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We (Enzo and Luca) rode to the palio, managing a regenerating horse sprint. At Don Torrisi's tent, they found the primary racer intoxicated. Don Torrisi refused to forfeit, allowing Enzo to volunteer. Representing San Celeste and Torrisi's reputation, I overcame a slow start on my distinct white horse to overtake rivals.
As the race was scheduled to start shortly, I began riding alongside Luca toward the Palio grounds. During the journey, I practiced managing the horse's stamina, utilizing a brief sprint mechanic that required a cooling-off period to regenerate fully over time.
Upon arriving at the bustling event grounds, Luca advised me to keep a low profile and avoid drawing any unnecessary attention to myself, warning that Espadaro and his enforcers would be around. Following his guidance, I guided my mount to the designated horse parking site to secure it.
Luca suggested that we should present ourselves to the Don at the primary tent, though he also gave me permission to explore the lively festivities. I opted to stay close to him, following his lead straight toward the crowded Torrisi racing tent.
We stepped inside the tent and discovered Tino and Don Torrisi locked in a highly tense discussion. Their racer was completely incapacitated and unable to stand, let alone compete, after an unnamed rival group had strategically lured him out to drink heavily before the event.
Don Torrisi firmly declared that he would absolutely not forfeit the competition under any circumstances, prompting Enzo to step forward and volunteer to take the fallen rider's place. Tino immediately reacted and loudly questioning why Enco was even allowed inside there.
Don Torrisi calmed Tino down and turned to Luca to verify if Enzo possessed the necessary skills. Luca vouched for him by reminding the Don that Enzo had successfully outrun the Spadaros, prompting Torrisi to grant Enzo the chance to ride for San Celeste, emphasizing that his business and reputation were now on the line.
Before Enzo exited the tent to head toward the starting grid, Luca leaned in and whispered to Enzo that this was his golden opportunity to twist the knife on the rival Spadaro faction by beating them publicly on the track.
The grand race commenced with a total of nine skilled participants lining up alongside Enzo at the barrier. And Enzo was tightly packed right in the middle of the aggressive crowd of riders.
Enzo stood out as a clear highlight among the competitors due to the striking appearance of his bright white horse. However, this distinct look became even more noticeable when I botched the initial launch and fell directly behind the entire pack of racers at the starting line.
Because I managed to push my horse out of the gate a fraction of a second too late, I dropped to the absolute back of the field, sparking immediate worry that the race was already lost.
Settling into a rhythm, I began utilizing the stamina gauge efficiently and started overtaking the rival racers one by one as we rounded the wide corners.
To be continued.
