"Him? Aunt's apprentice?! You've got to be kidding me!" Beatrice became more irritated.
"We are not lying!" Joshua defended.
"Why don't you ask her personally?" Carlos was about to lose his temper so he decided to walk away and ignore Beatrice.
"Mister! aren't you gonna choose your room?" Carlos called Pedro to avoid a heated discussion that may lead to an unwanted outcome.
"Of course!" Pedro replied, he then bowed slightly to Beatrice and said "Nice to meet you!" and left.
"Goodnight Beatrice!" Joshua wave like a giant innocent child.
'It's not right... Even, I... the sole personnel recruited a year ago... was not even taken by Aunt Soledad as her apprentice... So... who is that man? and... what is with him? Is he some kind of royalty? No... It must not be... Aunt is well connected to many royal families... of all of those of the same age as me and belongs to a royal family, only me was recruited because of my defensive and healing capabilities!' Beatrice cannot believe what she just heard. Considering the high standards of her "Aunt" Soledad, Where even herself, an heir of a royal family and the one with the most potent abilities in their kingdom, didn't even become her apprentice.
"Hold up!" Beatrice called to the three before Carlos could open the door of KBR-206.
"What's the matter?" Carlos complained in a heavy voice.
"If you really are Aunt's apprentice... At the least show me your strength! I challenge you to a rank match!" Beatrice challenge Pedro a rank match. A rank match was a battle between two BHO Personnel or official.
This was only known to the players who became members of BHO in Pedro's past life hence he didn't have information about it. It was only rumored that this was a way to increase one's rank in BHO. Some players tried to challenge a BHO NPC in his past life but the NPCs just laughed at them.
"Beatrice! That's enough!" Carlos complained wearing a worried expression. 'If things got out of hand, It will all fall into my responsibility... Surely, Vicealmirante Soledad, won't let me off the hook that easy!'
"Stay out of this Carlos! I just wanted to know his strength... that's all! I mean... If he's gonna join us, He should at least put up a fight!" Beatrice was already determined to her words and challenge, besides, it would be a blow to her pride as someone from a royal family if she would turn back on it.
Meanwhile...
'Time is not in my favor this time... I had a few hours left before I log out, I have early classes in the morning on top of that... If I don't settle this, I would fail to gather necessary information for my survival here!' Pedro had a grim face, realizing that his time was limited and as the time runs, the lesser the information he might get. Everything he had done was already fixated in his head, So he was ninety percent sure of what to do in the official launch to gain the same progress and rewards.
Unfortunately, to the randomly generated things he got, there was of 0.000099 percent chance to get them again. (In short, It's close to "Impossible".)
Still, he can't ignore the ten percent chance of him not triggering it again. Hence, he decided to know more information to serve as a back up for him to enter the BHO. With him entering BHO, he could at the least find Madame Soledad again and somehow gain talent and become a skill-maker.
...
"If agreeing with the so-called rank match would solve this conflict... then I accept your challenge!" Pedro had a bit of confidence in his self. Although he is only level 1, his sword's level was already at level 8. It increased its level when he got experience from the monsters he and Madame Soledad fought together.
Other than that, Since he is still level 1, his undying cycle was still a godly trump card. Adding his new skill, 'might of pain', and the 937 intermediate potions left, he had confidence in defeating her.
'Let's see where your pride will go after this match! Hahaha! All I need to do is openly welcome and gladly accept any damage you would give! ... Wait... am I becoming a masochist?' He thought inwardly with confidence.
"Mister..." Carlos facepalmed his self after hearing Pedro agreed to the challenge. 'I'm dead... My execution is already scheduled!'.
"State your rules!"
'???' Pedro was confused when Beatrice asked him about the rules.
"What are you staring at? Tell them now! quickly!" Beatrice rushed Pedro as she started to become irritated again.
"Beatrice... I think he doesn't know what you meant by rules!" Joshua who was observing calmly finally spoke.
"How troublesome... Inform him, while we go to the battle arena! He can state the rules there!" Beatrice commanded Joshua.
"No worries!" Joshua replied as Beatrice flicked her golden blonde hair and started walking on the confusing hallway towards the ship's battle arena.
"You could have just turned her challenge down!" Carlos spoke in a troubled manner.
"Right! Right!" Joshua supported
"Rank Match is a special method of showing strength in our organization. Although, Battle capability was not the only basis to determine a person's strength, It was still one of the most significant factors to be considered!" Joshua then explained
"Rank match has four overall rules... one, a person can only challenge a rank match to personnel or officials of the same rank or one rank higher, or any personnel or official of the rank lower than his/hers(the challenger). Second, match rules, match limits and such (This include time limit, match conditions, bets, etc.) would be decided by the person who was challenged. However, this must be also approved by the one who issued the challenge. Third, Any personnel or official can turn down any Rank match, if they don't want to. Lastly, The winner of the rank match will get organization points that can be used in the organization, either to increase your military rank or to other causes like buying information!" Carlos continued to explain
'Man, I should have not acted rush. If I only knew I could turn her challenge down! no worries, at least I could test how far I can match with the personnel of BHO!' Pedro claimed
"How do you determine how much points you get when you win?" Pedro asked
"It would be based on the military rank of the personnel or official that you defeated. At simpler terms, when someone in private class defeats a sergeant, he gets an organization points that can help him/her to be promoted to sergeant rank. Be noted that defeating someone of lower rank than yours is not beneficial since the point you might get is not that high to be of use in your organization military rank promotion!" Carlos explained.
"Then If I win, I can increase my military rank to that of "Beatrice"?" Pedro asked full of expectations and his competitive nature became active.
"That's the gist of it!" Joshua replied
"Can I know, what was Beatrice's military rank?" Pedro was curious so he asked.
"Sarhento!" Carlos replied furiously.
"What about you guys?" Pedro asked
"Sarhento!" Both of them answered simultaneously
'no wonder Carlos and Beatrice had some conflicts, they were of the same rank after all... But seeing that Carlos and Joshua at the same military rank with Beatrice who seemed to be their junior... Beatrice must be strong, to be able to catch up to them... I must be careful in battle...' Pedro thought inwardly
"This is the battle arena! Be reminded that each battle arena has its own rules... in our battle arena... since we are in a ship... the only rule was, no skills or attacks or anything that may compromise the ship and the safety of other personnel and officials on board. That was what Vicealmirante had only set!" Carlos explained as Pedro was about to open the door.
"Thanks for your guidance... one last thing... are you available after these?" Pedro asked Carlos and Joshua while glancing at them with a wide grin in his face, and holding the dual door of the arena with his hands and was about to push...
"Sure!" Carlos replied thinking that Pedro was a drunkard and really wanted to drink as Carlos remembered how Pedro asked about a "canteen" earlier!
"If you'll leave unscathed..." Carlos continued with a smile in his face saying 'If you could come out of the arena in a non-critical condition at the least!'
"Then, It's settled!" Pedro pushed the doors and went in the ship's battle arena.
...
In the surveillance area, in the control room of the ship...
"That's your apprentice Soledad? Are you sure that you're not interfering with this? I mean he is against Beatrice for god's sake! He could at least, came out of the battle arena in a coma?" A Filipina looking woman in her thirties, with "Comodoro de Armada" written behind her overcoat, expressed her opinion.
"Watch and you'll know, Alivia!" Madame Soledad replied with a smug in her face.