"I'm telling you, is Gold Ship really okay?" On the beach, McQueen asked worriedly while doing pre-training warm-ups.
"What kind of problem?" Gold Legend asked casually while checking the training equipment.
"That look of hers." McQueen pointed to Gold Ship, who was standing to the side with an elegant smile, looking poised and beautiful.
Let's rewind time a little bit. When they arrived at the training assembly point today, McQueen almost arrived late because of desserts.
"Sorry, I'm late." In fact, when McQueen said this, she was already prepared to be mocked by Gold Ship and teased by everyone.
However, the expected teasing and mockery did not come. Looking up, she saw five Uma Musume with lifeless eyes staring at the sea, the scene silent.
What's going on? McQueen tilted her head in confusion.
"Please don't worry about it. Accidents are always unavoidable; it is enough that you have arrived safely."
"Thank you for your understanding... May I ask who you are?" Finally getting a response, McQueen turned around gratefully, only to see an Uma Musume with a beautiful Gray Mane.
Her hands were placed in front of her lower abdomen, and she stood straight. A poised face, elegant posture. Sitting like a peony, walking like a lily. She was simply everything McQueen aspired to be.
If only I could be like this one day. McQueen thought to herself.
"That's a bit too much of a joke, Classmate McQueen. It's me, Gold Ship." The elegant Uma Musume said with a smile.
"So it's Gold Ship... Hah!!!" McQueen was shocked.
She looked closely at the Uma Musume in front of her. She could barely make out a sense of familiarity... No! This can't be real!
McQueen looked at her teammates, who were inexplicably quiet and listless, with a gaze on the verge of breaking down, hoping for a negative answer.
Tokai Teio, with lifeless eyes and a blank face, slowly shook her head at McQueen, extinguishing McQueen's hope.
Thus, the group of Uma Musume doubting life gained one more member who was doubting life.
"Hmm? What's going on?" When Gold Legend arrived at the assembly point with the training equipment, what she saw were six Uma Musume with lifeless eyes, hugging their knees and gazing at the sea.
"Everyone is probably contemplating life." Gold Ship, with an elegant smile, stood behind them and replied calmly.
Perfect and dashing.
Back to the present, McQueen could finally no longer suppress her curiosity and asked Gold Legend for the reason.
The ears of the other five Uma Musume in the group twitched simultaneously.
"Ah, it's nothing, Golshi just lost a bet, she'll be back to normal tomorrow." Legend answered nonchalantly.
"Lost a bet?"
"Yeah, she raced Festa in swimming, and the bet was that the loser has to maintain proper etiquette for the whole day. You can just think of it as the 24-hour limited edition Royal Maid Golshi."
"I see..." For some reason, while feeling relieved, she also felt a sense of regret.
"By the way, why a Royal Maid?" Generally speaking, shouldn't it be a young lady? Tokai Teio chimed in.
"Ah, our etiquette teacher was a maid for the Queen of Great Britain before retiring, so our etiquette is the most formal royal etiquette."
After all, one of the Gold Family's house rules is that if you're going to learn something, learn from the best. Incidentally, I should emphasize that the Gold Family's house rules can be changed at discretion, mainly depending on one's mood.
"Incidentally, Golshi got a perfect score in her etiquette class." Legend added.
"Really?" McQueen looked incredulous.
"Back then, Golshi's hair hadn't turned white yet..." Legend suddenly became sentimental.
"Legend?" McQueen looked at Legend, who had suddenly become downcast, with a face full of question marks.
"Please don't mind her, Oba-chan is just lost in memories." Gold Ship timely took over the burden of supervising the training, "Although it's presumptuous, it is already training time, so everyone, please start training immediately."
Honorifics were spoken with an elegant tone; although it was an order, there was absolutely no feeling of being offended.
"..." x6 Everyone silently set off to train.
After training ended. Everyone was lying scattered on the beach, resting. Legend had thoughtfully laid out beach mats for them and set up sun umbrellas.
Gold Legend and Gold Ship, who still had energy left, were counting and organizing the equipment nearby, preparing to return it.
"By the way, Oba-chan, there's a festival in the nearby town tonight. Do you have any plans?"
Gold Ship, maintaining her elegant posture, suddenly spoke up, her voice just loud enough for the Uma Musume lying under the sun umbrellas to hear.
Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet, who were competitive with each other, didn't pay much mind. Silence Suzuka was exhausted from fighting for first place, and Special Week was too tired and hungry to pay much attention.
But the ears of the Gray Mane young lady and the Bay Coat crown prince pricked up.
