Transforming into Platinum and stepping onto the track—or even standing on the winners' podium—had never made her this nervous... Perhaps it was because Miss Heavenly Horse's petite body naturally held the calm and composure of an assassin.
Lin Anran took a step back to make room, signaling for Agnes Tachyon to come in.
Compared with the absurd idea that something might be wrong with her legs, Agnes Tachyon was far more interested in the young doctor before her. He smelled rather nice, and people said his medical skills were excellent.
(Interesting. A doctor so many monsters in America had their eyes on really must be something special.)
(Besides being somewhat alluring, his ability to treat Senior Teio's broken bone is completely unheard of!)
(His research value is far greater than that of an ordinary GI champion Uma Musume.)
On one side was a black-hearted doctor who only wanted to know whether he could make money, and had no interest in her at all. On the other was an Uma Musume who had no interest in her legs, didn't think anything serious was wrong, and was instead fascinated by Doctor Lin.
Before long, both sides were eyeing each other intently.
The first to speak was the mature, black-hearted adult. After all, he had far more social experience than a little filly who spent her time running, training, and doing research at school—and he was quicker with his words, too!
The despicable adult spoke first!
"Since you're already here, whatever the matter may be, please let me give you a checkup first."
"As an Uma Musume, you have to take good care of your legs."
"I won't charge you for the examination. I just want you to stay healthy and compete without any problems."
As always, Lin Anran put on the warm, sunny enthusiasm he'd cultivated back in America, making the little fillies he met feel as if they were basking in the spring breeze.
As for the examination fee...
Even if he did charge, how much would it be?
The most money was always made from treatment, never from examinations.
Back in America, even when faced with those little fillies who seemed to have no potential or future, Lin Anran had resisted fleecing them and chosen to take the long view.
He certainly wouldn't rush things with an Uma Musume as promising as Agnes Tachyon! The experienced, black-hearted young doctor knew better than that.
Lin Anran's sincerity and enthusiasm left Agnes Tachyon momentarily stunned. Then she gave a slight nod.
After all, she'd promised Manhattan Cafe before coming that she would have a doctor take a look at her legs while she was at it.
Since Doctor Lin seemed to have a strong sense of professional ethics, she might as well let him examine her first. It wouldn't take much time, anyway.
With that in mind, Agnes Tachyon began her examination.
Nearly half an hour later.
Agnes Tachyon hadn't expected it to take so long. She watched the young doctor withdraw his hand after repeatedly feeling her thigh and foot.
Why had he started touching her?
And why had he done it several times?
Why had he gone to rummage through the bookshelf? Shouldn't he be looking for medicine?
A flicker of confusion—and rare panic—crossed Agnes Tachyon's composed, delicate face.
"Doctor Lin, how is it? When can I get some rest?"
Lin Anran had finally pulled a book on Uma Musume medicine from the back row of the bookshelf. After checking it again and again, he was the one breaking into a sweat.
"Unless I'm mistaken—"
"Miss Tachyon, you'll be able to rest for the rest of your life."
His prospective patron... had flown away!
A terminal illness! Tendinitis!
Twenty minutes earlier...
As Lin Anran examined Agnes Tachyon, his future patron, he'd still been smiling, completely composed and confident, with plenty of experience under his belt.
If he had to describe it, it would probably have been:
—Hehe.
But ten minutes later, the black-hearted young doctor had begun to feel that something was wrong. Cold sweat gradually beaded on his forehead.
His expression changed, too, becoming...
—No more hehe.
"Don't fear a doctor who smiles. Fear one whose brows droop."
Then Lin Anran's smile slowly vanished, and his face stiffened completely. He straightened up and felt Agnes Tachyon's leg again and again, trying to confirm his suspicion.
At last, drenched in sweat, he turned and went to search the bookshelf behind him.
The good news: her condition wasn't severe enough to be named after Agnes Tachyon.
The bad news: there was no need to think about racing, either. Agnes Tachyon could devote herself to research all day long.
The worse news: the black-hearted doctor might not get paid for treatment. His patron had no race winnings to share with him, because she could already start preparing to retire.
It wasn't that Lin Anran lacked medical skill or had a poor memory. It was simply that Agnes Tachyon's condition was a little too rare and serious!
Her debuffs had stacked up completely. Any experienced doctor would have grown tense—or simply shaken their head.
At that moment, Lin Anran desperately hoped he'd made a mistake in his judgment or diagnosis. If he had, there might still be a chance to treat her, and he might even earn a substantial medical fee.
But if he was right, and it really was that condition, his prospective patron would be gone...
No—she'd be done for. She could retire on the spot and deliver her retirement speech!
Just two days ago, she'd been preparing for the Japanese Derby, shouting, "Platinum, you're the challenger!" and "Will I win? I will!" Now the situation had become critical!
The black-hearted young doctor, full of professional ethics, desperately hoped he'd remembered wrong or diagnosed her incorrectly. So he turned back to the bookshelf to check, hoping to find another possibility.
But unfortunately...
After finally pulling out a thick medical book, he spent a while flipping through it and comparing the details.
They matched. Completely!
