Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Martial Arts Tournament (4)
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Forfeit, out of the blue?
“Why forfeit all of a sudden?”
“This morning, Duke Epeli gave an order to kill all the participants from Kramis in this tournament…”
…?
“Or at least cripple them. You heard our stance yesterday, but we can’t defy the commander-in-chief’s orders, so if you would forfeit…”
Now I understood the situation, and it was a rather delicate one.
Jiseon was telling me this out of genuine concern, of course.
It wasn't much, but she had looked out for me in various ways, and our lord had stepped in yesterday when Duke Epeli was picking a fight for no reason.
“I’ll try speaking with our lord, but I think it might be difficult.”
“The Lord of the Kramis Labyrinth seems like a good person. If you explain it to him well…”
Hmm, honestly, if I strongly insisted that I wanted to forfeit, Lord Almondeu would surely grant my request.
But why should I?
Besides, if I suddenly forfeited, it could bring disadvantages to the lord.
I understood that Jiseon and Sin-uk were in a tight spot, and we had grown somewhat closer after our conversation yesterday, but the lord was closer to me.
“I think I’ll be fine.”
“Look, Hyeon-ung… I’m not underestimating you at all, but my brother Sin-uk is truly strong. In the Aurelia Sea of Trees, his martial prowess is overwhelming…”
Huh? That felt like she was crossing a line…
“Will you two face some kind of penalty if you lose?”
“What? No, there was no mention of anything like that, but…”
“That’s a relief.”
“Hyeon-ung, you don’t know my brother Sin-uk well enough…”
“And you two don’t know me very well, do you? I’m also the number one powerhouse in Kramis.”
“It’s not that I’m looking down on you, Hyeon-ung, but my brother is just too…”
“I know. I know you’re not looking down on me.”
I could tell from their expressions.
They were saying this out of worry.
“So please tell him there’s no need to hold back. It’s okay to do your best.”
“…”
She looked completely taken aback.
Just then, my companions came down from the second floor, so I stood up and added one more thing.
“Of course, I won’t intentionally kill or cripple either of you.”
****
Kartea, the capital of the Kartea Empire.
Just as the lord had said, it took a full day and a half to reach the capital.
Befitting the capital of a nation, it was lined with high-rise buildings exceeding ten stories, something I hadn’t seen in Kramis.
The roads were much better maintained, the crowds were immense, and there were no vagrants or homeless people on the streets.
People’s attire looked much finer, and even the armor of the patrolling guards seemed to gleam more brightly.
“My home is just a little further. You’ll be staying there while we’re in the capital.”
About twenty minutes later, the carriage came to a halt.
“We’re here. Let’s get out.”
I was truly astonished when I stepped out of the carriage.
I had seen many grand mansions through the window on our way here, but none were as splendid as Lord Almondeu’s.
“It’s huge, isn’t it?”
“It’s a house I rarely live in, so it just racks up maintenance fees.”
He answered nonchalantly and led the way. As soon as the lord stood before the gate, it opened automatically.
I was surprised once more.
To the left stood a line of butlers in black tuxedos, and to the right, women in maid outfits.
They bowed their heads deeply as soon as they saw the lord.
“Welcome, Master.”
“I thought I told you not to greet me like this.”
“It is the traditional etiquette of the Kartea Empire.”
“So formal. Enough with the greetings, go on about your work. And Keten.”
The butler at the very front answered briskly.
“I need to change and head to the Imperial Palace right away. Please take care of these friends of mine.”
“Understood. Then, their accommodations will be…”
“Give them the villa. There are about ten rooms there, so they can each have one. Ah, or should I put you all in one room?”
The lord flashed a grin as he made the joke.
“Oh my, Lord, how did you know my heart so well?”
“You’re the best, Lord!”
“I wouldn’t mind one room either.”
Starting with Timi, then Elaine, and even Milli, whom I had trusted…
Well, we shared a room in Kabisa anyway, so it didn’t matter much, but we weren’t the only ones here right now…
The Kasim couple didn’t seem to mind, but Misha was wearing a look of utter contempt.
“An adjacent room would be more than enough.”
“Alright. Make yourselves at home and rest well. The tournament starts tomorrow. If you need anything, just call for Keten here. Make sure they lack for nothing.”
“Yes, sir. Please follow me.”
We parted with the lord and followed the butler’s guidance to the villa.
The garden was quite spacious, and it even had a pond.
It had to be well over three thousand square meters. Oh, and there was a glass greenhouse, a rare sight in Elsia.
“Is that a flower garden over there?”
Although it was quite chilly due to the winter, all sorts of colorful flowers were in bloom inside.
“Yes. The lord is fond of flowers, so the gardener tends to it with great care. You are welcome to have a look if you wish.”
He might only visit once or twice a year, which made this seem a bit excessive.
We arrived at the villa and received a brief explanation of the rules.
“I’ll take this room.”
Before the words were even finished, Misha had entered the room closest to the entrance.
“Hyeon-ung, are you really going to take a separate room?”
“Hyeon-ung, I heard there’s a huge bathhouse in the basement!”
Everyone was thrilled.
There was a second floor, but since there were plenty of rooms on the first, I chose one there.
It wasn’t enormous, but it was very clean.
Diffusers were placed throughout the rooms, filling them with a pleasant scent, and there wasn't a speck of dust on the windowsills.
I sat on the bed; the sheets were fresh and crisp, a sign of excellent maintenance.
It got plenty of sunlight, and oh, I could even go out onto the terrace.
The view was great, offering a panoramic sight of the red sunset just beginning to fall.
It would be nice to live in a house like this with my companions someday.
Though it seems like it would be a bit expensive…
After a quick look around, I was organizing the clothes from my inventory when the door opened.
“Misha?”
