◈Episode 94 But there is still hope (3)
Kankan’s words raised several questions.
However, it is a bit difficult to forcefully hold on to someone who doesn’t like it. We eventually headed to the temple with doubts in mind.
The building, which was particularly white compared to other places, was not much different from other temples, although it may have followed the style of the desert.
“For your information, I also found out about a restaurant that many fighters visit.”
After unpacking at the temple, we went to a restaurant that Dev knew about. It was a selection that was faithful to the purpose of ‘finding talent.’
But that doesn’t mean the food wasn’t tasty.
“You chose well. “You worked hard.”
“It’s my job.”
As I scooped up the chopped cactus, I glanced around. Fittingly with the saying that it was visited by many fighters, all the people around were warriors.
Just like that. One small problem is that most of them come alone and just eat in silence.
I think it would be difficult to listen.
“…Now that I see it, there are some mistakes I made.”
Dev seemed to have realized that as well and clicked his tongue slightly.
“…?”
“Why are you doing this, Inquisitor?”
“No, it’s nothing special. “Since I came to this city, I often see people who are subtly annoying.”
“…Are you a demon?”
“I don’t think so, but… I’m not sure.”
Well, no one really cared about that. There’s something bigger.
“Does anyone feel offended here?”
“That table over there and that table over there?”
“Do you know someone?”
“…Uh, yes. If you only take into account impressions, both of them are quite well-known in the arena. “It’s not as good as Red Mane, but it’s still mid-to-upper level.”
“Hmm.”
The Archmage made a reluctant face at Dev’s words. I also felt the same way.
If a priest, and not anyone else, says it’s annoying, it’s annoying.
“It’s not like there’s nothing to expect, but I’m not sure. “If it had responded to divine power, there is no way the temple would have left it unattended until now.”
“If you do…”
“There’s nothing we can do right now, so let’s postpone it for now. Instead, I’d like to ask you about this. “Can you do more research on this after the story is over?”
However, since there was no proper way, the Archmage postponed the work to Dev.
“That’s right.”
Dev looked once again at the people the Inquisitor had pointed out and then turned around.
Immediately after, the dishes that had not been served were delivered one by one to the hands of the waiters.
“Did you say kankan rather than that? Do you know why he left those words?”
“Well, I’m telling you not to meet King Mu.”
The Archmage turned the topic to another matter.
Unlike us who don’t understand the English language, Dev seems to have an idea. Unable to bear the heat, I took off my hood and gently brushed my beard-covered chin.
“It was a bit of a malicious rumor, so I tried to review it properly and speak about it… But if I just tell you what I heard, it seems like King Mu has caused a bit of a problem.”
He hushed his voice as he said those words. No, I couldn’t help but tell the story in writing. It was clear that he was aware of the fighters around him.
⌈They say I developed mania. And that’s the type of person who attacks people around them.⌋
“…!”
Thank goodness we can all read.
The Inquisitor’s eyes widened as he understood the text, and the Archmage touched the back of his hand.
⌈Can someone who attacks the surroundings still remain the champion? Don’t we need to do something about it?⌋
The Inquisitor, who, although lacking in insight, was not at a loss for even such matters, took up the pen. The neat, almost printed-looking handwriting closely resembles her personality.
⌈There has never been an official incident. There are only rumors going around that a servant who was serving him was found dead, or that someone he was close to was seen coming out injured.⌋ ⌈Do
you know the cause?⌋
⌈No. However, there is speculation that it may have been caused by extreme stress.⌋
Dev paused his pen for a moment in response to the Archmage’s suddenly interjected question. While he hesitated, a drop of ink fell.
⌈This is a more unreliable story than what was just said, but even before the rumor of mania spread, there was a secret story going around that he seemed to be more sensitive than usual.⌋ ⌈Why is
that a less credible story?⌋
⌈Because he is a person with a dirty temper to begin with. .⌋
I can’t tell if he’s sensitive or because he’s acting dirty like usual. I don’t know how bad your personality must be to hear things like that.
It’s not something I would say after coming up with a concept like this.
“In any case, not all of these stories have been confirmed.”
Deb put away her pen as if this was the end of the information.
The Archmage, who had a real influence on choosing companions, had a look of agony on his face.
