"Dream... what?"
Shinzan's expression shifted abruptly. She had never imagined that the name Dream Weaver could possibly be linked to the Satsuki Sho.
In Shinzan's impression, an Uma Musume who hadn't undergone the European training system simply couldn't win a race like one of the Triple Crown classics.
It wasn't that she looked down on the training standards at the central Tracen Academy—the gap between the two was simply too vast.
Seeing the change in her expression, the female assistant immediately guessed this news might be of great importance to Shinzan.
Without any delay, she poured out everything she knew.
"That Uma Musume named Dream Weaver, amidst the encirclement and pursuit of so many Triple Crown hopefuls..."
The assistant paused mid-sentence, as if recalling something, then shook her head and corrected herself.
"No, it couldn't even be called encirclement and pursuit. That pack of Triple Crown hopefuls couldn't even touch Dream Weaver's shadow. They... she just did it."
Hearing this, Shinzan was even more shaken.
As a former Triple Crown hopeful herself, part of the first generation of local European Uma Musume cultivated specifically to establish the Triple Crown system, she understood better than anyone what the tier of 'Triple Crown hopeful' truly meant.
Perhaps in this era where the Triple Crown system was fully established, the title didn't carry the same overwhelming prestige it once had.
But even so, the name 'Triple Crown hopeful' still represented an Uma Musume possessing talent sufficient to crush an entire regional generation.
And Dream Weaver—this Uma Musume whom Shinzan had viewed as somewhat gifted but far too impulsive—had actually faced and defeated Triple Crown hopefuls from around the world head-on at the Satsuki Sho.
A flicker passed through Shinzan's eyes. Her hand unconsciously tightened on the armrest of the sofa.
"A genius..." she murmured under her breath, her voice low.
"A true genius..."
"Perhaps if it's her..."
Before the words could fully leave her lips, Shinzan's head snapped up. A cold, sharp light erupted in her amber eyes, slicing through the room's atmosphere like an unsheathed blade.
The assistant felt an invisible pressure slam into her. It was like a physical blow to the chest. She stumbled backward several steps before barely managing to steady herself.
"How—" Shinzan's voice cut the air, "exactly did she win?"
"The list of opponents. Tactical analysis. Race footage. I want all the data from this Satsuki Sho."
The assistant's throat moved convulsively as she swallowed hard.
When she had been hired, Shinzan had already stepped away from the track, attending various galas and programs, trying to expand her influence in different fields.
In her eyes, Shinzan had always been the picture of gentleness toward everyone. Even when exhausted from constant travel, she never took her fatigue out on those around her.
'Perhaps only an Uma Musume with such magnanimity could dominate Japan's racing world,' the assistant had once thought.
But in this moment, she finally caught a glimpse—just the tip of the iceberg—of the competitive edge Shinzan had once wielded on the track.
This was no gilded hall of glory as she had imagined.
What spilled from this half-opened door was an awe-inspiring, bone-chilling aura of absolute authority.
It felt like a solidified royal prerogative—a testament to her glorious record, and more than that, the supreme crown tempered through countless victories, belonging to the only absolute monarch in history to defend the Triple Crown title three times.
Every pore on the assistant's body screamed danger, but she didn't even have the luxury of going weak in the knees and collapsing.
Driven by pure instinct, she bolted from the room to gather the materials according to Shinzan's will.
In that pressurized urgency, she even lost her sense of time. Only after finally managing, through every connection she had, to collect all the data Shinzan wanted in the dead of night, could she catch her breath and realize just how violently her heart was pounding.
But there was no time for reflection. Clutching the Satsuki Sho videotape she had just obtained, she hurried back to Shinzan's room.
A considerable amount of time had passed since the assistant left to gather the materials, yet Shinzan showed none of the post-work fatigue she usually displayed.
She sat on the sofa, utterly focused, poring over the paper documents the assistant had collected earlier.
In the deep of night, even if these were just brief, summarized reports, the fact that the assistant had managed to compile so many was a testament to her capability—let alone tracking down a videotape of the Satsuki Sho from just days prior.
As Shinzan's full-time, around-the-clock personal assistant, her professional competence was beyond question.
Shinzan, well aware of this ability, had issued the demand precisely because of it.
Hearing the movement, Shinzan looked up from the sofa. The intimidating aura that had unconsciously emanated from her moments ago because of Dream Weaver had already dissipated. She had returned to the gentle Uma Musume the assistant was familiar with.
"You've worked hard. Go and rest now."
Finally receiving confirmation, the assistant let out a sigh of relief. She handed the videotape to Shinzan and left the room as if a great weight had been lifted.
After she left, Shinzan used the hotel room's television to play the tape. She watched the race on screen, cross-referencing it with the documents in her hand.
As the race unfolded on screen, Shinzan's eyes gradually narrowed. However, her gaze didn't linger on Dream Weaver, but instead fixed on the Uma Musume running behind her.
"Star Dancer..."
Shinzan slowly pronounced the name, information about this Uma Musume surfacing in her mind.
"A genius Uma Musume from the peripheral regions of European racing. Compared to the other Triple Crown hopefuls on the field, she possesses no physical advantages. The reasons giving her the courage to vie for victory in this race, aside from intelligence advantages..."
"...are that she has already taken her first step toward developing a 'Zone'."
Shinzan spoke her thoughts aloud before the television.
From the previously gathered intelligence, she already knew Star Dancer's final placing in this Satsuki Sho.
To be honest, it wasn't near the top. She had accelerated too early and lost her momentum, forfeiting any chance at a front position early on.
But one detail mentioned in the reports had particularly caught Shinzan's attention.
Namely, that Star Dancer's loss of speed had occurred only after she had closed to within a certain range of Dream Weaver.
And Shinzan naturally understood what that implied. She just needed to confirm it one more time.
When the footage reached the exact moment of Star Dancer's deceleration, Shinzan finally confirmed the suspicion in her heart.
"So it really is a Zone..."
Her expression remained unchanged, but judging by the cracks now marring the sofa's armrest where her hand gripped it, Shinzan's inner state was far from as calm as she appeared.
The next day, the assistant—who hadn't rested particularly well—pushed open the door to Shinzan's room, only to find the figure still in the same spot as the day before.
The only thing that had changed was the footage playing on the television screen.
Before she could speak, Shinzan's voice reached her.
"Clear my schedule. All of it."
"I am going to see Dream Weaver."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.