Chapter 142: What?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 142: What?
“Aven? What are you doing there?”
“Oh, Dora.”
I had been observing various things through the eyes of Queen Arachne for a while, and it seemed Dora had finished her work and returned. I turned my head toward the direction of Theodora’s voice and met her gaze.
“Eek! Those eyes! Do something about those eyes!”
“Right, hold on a second.”
The fur on her tail stood straight up as she recoiled in shock. Come to think of it, I hadn't even properly checked what these eyes looked like yet.
“What was that just now...?”
“Queen Arachne.”
Theodora closed her eyes for a moment, lost in thought, then looked back at me with a skeptical expression.
“You didn't go to the 50th Floor, did you...? What on earth happened? Where did you get that?”
“A lot of things happened. It’s a bit complicated to explain, but it’s nothing major.”
“Hmm... fine. Mom said she’d make her own way there when she’s ready. What do you want to do?”
Since Lady Lymain had plenty of means of transportation and was a busy woman, there was no need for her to come all the way to this distant lodging only to head back to the Arena.
“Are you heading in for the afternoon session?”
“Yeah. Three Infantress and four Bestiari.”
“Three and four? Wasn't the original schedule six events?”
“Th-that... I’m not really sure? Maybe they changed it on a whim.”
Adding another event to the schedule of a massive Arena on a whim? Well, I suppose it’s possible. Theodora, being the daughter of the client, would know better than I would.
“Shall we head out then?”
“Yeah, let’s take the carriage.”
“I can easily carry you and fly there now, you know.”
“You need to save your strength.”
“My strength? Why...?”
Could the effects of the estrus period still be lingering? Surely not. Her mother hadn't said anything specific. But having already essentially informed her that I’d mated with her daughter, doing it again so soon would be... a bit much.
“There’s a reason. Don't worry, the carriage is already prepared.”
“Alright. Let’s go.”
Alfi and Ravi would likely be huddled together playing just fine. Thanks to Theodora finding me, I didn't have to go back upstairs, which was fine by me.
* * *
While heading to the Arena in the carriage, Theodora, sitting beside me, asked a question.
“Aven. If you swallow a monster whole, can you spit it back out exactly as it was?”
“Well, yes.”
It seemed that once a monster was consumed and entered that sort of subspace storage, no decomposition occurred. It tended to be maintained in its original state as if it were a living organ. My experiments showed that while it didn't rot, any existing wounds would fundamentally be healed.
I could control that to some extent, and the caloric energy used to heal those wounds seemed to come from the residual mana or fat within the consumed organ. If I swallowed something whole, there would surely be internal organs and even half-digested food inside it.
I wasn't sure at what point carcasses inside a monster's body were considered waste, but as long as they weren't excreted, my skill seemed to recognize them as part of the monster's body and stored them accordingly.
“Does anything change inside? For example... does the blood mix?”
“If I use it even once, that can happen.”
When I manifest what I’ve eaten through my skill and connect it to my body, the blood vessels naturally attach. Naturally, the blood already flowing through my body travels through the newly created organ, so the blood inevitably mixes.
I can't do much about the blood that enters the muscles to supply oxygen, but I can reclaim the blood flowing normally through the vessels using the skill. So, if I’ve used it even once, there might be some slight difference.
“So, aside from that, there’s no major change?”
“Right. Even if I mix the muscles to use them, I can revert them with the skill.”
“Does your body feel heavier after eating or anything like that?”
“Doesn't seem like it. Though, obviously, there’s an impact once I bring it outside.”
“Hmm. I see.”
“Are you suddenly curious about my skill?”
“Uh-huh, something like that.”
As I talked with Theodora, we arrived at the Arena. We had stopped to eat on the way, so my stomach was full. Unfortunately, Malgenic, whom I was rooting for, wasn't on the schedule, but I heard that the final Bestiari match added to this afternoon's session was going to be on a massive scale.
Usually, the monsters used were from the lower floors of the Labyrinth, so there was no risk of harm to the audience. Naturally, no special protection was needed; the height difference between the stage and the stands was sufficient.
