Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Men's Friendship
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After Astal left for the arena, Victoria secretly followed him. Fearing someone might notice, she muffled her footsteps and moved with such precision, hiding behind walls.
‘...It's all your fault for being so appealing.’
Rationalizing her irrational thoughts, Victoria bit her nails as she walked.
Emotions are like water in a cup; once they overflow, they become uncontrollable.
‘If you were just a little uglier, or if you didn't act so charming to other women…. I wouldn't be behaving like this.’
Having already been rejected once, Victoria showed a tendency to misjudge the distance. The feeling of having one's affection denied is something only those who have experienced it can truly understand.
Lately, Victoria couldn't sleep unless Astal was nearby, and if she couldn't see him, she became so anxious she couldn't do anything.
How did it come to this?
How did I become so weak? she wondered briefly.
‘...Found him.’
As long as she was close to Astal, those worries and anxieties melted away like snow, replaced by a warm feeling welling up deep in her chest.
The sensation was soft, as if walking on clouds, so blissfully happy that the thought, ‘So this is why people fall in love,’ even flickered through her mind.
‘Wait, why is he with such a rough-looking orc?’
Having found Astal in a certain tavern, Victoria thought something was strange as she watched the scene before her.
An orc of enormous stature, roughly twice the height of an average adult male, with veins bulging from muscles all over his body, exuding a warrior-like aura.
“I like your guts. Your face isn't bad either…. Someone like you, I wouldn't mind introducing you to my sister back home.”
“I heard orcs have different aesthetic standards than humans.”
“To be precise, we prefer strength over a spouse's appearance. If you're as strong as the rumors say, slaughtering demons and even killing a Heavenly King like Bellamora, you'd be more than enough.”
Thump.
Listening to Gragtar's smooth talk, Victoria felt her heart sink as if plummeting.
She thought they had exchanged embarrassing acts and their hearts had connected a little. Seeing Astal hesitate instead of refusing outright made jealousy flare up.
‘So, any woman would have been fine in the end…?’
Ultimately, this misunderstanding arose from the result of Victoria's own attitude thus far. Compared to herself, who had mainly resorted to insults and slander, she knew that any woman he brought into the world would be better.
‘...Does the sweet talk and actions you showed me no longer have meaning? Because there's no need to pay attention to a fish already caught?’
Victoria gnawed on her nails, imagining him marrying an orc woman whose face she didn't even know.
Imagining herself holding back tears and applauding at their wedding due to her status as Saint, or later imagining the half-orc child born between them, made her feel like fury was about to burst forth.
“...Sorry, but I'll have to decline. I get what you mean. In case I die in the arena, you want me to look after your sister, right?”
Unaware that Victoria was watching from behind with a serious expression, Astal did not accept Gragtar's proposal.
“Quick on the uptake, aren't you? I thought someone like you, making a name with the Hero's party, could take care of my poor sister!”
This was essentially a transaction.
By making him indebted as a sparring partner, Gragtar judged that if he were to die, someone could protect his remaining family.
In the Demon Realm, teeming with demons and monsters, there were almost none you could trust and open your heart to. Moreover, this was a hellish place where only battle-crazed individuals participating in the arena existed.
But,
“...You're famous under the epithet ‘Harmless Mage.’ I didn't think you'd harm my innocent family.”
If it was the Hero's party, known for saving people and driving out evil to the point where goodness seemed personified, it might be different.
Gragtar had agreed to Astal's suggestion to protect his family after his own death.
“Sorry, but I'm already seeing someone.”
“Not married yet? Even though the scent of dragon is vibrating this strongly from you? So I thought you'd have room for a concubine….”
“...What?”
Gragtar sniffed with his green nose and tilted his head as if something was strange. Such a strong marking was usually only done with a married spouse; what on earth had he done to end up like this?
“Exactly as I said. You're currently in a state covered with such a thick dragon pheromone that anyone can tell ‘this man is taken.’”
“I have an idea about that part.”
“...Most small animals or insects won't even approach you. Because mixed in is a vicious killing intent that says they'll be killed the moment they touch you.”
Victoria couldn't lift her face, embarrassed upon hearing Gragtar's words.
Although she had indeed left her scent on him to make others misunderstand, she hadn't expected an orc with a keen nose to interpret it so accurately.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Gragtar and I moved together to find an empty clearing with few surrounding terrain features. We were seeking an environment most similar to the arena where we would later fight.
“...In Lord Durahan's arena, you'll meet strong fighters gathered from all over. It's good judgment not to completely trust your usual fighting style. There are too many variables.”
Swallowing a tsk sound, Gragtar was giving me advice about fighting in the arena. Normally, leaking such information to a competitor wouldn't be a good choice.
He probably thought well of me for showing honest fighting spirit. Originally, battle-crazed races tend to do anything if they can fight a stronger opponent.
“For example?”
“There are vampires. At first, they hide their identity like ordinary humans, pretend to be dead, then suck blood when the opponent lets their guard down…. They put their opponent in a dazed state.”
Gragtar continued, stroking his chin with his hand. His expression showed he found even recalling it dreadful.
“If you get hit by it the first time, you won't know how to deal with it. You have to deliberately bleed yourself, but how would you know that right away?”
“Well, if you actually get hit, you see double, everything in your vision shakes and blurs, and you become so disoriented.”
“...Huh? You've fought a vampire before?”
Nodding.
To Gragtar, who was looking at me with interest, I nodded and spoke instead. Having survived a year in the Demon Realm, the ones I hadn't fought could be counted on one hand.
“I barely managed to defeat one by driving a silver stake into its heart. Nowadays, even intermediate mages can perform material transformation.”
“Unfortunately, that method won't work in the arena. Those guys here won't die even if you rip their hearts out alive.”
Gragtar shook his head, showing negation.
In Poseikan Hollow, you can only achieve victory by completely incapacitating your opponent so they can't move, or by annihilating their existence.
“The method I recommend is aiming for and cutting the muscles on the inner side where the joints bend. Even if they don't die, if those are severed, they won't be able to move. It's easier to subdue the opponent.”
“I already saw that in your last match. It looked quite skillful. Is that method possible even if the skeletal muscles are different from ordinary creatures?”
I spoke while recalling the attack Gragtar had shown. Generally, it wouldn't matter if the enemy's skeleton resembled that of beasts or humans, but there were cases where it didn't.
“If you could see that much, you might be fine! I initially determine how the opponent moves, where the muscles and bones are, and then act accordingly.”
Gragtar looked at me and laughed heartily. To him, who severs all muscles at a speed the opponent can't defend against, knowing this fact alone meant I was quite talented.
“...If you mainly use fists, mixing in legs can help too. You predict the movements by thinking about the opponent's toes, fingertips, breathing, and so on.”
He slowly drew the war axe from his back and spoke to me.
The flow of air changing in an instant.
The fighting spirit visible in Gragtar's eyes told me he was a formidable opponent, enough to take one's breath away.
“Gragtar, warrior of the Demon God Avisesus. I will do my best for a glorious battle.”
“...Astal Kaiseros, the Harmless Mage. I hope for a good fight.”
Seeing that, I unraveled my magic circle and wrapped it around my fist like thread, taking a stance to fight Gragtar.