His judgment and medical skills were correct. The problem... really was Agnes Tachyon's leg! It really was this condition!
It was tendinitis, known as the terminal illness of Uma Musume. It wouldn't destroy the body or take a life, but it would mercilessly strip away an Uma Musume's ability to compete!
Afterward, the patient could still walk around freely, but would struggle to maintain high-intensity running. She would go from being an Uma Musume to an ordinary horse girl.
For an Uma Musume, this was as hopeless as terminal cancer was for a human. Even the most outstanding elite, even a champion capable of sweeping the GI Races, could only accept retirement in the face of this terminal illness!
After all, in the history of Uma Musume racing in Japan, Tokai Teio—who overcame a fracture—had already been called a "miraculous comeback."
A fracture, at least, had a slim chance of being treated or overcome. But tendinitis was utterly incurable, and countless times more terrifying.
If injuries were classified by severity, tendinitis was unquestionably in the highest tier. It was a true terminal illness that current human medical technology could never overcome!
"I'm sorry... At this point, there's probably no need to think about rest, training, or racing."
Lin Anran spoke one word at a time, his expression heavy with regret.
"Tendinitis. I imagine you know a little about this condition, Miss Tachyon?"
"You... have it. It's also known as a terminal illness."
The instant Agnes Tachyon heard "tendinitis," her pupils shrank, and her heart began racing.
For a monster of a genius like Agnes Tachyon, famed for her composure, intelligence, and madness, it was rare for her to lose her calm.
"Huh?"
"I..."
"Tendinitis?!"
But now... she stood frozen, her mind blank and temporarily incapable of thought.
Every Uma Musume worked for years to race and win. Tendinitis would mercilessly take it all away from them!
So even the most ignorant Uma Musume had heard of tendinitis, let alone someone as knowledgeable as Agnes Tachyon, who understood just how terrifying the condition was.
As Agnes Tachyon stood rooted to the spot, her expression frozen, Lin Anran lifted his head from the book.
In his mind, he had already hurriedly recalled his all-powerful system.
Lin Anran came back to himself. Looking at Agnes Tachyon, who had contracted this terminal illness... he suddenly felt a glimmer of hope.
First, there was no doubt that he had already used the trial version of Intermediate Healing Ability once on his patron, Tokai Teio.
After winning the Triple Crown of Transformation, Lin Anran would receive a permanent Intermediate Healing Ability and two trial uses of Advanced Healing Ability.
Then he could first see whether his healing ability, upgraded to "Intermediate," could cure Agnes Tachyon.
If that wasn't enough, he still had an even more advanced trial card. Surely one of them could cure her.
The black-hearted young doctor could already picture what would happen after he treated Agnes Tachyon...
The already somewhat mad scientist Uma Musume would go "completely mad" and willingly shower him with endless gold coins, wouldn't she?
(Tachyon, you have to be cured! You're just as full of potential—and financial potential—as Teio!)
(After I cure her, she'll gladly pay even an astronomical bill, won't she?)
The black-hearted young doctor believed that after a miracle like this, one that saved her career, even the difficult and eccentric Agnes Tachyon would be fond of him, just like those little fillies in America.
(Heh heh heh. I can't wait to see her handing over her wallet with tears in her eyes!)
Coins! That was what Lin Anran wanted!
So he was going to cure Agnes Tachyon. The terminal illness wouldn't take her away—not if Lin Anran had anything to say about it!
But that depended on...
Heavenly Horse Platinum winning the Triple Crown of Transformation, with its terrifyingly battle-hardened field!
And so they had arrived at another extremely delicate situation.
The bad news: to treat Agnes Tachyon's tendinitis, he had to win the Triple Crown of Transformation, an extraordinarily difficult feat that no one was likely ever to repeat.
The good news: the most terrifying opponent in the Triple Crown of Transformation had disappeared. The challenge would probably shift to the Japan Cup or the Arima Kinen afterward.
The black-hearted young doctor, having regained his composure, solemnly offered a few words of reassurance to Agnes Tachyon, who had been dazed and completely lost her composure for the first time in a long while.
"For now, please get some rest and try to calm down as soon as you can, Miss Tachyon."
The gentle young doctor bent down and lightly took hold of the wide white sleeve of the girl before him, who was usually so mercurial but had now, unusually, lost her composure.
At last... Agnes Tachyon lifted her head and met his eyes again. Her pupils trembled slightly.
"Whatever happens, I'll treat you until the very end."
"Please believe that miracles can happen."
Tachyon, oh, Tachyon... (eggplant clutches head)
"Please believe that miracles can happen."
The exceptionally gentle young man comforted Agnes Tachyon, the girl before him whose mood shifted unpredictably and whose pupils trembled.
"Even if this condition is terrifying, please trust me. I successfully treated Miss Teio's fracture."
"Even if we can't treat it properly in the short term, things will surely turn around in a few months... Please believe me."
Lin Anran continued in a serious tone.
Agnes Tachyon lifted her head and met his gaze. Her ruby-bright eyes gradually settled, then fixed intently on the young doctor's face.
Maybe it was his imagination, but Lin Anran thought the little filly's breathing had grown a little faster... as she kept staring at him.
Before you continue