A Place Without Heaven (Remake)

Chapter 21: Royal battle Day 1!

I kinda pulled out the tests for the remaining pages of the 2nd arc. And now, I have successfully proceeded to the third arc. The Royal Battle...! If you say summer? Beach! I-I mean.....passion..! 

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            Tests ended, and the real summer welcomed us. And so Royal Battle has started...!

"Ahem, test...test..." The MC (Master of Ceremonies) said, as he tested the magical speaker. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Royal Battle...!" He exclaimed, as the audience cheered. "It is a once a year tournament for the students of Capital Academy, and is us adults' entertainment...!" He said. "Today, I, Shiro will be your MC for the first day of Royal Battle....As many of you know today's tournament is Horse-riding..." He said. Three screens appeared. "In the middle, the view of our first trail is seen....This is also has the same structure with our fourth trail, which reaches to the Goal Line. Over your right, is the second trail, The Lost Forest...All you see is fog, fog, fog..!" He said, as the audience laughed. "And lastly, over your left, you can see the third trail, the Utopia. It is the paradise which is created by the imagination of a man's happiness...!"He continued. "Now, there's no time to waste. Let us start the Royal Battle First Tournament, Horse-riding...!" Shiro cheered, as the audience did the same. Well, this is hell for me, though. Horse, huh...? Ugh...!

After A lot of introduction, and list of rules, the race started. "This year's newbies looks good..." One man said. "But, you can't just help to bet easily, by preferences, right?" The other young man said. "Of course...! So who will you bet on?" He said. "Hmm, everyone was waiting for the legendary Knight's son, Gino. But, I can't help to be curious of the Imperial Prince's ability. Okay, I'll bet on the prince!" The young man said. "Are you sure? What if the knight's son wins over him?" The man asked, with a sly tone. "It's alright. Well, don't regret it when the prince wins" The young man said. The audience seems to be heat up, as the race started.

Somehow, the horse feels light unlike it was 5 years ago. Is it probably because of my growth or maybe because of my training? Well, either one of it sounds possible. Still, riding a horse sure gets the weight off my shoulder, like I can fly free out of this place anytime. Still, the fact that I feel like vomiting any time, doesn't change. But, I must hold it on, or else I'll end up breaking my reputation....!

Well, surely I've informed you about this, but might as well start it again. The MC earlier explained about this path, which consists of 4 trails, which has its own respective names and background stories, or more like rumors. This first lap, which is known as "The Beginning", this was the only path that had no rumor. A path carved by fences, like a ranch. This goes straight to the next lap, known as "The Lost Forest".

"In this old forest, as if a ruin...live the ghosts of the fallen warriors. Their duty is to gather many troops which why they hunt some people. Anyone is fine, as long as they are alive". This rumor formed the name "Lost Forest" that if you go away from the path, you'll lose your way forever, and...ever. But well, I've heard that they have rescued the students who became "Lost" here, it seemed like they were only put into sleep, causing them to continue the race.....

"Like hell, I'll believe in such crap..." I mumbled, as I reached the lost forest. I looked around, as I calmly rode my horse. Fog surrounded the whole forest. The fog was an illusionary magic, that if you get sucked into it, you'll enter the nightmares of misfortune. "So this is what they meant by getting lost..." I mumbled. Instead of getting lost in the way, it was getting lost in your own nightmare. Well, this forest has some strange smell that is likely to make those who smell it in sleep after an hour. But, I am focused on not vomiting, so the smell can't bother me for even a minute or hour. I closed my eyes, as I try to gobble up my puke back, rather than spurting it all out. Soon, I felt a gentle wind, in front of me. As I opened my mind I saw a never-ending Day, with a flower field surrounding the path.

"Utopia..." I mumbled, as I nearly puked. After getting out of the lost forest, I arrived at the third lap. "Utopia" or it was called a replica of The Garden of Eden. A flower field surrounded the pathway. The chirping of birds signified the coming of spring. Somehow, seeing this reminds me of a certain image. An image I've forgotten long ago, a memory of a distant....past. "Now, now...We can see ahead the figure of Prince Edward, as he is the first to get out of the Lost Forest. Oh, you guys there no changing your bets" The MC, Shiro said. "I see, so I am the first one..." I mumbled, as the images faded like crystals, or more like fragments...

I hastily rode my horse, as burden thoughts of the past came back as I stayed too long in the third lap. Damn, this thing sucks. This is harder than the second lap! The usual nightmare, including Lycia's death, Fiore's departure and Elia's disappearance, everything came back to me clearly, like an event of yesterday. Damn it all! Well, it was part of the rumor of this lap. It is said, that by staying here, you are forced to remember bad memories, like it was yesterday's events...

The fourth lap was just ahead. Yet, it looks so far, that I couldn't seem to arrive at it, any minute now. Maybe this was the reason of this lap. "By losing something, you must gain something. By gaining something, you must lose something, as an equivalent exchange". Everything isn't like a paradise, or a dream. So, we must wake up from it, no matter how hard it is, no matter how scary it is, no matter.......how sad it is. As I blinked, I soon arrived at the last lap. "Oh, Prince Edward has reached the last lap, earlier than the others!" Shiro said. "But look, Gino is chasing him like an ostrich behind" Kuro added. "Hahaha!" The young man laughed, as the old man clenched his fist.

I continue to hold back my puke, as I wiped down my tears. I soon reached the goal. As I won, the others cheered, as Gino came after me. I fell out of my horse. It wasn't the fatigue of trying to hold back myself from puking that made me fell. Yet, it was the weight of memories, the struggle I felt, seemed to have loosened yet it is still there. I cried silently, as the others cheered in enjoyment.

Gino carried me out of the arena, as the next batch was to take their race. "Sorry to bother you like this, Gino...." I mumbled. "It's okay! Aren't friends there for these kinds of bothers? Plus, I don't know how much it hurts, all I can say is we're here for you, Russell, Anna, Kirt even if he's a bit lazy, Forth even if he's a bit shy, Reina even if she's kinda angry on you, at times. And me...we're here for you, dude..." He chuckled, as I giggled. "Thanks...!" I sniffed. "Puu!" Lux greeted us, as Mr. Gustav brought him. "Lux, Mr. Gustav!" I said. "Great job out there, Ed-kun" He said, as he patted me. "Thank you sir...." I said, as Lux rode on my shoulder and licked my tears. "Thanks...Lux" I cried.

It wasn't forcing us to suffer on our bad memories, but instead facing our own fears and overcoming it that was the intent of that path, for us to find happiness, on the end of the road. No matter how long the journey had been, no matter how hard things were, there is a hope...!