The horse race that Finance Minister Mike had intended to hold was canceled, as all the horsemen had gone to help build Rody Academy. Noble knights, of course, couldn't be expected to lead horses in a race, and the competing horses, due to lack of proper care, were not in good condition.
Moreover, the most crucial reason was that the Night Prince, busy with the affairs of Rody Academy, had not found a horse to participate in the race.
If the Night Prince didn't participate, the horse race would be pointless.
However, Minister Mike was not disheartened because the Night Prince suggested an even better idea, prompting him to postpone the horse race and focus on organizing a competition proposed by the Night Prince instead. This contest didn't require horses; it was named 'Rody Cup – World Record Challenge'. This challenge wasn't limited to creative inventions but was open to any profession, any category, and any record to be challenged.
It was a general term with many specific names within its categories.
For example, in the mercenaries' challenge, it was also called 'Rody Cup – Strongman Challenge'.
In the strongman category, mercenaries could participate in events like arm wrestling, discus throwing, javelin throwing, wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, sprinting, long-distance running, and many other sub-challenges. Each sub-category had gold, silver, and bronze medals, and anyone with confidence, not just professional mercenaries but even a blacksmith, could participate.
Of course, since mercenaries were most likely to be powerful in this event, the contest also got its name as the Strongman Challenge.
This was different from previous magic martial arts competitions and even more so from the brutal and bloody gladiator fights. 'Rody Cup – World Record Challenge' was expected to be entertaining and fun without any risk to life.
If one couldn't participate in the Strongman Challenge, then the 'Big Eater' Challenge was open to everyone. Anyone confident in their stomach capacity could freely register. The Big Eater category had many types, including beer drinking, liquor drinking, spicy eating, and endless quantity eating competitions. Although the prize money wasn't high, its announcement immediately caused a stir, attracting even children to sign up.
The venue didn't need special selection; it was right next to the Rody Academy construction site. Food was prepared, and the 'Big Eaters', both young and old, were ready. At the signal, the competition began.
Winning or losing wasn't important; participation was what mattered.
Over several days of competition, there were countless amusing moments, and the entire Camaron was immersed in a sea of joy and laughter.
Finally, the day of the Big Eater final arrived, and it was held in the coliseum. Not only did all the nobility attend, but King William II and the Queen also came to watch with great enthusiasm. Needless to say, the Night Prince was one of the most important guests. Not only was he expected to attend, but everyone also hoped he would present the awards to the champion alongside King William II.
To everyone's surprise and delight, the pop starlet Baby was invited by the Queen to be the event's host.
Her co-host was the same bearded Maru from before.
"Good evening, everyone. Today, I noticed a strange phenomenon. It seems that it's been a long time since the people of Camaron have been as excited as they are today. Is today a holiday?" Baby asked curiously, while bearded Maru, playing along, pretended to be dumb and said, "With my wisdom, ah, Miss Baby, I'm afraid I can't answer your profound question."
The crowd erupted into laughter at their comedic pairing, especially as everyone was in a good mood on this special day.
Baby was right; it had been a long time since everyone had been this happy.
Fortunately, the gods had not forsaken Camaron.
After the miraculous child Rody disappeared, the Goddess of Night sent the Night Prince, who was indistinguishable from the miraculous child. Sometimes, people really wished he was the miraculous child Rody. Regardless, the temple could not treat the Night Prince as they did Rody last time. If they wanted to take the Night Prince away, they would first have to ask the hundreds of thousands of Camaron citizens if they agreed.
"If you're asking me, you might as well ask a cow." Baby flew towards the VIP platform, landing in front of the Night Prince. She handed him the magical microphone and asked, "With your wisdom, can you answer my question?"
"I thought you came to ask me out on a date..." The Night Prince, feigning surprise, then disappointment, asked, "If I answer, can we go on a date?"
"Night Prince, please go buy a big pillow first!" Baby huffed.
"I have one! Do you like big pillows?" The Night Prince asked excitedly.
