Chapter 99: Arena of Cosmos (10)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: Arena of Cosmos (10)
"Young Master! That is...!"
The moment Veradin pulled the object from his robes, his guards’ faces turned deathly pale.
Veradin silently placed an index finger to his lips.
"Quiet. And cover us with your cloaks."
The guards bit their lips and unfurled their cloaks, shielding the three of them from view.
The crowd began to murmur. Spectators whispered among themselves at the sudden turn of events, but no one dared to shout and ask what was happening. This was because of the Zipple crest embroidered on the inside of the guards' cloaks.
"The Zipple family...?"
"That kid was a Zipple?"
"Hey, what are you going to do? You were cursing at him earlier, telling him to cheer for Paul Mick instead of Jin Gray."
"I—I think I should probably head out first."
The moment the Zipple crest was revealed, the audience—and even the pirates—became as docile as lambs. Even the host, Cosmos, stood with eyes wide in shock, making no move to stop the intrusion.
I’m in deep trouble. Did they come to kidnap Paul Mick because they realized he’s a Runcandel...?! Damn it, if I get caught in the crossfire, my life as a pirate is over. I have to play this carefully!
"Everyone, close your eyes and cover your ears!" Cosmos suddenly roared. The polite, gentlemanly persona he had maintained was gone, replaced by a fierce, glaring gaze.
It was a ridiculous sight, but the audience submissively followed his orders. No one was laughing. To the average person, the Zipple family was an object of absolute awe and terror.
"That guy has good instincts. I wouldn't mind if we docked about a hundred thousand from his three-hundred-thousand-gold payout," Veradin remarked.
The object Veradin had produced looked like a gemstone. At first glance, it resembled a rounded ruby, but it was a much deeper crimson, looking like a congealed orb of blood. A strange, indescribable energy radiated from it.
Is that...?
Jin had seen this object somewhere before.
He couldn't recall exactly what it was immediately, as he hadn't seen it in person. He had only read about it in books during his days as a magic apprentice.
"It’s Numerus’s Blood," Veradin whispered.
The moment he said it, Jin’s jaw dropped.
Numerus.
The God of Hope, who was said to have vanished following a certain incident just before the Holy Kingdom of Vankella was established.
The only legacy Numerus left behind upon his disappearance was eight tears and a hundred drops of blood. For centuries, humanity had written a foolish, bloody history in its attempts to claim them.
This was because Numerus’s Tears were the only items capable of resurrecting the dead.
And while Numerus’s Blood could not achieve full resurrection, it was a Sacred Object capable of curing any disease or injury instantly.
Four of the eight tears had been used and recorded in history, while the whereabouts of the remaining four were unknown. As for the blood, records showed that seventy drops had been used, but the rest were unaccounted for. Historians generally assumed they had all been used up, and indeed, no drop of Numerus’s Blood had been discovered in recent times.
Once a subject of great fascination, the god’s legacy had slowly faded into the realm of legend.
And yet, one of those legends was currently glowing with a crimson light right before Jin’s eyes.
"What...? You’re giving that to Dante...?"
Even if Numerus’s Blood was considered a grade lower than the Tears, it was still a Sacred Object. It was something that could not be bought with any amount of wealth, a treasure that Great Families like the Runcandels and Zipples were still frantically searching for.
The Zipples actually had one!
Moreover, the fact that it wasn't in the possession of the Patriarch, Kelliark Zipple, but in the hands of Veradin during a simple trip, was difficult for even Jin to process.
In other words, the Zipple family had set aside that blood specifically for Veradin. And even the Zipples, the most prestigious family in the world, only possessed two of them.
"Shh. Let’s keep this a secret between the three of us. Me, you, and Dante."
Jin couldn't even bring himself to ask why he would use such a thing on Dante.
Rationally speaking, Veradin’s actions were beyond illogical. The Hairan family, though smaller than the Runcandels, was still a rival to the Zipples, and Dante was their next Patriarch.
Dante dying here would have been the best possible outcome for Veradin.
But then again, I’m the same. Even though Dante’s death would benefit the Runcandels, I held my sword back at the final moment.
Veradin smiled.
"I feel like I don't need to explain to you why I'm doing this."
Veradin brought Numerus’s Blood to Dante’s lips. As he used mana to slightly crack its surface, a crimson energy began to flow into Dante’s mouth like water.
Sssss...
"Oh, and don't feel like you owe me. Losing a rival is just as sad as losing a friend, isn't it?"
Twitch!
Dante reacted the moment the blood entered his system. Though the internal process wasn't visible, Dante’s deathly pale face rapidly regained its color and vitality.
Veradin Zipple... I knew he wasn't just some common fool.
But Jin had never imagined he would be this unpredictable. A person who would willingly pay such a price for someone who was essentially an enemy could not be easily categorized.
Amidst his complicated thoughts, one emotion was clear.
He’s actually pretty cool.
"Pah!"
Dante exhaled sharply, as if surfacing from underwater. Having just woken up, he immediately seemed to realize he had cheated death. He looked over his body several times with a stunned expression.
"What on earth happened...?"
