CHALLENGE

At the Drill Hall.

"Wow, so many people are dressed in white here," Lirzod said, pressing his hand against his chest a bit.

"Are you okay?" Hundred queried, brushing the sweat off his forehead with the forefinger. "You looked uncomfortable since we left the clinic."

"I'm good, and I'm surely not thinking about her," Lirzod assuredly said.

Hundred's shoulders jerked. "I-I never said you were. So that means you're okay."

"I'm okay. It's just that there's this burning sensation inside my body," he pinched Hundred's forearm.

"Ouch," Hundred leaned away and rubbed the pinched spot. "You made me feel the pain outside, not inside of my body!"

"But it's still a pain, right?" Lirzod tried to take a deep, slow breath, all the while feeling his insides. "I've never felt this type of pain before. It's not entirely pain per se, but it's strange."

"It's scalding in here, but maybe you should rest a bit more," Hundred said and sneakily tried to pinch Lirzod's arm, but he failed. "Your body should still be healing." Though he said that, he didn't want to go back to the clinic. However, he could see that Lirzod's skin was parched, which gave the impression that he fully didn't recover yet. (It looks like we'll have to visit that shrewish elf again. A perilous task it will be. I'm sure.)

"No. I think walking is all right, but more importantly, where's the commander? Didn't you say he'd be in this hall?"

"Well, he should be if my calculations are correct," Hundred looked around, scanning different faces in succession. (I don't know why the commander invited him for lunch, but given the situation, getting close to the commander should put those brothers away from us, at least for now. It's better to bend in the wind than to break.)

As Lirzod also took a look around, some people were eating fruits, and his mouth drooled by degrees. "Where did they get those fruits? Let's find out."

"No, wait," Hundred held him back. "They are not bought but probably earned."

"Earned?" Lirzod's attention shifted back to Hundred.

"Yeah. The disciples in this hall exchange food for points they earned through competitions," Hundred explained, trying to remember things. "Those fruits may have been grown in the Muscle Block or the Stray Park and got sent to this hall in exchange for something else. Since we are not disciples, we are not eligible candidates to eat those food products."

"So, we can't get those fruits?" Lirzod's shoulders slumped. But a second later, he got an idea that straightened his spine. "Why don't we just become disciples of this hall?"

"Huh?" Hundred was startled. "You want to become a member of this hall just for fruits? Don't be stupid! They have rules, regulations, and demands for the members. Don't think it'll be a cakewalk. Becoming a member and getting wins under your belt is a long process, so you definitely can't get your hands on a fruit today even if you wish to join right away.

Lirzod let out a long sigh. "You've killed my drive.." He put his hands on his waist and looked around. "Is there anything else that we can—" he couldn't help but notice the wooden cells and the people kept inside them, and his brows drew together. "What are those for?"

"Ah, those are for—"

"Wait, something's going on there," just then Lirzod saw someone beating up a boy inside the cell. He hastened toward the cells.

"Don't bother yourself with them. You'll only waste—" Hundred was saying, but he soon understood that his words didn't even reach Lirzod's ears, or so it seemed.

As Lirzod headed toward the sizable cells, the men in white uniforms brought a pink-haired man out and began to punch him. They were also heavily scolding a brown-haired boy, who was Beren.

"If you want to earn Nick's favor, then there are better ways than this," the guards, men in uniforms, barked as they beat the pink-haired man.

"Where are you even looking?" one of the guards also shouted at the boy in the cell. "I'm talking to you, you little piece of shit! How dare you drive a knife below Big Nick's belt! You are going to suffer for this ten-fold, no, hundred-fold the pain you've inflicted on one of our brothers!"

Beren was silently crying.

"Ah, stop with your pathetic crying already. You are quite tall for a seven-year-old. If not for the law that prohibits beating people under fourteen, we'd be practicing our techniques on you right now. You might be feeling happy about it, but wait until Nick's back! Of course, he can't physically beat you, but there are many other ways to introduce you to all the bad things that jailers do to prisoners in this world." He cracked his knuckles and grinned unpleasantly. "I kid you not, kid. I know Nick. When he gets back, he's going to make a broken bitch out of you!"

"Oi, do you think Nick is really going to be alright?" another guard joined the conversation. "He was bleeding a fountain down the crotch. I can only hope his balls didn't drop off."

"Who knows? To his good or bad luck, that fussy elf wasn't in the clinic, so he was taken to a healer in the V Block. He should be fine as long as it's only some blood he's lost. And when he comes back, he'll make this kid sing a million sad songs."

"That's for sure, haha."

