A few days ago, after a large group of doctors sent by Tracen examined her repeatedly and confirmed that her tendonitis really would be difficult to treat perfectly...
Agnes Tachyon, conflicted, accepted the reality and announced that she was withdrawing from racing.
She planned to devote herself to the research that interested her and... wait for further treatment from that Doctor Lin.
When she walked into the lab, a pitch-black Uma Musume, Manhattan Cafe, was sitting inside.
"Tachyon, did you just go...?"
Manhattan Cafe looked up at Agnes Tachyon, who had been away for a little while. She was worried Tachyon might be unable to accept what had happened and had secretly tried training.
"I went to get treated by Doctor Lin. He gave me some initial, routine treatment."
"He said there's a chance he can treat me perfectly in a few months. I'm wondering whether he was just trying to comfort me, or if... it really is possible?"
A spark of interest flashed across Agnes Tachyon's delicate face, and she hurried over to the computer.
After turning it on, she opened a document titled "Research List."
"Observations on Doctor Lin," which had originally been in the second row, was moved by Agnes Tachyon to... the very top of the list!
The mad Uma Musume scientist had developed a considerable interest in Lin Anran!
(Found a guinea pig...!)
35. Never Coming Up Empty! Agnes Tachyon Is Way Better Than Big Red!
For Agnes Tachyon, who was passionate about conducting all kinds of experiments, research was a serious matter.
But... research had its priorities and order of importance.
At present, Lin Anran was already important enough to Agnes Tachyon to warrant the very highest priority for investigation and study.
It was just that she had usually investigated Uma Musume races, Final Burst data, and the like.
Targeting a single person—someone who wasn't even an Uma Musume, but an actual human being—was a first for Agnes Tachyon!
But when she thought back to a few days ago, to that gentle young doctor holding onto her sleeve and promising to treat her right up until the very end...
That brief reassurance and conversation, along with the flutter in her heart at that moment, had convinced Agnes Tachyon, the mad Uma Musume scientist, to add Doctor Lin, who had come from a foreign land, to the top of the list of subjects she was most interested in.
And so—
Even though, as a GI champion Uma Musume, Tracen Academy could have called in some other highly experienced, grandfatherly doctors to treat her, Agnes Tachyon had turned them all down.
After undergoing repeated examinations and receiving a diagnosis, she politely declined treatment from the other doctors and chose to continue being treated by the extraordinarily young doctor at Tracen Academy.
And just now, Agnes Tachyon had walked out of Lin Anran's infirmary!
Half an hour earlier.
After receiving her initial treatment and feeling the pain in her leg ease, Agnes Tachyon had been about to ask Lin Anran about his medical fees and even pay them.
What surprised Agnes Tachyon even more was that Lin Anran simply shook his head.
The handsome young doctor refused. He didn't charge her a single cent and smiled gently as he said,
"I don't like money. I'm not interested in money."
"I just can't stand to see a beautiful, determined, outstanding Uma Musume like you injured, Miss Tachyon. And I don't want to see you leave the track."
"I don't want to charge you an exorbitant medical fee at a time like this. If you really insist... then you can pay me a share of your future race winnings instead."
"If I can't cure you completely, I won't take a single cent. If I can, then consider it my reward!"
Even a composed, intelligent girl like Agnes Tachyon was deeply shaken by his words.
She couldn't help thinking to herself that he really was a warmhearted and gentle man. No wonder all those monsters in America supposedly had such a good impression of Doctor Lin!
Tendonitis was known as an "incurable disease" among Uma Musume. Once they developed it, it was extremely difficult to return to the track.
Even when treatment did succeed, their physical condition would often decline. They might make it back to the track, but it was extremely difficult to regain their former peak condition, let alone win races.
And yet Lin Anran was willing to treat her over the long term without charge, not taking a single cent. He'd even said he would accept only a share of her future winnings.
That scheming young doctor's long game was still in progress!
After failing to land a big fish in America, he'd finally come to Japan to keep the plan going!!
Even if he cured her but she couldn't return to her peak condition... wouldn't Lin Anran still end up earning very little in medical fees?
Could there really be a doctor this gentle and sincere in the world?
Lin Anran's gentle yet resolute tone proved he wasn't joking. The corners of Agnes Tachyon's mouth lifted slightly, and she nodded in acceptance.
For once, the mad Uma Musume scientist was willing to trust someone else, and she etched Lin Anran into her heart.
And now, after returning to the lab, she had immediately put Lin Anran at the very top of her list!
After moving him to the top, Agnes Tachyon glanced to the side and noticed a research topic in the same row: a study of Platinum's physical strength and potential.
That was another subject she found quite interesting: Platinum, a super-monster who, in her view, had boundless potential and a real chance of challenging the world!
Since her own running had temporarily come to a halt... she might as well observe another runner with just as much potential.
Heavenly Horse Platinum—how long would her journey of speed last? Agnes Tachyon was quite interested.
"Oh, right. The Oaks is in a week, isn't it..."
"The longest and most grueling GI race in the Fillies' Triple Crown. Platinum definitely won't sit it out."
Agnes Tachyon smiled, anticipation verging on madness taking shape in her mind.
"Cafe, buy me some tickets. Two of them."
Manhattan Cafe gave a slight nod, then asked,
"Should I hold onto them for you, then?"
