"Simulating a heavy track? But isn't this area too small to run on?"
T.M. Opera O looked at the now damp soil, knowing that this ground would be much harder to run on compared to the turf she was used to.
She also knew that European tracks were much softer than those in Japan.
Although those tracks weren't truly natural grass and soil, if it rained and became a heavy track, it would be way worse than the heavy tracks in Japan.
However, due to them being on natural soil, the wet patch of soil could actually simulate European heavy tracks to a pretty good degree, though it was way too small.
After all, El Condor Pasa had only haphazardly poured a bit of water; the affected area was probably only enough for seven or eight people at best to roll around, let alone for an Uma Musume to run.
Maybe she could practice corner speed carryover skills... but T.M. Opera O didn't think El Condor Pasa would start off her special training with such a niche skill.
"Hmph, hmph, T.M. Opera O! I suppose you wouldn't know, would you? Well, I'll tell you! If you want to adapt to European tracks, you can't just immediately step onto the clouds; you have to take it one step at a time, desu."
El Condor Pasa truly looked like a teacher at that moment; she even pulled out a pair of square shaped glasses and started to instruct T.M. Opera O with her arms crossed.
"So, T.M. Opera O-san, start by stepping onto the wet soil and try to get used to it. The feeling is very different from Japanese turf; it's way more soft!"
"Hurry up! It's just the two of us here, so it doesn't matter if we get completely covered in mud."
"...If you say so."
T.M. Opera O, of course, didn't think El Condor Pasa intended to harm her; she wasn't that kind of person.
Thus, under El Condor Pasa's encouraging gaze, she stepped onto the sticky and viscous mud.
"Pfft."
El Condor Pasa, upon seeing T.M. Opera O's shoes stained with mud, almost couldn't hold back the smile on her face.
'So, T.M. Opera O also has moments where she isn't so 'overlord-like', huh?'
El Condor Pasa thought to herself.
As a member of Team Rigil, El Condor Pasa had always been aware of T.M. Opera O's existence, though she only regarded her as an ordinary senior.
And after the Mainichi Hai, when T.M. Opera O and El Condor Pasa separated into completely different teams, El Condor Pasa had thought that she would never meet her again in the future, bar their daily interactions in school.
However, El Condor Pasa never expected that, after that day, her former senior had surpassed all of them at an astonishing rate.
Winning all three Classic Triple Crown races, becoming the fourth Classic Triple Crown Uma Musume, battling and successfully beating Symboli Rudolf in the Arima Kinen, and becoming the new 'strongest in Japan.'
All these achievements made El Condor Pasa and all the other Uma Musume of her generation look pale in comparison.
This 'Overlord' had suddenly emerged out of nowhere with no powerful family or bigshot Trainer supporting her, and before anyone could even react, they found that she had already surpassed all of them, sitting at the pinnacle of Japan.
El Condor Pasa had initially thought that she was a force to be reckoned with for quite some time; it was only when she looked back did she discover that this former senior of hers, who had joined some new up and coming team, was already way beyond her.
However, El Condor Pasa didn't mind too much because her Trainer had told her very early on that, unless some unforeseen circumstances happened, she would be able to challenge the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe this year.
It was for this reason that she didn't care about being the strongest in Japan; the entire world was right before her eyes!
As long as she could challenge the wider world and become a world-class GI winner, she could surpass T.M. Opera O in her own way rather than having to go head-to-head with this senior of hers.
Once that happened, if El Condor Pasa were to challenge T.M. Opera O at any point, no matter who won or lost, it would only serve to showcase the strength of the other without demeaning the loser's strength.
This was what El Condor Pasa thought as she eagerly awaited her invitation to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Yet, when the supposed time for this invitation to come arrived, she still hadn't received anything at all...
She had, of course, asked Hana Toujou about this, but she had avoided answering the question completely, only telling her to continue training for the race.
While El Condor Pasa was a carefree person, she wasn't such a dunce as not to notice that Hana Toujou was trying not to hurt her feelings.
And when El Condor Pasa saw that pained and pitiful look in her Trainer's eyes, she knew very well that her chance at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe might have been ruined.
Then came the question: who was the most likely person to have replaced her at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?
Well, it wasn't hard for El Condor Pasa to guess. After all, in Japan right now, who else had the qualifications to replace her and represent Japan at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?
As such, El Condor Pasa went ahead and found T.M. Opera O.
Was she jealous? Was she angry? Did she want to beat T.M. Opera O up for stealing her spot away from her? Of course!
After all, how could anyone calmly accept the fact that their participation in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, one of the most prestigious races in the world and a race that held a very special meaning for Japan, which was almost certainly guaranteed to be theirs, was taken by a dark horse who appeared out of nowhere?
But El Condor Pasa was not like those people from Shadai; she didn't attempt to harm or sabotage T.M. Opera O because of her jealousy.
