Ludendorff was absolutely livid at Bernard's dismissive tone, his eyes practically shooting flames.
He shot to his feet, jabbing a finger like a spear toward Bernard.
"Screw it up, go on and screw it all up then!"
"Screw up the Americas so badly they end up creating that 'STEEL BALL RUN' tournament, tossing all our established Triple Crown honors right out the window!"
"Screw up Australia into complete chaos, where a dozen-odd Uma Musume popped out of nowhere, hopping around as baffling as kangaroos, wrecking every plan we laid!"
"Just keep on shoving all your precious family juniors into those cushy posts! Go ahead and wreck the whole authority of European racing for good—I'll just damn well go down with you all!"
Ludendorff's roar seemed to shake the very conference room, his palm pounding the round table with such force it flushed bright red, showing no sign of letting up.
His words cut like knives, squarely aimed at the big shots like Bernard who used their influence to secure key positions for their family's younger generation.
Under his tirade, several faces around the table had already darkened.
Just as the room teetered on the brink of yet another yearly edition of the Unlimited Brawl at the European Racing Association headquarters, the figure seated at the head finally rapped the gavel—the symbol of a referee's call.
"That's enough, Ludendorff. I believe everyone will exercise some restraint."
"And... rather than the disturbances in these racing regions, shouldn't their source demand our greater attention?"
Hearing this, Ludendorff—who had moments ago seemed ready to single-handedly uphold the fading glory of the European Racing Association—calmed down. He took a few heavy breaths before thudding back into his seat.
Seeing Ludendorff hadn't completely lost his senses, Pierre, the current President of the European Racing Association Council, gave a satisfied nod.
His gaze swept around the round table, taking in every council member before he spoke slowly.
"The current situation could be considered the greatest crisis European racing has ever faced. Under such circumstances, I trust everyone can work together to reserve positions for truly capable young talent?"
Pierre's meaning was clear.
What came later, he didn't care about—but for now, he needed these council members, who clung to every key post in the Association, to temporarily curb their greed and leave those spots open for the genuinely talented youth within the organization.
The council members around the table, however reluctantly, murmured their half-hearted agreements.
Seeing them like this, Pierre sighed inwardly.
He knew this lot would never willingly loosen their grip on the interests they'd already seized.
To push truly capable young people into suitable positions during such a crisis, he had a mountain of work ahead.
The thought filled him with a wave of unprecedented exhaustion.
All across the globe, waves of rebellion against European racing authority were spreading, yet the old guard here at headquarters could only think of clutching their immediate gains.
With council members like these, how could European racing ever be great again?!
Pierre slammed the gavel down once more, venting his frustration. "Fine... let's move on."
"We'll discuss the new candidate for the Japan branch later. What's more important now—"
"—is that Uma Musume named Dream Weaver."
To pull the scattered focus back together, Pierre skipped past the previous agenda and brought up the root cause of European racing's current predicament.
Sure enough, upon hearing the name Dream Weaver, every council member gnashed their teeth in fury.
If not for that Far Eastern Uma Musume stirring up trouble, they could have lounged comfortably on their ancestors' honors as they always had. They wouldn't be losing sleep nightly over this chaotic mess.
And just as expected, presenting a common enemy everyone wanted to defeat instantly reignited the previously subdued council chamber.
"That Uma Musume is terrifying! Not even five Triple Crown-level Uma Musume could stop her!"
"Her next target has to be the Kikuka Sho. We have several months—can we find more, stronger Uma Musume?!"
"There's talk… her performances have been so staggering that even many powerful European Uma Musume now want to face her. If we lobby for a few more months, we might pull it off!"
Just as the debate grew heated, Ludendorff spoke up again.
"Impossible!"
His voice drew all eyes.
"It's all October races! Why would any top-tier Uma Musume choose the Kikuka Sho over competing for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?!"
His words struck several members like a thunderbolt.
The urgency Dream Weaver imposed had been so overwhelming, they'd completely forgotten the Arc and the Kikuka Sho were scheduled so close together.
Compared to a Triple Crown in a Far Eastern country, the truly world-class event was obviously more appealing to any Uma Musume.
Never mind the difference in prestige—even for those seeking strong rivals, facing a field of top competitors was far more thrilling than a one-on-one match against Dream Weaver alone.
Seeing they understood, Ludendorff snorted coldly.
"Pursuing your plan would only gather Uma Musume who lack the nerve for the Arc—those whose fighting spirit has already faded."
"Sending Uma Musume with mere skill and power, but no will to win, against Dream Weaver… we already saw how that ended in the Japan Derby!"
"What we need are the strong. The truly strong!"
Ludendorff's words made everyone frown. He was right. Any Uma Musume with ambition would never miss October's Arc.
But persuading such a Uma Musume to give up the Arc for a dubious Kikuka Sho in the Far East would come at a steep, obvious cost.
Council members unwilling to surrender their own interests naturally hesitated, and the chamber fell silent once more.
Pierre watched the silent chamber, utterly weary, and sighed.
He raised the gavel again, intending to use his authority as President to force the proposal through—at least to attempt lobbying and understand the potential cost before rallying the council.
Just as he was about to bring the gavel down, the council chamber doors burst open.
A Uma Musume all too familiar to every member present brushed past the guards trying to stop her. Her sharp amber eyes pinned everyone to their seats.
"I can be that strong one."
Shinzan said.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.