"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
"Just curious, you don't need to worry about it." Gold Ship replied appropriately.
"Well, with nothing better to do, I'll probably go back and take a look around..." Legend thought for a moment and said.
"Are you going alone?" Gold Ship asked nonchalantly.
The ears of two eavesdropping Uma Musume twitched.
"Who knows?" Legend laughed it off, "By the way, there have been quite a few festivals lately; I've heard plenty of advertisements for them."
"It is summer, after all, and it's already August. The temperature has dropped quite a bit, so it's just right." Gold Ship replied.
"That's true." Legend didn't think too much of it and was brushed off just like that.
Time reached the evening.
Mejiro McQueen changed into a low-key outfit, stood in front of the mirror to adjust her appearance, and after ensuring she would not be recognized at a glance, she quietly left the house.
Then, at the resort gate, she encountered Tokai Teio, who was also dressed in low-key clothing.
"..."
The two stood facing each other in silence.
"Oh my, isn't this Classmate Teio? What a coincidence, where might you be headed?"
McQueen attacked first, in her usual young lady style.
"Ah, isn't this McQueen? What a coincidence. Are you also out for a stroll because you were bored?"
Tokai Teio, refusing to be outdone, threw the topic right back.
"Hmm? Ah, yes, that's right. The moon is so lovely tonight; it would be a shame not to come out for a walk."
McQueen replied, beads of cold sweat forming.
"...Yes, the moonlight is truly beautiful tonight, ahaha."
Tokai Teio said.
McQueen looked up; there was no moon tonight.
"..."
The two fell into silence again.
"Speaking of which, I heard there's a festival in the nearby town. Since we're both free tonight, how about we go take a look together?"
McQueen suddenly spoke up.
"Ah! Oh~ is that so? That sounds pretty good."
The caught-off-guard Teio replied with an exaggerated expression, then added, "I'm really looking forward to it. I wonder what good things will be at the festival stalls."
"Eh? Ah, y-yes, that's right! Like soft cotton candy, sweet shaved ice, it's really something to look forward to!" McQueen said with shifty eyes, "And I wonder who Legend-san went with... (Whispering)"
"What?"
"Nothing! So, Classmate Teio, what do you think?"
"Such an interesting thing, of course I'll go." Tokai Teio replied with a smile, "And take a look at who Legend went with... (Whispering)"
"What?"
"Nothing at all! Oh, right, and that! Fireworks! There must be fireworks at the festival, right? Ahaha!" Teio replied with a laugh, "If we could watch them up close, it would be so much fun, right?!"
"Eh! That's right! I want to see them too. So how about we go together, Teio?"
"Of course, it is my honor to accompany the young lady of the Mejiro Family to the festival!"
The two Uma Musume, each harboring their own secret agendas, shook hands with guilty consciences, then happily set off together toward the festival.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
"Woah, I just wanted to stroll through the festival alone and quietly, how did you find me?"
Gold Legend looked at the woman following behind her with a headache.
This person was dressed in a proper office lady outfit; one look and you could tell she was a capable, strong woman—the powerful kind.
"The Festa here is invested in by our group." The woman pushed up her glasses, "Also, Boss, you've been a hands-off manager for two months now. If you don't handle things, it will be very difficult for us."
"Can't you guys just handle it? Aren't you my secretary? Didn't I hire you all specifically so I could be a hands-off manager? Besides, you know I don't understand these things. Also, when did we start investing in things like festivals?"
Legend bought a popsicle from a nearby stall and said while eating.
"But there are some things that require your signature. Also, following your instructions, we have already intervened deeply in everything we could."
"Ah? Oh, signatures, right? I got it. I'll go sign them after I'm done strolling... Wait, when did I say something like that?"
Legend said, intending to sneak away.
"Didn't you say last time that you didn't care what we invested in? Also, where do you think you're going?"
Then, she was grabbed by the scruff of her neck, her fate sealed.
"...What beautiful reflexes, very agile."
And to think you could so easily catch me, an Uma Musume. Just who are you?
Legend sighed.
"You flatter me. Although not as good as my sister, I have trained myself."
"Is that so? What kind of training can achieve this level?"
I'm an Uma Musume, you know!
"Ha, Boss, I am from the Kiryuin Family."
The woman—Kiryuin Madoka—said.
"Kiryuin? Is that the one I know? Isn't that a family of Trainers?"
How did you end up being a secretary?
"Just a twist of fate. Alright, Boss, it's time to go back to work."
"Eh... No way!"
"Please do not be willful!"
Just like that, Gold Legend fell back into the whirlpool of work.
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