36 Chapter 36: Before The Match Began

"Good luck, Senka! I'm cheering for you!" Rena shouted as Senka left to enter the participant area while they went to the audience seat.

He didn't look back or else everyone would see his face was red.

"I hope he win." Mirra said.

"Yeah, me too," Rena replied to her.

"Well, then let's go. Sebastian had booked the seat for us."' Frei said.

Blending with the crowd, the three of them walked to the entrance gate, not far from them a carriage passed by. Inside the carriage, a black haired man with obsidian eyes sat calmly, accompanied by a short middle age man who kept biting his nails.

"Luxus, have you find any clue about that selkie?" The nervous man asked.

"No, not yet, Mr. Rodemack," Luxus answered him.

"It's all your fault! I thought your barrier would be hard to break that's why I didn't put any guard in that place!" Rodemack blamed him.

"Even if you placed guards there, that Lamia would eat them all," Luxus replied, staring at Rodemack coldly. He knew it was one of Rodemack's hobby to collect monsters that resembled a human, and that Lamia was his favorite. That day, Rodemack insisted to use the monster to guard another monster.

The weak mentality Rodemack shrunk being glared by Luxus, but even scarier than Luxus was the client who was supposed to receive that item. Just thinking about what he must say to that man made his organs felt like being churned out and he couldn't sleep. He, who owned the most prestigious prostitution place in Ladylake and had a lot of backings in the underworld, was only a speck of dust in front of this man.

That's why he brought Luxus today, he would blame it all on Luxus.

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The giant amphitheater Rena currently inside had stood since the ancient times. The structure could fit a thousand of people and was one of the symbols of pride of Valia Kingdom. This place, where mighty warriors clashed their swords to proof who were stronger, was called Colosseum.

"It's still the first day and its already been this crowded..." Rena talked to herself, her eyes scanning her surroundings. Men and women, young and old, were filling up the area. Some people she saw were wearing unusual attires, telling them that they came from faraway places. A group of men who just passed drew her attention, their hats and clothes were made of animal furs, moreover, they had black hair. It was her first time seeing a group of black hair people since the day those pirates kidnapped her.

"They came from Xi La," Frei said, watching her inquisitive look. "The Jin people and Xi La people have similar characteristics, but you can easily tell them apart from the clothes they are wearing."

"Oh, I see..." Rena replied without looking at Frei.

Rena was still awkward after kissing him last night. She woke up screaming, dreaming of what she did. Flustered, she fell from the bed and bumped her forehead on the floor. Because of that, there was a small bump on her forehead. But she pretended it was nothing for her, so he wouldn't think that what she did to him affect her greatly.

"Didn't you say you come from Xi La before?" One of the corners of his lips curved up. Frei was still remembered what she said the day they first met.

She didn't answer his question. Frei had said that he wouldn't pressure her to tell her secret, so she kept her mouth shut, looking at the back of two men who were sitting in front of her.

"Hey, have you check the participants? Who do you think is going to win this year?"

"That's too early to tell. There are many promising candidates this year as well. I heard Jade Dragon Li from Xi La is strong."

"Is he stronger than Crusher Grimus?"

"I don't know. We'll see!"

"You know, I heard Black Gale Luxus came here to watch this year tournament."

These men were talking excitedly about the participants. She felt like she was coming to a live match that had so many people watching it, just like watching a big soccer game at the stadium.

"Do you think Senka could win?" Mirra asked Sebastian.

"I sincerely hope so," Sebastian answered her.

The two people chatted leisurely, not knowing the conflict that happened in Rena's mind.

"Rena," Frei called her. "Have you read any book from my library?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking. "Yeah... Just one, I haven't had a chance to read them."

"What did you read?" He asked again.

Rena turned her head to look at him. Rather than a casual talk to waste time, it sounded like a probing question.

"I found a potion book in your library. Is it bad if I borrow it? I can return it to you right now...?"

Now that she thought about it, Frei said that he didn't own any magic book. The potion book might not something he wanted to lend to someone else.

He shook his head slowly, answering with his gentle tone. "It's alright, that book is more useful for you than for me anyway."

"Thank you..." She said, thinking that Frei really was a nice guy when he didn't tease her so much.

He suddenly touched the small bump on her forehead with his finger, she flinched.

"What is this?" He said.

"Nothing, I fell this morning," Rena answered while avoiding her gaze, she would never tell him that it was because she was dreaming about him that she fell from the bed.

His lips spread thin into a smile, but before he said any teasing words to her, the announcer declared the opening of the tournament.

"Citizens of Valia and others who have traveled far to watch this year tournament, I have special news for you! The Silver Blade Tournament's winner is not only going to receive the reward directly from the king, another prize has been added!"

The crowd made a different kind of noise, the announcer waited for a couple of seconds before announcing the surprise.

"The strongest magician in our kingdom, Jean Roze Jaunice, agreed to serve anyone who wins this tournament!"

The spectators inside the Colosseum buzzed like thousands of bees. The two guys who were chatting about the participants earlier shouted in disbelief.

