...
"But I think meetings are also very important." Matikane Tannhauser lowered her head, nervously poking her two index fingers together, her voice growing smaller and smaller.
"Then I'll leave the task of investigating the foreign entrants for the Japan Cup to you."
Matikane Tannhauser raised her head in surprise, her eyes wide open. "Eh!? Really?"
"Really. Didn't you, Tantan, say meetings are important? Yet as the meeting host you couldn't analyze anything." Lucian reached out and lightly flicked her forehead.
In the coming period, Matikane Tannhauser had no more races, so letting her collect some information was quite good.
Moreover, observing other competitors' races and summarizing experience would also greatly benefit her strength improvement.
But Lucian definitely could not rely on her completely.
"Uuu..." Matikane Tannhauser covered her forehead, pouting aggrievedly, but soon straightened her back with full energy again. "Since Trainer said so, then leave this arduous task to me!"
Looking at her highly motivated appearance, a trace of amusement flashed in Lucian's eyes.
At this moment, Silence Suzuka suddenly spoke, "Lucian-kun, aren't you familiar with that 'Broye'? You can analyze her running style for Spe-chan."
The other horse girls all turned their heads at once, puzzled gazes focusing on Lucian.
Whether he analyzed her or not was secondary—their own Trainer actually knew that European Horse Queen? When did that happen?
Matikane Tannhauser: "T-Trainer knows Broye?! Then why didn't you say so just now?!"
Nice Nature narrowed her eyes, lightly tapping her chin with her finger, looking suspicious. "Don't tell me Trainer is a spy sent by Broye? Handing over Spe-chan and the other horse girls' data to Broye?"
"Wah!!" Twin Turbo jumped up from her chair. "There's a traitor in our 'Dream'!"
Lucian licked his lips helplessly. "Don't talk nonsense. When did I become a traitor?"
"Then how does Trainer know Broye?" Haru Urara also pressed.
"Have you all forgotten? I was studying in France before and worked as an assistant Trainer for a while."
Lucian pressed one hand on Twin Turbo's head and the other on Haru Urara's head, ruffling their hair wildly like unruly pet cats.
"Trainer, stop messing with my hair! It's going to fall out!" Twin Turbo, with messy hair, glared angrily at Lucian, but was too silly to step away first.
Haru Urara treated it as a reward, closing her eyes and enjoying it, not minding even if her hair became a bird's nest.
"Torena-san, so what exactly is Broye's strength like?" Mejiro McQueen brought the topic back on track, extinguishing the farce.
Only then did Lucian stop his actions. "Horse girls grow very quickly. Two or three years have passed, and aside from the Arc de Triomphe that just ended, I haven't paid attention to her other races. So I really don't know what level she is at now."
Lucian paused, then changed his tone. "However, she really is a genius at come-from-behind racing. When I was there, she already displayed extraordinary talent."
"And it's very obvious..." Lucian opened the computer again and played the Arc de Triomphe footage, his voice becoming much more serious. "Broye has already touched the threshold of the Zone."
He dragged the progress bar to the final sprint stage. "Look here. El Condor Pasa was originally in first place, victory within her grasp. But at the very last moment she couldn't hold off Broye and was overtaken."
Lucian dragged the bar a little further and paused the frame at the moment they crossed the line. "Half a length behind, right? But that half length was an insurmountable chasm for El Condor Pasa at the time."
"Almost an overtake in the final fifty meters. And her expression wasn't anxious at all. It seemed every step was precisely calculated, and in the end she naturally plucked the fruit of victory that belonged to her."
...
After Lucian finished his analysis, the lounge fell into an eerie silence for a moment. Everyone's expressions became somewhat grave.
"Zone..." Special Week unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, brows furrowed, quietly repeating the word that often appeared in Lucian's mouth.
"Regarding the Zone." His voice softened a little, easing the overly tense atmosphere. "I've said it before—it is a realm reached after breaking through the limits of one's own physical ability during a race."
Lucian walked to Special Week's side and gently patted her shoulder. "Do you remember the practice race against Symboli Rudolf? That feeling—Spe-chan definitely won't forget it."
Special Week's pupils contracted slightly. Memories and sensations surged like a tide—Symboli Rudolf's unreasonable dominance, the invisible aura emanating from her entire body, every step carrying suffocating pressure.
Lucian's gaze turned to Seiun Sky, Silence Suzuka, and Ines Fujin beside them.
Seiun Sky was still propping up her head, looking lazy and unconcerned, but her eyes were deeper than usual.
Silence Suzuka maintained her usual quiet posture, but her lowered brows were full of gravity.
She recalled that instant—the world seemed to contain only herself and the finish line ahead; her body felt so light it was as if it would fly...
For her, it was an extremely pleasurable experience both physically and mentally, but also a deeply painful memory.
Ines Fujin simply smiled without saying a word.
"Trainer-san, I... I'm a little scared." Special Week looked at Lucian helplessly.
"I know." Lucian naturally understood; after all, there were so many previous examples. "But Spe-chan, don't overthink it. Just run with all your might. I believe in you."
"Believe in me?" Special Week herself could barely muster any confidence.
"Mhm. Because up until now, Spe-chan has already accumulated a huge amount of training and racing experience." Lucian pulled up Special Week's physical test data. "And your physical condition has also reached its peak. So even if you step into the Zone, it will happen naturally."
Everything was ready; only the east wind was missing.
As for what the trigger would be? It might be talent, or it might be a transcendent state in a certain moment on the racetrack...
Of course, this was still Lucian's speculation.
And he was not treating Special Week as a lab rat, because during the actual race she would not think about any of this at all.
When the will to win reached its peak, entering the Zone would merely be a side effect; there was no need to pay special attention to it.
But it was still necessary for him to clearly explain these concepts to the horse girls, because only then could they continue advancing to even higher levels.
"Is that so?" Lucian's words immediately made Special Week feel much more at ease.
"Mhm. Spe-chan only needs to hold the determination to win and run from the starting gate to the finish line."
...