Chapter 202: Brute-force it by raising your stats and smashing them with numbers.

"Wilm, do you know why I’m angry?"

"Ayumu-san suddenly showed up acting like an insanely annoying, clingy girlfriend…?"

At Tracen Academy, racing Uma Musume who have signed contracts with trainers often stop by the trainer’s office before morning assembly for a meeting. It’s a chance to clearly go over the day’s training—what they’ll do, who they’ll work with, and when and where to gather.

And so, right before that morning meeting—

When I called out to Wilm as she walked into the trainer’s office, she looked slightly startled.

No—you’re surprised?

Do you not remember what you did yesterday?

"You finished early yesterday to reduce your workload, right? What did you do after that?"

"Huh? I just went back to my room… ah. A-and then I slept soundly the whole time?"

"You realize that once you’re being pressed like this, there’s no way you can keep lying, right?"

"Umm… well, I did go up to the rooftop for a bit to observe other Uma Musume training. B-but I came down right away, okay?"

"You can’t dodge the truth either."

"It’s all been found out!?"

Wilm cries out and clutches her head.

Seriously, “it’s all been found out,” my ass.

When I got that sudden report yesterday that you’d jumped off the rooftop, do you have any idea what went through my mind? I immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusions.

Honestly, take better care of yourself. Your life—and your racing career—are already Japan’s dream, pride, and shining light.

I fold my arms in front of the desk. Wilm’s lips twitch as she collapses onto the sofa.

"A-are you… mad?"

"...A little."

"You’re completely furious, aren’t you!? I haven’t seen you like this since the Osaka Cup!?"

She clutches her head, wailing for help in a thoroughly pitiful display. Where did the dignity of a Triple Crown Uma Musume go?

Well, to be fair, she’s the cute type outside of races and training.

"Climbing up to the rooftop… that alone, I can let slide.

You’ve been doing that since last year. At that point, it falls into the realm of personal preference—like a hobby. If you think of it as mountaineering, then as just your trainer, it’d be wrong for me to stop you.

An Uma Musume’s body is vulnerable to accumulated strain, but it’s actually quite resilient against simple impacts. Depending on the situation, a fall from around ten meters with intermediate landing points wouldn’t necessarily result in fractures.

Especially your legs—they’re particularly robust. Since you’ve been avoiding races and your workload hasn’t piled up, I’m not worried about broken bones."

"Hehe, I’m getting praised♡"

"This isn’t something to be proud of. Reflect on it."

"...Yes…"

Honestly, this girl…

Even if there’s no real issue in terms of strain on her legs, entering the rooftop itself is a serious problem.

Even if people occasionally turn a blind eye, the Tracen rooftop is basically off-limits. It’s a clear rule violation.

Wilm, as a Triple Crown and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe–winning Uma Musume, is supposed to be a role model for the entire student body.

If someone like her is the first to break the rules, the academy’s discipline will fall apart. It’s not even “leaving a broken window unattended”—it’s like the owner is smashing all the windows themselves with a bat.

…Though, at this point, it’s nothing new.

She’s always been a bit of a troublemaker, breaking rules here and there… and honestly, that mischievous side of hers is kind of cute too.

"So, what did you do after that?"

"...Well, there was this Uma Musume with some real potential."

"So you just jumped down on impulse."

"B-but! Just like you said, Ayumu-san, I picked a safe spot and used intermediate landings! I don’t think I hurt my legs at all!"

"Let me see."

I stand and walk over to her, reaching for her legs.

As always, they’re slender—like porcelain. That something so fragile-looking can produce such ferocious speed… even after three years, it’s still hard to believe.

"Eep! H-hey, don’t just do that out of nowhere!"

"...Yeah, it doesn’t seem like there’s any unusual strain…"

From a quick check—just an amateur assessment—it doesn’t feel like there’s any stiffness or fatigue.

Well, she’s efficient. Even in things like this, she wouldn’t take unnecessary risks.

…Unless she gets completely swept up in the moment.

Given her track record—an inflammation during the Derby, a fracture at Takarazuka, vomiting at the Osaka Cup—she’s not exactly reliable when it comes to avoiding reckless behavior.

…Well, I’ll set that aside for now.

She’s been doing these antics for over a year—maybe even longer back in her hometown. Stopping her now probably wouldn’t work anyway.

