How could someone this important come to see him just one week after he'd started as the school doctor?
Symboli Rudolf had long since become a legend and retired. It wasn't as if she could have broken a bone like her successor, Tokai Teio, and come to him for treatment... So what could it be?
(Too bad the Emperor had retired ages ago. Otherwise, she'd definitely have given me even more cash than Teio!)
The unscrupulous young man couldn't help feeling a twinge of regret.
He immediately turned his gaze away from the screen and looked toward the door.
"Come in."
Lin Anran then saw a brown-haired Uma Musume walk in. She wasn't particularly tall, but her presence was extraordinary.
Their eyes met the next moment.
A flash of surprise crossed Symboli Rudolf's eyes. She apparently hadn't expected the doctor who had managed to heal Tokai Teio's fracture to be so young and handsome.
After all, many people believed that certain professionals—doctors and programmers, for example—were more capable the less hair they had.
In other words, the amount of hair on one's head was inversely proportional to one's skill. That was the stereotype surrounding certain professions.
Symboli Rudolf didn't share that particular stereotype, but she was still more accustomed to meeting famous doctors who were middle-aged or older. She hadn't often encountered such a young doctor who could treat a serious fracture.
So it was only natural for her to feel a little surprised.
The fact that he had managed to make substantial progress in treating a fracture that had stumped every other famous doctor, and done so in such a short time, was proof enough of his skill. Tracen Academy in Japan was incredibly fortunate to have him working there!
This Doctor Lin was surely one of the best in the world. A miracle-working doctor of rare caliber!
Lin Anran had only been here for a few days, but the unscrupulous young doctor was already earning a glowing reputation.
Admittedly, Tracen Academy wasn't a top-tier institution when it came to the average ability of its Uma Musume or the competitiveness of its races. In all its years, it had produced only a handful of world-class Uma Musume...
But if there was one thing Tracen Academy had plenty of, it was money!
Salary and bonuses didn't usually appeal much to Uma Musume who loved racing and hoped to achieve better results. But surely they were a powerful draw for doctors who treated Uma Musume?
Symboli Rudolf hoped that Lin Anran would stay at Tracen Academy, so he could treat the younger girls who had the misfortune of suffering injuries.
"Doctor Lin, thank you for treating Teio."
"For an Uma Musume, what you did was an incredible blessing. If only... you'd appeared sooner."
There was a hint of regret in Symboli Rudolf's words.
The reason Tokai Teio had won two crowns undefeated instead of three was that she had suffered a fracture and couldn't compete for the final crown.
Even Emperor Symbol of Rudolf had once suffered a serious injury before traveling to America to compete against the champions of Europe and America—and had suffered a crushing defeat.
If Lin Anran had appeared sooner, could things have turned out differently?
But it was too late to change what had happened. All they could do was try to prevent a similar regret from happening again.
"There's no need to thank me. It's my job."
Lin Anran waved his hand with a faint smile.
But behind the seemingly carefree manner of the unscrupulous young doctor...
(She paid for Teio's treatment, after all. She was very generous!)
(Now I just have to wait for her to return to racing and win, so I can get a hefty cut of her prize money!)
How could he not heal Tokai Teio when she was willing to pay extra?
"Miss Rudolf, was there something you needed?"
Lin Anran got straight to the point and asked about the next important matter.
Symboli Rudolf immediately regained her composure and explained why she had come.
Then she mentioned a name that Lin Anran never would have expected.
"Platinum—!"
"Before the exciting Debut Race between her and Daiwa Scarlet a few days ago, you were the one who paid the entry fee, Doctor Lin."
"I'd like to get in touch with Platinum and talk with her. Could you give me her contact information?"
Symboli Rudolf finished explaining why she had come.
There weren't that few horses, but there were very few Uma Musume. One major reason was that the brutal Debut Race eliminated the vast majority of them!
To set that barrier, most races charged an entry fee, though the amount varied.
So when a girl had failed the Debut Race several times, investing a great deal of effort and money without managing to debut, she would usually give up on the idea if she lacked the talent.
The fee for a Debut Race wasn't high at all. It was affordable for any ordinary girl. But when Platinum entered her first Debut Race, Lin Anran had paid the fee...
That at least proved that they knew each other. It didn't, however, reveal how close they were.
So Symboli Rudolf decided to start by asking for Platinum's contact information.
(That was... fast!)
Lin Anran hadn't expected Symboli Rudolf to come looking for him because of Platinum after only a few days...
Was this Emperor lady a little too ridiculously devoted to nurturing her juniors?
But there was no way he could claim not to know her now. He couldn't distance himself from the situation.
A few seconds later, Lin Anran nodded and took out his phone, sending Symboli Rudolf the account for a secondary profile he rarely used.
"This is her account..."
"Please!"
Symboli Rudolf, standing nearby, followed the information Lin Anran had given her and added the account, looking very satisfied.
Once everything was settled, the Emperor thanked Lin Anran again before preparing to leave.
In short—she was determined to get this promising little filly and recruit her to Tracen!
The next day!
