The news that Fujiwara Shirayuki would be entering the Triple Tiara instantly spread throughout the class. Special Week and the others quickly gathered around her.
"Is it true, Shirayuki? You're entering the Triple Tiara?"
"Not the Classic races!?"
Facing their questions, Fujiwara Shirayuki did not hide anything and answered honestly.
"Yes. I'm entering the Triple Tiara."
Her maximum race distance was 2,800 metres. Anything longer than that would not work. Her stamina would drop too severely.
Not only that, Shirayuki had also noticed something else. After summer training camp ended, Grass Wonder had placed a blue accessory on her left ear. Originally, Shirayuki had not worn any hair ornament. The moment that accessory appeared, Fujiwara Shirayuki became conscious of her identity as a filly.
"I didn't expect it to be the Triple Tiara." Grass Wonder lightly covered her mouth and smiled. "It suits you very well, Yuki-chan."
"I was hoping I could face Shirayuki properly in the Classics..." Special Week slumped onto the desk.
"Even without the Classic Triple Crown, there are still other races to enter. It's not as though racing only has those three. And isn't Yuki-chan entering the Triple Tiara something worth being happy about? I feel like Yuki-chan has become even more charming than before."
"Now that you mention it..." Special Week's nose twitched. "Shirayuki seems to have a really nice scent. Is this the scent of charm?"
As she spoke, Special Week leaned closer to Shirayuki. Grass Wonder smiled and reached out, pushing Special Week's face away.
"Spe-chan, don't make strange movements. You'll scare Yuki-chan."
"What!? I didn't even do anything..."
"Don't worry, Yuki-chan. If Spe-chan dares to attack you, I'll help chase her away."
"Don't act innocent, Grass! The one who wants to attack Shirayuki is clearly you!"
The class today was lively as usual.
After returning to the dorm, Mejiro Dober helped Shirayuki brush her hair. She also brought up the matter of the race.
"Shirayuki is entering the Triple Tiara?"
"Mm."
"In that case, it's the same as me."
"Dober-Onee-chan is entering the Triple Tiara too?"
"Mm. Although McQueen and Bright are aiming for the Classic Triple Crown, I'm choosing the Triple Tiara, just like Ramonu-nee."
The "Ramonu-nee" Mejiro Dober mentioned was Mejiro Ramonu, the first Triple Tiara winner in history and the peak of the Mejiro family.
"After all, Dober-Onee-chan is also a filly."
"But if that's the case, doesn't it mean I'll have to race Shirayuki?"
"That's right. But that's what being an Uma Musume means. There will always be times when you have to race against someone important to you. Dober-Onee-chan, if your opponent is me, will you hold back?"
"Eh?"
Mejiro Dober's movements stopped. She showed a very troubled expression. After hesitating for nearly half a minute, she finally spoke.
"Normally, no matter how much Shirayuki acts spoiled with me, it's fine. But in a race... only in a race, I will be especially strict with Shirayuki."
Hearing that, Shirayuki smiled.
"That's good. If Dober-Onee-chan says that, I can relax. Because then I can race with all my heart too. Honestly, I was a little afraid you would say something like, 'I'll hold back.' A race can't be mixed with private feelings. Otherwise, it would not only be unfair to the fans supporting us, but also unfair to the part of ourselves that admires racing."
Fujiwara Shirayuki held out her little finger.
"Promise me, Dober-Onee-chan. If we meet on the track, you can't go easy on me just because I'm your opponent."
Mejiro Dober hooked her finger with Shirayuki's.
"Mm. You too, Shirayuki. Don't be afraid of me losing and hesitate to overtake me."
"Of course."
The two of them made a promise.
The next day, Fujiwara Chiya stood in front of the team and looked at everyone.
"Next week is the L'Arc representative selection race. We need to choose five runners. Does anyone want to charge into battle?"
Fujiwara Shirayuki raised her hand first. Seeing Shirayuki raise her hand, Mejiro Dober followed immediately, and then Rice Shower did the same.
"All right, three people. Anyone else?"
At this point, Dober and Shirayuki were practically bound together. As long as Shirayuki entered a race, Dober would usually enter too. As for Rice, wherever Chiya went, she followed. Forget going to the racecourse, even if Chiya went home, Rice would probably follow him there.
From now on, the three of them would be his main force. As for the remaining slots, Fujiwara Chiya looked at Gold Ship, Meisho Doto, Agnes Tachyon, and Matikanefukukitaru. He just needed two more from among them.
Gold Ship raised her hand.
"Gold Ship! I knew you'd be reliable at a crucial moment!"
"No, Trainer, don't get happy too early. I just wanted to ask, what's the benefit if we win?"
"We advance."
"Not going."
"It's advancement! After advancing twice, we can go to Europe to race. Gold Ship, don't you want to contribute to our European trip?"
"Compared with contributing, I'd rather sit back and enjoy the result. Trainer, I'll buy a fan and cheer for you from behind. I'll even dance the Little Gold Ship Dance for you. That should be enough, right?"
Enough your head!
Getting Gold Ship to enter a race was harder than climbing to the sky. If she did not want to, no matter what he said, he could not move her. If she wanted to, she would enter even without being asked. Clearly, Gold Ship had no interest in this race.
"What about the rest of you?" Fujiwara Chiya looked toward Agnes Tachyon.
"Don't look at me with the eyes of an abandoned animal, guinea pig. If you do that, won't I have to enter?"
"Don't define my expression on your own!" Fujiwara Chiya slapped his face. "Fine, you're counted in, Tachyon. Who's the last one?"
Meisho Doto and Matikanefukukitaru looked at each other.
"Let's draw lots, Doto."
"Haai?"
"If you draw red, you go. If you draw blue, you don't."
My team... has reached the point of drawing lots before a race? Just how badly do these people not want to enter?
"Trainer, I just did a divination. The one with good fortune will draw the red lot, and the race will be easier to win. The one with poor fortune will draw blue, and the chance of losing will be higher."
So it was not that they did not want to enter. They were relying on mysticism.
Then Matikanefukukitaru drew the red lot. Meisho Doto's ahoge curled inward as she muttered with a sorrowful expression.
"Blue."
They should have expected this from the start.
Never talk about luck when it came to Doto.
In any case, the current L'Arc representative team members were now decided: Fujiwara Shirayuki, Mejiro Dober, Rice Shower, Agnes Tachyon, and Matikanefukukitaru. These five Uma Musume would represent the entire team and compete for a place in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
In terms of potential, none of them were lacking. However, if they wanted to stand out on the world stage, they would need more than potential. They also needed effort, talent, willpower, and, when necessary, a little luck.
Since they were not unparalleled geniuses, there was only one thing they could do.
Keep their feet on the ground and move forward one step at a time.