"Have you figured out how to keep that girl from minding?"
[Invincible Lord of Seaside]: Huh? Didn't he give up on Bourbon? Why did he come all this way?
[Side-Eyeing Lewd Manga Teacher]: Could it be...
[Bewitching Dark Bay]: Most trainers see themselves as teachers and Uma Musume as students.
What was wrong with a teacher caring about a student?
Entrusting a student to a more suitable teacher was perfectly reasonable, too.
After all, most mentors couldn't spend every day bailing their students out.
[Side-Eyeing Lewd Manga Teacher]: No, I mean, could this scary-looking guy be...
In the end, this senior trainer simply stood on the other side from me.
"Of course. If we can't even weather public opinion, how could we handle the Triple Crown, a title of legend?"
Zhou Yuang politely explained his and Bourbon's thinking, and the veteran trainer closed his eyes.
He opened them again and looked at Zhou Yuang.
"Tracen Academy will be holding a series of events soon, including exhibition races."
"There's a 2,000-meter exhibition race, right?"
"Of course. How could they leave out the standard middle-distance race?"
"...But Bourbon and I don't intend to enter."
I hereby announce that Bourbon has voluntarily withdrawn from this unnecessary exhibition race.
"You don't intend to?"
The veteran trainer remained composed, but confusion colored his voice.
Public opinion could be terrifying. The veteran trainer knew what it meant, so managing it to build a good reputation for one's Uma Musume was a legitimate tool for a trainer.
Who knew when his Uma Musume might see a newspaper and suddenly lose heart?
If Bourbon entered and posted a good result, it would benefit both her and Zhou Yuang, the "rookie trainer who had only just signed his first Uma Musume."
Every doubt would disappear. Why pass up such