A trainer isn’t meant to crush an Uma Musume’s weaknesses, but to nurture her strengths.

Accepting a bit of mischief is part of the job.

From what I can tell, her legs are fine, and even in "App Reincarnation," her stamina hasn’t decreased.

So for now, I’ll let it pass.

"Anyway, you said someone had potential. Who did you talk to? You at least got a name, right?"

At that, Wilm lets her gaze drift upward, as if recalling it.

"Um… her name was Sakura Laurel. She had really beautiful eyes… like a winter cherry blossom."

"Hmm… I don’t recall that name. Is she really a student here?"

I remember the names of promising students at Tracen. I don’t think there was anyone like that among this year’s juniors…

"No, she’s scheduled to enroll next year."

"Wait, you went and talked to a civilian?"

Generally speaking, it’s not exactly commendable for racing Uma Musume—who are essentially idols—to initiate contact with ordinary people.

There are acceptable situations, like speaking with a shop clerk or responding to a fan. But otherwise…

At worst, it can be seen as favoritism. Events like handshakes or fan meetings are fair because they’re based on lotteries—but directly singling someone out is harder for fans to accept.

Which is why Uma Musume should avoid excessive personal contact.

And Wilm should understand that, too…

"N-no, it was scouting! Scouting!"

She waves her hands frantically, denying it—

with a phrase that gives me a very bad feeling.

"Scouting?"

"She looked really promising, but her legs seemed fragile, so I just invited her to join us if she wanted!"

"What on earth are you doing…?"

I instinctively clutch my head.

To be blunt—Ayumu Horino is, without exaggeration, one of the most talked-about trainers in Japan right now.

After pouring everything into training a once-in-a-generation talent, we went on to win consecutive Triple Crowns and even the Arc. I’ve received more praise than I deserve.

And my trainee? She’s received ten—no, dozens of times more.

Especially Wilm. There’s no need to even explain. She’s the strongest in history.

Which means our camp receives an overwhelming number of reverse offers without needing to scout anyone.

Even now, we get at least one transfer or training request per day. Come January, it’ll be an avalanche.

So if Wilm—seen as the core of our team—personally invites someone, we’d have no choice but to treat them specially.

In other words, favoritism again. And while fans might tolerate it, other Uma Musume wouldn’t view it kindly.

"N-no, but it’s like with Bourbon last year, right?

Ayumu-san gets a super-strong Uma Musume—great. Laurel-chan meets the best trainer—great. And I get to watch a super-strong Laurel—also great! Everybody wins!"

"What exactly are you winning from this?"

…Well, Wilm’s instincts for strong runners can be trusted.

If she says Sakura Laurel is strong, then she probably has what it takes to become an elite racer.

And as a trainer, being able to guide someone like that would be a blessing.

But that aside—

Between the rooftop incident and this, these are not commendable actions.

In fact, they deserve proper punishment.

"Starting today, no self-training for two weeks. And you’re not running with Bourbon or Nature either."

"W-whaaat!? That’s way too harsh—ow!"

I flick her forehead.

Honestly, what do you mean “too harsh”? Give me back all the worry you caused me yesterday.

I held it together until I got reliable information, and I even avoided seeing you until today for the sake of your mental state. Turns out it was all for nothing—but still.

Sakura Laurel, huh.

Sakura… that name rings a bell. A lot of girls from the Victory Club use it.

I don’t know—I quit being an Uma Musume pretty early. Maybe she’s one of those named characters added later?

…Well, it doesn’t matter.

If she says she wants to join us next year—

Then my job is simple: support her with everything I’ve got.

Named or not, it makes no difference.

Standards from my previous life don’t mean anything in this world.

---

"S-so anyway! How’s Bourbon doing!? Have you fully handled her tendency to get overexcited?"

Clearly trying to change the subject, Wilm swerves hard.

But it’s not just deflection—she genuinely seems concerned about her junior.

She may be carefree and unpredictable, but she’s surprisingly considerate.

Maybe she just wants to do something for her first close junior.

Yeah… that part of her is cute too.

Still, Bourbon’s condition…

I glance back at the trainer’s office. Right now, it’s just me, Wilm, and Masa. Bourbon hasn’t arrived yet.