But this time, it seemed they were facing quite powerful monsters. Naturally, the gladiator performing the Bestiari would have to be a powerful explorer.
‘Should I take a look with Arachne’s Eye?’
I still wasn't sure how Queen Arachne’s future sight worked. Did it really show the exact future? If so, I didn't understand the mechanism by which an eyeball could derive the future.
If it just combined surrounding circumstances to project the most likely scene... well, that wasn't bad either. But I couldn't trust it blindly.
“Dora, is something wrong?”
“Huh? Why?”
“You’ve been acting restless.”
“N-no! It’s just... reasons!”
Theodora was fidgeting, her legs shaking as if she couldn't sit still. She didn't usually have a habit of shaking her legs, so I wondered if something was up.
“Aven, remember what I told you before?”
“Before? When?”
“A few days ago. About whether you’d be interested in participating in the Arena as a gladiator.”
“Ah, that.”
Lady Lymain was the one who had gone out of her way to buy a gargoyle just to give me its wings. I didn't have money or anything else to offer. There wasn't much I could do for her, so I had thought about accompanying her to the Arena, which she said was her hobby.
She had plenty of wealth and connections, but she was always short on time. The gladiator matches were something she watched purely as a hobby in her spare time. I had worried that it might be too much to ask as a way to repay her for the gargoyle wings.
But somehow, fortunately, Lady Lymain had a gap in her schedule and we had agreed to go to the Arena together. So, wasn't everything settled?
“The thing is... actually...”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“The last part of this afternoon’s session... you’re scheduled to appear in it, Aven...”
“...What did you say?”
What was she talking about? I was scheduled to appear as a gladiator without even knowing it?
“No! Y-you see? I mentioned it briefly to Mom, and she said it sounded fun?!”
“Wait, you told your mother too?”
“Y-yes...”
“Did she clear her schedule to come to the Arena today specifically to watch my match?”
“That... well... um... I’m not sure...”
Looking at Theodora’s reaction, it was certain. It wasn't that Lady Lymain’s schedule luckily opened up; Dora had likely sounded her out by suggesting I enter the match.
Her mother probably thought I had already agreed and cleared her schedule specifically to come, rather than just coming to enjoy her hobby in her free time.
“Dora.”
“I-I’m sorry! But still, isn't it great?! Don't you think it’ll be fun?!”
“Sigh, honestly. I don't even know what to say.”
I had intended to repay her for her kindness, but this was incredibly sudden. No, was that even possible in the first place? I thought it was just something Theodora had mentioned jokingly. It had only been a few days since we had that conversation.
It was truly surprising that a sponsor could just toss a brand-new event into the schedule like that.
“Whew... I can't back out, can I?”
“It... might be difficult...”
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah. What would you even gain from this? You did it because you were thinking of me, right?”
“Ah, um... right!”
“...Did you get paid?”
“...How about a fifty-fifty split?”
* * *
“Mother, you’ve arrived.”
“Yes, Aven. I’ve heard the news. That you’re participating in a gladiator match.”
“It just turned out that way.”
“My daughter must have pulled some strings. You’ve had a hard time.”
Theodora, standing beside me, turned her head to look at the distant mountains and began to blow a silent whistle.
“Ahaha... no. I heard you enjoy watching gladiator matches, Mother.”
“Are you saying you did this for me?”
“That is indeed the case. I thought a normal match might be a bit dull for you. I’m actually grateful to Dora for coming up with such a good idea.”
“S-see? Aven says so too!”
Lady Lymain just shook her head. Regardless, the die was cast. I supposed I would watch the matches normally and then head down to the arena floor to prepare when my turn came. The Arena staff would be there to help, and Theodora would be watching over me, so I wasn't too worried.
“By the way, Dora. What monster am I fighting?”
As we entered the upper spectator stands through the VIP passage, I asked Theodora. Since her mother was right in front of us, the opponent seemed to be a secret from her as well, as Dora leaned in close to my ear and whispered.
“Aven, can you fight two Stratum Bosses at the same time...?”
“...What?”