"No, I think you'd better stick to hugging a big pillow and dreaming! Hey, don't you know I like the miraculous child Rody?" Baby's statement indicated she was challenging the Night Prince, looking to deflate his arrogance. Everyone eagerly awaited their exchange.
"Although I'm not him, I'm just like him! Where do you see the difference?" The Night Prince pleaded.
"The brain is different," Baby tapped her head and said, "The miraculous child writes poetry. Can you? If you can compose a poem, maybe I'll consider going on a date with you."
"You might as well ask me to commit suicide," the Night Prince said, deflated.
Everyone burst into laughter; it was easy for the Night Prince to scatter gold coins or treat everyone to a feast, but composing a poem in public was quite a challenge. Even King William II showed a faint smile, while the noble Queen clapped her hands in delight. It was a rare sight to see the usually haughty Night Prince flustered...
Nearby, the nobility, especially Finance Minister Mike, who was close to the Night Prince, tried not to show their amusement.
"I can't compose a poem, I'm sorry," Baby said, covering her mouth and batting her large eyes in triumph. "I still prefer the miraculous child who can invent and compose poetry. If you want to date me, please get in line first!"
"I will!" the Night Prince, determined for a date with the beauty, stood up and cleared his throat.
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The crowd instantly fell silent, filled with anticipation.
The Night Prince, who probably hadn't even read a book of human poetry, was expected to compose one? Could it be that he possessed a hidden talent for poetry? Everyone held their breath, tens of thousands of eyes fixed on him.
"Cough, cough, composing poetry is easy, I can come up with one right away." Though the Night Prince said so, it was evident that he was troubled. Composing poetry, even for a talented poet, was challenging under the gaze of tens of thousands.
The Night Prince scratched his head, then suddenly exclaimed loudly, signaling the start of his lament.
"Hush! Let's listen quietly," the audience leaned in to hear what kind of lament the Night Prince would compose.
"Ah, the sea, you are full of water! Ah, swift horse, you have four legs! Ah, beauty, you say you are so beautiful, yet a mouth sits beneath your nose..." As soon as the Night Prince's lament was heard, the audience was stunned.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Someone burst out laughing first, and like a tornado, laughter swept through the whole arena.
Even King William II, who tried to maintain a dignified expression, laughed until tears streamed down his face, slapping the desk in front of him uncontrollably. The entire coliseum was in stitches, everyone doubled over with laughter. The poem was so brilliantly comedic that no one else in the world could have matched the Night Prince's comedic effect, especially with that last line.
It perfectly captured the Night Prince's astonishment at human aesthetics.
The coliseum erupted into laughter, a tumultuous sound that swept over everyone, unstoppable and irresistibly funny.
After laughing for a full five minutes, people still rolled on the floor with laughter whenever they remembered the Night Prince's lament.
"My goodness, you almost murdered a hundred thousand spectators. Were you trying to kill us all with laughter?" Baby finally managed to stop laughing and said, "If we all died laughing, the temple would surely accuse you, the Prince of the Abyss, of murder! That was close; I almost cracked a rib laughing."
"Was it really that funny?" The only one not laughing was the sulking Night Prince.
He had hoped his poetry recitation would impress Baby, but it had only resulted in uncontrollable laughter. King William II and others quickly composed themselves, not wanting to hurt the Night Prince's pride too much. It was rare for him to entertain everyone with a poem, and they didn't want to dampen his spirit.
Everyone truly hoped that the Night Prince would continue to produce such hilariously deadly poems, adding fun to their lives.
"I dare say, if there weren't a hundred thousand people sharing this joke, everyone would die laughing on the spot," Baby said as she flew up, covering her mouth. "I better keep my distance from you, so you don’t come up with another poem and make me die of laughter."
...
With the Night Prince's lamenting poem as the start, the Big Eater competition became even more interesting.
