Even though Gold Ship fools around most of the time and rarely participates in races or even training, almost everyone at Tracen Academy knew of Gold Ship's "notoriety." It was just that only a few actually knew that Gold Ship, as an Uma Musume, was not weak in ability at all; it was simply that few people had ever seen her run in the first place.
Were there any Uma Musume who could enter Tracen Academy that were weak? (T/N: Haru Urara...) Almost every Uma Musume at Tracen Academy, after receiving systematic training, tactical adjustments, and targeted training by excellent Trainers, had the potential to compete for a GI championship in the future. However, winning a GI required not only diligent training and patience, but luck, health, and various factors of the racetrack were also very important.
And because of that, the reason why Gold Ship was infamous at Tracen Academy but no one ever thought she was strong was simply because she never trained and rarely raced. However, this did not mean that she was a truly weak Uma Musume or lacked talent.
"Ha, ha…"
"How was it, old man? I ran pretty well, didn't I?"
"Hmm, this speed is completely fine for winning a Debut Race." Imanami glanced at the stopwatch results. Of course, her speed was still far from Gold Ship's prime in his memory, but for an Uma Musume who hadn't even run her Debut Race, it was undoubtedly enough.
What? Why would Imanami know that Gold Ship hadn't run a Debut Race? — Because when Imanami saw Gold Ship's current personality and McQueen's reaction next to her, he could guess that this child must not have been on a racetrack much.
No, it should be said that she definitely hadn't even done much training in the first place. But even so, being able to achieve such results over a 2000-meter distance clearly indicated that Gold Ship's talent was by no means inferior to her Racehorse self.
It was just that she was way too lazy.
"As expected, you're good at medium and long distances. But it would be too much to ask you to run 3000 meters right after finishing 2000 meters. Let's stop for today."
"Yay, I'm tired from running too, it's time to go back to my dorm and sleep soundly!" Although Gold Ship said this, apart from slightly heavier breathing, she hadn't even broken a sweat. After resting for a bit, she was effortlessly smiling again.
Before leaving, Gold Ship seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly turned her head to say,
"Oh, old man! Remember to wait for me here tomorrow! Gold Ship-sama will run a beautiful 3000 meters for you to see, so don't miss it!"
"Hmm, see you tomorrow." Imanami also gently smiled and waved goodbye to Gold Ship, watching until the child's figure disappeared from his sight before retracting his gaze.
McQueen, who was also seeing Gold Ship actively participate in a race for the first time, had already opened her mouth wide in surprise, completely forgetting to hide her reaction. For an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family who always upheld elegance and grace, this was a mistake McQueen would never have usually made.
"Gold Ship… is actually that amazing… With such results, isn't her Debut Race basically secured?"
"How could this be? As an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family, having undergone systematic training, I'm actually… only similar in ability to Gold Ship, who never trains?"
At this moment, Mejiro McQueen even began to doubt her own talent and ability as an Uma Musume. As an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family, although strictly speaking she was from a branch family, ever since her aptitude as an Uma Musume was revealed, she had always enjoyed the best treatment provided by the Mejiro Family, started training much earlier than ordinary Uma Musume, and avoided many detours and pitfalls.
Although Mejiro McQueen had not yet debuted, as the rising star of the Mejiro Family, she had been a highly anticipated existence ever since her enrollment at Tracen. Although her personality was gentle and she was not the type to get into conflicts with others, deep down, Mejiro McQueen still had her own pride—the pride of being an "Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family."
Mejiro McQueen firmly believed that her starting point was higher than most Uma Musume. She just needed more training, training… that would allow her to flawlessly win first place in her Debut Race.
However, this pride of hers was greatly shaken by Gold Ship's incredible performance this time.
"Could it be… that I'm not that strong? My talent and ability as an Uma Musume aren't that good?"
Mejiro McQueen couldn't help but murmur to herself. She had seen Gold Ship's speed earlier and believed that Gold Ship might be slightly inferior to her, but if it were a real race, Mejiro McQueen also admitted that she couldn't 100% guarantee a win against Gold Ship. After all, training and an actual race were two different things, and there were too many influencing factors in a race.
