"Eh? T.M. Opera O, what are you reading?"
Meanwhile, in the training grounds, the Uma Musume who had been sent away by their respective Trainers were all training on their own here.
As she was doing some stretches, Tokai Teio noticed that unlike the others, T.M. Opera O was sitting nearby, holding a book in a language she couldn't recognize.
Curious, she leaned in to ask.
However, after just a glance, Tokai Teio's head started to feel dizzy from how densely printed the characters In the book were.
Seeing Teio's dazed state, T.M. Opera O let out a quick chuckle and replied with a smile:
"It's a beginner's guide to French. I borrowed it from the library. I'm honestly surprised Tracen's library had an entire section dedicated to French."
"You're learning French? T.M. Opera O, are you already preparing for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?"
Tokai Teio was slightly surprised by T.M. Opera O's actions, but then realized it made sense.
After all, she was the strongest Uma Musume in Japan right now; it made sense that she wouldn't have to pay too much attention to domestic races any more.
And with T.M. Opera O's participation in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe basically confirmed, it was reasonable for her to make preparing for it her highest priority.
Plus, she had to stay as healthy as she could as well as having to avoid injuries whenever possible, so running in any upcoming GI race like the Osaka Hai, which Meisho Doto planned to run in, was a big no-no.
Of course, another big contributing reason for this decision was to give way for other Uma Musume to showcase their strength.
T.M. Opera O had already reached the top in Japan, and she no longer needed to win any more GIs to prove herself, so why hog the spotlight and not let it shine on others instead?
Thus, with the exception of the Takarazuka Kinen, which wouldn't pose that big of a challenge for T.M. Opera O, she only had to worry about the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, one of the most glorious races in the world!
"Wahhh~ I'm so jealous!"
Tokai Teio then plopped herself onto the seat right next to T.M. Opera O, her face openly expressing her longing.
"I also wanna race in a big race and be as popular and cool as you, T.M. Opera O~ But I can only debut next year..."
"Hey, after Orfevre and McQueen finish their Senior Years, do I still have a chance to race against you all in the future?"
"...There will definitely be a chance, Teio."
T.M. Opera O smiled. She clearly understood how frustrating it was for an Uma Musume as competitive as Teio to have to wait for her debut.
Seeing her friends, one by one, rising to prominence, and possibly exiting the stage before she could even debut must have made her feel lonely, with her wishing to compete with the others at their peak.
Unfortunately, T.M. Opera O knew very well that if Teio actually got her wish, it wouldn't be a truly good thing for her.
She and the others are capable of pushing their bodies to their absolute limits without lasting repercussions.
However, Teio... well, every time she overexerts herself, the metaphorical ticking time bomb on her legs would inch closer to its detonation.
"You just have to wait another year. By then, no one will be competing with you for the Classic Triple Crowns and you can even become an Undefeated Classic Triple Crown Uma Musume just like you've always dreamed of!"
"It is an achievement that even I, the Overlord, couldn't realize, you know."
"Ugh—but then the Undefeated Classic Triple Crown Uma Musume title would feel super cheap... I'll just be a big fish in a small pond... Everyone will still treat me like a child...!"
Teio was, of course, not happy at all.
What she wanted wasn't just the title of 'Undefeated Classic Triple Crown Uma Musume,' but also the fierce competition and awe-inspiring journey behind it too.
After all, what would be the point of being an Undefeated Classic Triple Crown Uma Musume if all you did to get there was crushing some under-leveled newbies like Orfevre?
Tokai Teio and T.M. Opera O continued chattering for a while before suddenly, a student seemed to have noticed T.M. Opera O's presence and immediately rushed towards them.
Then a cheerful voice with a somewhat strange accent entered the ears of the two Uma Musume.
"Good Afternoon! T.M. Opera O! Tokai Teio! Everyone from Team Miracle! Good afternoon, desu!"
"—El Condor Pasa?"
Amidst Tokai Teio's complaining, the Uma Musume with American blood, a boisterous personality, and who wore a mask with a lucha libre design arrived before Team Miracle like a whirlwind.
She was just like her name, swift and proud as a condor. (T/N: Condor is a type of bird)
And when the running El Condor Pasa entered T.M. Opera O's field of view, her competitive spirit immediately flared up.
