When he enters, the capital was tinted, decorated and the streets were filled with blissful people. Not only men, elves, dwarfs, gnomes, and even non-humans are present. Though few in numbers their presence was seemingly welcomed by the countless people.

"If there's a festival… we can buy many good quality supplies." He reckons, then casually inquires particular people about the place where he can buy empty barrels. Although certain people ignore his query, some were kind enough to give him direction and advice.

"It was obvious," Akatosh said seeing the furniture shop.

Buying fifteen empty barrels and some furniture to fill their barren cave. And since he had a wealth close to a king's fortune, he didn't dilly-dally hired a wagon.

"You sure this is the place to unload your things?" The charioteer worriedly said.

Akatosh nod. "I've hired another wagon to deliver my things." He reasons, waiting for them to unload his stuff. And while they are unpacking, the workers were anxious. Nervous since the site they were hidden on the outskirts of town. Eventually, they finished their work and quickly left in haste, not even uttering a single word.

He didn't bother their tense atmosphere, instead, briefly, he voids all the items into his magic bag. Quite hungry, Akatosh strolls off for some festival enjoyment.

Nobles and royals in their luxurious dress can be seen heedlessly flaunting their significance. Needless to say, they were not the only ones that takes the spotlight but one group of adventurers catches nearly everyone's eye.

Tooth-picking after dining one great fancy feast, Akatosh's eyes follow steadily towards the adventurers with engraved dark phoenix. He could hear his surroundings gossiping, whispering. From their words, he understands those people but wasn't interested to know further.

Just as he was having a good time experiencing this strange and otherworldly festival. Amaragnum emerge from his dimension but concealed his presence. The stillmage was ringing Akatosh, after seeing one entertainment. It turns out Amaragnum was esteem to join a particular race.

"With the state, you're in? You want to take part in that kind of race? How absurd." Akatosh ridiculously replies.

"Of all the things I have done to you. Of all the things that I've to save your puny ass. Is this the way to repay me?" The stillage angrily scorns.

"Fine, I'll go sign up."

"Good… but first, we need to buy a strong animal or tamed monster that's good for sprinting. The finest." Amaragnum amusingly said.

"The finest you say." Akatosh smile.

After sometime…

"You motherfucker!" The stillmage shout at Akatosh who's busy poking his nose. "I said the best, not a mule! Dispose that mule and buy a better one."

"Well fuck you… you want me to buy those reptiles that cost a whopping five to eight gold shar." Viciously Akatosh retort. "And I don't even know how to ride those shit even this mule. Although this mule seems very considerate." Akatosh chuckles but answered loudly as if talking to himself.

Amaragnum mumbles for a second and then responds. "Fine… the race will start after an hour, so you should practice how to ride a mule--"

"Move! Idiot peasant!" A man interrupts the two and jolting Akatosh and their mule on the other side.

He shifts angrily to see a man tugging a five feet black saber cat. And a striking female rider looking at him and his mule in slump glare. Half elvish, rosy shorthair, and garbing tight black leather armor. From a glance she was a rider so too was a warrior. Just a sneer from her sabretooth made Akatosh's mule shiver.

"You should watch where you stand." The female rider says when she saw Akatosh's ireful face, it was a soft voice but a harsh message.

He stays silent and watches other riders with their mounts of strange animals and tamed creatures. Some smirk from his mule mount others didn't pay attention.

"Rag…" Akatosh solace the mule.

"I know."

Insulted and angry Akatosh purchase a saddle from where they bought the mule and quickly stroll off the place. Not much time to waste the stillmage commands Akatosh to buy ingredients he didn't know. After which they accumulate those ingredients, they hide outside town for the stillmage to do the finishing touch.

There were ten ingredients, six compose of plants while the four were composed of animal or creatures' substances. A flask of troll's blood, a bottle of the guardian's fluid, and two unknown alive organs. Gating magic circle, the stillmage conjures a flying wrinkled old face. Then with its hollowed mouth and eyes, it sucks all the ingredients together. Once swallowed, the face's jaw opens and slowly it excerpts a potion filled with blue liquid. Afterward, the wrinkled face twisted and disappear.

"Now… bring the mule," Amaragnum said.

Not forced but willingly drank the potion and after ten minutes of waiting for its effect. Akatosh and the stillmage were giving a sinister face.

"Are you sure we won't be disqualified for doing this?" Akatosh said.

"You underling my power and knowledge? Believe me, my boy."

They return to where the competition will be held but before entering, they needed to sign up for the race event.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"You want to join the contest, with a mule?" The registrar hoots but stop when Akatosh didn't repost. "Silent are ya." The registrar continues registering Akatosh as the 20th competitor.

"Thanks." Akatosh implores as he was directed by two assistants.

Being led in a preparation room, he was but a staring spotlight for bringing a mule. It was either an insult to the other competitors or ignorance. But as seconds pass, they ignore him tending to their mounts. Although from Akatosh's flout appeal, inside of him was a particularly observant. He discerns his competitors, how they look, and the mounts they have. It was no ordinary race he reckons, for there were only three horses but they're no ordinary horses as seen from their appearance and the rest were tamed creatures, large fox and reptiles as such.

While in the state of glimpsing, he saw the woman with a sabretooth mount and a deep feeling of thrashing her. The rampant crowds begin to escalate, knowing that they would soon begin the race a man came to him bringing with him his mount.

"Would you mind chatting with me for a bit, the race can wait for a minute."

"I too was bored of waiting."

"Names Felix and this is my partner Trixy." The man smiled showing Akatosh his mount so too was his partner.

"Nice companion. Call me Tosh." Akatosh reply regarding Trixy, a large fox. And while seeing the saddle full of weapon slot he continues. "Are you perhaps an adventurer?"

