Chapter 136: Lady Frieren, last year’s Derby isn’t exactly a recent post. It was already a full year ago, you know.

The team led by Trainer Horino Ayumu—the team I belong to—usually holds a celebration party whenever one of our assigned Uma Musume wins an official race.

It’s starting to feel like an established tradition, but in truth, it’s actually a very recent custom.

After all, it only began because I suggested it.

Up until last year, my brother had been mentally worn down by memories from his previous life, so his consideration for the emotional well-being of his assigned Uma Musume was… practically nonexistent.

…Well, when I first came to Tracen, I do think he was at least a little better than when he had still been living at home.

Even so, the way he interacted with his assigned Uma Musume was extremely… how should I put it… businesslike. In any case, it lacked any sense of multifaceted care.

He was undeniably excellent at managing them as “racing Uma Musume,” but when it came to supporting the mental state of Uma Musume… of girls… that part was a bit questionable.

Well, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. That’s exactly why communities exist—to cover for one another.

Since I’d become his sub-trainer, I decided I should do what I could.

With that in mind, while continuing to train myself as a trainer, I started focusing more on the girls’ mental care.

And as part of that effort, I proposed something to my brother: post-race celebration parties—or consolation gatherings.

Whether they won or lost, we’d hold a small event to either celebrate or commiserate properly, then have them return to training the next day with refreshed minds.

That was the goal… and more than anything, I felt the girls who had worked so hard for months deserved to be rewarded.

Well, in reality, Miss Hoshino Wilm enjoys running more than anything, and Miss Mihono Bourbon is extremely serious and positive about racing as well.

It’s not like they suffer through daily training, and honestly, they’re probably the type who would prefer preparing for the next race over attending a celebration party…

But still, switching gears is important.

If someone worked hard, they deserve a reward that matches that effort. Before even talking about being a Horino trainer, that’s simply basic human decency.

And so, on the day of the Tenno Sho (Spring)—the race Hoshino Wilm was participating in—we hosted a small celebration.

…Though, these parties are surprisingly tricky to organize.

Hoshino Wilm and Mihono Bourbon are stars of the current Twinkle Series. They’re famous not only nationwide, but worldwide.

If we took them somewhere carelessly right after a race, they’d definitely be spotted by fans and cause a huge commotion.

So we usually choose venues from higher-end establishments with respectable clientele, factoring in their preferences as well…

But since we were in Kyoto this time, we decided to go somewhere even more upscale than usual—a traditional luxury restaurant.

The kind where the atmosphere hits you right from the entrance. Obviously high-end.

My brother and I are used to places like this, and Mihono Bourbon didn’t seem bothered at all, as usual with her calm composure…

But Hoshino Wilm—who was supposed to be one of the stars of the day—looked a little nervous.

Well, she probably needs to get used to this sort of thing too…

And with two things to celebrate today, we had to go all out.

＊　＊　＊

We were shown into an elegant private room by an attendant and finally relaxed a little.

Since one of our assigned Uma Musume had just finished a G1 race, we’d all been fairly tense up until now… but that part was over.

From here until we left the restaurant, there was no risk of being spotted by anyone suspicious.

As expected of a luxury establishment, the soundproofing was perfect, and information would never leak outside through the staff either.

After all, this was originally the kind of place used for meetings by distinguished families… in other words, people from prestigious households like ours. The security was impeccable.

So we let our guard down a bit—well, one person had never been tense to begin with and had been clinging to my brother’s left arm the whole time—and while we talked about today’s race and future plans, the food began arriving.

At a party, you start with a toast.

My brother lifted a glass of oolong tea, looked around at us, and spoke.

"Everyone got a glass? …Alright. Then—here’s to Hoshino Wilm’s Tenno Sho (Spring) victory, and to Mihono Bourbon’s birthday. Cheers!"

"Yaaay, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers."

That’s right—today’s dinner wasn’t just to celebrate Hoshino Wilm’s victory.

It also doubled as Mihono Bourbon’s birthday party.

