“Lord Sunset-san, now that you’ve won the Saudi Cup, you’re undoubtedly one of the strongest Umamusume in the world. How do you feel about today’s victory?”
Faced with reporters from all over the world, Lord Sunset simply raised two fingers, then turned and walked away.
“Victory?”
“Two thoughts?”
“Going for back-to-back titles?”
Reporters from around the world were baffled. Only the Japanese reporters understood what she meant.
The legendary Umamusume mockingly dubbed a walking cash machine—the one who would even take down a god for you if there was prize money on the line—had only one target in her sights.
The highest prize money in the racing world: TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS.
“My goal is to become the richest Umamusume in the world!”
So declared Lord Sunset.
At some point—no one knew exactly when—legends of the Three Goddesses began to spread to every corner of the world. Unlike other gods who existed only in myth, once the Three Goddesses displayed their miracles, humanity made the Church of the Three Goddesses its central faith. Then, Umamusume appeared as angels.
They were dreamlike spirits: beautiful and charming, pure and adorable. Though they were naturally fond of competition, they were all sweet girls with kind hearts. They possessed physical abilities far beyond ordinary people, as well as an innocence humans could never maintain. Under the protection of the Three Goddesses, they lived in harmony with humanity and became part of human society. With Umamusume and the Three Goddesses active in the world, human history became stable and peaceful.
Because Umamusume had an irrepressible passion for running woven into their very nature, racing in this world rose to unprecedented heights, becoming an unchanging tradition that had endured for thousands of years. Umamusume ran and competed on the track, claimed victory, brought hope and smiles to the spectators, and became the brightest stars onstage. It was that sort of dreamlike story.
Unfortunately, that story has nothing to do with a perfectly ordinary Umamusume like me.
Running through the alleys of Tokyo with a heavy load on her back, yet still weaving nimbly through the streets, was an unknown Umamusume named Lord Sunset. Her name sounded dazzling, but in truth, she was just an ordinary blond Umamusume who happened to be very cute.
As she listened to the beautiful legend about Umamusume that a young mother nearby was telling her child, her steps did not slow in the slightest.
“Work, work! Today’s another perfect day for work—”
Deftly dodging the pedestrians passing by, Sunset arrived at the familiar market. Today, she had been asked to deliver some goods for the man who ran a shop on the next street.
“Oh, Sunset! Making deliveries this early?”
“Yes! Good morning, sir!”
“Sunset, the vegetables are fresh today. Want to bring some back for the director? I’ll give you a discount—”
“Ah! Thank you, ma’am. Please save some for me, then. I’ll come back after I finish this delivery! Oh, and please save me the best carrot!”
“Good morning, Sunset! You look even prettier today.”
“Haha, thank you, ma’am! Here’s the breakfast the man from the steamed bun shop asked me to bring you!”
Keeping up her running pace, Sunset greeted the shopkeepers around her without so much as a hitch in her breathing. For someone like her, who had spent years around the shopping street, staying on friendly terms with all the uncles and aunties was practically required coursework. Fortunately, all the shopkeepers she had met were good people who had often looked after her when she was little, so she could say she had maintained excellent neighborly relations. To be honest, it had also saved her quite a bit of money.
Among the bustling crowd, she spotted a familiar Umamusume girl with red twin-tails.
“Nei—cha—”
From behind the girl, Sunset suddenly shouted her name at the top of her lungs. She even deliberately made the “cha” sound a little like “chan.”
The girl’s ears twitched hard from the fright, and her tail shot straight up.
“Geez—you scared me half to death! And I told you, don’t call me Neicha. It really sounds like you’re saying ‘Nee-chan,’ Sunset-oneechan!”
“Haha, I’ll remember, I’ll remember—”
“You say that, but you’re going to do the exact same thing next time. Honestly…”
Prank successful! The girl like the wind ran off into the distance.
…
She arrived at her destination: an Umamusume equipment shop called Rising. As a shop near the Central area, this Umamusume equipment store was well-known far and wide, and quite a few students from Tracen Academy came here to choose suitable horseshoes. However, it had always been short on staff, apparently because the owner preferred a custom-made approach full of artisan spirit. So although it was famous, the storefront itself was not very large.
“Boss, the materials are here! Come sign for them!”
“Right away. Hold on a second!”
It seemed the owner was still hammering out horseshoes; a steady clang came from the back room.
After setting down the goods sent by the hardware store owner from the next street, Sunset stood in the equipment shop, looking over all sorts of horseshoes and racing outfit designs.
It may be a world that has nothing to do with me, but it’s still so pretty…
There was not a girl alive who disliked shiny things, and Sunset stared at the horseshoes in front of her in a slight daze. Under the shop lights, the horseshoes gleamed with a lovely silver sheen, and they felt quite substantial to the touch.
“You like that horseshoe? I can give it to you. We’ve known each other long enough anyway.”
The owner walked out of the room, wiping the sweat from his neck as he smiled at Sunset.
“No, no. I’d have no use for something like this. I’m not a racer!”
Sunset shook her head like a rattle drum. Although the thought I’m sure I could get a lot for a horseshoe if I sold it flashed through her mind for a moment, accepting unnecessary kindness like that felt rather improper.
