Uma Musume: To The Top!!

Chapter 325 325: 436

About an hour later, Folkqueen finally woke up.

She propped herself up from Kuroha's lap and rubbed her sleepy eyes, only to see that Kuroha, McQueen, and Godolphin had already changed into casual clothes for going out.

Realizing she seemed to have held things up, her face warmed slightly. Still, she kept her expression stiff and went back to her room to change.

A while later, once everyone was ready, Kuroha led the way, and the four of them left the villa.

"Since we'll be living here for a while, let's walk around the estate first and familiarize ourselves with the grounds."

As Kuroha spoke, he led the others along the internal road through the estate.

The Grand Estate of Chantilly covered an enormous area. There were nearly ten training tracks inside alone, each corresponding to different track conditions.

The group casually chose one training ground and walked inside.

Since it was still May, most active Uma Musume in France were attending classes, and there were not many overseas teams here either.

As a result, when the four of them stood in the middle of the grounds, it felt almost as though they had booked the entire place for themselves.

Tap.

At Kuroha's signal, McQueen was the first to step onto the turf. She bounced lightly a few times, then frowned slightly.

Kuroha smiled. "How does it feel?"

McQueen stopped, considered it carefully, then said softly, "This track feels even denser than the heavy-turf track you specially made at Tracen, Trainer."

Kuroha nodded and explained, "That's right. France has a rainy climate, so Longchamp's turf is generally deeper and heavier. This kind of turf characteristic is very hard to imitate."

"Here, if you still use the same running style as on Tracen's high-speed turf, your energy consumption will be more than double what it is back home."

"Even you, McQueen, would very likely lose speed in the final straight if you relied purely on brute force."

Behind McQueen, Godolphin smiled and wrapped her arms around the gray-haired girl's neck.

"Of course, Hane-kun is only talking about an extreme case. Little McQueen, you don't need to worry too much. After all, you spent so long adapting to heavy turf with Byerley before. Even if you aren't used to it right away, three weeks of training should be enough."

"There are still more than twenty days before the first race. We have plenty of time."

"Goddess... Godolphin-nee, no... please don't get so close..."

Forced into close contact by her own goddess, McQueen looked somewhat unnatural and stammered as she spoke.

Kuroha smiled as he watched the scene, then turned his head and found that Folkqueen had also stepped onto the track. She lightly pressed the turf with her slender foot and stood there in silence.

Coming to her side, Kuroha asked gently, "What's wrong? Want to run a lap?"

As he said that, he even extended his index finger and made an oddly mismatched gesture.

Folkqueen paused, then quickly shook her head. "No. I'm exhausted right now. How could I possibly want to run? Save that Blessing of yours for a few days from now."

After saying that, a complicated look flashed through the silver-haired girl's eyes.

"I just... miss the old days a little."

The old her, who had once run freely across the turf...

Looking at Folkqueen's slightly dim gaze, Kuroha fell silent for a moment. Then he took the girl's slender hand and pulled the slightly startled Folkqueen over to McQueen and Godolphin's side.

"All right. Familiarizing ourselves with the track is over for now. It's free time!"

Kuroha turned to McQueen and asked gently, "McQueen, since you're the ace of this expedition, where do you want our first stop in France to be?"

"A racetrack, an amusement park, or some tourist attraction. Anything is fine. For the next few days, our first goal is entertainment."

After hearing him out, the Mejiro girl thought seriously for a moment before answering.

"Trainer, if possible, I would like to visit Longchamp Racecourse first and see it in person."

"After all, the destination of this journey is there."

Kuroha immediately laughed when he heard that. "Hm? Are you sure? We can go buy some desserts from a pastry shop first."

"When I brought Oguri here on expedition last time, she said French desserts tasted quite good."

"..."

The Mejiro rice cake instantly sank into a strange silence.

But after struggling with herself for a long while, McQueen ultimately decided she needed to salvage a bit more of her image.

"Then... first... let's go to Longchamp."

After saying that, the gray-haired Uma Musume instantly seemed to wilt.

"All right, then we'll head straight out!" Kuroha said with a smile.

"I'll be the guide!" the Blue Goddess volunteered.

...

Once they had decided, Chasing Light's group boarded a car provided by the estate and navigated straight to Longchamp Racecourse.

About forty minutes later.

A grand and strikingly modern racetrack appeared in their view.

To their surprise, the racecourse was especially lively today.

"Looks like we're lucky. There's a G2 graded race about to be held."

Kuroha glanced at the notice board by the stands' entrance, then smiled and led everyone to buy tickets before following the flow of people into the spectator seats.

At that moment, the Uma Musume on the track were entering the course.

The group sat near the front. Kuroha took out a stack of competitor profiles he had just bought and handed them to McQueen beside him, then began explaining quietly.

"McQueen, pay attention to their stride length. The rhythm of races in France is completely different from Tracen's."

"Tracen emphasizes sustained stamina and the ultimate burst of finishing speed, but there are very few ways to interact directly. At most, you can use the race rhythm or positioning to indirectly drain your opponent's stamina."

"But overseas is different. In races here, the physical clashes during the early and middle stages are very intense."