“If this happens… we might need to reconsider. “I have a sensitive personality, so it’s something that can be handled, but problems like this…”
At that point, my conscience pricked me for a moment. Since we’re talking about King Mu, why does it feel like my weakness keeps getting pricked?
“But it is foolish to judge someone without seeing them. “Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right. The Inquisitor is right. “If you let prejudice obscure your vision, you will miss what is truly important.”
Still, it’s touching to see the Inquisitor grow up.
I was thrilled to see the Inquisitor growing up so well compared to when I first met him. Our kimchi dumplings are growing well like this.
“I want to make a decision face to face.”
Even though it was my first time seeing Kankan, the advice he gave me while talking to him seems to have become meaningless.
“All right. “What is your opinion?”
“You mean me? I… I don’t care. Even if the rumors are true, there is no way you will be harmed by that guy, and if things turn out well and you join the party, your power will be increased, right?”
But I guess it still doesn’t matter. If the reason he gave advice was because of mania, wouldn’t it be okay to just cut it off?
It’s okay if there are other reasons than mania. As Dev said, if he isn’t a maniac, you can make him a companion and try to increase his power.
Even if you don’t have mania, if your personality doesn’t suit you too much, there are ways to reject that person as well.
Either way, there is no loss to us. Except it just takes a little time and effort.
“What about you?”
“be not interested in.”
“Okay. “Then let’s postpone making an offer to King Mu until after we meet face-to-face and make a decision.”
It seems like the Archmage is also excited about seeing it in person. She gathered her conclusions and organized them neatly.
The first agenda is finished.
“Then the next step will be to find a way to face King Mu.”
The second agenda was this. If you decide to ignore the advice not to meet King Mu, shouldn’t you find a way to meet King Mu?
“The quickest thing is to make an appointment or go to King Martial’s residence…”
The Archmage trailed off and looked at Dev. The person who was sucking on the cactus juice put it down.
“That will be difficult. King Mu usually doesn’t meet people very often. “Right now, I’m almost in seclusion.”
“Right.”
“But you never know. “Maybe we can meet through connections?”
The expressions on the Archmage and Inquisitor’s expressions became mysterious as Dev spoke with a hint of anger.
“The Magic Tower is not here, so we can’t borrow their power, and the temple is…” “
…I’ll ask. But I’m not sure if that’s possible.”
As much as it is approved by the city, it is not as bad as it seems. However, the Inquisitor warned him in advance that it was unlikely that he would be friendly with them as there were many things that went against the doctrine.
From my point of view, as I don’t know much, it was a story that seemed like it was true.
“No way. “If it’s an arena, there will be a lot of injured people, and most of the injured will go to the temple, so why don’t you have any connections?”
“That’s true, but… I’m not sure. “The Great Shrine did not treat anyone injured in this way well unless a large donation was made.”
“Isn’t that discrimination?”
“Rather than discrimination, it’s more of a low priority. There are not many priests who can treat serious injuries… Those we treat first are those who were injured while fighting demons or those who were injured while eliminating common dangers such as bandits and robbers.”
It was a somewhat understandable story. Because it feels different between someone who gets hurt while protecting someone and someone who gets hurt while fighting among people who want to gain personal money and fame.
“Huh, it’s really different from a temple somewhere.”
“…There is no shame in that place.”
“Okay, if the temple doesn’t work, what are you going to do then?”
“Back then…”
But Dev’s words, trying to divert the conversation, pierced everyone’s silence. It seems that no one—at least two of them—had taken this possibility into consideration.
It was unexpected for me. Since it’s a plot that appears so often in games, novels, and comics, I naturally thought something like, ‘We’ll meet by participating in the arena!’
Kankan was like that too, right? There is no way to meet them except in the arena.
“Would you like to watch him play?”
“…If I were to ask you to meet me in the audience, I would assume you are a fan, so why not pass it up?”
“is it.”
“Incorporating the people around you… won’t leave a very good impression. If it doesn’t work, it’s better to pass it off as something that doesn’t work. “There is no reason why it has to be King Mu.”
But you don’t say this.
Actually, challenging the arena to meet someone is not a normal way to do it.
“Instead, I think it would be a good idea to observe as the Inquisitor said. “Isn’t it useless if he doesn’t catch our eye before we meet him?”
“Then, after we finish eating, let’s go get tickets.”
“Ah, are you going to Ainoxar next?”
“yes.”
