Faster Than Anyone, Unlike the Others (2)
Meals are a serious matter. There's a reason for the saying that an army marches on its stomach—eating bland food wears a person down fast, rotting them from the inside out.
For the heroes summoned to this other world under the Goddess's guidance, food is no less critical. They revive with their Earthly bodies intact, so without eating or drinking, they'd starve to death in no time. Sure, they'd last a bit longer than ordinary humans. Especially after awakening mana, they could stretch their lives further with its power. I'd seen a hero endure about a week without so much as sipping urine or absorbing any moisture at all, buried in sand in a desert dungeon due to some Demon King's Army scheme, unable to move a muscle or open his mouth.
We rescued him, but his mind shattered afterward, and he died soon enough. Still, it taught all us heroes that the starvation limit was roughly a week.
Since we have to survive on food and water, it's only natural to crave something tasty. And that's when it hits you.
Ah. I miss convenience store grub already.
Even the preservative-packed breads and junk you wouldn't buy with your own money back home become gourmet delicacies compared to medieval slop.
"Will all the food in the world we're heading to be this shitty?"
"You checked both the hope reels and the despair reels, alternating."
"Shemiri's stuff is the hope reel, right?"
"Better than average. Think of the first as noble feasts, the second as peasant or beggar chow."
"Gotta climb to the top no matter what. Ugh, still feels like sawdust in my teeth."
Shin Yu-hee shuddered like she'd never set foot in that restaurant again. Shemiri's place crushed it on both cost-performance and quality. Selling my body to Shemiri or running into Park Chang-su's crew and their interrogation barrage didn't seem like a big deal anymore.
"Shall we head straight to Shemiri's?"
"Business first, before the restaurant."
"Even if someone's there, I can—"
"Not worried about running into anyone. I'm scouting the next target."
I lightly tapped the armor I was wearing for Shin Yu-hee. "Dex's side is more urgent than Park Chang-su's."
"...After newbie protection ends, they'll put out revenge bounties or launch private raids, so you're hitting them first?"
"Yeah. That's part of it, but personally, I'm curious about the other thing too."
"The other thing... Pin?"
"Right. That's why we're asking that guy over there."
"Ugh."
I pointed to the familiar direction, and Shin Yu-hee openly scowled.
"The cheapskate seller..."
"Not that cheap. Worth exactly what we paid, right? Isn't that so, goblin?"
"Grimgwald."
The goblin at the counter, Grimgwald, shot back curtly but turned his eyes our way.
"What're you buying this time?"
"Hey, goblin. Got nothing to say to us?"
"...Congrats on your first win?"
"Hah...!"
Shin Yu-hee pounded her chest in disbelief and outrage, but I patted her back.
"He probably didn't expect Dex to show up either. Right?"
"Spot on, human. That guy's one of the strong ones among the 'Quitters.'"
"Quitters...?"
"The ones who gave up on going outside and chose to scrape by in this arena. Folks who abandoned the fight against the demonkin, clinging to life here, hoping someone else topples the Demon King."
Maybe because we'd notched a win, or maybe no customers around—whatever the reason, Grimgwald was chattier than before.
"Cowards with no guts to face the demonkin frontlines themselves, holing up in this pit."
His tone was worlds apart from last time, but the words were straight-up insults to Dex and every other Quitter like him. And this was prime intel you could only get in Chekhov's Arena.
Five wins? Manageable somehow. But real scoop on the world we'd cross into? Not easy outside places like this.
"What's wrong with hiding to avoid risking your neck, Grimgwald?"
"Didn't expect that from you, human. Aren't you the type who despises them?"
"Despise? Nah. The ones betting their lives against the Demon King deserve the title 'hero.' The rest? Just regular humans who quit because life matters more."
In war, the hero's the one stepping in front of enemy guns to protect something. You can criticize folks dodging to the rear while everyone else charges frontlines—but history shows humans get ice-cold rational and selfish when their own skin's on the line.
"...Fight or die anyway. Slave to demonkin till you drop, or just plain dead."
The problem? Surrender to the enemy, and you die. Sit still, and you die. That's the world.
