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"Agh, stop complaining; it can't be as bad as you say!..." I say, as we walk towards the center of the capital, and I can already see the Colosseum in front of us.
"...besides, don't you think it's about time you told me where you want to take me? Is it somewhere in the association?"
When I showed Kaelion what I had bought, at first he sighed and said that at least I could use it to get the Engineer class, but if I intended to use it for fighting, I was very much mistaken.
However, as we walked along, every now and then he would go back to complaining about it and reproaching me for not asking him where I could get a decent firearm.
But I don't regret buying the gun, despite the old orc's comments, because, as he confirmed that I will be able to get the Engineer class through the flintlock gun, I don't need anything else.
Getting the class was the only reason I wanted to buy it.
After all, in combat, I already have my hands full with my sword and magic.
I could never have thought of using a firearm in a combat situation.
"To put it simply, it's a piece of junk. You've thrown your money away, kid. But all right, I won't say anything more on the subject. And about your question, I thought you would have figured out by now where I want to take you," says the ancient orc, pointing forward in the direction of the Colosseum.
"Huh? The Colosseum?..." I say, suddenly realizing, "...by the way, why is it called like that?"
"Cheer up, it'll be fun!..." says the old orc with a smile. "...Besides, I could use a rest from the labyrinth today. It's not good for the skin to be fighting every day…."
'I really prefer the attitude he has when we're in the labyrinth...
It's annoying to have to listen to so much nonsense. Besides...
Fun? What good is that going to do me? But I'm curious...
I guess they must be really interesting fighters.'
Seeing that I don't say anything in the face of his nonsense, he decides to answer my question. "...And about the origin of the name, It's after the emperor... In ancient times, he was called the orc colossus. And this is where he was born for the first time."
"For the first time?" I ask, looking confused at Kaelion.
'Surely I must have misheard'
"Ahh, yes... I understand why you think it's weird...." says the elderly orc, looking at me with a strange smile.
"...Every time he dies, our emperor is reincarnated as a newborn orc somewhere in the empire. We don't know why, but that's how it is. That's why many call him Emir Tar Rog, the green fire reborn from the embers of his people, and treat him as if he were some kind of divine being."
"Ahh... Does he have three names?" I ask, stunned by the information.
"Yes, the first is his original name, and the other two he adopted throughout his history as a reminder of friends left in the past." says the elder orc, still smiling.
"Hmm... how long has the emperor been alive?" I ask, undecided as to whether I really want to know that information.
"He is as old as the empire, which in practice is 569 years. And each time he reincarnates, he retains to some extent the abilities of his previous body, so he's absurdly strong…" he says, and his look makes me suspect he knows exactly what my intentions are.
'Shit... So it's possible that his strength is similar to that of Regis's family? I hope not; otherwise, my plans to beat him in a single duel are going to be screwed'
The elderly orc stands quiet for a few seconds, waiting to see if I say anything, but, as I'm still stunned by the crushing difficulty of what I set out to do, he decides to continue talking.
"...I thought you might be interested in knowing these things, seeing as you want to talk to him and all. And speaking of the emperor... Assuming what you told me is true, do you have any plans to achieve it?"
"Hmm, no. But I'll think of something," I say, as my mind races at full speed trying to come up with some plan that will allow me to deal with an opponent of that magnitude.
'Anyway, it's better to prepare for the worst-case scenario. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't think it would be almost impossible...
I have to get the Engineer class as soon as possible...
And raise it, along with Shaman, to the level of the other classes. It would also be nice to find out if there aren't more combat classes I can get...
Apparently Martial Artist and Paladin are out of my reach, but....
Will production classes give stat points?....
No, most likely they won't, or they will give much less, based on the strength of the people who have them...
Besides, I'll probably need a lot of time and study to acquire them, and I don't even know if they'll do me any good...
That leaves me...
Equipment. My sword and magic booster are already in the best possible category, but I can still try to get a better armor...
Though it's no good to me if it's not stuff made by Charity....
But I don't want to go back...
So…
I have to level up the classes I have as much as I can; that's the only way. Kaelion needs rest, but I don't need so much sleep...
I could come to the labyrinth at night and try to level up even without the experience booster.'
"I figured that was your reasoning. Look, I'll tell you what; how about you fight seriously and often in the Colosseum?" says the elder orc, ignoring the storm of ideas and thoughts raging in my head.
'Right, I was curious about it…
but now that I know I need to focus on getting that much stronger....
The idea of wasting time in the Colosseum doesn't seem so appealing anymore.'
"And how would that benefit me?" I ask sharply, somewhat irritated by the fact that I had to divert the focus of my thoughts to pay attention to the old orc.
"For a start, we could make a lot of money from gambling. Which is never a bad thing, if you ask me. Money moves the world, kid. Let me tell you about the time I.... Ahem..." he starts to say, but surely he realizes I'm about to slap him into silence because he starts talking seriously.
"....But more importantly, you could fight to become the Colosseum champion."
'It's true that, if I want to face someone of Gideon's or Teresa's level, it would be good to gain as much experience fighting against really strong people as I can, but, from Kaelion's point of view, I don't see how that would directly relate to having an audience with the emperor.'
"I still don't get it," I say, and I go back to my musings on how to get stronger in the shortest possible time.
'I could sleep three or four hours a day and spend 10 hours fighting solo.... That would leave me...'
"Ohh, right, obviously you wouldn't know that. The Colosseum champion can talk to the emperor whenever he wants. In theory, he can even challenge him to a duel for his position..." he says as a laugh escapes him and he begins to look sideways nervously.
"... But that's ridiculous. Who would want to challenge someone who is virtually immortal?"
'It's true...
The fact that he can be reincarnated may become a problem, even if I become strong enough to defeat him once....
But it may not be necessary to kill him....
After all, Garnuk became quite obedient after he lost to me.....
Anyway, it's better to take it one step at a time...
But getting stronger is only part of the problem, and for now, it seems that becoming the Colosseum Champion is the best option I have to be able to ask for an audience with the emperor and ask him for a fair duel, so I'm going to use Kaelion's idea''
"What do I need to become the champion of the Colosseum?" I ask as I look with renewed interest at the huge building in front of us, which is growing ever larger as we approach.
'I wonder if this ancient orc doesn't have some ulterior motive behind that mask of charlatanism...
Apparently, the idea of someone defeating the emperor seems impossible to him....
So what is his true motivation for helping me? He keeps saying all this nonsense about wanting to write my story…
but for that, he didn't need to explain to me about the Colosseum...
Just the record of our fights in the labyrinth would have been enough for him...
I'm sure there must be something else behind his actions, but I'm going to have to find out on my own.'
"Ahh, I see you like the idea. Good..." he says, rubbing his hands together. "...to be the champion you need....