I'm Ornn, and I'm about to be beaten to my knees by the Man-eating Horse Girl!

Orn then asked, "Then why not go to Central Treson to find a trainer? With the Meguro family's influence, it should be easy to find a suitable trainer, right?"

Looking at the puzzled Ornn, Mu Baiqian slowly shook his head.

"Because they dare not. The plans they devise are normal for ordinary horse girls, but for Aldan, they are all risky plans."

“They are not willing to take the risk, and I am not comfortable entrusting Aldan to this group for training.”

Orn thought for a moment, then looked up and said, "I understand what you're saying, but I need to discuss the specifics with Meguro Aldan in person before making a decision."

With a slight smile, Mubai nodded and said, "That's good. McQueen, you can take Orn to see your sister."

Chapter 101 Melting Point 736°

As they walked down the corridor, Orn looked at the worried-looking girl beside him and asked, "McQueen, is Miss Meguro Aldan... not feeling well?"

"No, it's never been good."

Megumi McQueen sighed, and said with some worry, "Aldan has been sick ever since I can remember. If we can't find her at Megumi Manor, we can definitely find her at the hospital."

"Perhaps due to congenital reasons, Sister Ardan's feet are very fragile, and she can easily sprain them. Training tasks that Sister Ryan can complete easily are very difficult for Sister Ardan to complete."

"But my sister still persisted; she still wanted to continue competing."

The girl looked up at Orn and said softly, "Although this is our first meeting, since the mistress trusts you, I will naturally trust you as well."

"Sister Aldan's room is just ahead, we've arrived."

McQueen knocked on the door. She grasped the handle, ready to open it, but the door was pushed open from the inside.

The person who opened the door was Qinglu Mao, who had just left the room. She glanced at Orn, then nodded.

"Go in, but I hope that next time you come to the Mejiro mansion, you'll have a better pair of glasses."

Isn't this still holding a grudge? Even Megumi Asama's words aren't entirely accurate...

Knowing he was in the wrong, Orn could only say in a low voice, "Ms. Meguro Takamine, I'm sorry, I'll be more careful next time."

The two entered the room, which was a standard hospital private room. The only difference was perhaps the light blue color of the walls, which matched the color of the girl's hair lying in the hospital bed.

"Ah, is this Mr. McQueen and Mr. Orn? Greetings, please forgive me for not being able to get up and greet you."

McQueen quickly went to Aldan's side, stretched out his hands, and tightly grasped his sister's right hand, asking, "Sister, how are you feeling now? Did the doctor say how long it will take to recover?"

Aldan smiled and reassured him, "It's alright, it's not a big problem. I'll definitely go with you to the summer training camp this time."

She didn't answer how long she would recover, but instead said she would go on a summer training camp with everyone.

McQueen didn't understand the hidden meaning, but Ornn did.

Aldan took his sister's hand and said softly, "McQueen, you and your sister go out together. Mr. Orn and I have something to discuss."

McQueen hesitated for a moment before saying, "But, sister, this..."

"McQueen, listen to me, don't worry. Mr. Orn is a guest invited by the mistress, he won't do anything strange."

Seeing her sister's insistence, McQueen said nothing more. She glanced at Orn, then pulled Meguro Takamine, who was standing not far from the door, and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Ardan Megumi looked at Orn and asked, "Mr. Orn, is this our third meeting?"

"It is."

Orn pulled up a chair in the room, sat down, and asked, "You seem to have known all along why I'm here?"

"It is."

Meguro Aldan mimicked Orn's tone and replied, "The mistress said she would recommend a very talented trainer for me, and you just happened to come to the Meguro mansion today, so I guessed that the trainer the mistress was talking about was you."

"So you're here to sign a contract of service with me?"

Orn did not answer immediately. He looked at Meguro Aldan, who had a perfect smile on his face, and after a long period of contemplation, he said, "No, I told the head of the Asama family that what matters is not whether I want to or not, but whether you want to or not."

"You don't actually want to be a subordinate of mine, do you?"

Megumi Ardan was stunned, her expression somewhat flustered, but in the blink of an eye, she regained her smile.

She asked, "How could that be? Since it's the mistress's arrangement, I'm naturally very willing to accept it. Besides, Mr. Orn's strength is indeed beyond doubt, so how could I refuse?"

"Since it's the mistress's arrangement, it's not something she genuinely agrees with,"

Orn rested his hands on his knees, crossed his palms under his chin, and stared into Ardan's purple eyes, saying, "Although I've only been a trainer for a short time, I still have a good eye for people's hearts."

