Chapter 91

"……Who is it?"

This is a cell.

The place called the waiting room for fighters, built underground in the arena, is a complete cell.

It is probably also the living space for the fighters.

After all, they are people who have become slaves due to insurmountable debts and circumstances outside.

This level of treatment might be considered normal.

Since the arena is covering their debts, it would be a problem if they were to run away.

However, that makes it even more questionable.

I can't imagine why she would be content with such a situation.

"Are you Ms. Lunato, the S-rank adventurer?"

I ask again.

The girl in the cage nods slightly.

Her face is hidden behind a mask.

"My name is Mako. Honda Mako. I am also an adventurer."

"………"

Ms. Lunato does not react.

"This is Gurai, also an adventurer… and this person—"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Moguro."

When I introduce him, Moguro bows.

"I work as a staff member at the Adventurer's Guild."

"………"

"I will come straight to the point. I am here to confirm your will."

Moguro says.

"Why is someone of your caliber hiding and fighting as a gladiator in the arena?"

"………"

"You were an adventurer. A very commendable person, even among the rough and unruly adventurers. You moved from guild to guild, completing missions and helping those in need. As a beastkin, you must have heard many cruel words. Yet, your style never changed."

"………"

"Your numerous deeds and strength earned you the S-rank title, a respected individual. Then, you suddenly disappeared and ended up in a place like this…"

"Ms. Lunato"

I ask Ms. Lunato, who shows no reaction to Moguro's words.

"We are now living outside the tourist city of Vayser with your younger brother and the Berserks you tried to save."

"………"

"There, we heard the circumstances. To be honest, I can't accept it. There must be a reason. Please tell us. Why are you fighting as a gladiator here—"

"……It's none of your business"

Suddenly, Ms. Lunato speaks.

Her voice is muffled from behind the mask.

"……I live here"

"……Ms. Lunato?"

"……My wish is to fight… I became an adventurer to seek battle… If I fight, I can earn money… I plan to send that money to my younger brothers… That's enough… I live here"

"……I can't accept that"

I say.

Her words, spoken mechanically, seemed to lack any genuine emotion.

"Your younger brother is proud of you. Kind, righteous, serious, and strong. Are you going to abandon such a person?"

"………"

"Ms. Lunato, say your brother's name."

"…!"

I ask her.

"I haven't said your brother's name yet. But, as his real sister, you should know his name, right?"

"………"

"……Ms. Lunato, can't you answer?"

At that moment,

"It's time."

Several arena staff members appear.

They unlock the cell and try to take Ms. Lunato somewhere.

"Wait! We still—"

"This one is scheduled to participate in an event. Even with Prince Sting's order, the arena's work should take priority, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Warka answers immediately.

…We haven't clarified anything yet…

"Let's go."

Ms. Lunato is led out of the cell and taken away by the staff.

I just watch her go, silently.

"Excuse me, I will talk to the arena staff for a moment. Please return to your room."

Saying that, Warka follows the staff who are taking Ms. Lunato away.

"Mako"

"……"

Gurai calls my name.

I think.

…An idea comes to me.

It's not a grand epiphany, but…

However, to break this opaque and seemingly endless deadlock, this might be the only way.

"Gurai"

I say to Gurai.

"I have a risky plan… Will you go along with it?"

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

"Why did you exile the beastkin from the city?"

"………"

The location is the VIP room where Iksa and Sting were having a conversation.

Sting remains silent for a few seconds after Iksa's question.

Then,

"…Oh?"

Sensing a change in the arena's atmosphere, Sting slightly raises his eyelids.

The cheers and excitement of the crowd intensify, and the anticipation is palpable.

"Perfect timing. The most popular event at this arena is about to start. Let's watch it while we talk."

"………"

Iksa's expression turns skeptical.

Meanwhile, the arena is moving on to the next act.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! The moment you've all been waiting for has arrived!"

A man in flashy clothing stands in a corner of the arena and shouts loudly.

He seems to be one of the arena staff, acting as the host.

He riles up the crowd with his loud voice.

"Will the survivors of tonight be the slaves or the warriors? The scene of blood splattering and bones breaking is about to unfold right before your eyes!"

"………"

Iksa frowns.

The audience's frenzy is clearly different from before.

"Let's get started without further ado! The first round of 'Warrior and Slave'! First, the slaves will enter!"

As the host speaks, one of the entrances to the arena, a metal-barred door, opens, and several figures appear from the other side.

"!"

Iksa is taken aback.

The figures that appear are beastkin.

Bear beastkin—Berserks.

They are dressed in tattered clothes, with visible scars and bandages on their bodies. Their expressions are haggard.

"Those are…"

"They are the ones who protested to me when they were expelled from the city."

