Before dawn, the four Tanzanies and others had already arrived at the coliseum. When they arrived, they found themselves surrounded by the people who were there to compete and watch the events.
Looking at other teams and then at her own teammates, Fufu said, "Most of these teams have competition uniforms, and we should also have competition uniforms like them."
Yul said, "I am good wearing my own clothes."
"I think it's a little late to choose uniform now, or maybe not. How about everyone wearing monastic robes? It's easy to find and make," Michio said.
Lixin looked at Michio and said, "I would rather admit defeat than walk on to the stage wearing one of your robes."
Abrafo turned to Bong and said, "When you suggested that we wear matching clothes, I should have believed you and agreed with you."
Bong looked at the people standing in front of the door. "I told you," Bong said. "But you and the others refused to accept my offer."
U-ri said, "Let's go find a place to sit down and see who can make it to the final round."
Lixin said, "Jin and the others have already reserved a spot for us. According to Shi, we don't need to fight today because we have already obtained the golden plate as our key pass."
Chao rushed over and led the Tanzanies and others to their reserved seats.
As soon as they sat down, U-ri turned to Jin and said, "Captain, you really found a good seat for us."
Jin said, "Do you want to think twice before you walk on that stage? We are the same age, and if I took your place...no one would know."
Yul said, "It's probably too late now, the head librarian studied us for a long time before giving us a golden pass."
U-ri said, "Thank you captain for your concern, but I know how to protect myself."
Jin smiled and patted Uri's shoulder lightly. "You are a strong old man," Jin said, continue laughing.
Suddenly, the voices began to quiet down as a librarian in a white robe walked into the center of the coliseum.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the librarian shouted, and the originally bustling coliseum suddenly fell silent. "As we all know, today is the day when we select the top twenty teams to have a chance to enter Eternal Library, which is full of ancient books of knowledge and old record of humanity." He paused to catch his breath, then continued. "Today it will be the teams from first to fifty, and there can only be ten winning teams. Tomorrow is the team from fifty-one to one hundred, and the best of the ten teams will finish the game on the chessboard. Whoever holds the marked gold plate, consider yourself lucky today because you don't have to participate." He paused for a moment, waiting for the audience to accept the harsh demands he was about to announce. "You may be lucky today, but not tomorrow. Since you don't have a chance to fight today, tomorrow, any team can choose to fight you. I hope your enemies do not participate in this game of chess, if you want to win you have to beat all fifty teams tomorrow." Throughout the coliseum, people cheered. "I will now call team number one to fifty. Let's get this game started with team number one and team number two."
U-ri quickly took out their gold plate. He turned the gold plate over and found a black mark on the back of the gold plate in his hand. "This isn't good," he whispered, looking at the others.
Yul asked, "What's wrong?"
U-ri handed the golden plate to Yul and said, "We have been marked."
"Shit..." Fufu said worriedly looking at Yul and others and said worriedly. "No wonder Shi said there will be no fighting today."
Shi who was sitting next to Abrafo and Bong, explained, "The first team competes with the second team, the third team competes with the fourth team, and so on, until the last ten teams advance to the finals." He looked at Abrafo worriedly. "But if you don't participate today, it means your team got the marked golden plate. When Team twenty-five takes the stage, everyone here will know that your team was marked."
Abrafo scoffed. "It's bloody, but we won't lose," Abrafo said.
A man grabbed Abrafo's shoulders from behind and said, "Brother, this primary selection will not be bloody. If you want to see blood, you have to come on the day when the top twenty teams are fighting on the chessboard."
Abrafo turned around and asked, "What on earth are you talking about?"
The man smiled and said, "How to explain... uh... just say that after the victory or defeat is determined, the chessboard will be covered with blood. It's scary, right?"
Abrafo nodded to the man and said, "That is pretty gruesome..." He looked back at the first and second teams who had already started fighting. He turned to Yul. "If we want to beat fifty teams tomorrow, we really need a good plan to protect U-ri. I'm pretty sure Anu and his guys are going to challenge us to a fight."
It was already afternoon when Lixin stood up and said, "I have seen enough, there is no need to waste time watching them fight. If we really need to defeat fifty teams to win tomorrow, it is what it is." He looked at the four Tanzanies, Bong and Fufu. "I suggest we get some rest, because tomorrow it will be our turn." He left with nine of his men.
Fufu looked at Lixin's back and turned to the four Tanzanies and Bong, she expressed, "Which foot did he step out of the door first this morning. Why did he suddenly have a bad day out of the blue, but I do agree with him. There is nothing we can do now, because we are marked the moment the head librarian met us."
