Chapter 489

NO．72：You guessed right, she's been lying in wait for you on the Chazuo screen

As of late, Aomo feels he should suspend his activities.

Or rather, stay indoors for a while.

The reason for this thought isn't recent public opinion, but rather realizing his social circle is extreme.

The ideal form of the mercenary agency's network should be a friendly network at the corporate and faction level, not purely personal connections.

The latter can certainly achieve network expansion for the agency, but the burden on the individuals……

Aomo leaned on the balcony, yawned.

The incoming cool breeze couldn't shake the demon's physique, nor give him a refreshing stimulus.

Another rainy night, under the eaves of the balcony a continuous rain curtain formed, making the city nightscape of this corner also hazy like neon, adding a touch of dreaminess.

Star Calendar 612 Year August 12, Chrysanthemum Prize, Champion: Manhattan Cafe (ManhattanCafe).

Such a minor OP-level race isn't worth much promotion, but August is also precisely the off-season for horse racing events.

The whole month globally only has a few racecourses, even the Chrysanthemum Prize can appear in URA Association's Derby Magazine——of course, print magazines aren't out yet, but digital editions come first.

Making that ominous, black-aura-filled figure occupy a large spread, the title "Black Shadow Clouds" hung directly below, the artistic font with bared teeth and claws plus ManhattanCafe's real name, looks like a new card pool advertisement.

Although tomorrow it'll be replaced by new race layouts, slotted into the folding board ad spot, it still represents the formal start of that black horse girl's career.

The title might still be changed, that's tradition, like many horse girls debuting called monsters, but only Narita Hakujin truly received the official monster title.

Titles like "Black Skyscraper" sound more fitting, mentioned after the race, reporters even asked his opinion on it.

As for why not ask Chazuo……

At the time, reporters lined up at the racecourse gate, naturally they wouldn't greet the inarticulate black-haired horse girl.

Having been interviewed before, and being himself a smooth-talking trainer, naturally he'd worry for the horse girl.

Of course, before that.

Aomo still has to unavoidably meet with those industry friends.

Snow Beauty, Yamato Juji, Milk Bath, True Machine Spirit, Desert Hero and other horse girls greeting him carry far less weight than the congratulations and praise for the race's main character Manhattan Cafe.

A bunch of little girls huddled together, enough to make Suzi's roommate Ailishuma see and drop dead on the spot.

The high-density friendship barrier among girls is unfolding, making Aomo unconsciously distance himself.

And after that, congratulations and encouragement from retired horse girls of great renown like Ludaofu Xiangzheng, Qianming representing, Maruzen Ski……

It's hard to say whether the brought excitement is still pressure.

But after this, it's like soldier vs soldier, general vs general, adults just have to torture adults like that.

These horse girl seniors also didn't stand long beside Chazuo, but quickly turned to congratulate and expect Aomo……isn't that a bit too dangerous?

Not far away, reporters already cast their gazes oh!

Not looking at the high-density friendship scene of the race's main character, but instead casting dangerous gazes this way oh!

And Hakujin, can't you turn around and say something about training Chazuo again? I know Chazuo is a good seedling, but you don't need to keep harping on it? If this continues, Black Sunday will appear!

Black Sunday vs Fearless Shadow Monster aside, Dazhenhan Miss's internship work preventing her from arriving at the scene is indeed a relief for Aomo.

Although this guy mouths regrets same as the other, inside he's full of relieved sighs.

As for afterward saying he'd treat to a meal to make amends……that naturally means repeated refusals, hurriedly saying it's not necessary at all.

Eating with an idol is certainly enviable, but as a rational fan, one must guard against obsessive fans.

Not saying anything else, this Metoron Starperson has already shouted about wanting to duel him.

Considering the opponent's combat power, Aomo first thought he was just boasting.

And after this, it's again trainers' emergency visits.

Horse girls' races, corresponding trainers, and even purely intelligence-gathering trainers monitoring enemy movements for their own horse girls, naturally all would be present, Aomo fully understands.

But when they come one by one, letting him just finish dealing with reporters, his heart thinking finally able to clock out, then it tightens again, Aomo just can't understand.

Thinking in his heart whether he should just put on a Sima face, since there are so many Jidong people, they should be good at reading the air?

Do you know what "don't add trouble to others" means!

What challenges me, how could someone treat a newcomer as a strong enemy!

What smiling congratulations, yet subtly implying I should focus on training a horse girl……isn't that overstepping? Are you trying to dig a wall corner? Or self-proclaiming to be a righteous figure cleansing the trainer circle of newcomers' arrogant trends?

Plus directly calling his name, flatly saying let him and Chazuo wait and see……this is unnecessary? With so many watching, an OP race with a few hundred fan threshold, doing this only makes everyone think you're petty.

Lastly there's shouting "Prince Linton, I'm your fan!"……Aomo got goosebumps, asking what kind of fan, she said she's a anti-vote fan, and will fight black fans with him in the horse girl version……hiss——will there be such oddballs in the trainer ranks?

In short, that's how it is, in one day he was bombarded by horse girls, reporters, trainer colleagues, strange fans, plus the chairman and Miss Shunchuan's video call coming to congratulate and encourage, the latter clearly saw his fatigue, a series of hopes he rests well were very heartwarming.

Whether polite talk or sincere feelings, anyway Aomo received healing, his favorability toward the green-clothed secretary increased by 30 points.

But after that, there were still old classmates, teachers, head teachers, even Morrison's friends' calls, messages, chat room bombardments, forcing him to temporarily shut his phone, borrowing Su's phone to search prices for work and personal number protection packages.

