Chapter XLI - Lunch (part 1)

Time had passed very quickly without me knowing. 

Without any adventuring, any day is the same as the other. Bland, easy, slow, like any old man's life.

It's almost like I'm waiting to die.

Today is the second day of the week, which is Tuesday. More than a week had passed since the day I met the queen. 

I only came once to last weekend's healing act, which was on Saturday. And just like the week before, I didn't come because I was sick. Like, actually sick. 

I overused my magic again, and got bedridden from flu and stuff.

I spammed healing magic on me for the whole day after meeting the queen, and also the next week. Which means, in these two weeks, I have skipped two healing acts because I was sick.

I really am just waiting to die... and holy crap life's so boring.

Luckily, I still had quite enough cash to live for another three months as long as I don't overuse it. Though it's not like I'm going to stay sick for that long.

And until now, there has been no letter from the queen.

Do her men even know where I lived?

I met Hod and the others from time to time. They are telling me their stories about beating a Green ranked dungeon together with the other adventurers last week.

Apparently there was a dungeon break during my absence. It was a Green ranked dungeon. 

Luckily, there was a White ranked adventurer who was apparently on a break, so they sent him to lead five groups of adventurers, including our team, to tame the dungeon. It went very well without anyone dying or getting hurt.

Hod made sure to tell me that the dungeon boss isn't some sort of anomaly. I let out a sigh of relief from that, leaving Barett and Cony confused.

"So, how did it go?"

I asked while sipping on my tea.

"It went nicely, thanks to Jonus. If he wasn't there, some people could have gotten hurt."

Hod answered, but somehow in his voice there is something else.

"This Jonus... he is a White ranked?"

"Yes. Jonus Brocker. The White ranked adventurer. And he is cocky as hell."

Cony answered honestly, and honestly, what a description.

"The Office made him the leader, and not a single person besides his team follows him. Though in the end, he cleared most of the dungeon just with his team."

"Hoohh... I see."

Cony is really pissed at that guy. I can see that Valey is the same.

"He tried to seduce Valey multiple times, I'm just worrying and laughing at the distance, haha!... Aw!"

Barett received what was coming. Valey punched his Humerus bone out of embarrassment. Barett spent the next minute wiping his upper arm.

"That guy is a really powerful flame magician. It was at the King tier already. If you want to know how powerful it is, my ice magic is only at the Knight tier, which is one tier under it."

Hod explained, though I already know. The blue fire, the King tier flame magic. It was so powerful, the full scale offensive magic could destroy half of an entire mountain.

Having a high tier magic is the same as having a high sensitivity for magic. The higher the tier, the less amount of magic energy required to cast an attack. Simply burning a tree for a Beginner's tier could use half of a person's full energy. But for a King's tier, it barely made a difference.

I couldn't imagine what the God tier is like. Has anyone ever achieved that tier before?

"Oh, speaking of the Office, do you know the Office had an Arena?"

Cony asked from her end, and I turned confused.

"Uhm, the one on the back?"

"No! The one outside, next to the Office... The one that was closed out to the public?"

Huh? I don't recall any arenas outside. 

Valey saw my confusion and it reminded her of something.

"She wouldn't know. She became an adventurer just two months ago."

"What!?"

Everyone else seemed surprised, even Hod. How did Valey obtained this information?

"Eh, who told you, Valey?"

"One of the receptionist ladies did."

Ah... figures.

I guess now that Klane sees us as a team, it's necessary that the team is aware that I am still kind of new. It's either Klane or Keila, but it's still good if the team knows.

"So, what's with the-"

"Ah, yes, the arena. That arena was kind of on renovation for three months already. Back then, that place was the place for adventurers to hang out."

"Oh...? Then what is going on?"

Cony picked up her glass of tea and drank before saying it dramatically.

"The arena will soon be open!"

I can hear the crickets from far away. Is that a... good sign?

"Okay..."

"Ah, it's like a place for adventurers to hang out or train."

Barett explained, and that's a much better explanation.

"It's one huge building, with chairs surrounding the middle arena. And the middle arena is already very huge with its dirt ground. The chairs are simply big stairs, but it's good enough to watch the adventurers battle one another.

It's just the place where adventurers hang around. Right now, everyone hangs at the Office because there's nowhere else. But, once the arena opens, everyone will be there."

"I see... You could've explained things like that earlier."

I said jokingly while grinning at Cony, and she looked quite annoyed at me.

However... dirt arena? Not exactly my style.

"It's free to use magic there, since they have some earth magicians prepared to fix the building in an instant if something gets destroyed."

Huh?

"Then, what's the point of renovation?"

"That is..."

Barett can't really reply to that. If the earth magicians can fix all the damages instantly, then what's the point of renovating?

"We do not know the reason, but maybe we can see when it is opening!"

Valey said while looking all bright and excited, and everyone seemed to be quite excited about it as well. Perhaps I can be a little bit more curious.

"Then, when is the opening?"

"About three days from now is the grand opening. And I'm expecting there are going to be tens of adventurers waiting at the gate when it opens."

She might be right. Usually at any grand opening, a lot of people related to the cause are coming. And adventurers are mostly barbaric, so I don't think I will come.

Actually... I forgot for one second about my condition. 

I couldn't come. What am I thinking? And if I did, what can I do? Watch while everyone else spar? I can't handle that.

I want to fight and spar myself. Why should I watch when I can just Not watch?

"Hmm, you are right. I won't be coming, though. So good luck taking turns in the new arena."

I said that as softly as possible, without having to worry them.

And it works, because they don't mind it anymore. They just continued the conversation about the ass called 'Flame King' and how shit his personality is. And from hearing what they said, I will most likely dislike that guy.

"Oh, and he has red hair too, Rize."

Cony turned the conversation to me, and I became interested.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Though it's not dark red like yours. He is a bit... pink-ish."

Another colored hair. And a fire mage? interesting.

Hod's ice magic and his light blue hair is most definitely related. My blood red hair and my fire magic could be related, but since my fire magic isn't that great yet, I shouldn't jump to conclusions.

To that 'Flame King', however... it confirms my suspicions.

Any oddly colored hairs brought forth magical talents. A White ranked adventurer capable of King tier fire magic, a man with bright red hair. Jonus Brocker.

Suddenly, I'm interested in him. Perhaps a spar would be nice.

Wait, I'm sick. What am I saying?