"I saw Sakura Chiyoo's expression up close at the end of the All-Japan Derby, after she was narrowly overtaken by Oguri Hat. It was a mixture of self-reproach, a desire for victory, resentment towards her rival, and a sigh of admiration and blessing for the winner."

"From that short period of contact, I could easily judge her personality. Sakura Chiyo is too honest, and she is a horse girl with the same personality as Oguri. So although she has negative emotions in her heart, she can suppress these emotions with her own values ​​and turn them into motivation to keep moving forward."

Orn gazed at the blue-haired horse girl before him and continued, "But you are different. Your eyes contain jealousy and anger, even now."

"..."

Ardan Megumi fell silent; the perfect smile on her face vanished, replaced by an extremely calm expression.

"...You're absolutely right, but you're also being quite harsh."

The girl clenched her fists and asked with a smile, "Shouldn't we communicate about such personal matters after we've gotten to know each other better?"

"How could I possibly... how could I possibly abandon the refined manners of the Mejiro family in front of outsiders to show off my true self?!"

Ardan's tone became agitated. She glared angrily at the man in front of her who seemed to lack any emotional intelligence, was obnoxious, blunt, and hateful, always bringing up sensitive topics without any self-awareness.

Orn, seemingly oblivious to the girl's complaint, stared at the end of the bed and asked, "According to most popular storylines, it should naturally develop the way you described."

"Joining a team, understanding each other, sharing your feelings, and striving to win the championship—this is a wonderful thing, and it's the kind of story everyone hopes to see."

"But do you still have time?"

Ardan Megumi was stunned again. She looked at Orn and began to understand why he had done this.

Yes, I... don't have much time left.

Orn stood up and asked, "If it's alright, I'd like to examine your leg in my own way; it might involve some physical contact."

"If you don't agree, then forget it."

Ardan pursed her lips, then nodded slightly.

Orn lifted a corner of the sheet, revealing Aldan's snow-white feet. He extended his right index finger and touched the ankle.

He then tapped his other foot and put the blankets back down.

"One year, that's my own judgment."

Orn sat back down on the small stool and looked at the silent, head bowed, Aldan, saying, "If you want to continue competing, your leg can only last for a year. I may have some ways to extend its lifespan, but I can't cure it completely, and you'll likely have to rely on some kind of device to walk for the rest of your life."

"To be honest, I don't recommend that you continue running on the field."

Silence fell over the ward, the cruel reality lingering in the air as the gentle breeze blew through the window.

Megumi Ardan first glanced at the green garden outside the window, then looked at Orn.

She whispered, "Mr. Orn is truly a very pragmatic and efficient person."

"Your judgment is correct; the Meguro family's attending physician also said so."

"There was no other way. Before becoming a trainer, I was a blacksmith's apprentice. So when I saw cracks appearing in the iron blocks I was hammering, I either had to forcibly weld the blades or melt them down and start over."

Orn continued, "The consequence of forced forging is that about 86% of the swords will chip when they are finished, the remaining 12% will have internal cracks, and only 2% of the swords can be revived. However, their lifespan is not even in the same league as other swords in good condition."

Meguro Ardan laughed: "So, it seems I'm the iron block that developed a crack?"

Orn shook his head: "No, you are a blade blank that was already broken during forging, and it is very difficult to save it by welding with electric welding by the Welding Emperor."

Upon hearing these very honest words, Megumi Ardan could only manage a wry smile.

She looked out the window, the gleaming glass reflecting the activities taking place inside, and also the blue-haired horse girl on the sickbed.

The young man the matriarch hired was indeed very responsible, perhaps even overly so. His approach to things was completely unlike that of a native; he seemed more like a trainer from the neighboring continent.

Even if it offended him, even if it aroused his resentment, he still told him these very cruel facts.

Instead of deceiving herself with so-called dreams, or pitying and comforting herself, she was treated as an independent and equal person. She discussed the possibilities with her and offered the most sincere advice.

Although he didn't know how the other person had sensed his reluctance, the fact that he didn't pretend not to know but instead directly raised the issue left Aldan with no reason to complain.

Moreover, she is indeed not good at arguing.

“Mr. Ornn, I... I still want to keep running on the field.”

Even if it causes you a lifelong disability? Even if it causes you to suffer from illness? Even if it means you might never win any championships?

"...Even so, I want to continue standing on the field."

"why?"

"Because my dream is..."

"No, what I'm asking is, what are your true thoughts?"

Orn frowned and interrupted, "There are only the two of us here, so I'll be very frank. I'm someone who values ​​the present situation, so I won't force a horse girl who's already unwilling to accept my guidance to join my team. That would be extremely irresponsible for both of us, and for the Asama family head."