Since this isn’t something to discuss in front of her, the timing might actually be perfect.

"If you ask whether it’s fully handled—yes and no."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

As I sit back at the desk, Wilm comes over and perches beside me, leaning against my body.

That’s dangerous, so I lift her and settle her onto my lap before continuing.

"At its core, fixing an overexcitement habit is extremely difficult.

If it’s mild or caused by external factors, then sure, there are solutions. But in her case, it’s instinctual. Something built up over thousands of years can’t easily be overridden by a decade or so of reason.

Especially for Bourbon—her instincts are very strong, while her rational control is still… underdeveloped. In that sense, she’s your opposite."

"I mean, thanks for the compliment… but doesn’t that mean there’s no solution?"

She looks up at me, a little anxious.

…With her small frame and youthful face, when she looks like she’s about to cry, it really does make me feel bad.

That’s probably why I can’t be too harsh with her. Something I need to work on.

Anyway, I puff my chest slightly as I answer—

"Heh… this is where the difference between adult and child approaches comes in."

"What do you mean?"

"At its core, it means this isn’t a problem that needs to be solved."

Overexcitement.

For some Uma Musume, it can become their greatest enemy—a mental trait that directly affects performance.

Wilm is an exception, but in reality, many front-runners adopt that running style specifically to avoid the losses caused by this overexcitement.

If they run alongside others, they get worked up. So instead, they run far enough ahead that they don’t even feel that presence—that’s how they try to mitigate it.

In other words, that’s about the only way to deal with it. Overexcitement isn’t something you can fundamentally cure.

…To be blunt, it’s probably something inherited from the soul they carried over from a previous life. If that’s the case, there’s no fixing it.

"Huh? But didn’t you say something cool about fundamentally solving it, or turning that heat into strength!? I actually thought about that a lot, you know!?"

"Hm? Ah, I wasn’t lying… but if that made you worry, my bad.

Like I said earlier, overexcitement isn’t a problem that needs solving. That’s not where we should focus."

"Mm… ah, okay, I get it. So instead of ‘fixing overexcitement,’ you solve the ‘Bourbon doesn’t have enough stamina’ problem, right?"

"No—more precisely, it’s the ‘Bourbon can’t win’ problem."

I take a sip of the coffee Masa made for me. Wilm asks for some too, so I let her have a sip before continuing—

…You know, if you’re going to make a face like that, you probably shouldn’t have drunk it.

"Bourbon’s real issue isn’t her overexcitement, nor is it her lack of stamina. It’s that she can’t win.

To put it bluntly—if she gets worked up or fades at the end but still wins, then there’s no problem. Like in her selection race.

Fixing overexcitement is just one method to get closer to victory. It’s certainly efficient—but also very difficult to achieve."

"Hmm… yeah, when you put it that way, it makes sense.

But then what do we do? ‘Make Bourbon able to win’ sounds simple, but in terms of efficient ways to strengthen her… her running style is already pretty well-formed…"

"Hmm…"

Sitting on my lap, Wilm rests her chin on her hand and starts thinking.

…Though honestly, it’s not something that requires that much thought.

In fact, it’s something you shouldn’t overthink.

"The answer is… ‘do nothing special.’"

"...Huh?"

Wilm looks completely deflated.

But in the end, that really is the answer when it comes to her.

"Like I said before, Bourbon’s physical traits are quite unique—in a good way.

Most Uma Musume need time to translate experience and understanding into their legs. But she does it extremely smoothly… in other words, she responds to training very honestly and grows quickly from it.

Which means that when it comes to improving her basic stats—simple, straightforward training—she can handle it very efficiently."

Everything has its strengths and weaknesses, but in her case, the gap is especially pronounced.

Mihono Bourbon is an extremely straightforward Uma Musume.

She runs at the front, maintains a constant, ideal pace, and crosses the finish line in first.

She doesn’t factor in what other runners are doing, or specific course conditions. There’s no complexity. If she alone can perfectly execute the ideal run at any racecourse, she wins.

And just like her running style, her strengths are simple and unadorned.

Eat well, train hard, sleep well, and grow—that kind of routine.

Overly complex things… like emotional nuance, or delicate mechanisms that break the moment she touches them—those are what she struggles with.