Although the first group of competitors started eating as the signal was given, many couldn't get into the right mood. Many choked while laughing and eating, and one even sneezed out their spaghetti through their nose, causing an uproar of laughter. However, the more chaotic it was, the more everyone enjoyed it. Participating in the Big Eater contest was all about fun, with no one seriously aiming for the championship.
"I must learn your spaghetti-eating skills someday, oh Lord, you have such unique talents, why didn't you tell us earlier? I bet if you applied for this world record with Mr. Nicholas, no one would dare to challenge it!" Maru joked with the mercenary who sneezed out the spaghetti.
"Hey, Finance Minister Mike, what are you doing here?" Baby interviewed Finance Minister Mike, who was participating in the contest, with a curious baby-like demeanor.
"My goal is the championship..." Mike proudly raised his hand and proclaimed his victory, suddenly realizing he was surrounded by much taller and bigger contestants. He cried out in alarm to Maru, "Maru, you didn’t put me in the wrong group, did you? I came for the Big Eater contest, not wrestling!"
"Minister Mike, actually we've already made it easier for you, you know? Your group is already the smallest in size," Maru hinted him not to make too much noise.
"No way?" Mike screamed, realizing his dream of the championship was shattered.
If it were a fight, no one would dare to make a move, but when it came to eating, no one was polite. At Baby's signal, everyone grabbed lamb legs and devoured them, pushing Mike aside. When he squeezed back in, the big guys had already eaten most of the food. Mike desperately tried to get some food while yelling for someone to share with him.
The audience roared with laughter, finding Mike's recent antics not too disagreeable.
"Minister Mike, didn't you have dinner?" Maru asked in surprise.
"To participate in the Big Eater contest, I've been starving for three days," Mike lamented, searching for any leftover food in vain.
"Go to the Night Prince! He distributes free rice and flour at his house. Just shout 'The Night Prince's starlight shines bright' and you'll get some," Baby's comment caused another round of laughter. Indeed, the Night Prince, concerned that some poor people might work without getting food, put out lots of food every day for anyone to take.
"Minister Mike, although you invited me to see a strip show last night, without any achievements, I still can't announce your advancement," Maru's words triggered more laughter. Mike grabbed the magical microphone and yelled, "I swear, last night I only went with the Night Prince to see Beauty and the Beast... Ah, alright, I went with Maru to see a strip show!"
Everyone really hoped the Night Prince would continue making such fatally funny poems to add humor to their lives.
"It seems that Finance Minister Mike shares the same hobbies as the Night Prince!" Baby giggled.
The audience responded with good-natured applause, many aware that the Night Prince had been busy designing the academy buildings with twenty sages the previous night, with Minister Mike and King William II in attendance. Mike and Maru's comments were just for laughs.
The Big Eater competition concluded, with two contestants weighing over five hundred pounds winning second and third place, and a skinny boy winning the championship.
This result astonished everyone – no one expected the small boy to eat more than twice his body weight. Especially when Maru interviewed him for his winning speech, the boy burped and said he would be really full if there were another roasted lamb competition.
The audience was dumbfounded – did this iron-ball-like kid still not feel full?
There are indeed all sorts of people in the world, from mercenaries who can sneeze spaghetti through their noses to iron-ball-like big eaters and dwarves who drink beer like water.
During the liquor drinking competition, the champion was simply the one who could still stand to receive the award.
The second place went to the person who could barely reach out to accept their prize.
And the one who could barely recognize Maru and Baby was the third place. The rest, either sprawled out or crawling on the ground thinking they were snails, were eliminated. The audience hurt from laughing so much, and even the most dignified ladies couldn't help themselves.
"The highlight of tonight's event is coming up, the Big Eater – Spicy Eating competition," Baby announced sweetly.
"The spaghetti sauce you see now is fifty times spicier than regular chili sauce, don't worry, it shouldn't be lethal, but I advise kids not to try this," Maru said, holding a plate and told Baby, "Though I'm not competing, I can eat a plate, no, at least two, if there's a prize!"