"Based on what I've heard from the students at Treson and your family's opinions of you, I believe you will understand what I'm saying and be able to calmly consider the meaning of what I'm saying."

"In my opinion, the horse girl's health is the most important thing. Even for the three members of Dolan's team, I would never allow them to do anything that would seriously damage their own bodies."

"Even if it means becoming unknown or not receiving any so-called honors, I will not let them risk lifelong disability to participate in the competition."

He resumed his chin-resting pose and continued, "The Japanese Derby is a race that every female elf can only participate in once in her life, and it's a race that all female elves take seriously."

"According to Miyazaki-senpai, Yae Mutaka was allowed to participate in this year's All Japan Derby after years of rigorous training, based on her confidence in her own skills and Miyazaki-senpai's own judgment."

"It seems that Sakura Chiyoo made a promise with Maruzen-senpai; she is very clear about the goals she should achieve and is ensuring her skills, which is why she also participated in this year's All Japan Derby."

“I haven’t investigated the other female horse riders thoroughly, but I think they all have their own reasons for participating.”

"But Mejiro Ardan, what is your motivation for participating in the Japanese derby?"

"I......"

Ardan's breathing became rapid, and beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, past her chin, and finally onto the pristine white sheets.

She hadn't expected that the man in front of her, having only been in the central government for two days, had already figured out so much information, even down to the point of figuring out why her friends would participate in the Japanese derby.

This feeling of being seen through made Ardan very uncomfortable, but just as the man had guessed, countless times during his childhood spent in the hospital, lying in bed watching his peers run happily outside the window while he could only endure the pain of being unable to move, suppressing his instinct as a horse girl to run, had made Megumi Ardan's personality extremely gentle and tolerant.

But the pain wouldn't dissipate because of her outward gentleness; it would only hide within her heart, concealed in her fragile feet, until, at a certain opportune moment, this pain would transform into an extreme emotional outburst.

Orn's blunt words rekindled the burning passion within her as a horse girl. As a horse girl of the Megumi family with an exceptionally mature mind, she didn't retaliate with harsh words; instead, she struggled internally.

Should I tell him? Is he worthy of my confiding? Is he truly as responsible as he claims? Could he be sent by the matriarch to test me? If I tell him, how will my sister see me? Can I still be the older sister to my younger sisters who admire and respect me? Will he think my heart is ugly? Can I still inherit the Mejiro surname? Can I still identify as a member of the Mejiro family?

I...I...

Orn silently watched Meguro Ardan, whose hands were tightly gripping the bedsheets. The blue-haired girl was experiencing a fierce internal struggle.

He said nothing, and just waited quietly.

The room became very stuffy, perhaps because it was summer; without any natural breeze, the air inside became scorching hot.

It was so hot it felt like it could melt glass.

"I want... I want to catch up with my sister."

Chapter 102 Kaleidoscope

Mejiro Peak.

Just like her name suggests, she truly is a peak.

Whether in Central Tresen, within the Mejiro family, or deep within Mejiro Aldan's heart, she was always so magnificent and grand.

This is a name that is famous throughout Japan. As a three-time champion in another race, and a contemporary of the Emperor and Empress, even though she is no longer active in the race, there are still many younger riders in Central Treisenn who admire her.

In the student council, Rudolf symbolized his admiration for her and even tried to recruit her, but she refused. Maruzensky, on the other hand, had a lot to talk about. The red supercar would often visit the Mejiro family, and the two of them would sit on the sofa, chatting about topics that seemed to be popular more than a decade ago, accompanied by Chopin music playing from the gramophone.

Chiaki and Katsuragi Ace consider her an evenly matched rival, and the three of them often spar and compete. Even after they have all participated in the Dream Cup, they can often be seen sparring in the school. Sometimes the Emperor and Empress will also join in, and the sparring will eventually turn into a serious competition.

Within the Meguro mansion, her name resounded far and wide. Meguro Asama favored her, grooming her as the next head of the family. Ryan and Zenshin respected her, while Hikaru, Dober, and McQueen admired her. She also demonstrated the responsibility of an elder sister, sometimes strict, but always guiding her younger sisters.

To the students of Treson, Mejiro Mine is a strict yet caring senior; to the members of the Mejiro family, he is a hero who brings honor to the family; and to the younger girls, he is the goal they strive to reach.

Megumi Takamine fulfills her role as the eldest sister, caring for her younger sisters in her own way.

"When the person who cares about you is like the sun that you can never reach, that care will burn them instead."

"Even if the sun has no ill intentions, even if she is just fulfilling her duty, she will still harm those who get too close to the sun."

Ardan looked at Orn; in the end, she chose to trust the man before her.

Since the other party has shown their sincerity, she naturally dares to trust them.