I thought it was one of the others, but it was Misha.
“We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“About the martial arts tournament.”
Suddenly?
“I saw you talking with the lord about the tournament last night. What was it about?”
Ah, is that all?
I had told Lord Almondeu what I’d heard from Jiseon that evening.
Fortunately, he said there likely wouldn’t be any penalties if I forfeited, just as I had worried, but I had no intention of doing so.
It was a chance to gauge my own level, and I was curious about the grand prize.
I hadn’t shared this with Misha, thinking it might unnecessarily provoke her.
Because Misha might, in turn, harm them.
Jiseon had said Sin-uk was strong, but honestly, I wasn’t too concerned about him.
The person I was most wary of in this tournament was Misha.
After all, she was skilled enough to have reached the 80th floor.
“It wasn’t anything serious.”
“If it wasn’t serious, why did you only hide it from me?”
After a moment of hesitation, I told her the truth.
“What ridiculous people. Worrying about who, exactly…”
She looked dumbfounded, but at least she didn't seem too angry.
“They’re the best in the Sea of Trees. And they told me out of concern, so if you happen to face them…”
“I won’t kill them. But I’ll have to cut off an arm or a leg to teach them a lesson.”
Yikes…
Come to think of it, Misha was an underworld boss.
“It’s not like they’re doing it because they want to. Isn’t that too harsh?”
“If I go easy on them, do you think that Epeli fellow will leave them alone? I have to crush them to show an overwhelming difference in skill. Only then will there be no repercussions.”
Hearing her out, she had a point.
It was a bit extreme, but a priest would be on standby anyway, so a severed arm or leg wasn't a big deal.
“Is that all there is to the story?”
“Well, yes.”
“Then I’ll be going. I don’t want any misunderstandings with your companions over there.”
“What misunderstandings? Besides, why do you dislike my companions so much?”
“It’s not your companions I dislike.”
I was about to ask what she meant, but Misha left immediately.
I took out my companions’ clothes for them and then went to wash up in the basement bath.
After a refreshing bath, lying in bed felt like heaven.
Especially after sleeping on a hard floor last night.
I should go for dinner, but the comfort of the bed made my body and eyelids heavy.
“Kkyuing!”
“Ppoyo!”
Those two were still playing tag, even here.
“Let your big brother sleep.”
Weren’t they tired?
“Kkyuiiing…”
Suddenly, Geumyong’s body started trembling.
Wait a minute, that little guy…
Just as I suspected, a golden light burst forth, and Geumyong vanished.
[The Golden Dragon has traveled to the Golden Valley to retrieve a reward.]
[Time remaining until the Golden Dragon's return: 191 : 59 : 59]
It was the same as last time, but this time, it left incredibly early, with a full eight days left in the month.
Nyx flew over to my side. He seemed a little disappointed, but not as sad as before.
“Ppoyo!”
“He’ll be back after eight nights of sleep.”
Of course, he might return early like last time.
“Ppoyo! Ppoyo!”
Nyx nodded as if he understood.
It would have been nice to tell him to pick something good before he left…
No.
I’d given him plenty of hints already.
Since I snagged a mythic item this time, I expected him to bring back at least an S-rank Orb of Wishes.
*Knock, knock—*
A knock sounded, and the door opened to reveal Milli.
“Hyeon-ung, it’s time for dinner.”
I followed Milli to the first-floor dining area, where a long table was laden with all sorts of food.
The butler who had guided us earlier was there as well.
Misha, my other companions, Seril, and Kasim had all arrived and were already eating.
“Hyeon-ung, this is so delicious.”
“I think it’s much better than the food in Kabisa.”
It certainly looked that way.
There were even crustaceans like lobster and king crab, which were a rare sight in Kabisa.
“The chef has showcased his skills for the first time in a while, so please eat to your heart’s content. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
“Thank you. Has the lord not returned yet?”
“No. It seems he will be attending a banquet this evening and will return after.”
I wanted to ask the lord how the tournament would proceed.
No, wait.
Come to think of it, a butler who lives in the capital would probably know the general details.
“May I ask you a question?”
“By all means.”
“I’d like to know about the tournament schedule. What time does it start tomorrow?”
“Ah, I will organize all the information I have, including the official notice, and bring it to you while you dine.”
“Thank you.”
As I was finishing my meal, the butler returned and handed me a rather long scroll.
I unrolled it and read through it, finding that most of my questions were answered.
The time was 10 AM.
The venue was the exclusive colosseum in the northern district.
“So we fight twice a day.”
I turned my head to see that Misha had come to my side at some point and was reading the scroll with me.
The total number of participants in the main tournament was 128. The first day would cover the rounds of 64 and 32.
The second day would have the rounds of 16 and 8.
The final day would feature the semifinals, the match for third place, and the finals.
The benefits awarded to the winner, which the lord hadn't mentioned, were also listed.
First, the prize money.
The grand prize was a whopping 1 million gold, an enormous sum.
The runner-up would receive 500,000 gold.
Third place, 200,000 gold.
Fourth place, 100,000 gold, and even placing in the top ten would earn 10,000 gold.
The scale of the prize money was staggering, but what caught my eye even more were the additional rewards.
1 million gold was a significant amount even for me, but honestly, it was money I could earn if I put my mind to it.
“Hyeon-ung, the winner’s benefits are insane.”
“They are.”
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic. You don’t like them? They seem pretty good to me.”
Misha asked, but there were a few benefits that concerned me.
[Benefits for the Martial Arts Tournament Winner]
[1. Prize money of 1,000,000 gold.]
[2. The right to select three pieces of equipment from the Imperial Treasury.]
[3. Bestowal of a title of at least Baron, along with a fief.]
[4. An invitation to a dinner banquet with His Majesty, the Emperor.]