who had run in the Satsuki-sho—lost to me in-game. So I got a complaint in real life. Apparently, if she loses there, Suzuka-san’s team gains momentum and it becomes harder to win. I have absolutely no idea why that matters.

Also, in the game, I was sprinting down the final stretch while emitting some sparkling aura.

When I asked about it, Stay-senpai explained it was something called a “Zone.” I vaguely remembered hearing about it before—a manifestation of an Uma Musume’s winning patterns and desires. Pretty occult stuff.

I had no idea the game even had that feature. When I murmured that I must have missed it because I skipped the entire tutorial, Stay-senpai sighed deeply.

Still, the idea of a “Zone” sounds pretty cool. Maybe I’ll try to trigger it in the next race. I wonder if my actual winning pattern really is just “escaping ahead,” like always.

Hmm… when I asked Suzuka-san about her “front Zone,” she launched into a whole lecture about how incredible the view from the lead is, and then demanded that I agree. So who else would be easier to ask?

So I asked Stay-senpai, “What kind of Zone do you have?” Their reply was, “Ask the game company.” I clarified that I meant them in real life, not in-game, and the answer was still, “Ask the game company.”

What does that even mean?

Well, for now, I’m at least slightly looking forward to the next Derby.

After all, even Special-chan, King-chan, and Sei-chan have all been talking about how determined they are for the Derby. Clearly, it’s a big deal.

And honestly, I can understand why mysterious claims about it being a “luck game” are floating around.

Mother’s POV

Since her maiden debut, my daughter has won, and won, and won again.

OP races, graded stakes, and by year-end even the G1 Asahi Hai—she entered races and left all her opponents far behind.

If there’s any dramatic improvement compared to her elementary school days, it’s probably that she can now perform her winning live properly.

I asked her trainer what kind of magic she was using. He said she barely needs practice; just watching videos helps her memorize most of it. What kind of frightening ability is that?

Later, we discovered she skipped practice for races where she finished second or lower. Naturally, I had to scold her—while sighing.

Initially, she was a leading contender for the classics, but by the end of the year people were already talking about her aiming for an undefeated Triple Crown. It seemed too early to say such things, but it wasn’t exactly unreasonable.

Then, when the new year came, she was selected as the Best Junior Uma Musume. At the press conference, she boldly declared she would remain undefeated.

She was probably thinking about something entirely different while saying it, but it came across as a declaration of war—not only to her peers but to all Uma Musume.

Naturally, the public and the internet erupted. Tracen Academy was probably in chaos too. The only one unaware of any of it was my daughter.

And yet, she silenced them all. Keisei Hai, Kyodo News Hai, Spring Stakes, Crystal Cup…

She bulldozed through every single race with baffling decisions, overpowering everything by sheer force. She didn’t even allow the possibility of a “what if.”

Then came the GⅠ streak: the Satsuki-sho, followed by the NHK Mile Cup. Once again, she demonstrated to the generation’s top Uma Musume just how much stronger she really was.

Twelve races, twelve wins. In just nine months, she entered every race she could and won them all. My daughter was already stepping into the realm of legends. In fact, both feet were firmly planted there.

By the way, when we asked why she raced so much, she gave some half-hearted explanation about how fun races are. Her eyes were darting everywhere, so I pressed her—turns out she entered races because doing so meant she got two weeks off training.

I thought, “What a piece of work,” but it weirdly made sense, so I didn’t push further. Well, if racing gives her that much freedom, maybe it’s fine to leave her be.

The remaining concern is traveling for races.

So far, all her races have been in Tokyo or Nakayama. My husband says that’s convenient for cheering her on, which is nice—but I’m almost certain it’s actually her preference.

She’s never liked long-distance travel. There’s no way she wouldn’t resist traveling for a race.

She might genuinely do it—skip the Takarazuka Kinen even if she’s fan-voted #1, or enter some lower-tier OP special instead of the Tenno-sho Spring.

Right now, my biggest worry is the autumn Kikka-sho.

A long-distance race in Kyoto—so many reasons for her to dislike it. She probably understands what the Triple Crown requires, and even if she doesn’t win, I hope she at least shows up. But at the same time, it’s painfully easy to imagine her coming up with a blatantly convenient excuse—like a stomachache or claiming it’s bad luck—and skipping the race entirely.

I contacted her trainer just in case, and he stammered, completely lost. Apparently, when they first signed the contract, they promised she wouldn’t have to go on long-distance trips.

Well, a trainer is supposed to respect the wishes of their assigned Uma Musume, but at the end of the day, they’re still in an adult-child relationship. Correcting her tendency to avoid responsibilities falls under education. Of course, I’ve made plenty of mistakes myself, so I can’t exactly force things either.

And honestly, if we grant all her wishes, she’s basically headed straight toward becoming a full-time NEET. Actually… the signs are already there. Just look at how she keeps a collection of her favorite manga for her trainer, along with a mountain of juice and snacks.

Given how attached she is to her trainer, you’d think she’d listen to at least one request. On top of that, I’m fairly sure she’s already forgotten the original promise about avoiding long trips.

Still… to be that attached to her trainer. She must be spoiled rotten on a daily basis…