As everyone near the cells laughed, Beren was no longer crying, and he didn't move an eyelid; however, he was still in low spirits as if he was uncertain as to what he was doing with his life. For some reason, he remembered Sariyu's words. After beating the two masters of Sword Morons and filing a complaint on them to the commander of the deck, she said to him, "Knowledge is a double-edged sword. It is neither good nor bad, but it can be used both ways. Keep that in mind." Thinking back on what she had said, he was now in two minds. It was Sariyu who told him where Bick Nick was, but did he use it well, or did he not?

"He's only seven? How could you put a child behind bars?" Just then, Lirzod appeared at the scene, and he didn't like what he was viewing, especially the way the prisoners' bodies were being practiced.

"Child?" one guard, otherwise called as a trainee, satirically replied, "That child was caught during an attempted murder."

"M-Murder?" Lirzod was totally surprised, and he shockingly looked at Beren, who didn't even seem to be in this world. "Whom did he kill?"

"Huh? Where were your ears?" the guard barked impatiently. "I said it's attempted murder! Stop wasting our time, and go stand in line for water, boy!"

"So he didn't kill anyone, did he?" Lirzod's voice gained some weight, and his feet some of that thick wooden floor.

"Who are you? His brother?" the guards twitched all over.

"So what if I am?" Lirzod went along with their words.

"Nothing," they snickered among themselves, "you are just going to be added in Nick's list of targets, that's all."

"I don't know who Nick is," he rubbed his chest, "but it'd be nice if you let me talk to that little fellow."

"Little fellow?" their eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Who? Nick?"

"No, that one in the cell," Lirzod wiggled his brows, his eyes set on Beren.

"Oh," their stature shrank to their normal sizes, "you can talk to him, but you should come in the visiting hours, not now."

"Visiting hours? When's that?"

A wide-chinned guard raised his voice and said cockily, "Not now."

Lirzod narrowed the windows of his view, "What's your problem? Can't you even let me talk to him?"

"He can't be given privileges after what he's done," the wide-chinned guard said aloud, and a few others joined him. "If you don't beat it before I count to five, I'm going to have to be rough with you."

"There's no need for that, friends," Hundred joined in the conversation with a polite smile forged with a decent effort. "We're just here to talk, and since you already answered us so nicely, we're going to take our leave now," he turned his head toward Lirzod, "right?"

"I just want to know why a kid would attempt to murder someone," Lirzod straightforwardly said. "Is there any way to talk to him—right now?"

"Usually, you can release some prisoners by paying one gold," Hundred said, "but this is an attempted murder we're talking about, so I don't think they'll just take the money and let the kid go."

"Then, nothing can be done?" Lirzod looked at the guards with a resolute look.

"Heh, your eyes and your teeth don't match, and they are making up a funny face," the wide-chinned guard said, and then all the guards laughed together for a good five seconds. "Ahem, if you really wish to get that little dog out, then there's only one way. You have to challenge our master and win in a fight!"

"Your master?" Lirzod paused for a moment.

"What's wrong?" the pupils snickered. "Don't tell us you're changing your plans now, toothless teen."

"Of course not," Lirzod promptly replied. "Bring your master right away."

His words startled all the pupils in the vicinity, and even the prisoners in the cells were stunned.

Hundred, on the other hand, felt as if a hundred-kilo boulder fell on top of his head and broke his neck at once. He choked on his own breath.

"Hehe, you said it, boy," all of a sudden, the guards appeared over-excited. "Don't go back on your words now."

Lirzod closed his eyes and replied calmly, "I only go back on my words when I go back on my words."

"Huh?" many trainees and even the prisoners blinked twice. "The heck did he just say?"

"Don't mind him, and go inform the master!" some other pupils hurried with their business.

Hundred pulled Lirzod back and asked in a low, stressed tone, "Do you have any idea what you're doing? Why did you promise to fight for a criminal without even hearing from his side?"

"By criminal, you mean that kid…��� Lirzod's voice was a bit icy.

"Yeah. Just one look at him, and I can tell he's seen more in life than most kids his age," Hundred asserted. "Even though you're willing to help him, he's not even looking at you. Unlike you, he's not wearing his heart on his sleeve, and your misplaced pity will only invite misfortune!"

"If he's seen as of much life as you think he did," Lirzod quietly asked, "why'd he get himself behind bars for attempted murder and not for a successful one?"

Hundred was tongue-tied for a while. "W-Well, that's… We don't know his story and what issues he got. Feeling bad for him is enough in itself."

"A child with issues is still a child," Lirzod said. "I'm sure many will pity him, but will it do anyone any good?"

Hundred had no reply.

"I will just hear his side first and see if there's anything we can do," Lirzod uttered in an unhurried tone.