Agnes Tachyon furrowed her brow and turned to look at her.
"Why would you hold onto them? How am I supposed to give him one, then?"
"Huh? The two tickets aren't for you and me...?"
Manhattan Cafe froze in place, holding her coffee cup suspended in midair without moving.
In her impression, Agnes Tachyon was always intensely absorbed in her experiments. She was either researching some strange thing or training and preparing for a race.
Daiwa Scarlet still had to prepare for her Debut Race, so she couldn't get away. So who was the other ticket for?
Aside from her and Daiwa Scarlet, did Tachyon even have any friends?
Agnes Tachyon seemed to have only just remembered Manhattan Cafe was going too, and changed her mind.
"Oh, you're coming too. Then make it three."
"I should give Doctor Lin a ticket as well."
Surely a doctor like him would enjoy watching a GI race, right?
PLAY THE LONG GAME TO LAND THE BIG FISH!!!!!!
On the computer screen, the document displayed a title packed with exclamation marks.
The scheming young doctor felt his heart ache. His bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at the title, and his right hand clutched the mouse.
"You have to play the long game... to land the big fish."
"No, I can't be stingy with those medical fees. Once I cure Tachyon, I'll have no shortage of money!"
For a long time, what Lin Anran had regretted most was that the young fillies he'd cultivated feelings with in America... hadn't amounted to much.
And the strongest among them, Big Red, had only won a lower-tier graded race so far.
He'd played the long game for so long, but still hadn't gotten anything out of those American girls.
So you could say he'd come up empty before...
This time—he absolutely wouldn't come up empty again. He'd cure Agnes Tachyon's legs and make a killing!
No more unexpected setbacks. Agnes Tachyon was definitely way better than Big Red!
PS: A bit late with the update. I went out to pick up some books. A set of deluxe editions of Selected Works of Mao Zedong, the Complete Works of Lu Xun, a collated and punctuated edition of the General Mirror for the Aid of Governance, and the Complete Works of Shakespeare all arrived today. Looks like I've got enough to read for years...
36. The Arrogant Challenger Platinum Dreams of Winning the Oaks!
Agnes Tachyon was definitely way better than Big Red!
Kids didn't cry every day, and gamblers didn't lose every day!
After losing his bet on a bunch of American nobodies like Big Red, the scheming young doctor believed he'd definitely win it all back with Agnes Tachyon this time!
How much would he make if he only charged medical fees?
With a supposedly incurable disease like tendonitis, merely easing the pain with ordinary treatment wouldn't bring in a windfall of cash. He'd need a perfect, complete cure for that.
No matter how high the medical fees were, they couldn't compare with a share of the race winnings earned by an Uma Musume who'd won a GI race.
And Agnes Tachyon was bursting with potential—and money. If he gave her only ordinary treatment and earned that little bit of cash, it would be a huge loss.
If he didn't make money, he'd lost money!
To avoid that, Lin Anran chose to keep betting big. He'd continue the "play the long game to land the big fish" strategy he'd started back in America, this time with Agnes Tachyon.
That was why Lin Anran had voluntarily turned down what seemed like a substantial medical fee. In truth, he wanted a share of Agnes Tachyon's winnings after she recovered and returned to racing!
Before, he'd treated her the way he'd treated Big Red, Bully, Dahlia, and Route, and he'd transferred that familiar approach to Agnes Tachyon.
In other words—
Lin Anran had treated all those American fillies with the same gentle, enthusiastic care. Little by little, he'd won their hearts, making them grow attached to him and reluctant to see him leave.
He'd been fishing this way all along, spreading his attention evenly among every Uma Musume he knew.
But bad luck had struck, and he hadn't made any money off them.
Yet when the scheming young doctor realized that even the biggest nobody among them, Big Red, couldn't win her Debut Race, and that his big-fish plan might really fail...
He'd gritted his teeth and decided to move to Japan, take on the Triple Crown to improve his medical skills, and prepare for his future big-fish hunt! Before leaving, he'd made them an impossible "strongest-ever pact," then gone!
And now, that fresh attempt to play the long game to land a big fish had turned into treating and comforting Agnes Tachyon.
His fishing plan seemed to be halfway to success. Agnes Tachyon had already agreed to pay him with a share of her future "race winnings."
All that remained was the other half: completing the Triple Crown of Transformation and improving his medical skills.
He'd turn his failures with those American nobody fillies around and make a killing off Tokai Teio, Agnes Tachyon, and the others!
At the thought of that bright future, Lin Anran couldn't help wearing an expectant expression.
"Heh heh heh!"
Lin Anran couldn't help letting out the smug laugh of a Soul Hall elder, his voice echoing through the infirmary.
He had to admit, voluntarily giving up those medical fees and playing the long game had hurt a little...
He cared so much, but kept a calm face on the outside, while inside he felt like he was bleeding, like he'd taken a cut. But you had to give something up to get something back!
Still, Lin Anran believed that as long as he transformed into Platinum and performed well, winning the Triple Crown of Transformation...
Then even the dreaded tendonitis might be completely cured, earning him a huge reward.
When the time came, even Agnes Tachyon, who seemed a little crazy, would be so moved that she'd be willing to give him anything, right?
"Now all I have to do is win the first race of the Triple Crown of Transformation—the Oaks!"
Before you continue