Chapter 71 : Chapter 71
Chapter 71. It was finally time to face him.
Jude's request, disguised as one from Lionel, arrived for Hyunwoo.
Following the preamble stating that a gladiator who received a request must comply with it, only the simple contents of the request were written.
⌜Kormur Dungeon Exploration.⌟
Hyunwoo read it and let out a sneer.
“Look at them, writing it like it’s no big deal. Seeing this insidious scheme, it can't be Jude’s doing… Did this come from Lionel’s head?”
“What’s written on it that’s making you act like this?”
As I was recalling information about the request, I narrowed my eyes at Van’s question and looked at him.
“Still speaking informally, I see.”
“……What do you want me to do about it?”
“Have you forgotten who holds your ownership rights?”
“……”
“So, the great Sir Van of the High Orc tribe. I asked you, why did you run away from your tribe?”
Over the past month, we had talked about the fact that I had obtained his ownership and about High Orcs.
Of course, since he clammed up every time I asked about his past, I didn't find out anything more.
“…Didn’t I tell you there was no reason?”
“Yes, yes. I’m sure you did.”
Just because I had his ownership rights didn't mean I intended to work him like a real slave.
“Water.”
“Go get it yourself.”
“This won’t do. I’ll have to return you to Lionel.”
“…Here. I brought it.”
Watching the trembling Van, I let out a smirk.
It was just a joke; I planned to treat him as I always had.
“This water tastes great, probably because the great High Orc himself fetched it for me.”
“Stop with the nonsense and go to the plaza.”
“Why the plaza all of a sudden?”
He would usually be trembling with anger before heading off to train around this time.
As if there was something more, Van smirked instead of answering.
“…What’s that. That smile?”
“What is?”
“That’s a very unpleasant smile.”
“I just… felt good today.”
“Did you do something to the plaza?”
“No way. How could a mere administrator tamper with a public space?”
Van’s words were logical.
However, the corners of his mouth were still turned up, which clearly meant he was up to something.
“…Let’s see after I get back. Until then, just do what I told you. I’ll be checking.”
“You want me to do that brutish training again?”
“If you don’t, you’ll be doing double.”
Van grumbled as he put on the heavy armor placed in the corner of the living room.
Then, he headed for the training room.
Thud—!
The armor Van wore was so heavy that the dormitory shook with every step.
For an ordinary person, it would be difficult to even move properly.
I watched with satisfaction as Van slowly warmed up and headed to the training room.
‘It’s already having an effect.’
Until just a short while ago, Van had struggled even to take a step while wearing the heavy armor.
But he was a High Orc.
The High Orc tribe’s strength and stamina growth was abnormally fast.
Thanks to that, it didn’t take long for him to become strong enough to run in the heavy armor.
‘Well, even this is just basic training.’
Getting stronger through his current training would, at best, only increase his durability.
To properly make use of Van, I had to carve ‘tattoos’ on his body.
The tattoos were the very essence of a High Orc’s power.
The alpha and the omega.
His current physical training was merely the foundational work for carving them.
After watching Van enter the training room, I stepped outside the dormitory.
* * *
I went outside and looked around.
Until a month ago, more than half of the dormitories in the Gold District had been empty.
Now, it was bustling with lively energy.
This was why mana stones were as important as becoming stronger in the Demon World.
‘There’s nothing money can’t do.’
Seeing the Bellatus Arena instantly replenish the Gold gladiators lost in the last match, I was once again reminded of the greatness of mana stones.
Although weaker than me, the Gold gladiators were powerhouses of a similar level.
Even fighters of that caliber were just forces that could be restored at any time as long as you spent enough money.
I watched the Gold gladiators roaming the streets as I made my way to the plaza.
“…Look over there. It’s the Champion.”
“Shh—! Don’t make eye contact. I heard he’s a real psycho…”
There wasn't a single person who didn’t know that I had turned the Gold dormitory upside down using the ‘Free Sparring Pass’.
Although I hadn't done anything particularly noteworthy since then, the gladiators I passed whispered and avoided me.
It wasn't intentional, but the infamy I naturally accumulated had properly showcased the presence of a Champion.
Thanks to that, I reached the plaza by strolling through the empty streets.
Arriving at the plaza, I realized why Van had smiled so unpleasantly.
My jaw dropped.
“…Ah.”
My statue had been erected at the fountain.
I knew a statue would be put up at the fountain since I had become the Champion.
However, I wasn't dumbfounded just because the statue modeled after me was embarrassing.
“Are these guys out of their minds? What in the world did they make…?”
The fact that the statue's face was handsome wasn't a problem.
When I looked in the mirror after a shower, I looked about that good (?).
The problem was that a certain part of the statue… was seriously large.
“Whoa…”
“Impressive. As expected of the Champion.”
I could feel the gazes of nearby gladiators glancing at my lower body.
I was well aware of the tradition in the Demon World to emphasize ‘that part’ as a sign of respect for the strong, but….
Gush, gush, gush—!
Water poured out from that spot like a waterfall.
I stared blankly at the stream of water shooting into the sky in an arc, then lowered my gaze.
The name of the statue was inscribed near the ankle.
⌜Bellatus Champion Hyunwoo⌟
Normally, the plaque would have been a single line.
But below it, another phrase was written.
⌜Imperial Family of the Human Empire⌟
The words ‘Imperial Family’ were emphasized, thicker than the other letters.