T.M. Opera O found the sensation strange. Considering that she had never competed with El Condor Pasa on the same stage or even seen her full speed yet, it must mean that this feeling of hers was purely by intuition.
But... this feeling was also different from the feeling of meeting a strong opponent like Mejiro McQueen or Symboli Rudolf.
It was almost like El Condor Pasa was the same type of Uma Musume as her.
Although T.M. Opera O had never experienced this feeling before, ever since the Kikuka Sho, her ability to judge people had become much stronger than before.
Not only that, though T.M. Opera O sensed that El Condor Pasa was in a good mood, deep down, there was a hint of gloom and hatred which was directed towards... her?
"Good afternoon, El Condor Pasa."
T.M. Opera O temporarily hid her thoughts and asked with a kind smile,
"Seeing how active you are... do you want to have a sparring race with our team? We're free right now, so if that's the case, we can have a fun match, you know."
"Hehe, I see you're full of energy, T.M. Opera O! El thought that you'd become complacent after beating the President, but it seems like El was just worrying too much, desu."
El Condor Pasa's words carried her usual hint of arrogance, which was actually due to her straightforward personality, and not that she was looking down on anyone.
However... this time, T.M. Opera O didn't think the tone behind her words was entirely pure.
No, rather, there was a rather strange feeling behind her words; it was something along the lines of wanting to have a decisive match with T.M. Opera O.
"Indeed, El really wants to race against T.M. Opera O. After all, you're the strongest in Japan right now, aren't 'cha?"
"If El defeats T.M. Opera O, then wouldn't El Condor Pasa become the strongest in Japan, desu?"
"—But El isn't here to race against you this time; El's here to give you training, T.M. Opera O!"
"...Training?"
However, when El Condor Pasa said this, it wasn't just T.M. Opera O; Tokai Teio also tilted her head in confusion.
For a moment she even wondered if today was actually April Fools' Day and El Condor Pasa was here to joke.
After all, T.M. Opera O had already defeated the Emperor, the former strongest in Japan, in the Arima Kinen; no one could debate that someone else in Japan was stronger than her.
Hana Toujou had even said once that, "I have nothing left to train her; rather, Symboli Rudolf is the one that is teaching me how to be a Trainer."
Not only that, El Condor Pasa wasn't even a Trainer in the first place!
One can imagine how baffling El Condor Pasa's current action of offering to train T.M. Opera O was.
"Hehe, El saw it, you all are confused, right? Are you looking down on me, desu?"
El Condor Pasa seemed to have anticipated this reaction, but she wasn't angry.
Instead, as if she had been praised, she put her hands on her hips and said confidently,
"When it comes to Japanese racetracks, even if I don't want to say it, I admit that I am indeed no match for you."
"But you are going to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October later this year, right?"
"If we're talking about foreign racetracks like those in Paris, El is very confident now that she can defeat T.M. Opera O!"
"Huh? El Condor Pasa, how do you know about T.M. Opera O participating in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?"
However, Tokai Teio noticed a strange detail about El Condor Pasa's statement.
Back when Symboli Rudolf revealed this information, the only people present were those from Team Miracle; even Hana Toujou wasn't there.
So, just how in the world did El Condor Pasa know that T.M. Opera O had received an invitation to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?
Before Tokai Teio could figure out the answer to this question, T.M. Opera O had already pieced together the clues from El Condor Pasa's behaviour.
Her inexplicable hostility towards her, her seemingly provocative attitude, her offer to train, and her knowing her participation in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe...
At that moment, a light bulb had just lit up in T.M. Opera O's brain and she began to understand why El Condor Pasa was standing before her now.
"Hahahahaha! As expected of my former teammate! It seems that even after I, the Overlord, have grown beyond all, I still have things to learn!"
T.M. Opera O wore her exaggerated persona yet again to cover up for El Condor's passive aggressive behaviour as if she hadn't noticed anything and stood up to meet El Condor Pasa's eyes.
"Then, El Condor Pasa, let this Overlord experience the feeling of learning once more! No matter what you throw at me, I'll overcome them all!"
"Hehe, you're very confident, T.M. Opera O, but this is the T.M. Opera O that El admires, desu!"
El Condor Pasa quickly changed her attitude in response and replied confidently:
"Then be prepared for El's special training! Desu!"
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I'm in my Re Zero phase right now and El Condor's "desus" keep reminding me of Petelgeuse.
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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.