---

Today was April 26th, the day the Tenno Sho (Spring) was held…

But Mihono Bourbon’s birthday was actually April 25th. Just yesterday.

Naturally, neither my brother nor I—her trainers—would forget that.

Yesterday, I gave her an aroma set and diffuser designed to enhance concentration.

The design leaned slightly cool while still undeniably cute, a bit pricey but highly functional. The scent was refreshing and wouldn’t be too strong even for Uma Musume senses.

If I do say so myself, it was a pretty great selection. Yes, I’m praising myself.

Meanwhile, my brother gave her a scrapbook compiling and editing data from the past twenty years of Derby and Kikuka Sho races.

Apparently he even dug up archived data from our family home, so the contents were absurdly dense and extensive. Honestly, just seeing the thickness made me go, “Ugh.”

It was probably meant to support her dream of achieving the Classic Triple Crown. He’s so serious—even at times like this…

…Well, Bourbon reacted more strongly to his gift than mine, though.

Honestly, I’m a little frustrated. Losing to my brother in this area…

Incidentally, when Hoshino Wilm saw us giving birthday presents…

She started panicking.

"Ah—no, I didn’t forget! I didn’t! But, you know, the race is tomorrow, and I didn’t really have time to prepare anything…!!"

Well, it couldn’t be helped. Lately she’d been completely absorbed in training, going, “I’m racing Teio and McQueen!!”

Not just her—Uma Musume preparing for races tend to become single-mindedly focused. Forgetting a thing or two isn’t unusual.

In the end, she apologized profusely, saying,

"I’m really sorry. I want to choose a proper present, so please give me just one week…"

Yes, being able to apologize honestly when you mess up is admirable.

There are adults who can’t even do that, so for someone her age—middle school, when people tend to be self-centered—to manage it so properly is genuinely impressive.

…Once again, this girl’s mentality feels closer to an adult’s. She clearly recognizes both herself and others.

Maybe, like my brother, she’s also a reincarnator. If so, it would explain her outrageous talent.

…Ah, I got sidetracked. Back to Bourbon’s birthday.

We each gave her presents personally, but…

We couldn’t exactly throw a big party the day before Hoshino Wilm’s race.

So even though it was a bit unfair to Bourbon, we decided to combine the proper birthday celebration with today’s victory party.

…Yes. A victory party.

Not a consolation gathering—a victory party.

"Honestly, this time really made my heart skip! I never expected Tokai Teio to surge like that in a long-distance race! It was amazing—like, wow!!"

To be honest, no one in our camp had doubted Hoshino Wilm’s victory in this race.

Not because we were unconsciously deifying her… but simply because her ability was overwhelmingly high.

There was my brother’s reincarnation cheat—though whether it’s truly some kind of reincarnation bonus or just his innate abnormal talent is unclear—called “App Reincarnation.”

According to it, Hoshino Wilm’s stats and skills were so far beyond normal that it almost seemed like a mistake.

So much so that even my cautious brother had declared, “There is no possible scenario where Hoshino Wilm loses this race.”

And yet—Tokai Teio closed in.

With a finishing burst that made you question whether she was secretly a closer-type runner, she charged up the final straight in one explosive move…

And finally, she caught up to Hoshino Wilm.

The reason she was able to do that was…

"It was unbelievable! For her to improvise like that and still accelerate so much—just as expected of Tokai Teio, a true genius!!"

That’s right.

It was improvisation.

Right now, my brother—who looked slightly awkward as he poured juice into Bourbon’s glass—certainly has sharp observational skills.

After all, if he sees an Uma Musume, he can grasp her quantified abilities and acquired techniques. And so far, his accuracy has been perfect. He’s never misread anything.

It’s fair to call it cheat-level. In theory, no trainer could measure Uma Musume abilities more accurately than him.

But even he can’t measure certain things.

The unexpected.

…That sounded like wordplay, but it’s actually a difficult problem.