“It’s not a pleasant place, but… I’m looking forward to it. “I’m curious how this place operates.”
I put down my spoon, worried that my way of thinking had become too saturated with literature.
I ate first place today. Oh yea.
* * *
Parr.
The man’s hands trembled while holding the letter that had arrived three months ago.
Reading a text so many times that you memorize the entire sentence presents a new fear each time. ‘Why am I writing something like this?’ The resolution you make before reading becomes useless every time.
“shit!!”
Clink!
In the end, he swept everything off the table. Objects fell off the table and spilled onto the floor, making a bursting sound.
Even at that moment, the letter is held delicately in my hand.
“…Why why are you coming here!”
When I left my hometown, I thought I would never meet again, but why? why.
The man threw the letter on the empty table and ripped out his hair with his empty hands.
“I’m going to die. I’m going to die this time.”
Its shape was not much different from the shattered objects around it.
“You will be killed….”
It is cruel and pitiful.
[So are you going to die like that?]
At that moment, someone’s voice rang out in the space where the man was.
The unique tone, which seems to be a mixture of the plump sound of a tambourine made from camel skin and the clear jangling sound of an oud, does not seem to be human.
“…! you!”
[It’s been a while, human. I came here because I thought you might need me. Could it be wrong?]
The man looked back at the visitor and was horrified. The body that had been shaking with the fear of death just moments ago now trembles in a different way.
[Hmmmm. Come visit me. okay. Is this your ‘nightmare’?]
A visitor approached me and read the letter at will and then giggled.
“This is not my nightmare!”
Did the man instinctively get angry at that? The eyes, half visible beneath the bear skin covering the face, were beautifully curved.
[Then shall we go back?]
The visitor lightly stepped back and lay down on the backless couch.
[If it wasn’t your nightmare, you wouldn’t need my help.]
As a result, the clothes became disheveled and a glimpse of skin was revealed, but it wasn’t seductive or sensual. Rather than that, there was a feeling of boredom and boredom.
[So is it okay to think that I was in vain?]
Just like the area it represents.
“…no. don’t go.”
[Why do you say it’s not a nightmare? Doesn’t the fact that it’s not a nightmare mean that you have the confidence to overcome it in the end?]
“Damn, there’s no way that’s possible!”
The man who had a relationship with such a being was not much different.
“Of course, if I practice water, I am confident that I will win. But I didn’t know he was coming. “How can you win when you don’t even have time to prepare?”
[I heard it’s been ten years since you left your hometown… Well, that’s it. That’s possible.]
The man stretched out his hand towards the visitor.
[Then this dream is also a ‘victory’.]
The medicine that would make his dream come true without any cost fell into his palm.
* * *
Right after we finished eating, we went to visit Ainoxar in earnest.
“Are you going to participate?”
“No, we don’t want to participate.”
Maybe it’s because even though it’s a desert, there’s only one strange person wearing plate armor and one cold-looking person with a greatsword on his back.
I also received such a misunderstanding at the place where I went to buy tickets. Thanks to Archmage and Dev, I barely avoided participating.
“The price of the sign is quite high.”
“I had no idea it would be this expensive…”
Since the goal was to hire talented people, the price of the tickets we asked for – even though it was in the form of tokens because paper was precious – also went up. Most talented people are popular, and the more popular they are, the more people want to see them, so it was natural.
“There are people who have the courage to come all the way to the front line just to see this in the first place.”
Deb squeezed the ice tightly, saying that the money earned from this arena goes to maintaining the front line. The Archmage made it himself, as if it was pitiful that he was panting even after entering the city.
Because it doesn’t last long and consumes quite a bit of magical energy, it’s a luxury that can only be enjoyed outside when you have to be prepared for an emergency.
“Oh, isn’t this the same guy we saw earlier?”
“Oh, that’s right. “This guy’s match is also scheduled.”
At that time, the Inquisitor found someone’s match schedule. It belonged to Red Mane Kankan.
“Longest winning streak: 17… Win rate 73%…”
The Inquisitor looked at Kankan’s information and compared it with others. Most of them fell significantly short of Kankan’s record, but some surpassed it.
“That’s amazing. “That person didn’t look weak, but there are so many people stronger than him.”
She exclaimed with admiration when she saw the number of strongmen provided clearly in numbers.
“I’ve never seen it anywhere else, but why are there so many strong people in this arena?”
