Dream Weaver arrived at school today with a firm resolve to uncover the truth. The answer that Gold Ship would give her during this festival would determine how she should face her companions from the scripted world moving forward.
If their warmth toward her was simply due to some connection between the scripted world and reality, then Dream Weaver was willing to build a new friendship with them from the ground up.
But if they had inherited their memories in full, then she would have to figure out how to handle the weight of the Uma Musumes' intense gazes. She had never learned how to navigate such complicated interpersonal relationships.
Especially when those relationships were forged through life-and-death experiences. The only solution Dream Weaver could think of for now was to pretend she knew nothing, wait for time to cool everyone's emotions, and then slowly reveal the truth.
There was no way she could just gather everyone together, raise her hand, and loudly announce that she remembered everything from the scripted world.
That would spiral out of control instantly—especially with troublemakers like T.M. Opera O and Orfevre around. Those two would undoubtedly unleash unimaginable… surprises upon her.
For now, her main goal and energy had to be focused on obtaining the so-called Triple Crown credentials, accumulating enough points to exchange for the Hope Gem and wake her mother from her hospital bed.
All these tangled, messy relationships would just have to take a backseat for a while.
Running away might be a little cowardly, but it was certainly effective.
But just as Dream Weaver steeled herself to clear things up with Gold Ship, she realized, to her surprise, that no Uma Musume had come looking for her today.
Aside from T.M. Opera O, who always stuck to her like glue, even usual regulars like King Halo were nowhere to be seen.
Was today really going to pass by so uneventfully before the festival?
Secretly, she felt somewhat relieved. If they really had inherited their memories, then them not seeking her out now likely meant they were more focused on the festival or their own affairs.
Maybe their attachment to her wasn't as deep as she'd feared.
If she accidentally let the truth slip someday, it probably wouldn't cause much of an uproar… right?
She couldn't say for sure. She could only hope it never came to that.
Otherwise, in all that chaos, her brain would definitely short-circuit.
As these thoughts raced through her mind, the school day ended before she knew it. Uma Musume from Tracen Academy began streaming out of classrooms to put the finishing touches on the festival preparations.
This event was a small celebration the school held to kick off the autumn racing season—there was a similar one in spring too. It wasn't a particularly grand affair, so most of the work was handled by the students themselves.
Gazing at the red lanterns gradually lighting up under the eaves, Dream Weaver couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
In the real world, summer was drawing to a close, and autumn was just around the corner. She'd spent almost this entire summer juggling part-time work and intense training, pushing herself to the limit. With help from her neighbors and her elderly landlady, she'd barely managed to test into Central Tracen.
Compared to the second scripted world she'd just experienced, the real Central Tracen felt almost like a fairy tale—willing to give every Uma Musume a chance. If she'd been in the conditions of that second scripted world, there's no way she would have made it in.
But without even realizing it, she'd already come quite a long way. The Dream Weaver of today was confident that, no matter how harsh the scripted world, she could not only enter Central Tracen but also win at least one G1 title.
Although not much time had passed in reality, Dream Weaver had genuinely grown from a nobody—an Uma Musume who'd get so nervous before races she'd take it out on the walls—into the G1 competitor she was now, who wouldn't hesitate to risk her life for victory.
As King Halo might put it:
Dream Weaver was now a first-class Uma Musume in her own right.
This summer, she had tempered and forged herself into a blade sharp enough to tear a championship away from any rival. Just like the name the System had given her domain, she was a true cursed blade.
She had done so much over the summer, and she didn't regret pouring all her time and energy into running. It was a responsibility she had to bear, an obligation she had to fulfill.
Still, Dream Weaver felt a tinge of regret. She'd seen plenty of cartoons where summer was bursting with passion and youthful energy. Although she'd spent plenty of time with her friends in the scripted worlds, those weren't really summers.
She looked up at the sunset burning red across the sky, a complicated feeling stirring in her heart.
But she couldn't afford to stop now. Those summers would come someday—but first, she had to fulfill her duties.
Right now was no different. She would meet with Gold Ship, figure out her friends' attitudes, and adjust her behavior in the real world accordingly.
And all of this was a necessary compromise in her pursuit of victory.
No matter how she sugarcoated it, what Dream Weaver had to do remained the same: until she secured the Triple Crown, she had no intention of diving into those complicated relationships.
She feared such emotions might make her soft.
She'd already been through it once in the second scripted world—where so-called feelings had skyrocketed the mission's difficulty. Now that she knew her friends might also retain those memories, what reason did she have to let herself be selfish again?
She had to keep winning. She couldn't stop until the Triple Crown was hers.
Dream Weaver closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had made up her mind: after clarifying the others' situations through Gold Ship, she would throw herself into the next scripted mission.
Her mother's condition remained undiagnosed. Even with Dancing Brave's help, there was no telling if it might suddenly take a turn for the worse. The chance to save her was slipping away with each passing day.
Dream Weaver refused to gamble on having enough time. She refused to gamble on the Hope Gem's effectiveness. All she wanted was to earn 100,000 points and the Triple Crown credentials as quickly as possible.
Everything else could wait.
Just then, she heard a familiar voice call out from behind her. Dream Weaver turned to see a tall, white-haired Uma Musume.
It was, of course, Gold Ship.
"The one and only—making a dazzling entrance!"
Watching the radiantly energetic Gold Ship, Dream Weaver simply smiled and nodded.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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