Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Returning to the gladiators’ waiting room, Leasis sighed. It was regrettable that she could not say everything she had wanted to say, as it had been a while since she last met Hizen.

The mindless contestants began questioning her as soon as she returned. What Hizen talked about and how she felt about meeting the hero in person.

It was hectic, but Leasis answered all the questions sincerely. She told everything she had heard from Hizen, and that the hosts would tell them more in detail tomorrow morning. And how she felt about meeting Hizen…

“That’s so cool!”

“I-is that so?”

“Of course! Count Dratius-nim is the best!”

Leasis liked it so much that her body was trembling. As a result, the participants said they were sorry that they could not talk to the hero. She praised Hizen’s sword skills as well as his appearance, personality, attitude and body to the point of breaking her voice.

The contestants tilted their heads because it was strange to hear. They thought she knew too much for such a short conversation. No, what was more sculptural than what?

Excited as usual, Leasis did not notice their doubts. She murmured in a sweet voice as if dreaming.

“Our Count-nim. The way he talks may be rough, but you don’t know how soft he is. And…”

Blix clapped Leasis’ mouth. He was tired of hearing the same things again. He glanced at her.

“Hellhard, you know what? You look so flirty right now.”

Leasis put away Blix’s hand and grinned.

“I’m just telling the truth.”

Blix folded his arms when he saw her speaking shamelessly. Seeing that Hizen came all the way here and took only him, he did not think Hellhard was normal. He was using his sword skills, and got favored.

But more than anything, that expression was annoying. The red lips, which were slightly exposed under the black cape, widened. He had a feeling that he was so happy that he could not know what to do.

Then, a young man approached Leasis. He was a short and good-looking man with sky blue hair.

“That’s right. The Count-nim is cool.”

For a man, his voice was so clear that Leasis looked at him in surprise. A young man with fairy-like appearance and sky blue hair smiled.

“Actually, I also participated to become a knight like the Count-nim.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

The man with sky blue hair introduced himself as Lipa and asked her to shake hands. Although he was excellent at using noble swordsmanship, it was surprising that he did not get along with other people.

Leasis was a little questioned, but she shook hands with him and smiled brightly. Surprisingly, Lipa and Leasis got well. Of course, what they had in common was their passionate love for Hizen. The two continued to praise Hizen all night.

*

Meanwhile, Hizen returned to the Commander’s office alone. Max, who was waiting for the two in the room, asked with a curious face.

“What? Miss Leasis didn’t come?”

Feeling down, Hizen could not even answer. With a tired face, he roughly took off his black uniform jacket and threw it on the sofa. Then the old chair screamed as he sat down on it.

She said she would not come. Max was quick to notice and judged the situation. Hizen’s face was distorted. He tried to pull out the brown papers in the drawer, but closed it roughly. The action was repeated three times.

“I wasted my time.”

“How’s Miss Leasis doing?”

“Well. She takes care. Very, very well.”

It was a problem because he thought she had been doing so well. He did not know who was burning his heart. Hizen was really mean to Leasis. He touched his forehead with one hand.

It was a relief that Leasis was safe. He was glad, but did not feel very good. Until now, the two knew that Leasis had been trying to save Setchen, the son of the owner of Liduré, and therefore participated in the tournament. He could not believe she had such a happy face. Hizen could not understand her attitude that changed in an instant.

The past crossed his head. The things he had done, expelling her on their first meeting, being mean, and neglecting her… Suddenly, Hizen’s expression became serious. He asked Max in a sad voice.

“In the meantime… was I too hard on her?”

“Yes. Honestly, it was a bit too severe.”

Hizen’s big shoulders flinched. Even after seeing it, Max hit the wedge once more.

“If I were Miss Leasis, I would have already quit a hundred times.”

Hizen did not even have the energy to be angry. He let out a long sigh and fiddled with some papers. In the end, he could not do anything. Even when he saw Leasis, he could not say a warm word.

Max wondered, as he saw him feeling down. He must have been really stubborn, seeing him suffer that much.

But why did Leasis suddenly change her mind?

“That’s weird.”

What was the last time the saw each other? Max recalled his memory. After meeting with Nathan, Hizen saw Leasis, and she…

[Count-nim! Count-nim, wait a minute! I need to tell you…]

Yeah, she had said she had something to say. Max nodded his head. Clearly that day, Leasis was more nervous than ever, and her face looked dark.