It's strange, really strange.

Clearly looking at other trainer newcomers bringing horse girls to debut aren't like this, Nishizaki Yutaka even yelled on the phone 'Impossible, absolutely impossible! How could someone just debuted have popularity a hundred times mine back then!'.

This speech reveals how insignificant he was like a mob back then, but as directly pushed by URA Association for promotion, publishing books, standing with horse girls at the idol stage center 'Training Prince', Nishizaki Yutaka's views in this field are always beyond doubt.

Can only say this is an abnormality, and the abnormality point isn't in the horse girls themselves, but……

In short, Aomo feels this can't continue.

One's energy is limited, one's maintainable social circle also has limits.

Aomo, who never could be called a social butterfly, after today's events is nearly burned out.

Returning to the agency, he first lay corpse-like on the sofa.

Rather than preparing dinner, he seemed to turn into white ash.

Then he would be mercilessly forced by Suzi to take a medicine tube.

Worth mentioning is, she succeeded.

So now, when Aomo stood by the balcony yawning, his upper body was glowing while his lower body was exhaling dark energy.

……Her potion's side effects were basically the main effect, Aomo sometimes thought.

For potions developed toward a certain function, the achievement of the goal is always uncertain, but the side effects are locked in so precisely—either glowing or emitting darkness, occasionally both at once.

I don't even know when it will turn into refined ash.

But compared to the potion, her match requires Aomo to pay more attention.

Just thinking that her match against Bourbon is on the same day, and it's tomorrow, Aomo felt a sense of karmic retribution.

After all, the schedule was set by him.

Considering the girls' feelings, letting everyone's debut time be as consistent as possible, as early as possible, while also being gradual……Now, if he had the chance to go back half a month ago, he could probably slap himself to make him reconsider.

"……Trainer, want some coffee?"

Chazuo, who asked this silently beside him, is also proof of Aomo's poor condition.

Normally, as a demon trainer, he wouldn't fail to notice the girl's footsteps, after all the balcony door is open.

But what better displays his state is usually that listless gaze.

"Coffee, caffeine in the coffee fruit……" Turning to look at the dark liquid in the tray Chazuo was holding, Aomo's words were somewhat fragmented.

"The coffee fruit is the 'cause', caffeine is the 'effect', cause and effect leading to fruit, cause and effect yielding cause……Namo San, actual karmic retribution indeed"

"?" Chazuo tilted her head in confusion, the ears on her head twitching, "Trainer…are you studying Buddhism?"

"I'm studying coffee science……no, just forget what I just said."

Facing that golden boy, seeing his originally so simple nod, Aomo wearily rubbed his forehead, only feeling his earlier behavior damaged an adult's image.

"Oh…" Chazuo nodded again, then slightly lifted the tray on her chest, "That…coffee? Trainer, do you want to sleep early?"

"Probably not, tonight I have to adjust your training plan, ah, hand it over."

Aomo, having taken the coffee, sipped that familiar rich aroma, and indeed finally felt somewhat refreshed.

Although part of it was also seeing the glowing body reflected in the dark liquid.

"Training plan……"

"After all——""Trainer……"

"……" The two who spoke at the same time fell slightly silent, then Aomo raised his hand, "You go first."

"Hmm……" Chazuo, who wouldn't let the scene turn into back-and-forth deferral, responded, put down the tray, then lifted her head to re-examine Aomo with her dark-gold eyes.

"……Trainer, you've returned to normal."

"You can't always look at people with that gaze," Aomo knew what she meant, so he smiled helplessly, "Usually speaking, that's also not likable."

As a top student in spirit summoning, with a perfect medium constitution, Chazuo has been able to see ghosts since childhood, also attracting them, and Aomo is not surprised she can see the pattern of his soul.

She likely could see that bound darkness from the start, and also see Aomo's demon soul outline.

As a demon whose bloodline hasn't awakened, living in society like a human for nineteen years and two months, appearing and disguising himself as an ordinary person, is this human-form youth.

Quite literally his skin suit.

And that ferocious appearance is the reflection of his soul, unrestrained, un-suppressed, the sharp, stern, inhuman posture—that is his true form.

So when Chazuo hopes he shows darkness without concealment, he directly responds by demonizing.

And in the style of acting at the Invasion Union base, it's completely different from usual.

That is also part of the small agreement.

As long as Aomo doesn't conceal himself, Chazuo can clearly see the shadow she wants to pursue——and then bring him victory.

"Then again, you kid……" He gently rubbed her head, Aomo again smoothed her similarly moon-like cowlick, "Have you always hidden this kind of hobby in front of Zhouri Ningjing?"

"Is it strange?" Chazuo looked up at him.

Those eyes are innocent, yet always chasing darkness.

Even her usual wooden expression has become an excellent disguise.

A well-behaved, sensible child, secretly always having a different hobby.

Considering she has always followed Zhouri Ningjing's steps, it's not hard to guess whose influence it is.

But Aomo also has no right to say.

He helplessly sipped his coffee, shifted his gaze to look again at the rain curtain.

"Can only say it's relatively niche, but still needs careful selection, not all shadows are worth chasing."

"Hmm……" Chazuo lowered her head in response, the corner of her mouth also slightly twitching up.

"I only like the hue of coffee……like 'friends' and Trainer like……"

"Ah……is this really a type that can be lumped together?"

"……Just the difference between mocha and black coffee, Trainer…want to guess who is who……"

"No."

"Zhouri Ningjing hasn't done a knight kick from the screen in a month, I'm afraid she secretly learned a Yan-style kick to use on me."