"Haaah…"
Barbatos took a deep breath and asked Minamizaka on the other end of the line.
"So the committee doesn't want me running in any more G3 races?"
"Exactly. What are your thoughts on that?"
The URA, as the highest authority in the Uma Musume racing world, had always stood by the principles of fairness, justice, and transparency. But this time, Barbatos couldn't help wondering if they were deliberately targeting her.
Why on earth would they suddenly not want her in G3-level competitions?
"Is that really the committee's official stance? Or is this the chairman's personal opinion—or maybe some board member's?"
Barbatos wondered if some Uma Musume with powerful connections had pulled strings to keep her out of the race, just to avoid facing her on the track.
"From what I've heard, it's Chairman Ikari's decision."
"There are two reasons. First, the competitive aspect—your participation makes the outcome of G3 races a foregone conclusion."
"Second, such a high frequency of races could shorten the length of your career."
"Career length…"
As Minamizaka explained, Barbatos fell silent for a moment.
The part about making G3 races predictable—well, that was at least a compliment. It meant they had enough faith in her to believe she wouldn't choke or get upset in a G3.
But the second reason…
That was something she hadn't considered at all.
Because of her [Heal] ability, she never had to worry about getting injured during a race.
But the problem was, nobody else knew that. In the eyes of some people, a packed racing schedule could easily cut short an Uma Musume's career.
So from now on, she really might have to consider skipping G3 races altogether.
She couldn't afford to stand out too much from the other Uma Musume.
"So what do you suggest?"
"I'll help you send an official reply to the committee."
"I… understand."
Barbatos let out a soft sigh, her mind already made up. Truth be told, the gold income wasn't all that important to her now.
She'd already acquired most of the League items that significantly boosted movement speed. Although G2 and G1 races weren't as frequent as G3s, the gold she earned from them was more than enough.
"Minamizaka, could you send me the committee's number? I'll call them myself."
"I won't take part in any more G3 races from now on. But I am running in the upcoming Tokyo Sports Hai Junior Stakes—I already promised King Halo I'd settle things with her there."
"Alright, I support your decision."
Minamizaka's affirming voice came through the line before the call ended. Soon after, the committee's number arrived via LINE.
Thanks to an Uma Musume's sharp hearing—and the fact that Barbatos hadn't tried to hide the conversation—Maruzensky overheard everything.
"I can't believe the committee is meddling in something like this."
"Strange, isn't it?"
"Honestly, you're part of the reason. Most other Uma Musume don't even aim for G3 races after moving up to G2 level."
"At first, I just wanted to run more races and gain experience."
That wasn't the whole truth, of course. Her real motivation had been farming gold in G3 races to prepare for the Winter Dream Cup.
But that was something she could never explain to Maruzensky.
Still, even if she skipped the upcoming Tokyo Sports Hai Junior Stakes, it wouldn't seriously impact her performance in the Winter Dream Cup. At most, she'd be a tiny bit slower.
The real path to improvement now lay in ranked matches on the Summoner's Rift—winning more games, buying more champions, and growing stronger.
She copied the number from LINE and tapped the call button.
The line was picked up almost immediately.
A young woman's voice came through. "Hello, this is URA, how may I assist you?"
Clearly, this was the committee's general helpline.
"Hello, this is Barbatos."
Over at the committee offices, the young woman on the other end paused.
As a customer service representative, she handled countless incoming calls every day—from the public, from trainers, or from Uma Musume themselves reporting last-minute withdrawals.
Most callers would introduce themselves with something like, "My name is XXX, I'm an Uma Musume/trainer from XX team."
Although Uma Musume were far outnumbered by humans, their community wasn't small—Tracen Academy alone had several thousand students. It was impossible to remember every single name.
But this time…
The introduction was strikingly simple.
"This is Barbatos."
Just three words. No extra fluff. Yet in an instant, she knew exactly who it was—her identity, her achievements—and the tone of the call shifted completely.
The Customer Service Lady fell silent for a few seconds.
While other Uma Musume needed introductions to be identified…
The name "Barbatos" needed no suffix. Anyone who followed Uma Musume racing would immediately recognize it.
This was the Uma Musume at the center of everyone's attention.
The prodigy of this era. This was Barbatos, the Wind God!
Struggling to keep her composure, the Customer Service Lady instinctively replied with utmost seriousness, "How may I assist you?"
Even though she was supposed to maintain a cheerful tone on calls, she couldn't help but use her most respectful and formal tone with Barbatos—anything less wouldn't feel appropriate.
"Wasn't it your committee that contacted my trainer earlier?"
"Ah, my apologies."
"Let me transfer you to the chairman right away."
She'd actually been briefed earlier—if someone from Team Canopus called, she should put them through. But since it was Barbatos calling directly, she'd been caught off guard.
As the call was transferred to Chairman Ikari, the Customer Service Lady finally let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. A flicker of joy rose in her chest—she'd actually spoken to Barbatos, if only briefly.
Among the younger generation who followed Uma Musume racing, who didn't admire Barbatos?
On the transferred line, Barbatos got straight to the point.
"I will be participating in the Tokyo Sports Cup Juvenile Stakes."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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.