"Northern Dreams! It's number ten, Northern Dreams! Her speed shows no sign of fading—as a professional commentator, I can already make the call—"
"The winner of this Kobe Shimbun Hai will be number ten, Northern Dreams!"
Sugimoto Kentaro shouted excitedly as he watched the race. He had thought that over the years, he'd long since lost this kind of passion. But seeing a descendant of the Northern family running on the track again made him feel as though he had returned to those fervent days of his youth.
His rookie commentary partner beside him was completely stunned, mouth agape and unable to utter a word, just staring blankly as the usually calm and professional senior before him slammed the table in excitement.
By industry standards, letting Sugimoto Kentaro carry the commentary alone without adding anything would normally mean a pay cut. But right now, there was simply no room for him to get a word in.
His senior's words flooded the microphone nonstop. Sugimoto Kentaro raced through an introduction of Northern Dancer all the way to Northern Dreams, cramming a heap of knowledge into the rookie commentator who, until moments ago, had known nothing about the Northern family.
It was as if they'd suddenly left the Kobe Shimbun Hai and stepped into an exhibition hall dedicated to the glorious history of the Northern family.
But the cheers from the audience didn't diminish one bit because of Sugimoto's bewildering commentary. They couldn't care less what the commentators were rattling on about—all they could see was that crimson streak blazing across the track, charging toward the finish line.
For the spectators craving brilliance, that was more than enough.
Before the race, many had come to the Kobe Shimbun Hai with one major goal: to gauge Fujino Makken O's strength and see if she had what it took to pull off an upset against Narita Brian.
But now, the race had given them an even more perfect answer.
Dream Weaver, surpassing the other Uma Musume with absolute dominance, would become in their minds the most promising candidate to defeat Narita Brian.
The audience craved victory, craved moments of brilliance—that's why they pinned their hopes on Uma Musume with dramatic histories or great honors.
But at the same time, they also wanted to see more intense, more fiercely contested races.
Narita Brian's Classic Triple Crown run had been too smooth. They could hardly find a rival worthy of challenging this monstrous force, to the extent that Uma Musume like Fujino Makken O were burdened with expectations they couldn't possibly meet.
They might still not know the history of the Northern family, but they would all remember that lone crimson streak dominating the track, and the name of this Uma Musume:
Northern Dreams.
After a long silence, the Northern family officially announced with this victory that they had returned to the world of horse racing.
When Dream Weaver crossed the finish line and those four characters flashed across the screen, the cheers from the audience reached a boiling point.
In unison, they cheered the name Northern Dreams, placing their hopes on this Uma Musume who had displayed such formidable strength.
This Uma Musume, whom no one had paid attention to before the race except for Sugimoto Kentaro, had earned their cheers with an absolute victory.
Yet, standing on the track and looking up at the audience, not a trace of joy from victory appeared on Dream Weaver's face.
First, because she knew this Kobe Shimbun Hai was merely a preliminary race to qualify. Winning this race was far from a reason to celebrate.
After this, she would have to face the strongest Uma Musume of the generation: Narita Brian, who had already won two classics.
Besides, this wasn't her first victory. This was already Dream Weaver's third scripted world. Aside from those three G1 wins, she had also claimed several other major prizes.
There weren't any Uma Musume in this race who demanded her attention either. The moment Dream Weaver stepped onto the track, she already knew the outcome of this race.
Lastly, Dream Weaver tugged at the corner of her mouth, watching the audience chanting "Northern Dreams," and for a moment, she wasn't sure how she should feel.
If she had inherited the memories of this scripted world, it might have been different—at least she would have felt some sense of belonging to that name. But this time, Dream Weaver had no memories at all.
So when she won and heard the audience cheering another name, she had to pause and realize it was meant for her.
After that mental detour, she found it hard to summon any genuine excitement.
Moreover, to Dream Weaver, her own name was special. It carried her mother's hopes for her, making it even harder to accept the name "Northern Dreams."
But in the end, it didn't really matter. Not inheriting the memories was fine—she had already resolved not to get involved with people in these scripted worlds anymore.
Dream Weaver let out a soft sigh. Though she still couldn't confirm the status of the friends she'd made in previous scripted worlds, she wouldn't take any risks. The web of relationships she was tangled in was complicated enough as it was.
In this script, all she needed to do was win race after race.
The Northern family grandmother just wanted her to achieve the Tenno Sho Spring and Autumn double, right? Then she would do exactly that—and consider it killing two birds with one stone.
With that thought, Dream Weaver silently called up the task interface. The translucent blue screen instantly appeared before her eyes.
--+--
[Script Mission: The Last Glory of a Noble House]
I. Main Objective
Win the Tenno Sho Spring and Autumn Double.
Rewards: 15,000 SP + Stage Pass × 1 + Proof of Spring and Autumn
--+--
II. Stage Objectives
Uncover the truth behind the Northern family's decline.
Rewards: 5,000 SP + [Mysterious Item]
Note: This mission's reward item will be obtained directly from the Northern family grandmother.
Defeat Narita Brian at her peak.
Rewards: 5,000 SP + Invincible Headscarf
Note: This scripted world is of the performance type. The host will retain script attributes to complete tasks. After the main mission is concluded, the highest attribute will be carried back to reality.
--+--
The condition for the second stage objective was to uncover the truth behind the Northern family's decline, and the item reward would be given directly by the grandmother. That meant the completion of this objective undoubtedly hinged on her.
For the old woman who valued the glory of the Northern family above all else, discussing the family's fall from grace would undoubtedly be a painful subject. The only way Dream Weaver could think of to get her to reveal the truth was to use her own victories to loosen her tongue.
If she could live up to the grandmother's expectations and restore the Northern family's honor, perhaps her obsession would ease enough for her to finally tell Dream Weaver the truth behind their decline.
With her thoughts sorted and the path to completing the mission clear, Dream Weaver resolved not to do anything unnecessary in this scripted world. All she needed to do was secure victory after victory, just as she had today.
Silently, Dream Weaver clenched her fists. She wanted to finish this scripted world as quickly as possible and reclaim the name her mother had given her.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! 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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.