Arena Twenty-Four: Buried Grudges IV

"Come on, let's go."

Anastasia stood up and straightened her skirt. I looked up at her from the bench I was sitting on.

"You can take the scenery in a bit longer, you know. After today, the academy will be filled with students at all times, so you wouldn't be able to enjoy this peace and tranquillity."

I commented, smiling. I could feel it, that Anastasia was enjoying her time here, seeing the leaves around us flutter in the breeze. With no one to harm her, no one to judge her, this was one of the few moments of relief she had gotten in quite a long time.

Yet, Anastasia denied my proposal.

"No, it's fine. I am happy that I came here with you, Arnold. I don't need to sit here for long to feel that."

"Anastasia..."

I could only whisper as I looked down. I felt guilt and remorse rushing through me.

These feelings were fabricated. I knew that. Yet, I kept leading her on.

It wasn't that I didn't have any positive feelings towards her. But I was still controlling her feelings somewhat. Realizing that made me feel angry at myself.

Yet, I decided to continue. This was for both of our own good.

If I were to judge based on the system's message back then when Phillips was going to kill her, Anastasia was vital for my own survival.

She was my 'other half'.

I couldn't do anything that would harm her, not that I intended to hurt her anyway.

"Fine."

I sighed and stood up, dusting my pants.

Then I gestured towards the road in front of us.

"Shall we?"

...

The cafeteria was empty except for the employee at the counter. We sat down near the large glass panels separating the building from the outside.

The menu popped up in front of us as we sat down.

"What will you take?"

"Hm... I guess some sandwiches would work."

"That's... Quite bland."

I chuckled as I ordered the same.

The menu disappeared as our orders were confirmed.

"By the way, Anastasia."

"Hm?"

"Don't you have an Arena Battle in a month?"

"Ah... That..."

Anastasia seemed embarrassed for some reason.

"The truth is... I have been ordered to step down from that battle."

She revealed the information to me. While it made me relieved, I also became worried.

"But isn't the Phoenix squad one of the best squads of Alpha?"

"Yes, but again, we are just 'one' of the best squads, Arnold."

Anastasia smiled lightly and explained.

"You see, the arena battles aren't only for Alpha. Each Arena battle requires three squads. While the Empire has the strongest squads out of the three countries, Arzen and the Theocracy also send their squads. And while they are weaker, they also have named Regalia."

"Ah... I actually forgot about them entirely."

Hearing that, Anastasia giggled.

"Yes, we don't mention them much here after all. And you have been busy ever since logging out of Stigma that time."

"True."

I chuckled in reply.

"Anyhow, as I was saying."

Anastasia went back to her explanation. I leaned forward, waiting for her words.

"Besides the Arzen and Theocracy squads, we also have squads from the other bases. The Empire has four bases, with three being sub-bases and one being the main base, from where the squad dispatch lineup is decided."

"So you are saying that there are two more bases like the one I have been to, and another one probably much larger than that?"

"Yes, that's what I am saying. Though, the central base isn't necessarily large. It's remarkable and more well-guarded in general, but is smaller than the other bases."

"That's... Impressive."

The base I had been to was already colossal, and there were three more of around the same size just inside the empire.

"Wait... Then let me guess. If the base I have been to is under the inner city... then other bases are in the middle city and the outer city? With the central base being under the imperial castle?"

"More or less. It's impressive that you could deduct that from the information I gave you."

"It's just common sense."

I laughed it off and gestured her to continue.

"The outer base is the frontline in the war, as most of the time, the base is under attack by the Omega. And not to mention, sometimes the sectors that get selected as the collateral are parts of the base. The middle base is the 2nd line of defence. It also works as a relay station and replenishment station. The base we have been to work as the repair station and report dock, while the central base is restricted to everyone besides the noble family heads and base commanders."

"I get the basic layout. But you mentioned something about other squads, right? How many squads are we talking about?"

"Around two-thousand active, and two thousand currently dispatched on other jobs like reconstruction or recon. The dispatched ones don't participate in the arena battles."

"Wait... And each squad has five members?"

"More or less."

"Then we currently have ten thousand Elliots? And ten thousand dispatched ones?"

"Yes, but by we, I mean humanity."

"Wait... Humanity only has twenty thousand Elliots... ?"

I asked, frozen in shock. It was barely 0.1 percent of the current population of the empire.

"Yeah... What, you thought we had twenty thousand in the empire? Of course not. Elliots are counted as a unified resource, not something that can be handled by a single country. The squads might pledge loyalty to the emperor, or the pope, or the senate, but in the end, they only belong to humanity, not the leaders themselves. And besides..."

Anastasia laughed, but to me, that smile looked sinister.

"We only have around six thousand of those Elliots here."

...

"Lord Winchester, Jeffery Valentina has escaped his 'pleasure quarters'. He has left using the sewerage gate."

A servant bowed and reported to the masked man sitting across the table.

"Hah... That boy... If only he would stay where he is supposed to be..."

Lord Winchester, the lord of the family, muttered as he stood up.

"Where has he gone?"

"We don't know. We only know that he went towards the academy."

"Oh... God... Not again. He will get his arse kicked."

"... My lord?"

The servant looked confused. He had every right to be.

Jeffery Valentina was one of the most powerful and notorious criminals of the Empire.

Mostly because his victims, the noblewomen and also commoner girls, wouldn't be able to give testimony that they were sexually assaulted.

His charm ability would charm both males and females, making his horrendous crimes easy to commit. He would charm both the victims and their servants or friends, making it really hard to find any witness, if at all.

And yet, here the servant's lord was telling that Jeffery's 'arse' would be kicked. It was kicked once, sure, but that was a fluke. There was no way Jeffery wouldn't be guarded against that boy's abilities now.

"If I may ask, my lord... What do you mean?"

The servant asked quietly. Hearing that, the masked lord laughed.

"Well, let's just say... He angered the worst possible opponents for him right now."

"Worst possible opponents? Can anyone even beat his ability of charm?"

The servant scoffed. But his lord just shrugged.

"Even charm won't be able to do anything in the face of hatred and denial, my good fellow."