"Hmm, it's alright, I guess."
Platinum wasn't particularly interested in Dicta Striker's apology; right now, all she felt was dead tired.
"Centaurea-chan!" Ardan raised her hand in displeasure.
"Oww!"
Platinum yelped in pain, clutching her head with both hands as she shot a slightly annoyed look at Ardan, who had already withdrawn her hand.
After rapping Platinum on the head, Ardan turned to face Dicta Striker, her expression full of apology.
"I'm so sorry, Dicta Striker. Centaurea-chan here just has a naturally dismissive attitude—she didn't mean to ignore you on purpose."
"Ah, it's fine, really. I'm not like you high-society young ladies. 'To the victor go the spoils' isn't just an empty phrase where I come from."
Dicta Striker quickly waved it off.
"Once you've lost, you've got no right to talk back to the winner."
That remark left Sakura Chiyono O and Mejiro Ardan standing nearby with expressions that seemed utterly lost for words.
"Ahaha, there's no need for that~ Centaurea-chan isn't that kind of person, you know?"
Chiyono O quickly stepped in to steer the conversation elsewhere, trying to lighten the mood.
"How about we talk about something else? Like, what does Centaurea-chan plan to do next?"
Chiyono O gestured animatedly for a moment before awkwardly shifting the topic in another direction.
"Me? Right now, all I want is to go have fun."
Platinum let out a weary groan, but Ardan kept a firm grip on her hand, smiling sweetly without the slightest intention of letting her go.
"Go out and have fun?"
Just then, Dicta Striker spoke up, as if suddenly remembering something. She reached into her inner pocket.
"Should be in here... Found it."
Pulling her hand out, she held a carefully folded newspaper clipping between her fingers—neatly trimmed to size and clearly well-kept.
Chiyono O stared thoughtfully at the grayish-black, stiff paper in Dicta Striker's hand.
A moment later, a lightbulb seemed to go off in her head. She clapped her hands together in front of her chest, looking as if she'd just recalled something.
"Hey, I've seen you carrying a news clipping around these past few days—is this it?"
As she spoke, she reached over, took the paper from Dicta Striker, unfolded it, and began reading it slowly.
"Hmm... 'The Rising Star of Kasamatsu'? This is a piece about a local Uma Musume?"
Just from glancing at the headline, Sakura Chiyono O's voice tinged with confusion. She felt like she'd heard something similar before.
"Yep, it's coverage of a regional race."
Dicta Striker nodded, confirming Chiyono O's guess.
"Kasamatsu? Isn't that Oguri Cap's hometown?"
Ardan, who had been quietly listening, couldn't help but voice her question.
She wasn't as scatterbrained as Chiyono O. Meticulous and attentive, she had memorized most of the class's Uma Musume profiles—Oguri Cap included.
Then again, given Oguri Cap's skill and reputation, it was more surprising that Sakura Chiyono O hadn't made the connection sooner.
"That's right, Oguri Cap! Thanks for reminding me, Ardan!"
Finally catching on after the prompt, Chiyono O shot Ardan a grateful look before turning back to read the neatly trimmed article with even greater focus.
Dicta Striker rubbed her ear, somewhat self-consciously.
"Now that you mention it, I started paying attention to this article precisely because of Oguri Cap."
"Could you tell us more about it?"
Ardan's face also lit up with curiosity. Though Platinum remained silent, her ears perked up slightly.
"It's not exactly a secret or anything." Dicta Striker averted her gaze somewhat awkwardly, tilting her head upward.
"When I first saw Oguri Cap, I didn't pay her much mind. 'Just another local Uma Musume,' that's what I thought back then."
"But Oguri Cap went on to prove—to everyone, including me—that she had what it takes to stand among the best in the Central circuit."
"Funny enough, Oguri Cap and I are alike in a lot of ways."
"Both late-speed runners, both using come-from-behind tactics, similar distance aptitudes... It's almost like looking in a mirror."
"So, in secret, I started seeing Oguri Cap as my rival, my fated opponent."
"Then one day, I happened to see this article. Normally I wouldn't have cared, but the word 'Kasamatsu' seemed to glow, catching my eye."
"Almost as if possessed, I bought that issue. Honestly, I'm really glad I listened to my gut back then—otherwise, I'd never have learned such shocking news."
By the end, Dicta Striker's expression had grown increasingly serious, yet with a faint, barely suppressed excitement.
"Maybe since I just lost to Platinum, you might not take my word seriously. But in my opinion, that local Uma Musume definitely has what it takes to go up against Platinum."
Hearing this, Platinum showed little reaction, but Ardan's expression turned grave.
She knew Dicta Striker well enough to understand that if she dared say so, she truly believed it.
And even after just being defeated by Platinum, she still held that view.
That only emphasized one thing: this newcomer's results must be so outrageous that even Dicta Striker herself couldn't match them.
Sure enough, just as Ardan reached that conclusion, Sakura Chiyono O—who had been quietly reading the article—suddenly exclaimed in shock.
"No way! 30 lengths! And in a 1400-meter race!"
"What?"
Ardan wondered if she'd misheard.
"It's true, Ardan-san, look! She won by 30 lengths over second place, and 38 lengths over third! That's insane!"
"..."
Ardan fell into a brief silence, equally stunned by the news and at a loss for words.
This feeling was déjà vu—the first time had been when she witnessed Centaurea's explosive final kick.
"See? Now you get it?" Dicta Striker chuckled softly beside them.
"After that, I kept close tabs on this newcomer and even looked into her next race. Wanna guess when it is?"
Once Chiyono O and Ardan turned their full attention to her, Dicta Striker cleared her throat lightly.
"It's tomorrow, at Nagoya Racecourse. I'm definitely going to watch. How about you?"
"Please allow me to accompany you." / "How could we miss seeing this?!"
Ardan and Chiyono O spoke almost in unison. Beside them, Centaurea covered her face in despair.
"This Uma Musume, Margaret Nearl, is really amazing! She'll probably advance to the Central circuit like Oguri Cap did, right? I can't wait to see how she performs!"
Chiyono O exclaimed excitedly.
"...Who?"
Ardan's ears shot straight up.
--+--
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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.