Chapter 8: Serious Developments

The crowd was stunned as Ethan abruptly ended the duel with a peculiar counter-slash. Once they recovered, they erupted into applause.

"What an incredible duel!"

"Mr. Miloch, you've struck gold with this young man. He's beyond impressive."

"Absolutely! I thought the legendary gladiator would just be toying with a rookie, but look at this result!"

"Who is this young man? Mr. Miloch, would you be willing to let me hire him?"

Ethan, surprised at his own success, could hardly believe he had managed to land such a decisive blow. Moments earlier, he had been anxious as the ten-minute limit approached, contemplating the risky strategy of feigning a mistake to draw out his opponent's full-force attack. He hadn't anticipated that Andrick would essentially deliver himself to defeat.

"What just happened? Was it the whistle I heard earlier? Did Rand order him to throw the match? That doesn't make sense!"

Turning his head, Ethan looked towards Rand, his once-stepfather, now wearing a grim expression.

"Useless! Can't even defeat a sixteen-year-old boy. When did Ethan start harnessing Force? Otherwise, how could he execute such an extraordinary counter-slash? No wind-up, no angle, and the force was immense, cutting off half a head. How did his strength increase so dramatically in just one day outside? Could he have been hiding his abilities all this time?"

Rand, who had always dismissed Ethan, even when he won the swordsmanship championship at the academy, began to question his previous assessments. For those who mastered extraordinary powers, the swordplay taught at the academy was trivial. Rand believed that with one strike, he could have cleaved Ethan in half. However, today's display of Ethan's abilities left him uncertain. One thing was clear: Ethan had indeed cultivated Force.

In this world of swords and magic, mages ruled. Those who couldn't practice magic turned to Force, a soul-derived power similar to a mage's magic but with different applications. Mages could cast incredible spells, while Force users enhanced their physical abilities and could project sword energy at most. While not as versatile as magic, Force was still highly coveted, accessible only through great expense and resources—things Rand had strictly controlled to keep from Ethan.

"How did Ethan learn to harness Force? Who supported his expenses? I've never seen any indication of him practicing Force. No matter who is behind this, he cannot be allowed to grow any further. He must be eliminated."

Rand's expression turned dark and ruthless, though he quickly masked his intentions. Ethan, noticing Rand's ominous glare, felt a chill run down his spine.

"Rand's intent to kill is stronger than I anticipated. I need to get my money and get out of here."

Trusting his instincts as a swordsman, Ethan sensed the situation was more dire than he had realized. As soon as the duel ended, he didn't bother to check his Short Selling gains. Instead, he ran to Miloch to claim his reward.

Miloch looked troubled, not because he didn't want to pay but because he hadn't prepared the sum in advance. Six hundred gold coins was no small amount, and he couldn't produce it on the spot.

"Mr. Ethan, I didn't prepare that much gold in advance. I'll have someone fetch it and deliver it to your residence tonight. Will that suffice?"

Ethan understood the situation and agreed, urging them to hurry. Without signing the mentor contract, he quickly left.

Sarno, seeing Ethan leave without signing the contract, hurried after him with the document. Ethan walked so fast that he barely heard Sarno's shouts.

"Mr. Ethan, what's wrong? Why are you leaving so suddenly?"

Although unaware of Ethan's reasons, Sarno knew Andrick's death left them relying heavily on Ethan. He couldn't afford to lose him. Chasing Ethan all the way to his inn, Sarno finally caught up, gasping for breath.

"Mr. Ethan, you haven't signed the contract yet! As we agreed, we'll pay you 1 gold and 60 silver per week. What do you think?"

Ethan, now with a promise of 600 gold coins, found the offer unappealing. However, he didn't reject it outright. "Given that I just defeated a legendary gladiator, I think I deserve 5 gold coins per week. What do you say, Mr. Sarno?"

"Ungrateful brat, daring to ask for so much!" Sarno thought but smiled politely. "That might be difficult. You know, in the gladiator business, mentors earning over 80 silver a week are already well-paid. We've offered you double that, showing our utmost sincerity. Sign now, and we'll provide a 10-gold signing bonus."

Ethan, uninterested in the contract or the signing bonus, replied, "I insist on 5 gold coins per week. That's my bottom line. If you agree, I'll sign now."

Sarno, unable to authorize such a high salary, frowned. "I might need to consult Mr. Miloch before giving you an answer."

"That's fine," Ethan replied readily. "But until then, you can't entertain other offers, okay?" Sarno added.

"No problem," Ethan agreed.