No tricky strategies. Just running faster, more precisely, and more cleanly than anyone else.

No special training required—just the accumulated result of more daily effort than anyone else.

Simple is best.

That’s one of the core truths of Mihono Bourbon.

"For someone like her, what matters isn’t eliminating overexcitement—that is, raising the upper limit of how much ‘heat’ she can tolerate.

It’s adjusting the total amount of heat she receives to a level that isn’t a problem."

"Hmm… ah, yeah, I see what you mean."

Wilm frowns for a moment, but then seems to grasp it.

This isn’t about suppressing instinct or taking the joy out of racing.

Reducing that “amount” essentially means lowering the sense of threat she feels from her opponents—in other words, becoming stronger herself.

An Uma Musume’s “heat,” at its core, is emotion—the movement of the heart.

And emotion is simply a psychological reaction to external stimuli.

It doesn’t exist on its own—it’s always relative, born from interaction with the outside world.

In other words, emotions can change drastically depending on the relationship between oneself and others.

Using a mock race with Wilm as an example makes it easy to understand.

If an undeveloped, pre-debut Uma Musume like the one Wilm met yesterday ran against her, she’d probably feel excitement at running with someone she admires—and awe toward an overwhelmingly stronger opponent.

A Junior-class runner might feel admiration for someone far above them, along with anxiety about whether they can ever reach that level.

A Classic-class runner might feel the gap in ability and give up—or be fired up to overcome it.

A Senior-class runner might either break under the overwhelming difference in strength, or develop the fighting spirit to crush that gap.

All of this depends heavily on the difference in ability, class, and even social distance between them and Wilm.

In the end, the influence of the outside world changes depending on the relationship and distance between oneself and others.

Bourbon’s “heat” is no exception.

She heats up because she perceives her opponent as a threat. That’s what stirs her competitive instinct.

To put it in extreme terms—if she were running against a child who hasn’t even fully matured yet, would that instinct ignite and make her burn with intensity?

Of course not.

Naturally, it’s impossible to reduce things to that level.

But even so, it might be possible to suppress the amount of heat generated to within a manageable range.

"Ah, then do we break her perception? That’s kind of how you handled things at the start of this year, right?"

Wilm asks while idly swinging her legs, but I shake my head.

That approach did work at the beginning of the year.

By having her run alongside Wilm, we got her accustomed to the presence of a top-tier runner, reducing the amount of “heat” she felt from others in her generation—especially the Classic-class—to a level where she wouldn’t overheat.

It was an effective method for temporary control.

But it doesn’t work anymore.

At the Senior level, there are plenty of runners on Wilm’s level. Getting used to just one of them isn’t enough—when multiple show up, she still gets overwhelmed. The last mock race already proved that.

Back then, before Bourbon had fully grasped her own running style, and when the surrounding level wasn’t as high, that method was optimal.

But now?

The optimal solution is much simpler.

"I told you already, didn’t I? We don’t do anything special. We just make Mihono Bourbon stronger."

"...? Well, I mean, yeah, that’s true, but…"

"If Bourbon becomes stronger, then relatively speaking, everyone else becomes weaker.

That reduces the amount of heat she receives. And if we keep building her stamina, she’ll also gain enough buffer to handle a bit of overexcitement without it becoming a problem.

See? Two birds with one stone."

"I-I mean… yeah, that’s true, but still…"

"In the end, basic training is supreme. Level up and beat them with raw stats."

When I state it plainly, Wilm looks at me like—

"...Huh?"

Yeah, that’s less surprise and more… mild disbelief.

"Ayumu-san… were you always this much of a brute-force type?"

Wait—she thought I was the intellectual type?

I like to think my training philosophy is pretty grounded and straightforward—nothing flashy.

As I blink in mild surprise, Masa—working through paperwork at her desk—cuts in.

"Hoshino Wilm-san, my brother is absolutely a brute-force type. He’s the kind of guy who says, ‘If you’re incompetent, just train ten times harder than everyone else.’ He’s always been like that."

"Now that you mention it—yeah! This guy’s the type to smash a stone bridge and rebuild it himself!!"

"That’s kind of rude, isn’t it?"

…Still, joking aside, I do think there’s truth to it.

Bourbon is a very different kind of Uma Musume compared to Wilm or Nature.

