The next morning, Tuesday, December 18th.
The weather today was quite good, with few clouds, allowing the sun to hang high in the sky.
After breakfast, Polaris Glacier, the Head Maid, and Kumi Trainer got into Old Butler's car and headed to the airport.
Their luggage had been packed the previous night, and all essential items that might be needed were brought along.
They had also requested leave from the academy and sent messages to Rudolf, sirius, and the others.
Perhaps because this overseas trip was so sudden, they all expressed surprise, then sent their wishes for a pleasant journey.
Upon arriving at the airport, they were originally supposed to take their private jet.
However, it was too sudden, and the various procedures could not be completed quickly, so they ultimately opted for a regular flight.
By the time they boarded and entered first class, it was already close to noon.
A direct flight from Tokyo to the capital of Country Y typically takes 12 to 14 hours, which is truly a very long journey.
Fortunately, the process was not boring; they could watch Horse Girl race replays on the provided televisions, all of which were G1 level.
Among them, Polaris Glacier even saw the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies race she had completed the day before yesterday, which gave her a rather subtle feeling.
When the long flight ended and the three arrived in Country Y, it was already afternoon.
The time difference between Japan and Country Y is approximately 8 hours, so taking off at noon and landing in the afternoon was not an issue.
Polaris Glacier had taken a nap midway, so she was still in good spirits.
After getting off the plane, she followed the Head Maid and Kumi Trainer along the jet bridge and out into the airport hall.
At this moment, a figure seemed to notice something and walked directly towards them with a clear purpose, asking tentatively in fluent Japanese:
"Excuse me, are you Miss Polaris Glacier?"
Hearing this, Polaris Glacier and the others immediately turned to look.
Before them was a tall Horse Girl with dark brown hair tied into a ponytail, and wheat-colored skin.
Her gradient-colored eyes contained an extraordinary aura, and her entire demeanor was proud and powerful.
(This paragraph includes a character image. If you don't see it, it means it was blocked.)
After silently assessing the other party, Polaris Glacier felt a surge of interest and nodded with a smile, saying:
"That's me. And you are?"
"The person sent by the Madam to pick you up."
After confirming her identity, a smile also appeared on her lips:
"My name is Rigantona, but if you find it too long and difficult to pronounce, you can also call me by my other name—"
"Yuu Mai."
After a brief introduction, Polaris Glacier and the others followed Yuu Mai out of the airport, met with their family's driver in London, and took a car to their pre-arranged accommodation.
In the car, Polaris Glacier thought for a moment, then turned to Yuu Mai and asked:
"Yuu Mai, have you already debuted and started racing?"
From her physique, it was clear that the other party had already begun full-scale training, but she didn't know what level she was at now.
Hearing this, Yuu Mai, who had been looking out the car window, also turned her head and replied:
"Not yet. I'll probably be preparing for my debut next year. I'm still in basic training right now."
Still in basic training... so she's at the beginner level or even earlier.
Speaking of which, she already possesses such an extraordinary aura at just the beginner level? Could this child be the one Mother mentioned...?
Before Polaris Glacier could ask more, Yuu Mai extended an invitation first:
"Miss Polaris Glacier, when we get to the manor, can I run alongside you for a race?"
Yes, it was a manor again, and Yuu Mai also resided there.
"Of course, that's not a problem. For us Horse Girl, running together is the best way to get to know each other, isn't it?"
She had this idea herself, so since the other party brought it up, it was perfect.
She paused slightly, then continued:
"Oh, you can just call me Polaris directly. No need to be formal, just relax."
"Understood, Polaris."
Yuu Mai nodded in agreement. On one hand, she wanted to see Polaris Glacier's strength, and on the other, she wanted to deepen their acquaintance and make their relationship more familiar.
"By the way, Yuu Mai, your Japanese is so fluent. Did you study it specifically?"
"Yes, last month Madam arranged a teacher for me to specifically learn it."
"Eh? You've only been learning for a month and you're already so fluent?"
Polaris Glacier looked at the other party's smiling face, truly shocked.
Some time later, the car arrived at the manor, and everyone disembarked.
