The Team's application was approved faster than anyone expected; what was discussed in the morning was fully passed by the afternoon. Symboli Rudolf, in her capacity as Student Council President, allocated a standalone house to the group to serve as the Team's private meeting room. This also meant that from today onwards, the three Trainers and their in charge Uma Musume were truly teammates in one Team.
—However, to be honest, rather than an independent room, it was practically a single-story house of about a hundred square meters, suitable for living. It didn't resemble a temporary classroom at all. Not only did it have a meeting room that could serve as a living room, but it even had three small rooms, as if specifically designed for the three Trainers.
Not only that, there were even two bathrooms, a dedicated kitchen, and even beds for resting within the three independent rooms.
The beds weren't very large, but they were big enough for one person. Two might be a bit of a squeeze, but with a little pushing, it was sufficient.
When the three Trainers and their Uma Musume arrived, they were all slightly startled by Symboli Rudolf's generosity. At that time, Symboli Rudolf, with a somewhat mysterious smile, said:
"Shh, don't say too much. This has nothing to do with me. I'm just an arranger. The location was decided by the Chairwoman. I didn't abuse my power, you know."
"This place has actually been built for a while. I'm not entirely sure of its original purpose, but I heard it was initially constructed to be a new training camp location. Later, for some reasons, it was temporarily put on hold, but the already-built structure was preserved."
"All the equipment inside is ready; it's just that no one has cleaned it for a while, so it might be a bit messy. It will take some effort to tidy up—but all the equipment inside is complete, so everyone, please put in a little effort."
"Oh, right, finally, don't tell other Trainers that your location is here... After all, even my Trainer uses the same meeting room as other Trainers."
Before leaving, Symboli Rudolf kindly reminded the three. Although she kept saying that this matter was the Chairwoman's arrangement and had nothing to do with her, the meaning conveyed in her words... clearly, she must have put in a lot of effort to secure this place for Imanami and the others.
Finally, after the group thoroughly cleaned the long-unused house, everything fell into place. The newly formed "Miracle" Team was about to face its first GI—the Satsuki Sho.
"Doto, Opera O, this Satsuki Sho, we are determined to win. However, the current situation is not favorable for us, at least not in terms of popularity rankings."
Wada also specifically explained the precautions for this race to his two Uma Musume who were about to embark on the Satsuki Sho, the first leg of the Classic Triple Crown.
"Opera O won first place in the Yukinayanagi Sho and second place in the Mainichi Hai, which indeed qualifies her for priority entry into the Satsuki Sho. But Doto, you only have the Mainichi Hai first place as your record. A single GIII victory is far from enough for you."
"However, fortunately, there are relatively few high-quality Uma Musume in our current generation, and McQueen did not participate in the Satsuki Sho registration due to her Debut Race timing, instead preparing for the Japanese Derby. Therefore, Doto, you can just barely squeeze in at the end."
"That, that's great! Thank you, Trainer."
Upon hearing this, Doto's slightly drooping ears perked up and wagged happily again. To be honest, Doto herself was initially just a little uncomfortable and had only argued with Opera O about participating in the Satsuki Sho. She wasn't confident about getting a spot.
But now, she, who had only won one race, actually had the qualification to directly participate in a GI... One must know that without the so-called "Satsuki Sho prep race" Yayoi Sho, one would need to run more races to enter the Satsuki Sho.
Just like Opera O, her two good race results allowed her to enter the Satsuki Sho. But Doto was truly very lucky to squeeze in... She would probably be the only Uma Musume in this GI race whose prize money just barely made the cut.
"I've looked at the list for this race. Not many Uma Musume are participating, but there are two opponents you need to pay attention to."
Wada also posted two pre-prepared photos on the whiteboard and pointed to the two Uma Musume, saying:
"The first is Narita Road, who won her first GIII Kisaragi Sho and then consecutive GII Yayoi Sho victories. Her strength is very formidable, and she is a strong favorite to win this time."
"The second is Admire Vega, who finished fourth in her Debut Race due to a Sashi violation, but became a winning Uma Musume due to her overwhelming strength, achieving consecutive victories in the Heath Sho and the Radio Nikkei Sho."
"As for Admire Vega, Doto, you should know her."
"Hmm... it's Admire Vega... I once... considered recommending her to the Trainer..."
Doto nodded, feeling quite pressured. She, Air Shakur, Fine Motion, Agnes Digital, and Admire Vega were all close friends. Admire Vega's personality was the complete opposite of Meisho Doto's; she was cold to others and uninterested in anyone, always suppressing her emotions, giving off a very dangerous feeling.
At that time, Doto, lacking confidence to beat Opera O, had indeed thought that if she left the Team, she would recommend Admire Vega to Wada. Although this was unlikely, Doto felt that if it was to defeat Opera O... Admire Vega might agree.
After all, Admire Vega and Opera O had known each other for a long time... though it was a one-sided intolerance of Opera O's exaggerated performances.
"Hahahahaha—I didn't expect that this time I would not only face my most beloved vassal but also compete on the same stage with rivals who have always challenged me, the Overlord? Excellent!"
Opera O, hearing this, immediately became excited. She was very familiar with all her opponents in this race, whether Doto, Narita Road, or Admire Vega. They had been companions and rivals long before participating in races. Therefore, Opera O was very much looking forward to meeting them in the Satsuki Sho.
"No, it's Opera O... I have no confidence in beating Admire Vega and the others..."
However, Doto, having reverted to her usual state, also exhibited the same problem. Even after beating Opera O once in the Mainichi Hai, when facing two potentially stronger opponents, Doto was still very unconfident in her performance.
After all, this time, it wasn't just a one-on-one battle between her and Opera O. Admire Vega and Narita Road were also extremely competitive presences.
At the thought of having to compete with Uma Musume as strong as approximately three Opera Os, Doto's tail unconsciously wagged nervously. She immediately said to Wada:
"I, I'm going to train! There's not much time left to prepare! Trainer, I'm leaving first!"
"Hahahaha! My most beloved vassal, don't leave me to train alone! I'll come along too!"
"Ryuji, you come too. Now is when I, the Overlord, need you. You must help me continue to consolidate my tactics so we can secure the Classic Triple Crown."
Opera O immediately followed Doto's footsteps. Even with Opera O's confidence, she felt a lot of pressure from this race, so training naturally couldn't be neglected.
Then, Opera O was seen grabbing Wada and running outside. Although Opera O's Senko running style had consolidated quite well over this period, and she could be said to have fully mastered both Sashi and Senko running styles, if one were to ask if she could run a GI... at least Wada felt there were still some areas that needed strengthening.
Wada also planned to, as much as possible during this time, quickly impart all the insights Opera O had once taught him back to the current Opera O—after all, he had to cherish this limited time when he was still teaching Opera O how to race.