Seeing that, it seemed the culprit who made my statue like this was Lionel.
No wonder.
I thought it was strange that the naked statue was wearing a weird cape.
The symbol of the human empire was drawn on the cape.
After checking the statue, I turned back towards the dormitory.
Seeing the statue reminded me of a title I had forgotten about.
⌜Title: Champion of the Bellatus Arena
Effect: Skill proficiency increases by 200% within the Arena.⌟
An effect that allowed for rapid skill proficiency gain.
It was the final, enhanced version of the effects attached to ‘Rookie’ and ‘Super Rookie’.
Since all the swordsmanship styles I had learned were already mastered, I couldn't really experience the effect.
So, I had naturally forgotten about it.
‘But once I learn the Veluma Swordsmanship, I’ll be able to feel its effect.’
The affinity needed to copy Ibis's swordsmanship was now almost resolved, and the only thing left was his Aspiration: ‘freedom’.
Freedom.
To resolve this, I needed Jude.
‘I think it’s about time I met Jude.’
The request form had arrived, so I couldn't put it off any longer.
It was time to meet Jude and settle things.
I thought he might come looking for me at some point….
Everyone in the Arena knew I was the Champion and a member of the imperial family.
Apparently, that alone wasn't enough for Jude to come find me.
‘I need to start a rumor.’
If he wouldn't come to me, I would have to create a reason for him to.
Arriving at the dormitory, I went straight to the training room.
Van, clad in heavy armor, was running around the training room, drenched in sweat.
True to his diligent nature, he was training hard without slacking off, even without supervision.
“Van.”
“Pant… huff…”
“Come out for a second.”
“…Is that it for today?”
“Of course not. Go call Pierre for me. You can resume training after that.”
“……”
Van reached for his heavy armor to take it off.
I grabbed his hand.
Grip—
“…Let go.”
“Why not go with it on? It’s not that far.”
“I don’t want to. Why should I?”
“I guess I’ll have to double the weight.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Van sighed and started walking.
I smirked at the sight.
No matter what, he ended up listening to me.
I went to the sofa to wait for Pierre.
* * *
A short while later, Pierre appeared in the dormitory with a shiny face.
“You called for me, Sir Hyunwoo?”
“You seem very busy these days? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”
“Hehe… This is all thanks to you, Sir Hyunwoo, the great hero of Sylvester and the renowned Champion of the Bellatus Arena.”
“It is thanks to me.”
I nodded as if it were obvious.
Indeed, the reason Pierre was busy was that he was doing business by selling not only my name as the Champion but also the Sylvester Honorary Plaque.
“Yes. It is all thanks to Sir Hyunwoo. Paying the information fee to Lotus on your behalf is also thanks to you, and the money draining from my pockets to feed those freeloaders is all! Thanks to you, Sir Hyunwoo.”
“……It feels like there are daggers in your words?”
“Aww, no way. How could I dare?”
“……”
Did I leave him alone for too long?
Seeing him after a while, Pierre’s head had gotten bigger.
It seemed he was doing quite well for himself these days.
He was the type who only came to his senses after a periodic thrashing.
However, he had become a bit easier to handle recently.
That was because Pierre now had a designated handler.
“Lucas—!”
“Ah, a joke! It was a joke! Can’t I even make a joke? Huh?”
“Why? You should see Lucas while you’re here.”
“Please… don’t do that. It was my fault……”
Pierre’s confident voice instantly dwindled to a worm-like crawl.
What on earth had Lucas been doing to him?
He said he would take care of his education, and the effects were certainly clear.
He was so terrified, even at the mere pretense of me calling Lucas.
It seemed no matter how often they met, he couldn't overcome the inherent limitations that came from the difference in their status.
“It’s nothing big. Just spread a rumor in the Arena for me.”
“A rumor, you say? What kind…?”
A secret repository of the Human Empire's royal family.
I created a virtual space in my imagination, one that didn't even exist as dummy data.
Within it slept a legendary elixir called the ‘Elixir of Growth’.
I explained that it not only made the body grow but also raised one’s ‘status’ itself, thereby curing even curses on the body.
Pierre, who had been listening to my explanation in silence, tilted his head.
“Does such an elixir really exist?”
“Of course.”
“What is its name?”
‘Growth’ and ‘development’.
A legendary elixir with absolute effects in those two domains.
After a moment of deliberation, I was finally able to decide on the elixir's name.
“Tenten.”
“Ten…ten?”
“Go and spread the rumor about that item far and wide.”
An elixir that Jude would search for with fire in his eyes if he found out about it.
Tenten.
The rumor about it began to spread throughout the Arena in an instant.
* * *
It seemed Pierre had worked hard to spread the rumor about ‘Tenten’.
As is always the case with rumors passed by word of mouth, slightly altered versions of the initial explanation I gave about Tenten were heard all over the Arena.
Of course, among them were some absurd rumors that even made me flinch.
‘A chewy texture…? Must have been a lucky guess.’
The fact that the rumor was being modified in various ways was a welcome development.
To verify the truth of the rumor, one would have to find the person likely to know about the Human Empire’s royal secret repository.
That meant they had no choice but to come to me, a member of the imperial family.
My prediction soon proved correct.
A few days after the rumor about ‘Tenten’ spread through the Arena, in the middle of the night.
“It’s been a while.”
I shot my eyes open at the sound of a boy’s voice in my sleep.
‘Jude Basterion.’
It was finally time to face him.