Iksa grits his teeth at Sting's words.

He had anticipated it, but indeed—these beastkin were being made to fight in the arena.

"Next, the warriors will enter!"

The door opposite to where the Berserks entered opens, and this time, human warriors appear.

Unlike the slaves, some are lightly armed and equipped.

"…Prince Sting, is this a show that makes beastkin into spectacles?"

"………"

"Are you capturing beastkin and making them slaves? Do you think it doesn't hurt your heart to oppress them?"

"Don't misunderstand, Iksa."

Sting smirks and says,

"They are fighting here by their own choice."

"What?"

"They chose to become slaves here of their own will."

Sting explains to the stunned Iksa.

"When I expelled the beastkin who coexisted in this city, they came to me to protest. Well, it was easy for the knights to suppress and expel them… but I'm not a monster. So, I proposed a bet to them."

"A bet?"

"A battle similar to the 'Slave and Warrior' event that is about to start."

"Let me explain the rules again! It's simple and straightforward!"

The host explains the rules to the audience.

"A group battle with ten warriors and ten slaves! Both warriors and slaves must stand for ten minutes out of the fifteen-minute battle to win! Each individual's standing and fallen time is measured separately, and if they fall for more than five minutes, they lose the winning condition! The side with the most members who meet the winning condition wins!"

"Well, the rules were a bit milder at the time. If the beastkin won, I would admit my mistake and allow all the expelled beastkin to return to the city. If they lost, they would each owe one hundred million G in debt and sign a contract to become gladiators here."

"………"

"They lost. Like the other contracted gladiators, they are fighting here to pay off their debts."

The betting has already started in the arena.

Whether the warriors or the slaves will win.

There are also various bets on which specific gladiator will defeat whom and how many, and large sums of money are being exchanged between the audience and the arena staff.

And the battle begins.

Of course, it's not a battle in the true sense.

The slaves are just bodies, while some of the warriors are armed and clearly professionals.

"The slaves have a contract that if they stand for more than ten minutes and their side wins, they will receive a prize of one hundred million G. One hundred million G is the same amount of debt the arena imposes on the slaves. In other words, they will be freed. So, they fight desperately."

"………"

"But, it's not that easy."

The slaves are punched, kicked, and fall one after another, lying on the ground.

It was a brutal scene.

The slaves were all defeated within a few minutes, and more than five minutes had passed, so they lost the winning condition.

"………"

"The question you asked earlier. Why did I exile the beastkin? This is the answer. When I conceived this entertainment-filled city, I came up with the idea of an event where beastkin are made slaves."

Iksa silently watches the fallen slaves and the warriors waving to the audience.

"To make the beastkin slaves, I thought of a way to create a bad reputation and persecute them. Now, many humans who can't pay their debts have also become slaves, and there's no need for them to be beastkin. The angry beastkin are just in the way, and it's no problem if those outside the city disappear."

"…You did all that for such a trivial reason?"

"Iksa, the oppressed are necessary."

Sting declares.

"As long as there are those who have, there must be those who lose. Balance doesn't always mean 50-50. It can be 10-90 or 20-80. In any world, as long as there are people who draw the short straw and suffer, many others can gain happiness."

"…Prince Sting—"

Just as Iksa was about to say something,

"Iksa!"

The door to the VIP room opens, and Mako appears.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

When I returned to the VIP room, the first round of the 'Slave and Warrior' battle had already ended.

The slaves were all defeated within the first few minutes.

They are all severely injured.

The sight is heart-wrenching.

I immediately rush to Iksa.

"Iksa"

Then, I whisper in his ear.

Quickly, about what we will do next.

And the content of the "plan."

"…Understood"

Iksa looks back at me and says that.

There was no hesitation in his voice.

He must have been watching the battle in this room and already made up his mind.

"Prince Sting, I will call the inspector waiting outside the arena."

"…What?"

Iksa had already summoned the inspector before coming here, just in case.

And calling the inspector means—

"Let's make a bet, Prince Sting. This is a battle between heirs to the throne."

"…I'm not interested in the throne—"

"The next 'Slave and Warrior' battle has a second round, right? Let's bet on which side will win. I bet on the slaves. If you win, I will give you all the rights I currently have… The connections to the underworld are important if you want to make this city bigger. In addition, we will leave this city and never get involved again."

"………"

"If I win, you must swear to keep the promise you made earlier… that the slaves who meet the winning condition will be freed. That's all I ask."

Clearly, this is a bet that offers no benefit to Iksa.

But Prince Sting understood.

That Iksa couldn't ignore the oppressed beastkin.

That's why he proposed such a bet—

"Are you really… okay with this?"

"Yes"

Iksa declares.

"Prince Sting, I challenge you to a duel as an heir to the throne."