Section 49 Selection

"Mr. Io, I'm afraid ......," said the high priest after the gong sounded. "We didn't feel anything. There is no smell of black magic at all. ”

From morning to now, the priests have been scattered in all corners, trying to feel the breath of dark magic energy, and they have not relaxed even after all the competitors have gathered to the starting position. But the results speak for themselves.

The venerable priest was gentle, but there was already a clear meaning in his expression. If it weren't for the fact that he had just donated a sum of money to the church yesterday, the priest would not even have a "mild attitude."

"I'm sorry, maybe I'm too careful. Io replied apologetically. "Let's just enjoy the game. ”

With that said, he quickly took a break and left this ecclesiastical location to find Lyle. It was easy, as Lyle was waiting for him at the agreed location. Because everyone was busy watching the game at this time, it was just the two of them.

"It really has nothing to do with the dark arts...... Io said. As incredible as it may be, Ashrufat's mount is indeed a living horse. This can only mean one thing - that idiot from Dicks really sold his BMW at the cheapest price. "Are you done?"

"I've already negotiated with the riders. Lyle said. "Everyone made a promise of four hundred gold oli. This price should be enough for them to do their best. ”

"I hope so......" Io's heart was filled with frustration. He thought everything was within his control, but now he realized that things were not so simple. "That idiot of Dicks...... People casually bought the veterinarian to come to a simple scam and coaxed him into it. He said anxiously. "It's definitely not my two cousins who came up with this, it must be Ashrufat who is doing it. ”

Lyle nodded, agreeing with Io completely.

"I'm worried right now...... With that BMW, there is a real possibility...... "Io now regrets that the price was not set properly. I knew that the Dao would have been set at 100,000. However, he also knew that this matter was difficult to do, and the two sisters were not foreign businessmen or civilians who had no power and connections, and they could be kneaded at will. And the energy of his supernatural Aunt Mary, Io also knows a thing or two.

"Brother Io, don't worry too much. "Lyle is more optimistic. "There's no such thing as a must-win game. Although Ashrufat had a good horse, he was only a mercenary after all, and his riding skills were certainly not as good as those professional riders. A good horse doesn't necessarily mean a win, didn't Dicks lose last year?"

"Hmm. Lyle's words relieved Io a little. "Let's go and see if the professional riders can live up to their professional level. ”

......

With the sound of the gong, all the horses that were ready to go rushed forward like arrows from the string. Both the riders and the spectators know how important it is to start this race. There were more than 100 horses in the race, and the narrow road could actually only allow five or six horses to gallop side by side, which meant that those who were slow at first would be pushed back and follow the butts of other horses – even if they were not strong.

Hoshimi stands on the edge of the pergola, a position reserved for women. As she said before, she came alone, and Xingke didn't come because she was "unwell". At this moment, almost all the local squire and aristocratic women are concentrated here, and Hoshimi is Ace by his side.

Speaking of which, this is not the first time Hoshimi has participated in the Jockey Club. But it seemed to be the first time she had felt so nervous. Her eyes never left Aerufat from the beginning - it was not very difficult to find him among the riders, as Aerufat was white and quite striking regardless of the centaurs.

"Oh, dear. If Hoshimi's nervousness is in his heart, Ace's excitement is clearly expressed on his face. "You see, he's fantastic, he's on the front line. ”

Indeed, Ashrufat had a great start and had already grabbed the first line. In fact, a group of seeded players all took the lead in this competition, steadily occupying the first and second line positions. And the horses that failed to start and were squeezed to the back of the horse were all the types that lacked strength. But let's be honest, although the start was exciting and provoked a lot of shouts from the audience, it was too early to say that the winner would be judged at this time. Off-road racing has the advantage of being at the bottom of the road – it's hard to know who wins or loses until you're at the bottom.

The horses mingled into a colorful tide and surged rapidly along the racing route. The priority of the first leg of the road has been decided, and as long as there is no mismatch and no horse falling, the position of the front and back will not change. Even if the rider in front deliberately slows down, the rider behind can't overtake it.

"Oh, your fiancé is really great. Ace said to Hoshimi with a little envy and a little congratulations. "He's got a good spot. ”

"Hmm. Hoshimi also replied happily.