"Buy me a drink after the ceremony, Dante. Jin, you’re drinking with us too, right? Don't say no. And from now on, whether it’s at a banquet or wherever, make sure you acknowledge me when we meet."
Jin let out a small chuckle, suddenly remembering the day he had found Veradin annoying at the Runcandel banquet.
"I'll do that."
As Dante slowly stood up, Cosmos quickly scanned the situation. Seeing that things had settled, he considered what these three boys needed most right now.
They needed an atmosphere of normalcy, as if nothing had happened.
In reality, the audience couldn't tell exactly what had transpired inside the circle of cloaks. They could only guess that Veradin had healed Dante with magic.
However, everyone wondered why a Zipple would heal Paul Mick, who was rumored to be a Runcandel. Of course, no one was stupid enough to voice their curiosity and risk their lives.
"Now! That was a heart-pounding, legendary match! The winner is the nameless young swordsman, Jin Gray! Ladies and gentlemen! Please give them a thunderous round of applause!"
*
The award ceremony began that night.
In the arena where murder and secret feuds had been rampant, a rum-fueled party broke out. The surviving participants poured alcohol onto the ground at every opportunity, claiming it was for their fallen comrades.
Normally, the closing party—one of the highlights of the arena—would be a den of debauchery that went far beyond just drinking. But tonight, everyone was so busy walking on eggshells around the Zipples that they did nothing but drink.
"Winner, Jin Gray, step forward!"
Jin walked toward the platform made of stacked liquor crates.
Waiting there was Cosmos, holding a winner's trophy made of shark bone and a pouch containing a thousand gold coins. At Cosmos’s feet was a small treasure chest—the optional prize.
The winner could choose between the thousand gold coins or the mystery treasure chest.
"Now, choose your prize! The gold or the treasure chest? Which will it be—"
"Give me both."
When Jin answered irritably, laughter erupted from all sides.
He wasn't the first winner in the arena's history to demand both prizes, but no one had ever been quite so bold about it.
I barely slept for days, and I almost killed Dante during our fight. It’s annoying enough to risk my life for this measly reward, and you want me to choose just one?
It was unacceptable. Considering how his heart had wavered when Dante was on the verge of death, he felt like taking everything the Cosmos Pirates owned wouldn't be enough.
"I understand wanting it all, haha, but kid. We have history and tradition here, you know?"
"I can wipe out that history and tradition starting today."
Cosmos gave a dejected nod.
"Fine, you win. Take it all..."
By then, both Cosmos and the audience had guessed that Jin, while perhaps not on the level of Dante or Veradin, was likely the scion of a formidable family. That was why Cosmos complied so easily.
This kid looks like he might be from the Secret Palace... Hah, starting next year, I need to screen the participants' backgrounds more thoroughly. I need to make sure only the bottom-feeders I can control gather here.
After the ceremony ended, while everyone continued drinking in the middle of the stadium, Jin and Dante settled into the cramped, shabby room of the lodging they had shared.
Veradin, who had ditched his guards, was with them.
"Wow... you two lived in a place like this for days? Good grief, I wouldn't have lasted a single day. Our family’s stables are better than this."
Veradin spoke as he uncorked a bottle of top-tier wine he’d had his guards bring.
Glug, glug.
As the glasses were filled one by one, Jin held out the pouch of gold to Dante.
"Is this for me?"
"Yeah, you take it."
"But you were the winner."
"Take it or leave it."
Dante stared at the pouch for a moment before shaking his head with a smile.
"No, I shall take it. My Hairan family has plenty of money, but... I should frame this and keep it as a memento."
Dante shook the pouch, making the coins jingle happily.
Seeing that, Veradin smacked his lips as if feeling left out.
"Jin, me too. Give me something, a memento. Today was a special day for me as well."
Veradin held out his hand, his eyes sparkling.
Just commemorate it yourself.
Normally, Jin would have replied that way, but Veradin had done something truly commendable today. He figured he could grant one small request.
However, Jin wanted to keep the shark-bone trophy with his name on it for himself.
That left the treasure chest.
A good idea struck Jin, and he nodded.
"Wait a second."
Click!
Jin crushed the lock with his bare hands and opened the chest. It was the first time he had opened it since receiving it from Cosmos.
Paper?
Inside the chest was a typical treasure map with a crude drawing of terrain and an 'X' marked near the center.
"Oh? There are ancient characters written on it. I’ve never seen these letters before. This is interesting. Give me that map as a—"
"No. Your memento is this chest. Take this."
"Oh, that’s good too! Thanks!"
One guy wants to frame gold coins, and the other is thanking me for a piece of trash. Are they both idiots?
The thought made Jin chuckle. As he laughed, the other two joined in. When Jin suddenly wiped the smile off his face and turned serious, the other two coughed awkwardly.
"Hey, Dante Hairan. Let me ask you one thing."
"Uh, ahem. What is it?"
"Why didn't you use your Secret Technique until the end? I'm pretty sure I told you not to hold back."
Dante scratched the back of his head and replied.
"You... you also didn't hold back, yet you never unleashed your hidden power. I simply thought it would be fair to fight without my Secret Technique."