"Why do you think this arena pushes deserters back to the battlefield? No Demon King down, humanity's doomed. Not just second- or third-class citizens under demonkin boot—we'd all get butchered and monster chow."
"So why're you here, goblin? Aren't goblins demonkin-adjacent?"
"......"
Grimgwald shot me an irritated glance, then sighed deeply and tapped his glasses.
"Ever seen other goblins, human?"
"Yeah. Killed some myself. Right, Shin Yu-hee?"
"Ah, yes."
"Shin Yu-hee, huh. Female human. Ask her. Were those goblins suited up like me, or running around naked with rags over their junk?"
"Uh... the latter?"
"Exactly. I'm not like those savage fucks who eat males and drag females to caves for rape-fests."
Grimgwald's words dripped with pride in his intellect—I'm on another level from those goblins.
"Surely... the great lord of this place, Lady Chekhov, feels the same."
"Arena owner? Oh right. Vampire."
"Yes. Most vampires are demonkin, but Lady Chekhov opposes the Demon King's Army and aids the human alliance."
Grimgwald pointed to the red seal on his suit.
"I take pride in working this arena. Helping the weak steel their resolve, build fighting spirit against the Demon King's Army, gear up—that's why. Probably..."
"Shemiri too?"
"Shemiri and everyone on management side. More her reasons than mine... hmm, you don't know, do you?"
Grimgwald glanced at Shin Yu-hee and held back on Shemiri details.
"Can't say it myself—ask her direct. Anyway..."
He trailed off, but his mouth twitched like he itched to spill.
"Just know Lady Chekhov has taken in plenty who've lost family, friends, loved ones to demonkin."
"Noted."
"So, what's the deal this time? Room issues?"
"Here to buy info."
Info. Grimgwald rubbed his temples like it gave him a headache.
"...This chit-chat so far? Worth three Exchange Vouchers as intel."
"Charging for on-duty banter?"
"Can't?"
"No biggie, but I want solid info worth the vouchers."
I pulled out my remaining Exchange Vouchers. Not many left—excluding the last one each for me and Shin Yu-hee, this was everything. She stayed quiet beside me. Even if I blew every last one, she'd just trust and follow now.
...Probably had that insurance of snagging thirty straight from Shemiri.
"Fine. What info you after?"
"The guy who died yesterday, Pin—did he have debts?"
"......."
"If he borrowed vouchers, it'd be here. Or personal IOUs. Wanna know who lent 'em."
"...Hmm."
Grimgwald counted the vouchers, then snatched them all and stuffed them in his pocket.
"Madam Helma."
"Madam...?"
"Yeah. Runs the brothel in Chekhov's Arena."
"Uh...."
Shin Yu-hee frowned at "brothel."
"Why would a brothel madam lend vouchers to Pin? Guys are customers... why?"
"No clue how the personal debt formed. What I know: Madam Helma's a big player here. Uses her girls to rake in nearly a thousand vouchers a day. Tough cookie herself too."
"More people in this arena than I thought."
"Not all runaways are broken soldiers. Got refugees too."
Grimgwald held up three fingers.
"Your side's on bad terms with two of the arena's big three factions. One: Madam Helma, who Pin borrowed from. Two: the 'Fallen Nobles Alliance' Dex was with. The last one's..."
"Eh. Don't care."
I folded all fingers but my thumb, then snapped them shut one by one.
"Hitting five wins before newbie protection ends and bailing."
"...Fair enough."
"So, how about some business?"
"Business?"
Grimgwald's eyes widened at the word.
"Yeah. Short-term gig. Less than a week."
"What?"
"Proxy broker. Me and Shin Yu-hee here as proxies. I'd handle most fronts."
"Hmm... Brokering's no issue, but you sure?"
"About what?"
"You'll have enemies, sure—but plenty lining up to hire you."
The killer of Tehalt and Dex. Already delivered one win as a proxy knight for a client.
...The one who stiffed on voucher payment died to Shin Yu-hee, but welching on a hit job is death anyway.
"Minimum thirty vouchers upfront. If a job comes in, I'll gear up with weapons first."
"Sword not enough?"
"Gotta have your main go-to weapon."
I mimed a casual swing.
"Got any tomahawks, by chance?"