"I don't like her." Was Orfevre's impression of Maruzensky.
Orfevre didn't hide this dislike either; ever since Maruzensky used her Aura to test her during their first meeting, Orfevre always believed that this woman was deliberately looking for trouble.
If that was it, then Orfevre might consider changing her opinion on her, but that despicable woman then later secretly seduced her Trainer to become her student, all without informing them too!
Although the actual situation was a bit better than the one they first imagined, Orfevre still disliked Maruzensky's self-centered way of handling things.
And now, Maruzensky appeared before her again, not only getting intimately close to her Trainer, but also provocatively offering to 'test' her abilities.
This was truly unbearable.
"Oooo~ what an Aura! Way better than back then now that you've actually awakened your Aura~! I heard she turns into a completely different person once in race mode. It's true, isn't it?"
Maruzensky, of course, noticed Orfevre's strong hostility towards her.
However, she was still ultimately not on the same level as her yet, in both strength and mindset.
Maruzensky silently withdrew her Aura, and faced with Orfevre's hostility, showed no signs of being annoyed or angry.
Maruzensky was, after all, an old Senior who had been a student at Tracen Academy for who knows how many years now.
Of course, age isn't everything as although Maruzensky was older than Symboli Rudolf to the point she had to respectfully address her as 'Senior,' Maruzensky couldn't necessarily outrun Symboli Rudolf.
However, despite this, she was completely unfazed by the Emperor's so-called 'Presence.'
If she wasn't afraid of the Emperor, how could a still immature 'Golden Tyrant' possibly scare Maruzensky?
"Phewee~ You're so angy~! Very good, very good. Juniors should indeed be more competitive— but I doubt that it is actually the case, right Orfevre-chan~?"
Maruzensky's lips curved slightly, revealing a sly smile, and she leaned a bit closer to Ikezoe.
"Could it be... that you are jealous~?! Are you dissatisfied that me ande my dear little Kouhai-kun over here share such a deep teacher-student bond~?"
"—Let go of Ikezoe, you decaying old hag."
Orfevre's face immediately darkend several shades further as veins began to pop up on her neck.
Although she hadn't yet confirmed her feelings for Ikezoe, and it was impossible for their relationship to develop as quickly as T.M. Opera O and Wada, without pretense, in her heart, she implicitly considered Ikezoe her "property."
She could accept sharing with Curren Chan; after all, she was incredibly competent and was way better than her in many aspects.
That snivelling brat called Sweep Tosho didn't matter either; such an annoying little kid couldn't possibly threaten her.
But Maruzensky was different.
Whether it was her devilishly mature figure, her even 'bolder' personality, or that intense passive aggressiveness that surpasses even Curren Chan... though Orfevre knew she was likely deliberately being provoked, she couldn't help but get angry.
As Maruzensky got even more snug with Ikezoe, even Curren Chan silently became serious, her eyes turning dangerously blank.
At this moment, Orfevre and Curren Chan stood together, staring menacingly at Maruzensky.
"Hahahaha, I'm sooooooo scared~! Kouhai-kun, it seems both your Uma Musume are quite the energetic bunch, huh?"
"Teacher..."
Ikezoe, who had been pushed away by Maruzensky towards the two, didn't know what she was planning.
However, very quickly, Orfevre stepped forward and pulled Ikezoe completely over to their side, declaring, word by word:
"Stop talking nonsense. If you want to race, then let's race. I'll beat you to a pulp."
"Hehe, although I'm also curious about how strong my little juniors are, it's a pity, I don't run races anymore, you see~"
But before Orfevre could say another sharp retort, she quickly continued speaking,
"But if it's a mock race, I don't really mind at all. I'm even willing to add a wager to this race."
"If you win against me, I'll find a friend I recently met, and she'll design the highest quality of Winning Outfits for all your Uma Musume. How about it?"
"Winning Outfits?" X3
As soon as Maruzensky said this, Ikezoe, Orfevre, and Curren Chan were all immediately stunned by the value of Maruzensky's bet.
As Uma Musume, the two girls clearly understood how important a good Winning Outfit was to an Uma Musume.
Tracen's generic Winning Outfit, 'Starting Future,' was a versatile and comfortable piece of clothing; no Uma Musume wearing it would find it uncomfortable.
However, it was ultimately just a mass-produced product and so wasn't tailor-made for each individual Uma Musume, causing it to have some innate minor flaws to it, inhibiting an Uma Musume from fully unleashing their potential.