It must be said that the layout of the manor here in London was very similar to the one in Japan, one could even say it was exactly the same.
Polaris Glacier had even vaguely guessed that her room would definitely be in the same position on the second floor.
Entering the front hall, the maids standing on both sides uniformly bowed and spoke their welcome:
"Welcome back, Young Miss Polaris Glacier, and Miss Rigantona."
They all spoke Japanese, but their pronunciation was a bit off, likely because they had just temporarily memorized it.
"I'm back."
Polaris Glacier responded naturally, while Yuu Mai was clearly startled for a moment before belatedly speaking, looking unaccustomed.
The two then walked through to the main hall.
As soon as she entered, Polaris Glacier's gaze was drawn to the blue-haired Horse Girl sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee.
The other party also sensed their presence, turned to look, and a gentle smile appeared on her face:
"Polaris, it's been a while. I'm so happy to see you've grown well, my dear."
"Mom..."
Upon meeting, Polaris Glacier was momentarily unsure what expression to show. She simply approached slowly, opened her arms, and made a gesture asking for a hug.
Lingdu Juechi chuckled at this, put down her coffee cup, stood up, and embraced her in her arms.
There was a slight height difference between them, and Polaris Glacier could just bury her face in that incredibly embracing bosom.
Lingdu Juechi, too, lovingly stroked her child's head, her expression softening even more.
Watching the mother and daughter embrace, Yuu Mai awkwardly adjusted her long hair from the side, chose to signal to the Madam that she was going to the training ground, and then left.
Time passed slowly. Polaris Glacier finally rubbed her face against her mother's, somewhat reluctantly, and then released her arms.
The two then sat down on the sofa.
"Mom, was this manor intentionally built to be the same as the one in Japan?"
"Hmm... To be precise, the one in Japan was modeled after this one."
There was no special reason, just a simple desire for her residence to be as familiar as possible.
"Most of what I wanted to say we've already discussed on the phone. Now, do you want to go for a run with Antona?"
She paused slightly.
"She's the extraordinary monster I told you about. As for what makes her a monster, you'll know once you actually run with her."
Hearing her mother say this, Polaris Glacier's curiosity was piqued.
So it was true, Yuu Mai really wasn't an ordinary person.
They had already agreed to run together earlier, so now was a good time to start.
The mother and daughter immediately stood up; the former went to the front hall to call Kumi Trainer, while the latter went to her room on the second floor to change into athletic wear, and then they went together to the training ground behind the building.
On the field, Yuu Mai gladly agreed when she learned of the plan. After Polaris Glacier had completed her simple warm-up, the two stood at the marked starting line.
"Polaris, how does the turf feel? Is there a big difference from the one in Japan?"
Yuu Mai turned her head and asked, a smile on her face, her aura subtly surging around her.
A crimson-gold aura seemed to contain energy capable of destroying everything, making one's heart tremble and difficult to look at directly.
"There's quite a big difference. It feels like my feet are being tangled."
Polaris Glacier looked down, truly experiencing the difference.
To put it simply, the turf in Japan was shallower and harder.
Whereas the turf here was deeper and somewhat softer.
She was used to running on hard turf, and now running on soft turf, she wasn't sure if she could adapt smoothly.
However, there was no need to worry; she believed that with her physical conditioning, she wouldn't be stumped by mere adaptability.
"Yuu Mai, you don't need to hold back anything. Just use your full strength."
"I will. In return, let me see your full strength too, Polaris."
The pre-race conversation ended there, and the two then assumed their pre-run stances.
It's worth noting that this time, the race was not a full lap as usual, but only 1000 meters.
This was Lingdu Juechi's decision after some simple thought.
The reason was also simple: she deeply understood the characteristics of her daughter's aura and wanted Yuu Mai to have enough stamina to perform.
Standing on the sidelines, Kumi Trainer, as usual, acted as the referee and explained the rules:
"Young Miss and Miss Rigantona, start from your positions and finish at where I am standing."
After confirming that both nodded to indicate understanding, she raised one arm:
"Ready!"
Polaris Glacier and Yuu Mai simultaneously began to gather strength in their feet, already in a ready-to-go state.
"Go!"