Ch 130: I wish I could walk around this place normally without a mask

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"Ahh, I see you like the idea. Good. To become the champion, you first need to understand how the ranking system works and the rules of the Colosseum. There are 100 ranking spots, and each person occupies one spot...." he says, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"...The champion, of course, is the number one spot. The way someone from outside gets one of those spots is through challenges. But a person who is outside the ranking can only challenge those who are among the lowest in the ranking. And the same goes for those who want to climb up the rankings; they have to challenge and beat someone who is higher than them in the rankings, but it is only possible to challenge those who are 4 places above you at most..." While speaking, the elder orc moves his hands in an exaggerated way to illustrate his explanations, probably due to excitement.

"...Which brings me to another rule. A person with a position in the ranking can only refuse a maximum of three challenges from people who are lower in the ranking; at the fourth challenge, that person is obliged to accept or they will automatically lose the position to the person challenging them. However, you can reject all challenges coming from a higher position in the ranking without any problem. I think those are all the rules..." he says, scratching the back of his head with a thoughtful expression.

"... Ahh, there are many times when battles are to the death.... But there are no rules about that..."

'If there are battles to the death, I may have found a decent alternative to the labyrinth to level up. Obviously, it's not as good as the labyrinth, but it's worse than nothing....

I don't like the idea of killing people, but if these people want to kill me, then that's a different story....

Anyone who wants to take a person's life has to understand that sooner or later the same fate may befall him.'

"...Which brings me to another peculiarity, which is not a rule, but it is the way things work. When a person in the ranking dies and leaves a position vacant, the person with the closest position automatically takes it. Which often means that, when the last spot becomes vacant for some reason other than a fight in the Colosseum, groups of people fight it out in pitched battles organized by the Colosseum administrators themselves ...." he says as he waves his hands exaggeratedly, punching the air.

"...That's the dirtiest and most barbaric part of the events the Colosseum has to offer, but it's understandable to a certain extent...."

'He really doesn't realize he's making a fool of himself' I think, as I watch the people closest to us on the street turn away from the ancient orc as they look at him as if he's mad.

"...Battles between the 100th and 10th places are quite frequent and are the daily spectacle of the Colosseum, but from the 10th place onwards, things change. Very rarely do those positions change. To give you an example, the current champion has been in his position for 30 years, and no one seems to be able to beat him"

"Let's see if I've got it right..." I say, trying to summarize the old orc's long explanation in a few words.

"... To get into the rankings, I have to challenge someone ranked 100, 99, 98, or 97 and beat him. And once I do that, I have to keep climbing up the rankings by challenging the upper ranks until I get to the fourth ranking place to be able to challenge the champion, is that right?"

"It's like that. It's good to see that you understand quickly, or maybe it's just that you have an amazing teacher? Good! Now I need to tell you how we are going to proceed. There tends to be slaves fighting in the Colosseum from time to time, so I think it's going to be best if we swap roles. Every time we go to the Colosseum, I'm going to disguise myself, and you'll take off your mask and those clothes. I'm going to play the role of your owner...." says the elder orc, motioning for me to follow him into a side alley.

"...Which, given my vast acting abilities, will be a piece of cake. This strategy will be the best way for us to get in on the betting for your fights and thus take the opportunity to make money while remaining incognito."

'I suppose it makes sense, since ideally I wouldn't want to be linked to the Xelean of the labyrinth....

And while I could fight with the mask and disguise on, there's no guarantee that my skin won't be revealed in a moment of carelessness, which would greatly complicate our stay in the capital....

It'd be nice to be able to walk on this damn continent without having to worry about constantly covering my skin...

Besides, even though the ancient orc hasn't said anything to me about it, it's not lost on me that my appearance in the Colosseum as a wingless avian is useful for his story about a super-powered slave'

I follow him as I analyze all the things the elder orc has told me so far about the Colosseum, and I see that, when we reach an area with very few people, he begins to take a series of things out of his bag and to quickly change his appearance with them.

A dense false beard, a black and white mask, and vibrantly colored hair extensions.

When he's done, the old orc looks like a completely different person.

True, I can easily tell it's him, but that's because I've been with him for so long.

With the mask and beard, his face can barely be seen, and the colorful extensions make his hair look very different.

"Good! It's a pity I have to cover my beautiful face, but it's for a good cause. Now it's your turn. Take off your cape, your mask, and your gloves. Hmm, and I think you should change your dark shirt for a slightly more colorful one. That will ensure that no one can associate you with your shadowy alter ego...." he says, looking around.

"...Quick! Do it now while no one's looking."

I do as he says, and for the first time since we arrived in the capital, I can feel the wind on my face.

'I wish I could walk around this place normally without a mask.'

...

We enter the Colosseum, and the ancient orc guides me through the long and numerous corridors until we reach the stands that serve as seats for those who come to watch the fights in the large oval arena.

The arena is huge, probably 60 meters long.

And the stands extend all around it on several levels.

The entrance to the place seems to be free because nobody asked us to pay anything to enter.

I guess that is the reason why, although it is still before noon, the audience in the arena of the Colosseum already consists of several thousand people in the stands.

In the arena, there is a race of 15 people running around the perimeter.

Paying a little closer attention, I see that all the runners are slaves.

'So Kaelion was right.... What would be the point of having therians and reptilians compete in the Colosseum if the orcs believe they are inferior races?'

"The fighting will begin shortly..." says Kaelion, looking at the sun and pulling a small golden watch from his pocket to check the time.

"...They usually start at noon. You'll have to go down to the arena and challenge the 100th-ranked as soon as that race is over. It doesn't matter if we don't know his name; you just need to say you want to challenge that ranking place, and that will be enough...."

As he speaks, the elder orc absentmindedly checks the various parts of his disguise to ensure that everything is in place.

"...If it should happen that he is not present, the normal course of action would be to wait a few hours for him to be notified and arrive on site, but you may also choose to challenge someone of a higher rank.... 99 or 98, I would say. It could also be the case that a member of the public challenges you for the right to challenge the same ranking position that you want to challenge, but I see that as very unlikely for a number of reasons"

'Since we entered this place, I'm noticing that the old orc is a lot more serious than usual.... Maybe it's just another layer of his disguise.'

"Alright, but I've noticed that there's something you still haven't made clear to me..." I say, watching the slaves run as the crowd throws all sorts of things at them, causing the runners to fall a few times, getting hit by something on the head.

'This society is disgusting.... I have to get stronger as soon as possible so that I can accomplish my goal'

"...The champion has the privilege of being able to talk to the emperor, but do the other rankings gain anything from fighting in the Colosseum? I guess there has to be some reason why it's worth risking one's life."

"Hmm, yes and no. There is a monthly salary, but it is very little compared to what can be earned from gambling. People here most simply fight for glory and fame. All orcs have a desire to prove how strong they are. And the fame gained through the Colosseum can serve in many ways. Whether or not it is worth risking one's life is a moot point…" he says with a smile, and the smile disappears from his face for a moment when he says the last sentence. "...In my opinion, it's not, in most cases..."