"Mm."

McQueen nodded slightly.

She had watched recordings of many international G1 races.

For example, in the first Japan Cup that Obey Your Master-senpai had entered, Oguri had nearly been knocked off balance by a White Eagle Uma Musume, which cost her a considerable amount of stamina.

Even an international G1 race held at Tracen was like that, let alone a proper overseas G1.

When fighting for a good position in the opening phase, if they did not elbow you to the ground outright, that already counted as you having a sturdy frame.

On the track, with the gates opening, a group of Uma Musume burst out like arrows released from the string.

And under everyone's gaze, before these overseas Uma Musume even entered the first turn, they had already begun cutting across one another's positions frequently.

Mamba Shots and shoulder checks came naturally to them.

That sense of collision and power could not be felt through video, and it opened McQueen's eyes.

"It really is a little..."

McQueen had wanted to say "barbaric," but swallowed the word before it left her mouth.

Perhaps they were not barbaric.

Perhaps Tracen's environment was simply too gentle.

"This is only the appetizer."

Folkqueen leaned back in her chair, folded her arms, and said in a low voice, "When I used to race, what those European and American Uma Musume were best at was blocking positions."

"They'll use their size and strength advantages, combined with the resistance of heavy turf, to force you into the wettest and slipperiest dead corner by the inner rail."

"Tch. That is not a nice place to be."

"When we do parallel runs together in a few days, I'll show you."

As the race continued, Kuroha matched his explanations to the situation on the track and gradually told McQueen his own understanding of it.

The gray-haired girl listened very seriously.

A few minutes later, the race ended.

Watching the winning Uma Musume's heroic figure, along with the thunderous cheers roaring from all around them, the four of them stood up as well.

Seeing that McQueen's gaze was still wandering across the racetrack with some lingering reluctance, Kuroha laughed.

"All right. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. For the next few days, our job is to watch, eat, and play."

"Come on. Let's go try some Parisian specialties too."

"Huh? I... I didn't mean that I wanted to eat..."

McQueen became a little bashful.

"Mm. It isn't that you want to eat. It's that I want to eat. After all, using my brain too much means I need to replenish sugar in time. That's part of a trainer's job too."

Kuroha smiled and pinched McQueen's fair cheek.

"...If Trainer wants to eat, then there's no helping it."

The cute purple-haired little chubby foal happily took the excuse and linked her arm with Kuroha's.

Behind them, however, Folkqueen and Godolphin were covering their mouths and chuckling softly.

...

After leaving Longchamp Racecourse.

Under the questionable navigation of their "experienced local guide," Godolphin, everyone lived up to expectations and got lost.

"...I remember there used to be a pastry shop with a lot of customers around here."

Godolphin folded her hands in front of her and tilted her head apologetically.

Kuroha looked around at the completely unfamiliar streets, several dark lines forming at his temple.

"How long ago is this 'used to be'?"

"Um, the last time I descended with Byerley and the others and came to France, it was probably..."

Godolphin pressed her index finger to her lips, looked up in thought for a moment, then gave a shocking number.

"Thirty years ago?"

"..."

Everyone instantly fell into deathly silence.

Godolphin seemed to realize that her sense of time was different from everyone else's and quickly apologized sincerely.

"I am terribly sorry!"

"It's fine. I'm already used to taking detours anyway."

Kuroha did not truly mind. After waving a hand, he directly opened his phone's navigation app and searched from memory for the shop he had visited during last year's expedition with Oguri.

Before long.

The group arrived in front of a very traditionally decorated French pastry shop. After going in and coming back out, they were carrying quite a few large and small bags.

All of them were filled with the shop's various signature desserts.

Afterward, at an outdoor café near the Louvre.

Three Uma Musume with completely different personalities were happily tasting the food on the table, occasionally exchanging quiet comments and letting out pleasant little laughs.

Watching this warm scene, Kuroha propped his head up with one hand. As he stirred the iced Americano in his cup with a straw, he thought with some emotion:

"Playing around like this once in a while, just relaxing properly... isn't bad."

"Trainer."

Just then, McQueen quietly speared a cut piece of cake beside him and offered it to his mouth.

"Ahh."

Kuroha paused slightly, then laughed and obediently opened his mouth.

Seeing her trainer accept her feeding, the gray-haired girl's violet-jewel eyes instantly curved into crescents, and sweetness filled her heart.

Mm... It's been a while since I slept with Trainer too. No time like the present. Maybe tonight?

As she chewed the dessert in her mouth, McQueen's thoughts began to drift in a somewhat dangerous direction.

Just as everyone was enjoying their leisurely morning tea, a voice tinged with tentative surprise sounded beside their table.

"Excuse me... Are you Lady Folkqueen?"

Everyone followed the voice and saw a refined young woman wearing glasses at the next table, staring at Folkqueen with an excited expression.

"Uh... yes."

Suddenly being recognized in a foreign country left even Folkqueen, who had seen plenty of major occasions, somewhat dazed.

Although she was called "the strongest Atlantic Uma Musume," the focus of her racing career had mainly been in Oceania and along the Pacific Rim. The reason she was known more widely was mostly because she had defeated Dawn Radiance Eilers and Fruit Shine.

