Arthur saw from a distance something came into sight in the middle of the arena. Sure enough, from nowhere suddenly this giant octopus appeared. He suspected the magic stone they putting on related to that.
Arthur jumped from his monitoring site and ran towards the arena. Michael followed right beside him. The entire division one moved to the source, except Marianne, who froze in her place.
"Take out everyone from the arena!" Arthur gave an order to his colleague.
They did install the third route in the water arrangement but did not put this big octopus in it. The coin above its head was proof that this animal indeed part of the target test but how its size changes was still a mystery.
He and Michael along with all members of the division pulled the participants from two other routes.
Even though the forest and desert routes were not in the same condition as the water routes, they take them out just in case.
The magic stone that was turned off did not also eliminate this giant octopus.
"Captain, there's nothing wrong with the stone." Ian reported after he returned from turning off the magic stone.
"If so, why this octopus still this big?" Logan drew his sword and run toward it.
Arthur sensed something else behind the usual magic stone he planted.
"Arthur." Michael called him after make sure Lilian safe. "You feel it?"
Arthur nodded. Seemed like Michael too had a same thought. It just a hunch and Arthur want to confirm it.
It gave him the feeling of digging 'that thing'.
"Attack together on a count of three. One, two, three!" Arthur's voice commanded them to echo out of the arena.
"Mike! Now!"
Michael raised his sword. He recited one spell then a flash of red light wrapped around his sword. The octopus that stopped for a second because their attack, had been split in two with a single slash. The third test site in a mess with the last blow.
The giant octopus finally disappeared. With its body gone, a coin on its head at flew to Michael.
Arthur walked over and they saw the coin in his hand tied to another magic stone. They glanced at each other.
"Let's talk about this later." Michael pocketed his coin and turned.
Lilian who was watching the scene unfolding before her blinked many times. Even though her body was soaking wet, she didn't move at all.
Huh?
Where was she again?
Did she take another scene outside of the scenario?
Again?
The story of her taking the test for Arthur's division alone was a script outside the original scenario. Now that she involved in this scene, what would happen to her?
"Lady Lilian are you all right?"
Lilian had stayed there long enough. She saw Marianne not far from her when Michael dropped her there. Since she was there until the octopus disappeared, Marianne only glanced at her and did not approach.
But now, she, with an expression of worry knelt beside her.
Lilian wondered what the woman was up to. She's the villain in this story after all.
"Arthur, I think your sister should be taken to her room immediately."
'Ooo ...'
'I see.'
Lilian peered at Arthur who arrived at her side.
"Brother ..."
Lilian was holding the edge of Arthur's pants. She looked up and her eyes began to filled with tears.
Now it's time for her turn.
Arthur crouched beside her. He took off his uniform jacket and draped it over Lilian's body.
"Are you hurt?"
Lilian knew the question was only a formality, it did not contain any worries but Lilian did not care.
"My body hurts. Please take me to my room, brother."
There was silent enveloped when she uttered that word. Lilian regarded his silence as a rejection and in a flash had the urged to really shed tears.
How could he ignore her in front of many people?
"Here, let me take you."
Lilian almost swore when Michael volunteered himself. It would be better for her to go alone if he had to take her.
"No, thank you. It's really impolite if I make Your Highness do that for me."
Lilian gritted her teeth and tried to stand on her own. Her body hurt after falling from the horse earlier. She stared at Arthur once again who did not respond.
Her lips smiled bitterly.
Lilian took out the points coin she had in her pocket and handed it to Arthur.
"I don't know if I can pass this test with only this much."
Arthur received the coin. And the jacket.
Lilian returned it.
"Then I'll go back to my room first."
For Lilian, as a Lesnerg family or not, being not cared by her own flesh and blood before the crowd was a shame. She was too familiar with the pitying look aimed at her.
'Yeah...how many years passed after that?'
That happened years ago, when she was a teenager. However, she felt as if it had just happened a few days ago.
That time too, when she was tortured by her adoptive parents, no neighbor wanted to help her.
Ah ... there was one person who seems to want to help her but in the end, only silently staring at her who was crouching at the end of the room, without saying anything to his parents who beat her.
Yeah...how could she forget that boy?
A boy who always looked blankly and without expression like Arthur. How could that kid of that age look indifferent to the world and live in that hellish environment?
Come to think of it, because of that kid, she thought the days in that hell would end soon with her death, or their, considering he seemed to give up on life.
And because of that kid too, she managed to escape from there.
Even though her body was aching and soaking wet, Lilian raised her head up high. Arthur could embarrass her if there were only two of them, but not in public.
After she left and wanderer on the street, she would only ask for help once. If that person refuses, she wouldn't ask again. She have nothing beside her pride.
It was riddiculous how a beggar like her still had a pride.
Lilian suddenly felt her body fly. Her eyes almost popped out when she realized who was lifted her body.