"No way! Are they going to give our most graceful flower to a random stranger?!"

A bead of sweat fell from her forehead, Rena made a difficult expression, knowing that Jean being compared to a flower.

"Valia Kingdom's Knights better win this tournament!"

"Argh! I want to enter this tournament!"

"Shut up, pervert old man!"

The talk about Jean didn't subdue until the announcer requested them to be calm. As soon as the announcer finished speaking, they were greeted by a spectacular opening ceremony.

Not for Rena. She was horrified when she witnessed what these crowds enjoyed.

It was a gladiator battle where prisoners and slaves, one by one, being thrown into the arena, facing a three-headed monster. At first, because of shock and her mind, her eyes wide opened staring blankly at the ground below, she saw the first person tried to escape from the monster's deadly jaws. And when one of the heads sank its teeth to that man's neck, she closed her eyes as his scream pierced the air.

(This is entertainment?! This is cruelty! These people are so excited like they are watching a soccer game!) She shouted in her mind.

But it didn't end yet, another man came out. Then the next turn, and the next, again and again. They kept going.

She kept looking down at the screams of those people torn her soul. But she couldn't do anything for them. She buried her nails on her thighs, enduring the situation before Frei grabbed her hand, pulling her.

"Let's go take some fresh air." He stood up.

She wanted to leave this place, so she quietly followed him outside, leaving Mirra and Sebastian who looked at them, but they didn't say anything when Frei took her out.

"Here." He gave her a handkerchief.

"Thank you..."

She was sitting in front of the pillars, wiping her wet eyes and nose.

"I shouldn't have brought you here. I'm sorry." He sincerely apologizing.

"No… It's not your fault. I want to watch Senka's fight. It's just that I never expected that kind of thing..." She said with a grim expression.

That inhuman treatment, not even animals were treated like that in her world. Well, there were still some practices in some other countries, but she'd never seen one.

"Is that normal here...?" She asked him.

Frei was silent, pondering what her definition of normal was. Then he answered ambiguously, "Mmm."

"I see…" Her voice was calm but hollow. There was no trace of emotion as if she was accepting the fact by detaching her feeling.

"The weak can't choose." Frei shrugged his shoulders, answering her in a matter of fact way.

The words he just muttered wasn't spoken out of superiority, or ignorance, she could feel a bitter resentment in his tone. She lifted her face, looking up at the man standing in front of her. Frei's expression was inexplicable and his gaze was cold.

Rena wanted to be strong, strong enough to live a life like what she wanted. Then self-doubt

appeared in her mind. She wasn't the class-president type who was full of achievements, or a kick-ass girl who would make men bent down. By her definition, she was a nail among nails that didn't stick out.

Frei moved, sitting next to her. His gaze was watching the people who were walking nearby.

"It's okay, most people are weak. You don't need to be strong all alone. Don't be afraid to use me to survive. In return, I'll use you to survive as well."

His bluish green eyes, like the color of seawater being penetrated by the light, were fixed on something in the distance, something that wasn't visible to others. At that moment, it finally struck on her mind that Frei wasn't a normal merchant, what Neel said last night about him, and what Frei kept saying to her. She remembered about their conversation at the lookout tower that night, and she couldn't hold the question any longer.

"What exactly do you want to do with me?" She asked. "Please, don't say you just want to save me like a prince in a white horse."

He turned to look at her, laughing a little. "A prince in the white horse? That sounds good to me."

She kept sticking her gaze at him, waiting for his answer. For a moment, Frei was quiet.

"Well..." Finally, he opened his mouth.

"If you really want to know the answer come to my room tonight, I'll tell you." He said, attaching a naughty smirk on his face.

Her eyes wide opened and her entire body froze. Rena wanted to know, but Frei surely didn't make it easy for her to know the truth!

"Do you want to walk around a little?" He asked her, after watching her became a statue for a few minutes. The result of her mind being thrown into a mess.

She managed to reply. "But Senka's fight..."

"He's in the last block, his fight won't be much later in the day."

"Will he get hurt too?" She was worried, after realizing the brutality of this tournament, she was afraid Senka might be severely wounded or died. It would be her fault if that happened.

"I doubt it. He is strong after all." Frei assured her. "And even if he gets hurt, he can be healed with magic or potions. Maybe Rena can treat him."

"Eh... I'm still learning. That might be dangerous to give him mine." She said, shaking her head. But she thought a simple potion like that red potion probably would be okay.

"So... Do you like Senka?" Frei threw the question just like a bolt in the blue, he noticed Rena's worried expression toward the man and couldn't help asking that question.

She stood up abruptly, shouted so loud that passersby turning their head. "What are you talking about suddenly?! I don't get it!"

With his gaze peering at her and a smile on his face, Frei said, "Which one do you like more? Me or him?"

Rena glared at him fiercely. She was at lost determining his behavior. He was like a light that kept changing color. One moment, he was serious, the next moment, he was mischievous, and then he turned gentle again.

"Neither!" She turned her body away and left him on the spot.

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