"Hmm… this matter is indeed very serious, McQueen. Even we can't act rashly here."
After some time, the Mejiro sisters finally returned to the Mejiro Estate, with McQueen bringing her sisters to meet the Mejiro Family Head.
The Mejiro Family Head, who was about to retire for the day, saw her grandchildren returning home, making a ruckus and demanding to see her. She quickly realized that these children had probably encountered a troublesome issue at school.
So, without even changing out of her nightgown, she threw on a coat and went to her office. There, facing McQueen's explanation and the gaze of her sisters, the Mejiro Family Head finally understood how significant this matter was.
Shadai… was a true behemoth. Even she dared not provoke them for fear of retaliation.
"McQueen, although you are the pride of our Mejiro Family and the Uma Musume most likely to win the Tenno Sho, you are from a branch family. Which means that you might not know what the name 'Shadai' truly means to us..."
"Though our Mejiro Family is not a partner of Shadai nor one of their six major families, Shadai is still the largest source of resources in Japan today. And as such, we not only compete with each other but also cooperate when we have intertwined interests."
"Shadai's action is indeed underhanded, but it's not worth it to burn bridges with Shadai over this… At least for the Mejiro Family, antagonizing Shadai would inevitably affect many of our businesses."
The Mejiro Family Head pondered deeply for a moment, then finally looked up at McQueen and said:
"I will personally go and discuss this matter with Shadai, McQueen. I will make sure they won't touch you or Trainer Imanami. But… I cannot guarantee the same for the other two Trainers in your team."
"How can this be… Grandmother, you must have another way, right?"
McQueen's pupils constricted slightly upon hearing this, and she stepped forward, asking with extreme reluctance: "This isn't just about me and my Trainer. Everyone can't afford to be separated from their Trainers."
"We finally found the Trainers best suited for us. If we just let Shadai do what they want, all these excellent Uma Musume—if they lose their Trainers, their talent will truly be wasted."
"…McQueen, I know this is difficult for you, but you must also understand my predicament."
The Mejiro Family Head, of course, understood the immense influence a Trainer had on an Uma Musume. It could be said that a Trainer is the main determiner of an Uma Musume's condition, performance, and whether they can push themselves through the limit on the racecourse.
—This was not metaphysics, nor hearsay. Under the supervision of a suitable Trainer, it has been proven many times that Uma Musume would usually unleash greater power than during training.
The power might come from motivation related to affection, trust, or whatever. Although this might seem like pseudoscience, generation after generation of Trainers and Uma Musume had proven this point; it was by no means groundless.
Thus, Trainers were extremely important, a point almost all families and URA academies unanimously recognized—but Shadai alone held different opinions regarding Trainers.
Shadai believes that the relationship between a Trainer and an Uma Musume did not need to be completely bound.
An Uma Musume did not necessarily need to be tied down to a single Trainer. After all, receiving guidance from multiple Trainers with differing skill sets and perspectives at once was better, right?
The mindset Shadai held was that the progress of an excellent Uma Musume was something a single Trainer couldn't keep up with.
Therefore, once an Uma Musume's level "surpassed" their current Trainer's level, a new, more skilled Trainer would replace them shortly.
Only Trainers with higher levels could guide more excellent Uma Musume, thus allowing the Uma Musume to progress rather than be restricted. Restricting an Uma Musume's growth due to a Trainer's level, thereby causing many Uma Musume to waste their talents, was a shameful and wasteful act.
—Up to this point, what Shadai said was not entirely unreasonable. However, their actions showed that they clearly cared more about following the letter of their policy rather than the spirit of it.
Since they monopolize the resources needed to train an excellent Uma Musume, they use this as an excuse to gather Uma Musume from various local and even central tracks, solely to brand these Uma Musume with the "Shadai" label.
Simply put, it was basically: I believe you don't have the resources to nurture your excellent Uma Musume (A/N: Since most resources are monopolized by us), so send her to Shadai to enjoy better training. This is better for both you and them.
What, you disagree? Then I apologize. We currently have a "shortage" of supplies. Your training resources will be directly cut off.
This Uma Musume's future will either become a complete waste, or we will forcibly acquire her later anyway. Feel free to choose.