At a racecourse, the Miss Heavenly Horse who had been on everyone's minds still hadn't accepted Symboli Rudolf's friend request.
While the Emperor waited anxiously, Platinum stood at the entrance to a racetrack, yawning lazily.
"Uwaaah..."
"Ahh, I haven't earned enough prize money yet. I still need to win a graded stakes race before I can enter the Classic races!"
The petite, fair-skinned girl walked into the racecourse with a hint of reluctance.
Clearly, Platinum, who was preparing for the Triple Crown of Transformation, needed to win one more race before she could enter the Oaks and the Japanese Derby through supplementary registration.
Before facing the monster Agnes Tachyon, the Assassin had shown up here...
First, she had to win one more race.
"All right, then. I'll just start winning from here~"
PS: Recommending a friend's book
14. Miss Heavenly Horse Starts Her Experienced Battles (and Overtime)!
A GIII graded stakes race, in the waiting area.
"Huh? She's not preparing for the Baby Cup, but has come to challenge us in a graded stakes race?"
"After beating Daiwa Scarlet, does she think no one her age can match her, so now she's challenging her seniors?"
"Isn't she afraid her Undefeated Triple Crown will turn into a mere Triple Crown at best?"
"It's only been a week since her last Debut Race, and she beat a Uma Musume with graded-stakes-level ability, Daiwa Scarlet. That was an incredibly tough race."
"Can her body really recover in time?"
Several surprised voices murmured quietly.
Of the dozen or more Uma Musume in the waiting area, most of them had their eyes fixed on a white-haired girl in the corner.
The white-haired girl seemed to have the composure of someone who wouldn't bat an eye if Mount Tai collapsed in front of her. She was the youngest and had debuted more recently than anyone else there, yet she showed no sign of nervousness.
Usually, race officials in various countries placed some limits and safeguards on how often an Uma Musume could compete, to prevent her from overexerting herself.
In Japan, the race officials—URA—required an Uma Musume to rest for at least a week before competing again.
But in truth, most spectators and even Uma Musume thought the rule was unnecessary. Hardly anyone would try to race that often.
After all, Uma Musume often needed a month or even two to fully recover from a tough race. What kind of Uma Musume would compete in another race after resting for just one week?
That would mean chasing victory and prize money at the expense of her life!
Yet they'd never expected to see such a battle-hardened monster with their own eyes!
Besides restrictions, there were also safeguards in the form of different race categories.
An Uma Musume who had just debuted could enter that year's Triple Crown races. Alternatively, she could compete in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes first and challenge for the Triple Crown the following year.
But those who aimed for this year's Classic races usually debuted at the start of the year, giving themselves time to build up enough racing experience before entering the Triple Crown races a few months later.
As for the route of challenging for the Triple Crown the following year... that usually started with races like the Futurity Stakes, which were jokingly called the "Baby Cup."
Clearly, the first race of the Classic Triple Crown had already taken place. Since Platinum had only debuted now, she should have been taking the route of challenging the Futurity Stakes.
Shouldn't she be training properly, or entering an easier, lower-tier race, like the non-graded OP Class Akan Lake Special?
So why was Platinum here? How dare she challenge all these seniors from the Classic Year and even the Older Horses division?
The Uma Musume who had entered the race were surprised to see Platinum competing. Some of them even felt a surge of excitement, eager to claim a victory over her.
Although Platinum's previous race hadn't been a graded stakes race, but only her Debut Race, no one considered Daiwa Scarlet a mere rookie. She had the strength of a graded-stakes competitor.
There was no doubt that Platinum, who had beaten even Daiwa Scarlet by a wide margin, had a limitless future and could certainly win the most prestigious G1 races among the graded stakes. But right now, she was surely in poor condition!
Some of the competitors couldn't help thinking along those lines...
An Undefeated Triple Crown? Not anymore! After losing this race, Platinum would be limited to winning an ordinary Fillies' Triple Crown or Classic Triple Crown at best!
"People remember Wellington and Blücher because they defeated Napoleon at Waterloo!"
And now they might have a chance to make history by defeating the future G1 champion, Platinum! They couldn't let that opportunity pass them by!
While these seniors, who should have known better, grew restless and excited,
Miss Platinum, forced to work overtime, remained lazily slouched in her chair, showing no emotion at all.
(I really don't want to work overtime, but I have to earn enough prize money to enter the Oaks and the Derby.)
(Ugh... I'd better finish this quickly!)
A short while later.
All the competitors were in the starting gates, including Platinum.
This time, Platinum had drawn gate 15, the far-outside gate!
3!
2!
Despite the poor gate position, Miss Heavenly Horse remained unfazed, her gaze fixed on the gate, her eyes sharp.
Her ears twitched slightly, listening for the slightest movement as she waited for the gates to open.
(I've already tried the Late-runner style. This time, I'll try a different running style.)
(I remember that running as a Leader requires a good start. Starting from an outside gate probably makes it hard to break quickly and claim a good position...)
It was worth noting that Platinum was taking this race even more seriously than her last Debut Race!
She kept her focus as she prepared to try a new running style, waiting for the final countdown.
At last—!
Before you continue