Custom-made Winning Outfits on the other hand, had no such flaws. As such, their value was on a whole another level.
In Japan, the number of tailors who could create such custom-made Winning Outfits could be counted on one hand, and without the necessary connections, it was basically impossible to get an appointment with them, even if you had the cash.
And speaking of cash, the price of a singular, full-piece, Winning Outfit would usually be equal to the total prize money earned by an average Uma Musume throughout their entire career, it was that expensive.
Yet, here Maruzensky was, immediately offering two such sets over a seemingly inconsequential mock race; it was a bit absurd no?
—But when Ikezoe thought of Maruzensky's sports car, he suddenly felt that Maruzensky was most likely actually capable of throwing money willy-nilly like this.
"Well then... get ready to lose two Winning Outfits!"
Although Orfevre was startled by Maruzensky's bet, very quickly, intense fighting spirit burst forth in her eyes.
"I accept your challenge! Maruzensky!"
"Wrong~! You're the challenger here, little Golden Tyrant~"
Maruzensky's eyes narrowed slightly, and her smile turned dangerous.
"Also, you haven't bet something in return yet, what will you do if you lose?"
"—Then I'll call you Teacher, just like Ikezoe. How about it?"
Orfevre hadn't considered this question, but she quickly answered it anyways.
"Nuh- uh, uh~ Not just that."
Maruzensky, however, waved her finger at Orfevre's words and slowly said, her smile becoming even more dangerous.
"Both you and Curren Chan over there must call me 'Teacher,' and you all must also accept any training, practice, or arrangements I give to you without objection."
"This will last until the end of your Classic Years. How about it?"
One year.
If Orfevre lost the mock race, both she and Curren Chan would have to be under Maruzensky's thumb for an entire year.
Although the two of them were certain that Maruzensky won't cause them any harm, they disliked her nonetheless; having to constantly interact with her for a whole year was indeed quite a big risk.
Orfevre and Curren Chan exchanged glances, quickly exchanging opinions through their eyes before finally coming to an agreement.
Just then, Orfevre turned back towards Maruzensky and declared without hesitation:
"Okay! I agree!"
"Okay then~ our little mock race will be held next month in Tracen Academy."
Maruzensky then chuckled a bit as she continued.
"I will set the rules for the race. Don't worry though, Rudolf and the others will be present to ensure fairness and impartiality."
"Hmph, even if you cheat, I'll win regardless."
Orfevre still held a look of arrogance, seemingly particularly looking down on Maruzensky, who claimed to have retired an unknown amount of time ago.
However, with how proud Orfevre looked, Ikezoe didn't have the heart and courage to say that she was heavily underestimating Maruzensky.
Well, actually, he himself wasn't very clear on how strong Maruzensky was either. He only remembered that her Racehorse counterpart was quite dominant in her era.
He couldn't help it, Maruzensky's generation was truly long before his time, with his deepest impression of Maruzensky back in his original world being her bloodline as a sire, not her achievements as a Racehorse.
Thinking this, Ikezoe felt that it would be best for him to consult Imanami on this matter and ask him how strong Maruzensky really was.
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave now~"
"Wait!!! —Senior Maruzensky!"
As Maruzensky was about to turn around, Sweep Tosho, who had been spectating on the side, couldn't help but jump out, standing in front of Maruzensky, and excitedly saying,
"S- senior Maruzensky—that thing just now! It was so cool! You must be a very strong witch, right?"
"Can you teach me how to do that thing?! I wanna learn powerful magic!"
"Oho? Then I suggest you to join my dear student's team, he was taught by me personally, you see."
Maruzensky chuckled and patted Ikezoe's head, turning to Sweep Tosho.
"He is my proud student. If you haven't even surpassed him, you won't be able to learn anything from me~"
"Eh... But that idiot doesn't look impressive at all?"
Sweep Tosho looked at Ikezoe with considerable disdain at her words.
She didn't think this man was anything special, and even found his face quite ugly.
"A truly masterful witch doesn't just cast spells, but also knows how to teach magic to others."
Maruzensky smiled and winked at Sweep Tosho, then pulled Ikezoe aside, saying to the rest:
"Alright, you think about it some more. Also—I'm borrowing my little Kouhai-kun for now. His study time has arrived~"
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Orfevre and Curren Chan: Can you stop flirting with our Trainer?!
Maruzensky: Lol, no~
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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.