Chapter 48

Chapter 48

What’s wrong with you? Max, who was looking at Elnos sitting on the top of the gladiator arena, tilted his head. It went as he planned, but it was weird. Elnos looked at the gladiators and made a displeased face. He had not even blinked when the Commanders, including Marquis Schwalnon, had been flattering him.

He was a little curious, but Max turned his head. He could not understand the change of heart of a madman.

He looked at the arena again. All participants were put in the gladiator arena as Elnos ordered, and Hizen was standing by.

After a while, the huge door opened and the cerberus, larger than humans, began to growl out. The saliva from their big teeth fell down and melted the floor. Their piercing eyes and fierce appearance made the audience quiet.

Max wondered. How did he put them in? It made him want to run away. No, the Vermanga family was amazing. They had been in charge of capturing and training cerberus and dragons.

Max, who had been admiring for a long time, scrutinized the arena. His face became a little happier when he saw a black cape. Leasis was also there.

Leasis was watching the gladiator arena with Setchen. She was careful because although it was a place that she knew quite well now, everything could change with the contestants fighting. Her appearance was so bold that Max felt proud. As expected, our Miss Leasis shines wherever she goes.

Max clenched his hand on his thigh. Even if she could not join the Imperial Elite Knights, he wanted to cheer for her wherever she went. She tried harder than anyone else, and now she was achieving her dream.

Please do not get hurt, Max held both hands as if praying to the goddess.

Leasis had never been more tense. There were still a lot of participants in the gladiator arena. It was clear that it would be fierce until there were ten people.

Leasis, who was standing back-to-back with Setchen, held her wooden sword.

“Setchen. You have to be careful.”

“Noona too.”

“If it’s too dangerous, make sure you give up.”

Setchen did not answer the last words. He wanted to overcome this fight with his own strength. He grabbed his two swords tightly and sighed.

Turning his head, he saw a blond handsome man standing on the other side. He was Hizen Ben Dratius, the head of the Imperial Elite Knights.

Setchen’s hair turned white when he saw him. Oh, my God. Count Dratius-nim is watching me fight. He pulled out a sword, vowing that he had to do it properly even at the risk of his life. A fine blue light flowed over the surface of the sword.

In fact, contrary to Leasis’ concerns, Setchen was not a beginner who knew nothing about swordsmanship. When he became a swordsman, he was evaluated to be talented in swordsmanship. It was an outstanding talent for such a young boy to be able to use a blue sword, even at least a little.

The audience cheered when they noticed the change in Setchen. They could not believe he was strong, being escorted by mercenaries every day. They were quite looking forward to it. Grien and the employees of Liduré also cheered for him nervously.

For the last fight, the sound of the trumpet instead of a flag was the starting signal. When the magnificent trumpet sounded, the sword fight quickly turned into a mess.

Participants were tangled up, and were eliminated one by one. Fighters who fall out of the arena or bled on the ground. Everyone was eager to swing a sword.

Leasis and Setchen were no exception. They were also targeted by other fighters, so they could not slow down.

Although Setchen was a little slow, he blocked his opponent’s attack with double swordsmanship. He thought of Blix’s advice throughout his sword swing. Because breathing uselessly disturbed the concentration. As he had said, Setchen held his breath and swung the swords. The effect of Blix’s advice was great.

Next to him, Leasis also threw people out of the arena using her wooden sword and her whole body, but there was little end to it. She gritted her teeth after kicking someone with her hand on the floor. She was on the verge of losing her mind because the fighters were attacking her from all directions.

Elnos was the only one smiling in this mess. He crossed his legs when he saw Marquis Kyun’s youngest daughter, who was hardly breathing in a corner. God must have arrived from Marquis Kyun by now. And… As Elnos thought, someone rushed over. It was Marquis Kyun with countless servants. He knelt down with a white complexion.

The Commanders doubted their eyes. Marquis Kyun was the most powerful man in the Empire, and his nephew was Elnos’ nephew. The two were in conflict over the imperial power. However, he suddenly appeared in such a public place and knelt down.

Only Elnos was staring at Marquis Kyun with an arrogant face that seemed natural. Then he greeted him with a peaceful voice.

“Marquis Kyun, long time no see.”

“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince…”

“Yes. How have you been?”