She has a high capacity to absorb ability and technique through training—but struggles with complex running styles, tactical racing, and race management.

If that’s the case, then both her race strategy and daily training should be straightforward. No tricks, no scheming—just face things head-on and push her limits.

I’m no longer just Wilm’s exclusive trainer.

I now have Bourbon as another trainee, and next year I’ll likely have even more.

Which means I need to approach each of them properly, in the way that suits them best.

"Bourbon has the form that suits her, and you have the form that suits you.

I’ll train each of you in the way that fits you best. That’s what it means to be a contracted trainer."

…That said, even if I sound confident—

"What I just explained is only the approach I can impose from my side.

The reason I didn’t call things ‘smooth’ earlier is because this alone isn’t enough.

In the end, the most important thing is whether Bourbon herself can find a way to come to terms with who she is."

"Well, yeah… that’s more of a mental thing. As a trainer, there’s only so much you can do there."

We trainers aren’t mentalists or athletes ourselves.

We can guide them down the right path, but we can’t directly resolve their inner struggles or doubts.

Just like last year—with Wilm.

All I can do is pave the road and give them a push forward.

The one who runs that road… is always them.

I can reduce the heat she feels. I can train her into a state where that happens.

But whether she can handle that reduced heat—that depends entirely on Bourbon.

"In that sense, pairing her with Teio was a big win."

"Hmm? Yeah, I guess their approaches are somewhat similar."

"Whether it applies directly to Bourbon or not, she’s still a valuable example of success."

Tokai Teio—Wilm’s greatest rival.

At the core of her running is absolute confidence in her own talent and her own style.

If she runs at her best, she knows she’s stronger than anyone else. That certainty allows her to focus entirely on her own performance without relying on complicated tactics.

If Bourbon could develop that same absolute confidence—if she could focus solely on her own running without being affected by others—

That would be ideal.

…But whether she can do that is another question.

Teio’s confidence likely comes from her overwhelming talent.

If Bourbon is a genius of training, then Teio is a genius of racing itself. She instinctively grasps the optimal race flow and even pulls off high-level techniques she shouldn’t technically be able to.

Because of that, she can place absolute trust in her own running.

Unfortunately, Bourbon doesn’t have that.

She can’t process complex factors mid-race—like where others are, what they’re planning, or how things will unfold.

And that may make it harder for her to develop absolute confidence in her own style.

Still, she can be inspired by Teio’s running.

In terms of demonstrating the ideal solution, their “perfect runs” actually align.

From there, it’s a matter of repeated side-by-side runs, simulated races, and the Japan Cup—

And what Bourbon is able to take from them.

"Well, at the end of the day, the only thing I can do—now and back then—is prepare strong opponents. That’s the best way to develop an Uma Musume. Source: me, the guy who produced two undefeated Triple Crown winners in a row."

"Can you not say things no one can argue against?"

"I won’t. They’re both my pride."

"Mmh…"

Even Masa can’t deny their achievements, but she still looks conflicted as she sorts documents at her desk.

Meanwhile, Wilm nods deeply.

Well, she is one of those success stories.

"Yeah! After that last mock race, she definitely recognized the wall she still can’t overcome. So next, it’s about how she chooses to face it.

I mean, I ran into an absurdly strong senior at Takarazuka and just—bam!—broke through, right? So Bourbon can probably do it too?"

"Bam,” huh. Were you really making sound effects like that back then?

At her slightly excited question, I fold my arms and answer—

"Well, that’s up to Bourbon’s soul—and the path her fate takes.

…That said, it’s not like failing this time means her racing career is over. She still has a long road ahead.

If it doesn’t happen this time, then it’ll happen next time. And if not then, the time after that. I’ll keep preparing opportunities as many times as it takes.

That’s what it means to walk alongside an Uma Musume as her trainer—until the very end of her racing life."

"Aaah, Bourbon-chan is so loved, huh.

Man, I wish Ayumu-san would love me like that too. As a racer… and as a girl, hehe!"

"I love you."

"Wha—!? H-hey, don’t just say that out of nowhere! You’re going to give me a heart attack!!"

"...Explain how it feels to be a younger sister forced to watch her brother flirt with the strongest Uma Musume in history first thing in the morning. Thirty points. Partial credit allowed."