My brother has always been theory-driven and data-oriented. You’d think that’s because he can literally see numerical stats, but from what he says, it’s apparently a personality trait that carried over from his previous life.

And what someone like him struggles with most is growth during a race, sudden breakthroughs… and improvisation.

Because he relies on data, he’s helpless against things that don’t appear in data.

According to him, Tokai Teio’s performance this time was an extremely improvisational run—like “forcing together techniques she shouldn’t normally possess and stitching them into place.”

I say “according to him” because only my brother himself can tell which movement corresponds to which technique.

The kind of technique she hasn’t fully mastered yet—something she only knows in theory.

To simulate it in her head, improvise it on the spot, force it into her own body, and then deploy it at the precise moment amid the constantly shifting chaos of a race…

It’s honestly unbelievable what she can do. Even just hearing it described in words, we trainers—who aren’t the ones actually running—can still grasp how insanely difficult that must be.

When Hoshino Wilm sometimes says, “Tokai Teio is a real genius,” that statement is probably very close to the truth.

And my brother… is disastrously incompatible with that type of instinct-driven genius.

"…Will, I’m sorry. I misread things again this time."

Unable to suppress his guilt, my brother bowed his head. Across from him, Hoshino Wilm—who had been picking crab meat from the shell—flusteredly waved both hands.

The meat she’d pulled out wobbled slightly as she did.

"No, no, no—what are you talking about?! Ayumu-san, you totally nailed it when you predicted that ‘Teio wouldn’t match the race pace and would stick to her own running style,’ didn’t you?!"

"I did get that part right… but I never imagined Teio would push herself that far. I completely misjudged her potential growth."

"Well, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, right? It’s fiiine, really fine, I’m not bothered at all!"

"I-I mean, I’m glad to hear you say that, but…"

Hoshino Wilm set the crab down, stood up, and began patting my brother’s back—smack, smack—in consolation.

In response, my brother… yeah, he looked troubled. More than that—confused.

Well, of course he was confused.

…Hoshino Wilm still hadn’t come down from her runner’s high.

She’s a purebred racing Uma Musume who finds intense pleasure and happiness in racing itself. Because of that, after finishing a race, she tends to become euphoric from the excitement.

Even so, the usual pattern was that she’d calm down while resting before the winner’s interview and the victory live performance.

But maybe because this race had been even more fun than usual…

Even after the winner’s interview, even after the victory live, and even now…

She still hadn’t cooled down.

"Besides, we’re partners, aren’t we! If there’s someone you’re bad against, Ayumu-san, I’ll handle it—and if there’s someone I’m bad against, you’ll handle it! That’s how we won this race too, right?!"

"Will… did you drink something weird? You’re not drunk, are you?"

"I’m not druuunk! I’m completely sober!!"

My brother glanced at me, but I shook my head.

She’d been like this even during the car ride over. The only things she’d drunk were sports drinks and juice from the cooler—we hadn’t even brought alcohol to begin with.

Naturally, the drinks served here were non-alcoholic too. Celebration or not, there’s no way we’d be drinking alcohol around them.

In short, this wasn’t alcohol.

It was just the post-race high lingering.

To put it bluntly… she was riding the hype train.

Still, my brother couldn’t quite keep up with her energy. His expression remained clouded.

"Geez, why are you so down?! We won! You should be way happier than this!"

"Well… if you’re happy, then that’s fine. But with it being a dead heat, I thought maybe it wouldn’t feel like a real win to you…"

"Ah, well, honestly, there is a bit of that. I don’t want to win races—I want to beat my rivals. In that sense, this might not have been a perfect victory."

Hoshino Wilm dipped some crab meat into ponzu while resting her chin on her hand thoughtfully.

Even while chatting nonstop, she kept her chopsticks moving. She’s surprisingly dexterous… My brother, meanwhile, had completely set his chopsticks down and crossed his arms.

I should eat before it gets cold too.

"But it’s fine! My biggest goal isn’t victory—it’s enjoying the race!