Marquis Kyun did not seem to have any intention of responding to the greeting. He bowed his head, and repeatedly apologized and asked for a favor. He looked like a sinner.

Marquis Kyun’s body was trembling, with his head bowed. He was deceived by Prince Elnos’ trick. He dismissed as a madman’s joke the constant change of the rules of the gladiator tournament, and laughed at it as much as he could. But it was a step towards killing his own daughter. He had played with it like a toy and squeezed his heart.

Elnos’ face, looking down at him in despair, had no emotion. He remembered the day when the former Empress had closed her eyes. At that time, he had knelt down and begged like that. Begging to be spared.

But the man in front of him had refused his request. What did he say? Elnos opened his mouth as he recalled his old past. His voice was small enough to be heared only by Marquis Kyun.

“The problem of people living and dying depends on God’s hands. If you have time like this, pray to God.”

Marquis Kyun’s expression froze. Elnos got up slowly and approached him. Then he whispered, gently sweeping his stiff back.

“Of course God won’t have time to listen to your little prayers.”

Marquis Kyun jumped up after pushing Elnos back. He tried to scream to immediately stop the gladiator tournament.

However, Elnos’ subsequent remarks left him unable to do anything.

“The gladiator tournament belongs to the former Empress. If you mess it up, not only your youngest daughter, but all your children will curse you and close their eyes.”

Elnos, smiling benevolently, grabbed Marquis Kyun by the hair and turned it around. It was to the gladiators’ side.

Dozens of cerberus were jumping into the arena. Their goal was a young person with sky blue hair.

*

“Ahhhh!”

Leasis raised her head at the different sound. From far away, cerberus, with eyes smeared with madness, were jumping in. They frantically bit the players’ throats and threw them into the arena.

Leasis was surprised at the sight and hid Setchen behind her body. Then she looked for Blix without realizing it.

‘Blix-nim! Blix-nim is in danger!’

However, Blix was nowhere to be seen, and the cerberus seemed to have a different destination. Lipa was knocked out by a cerberus rushing at him. The rest of them ran to Lipa with crazy eyes.

Leasis grabbed Setchen’s arm with an ominous hunch. Then she brought him to the edge of the arena.

“Setchen. Wait here for a second.”

Setchen’s eyes grew bigger at the words she uttered. When asked what she meant, she gave strength to the hand that held Setchen’s arm. Her hand was slightly shaking.

“I’ll save Lipa and come back. Wait for me here.”

“Noona…”

“Make sure. I’ll be right back.”

Setchen held Leasis’ hand, but it slipped off. He looked at her back and shouted.

“Take this!”

Leasis, who turned reflexively, received the sword he threw. The nerves all over the body came up to the feeling of a cold real sword. She clenched her teeth and ran toward the cerberus.

As Leasis approached, a cerberus growled warningly. She approached it little by little. The eyes of the cerberus fluttered with madness. Her legs hardened at the threat of a monster she had never seen before. She took a slow deep breath.

[It hurts…]

Something rang in her ear. What was this sound? As Leasis turned her head, she saw the cerberus with a slightly lowered tail.

[ Claws… It hurts…]

Leasis’ eyes remained on the cerberus’ sharp feet. The claws, as hard as diamond, had a blurry pink color. Looking closely, it was blood.

She did not even notice that she could understand the cerberus. She just wanted to save Lipa and the cerberus. At that time, knowledge about cerberus came to her mind. As they grew up in the demon world, they had difficulties adapting to the human world. Some of them could not fit in with the human land itself.

Then she guess that cerberus was one of them. It roared and stared at Leasis. She slowly approached it and whispered.

“Come on, come here. Good boy…”

I’ll heal you. Leasis approached it with her heart and soul. However, it bared its teeth and rushed to Leasis.

Leasis calmly lifted her sword to prevent the attack. The sound of a crackling sword in her ear sounded creepy. Acidic fluid fell on her hand and began to melt, but the next attack came before she could care about it.

Leasis blocked the attack with one hand and touched its foot with the other. When the cerberus spit out a cry of pain, it became impatient.

“I won’t let you get sick. So just a little… Please bear with me.”

Its voice came into her ears as its rough claws touched her hand.

[It hurts, mom, dad… It hurts…]

At that moment, Leasis’ eyes were in tears. All her senses felt like they were absorbing the pain.

Leasis memorized the spell, giving strength to her darkening eyes.