Wouldn't that mean that she, who had undergone systematic training by the Mejiro Family, was not as good as Gold Ship, who never trains? How could this not shake Mejiro McQueen's self-confidence?
And at this moment, Imanami's voice pulled Mejiro McQueen back from her stupor, just before she almost reached the point of self-deprecation.
"Don't be so modest, Miss Mejiro. Your talent is evident from your surname alone. Almost every Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family is a hope that can continue its glory."
Imanami had clearly noticed McQueen's silence and self-deprecation. Imanami wasn't a block of wood; he had been a Racehorse stablehand for so long that he could quickly detect if a real Racehorse—let alone Mejiro McQueen with a human face—fell into a low mood.
As Imanami said before, he had been a stablehand for so many years and could detect all kinds of situations and sudden circumstances that a Racehorse faces, let alone a being with a human face that could speak and make expressions. The ability to communicate made Imanami feel that it was very convenient; he could detect the emotions of each Uma Musume faster and make more accurate adjustments.
"Miss Mejiro, you are the pride and glory of the Mejiro Family. Don't doubt yourself. Although you may not have even participated in your Debut Race yet, I have great confidence in you."
"Is, is that so?" Mejiro McQueen, seeing her emotions detected, smoothed her beautiful hair with a hint of embarrassment, then forced a calm expression and said,
"I, I wasn't feeling self-doubt. Although Gold Ship's performance this time did surprise me a bit, I am an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family."
"For me, only equally strong Uma Musume can be considered my opponents, and only by challenging strong opponents can my potential and ability be stimulated."
"I am also preparing for my Debut Race. With just a little more effort, I am confident I won't lose to Gold Ship…"
As she spoke, Mejiro McQueen bowed slightly to Imanami with a respectful attitude. The worry and unease on her face slowly dissipated, and she regained her composure as the young lady of the Mejiro Family.
Imanami, upon hearing this, blinked slightly, seeing through the young lady's excuse for not running her Debut Race. So, with a gentle smile, he asked,
"Then, Miss Mejiro, may I ask a question?"
"Please tell me. As an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family, why have you not participated in a Debut Race for so long?"
"…"
However, Imanami's rhetorical question made Mejiro McQueen's cheeks visibly redden rapidly. Then, the young lady, still feigning composure, coughed dryly and stammered,
"It, it's just that the timing isn't right, desuwa! As long as I try a little harder, I can overcome this small obstacle, desuwa!"
Even her verbal tic was becoming hard to hide. Mejiro McQueen felt Imanami's gaze beside her, as if he had seen through everything, and her cheeks were also feeling a burning sensation from embarrassment.
Could it be… that he even saw through that thing?!
That shouldn't be. She had been controlling herself very well recently; at least it shouldn't be obvious on the surface. How could it still be exposed…?
"I, I'm going to train now, desuwa! I need to catch up to Gold Ship's pace and then get a definite win in my Debut Race."
"S-so, I, I'll be taking my leave!"
Finally, Mejiro McQueen slipped away from Imanami's sight as if fleeing. Imanami watched Mejiro McQueen's retreating figure, confirming his suspicion.
Indeed… is it because of weight issues? (T/N: Rippppp, completely exposed)
"The Mejiro McQueen I remember was very striking; it was obvious at a glance that he was overweight. But I didn't expect that in this world… such a seemingly petite Uma Musume would also be troubled by this issue?"
"It seems that Uma Musume truly cannot be thought of with common sense…"
Through today's events, Imanami also gained a new understanding of the existence known as Uma Musume. He not only met Gold Ship but also the legendary Mejiro McQueen, which was worth the trip… If he had time, he should go watch Mejiro McQueen train. He hoped she would be able to lose weight this time. If he, as a stablehand, could do something, he would do his best to help this legendary Uma Musume, who still hadn't gone through her Debut Race.
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Rip to McQueen's mental state this chapter.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it, and I will fix it as soon as I can.