“Really? Even if you’re not a racer, horseshoes would still help with your usual running. Besides, I think you’re pretty suited for running, you know.”
As he spoke, the owner glanced at Sunset’s calves. This was a bad habit of his: when he looked at an Umamusume, he looked at her legs first. With someone he knew well, like Sunset, that was one thing, but when meeting someone for the first time, Umamusume often took him for a pervert.
“Thank you for the unrealistic compliment, but I don’t wear horseshoes for my usual running, and there’s no way I’m becoming a racer, so there really isn’t any need.”
Seeing Sunset refuse, the owner did not say anything more. After checking over the delivered materials, he handed the payment for them to her.
“Have you been making more horseshoes than usual lately?”
In truth, Sunset had simply noticed that the loads had been getting heavier lately. Carrying heavier things for the same pay—part-time work really was not easy these days.
“Yeah. I got a big order recently. Tracen Academy is holding a campus festival, and they asked me to prepare horseshoes as prizes.”
“That must be nice—Tracen Academy is so rich, you must be making quite a bit~”
Sunset deliberately drew out the end of her sentence.
“All right, all right. I’ll add a little extra tip for you. Happy?”
As expected of a smart and decent businessman, the owner took the hint immediately.
“Hehe, thank you, boss. How generous of you. See you tomorrow!”
Sunset took the money and left like the wind. More pocket money. Today was a total win!
“The next job is—ah, right, I promised to help unload goods at the shopping street! Speed up, speed up. I can’t be late for school!”
“That little brat. So slippery… Still, every time I see it, I can’t help but be impressed. That sprint speed of hers—you’d have to call it talent.”
Watching Sunset’s rabbit-like figure, the owner merely smiled, then turned and walked back into the room.
…
Her early-morning work was swiftly completed. There was still some time before school, so with a vegetable basket in hand, Sunset jogged back to her home: the Tokyo Hokkaido Orphanage.
“Every time I see it, I have to say it—why is it called Hokkaido when it’s obviously in Tokyo…”
Sunset muttered as she stepped through the orphanage gates. The orphanage was an entire small building, with the first floor serving as everyone’s shared washroom and dining hall.
At this time of day, the other children should have more or less gotten up already. She could hear the noisy clatter of pots, bowls, ladles, and basins.
“Good morning, Sunset-oneechan!”
“Mm, good morning. Make sure you eat properly and study hard today too.”
“Okay!”
Greeting the children around her one by one, Sunset wore the mature smile of an older sister.
Although she was only fifteen, she was the oldest child in the orphanage. After all, the director had opened this orphanage for her and her younger sister. To help lessen the burden on the director and his wife, who had to look after more than a dozen children, she had started doing whatever work she could from around the age of ten. By now, she had already become a battle-hardened part-time warrior.
When she walked into the back kitchen, she saw the busy director and his wife, as well as the auntie who helped with the cooking. Breakfast had been made rather quickly today, and it seemed there was no room for her to help.
“Good morning, Director Higashino, Mrs. Higashino, Auntie Wada. These are today’s discounted vegetables.”
The director paused in his work and glanced over. He was already over fifty this year, at the age where his hair was no longer particularly thick. Smiling, he reached out and patted Sunset on the head.
“They’re very fresh. Thank you for going to the trouble, Sunset.”
“Don’t pat my head. I won’t grow taller.”
Blushing, Sunset dodged the director’s hand. She had always held a deep grudge over her tiny size.
“I’m going, I’m going. I’ll take a shower, change, and head to school. Oh, right, this one’s mine!”
Sunset put most of the money from her work into the vegetable basket, then pulled a fresh carrot out of it and ran out of the kitchen carrying the rice bucket filled with breakfast.
“All right, little ones! Time to eat!”
“Yes, Onee-chan!”
After laying out the rice and dishes on the large dining table, Sunset called out once, then ran back to her room. The voices of her little underlings answered behind her. She was the boss of the children in this orphanage, the kind with overflowing authority—self-proclaimed.
As for her own breakfast? She had eaten long ago. She had no desire to work until she fainted from hunger in the middle of a shop.
When she returned to her room, she saw her younger sister still combing her hair. Though Sunset called her a younger sister, they were not related by blood; they had simply depended on each other for a period of time when they were little. But to Sunset and her sister, their relationship was just like that of true sisters.
“Ah, you’re back, Onee-chan!”
Seeing Sunset’s reflection in the mirror, the little black-haired, red-eyed Umamusume excitedly turned her head.
“Mm. Kita, here. This carrot is really fresh. I just got it from the man at the grocery store.”
“Thank you, Onee-chan. Comb my hair for me!”
“I’m covered in sweat. Comb it yourself. Once you’re done, go eat before the food gets cold.”
“Okaaay~”
“Acting spoiled won’t make me comb it for you. I’m taking a shower.”
“Uu… meanie.”
The lively day had only just begun.
T/N: wowza neicha and kita
hehehheeh when neicha and kita grows up
This is a fan translation of 迫于生计，赛马娘登上赛场！ by 扶风三尺 Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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