The amber streetlights illuminated the road ahead.
When the car stopped in front of the mansion and the butler opened the door, neon lights rushed into the cabin, adding even more brilliance to the Gorgeous Clan’s precious gem.
A small foot, clad in white stockings and Mary Jane shoes, stepped onto the marble floor.
Daiichi Ruby leaned out, her smooth black hair shimmering with a soft luster.
The spiral sideburns framing her face brushed gently against her cheeks, her pale complexion marked by a rare, furrowed brow as she thought.
So Nakajima Shin actually owed over three million in student loans?
It wasn’t surprising, really.
After all, he was an orphan.
Without family support or a stable job, how could he possibly afford college?
He had no choice but to borrow.
According to the gathered intel, he’d only secured that much by shopping around multiple banks and institutions, promising interest rates far higher than usual just to get approved.
Right now, he had to pay around 150,000 to 200,000 in interest monthly, which would completely eat up his base salary.
So why on earth had he chosen Tokai Teio to be his trainee?
Trainers were a high-paying profession, sure, but the base salary was notoriously low.
The real money came from bonuses.
A standard G1 major race had a prize pool of around 40 million yen.
If his trainee took first place, the trainer got ten percent of the pre-tax prize, roughly 4 million yen.
Just one win would basically clear Shin’s debt.
But he’d deliberately picked Teio, who had almost zero chance of winning.
Did he have some hidden agenda?
Maybe trying to win her heart and live off her?
If that were the case, Daiichi Ruby wouldn’t say a word or interfere.
She’d just cut him from the assessment and stop paying attention.
But as an umamusume, she could clearly sense he wasn’t lying.
He’d invited Teio purely because he couldn’t stand seeing her give up.
Even though he was already drowning in poverty.
That inevitably stirred something in her heart.
Because it reminded her of a specific phrase.
The Fire of Scorpio.
The Scorpio who would willingly sacrifice themselves thousands of times, as long as it brought true happiness to others.
That was the person she wanted to be.
And now, someone who embodied that ideal was standing right in front of her.
It was impossible not to notice him.
Especially since the traits he showed during her questioning perfectly matched her own standards.
Daiichi Ruby felt he was highly suitable to be her trainer.
But.
Daiichi Ruby looked up, her gaze settling on a massive portrait visible even from the doorway.
It depicted her mother, the current head of the family and the greatest symbol of the Gorgeous Clan: the umamusume Hagino Top Lady.
(TL: 1980 Oka Sho winner and Daiichi Ruby’s Dam)
“Would Mother agree?” she murmured softly.
The family’s trainer assessments were only meant to find someone worthy of the Gorgeous Clan prefix, someone who wouldn’t bring shame to the name.
As for actual training talent, that had already been filtered out through certain unspoken rules.
No need to worry about that.
So the only reason they hadn’t picked a trainer after half a year of assessments was simple.
No one had earned the approval of both her and her mother.
Now that she felt Shin was a perfect match, she just needed to know what her mother thought.
With that in mind, Daiichi Ruby asked the maid nearby, “Has Mother retired for the night?”
“Not yet.
She’s reading in the study,” the maid replied respectfully.
Daiichi Ruby nodded.
She walked alone down the corridor to the right of the first-floor hall for a few dozen seconds, arriving at the family library.
The room was brightly lit.
Even a quick glance showed over thirty rows of bookshelves neatly arranged on both sides, with a staircase leading to the second floor nearby.
Despite the massive collection, the air held no scent of ink or paper, only a faint floral incense.
Daiichi Ruby’s ears twitched.
Even with an umamusume’s superhuman hearing, she didn’t catch a single sound.
This was partly due to the soundproofing designed along the corridor, and partly because the room was so quiet that not even a page turn could be heard.
Had her mother already left?
The moment she thought that, she heard a long exhale, followed by the sound of a book being placed back on a shelf.
Shortly after, her mother emerged from a nearby bookshelf.
Seeing her, she smiled faintly and said, “Staying up this late isn’t good for your health.”
“Is there something you need?”
Saying this, she took her daughter’s hand and led her toward the bedroom.
Daiichi Ruby nodded.
“I’ve found a very suitable trainer.
I’d like him to handle my training.”
“Oh?” Hagino tilted her head, smiling slightly.
“What’s his name?”
“Nakajima Shin.”
“I remember him.
The rookie under Trainer White Lily, right?”
“Yes.
But Trainer White Lily won’t be mentoring rookies anymore.
After injuring her leg again today, she’s decided to retire.
She’ll probably be leaving the racing circuit for good.”
“That’s truly a pity,” Hagino said wistfully.
“Even though she debuted in Hong Kong and only won one G1 in her career, ever since she suddenly switched to a front-running style, countless champions fell to her.”
“Glen Island, Kinko no Jūroku, Green Belt…
so many horse kings had their rhythm shattered by her masterful leading technique, forced to swallow the bitter taste of defeat.”
“If she were still at Tracen mentoring rookies, the Twinkle Series might have seen even more rising stars shine brightly for a time.”
“And then…” Her mother smiled, gently patting her daughter’s head.
“…they’d be defeated by you.”
Daiichi Ruby lowered her head slightly, not accepting the praise with pride.
“Even without those rising stars, I’ve already spotted a rival worth taking seriously.”
“Unless I debut next year, she’ll definitely be the toughest obstacle on my path to the Triple Crown.”
“Then you’ll have to work hard to defeat her,” her mother smiled, patting her shoulder in encouragement before continuing, “Back to the main topic.
Does Trainer Nakajima really catch your eye?”
“If that’s true, and he hasn’t been eliminated by the end of this assessment, we’ll choose him as the family’s exclusive trainer.”
Hearing her mother’s answer, Daiichi Ruby didn’t feel particularly happy, as there were things she probably didn’t know yet.
“Mother, there’s something you need to know.” She looked up.
“Nakajima Shin already has a trainee.”
“Is it Urara?
Trainer White Lily only has that one trainee left anyway.
It’s possible she’d hand her over to the rookie she’s mentoring upon retirement.
If you’re worried this will make me object, don’t be.
Just a few months of mentoring someone else won’t bother me.
Go ahead and choose him.” Her mother smiled gently.
“Not just her.
There’s another one.”
Daiichi Ruby hesitated slightly as she said this.
The report the butler had just given her didn’t mention Teio as Shin’s trainee.
But remembering how firm Shin had been, she was certain it was true.
It was probably just a paperwork delay, so the butler hadn’t updated the files yet.
Hagino’s brows furrowed slightly, unprepared for this twist.
She asked, “Who is the other trainee?”
“Tokai Teio.”