"No prize, but if you can eat a plate, I'll take care of another one!" Baby bet with him.
"Do you want to see Baby eat something spicy? I'm going all out, here goes!" Maru took a big mouthful of the red spaghetti... and then collapsed straight away.
"Wow! Talk about a dramatic exit, you've got style!" Baby smiled and said, "I keep my promises."
She flew up, floating to the Night Prince, and said softly, "Your Highness, it's time to be a gentleman. You wouldn't want my tender throat to be poisoned by this, right? Come on, good man, eat it up! If you eat it and don't die, I'll consider going on a date with you!"
"Really?" The Night Prince, hearing this, took the red spaghetti and poured it into his mouth like Maru.
The Night Prince didn't collapse, but he spewed out a burst of fire from his mouth.
The audience laughed uncontrollably, knowing the hosts had set up the Night Prince, but didn't expect him to actually eat it, and so boldly too. Especially the moment he breathed fire, the magicians replayed it in slow motion three times, prompting the audience to stand up and applaud the Night Prince.
The audience really wished the Night Prince would continue to create such deadly amusing poems to add fun to their lives.
"I can't take it anymore, I also have a mother, wuwu, my family is so rich, why should I compete for this prize, I'm not competing anymore..." Before the Night Prince could protest, a contestant couldn't take it anymore. A fat contestant started crying loudly, probably because the spiciness was unbearable, and used the opportunity to vent through tears. His crying led many others to give up, wiping away tears and withdrawing from the competition.
"Useless!" Maru, somehow revived, kicked the crying contestant away, angrily saying, "What’s this? The Night Prince just ate a hundred times spicier without crying, why are you wailing?"
"I want to cry too, but it's embarrassing with everyone watching," the Night Prince honestly replied, causing another burst of laughter.
After the fifty times spicy challenge came the hundred times spicy one, the same kind Baby used to tease the Night Prince. Only fifteen contestants remained. Maru casually offered a plate for tasting, and everyone who tried ended up in tears, unable to suppress the spiciness. The hundred times spiciness was simply inhuman. King William II also tried a small piece of the purple-red spaghetti and finally, with teary eyes, said, "It seems I need to list this as one of the ten forbidden foods in the palace."
After the hundred times spicy, came the two hundred times extreme spicy.
Only three contestants remained.
"Your Highness, won't you join the competition? Maybe you could win the consolation prize. Don't worry, we have prepared a prize for you if you participate," Baby desperately tempted the Night Prince to join.
"No, I don’t want to try the two hundred times spiciness; that stuff could tear your intestines and stomach," the Night Prince firmly refused.
"Choose one out of three prizes for the consolation prize, and one of them is a date!" Baby said, and the Night Prince immediately leaped to participate. The crowd applauded him enthusiastically, even the three competing contestants excitedly shook hands with him. Maru roared, "Will the Night Prince, who composes lamenting poems, manage to win the consolation prize? Can he overcome the poetry challenge and secure a date? Let’s encourage him with our applause!"
"Although everyone is enthusiastic, I think perhaps composing poetry might be easier, at least it’s not life-threatening," the Night Prince thought more and more that it was a bad idea, asking Baby, "How about I think of a good poem and ask you out next time? I really can't handle spicy food!"
"If you weren't afraid of spicy, I wouldn't have invited you to compete... ah, I mean, I support you, you have to try hard!" Baby covered her mouth, snickering.
"Go for it, you must get a date with Miss Baby!" The crowd cheered enthusiastically, eager to see the Night Prince's spectacle.
"The first Spicy Eating King final starts now! Bring on the torture, ah no, the spicy noodles!" Maru waved his hand and howled like a beast, and his assistants brought up four basins filled with two hundred times spicy noodles. It was a challenge not just because of the spiciness, but also to finish the whole basin, and it seemed the organizers were determined to overwhelm the Night Prince.
"Help!" The Night Prince saw his specially large and plentiful basin and cried out for help.