Silence. A deathly, heavy silence.
Dream Weaver desperately wished Liberty Island would say something, anything, but she just stared back with a gaze full of resentment, her lips pulled into a tight, wordless line.
Unable to endure the wordless interrogation any longer, Dream Weaver forced herself to break the tension, her voice thick with awkwardness.
"Um... aren't you two rivals? You can't just stand by and do nothing while she's feeling down after losing a race, right?"
In Dream Weaver's mind, the bond between rivals was a tangled, complicated thing.
Even though there was only one crown of glory to go around, that didn't mean one should just watch the other sink into a slump just to make their own path to victory easier.
Whether it was with T.M. Opera O or Orfevre, Dream Weaver had personally felt that spark of mutual inspiration—the push and pull of rivals driving each other forward.
She figured the reason Liberty Island looked so bitter right now was probably because she felt Dream Weaver had stepped in and taken the role that should have been hers.
So, Dream Weaver pressed on.
"But honestly, this is something only you can do. Even as a Trainer, it's not really right for me to step between the two of you."
"I'm sorry... I didn't think it through this time."
Hearing the sincere apology, the resentment in Liberty Island's eyes softened ever so slightly. She let out a long sigh and sat down across from Dream Weaver.
"I'm not angry about that..."
Liberty Island spoke softly, her fingers absentmindedly twirling a stray lock of her hair.
"I told you before, didn't I, Trainer? Back at Northern Farm, Equinox was always so much better than me."
Dream Weaver nodded. She figured this was the classic script: the perennial second-place finisher, Liberty Island, chasing the shadow of Equinox. It sounded like a perfectly reasonable motivation.
"That's why, in everyone's eyes, she was the Uma Musume destined to be your successor."
"Everyone expected her to win the same Classic Triple Crown as you, to become a world-class Uma Musume just like you. That was the dream everyone had for her."
"But everyone admires you, Trainer... so why is she the only one allowed to stand by your side?"
"I couldn't accept it."
Liberty Island lowered her gaze, peeling back the layers of her heart to show Dream Weaver the raw truth for the first time.
With the potential to sweep the Triple Tiara, she was naturally confident and proud. But that pride felt pale and hollow whenever she stood before Equinox.
Liberty Island adored Dream Weaver; she wanted to be Dream Weaver.
Yet, right there next to her was someone whose talent far outstripped her own—someone far more likely to inherit Dream Weaver's legacy.
A girl with ordinary talent might have just given up.
The gap between her and Equinox was visible to the naked eye; she would have simply accepted that Equinox was the one meant to follow in their idol's footsteps and offered her applause and blessings.
But Liberty Island was different. She was a genius in her own right, possessing Triple Crown-level talent, and that only made her resentment burn hotter.
In the face of Equinox, she actually felt a sense of inferiority.
"If she wasn't a year older than me—if she hadn't missed the timing of your debut as a Trainer—I probably never would have had the chance to be your Uma Musume."
"Being chosen by you is the only time I've ever actually beaten her."
"That's why..."
"I'm terrified she's going to take away the only victory I have."
Dream Weaver was stunned.
She never imagined that the root of the rivalry between Liberty Island and Equinox was actually... her.
But while it caught her off guard, it made perfect sense.
In the history of this world, Dream Weaver was the undisputed queen of the turf, a world-class Uma Musume who had been crowned Uma Musume of the Year more than once.
Under those circumstances, any girl who trained at Northern Farm would naturally feel an inexplicable, deep-rooted connection to a senior who hailed from the same place.
Once they knew of her existence, those Northern Farm girls would find themselves drawn to learning everything about her. And the best way to know an Uma Musume, of course, is to watch her race.
That golden-red flash of light tearing across the turf had seared itself into the eyes of every young trainee at Northern Farm.
To them, Dream Weaver was the ultimate idol.
Usually, that wouldn't be a problem. Dream Weaver had countless fans across the globe; one more admirer from Northern Farm wouldn't typically cause a stir.
But by sheer coincidence, this generation of Northern Farm produced two geniuses at once. Both adored Dream Weaver, and both wanted to follow her path.
Naturally, the one with the higher ceiling was seen as the true successor, while the other was merely the "backup."
Liberty Island had been that backup.
She had never beaten Equinox. Perhaps it was because Equinox was a year older and had matured faster, but a loss was a loss—a reality that no amount of excuses could change.
If Dream Weaver hadn't happened to retire from racing this year to become a Trainer, Liberty Island might have spent her whole life losing to Equinox.
But that one coincidence gave her the first spark of hope she'd ever had of winning.
That's why, when Liberty Island realized Dream Weaver had received her profile but hadn't reached out, she had gone straight to her door, practically "selling" herself to get the spot.
Normally, Trainers scouted the girls. Examples of a girl being that proactive were rare.
If the Triple Crown was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an Uma Musume, then becoming Dream Weaver's trainee was, for Liberty Island, something even more precious—and just as fleeting.
"She's been debuted for a year already; she surely has a Trainer of her own by now," Dream Weaver said gently, trying to soothe her.
The bond between a Trainer and an Uma Musume isn't something easily severed.
Once a pair is formed, barring a major accident or an unavoidable crisis, they generally stay together.
"But I'm still worried..."
Liberty Island bowed her head, her fingers anxiously bunching the fabric of her skirt.
"I didn't become your Uma Musume because I'm better than Equinox."
"It's just because my luck was better. I just happened to meet you at the right time. What if you see her talent and change your mind?"
"You're the most accomplished Uma Musume in the history of Tracen Academy. Swapping trainees is hard, but for someone like you, it isn't impossible, is it?"
Dream Weaver paused, thinking about her own standing at Tracen and her relationship with the Chairwoman, Northern Taste.
With a start, she realized that Liberty Island's anxiety wasn't just paranoia—it was actually a very real possibility.
--+--
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.