"Yep, a ranger to be precise. I was curious how a strange man would bring an eccentric mount on this particular race."

"Trust me, even I don't know why I'm here." He lied.

Felix chuckles. "Or are you here to flatter the princess."

"What do you mean?"

"Um… Aren't you perhaps not familiar with the winning price?"

Akatosh nod. "I just enlisted an hour ago because a dog forced me to. Hence, I wasn't aware of the winning prize, if very much enlighten me."

Felix sigh. "Twenty gold shar for the first place, and if lucky you might hit some noble. And for the second place, you'll get ten gold shar and the third will receive only five gold shar."

"I see… do you know that woman with a saber cat."

"You don't know her?" Felix says surprised. "She is a five-time champion of this tournament. And a magic rank adventurer, due to her unique abilities and powers she was promoted to gold status at the age of twelve. The guild nickname her 'The Whirlwind Zuleika'."

"I see." Akatosh dauntlessly reply when a group of men came and begun inspecting the competitor's steed.

"It looks like the race is close, good luck with your mule."

Akatosh nods and waits for the overseers to finished examining his mount since there are rules. A rule that no magic or drugs to be used in the fairness of the game. Anxious while they regulate his mule, in the end, he was given a green light and handing him a ring.

"What's this?" Akatosh ask.

"It's a tracking ring… it allows us to track every contestant, to not take shortcuts and other unfair play. You'll see it in the stadium." One of the examiners' replies.

From the open arena, sits were filled acquaintance from his past were there sited at a different corner. Ashalain and her companions, Chifya and her new friends, and even Roland with his buddies were present.

From the right corner of the stadium, rulers and royal classes were occupied. There with a swift wave of the king's advisor, a large cube appears at the center of the stadium. Magic eyeballs were summoned acting as cameras. Thus, when the flying eyeballs open, the large cube displays the road where the competitors would race. After that, the speaker of the event passionately addresses his words to the crowd.

"I heard a mule is participating in this race. So, what will be your bet today?" Baron Implores Garrick while the speaker is deliberating his speech.

"We'll see…" He replies as the competitors emerge. And when they saw Akatosh and his mule, the crowd's chuckles. As for Chifya and Ashalain, they were more stupefied than to snicker.

"Bahahaha… What kind of idiot would bring a stupid mule on an exclusive race?" Baron snort.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Garrick replies after firmly seeing how uneasy the mule was.

"You willing to bet? How about it, one hundred silver shar."

"Make it five hundred."

"Oi-oi-oi are you sure?!" Baron chortle. "Then I'll pick that lady champion." He confidently continues.

Considering a circuit race of ten kilometers, where the path is magically highlighted serving as a guide. Mounted and ready the players waited for the signal and when it was lit, swiftly all the contestants charge except for Akatosh and his now tempestuous mule. He was looking at the large cube, directly looking at the mini-map as explained by the examiner.

Smiling and waiting for minutes to pass he then said. "Let her rip!" The second impression of him running his buffed mule was much more thrilling, for there are competitors to overthrow. And to the crowds surprised, their face was dazed when the mule takes a shocking whirlwind run.

After crossing five yards, his mule accelerated at tremendous speed, and while at it Akatosh was screeching wildly. "I'M COMING BITCHES!"

Passing two-kilometer Akatosh was able to see three competitors. One riding a horse and the other two was riding an ostrich-like with a fan shape feather on its head. With a mad face of ecstasy there he easily outruns them. Zuleika who was on the first spot confidently smiles in victory. She was so full of herself since she couldn't even see her opponents, except there was a mad-rider on the loose smoking, eight players, after dashing four kilometers.

"What a lovely day, what a lovely day!" Akatosh implores, barely holding into the mule.

Covering six kilometers and outrunning eight more competitors of different mounts. Akatosh would always grin in satisfaction whenever he passed a competitor. And not only speed to be considered but too was endurance. "But not for me mule!" Akatosh said firmly holding as not to tumble from his mount.

Keeping its constant speed, Akatosh caught up with Felix who was having a difficult time outrunning a player whose mount was a red wolf with an overgrown spike on its shoulder.

"Adios." Akatosh grin at Felix after easily seizing their third place. But when he gets to the second player, things went a little bit rough.

Just as he was about to pass the man with a wolf mount, greed and conceit filled him. Spiking the mule's leg to eliminate Akatosh from the race.

"I'm warning you!" He shouts at the man, yet it was futile when the man triflingly injured the mule's leg

"Feh… even if it's just a small wound, the effect of my wolf's spike is like a venom enfeebling its target." The man smirks after seeing Akatosh being outrun by Felix.

From its injured leg, the mule was screeching in pain trying its best to keep up with the race. And revenged quickly filled the two, so Amaragnum secretly cast some magic undetected by the ring, soothing the mule's pain.

As Felix was again taking its hard time seizing the second place. He felt an ominous feeling on his back, he looks back to see Akatosh holding a log and with a vengeful emotion.

"HEY, BITCH!" Akatosh shouts, and with a sudden gaze from each other. He smacks the man's head but he wasn't finished to the point he even clubs his mount before it could gnaw his mule.

Now only three kilometers left, Akatosh finally caught up with Zuleika. There he swiftly outpaced her just as he returns the face, she once gave to him. And as a person with high ranks and bolstered pride, she didn't want to be belittled by a man riding a mule.

She hushes her mount, softly uttering a word, then suddenly her saber cat turns wild. Clouding its instinct to a vicious predator for the kill.

From Akatosh's instinct, he takes a quick look. He saw naught a race, but a chase between food and a devourer. But not even her whispering magic couldn't take advantage of their mule, aggressively accelerating.

Grasping and taking the lead, the mule shocks everyone when it slowly lengthens their gap. Thus, at the end of the race the mule was the surmount of the race.