Before Myriad Dreams and Yaeno Muteki could enjoy even a moment of post-victory tranquility, a wave of even wilder cheering approached from afar!
"LITTLE—SISTER—!!!!"
Led by Stay Gold, the members of the Gold Family, including Orfevre, Dream Journey, Nakayama Festa, and Gold Ship, broke through the (symbolic) barrier of the security staff and instantly swarmed around Myriad Dreams!
"She won, she won! Our little sister is the world champion!"
"The Gold Family's prestige shakes France!"
"Celebrate! We must have a massive celebration!"
Gold Ship and Dream Journey grabbed Myriad Dreams by the arms from both sides without a word.
With the others crowding around, they actually hoisted the exhausted, freshly crowned champion right into the air!
"Whoa! What are you doing! Put me down! I can walk on my own!" Myriad Dreams cried out in fright, kicking her legs in a futile struggle.
She had just finished a grueling 2400-meter battle!
"Hahaha! This is a victory parade! Just enjoy it, little sister!" Gold Ship roared with laughter, giving Myriad Dreams zero chance to resist.
Watching from the side, Yaeno Muteki's brow twitched.
She tried to step forward to stop them, but was halted by a single look from Orfevre (which carried the clear meaning of "this is family business").
She could only watch helplessly as Myriad Dreams was kidnapped and carried away by this group of over-excited family members.
Amidst the ruckus, Myriad Dreams was carried all the way out of Longchamp Racecourse and stuffed into a pre-arranged, garishly decorated limo.
The car sped through the streets and finally stopped in front of a restaurant that looked extremely high-end, yet whose interior decor inexplicably leaned into the Gold Family style of gaudy flamboyance.
The restaurant had clearly been booked out.
The long dining table was covered with exquisite French cuisine and... a massive pile of Japanese sweets (obviously prepared specifically for the occasion).
But what drew the most attention were the beautifully wrapped gifts placed in front of every seat.
Myriad Dreams was pressed into the seat of honor. She stared blankly at the mountain of gift boxes before her.
At the very top of the pile in front of her sat a giant, transparent glass jar filled with colorful, multi-flavored chewing gum!
And it was all of her favorite brand!
Myriad Dreams picked up the heavy jar, her heart a whirlwind of emotions.
She felt touched, yet didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"You guys... even investigated which brand I like..."
Orfevre walked over to her side with her arms crossed.
Her face wore a rare, not-too-stiff smile, and in her characteristic, somewhat overbearing tone, she spoke.
"Of course. After all, you are the little sister we've acknowledged."
Her tone implied this was as natural as the rising sun.
Myriad Dreams pressed a hand to her forehead, attempting to correct her for the thousandth time: "I keep telling you, I'm not—"
Before she could finish, the usually quiet and elegant Nakayama Festa also walked over.
She leaned in slightly, caught a faint scent near Myriad Dreams' neck, and then looked up at her with those calm eyes, stating with absolute certainty:
"Myriad Dreams, there's no need to deny it anymore. You clearly have the scent of our Gold Family on you."
Myriad Dreams: "!!!"
'Scent?! What scent?! Could it be that inheriting factors from the System means inheriting the scent too??'
Seeing the certain expressions of the surrounding Gold Family members— as if saying "See, even Festa says so"— and the genuine mix of pride, excitement, and intimacy in their eyes, Myriad Dreams completely gave up the struggle.
She covered her forehead weakly and let out a long, resigned sigh:
"Sigh... It's over... There's no explaining my way out of this now..."
She looked at the mountain of chewing gum before her, then at this group of family members with their vastly different personalities and eccentric vibes who were truly happy for her.
The helplessness in her heart eventually melted into a faint warmth that even she hadn't noticed yet.
'Fine... I guess I'll just treat it as... having gained a group of noisy, troublesome family members...'
In this Paris restaurant filled with laughter (and a bit of chaos), the victory party for the new Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe champion kicked off in an incredibly "Gold Family" fashion.
And Myriad Dreams' family status seemed to be nailed down once and for all amidst the clamor.