This behavior was undoubtedly blatant thuggery, but Shadai's six major families united to defend their exclusive right to act like thugs. Other parties, who had no capital to interject, would then have no choice but to let the status quo stay.
Defending the Mejiro Family's interest was already the limit of what the Mejiro Family Head could do in front of Shadai.
As for Wada and Ikezoe… frankly, unless they also became members of the Mejiro Family, it would be very difficult for her to deal with those people from Shadai.
Tap, tap, tap.
Just as the atmosphere inside gradually turned heavy, a knock on the door interrupted the conversation. The Mejiro Family Head frowned and immediately said:
"Who is it? Didn't I say not to disturb me?"
"I apologize, Family Head, but… someone outside wants to see you."
The attendant outside the door did not open it but spoke through the door to everyone inside, with a hint of panic in her voice: "It's the Gold Family. They've come again."
"And this time, all of them have come, Madam. What do you think… we should do?"
"…Why now of all times?"
Madam Mejiro began to feel a throbbing pain in her forehead.
The Mejiro Family could handle anything, and they could maintain their elegance in any situation, but only when facing the Gold Family did they find it unbearable, as if they were naturally at odds with this unruly bunch.
The Mejiro Family Head also didn't know why the Mejiro Family and the Gold Family always had so many connections, but since they had come, she couldn't just leave them hanging outside—they would definitely forcefully break in! Thus, she simply said indifferently:
"…Let them in. I remember two Uma Musume from the Gold Family are also involved in this matter. They are probably here to discuss this as well."
"Yes, Madam," the attendant outside the door said with a sigh of relief, then went to invite them in.
At this moment, Mejiro McQueen tilted her head in curiosity.
While somewhat surprised by the Gold Family's arrival, she inexplicably thought to herself: Gold Ship... didn't try to infiltrate our home like last time? How strange.
Click.
Just as Mejiro McQueen was thinking this, the door opened, and Gold Ship, as the acting Family Head, was the first to enter the room.
However, this time, Gold Ship's appearance made everyone from the Mejiro Family present completely stunned.
Gold Ship had completely changed from her usual lively demeanor. This time, she was remarkably serene, and she wasn't even wearing her school uniform, but a red evening gown.
She had also removed the weird hat that severely affected her beauty, letting her grey-white hair cascade down.
"—Greetings, Mejiro Family Head. I, Gold Ship, acting Family Head of the Gold Family, have brought my sisters to discuss matters with you. We apologize for our uninvited arrival."
Gold Ship even performed a very elegant curtsy, her movements so refined that it made everyone wonder if she was an impostor.
"Um… please, acting Family Head of the Gold Family, there's no need to be so formal."
Even the Mejiro Family Head was taken aback, extremely unaccustomed to such a quiet Gold Ship, and patiently said:
"Since you are visiting as the Family Head this time, please take a seat here. There's no need to be so… serious. Relax a little, just be yourself."
"This is myself, Mejiro Family Head." Gold Ship's behavior today was indeed abnormal, because the normal Gold Ship was constantly in an abnormal state.
At this moment, the Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family beside her were already starting to feel their scalps tingle.
What on earth does this Gold Ship want to do? Gold Ship, if you're normal, I'm abnormal, which is very scary!
"This time, I am here to convey the Gold Family's stance, Mejiro Family Head, which is that our Gold Family will absolutely not compromise with Shadai."
"However, the strength of the Gold Family alone is far from enough. Therefore, I am here to discuss a cooperation relationship between the Gold Family and the Mejiro Family."
Gold Ship ignored the reactions of others around her and explained her purpose word by word. Her unusually serious demeanor indicated that she was truly treating this matter with utmost gravity.
There were some things that even Gold Ship did not wish to see, and those were the things she needed to defend with all her might.
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Remember yesterday's big announcement?
Yeah, uh, that's not happening anymore cause Webnovel deletes all the paragraph comments even when I leave the paragraphs with comments alone.
Whelp, though all comments in Chapter 1 is now lost, at least it has better formatting now.
Of course, if you guys don't care about if your comments gets deleted and think I should still do it, feel free to tell me.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.