—And, even if she did succeed in doing that, T.M. Opera O's spot would not be given to her anyway.
Since this outcome had already been set in stone, El Condor Pasa had decided to make T.M. Opera O carry her aspirations to challenge for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!
She would, in the time they had, give everything she had to teach T.M. Opera O all the things she had learned so far!
Of course, even so, it didn't stop El Condor Pasa from taking a 'little revenge' on this Overlord who always held herself high, using the embarrassing sight of her being covered in mud to relieve the feelings in her heart a little bit.
However, just as El Condor Pasa was thinking this, T.M. Opera O fully stepped onto the wet soil, her shoes becoming stained with wet mud.
And after feeling the softness of the soil, which was incredibly different from Japanese tracks, she surprisingly found it easy to walk on.
"This ground... feels... so soft."
"But, I don't feel uncomfortable at all...?"
T.M. Opera O herself even found it a bit fun, jogging around on the wet patch of soil.
Yet, even when the splashing mud mixed with water stained her skirt and white stockings, she didn't seem to care at all.
'I... don't really dislike this softness? —No, rather, it feels even better than Japanese turf? Why is that?'
Thinking this, T.M. Opera O even marched in place several times, sending mud flying everywhere.
Under El Condor Pasa's slightly surprised gaze, T.M. Opera O's speed also began to quicken, from marching in place to running in place with high steps, and then gradually accelerating, her steps becoming faster and faster.
But very quickly, just as T.M. Opera O thought that adapting to such a track wasn't that difficult, she immediately lost her footing and fell backwards.
"Pfft! Hahahahahaha! I told you, T.M. Opera O!"
El Condor Pasa, seeing T.M. Opera O sitting in the mud, couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter.
Though luckily T.M. Opera O didn't get hurt from the fall, her clothes had been completely covered in mud with no clean spots left.
Her hair and accessories were also stained with mud, with there even being a little bit on her face; her tail, needless to say, was already matted with mud, making her look quite disheveled.
"Alright, alright, you have to be more careful, you know?"
"Although it seems your talent for European tracks is very good, this is the danger of heavy track conditions! If it actually rains, it can be even more slippery than here!"
"In that case, you should quickly adapt to the rhythm of this track, desu."
"Hmph hmph, even if I slip and get covered in mud, I still look so elegant and beautiful. As expected of the Overlord~"
T.M. Opera O quickly got up from the ground, shaking her entire body like a wet dog, splattering mud everywhere, which, of course, didn't spare El Condor Pasa.
"Hahaha! You're very motivated! Okay then, let's stop messing around and officially begin, desu!"
El Condor Pasa didn't care that she also got stained with the mud; instead, she became even more motivated and stepped into the wet patch of soil alongside T.M. Opera O.
"Then let's begin, it's very simple! First, we'll start by doing some high steps in place, and then run in a small circle to practice turning."
"Once you've practiced enough like this, your legs will have pretty much adapted to the softness of the European tracks."
"Of course, complete adaptation takes time, so you have to practice like this every day, T.M. Opera O, be prepared, desu!"
...
"Looks like we don't have to do anything?"
As El Condor Pasa and T.M. Opera O were getting absolutely covered in mud, Wada, Ikezoe, Imanami, Meisho Doto who had brought the three Trainers here as well as a host of Uma Musume, were all observing the two from the bushes.
"Hehe, I bet that El's training will only last for thirty minutes!"
Special Week, who had joined the group to watch El Condor Pasa's special training, couldn't help but crack a smile.
"...Speaking of which, why did you two come too?"
Tokai Teio then turned her head to look at Grass Wonder and Special Week beside her.
When they were heading towards T.M. Opera O and El Condor Pasa's location, they had encountered the two.
They had been searching for El Condor Pasa for a while now, and their expressions were also quite anxious.
Hearing that Wada and the others knew where El Condor Pasa was, they immediately followed along.
"Hu hu~ we just wanted to check in with our friend. It has been a while since El has let loose like this, you know..."
Grass Wonder replied gently, her tone matching what people expected a Yamato Nadeshiko to be like.
As her gaze was fixed on El Condor Pasa, who looked much more relaxed compared to before, she said with a smile:
"I suppose anyone would feel frustrated by this kind of thing, but at the very least, we should let El vent a little; otherwise, it wouldn't be good for her to keep bottling things up."
"Don't you agree, Trainer Wada? You wouldn't mind, would you?"
"Uh... yeah..."
Wada could only reply sheepishly to Grass Wonder's undisguised hint.
After all, despite El Condor Pasa's rather wild antics, Grass Wonder and her were basically best friends.
Thus, when she found out that the reason why El Condor Pasa was so sad lately was because her chance at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe had been taken away, she actually got quite angry.
But as for how the current situation would develop... they could only wait and see.
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Rare Grass Wonder mention
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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.