The laughing contest between the Overlord and the King came to an end amidst a flurry of coughing fits.
Seated at the judges' table, Toujou Hana and Symboli Rudolf—true professionals trained to keep a straight face—managed to critique the performance.
They clinicaly pointed out the flaws in their delivery, as well as various issues regarding their stamina, grit, and mental fortitude.
Though it was the first time anyone had witnessed a "laughing match," the assembled Uma Musume, Barbatos included, were in unanimous agreement: this was a G1-level confrontation if ever there was one.
If any of them had tried to step up, they wouldn't have stood a chance against T.M. Opera O or King Halo.
Those two possessed the laughter of true "Kings"; anyone else would likely have ended up snorting like a pig.
With the contest over, the girls drifted off to their respective training sessions, chatting idly about where they wanted to head for fun that afternoon.
Even as legendary Uma Musume who had weathered many a summer camp, the influx of new juniors every year ensured the festivities never felt stale.
Barbatos trotted along beside Maruzensky, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "Say, does the President actually... like telling puns and dad jokes?"
She'd been chewing on this ever since that "A Miraculous Touch" incident.
If Rudolf wasn't just being quirky, it meant she might have actually noticed Barbatos using Heal. Asking Maruzensky was the safest bet; among the legends, she'd spent the most time with Symboli Rudolf.
"Oh, absolutely," Maruzensky chirped. "Don't let that serious exterior fool you. In private, Rudolf is obsessed with cold jokes. Air Groove is constantly losing her focus because of them."
Since this wasn't exactly a state secret within Team Rigil, Maruzensky didn't see the harm in sharing. "Why the sudden interest?"
"Heh, I just happened to think of one myself," Barbatos replied with a grin.
She didn't lower her voice, and Symboli Rudolf, even from a distance, caught wind of it.
The President turned her head, her interest visibly piqued. She genuinely lived for this stuff. Driven by curiosity, she marched straight over.
"A joke? May I hear it as well?"
Whoa.
Facing the President's intense gaze, Barbatos scratched her head. There was no need for further testing; looking at the spark in Rudolf's eyes, she was clearly a pun addict.
It was like she was a completely different person from the stern President who sat in the Student Council office.
"Sure thing," Barbatos said. "Do you know which Japanese Uma Musume the Chinese think was the first to learn how to read?"
Aside from Maruzensky and Rudolf, several others had drifted closer to listen.
Air Groove, in particular, looked like she'd just felt a premonitory chest pain at the mention of a joke. No one offered an answer—it was a setup, after all. They just waited for the punchline.
"It's Tamamo Cross," Barbatos declared. "Because... Tamamo-early-knows-words."
It was a play on words—in Chinese, the name "Tamamo" sounds remarkably like the phrase "Too early," making the full sentence sound like "Too early to know words."
As Barbatos expected, the local Uma Musume didn't find it particularly hilarious.
Most just blinked in confusion, completely missing the linguistic leap required to find the humor.
Air Groove, however, looked even more despondent, as if she were witnessing a slow-motion natural disaster.
"Pfft—hahaha!"
Symboli Rudolf maintained the last shred of her dignity as Emperor and Student Council President for a split second before losing it. "Barbatos! You're a natural-born genius at this!"
Seriously? President, your cool image is completely shattered.
Barbatos couldn't help but roast her internally, yet she had to admit this version of Rudolf was far more approachable than the one in the council room.
Rigil always seemed like such a strict, intimidating team from the outside, but that was just the legend talking.
In the short time she'd been at the training camp, she'd seen a pun-loving Rudolf, a T.M. Opera O who could go toe-to-toe with King Halo, a frustrated Toujou Hana, and an Air Groove who looked ready to transcend this mortal coil.
In their daily lives, this was simply who they were. It was only through the eyes of outsiders that Team Rigil was painted in legendary colors, shrouded in awe and a certain degree of deification.
In reality, they were just people who excelled at a specific thing—kind of like Mob from Mob Psycho 100. Being world-class was just their version of a superpower.
Barbatos chatted with Rudolf through a few more groan-worthy puns until she noticed Air Groove staring off into space like a dried-up sardine. Taking the hint, she excused herself to go train.
It was clear the Vice President suffered enough "diplomatic incidents" with Rudolf's humor in the council office.
Honestly, Barbatos didn't think Rudolf's jokes were that bad. Then again, she'd only just heard them; she didn't have to live with them 24/7.
Having confirmed that Rudolf was just a dork and hadn't actually sniffed out her Heal, Barbatos finally felt relaxed enough to dive into training with Grass Wonder and Seiun Sky.
Training is always a bit of a grind at the start.
But after enough time, it becomes less of a chore and more of a habit. Eventually, you reach a point where you actually crave the ache in your muscles—the satisfaction of a body pushed to its limit.
That was exactly where Barbatos was now. After the long cramming sessions before her exams, she hadn't been able to truly cut loose.
Now, her black hair whipped behind her on the outdoor track, her silhouette cutting through the salt-tinged sea breeze. Her entire body felt alive again.
Uma Musume were born to run!
One lap, two laps, three...
Toujou Hana stood at the edge of the track with her tablet, recording data.
While she was primarily monitoring Grass Wonder's recovery, she also kept an eye on the stats for Barbatos and Seiun Sky. It was good intel for future races, after all.
However...
An hour later, as more members of Rigil joined the fray, Toujou Hana's brow furrowed.
She wanted to tell the three of them to stop. Even high-intensity training requires rest, or they'd end up collapsing just like King Halo did.
She could see the fatigue creeping into Grass Wonder's stride—the girl had only just recovered, but she was pushing through simply because the others were still going.
Since she wasn't Barbatos's official trainer, Toujou Hana hesitated for a moment, but she eventually stepped forward to intercept Grass Wonder.
"Your body isn't ready for extra sets yet," she said firmly. "Take a break for a while."
--+--
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.