Max blamed himself for not taking good care of her. He should have asked her the right question! Then, what was that she wanted to say?

After a long thought, a hypothesis came out. Since she had been abused by Hizen, she might have thought that she should overcome it on her own.

“Commander-nim.”

“What.”

Max approached the depressed Hizen and asked in a serious voice.

“Maybe Miss Leasis misunderstood?”

“Misunderstood?”

“Yes. There has been a rumor that if you play a big part in the gladiator tournament, you can become an imperial knight.”

“Why is that.”

Anyone who played an big part in the gladiator tournament could become an imperial knight. Hizen’s reaction was automatically sour.

But Max caught him off guard.

“Isn’t she trying to win the gladiator tournament and join the Imperial Elite Knights?”

Max knew Leasis better than Hizen. Given her personality that he had seen so far, she was most likely to do so. But Hizen’s idea was different.

“That’s funny. You think Leasis is that stupid? Do you think she’s still there thinking that?”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. Our Leasis is smart, wise, and good at all kinds of information and tactics because she reads a lot. But there’s no way she’d think like that.”

It’s just that she did not like him, but Hizen sighed, swallowing his words back inside.

Persuaded by Hizen’s opinion, Max nodded earnestly.

“Yes… I see.”

Yes, she could not be mistaken. Max thought he should go and ask her himself.

*

The contestants were confused by another change in the rules of the gladiator tournament.

They had heard it from Hellhard the day before: they would have to fight the cerberus until they’re exhausted. It was too much to dismiss it as a joke.

“It’s an order from His Highness the Crown Prince.”

No one could object the calm explanation of the hosts. As a result, more and more people even gave up their participation.

There were several people who did not know the horrors of the cerberus. Setchen grabbed the hem of Leasis’ cape and asked a lot of questions.

She told him what she had read in books. Cerberus, the watchdog of hell. A three-headed demon dog with a dragon-like tail and a destructive power.

As for Setchen, he was just asking ‘Isn’t it a pet dog?’ However, once bitten by them, poison would spread throughout the body, and its claws were sharper than blades.

In particular, the cerberus raised by the Crown Prince had power beyond imagination. They seemed to have at least the fighting power of a knight wielding a blue sword.

Leasis repeatedly warned Setchen about the dangers. He was currently thinking he had learned some Utran’s skills for nothing, and he did not think he would get seriously hurt. She hoped that Setchen would just keep an eye on her as before.

Setchen’s thoughts were different. He was also participating in the gladiator tournament, and he had endured under the protection of the two. He wanted to take this opportunity to fight properly.

“Thank you, Blix-nim.”

Blix tilted his head at Leasis’ words. He went up to the arena and stopped. When he looked at Leasis, she said.

“It’s an individual competition from now on, so we’re not on the same team anymore. I’d like to thank you and to wish you well.”

“You don’t have to.”

Blix grinned and shrugged. He did not need wishes because he would look at Hellhard even after the competition. He thought about it because he did not know who he was.

Leasis thought about telling him that she was a maid, but she could not. At least she thought it would be better to talk about this after finishing the tournament properly.

All the contestants stood on the arena. The rules of this game were to fight each other until there were only ten players left, and the moment they were only ten, the cerberus would enter the arena. And then to endure no matter what.

The contestants sighed. The well-known Crown Prince was said to have insisted on this, saying that he could not have knights weaker than dogs. What a great human being.

Blix’s green eyes, which were wandering around the arena, darkened. He focused entirely on his ears.

[Are these kids left like that? Oh, my goodness. Money is the best.]

[Look at this game…]

[…]

All the words in the venue were intertwined in his ears. Among them, Blix found the most attractive voice.

[Blixrond.]

There.

Blix’s green eyes grew bigger. He stretched himself out and turned in body half.

Far away, he could see a ripe face among the top seats. He was a handsome man with dark hair that proved the lineage of the Harknon Empire. He was folding his arms with an indifferent face.

The eyes of the two met. The black-haired man spoke in a way that only he could recognize.

[Kill them all.]

“…Bastard. That’s a command to you.”

Even if it was rough, it was a voice full of affection. Blix shook his head, tapping his finger on his sword.

‘No, I can’t.’

[Why?]

He could not answer the question. Blix turned quietly.