Chapter 113

Chapter 113

Although Pa Bo didn’t want to share this matter with others, sign-ups had to go through the village chief. If he kept sneaking around about it now, those people might pull some shady tricks again. So, he had no choice but to blow the whistle on this in a public setting to put the fear in them.

Sure enough, after Pa Bo read out the news from the newspaper, the villagers began sizing up their own strength and speed, figuring they stood a fighting chance. They were itching to sign up right away, worried that people from other places might already be training and already a step ahead of them.

"By the way, besides the rewards mentioned in the newspaper, I heard the city lord has additional prizes. If we make it big, maybe even the big merchants in the city would want to befriend us. This could be our fast track to the top!" Watching their excitement, Pa Bo smirked to himself. With how self-serving these villagers were, they probably wouldn’t even make it past the city-level competition.

When the village chief heard about this, he grew anxious. This was a golden opportunity to win glory and perks for their village, yet he hadn’t heard a peep about it at all. If not for Pa Bo’s return, their village might have missed out entirely. Thinking this, the chief quickly called out the people crowding his doorway, telling them to wait while he rushed to town to inquire.

He didn’t bother asking neighboring villages, fearing they might withhold information or simply not know yet. Why remind them?

Hearing the chief’s words, the others didn’t dare stop him. The village’s young men quickly offered to handle the donkey cart, promising to get the chief to town as fast as possible.

When the chief arrived in town in a frantic hurry and confirmed the news, he immediately brought back the competition rulebook and registration forms, instructing everyone to prepare according to the instructions.

They didn’t have a real track or anything in the village, nor did they know how to mark out 100 or 200 meters, so they just estimated. They didn’t have shot puts, so they used stones—close enough. No sandpit for long jump? They just jumped on flat ground. For high jump, they strung up a rope between two trees—good enough, right?

They were eager for the rewards but unwilling to put in too much effort, cutting corners wherever they could. And so, they began their haphazard training.

Of course, their training was hit-or-miss at best, treating it more like a game, with just messing around competing among themselves.

They had no idea how much preparation other villages had put in upon hearing the news. True, those villages also had shortcomings, but with some time and elbow grease, they could give their competitors an edge. Why wouldn’t they?

Without proper measuring tools, they used tailoring tape measures, marking distances step by step. Without shot puts, they carved stones into uniform sizes. Without sandpits, they dug their own...

Of course, they knew their chances of making it far were slim. So why bother? Because they understood that since His Majesty was hosting such competitions, it wouldn’t be a one-time event.

Right now, they might not have the talent, but what about in ten or twenty years? With enough practice, maybe the next person to reach the royal capital would be one of them—or their descendants.

Meanwhile, in the city, preparations were strictly up to standard. The money they’d earned over the years was more than enough to build proper competition venues.

For cities with existing grand coliseums, it was even easier—just fix up and repurpose them into regulation stadiums.

As for the royal capital, plans were underway for a 50,000-seat stadium. Initially for track and field events, it would later host ball games and grand concerts. Without giant screens, they’d make do with telescopes—one per person, with everyone putting up with holding them for viewing.

Back in the village, after discussing with Harvey, Pa Bo decided to sign him up for shot put and the 100-meter dash.

Though Harvey was incredibly strong, there's always a bigger fish. Weightlifting required too much equipment, which they couldn’t easily practice. Shot put was ideal—compact, portable, and useful for hunting if mastered.

Javelin was out of the question—too long and impractical for their mountainous terrain.

As for running, Harvey didn’t take it too seriously. Too many villagers had signed up for it, so he chose the shortest distance, treating it as a casual run that wouldn’t interfere with his other chores. After all, his family kept him busy with endless tasks, leaving little free time.

By now, Harvey had made up his mind. Even if he couldn’t make it to the royal capital or win any prizes, he’d hunt as much as possible, save up money, and leave this place. Watching Pa Bo tirelessly working for his sake, Harvey refused to let him down again.

When the villagers learned Harvey was participating in shot put, some were displeased. They thought his strength and speed meant he should compete in all events.

Unfortunately, registration rules limited each person to two events.

During group practice, Harvey used the same stones as everyone else. But when alone, he trained with the shot put Pa Bo had bought him, getting a feel for the real thing.

Days passed, and finally, the village selection day arrived. Thanks to his exceptional physique, Harvey secured qualifying spots in both the 100-meter dash and shot put.

Next, he joined competitors from other villages for the town-level competition, advancing once more.

Perhaps due to bad luck, Harvey was the only one from his village to progress. Watching the others arrive in high spirits only to leave dejected, Harvey felt a wicked little thrill.

Since qualifiers were required to train together in town, Harvey didn’t return with the villagers. Seeing him enter the training quarters, they felt an odd unease—as if something was slipping from their control.

But was that possible? Harvey was still that silent, timid, insecure wild boy who didn’t even know how to enjoy money or nice things. If he ever "made it," wouldn’t they be the ones to benefit?

Reassuring themselves with these thoughts, they returned to the village, eagerly awaiting good news from Harvey.

Meanwhile, Harvey, now in town, had no money on him, no spare clothes, and felt awkward watching other competitors arrive with family and friends. Thankfully, the training camp’s supervisor soon arrived with good news.

"Alright, non-participants, clear out. From now on, this will be a lockdown training regimen. Meals and uniforms will be provided, so pack away your personal belongings for later use."