"That Lixin," Bong said. His arrogant character has been with him since birth." He stood up. "I'm going back to the inn to rest." He started to walk away.
Abrafo stood up and quickly caught up with Bong.
As Fufu watched the others walking down the stairwell toward the exit, she turned to Yul and said, "I'm hungry, so I'm leaving with them. Whether I see them fight or not, it won't make me lose the confidence to defeat my opponent tomorrow. Sir U-ri and Monk Michio are you two coming?"
U-ri said, "Michio, help me stand up." He extended his hand to Michio, who pulled him up.
Nayao stood up and asked, "Boss Yul, aren't you leaving?"
Yul turned to Nayao and said, "You go with them. I want to stay a little longer."
Nayao sat back on the wooden bench obediently and said, "I'll wait for you."
Yul turned to Nayao and said, "You don't have to wait for me."
Nayao insisted. "No, boss Yul, I will wait for you," she said with a smile.
Yul stopped trying to convince Nayao to leave because he knew that no matter what he wanted to say to her, she had already made up her mind. Nayao reminds Yul of an old woman he met when he was ten years old and who used to live near his home. Grandmother Song would come to his house and complain about every little thing that happened inside and outside the Bayarmaa mansion. Grandmother Song often complained to anyone who would listen to her about the mean maids and guards who chased her away as soon as they saw her heading towards the Bayarmaa mansion.
After a year of tug-of-war with Grandmother Song, Yul finally decided to face Grandmother Song once and for all. When Yul saw Grandmother Song lived by herself, he realized that the old grandmother was not looking for trouble but needed someone to talk to to ease her loneliness. So, from then on, he often visited her for lunches and holidays. For seven years, he had New Year's Eve dinner with her every time until she died.
Yul understands that sometimes lonely people tend to have a stubborn mentality because they are afraid of losing the people who care about them, so Nayao clinging to him does not make him dislike or hate Nayao. On the contrary, he feels sorry for her.
At dusk, many people began to leave the coliseum. Yul felt that he had seen enough, so he got up and started to walk away, Nayao slowly walking behind him. As soon as they walked out of the coliseum, Yul turned around.
"You don't need to walk behind me," Yul said.
"But boss Yul," Nayao said timidly.
Yul took two steps toward Nayao and said, "You don't need to do this. I'm not used to it. It's suffocating to see you put yourself so low. As a human being, you are free to go where you want to go." He lifted her chin. "Express yourself freely. If you continue to do this, you will end up suffering the most. " He paused and saw that her bright eyes were wet with tears. "If you want to be a servant, don't go back with me, but if you choose to be friends, then come back to the inn with me. " He turned and started walking away.
Nayao looked at Yul's back, knowing that if she didn't make a decision quickly, her savior would disappear forever. So, she quickly caught up with Yul and grabbed one side of Yul's sleeve.
"I've never had friends before," Nayao said. "So, I don't know how I'm supposed to behave."
Yul turned to look at Nayao and said, "Be yourself." He saw them approaching a food stall. "Let's go have dinner."
Nayao asked, "Just the two of us?"
Yul said, "Yes, just us." As he walked toward the food stall, a hawker caught his eye.
"Come and see! Come and see, everything here is half price," the hawker said loudly with two red brass bells bracelets.
"How much?" Yul asked.
The hawker smiled and said, "Dear sir, three for one small silver leaf." He looked at Yul and it seemed that if he didn't advertise his product more, customers would leave. "Look, sir." He put down a red copper bell bracelet and quickly adjusted the red braided cord back and forth to demonstrate the bracelet's ability to adjust size. "You can adjust the size. One size fit all. I've had a lot of customers brought this for their children. Also, look at this red thread, it's made of the finest silk. That's not all, even though they were bells of brass, they jingled as beautifully as any bells made of gold or silver." He smiled.
Yul took out a small silver leaf and handed it to the hawker.
The hawker took the silver leaf and said, "Thank you." He handed Yul three red thread brass bell bracelets.
Yul tucked the three red-threaded brass bells into his robe and continued walking with Nayao toward the food stall.
Sitting at the table with Yul, Nayao's heart brightened. From the day she learned that Yul gave up his most valuable possessions to redeem her freedom, she had made up her mind that Yul was the only one she would serve. No matter what position or title Yul will give her, as long as she can stay with Yul, she doesn't care.
The more Nayao looked at Yul sitting opposite her eating quietly, the more secretly she falls for Yul. For the first time in her life, someone stood up for her, considered her a friend, and taught her something valuable about happiness. Now, as she sat at the same dinner table with Yul, she finally understood that happiness did not fall from the sky through prayer, but through one's own actions; she knew this because she had prayed every night for as long as she could remember.