I got to have an amazing race with Teio. I have no regrets.

And next time, I’ll win! So make sure you train me up properly for it!"

Hoshino Wilm grinned with a carefree "Hehe."

There wasn’t even a hint of falsehood in that expression.

…Hmm.

You really do feel the difference in mindset—between humans and Uma Musume, between adults and kids.

My brother and I are both like this, but adults tend to chase results above all else.

Especially when it comes to competition, we focus only on the outcome—who surpassed whom—rather than the process itself.

Suddenly, I remembered something.

When I was a child, I used to play on the way to school.

Chatting and laughing with friends, stepping over white lines without touching them, circling utility poles…

But after growing up, I stopped doing those things.

Part of it was embarrassment about how others might see me—but more than that, the journey toward somewhere became nothing more than a means to an end.

So the idea of enjoying the process itself disappeared.

That childlike perspective… no, the perspective that allows them to appreciate the journey—like they do—is something we should treasure.

Because once it’s lost, it will never come back.

So I deliberately cleared my throat and said to my brother,

"Big brother, reflection can come later. This is a celebration."

"…You’re right. Yeah. For now, let’s just celebrate."

Only then did his expression finally soften as he picked up his chopsticks again.

---

As expected of a high-end restaurant, the food was excellent.

Many dishes had delicate, unique flavors and textures, so you never got bored while eating.

My brother even had a faint “this is pretty good” look on his face, so I suppose it was worth the price.

…But Hoshino Wilm herself looked slightly conflicted.

More like she was confused by unfamiliar flavors.

Delicate flavor basically means light seasoning, and for someone her age—right in the middle of a growth phase—she’d probably prefer something stronger.

Back when I was in middle and high school, I often found fast food more satisfying than the hors d’oeuvres at standing parties, so I get it.

On top of that, she came from an ordinary household… with somewhat unusual circumstances.

She probably isn’t used to this kind of cuisine.

Still, she’s now one of the central figures of Japan. Invitations to parties and dinners will only increase from here—actually, they already have.

Getting used to this kind of meal now isn’t a bad thing.

…Whether she’ll actually like it is another matter.

Meanwhile, the other star of today—Mihono Bourbon—was as expressionless as ever, occasionally joining the conversation while steadily moving her chopsticks, fork, and spoon without pause.

Watching her, I felt a small pang of guilt.

"Once again, I’m sorry, Mihono Bourbon-san. Combining your birthday celebration with another celebration…"

After swallowing the food she’d stuffed into her mouth, Bourbon responded calmly.

"There is no problem. In fact, I recognize this format as preferable."

"Preferable?"

"Yes."

Bourbon glanced toward the two overly excited people—one of whom was currently declaring, "I’m using my reward privilege! Aaah! I demand you feed me!"—before speaking quietly.

"I am not Hoshino Wilm-senpai."

"…Meaning?"

"Do you remember the record from Hoshino Wilm-senpai’s Satsuki Sho last year?"

Of course I did. That record had been far too shocking.

Any trainer—or aspiring trainer—would remember it.

And for me, it was the achievement of my own brother’s trainee. Naturally, it was burned into my memory.

"1 minute 58.2 seconds. First place by eight lengths… nearly three seconds faster than the previous race record held by Symboli Rudolf-san."

"Yes. With that result, Hoshino Wilm-senpai came to be regarded as the leading candidate for the Classic Triple Crown of her generation."

That race was when the full extent of Hoshino Wilm’s ability became widely known.

She had already demonstrated her strength with a dominant victory in the G1 Hopeful Stakes, but since it was a Junior-class G1—and there were doubts about whether it might have been a fluke—it hadn’t translated into a firm evaluation at the time.

Against Tokai Teio, who had been considered the strongest Triple Crown contender—eight lengths.

Against the Eternal Emperor, Symboli Rudolf—three full seconds.

Those margins were what forced the public to accept Hoshino Wilm.