"It's easier said than done," Hundred said and sighed. "Winning against their master won't be as easy as winking."

"Don't worry. I'll deal with him with my eyes shut," Lirzod confidently said and grinned, eyes closed. "In the meantime, you go and find out where that commander is right now."

"Haha," Hundred laughed a bit wildly.

"What's wrong?" Lirzod couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing," Hundred blew air through his mouth. "You're in for a surprise when you see him."

"Surprise?" Lirzod began to ponder, and his gaze then fell on his own clothes. "Wait…" he stared at his clothing—the combination of an old sleeveless cream-colored shirt and a brown plus-fours. "This attire... It looks cool, but it fits me like a glove. I prefer some looseness in my clothes. Where did you get these?"

"Ah, those clothes, they look plain and fit as per the shape of the body, but they're of fine quality." Hundred shrugged his shoulders. "Sadly, I didn't get them. They belong to that clinic. I don't know why she has men's clothing, though. It was probably left at the clinic by one of her former patients."

"I didn't get to thank her, but anyway, I like this dress, though I don't really like the tightness," Lirzod seemed to be pleased. "If I can get a loose version of this and then add a nice jacket and shoes, the set will be close to complete." As he was saying, he thought back about the two ornaments he used to wear back home. Because of the journey, he had to leave them at home.

"Mm, planning to get dressed to kill, huh. Well, you can find good shoes on this deck, too, but if you want a nice jacket, then you should wait till you get to the fifteenth deck, or if possible, the twentieth one. Though the latter case will more likely burn a hole in your pocket, you can expect standard quality there."

"I can wait."

In the meantime, the murmuring of the prisoners in the wooden cells escalated and reached Lirzod's ears.

"Hey, brat! What are you smoking? Hand that over, would ya?"

"Heh, to think you've challenged the master, you must be as unworldly as a frog in a well!"

"Yeah, you are licking fire for a taste!"

"Keke, you dug your own grave, kid, for another repulsive kid, nonetheless."

"Haha, another sheep sacrificed for the sick pleasures of the pupils."

Lirzod waved his hand at the prisoners as if saying hi, and they didn't know how to react. "You guys must really like the master," Lirzod raised his voice, so they could hear him. "But… don't worry. I'll go easy on him."

"Eek!" the prisoners couldn't believe what they just heard. Shock filled their visages. "Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue when you speak?"

Hundred fingered his ear. "These guys are not easy on the ear."

"Haha, they must be really excited," said Lirzod, "to see me get beaten."

"To see you get beaten, huh…" Hundred observed the prisoners for a moment and muttered under his breath, "I don't think they've gotten chatty for that reason alone, though. Anger is a luxury they can't afford, especially when inside those cells. They are likely venting all their pent-up frustration on us." He looked at Lirzod, who was still waving his hands at them as if he was acquainted with them.

"Oi, what does he think he's doing? Is he mad?" some of the prisoners could only scratch their heads.

Two guards then guided Lirzod and Hundred toward the center of the hall. As they were leaving, Beren, who was sitting silently till now with his face hidden between his legs, lifted his head and took a look at them.

At that moment, Lirzod glanced over his shoulder and took notice of Beren's face before curling up the corner of his mouth.

Beren's expression froze. (He's smiling. Why?)

As Lirzod reached the center of the hall, many trainees hurriedly circled him, for the news had already spread throughout the hall.

"Excuse me, guys," a blonde youth slipped his way to the front lines. "I wonder how the one who challenged the master looks like." When his eyes lay on Lirzod, who was widely smiling at everyone like a child who had just been given chocolate, he didn't know how to make sense of him, not even in the slightest.

"Huh? Where did this shrimp come from?" some trainees were utterly disappointed after seeing Lirzod and couldn't hide their feelings. "We were expecting another Big Nick, but who's this midget?"

"You want to take on the commander? What a joke!"

"Maybe he came to increase the size of his face by getting his cheeks swollen?"

"Or rather, by getting more of his teeth broken?"

"Pfft, puhahaha. You couldn't have said it better."

Though the words of the trainees twisted Hundred's guts, he was surprised to see Lirzod standing up with a straight face that had a little redness all over. (He does understand that they are all taking digs at him, doesn't he? His brows knitted together. I can't tell if he's embarrassed or angry at them.) As Hundred was wondering, some trainees standing beside him kept staring at him, forcing him to reply with an awkward smile.

"Someone who challenged our master can't be so weak," the blonde youth couldn't help but step forward and ask for all to hear. "Why, why are you not retorting?"

"Mm?" Lirzod glanced at the blonde youth before smiling a little. "There isn't much a lion can do amid flies."

All the mean mouths in the vicinity shut without question.