“It’s because of the characteristics of this city, or rather, the southern front.”
The Archmage asked the Inquisitor to think about the map and what he had learned, and gradually introduced the knowledge to the Inquisitor.
Even though I had nothing to do, I quietly overheard the conversation.
“You may remember that the southern front is somewhat narrow thanks to the mountain ranges rising along the edge of the desert.”
“I remember. “The mountains are so rugged and dry that not even demons can easily cross them.”
“That’s right. Therefore, the paths for demons to cross the desert are limited.”
For your information, demons are also living things, so in most cases, they must consume nutrients to survive. Because of this, it is not easy to cross deserts or rugged rocky mountains.
“And one of those limited streets is the alley where Pa Enoch is located.”
“Yes, I remember that too. But what does it matter? “Are you talking about powerful people gathered together to stop the devil?”
“If you look at the conclusion, it is true. However, that doesn’t explain the existence of the arena.”
The Archmage smiled slightly and held up the ticket he had just purchased. It’s starting soon, so let’s talk as we go in.
“Although the paths through which demons come across the desert are limited, it is also rare for demons to come across the desert in the first place. “It only comes when the great evil that resides in the desert intends to do so.”
The Inquisitor didn’t seem to understand, but when the Archmage started walking, he reflexively followed. Dev and I were also two steps behind them.
“But that period is very inconsistent. “Sometimes they attack once every month, but sometimes they invade every 7 years.”
At that point, I slowly began to understand what Archmage and Dev had said.
The enemy that the Archmage said would attack for the first time in 7 years. It’s a bait to keep the strong people that Dev mentioned.
“At that point, someone gets tired and leaves. However, the Great Devil of the Desert may not attack often, but each time it does, it brings a huge army… so it is necessary to maintain manpower at all times.”
In short, the arena was really a bait. A bait that attracts and holds the interest of the powerful in preparation for a fight that may break out at any moment.
“That’s why the arena was created. “It was done so that the powerful could lessen their boredom during the period when the devil was not attacking.”
“Ah… so.”
“yes. “It is said that an arena was born because this city is the central axis.”
“This kind of thing… I didn’t learn this kind of thing. “It’s an interesting story.”
“Knowing why the arena was created in Far Enoch doesn’t give you an advantage in dealing with demons, so I didn’t teach you.”
Well, it’s fun to know things like that, but it’s not knowledge you can use in real life.
I suddenly remembered my school days. I guess the moment when the Inquisitor was learning something at the temple wasn’t much different from the school I went to.
“It’s the same with pirates and the arena. After learning more about it, I think I understand it a little… a little bit. “There are things in this world that can’t be helped.”
“…! Yes, yes, Inquisitor. There are quite a few cases where everything that seems wrong actually has its reasons. Of course, we shouldn’t tolerate everything just because there are circumstances…”
But why did our kimchi dumplings gain another enlightenment? It’s great, but it’s grown so much these days that I’m a little embarrassed.
As expected, that honest personality did not necessarily come from inclination, but was also influenced by the rigidity of a beginner in society…!
“…What’s going on with that wall window?”
Meat dumpling, please put away your creepy expression for a moment and be impressed.
“Oh, I guess this is our place.”
Meanwhile, Archmage found a seat that matched the seat number written on the ticket. Even though I bought it late, it was quite close to the stage.
I think it’s an unpopular battle because there are more empty seats than there are people sitting.
“Who is fighting this time?”
“They say Red Tattoo Omar is a rookie who just debuted. I heard the registered name was Berserker….”
“Omar? “Seeing as I don’t remember him, I don’t think he is a noteworthy person.”
“I wanted to see what it was like, so I picked the fastest one.”
Ah, somehow.
“Ah, I guess it’s starting.”
Is it because we are almost at the end? Not long after, the fight began.
“jean! It means conquest with one sword. Omar with the red tattoo!”
Contrary to the thought that it would be long and pleasant, the introduction is very short and simple.
“hundred! “A new Nordan warrior-turned-Berserker who just debuted!”
At the same time, people jumped out of the holes on both sides of the stage. One was a woman with red tattoos, as her nickname suggests, and the other was…
“It’s not Berserker, it’s Berserk! You idiots can’t even pronounce it properly!”
It was a large Sland Berserk.
“Who is he!?”
“Why is that guy here?!”
That’s what I wanted to say.