Because of that, she really had not expected to be recognized by a passerby at a glance on the European continent.

But the young woman did not stop. Her gaze turned toward Kuroha, and she asked, "And you are Trainer Kuroha from the far eastern island nation?"

As she spoke, she took a business card from her pocket.

"I'm Jenna, a reporter for the French Uma Musume Daily."

So she was a reporter... No wonder she recognized all of us.

Kuroha frowned slightly.

He had never liked this kind of unscheduled, in-your-face interview.

If this had been one of Tracen's shameless paparazzi, he would probably already have been considering stuffing them into a trash can.

But since he was in a foreign country, he still had to pay some attention to his image.

Just as Kuroha hesitated over how to refuse her, Jenna quickly added, "I'm a huge fan of you and Lady Queen. I've watched recordings of every race Lady Queen ran during her career."

"I was also present for every race Lady Oguri ran in Europe last year!"

As she spoke, a barely perceptible cunning glinted deep in the young woman's eyes.

You're a reporter. Of course you were present...

Everyone was somewhat speechless.

Just then, Godolphin suddenly spoke softly, her voice as gentle as water.

"Miss Jenna, what would you like to ask?"

The reporter named Jenna saw that an unfamiliar Uma Musume had spoken. She paused at first, then quickly raised a bright, professional smile.

But the moment her gaze met Godolphin's emerald eyes, her entire body seemed to have had the pause button pressed. She instantly froze in place.

From her perspective, the blue-haired girl before her was clearly smiling with extreme gentleness.

Yet deep within those pupils, there seemed to be storms and tsunamis vast enough to cover the heavens and blot out the sun.

An indescribable sense of intimidation pressed down on her like Mount Tai, making her soul feel as humble as a speck of dust, trembling violently beneath terrifying divine might.

"Ah... I, I..."

Under the oppression of a higher life form, she stammered for a long while without managing to form a single sentence.

Watching the French reporter's face grow increasingly pale, as if she might kneel down in the next moment, Kuroha let out a soft sigh.

"If you're a fan, then you can ask a few simple questions. Just don't take too long."

Hearing that, Godolphin smiled casually, withdrew that invisible gaze, and continued elegantly enjoying her dessert.

In an instant, the soul-suffocating pressure vanished like smoke.

Jenna came back to herself, gasping for breath. With lingering fear in her heart, she lowered her head and refused to look at Godolphin again no matter what.

In the end, after hesitating for a moment, she still spoke softly.

"Trainer Kuroha, since you've come such a long way, I imagine it is for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?"

Because of Godolphin's presence, Jenna's wording had become careful and cautious.

"Yes."

Kuroha took a sip of coffee and answered lightly.

In any case, he had already announced this at Tracen's press conference. There was no need to keep it secret.

The reporter fell silent for a moment, organized her words, then continued.

"This year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is not like previous years."

"Besides the top-class powerhouses from various countries, our nation's own superdominant champion, Suave Dancer, has also been in terrifying form recently."

"Suave Dancer?"

Hearing a familiar name engraved into history and renowned in his previous world, Kuroha raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. A short while ago, she claimed an overwhelming victory in the G2 Prix Greffulhe, and even Vice President Dancing Brave has praised her highly."

At this point, she gritted her teeth, seemingly to demonstrate her sincerity.

"I've collected information on the Uma Musume aiming for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe this year. If Trainer Kuroha needs it..."

Jenna spoke quietly, occasionally sneaking glances at Godolphin out of the corner of her eye.

Godolphin, look how badly you scared her. She's forgotten how to do business properly.

Kuroha teased silently in his heart and winked at the Blue Goddess.

The latter returned an extremely innocent, gentle smile.

"That works."

Kuroha replied, "I'm currently staying at the Grand Estate of Chantilly. When you have time, prepare your interview draft and submit an application to the estate management office. You can hand the materials over to me then."

Hearing that, Jenna looked as though she had received a treasure and nodded repeatedly in delight.

"O-okay! I'll make sure to deliver them!"

"Any other questions?"

"No, no! Please enjoy your meal, everyone!"

Jenna hurriedly waved her hands, then prepared to flee.

But at the instant before she left, her curiosity as a professional reporter still made her unable to resist taking one last look at the fourth person at the table.

The purple-haired Uma Musume who had been quietly and obediently eating dessert the entire time.

Aside from Folkqueen and Trainer Kuroha, one of the other two must be the ace of this expedition, right?

That terrifying blue-haired Uma Musume has obvious European features, so it probably isn't her. That means it should be this purple-haired Uma Musume, right?

However, the instant her gaze landed on McQueen's face...

Buzz!

A pure white flash of lightning as deep as the endless heavens exploded across her retina.

That terrifying sense of horror suddenly rose again from the depths of her soul.

Jenna was so frightened she nearly cried out. She hurriedly withdrew her gaze and disappeared at the end of the street without looking back.

Still seated, McQueen calmly withdrew the Domain intimidation she had released for that instant.

Then she returned to being the elegant, proper young lady she always was, and contentedly licked the cream left at the corner of her lips.

(End of Chapter)

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