The Refuge of Fate

Chapter 115 - Start

A/N: For some reason, I was listening to Taylor Swift's '... Ready for it?' soundtrack when I wrote this chapter. I recommend you do the same for a better reading experience. Enjoy!

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It was early in the morning yet all the people were excitedly anticipating the hunting competition. On the holographic screen being shown in the sky was the view of the gates that separated the Nightmare Hollow Forest from the rest of the kingdom. Participants were all gathered outside in the numerous gates and everyone was rooting for their bias loudly.

But the most anticipated participants haven't arrived yet.

"I can feel the tension getting thicker, captain!" Ramsen spoke in what seemed like a thrilled tone as if he was frustrated with the building excitement for this event. He even looked around with his hand shielding his eyes from the non-existent rays of the sun that could damage his eyes in order to look better for the awaited participants of the hunting competition.

There were already a massive number of people gathered here to join ranging from knights, mages, and even the common people who aspire to win and claim one of the most prestigious awards in the entire empire.

Whoever wins this competition yearly gets to wish for anything to the emperor and the empire would provide for it to the best of their abilities.

There is no greater aspiration than that to anyone who lives here.

One could wish for an endless amount of money or they could wish for a new aristocratic status. Most of the commoners who join the hunting competition greatly dream of that. There was no better place for anyone in this empire than being a noble and gaining massive generational wealth that they could pass on to their future lineage.

That is how prestigious this competition is for the common people.

For the nobles though who already have the nobility status, their wishes differ greatly from the former. Though some winners wished for wealth as well as they wanted to own a portion of land that the empire held, some wealthy noblemen could be quite daring as well.

There were those who wished to be wedded to a beautiful fairy, there were those who wished to be provided with a certain number of Imperial Knights to go on an adventure in an unexplored land, and there were even those who wished to gain access to the secret developmental plans of the empire.

It's just an array of wishes for the winners.

"It's meant to be a lot more tense than the previous years because everyone is wary of the newcomer," Lysander explained as he adjusted his cloak. Since he was going to participate in the competition, he at least needed to have something with him going inside knowing that one of his hands was cut off.

"Right... Knowing that someone as powerful as the young master is joining is keeping them tense... I like it!" Ramsen cheered as he got on his feet and straightened his posture. The people around them were so busy talking with each other that they didn't even give notice to the two knights anymore.

The two conversed for a few more minutes until everyone started murmuring and looking at one direction. Perez and Ramsen followed to which their gazes were led to the floating holographic image on the tower near them.

The sound of drums and trumpets combined echoed from the screen as a series of images were shown.

One by one, the people gasped in awe.

The most anticipated participants who have the biggest chances of winning have finally arrived. Just like during the commencement of the festival on the first day, their images were shown one by one as they landed at their designated gates.