Despite coming from an obscure, unknown bloodline of Uma Musume…

Even so—no, precisely because of that—everyone had no choice but to acknowledge it.

That Hoshino Wilm was the strongest.

After falling silent for a few seconds, as if recalling those days, Bourbon-san continued.

"However, even Hoshino Wilm-senpai had her lead cut down to a nose in the Japanese Derby."

The race that transformed the name of their generation—from the “Hoshino Wilm Generation” to the “Generation of Stars.”

After being beaten by eight lengths and having the difference in ability carved into her, Tokai Teio had once overtaken Hoshino Wilm in that Derby, nearly escaping with the win by the slimmest margin.

Hoshino Wilm was not invincible. There were those who could reach her.

Tokai Teio. Nice Nature.

By the time I heard that much, I could finally understand what Bourbon-san meant… what she meant when she said, “I am different from Hoshino Wilm-senpai.”

"The margin between myself and second place in the Satsuki Sho was slightly over two lengths.

Even accounting for aptitude differences, future battles will become exponentially more severe.

…To the point where, in the next Japanese Derby, I could very well be overtaken by Rice-san."

That was… difficult to say so plainly.

But after this Tenno Sho, one thing had become clear—Tokai Teio was the reason Hoshino Wilm had been pushed that far in that Derby.

Only because of her overwhelming talent and relentless effort had she been able to close in on Hoshino Wilm.

It wasn’t guaranteed that Rice Shower possessed that same level of brilliance.

The concerns Mihono Bourbon was holding might not necessarily prove correct.

…But at the same time, it meant Bourbon regarded Rice Shower as a genuine threat.

And that sense of caution itself wasn’t a bad thing.

She clenched her fists before her chest, her gaze lowering slightly as a faint emotion flickered in her eyes, and said:

"I am different from Hoshino Wilm-senpai. I likely cannot achieve something as skillful as training while directing my awareness elsewhere and still winning, as she does.

Therefore, I wish to continue further training in order to accomplish Mission: ‘Classic Triple Crown.’

For that purpose, it is preferable that cooldown time be kept as short as possible."

"I see."

"…That said."

She opened her clenched hand and lifted her gaze.

What she saw ahead was… no, wait—what exactly were those two doing?

They were pointing chopsticks holding slices of fish at each other, like they were sizing each other up in some kind of standoff.

A scene that felt oddly tense, yet probably blissful to the people involved—sweet enough to make your teeth hurt.

Watching that…

Bourbon-san allowed the faintest smile to rise at the corner of her lips.

"Of course, my personal circumstances and Senpai’s race victory are entirely separate matters. I have no objection to celebrating today’s Tenno Sho victory.

And if, in the process, my birthday is also celebrated… then I infer that this is the most optimal arrangement."

She didn’t want people to reduce their training time just to throw a party for her.

But she wouldn’t deny holding a party for someone else—so if they celebrated her along the way, that would make her happy.

I see…

…Hmm.

"? Is something wrong?"

"No… I was just thinking that I’m not really in a position to talk about others."

"???"

Between Mihono Bourbon’s present situation and this birthday celebration…

I might be projecting too much based on what I consider “normal.”

Normally, girls this age would want cute accessories.

Normally, they’d want their birthday celebration to be separate from other events.

I’ve been locking my perspective into the “normal” standards of the world I came from.

But they aren’t just girls.

Before being girls, they’re individual racing Uma Musume.

At least, Hoshino Wilm and Mihono Bourbon are that type.

If I don’t properly understand that—and meet them where they are—I have no right talking about mental care.

At the very least, this time, my brother had been better at empathizing with them than I had.

That’s something I need to seriously reflect on.

…Alright. Reflection done.

And if I’ve reflected, then I need to change my actions.

I nodded once, looked Mihono Bourbon straight in the eyes, and said:

"…Alright. Let’s keep doing our best together starting tomorrow, Mihono Bourbon-san!"

"I am unable to fully comprehend the context, but… yes. Until the day we achieve the Classic Triple Crown, I look forward to working with you."