"But there are still a lot of opportunities to change positions. Ace looked ahead. There is a grove of trees in front of the runway. In this position, riders are faced with a simple choice – go around or walk in a straight line through the woods. Walking in a straight line can save a lot of distance, and even catch up – but speeding a horse through the woods is inherently dangerous and challenging.

To succeed in this horse race, a brave sense of adventure and superb riding skills are essential.

"Like this road. Ace pointed to the woods ahead. "It's a big challenge. ”

In the woods in early spring, the treetops and branches have already sprouted the first new green, but the whole is still bare. The vines on the ground have disappeared in the bitter cold of winter, so on the ground

Ashrufat adjusts the tempo of himself and his mount. He cautiously divided his mind and observed the overall situation. At this time, he was not ranked first, but he was a member of the vanguard group. In addition to him, this vanguard group included every horse he had previously set his eye on. The "red lightning" was galloping on the side of Ashrufat at this time, slightly ahead of him. The particularly tall "grey hair" was right behind Ashrufat. In addition, the black horse with four snow-white hooves was also beside him. In addition to these horses, there were several steeds that Ashrufat had not noticed before. Only the muscular horse that Eshurufat had once focused on was not there. However, this was to be expected - the horse's size was good at endurance, not the sprint type.

Every rider in the vanguard group was cautious at this point. All of them did not deliberately pursue the first position, but tried their best to maintain the physical strength of their mounts and adjust the rhythm between the men and horses.

The woods are just ahead. If this off-road race is seen as a series of tests, this is the first test – a test of the rider's courage and skill. If you can pass this test, you can keep the advantage in the lead, and you can catch up in the lag (at least not too far behind). On the contrary, if they do not participate in this test, then the laggards basically lose the chance to win.

It turns out that everyone is well aware of this. All the horses of the first group rushed straight into the woods without hesitation.

"Look, they're all rushing in!" Ace's heart, which had just calmed down, stirred again. This was a rare sight, and all seven horses that made up the leading group rushed straight into the woods. Although the trees are all bare now, it still greatly hinders the audience's vision, and only horses can be vaguely seen flashing in the woods.

It's a little simpler than expected.

Ashruphat thought as he kept his horse speed. The terrain in the woods is very complicated, and you have to worry not only about your feet, but also about your head. The latter is more lethal than the former. If you hit those branches while you were speeding down, you would actually be calling the end of the rider's race.

Ashrufat was overwhelmed at first and had to slow down. But as time went on, he quickly got used to the feeling that if the branches that could hit his head at any moment were swords swung at any moment, the attacks were slow and easy to dodge. Ashruphat even took a moment to observe the others.

The other riders, without exception, slowed down their horses to adapt to the dangerous conditions. There is a lot of space in the woods, so the riders are separated from each other by a large distance, and each chooses a suitable path to pass through. Before you know it, Ashrufat has taken the lead and become the leader.

Although the vanguard group made the same choice, it was not the same as the riders behind the pioneer group. Some of the riders rushed into the woods, but many more honestly chose to take a detour. When this multiple-choice question is over, the spectators on the hill can clearly see that about half of the riders choose to go straight through the woods, and the rest choose to take a detour.

This is by no means a wrong choice. Because just as the riders had crossed the intersection, a scream rang out from the bushes, very clear and loud. Even the audience at the top of the hill could hear it clearly. Then, clearly from the analysis of the branches, one saw a white horse jumping over, but there was no rider on horseback.

This was just the beginning, followed by more screams. The audience watched this tragic scene with bated breath. Although it was difficult for them to see the exact situation, the screams and the occasional appearance of horses that had lost their riders clearly indicated what was happening.

A group of people in charge of the aftermath hurried to the woods under the leadership of a ceremonial officer. It's an old routine, and every year a dozen or so unlucky riders are eliminated here. This year, more people chose to walk through the woods than in previous years, so the number of cullings this year is also significantly higher than in previous years. Luckily, however, experience over the years has shown that the riders who have been eliminated here are usually injured, rarely severely, and only one particularly unlucky guy has died here.

Hoshimi had already stood up. In fact, there are very few people who can still sit there and watch the game quietly. The fierce and brutal competition aroused the tension and uneasiness in everyone's hearts. When she realized it, she realized that she didn't know when she was holding Ace's arm tightly. And Ace didn't notice this because she was too nervous and concerned.

At this moment, no one paid attention to the riders who were making a detour, everyone looked at the end of the woods, waiting for someone to rush out.