An hour later, Lops entered the arena and began collecting his number.
The Marienburg Arena featured different events daily, such as jousting, team battles, magical duels, grand melees, and archery contests, with deathmatches being strictly forbidden.
The Marienburg Arena had been established for centuries. In recent years, as the city developed and prospered, citizens' demands for entertainment grew. The arena underwent multiple expansions and renovations, now covering tens of thousands of square meters, with a diameter of over 200 meters, seating tens of thousands, and boasting walls several dozen meters high. From nobles to commoners, everyone could watch the thrilling gladiatorial displays and bet on their favorite fighters.
The arena also provided a venue for resolving personal grudges within the city. Some strong individuals would come here to duel, killing their enemies and earning extra money.
In such a setting, the arena needed many gladiators to serve the masses. Due to the Empire's laws limiting the number of slaves, free gladiators became the primary participants.
Keeping Ryan's instructions in mind, Lops calmly entered the arena's interior.
A man in coarse clothes and a straw hat approached him immediately. "Sir, are you here to buy a ticket or..."
"I want to sign up as a gladiator. What's today's event?" Lops declared his intention to become a gladiator.
"Oh! Sir, you've come to the right place today! Today's event is a chain battle!" The straw-hat man, whose dark skin and stench were off-putting, explained. "Gladiators will enter the arena one by one, with a maximum of ten fighters at a time. Whenever someone falls, a substitute gladiator joins. The last person standing is today's champion."
"Is that so?" Lops, full of youthful vigor, didn't take his opponents seriously. "Sign me up."
"Then follow me inside." The straw-hat man was delighted and led Lops inside.
It stank!
It really stank!
After completing the registration process, Lops's first impression of the arena's basement was its filth and lack of sunlight.
The basement was dirty and cramped, filled with muscular men changing clothes, eating simple and cheap vegetables and black bread, drinking dirty water. The corners were littered with unattended excrement.
This was where the slave gladiators stayed.
Although Lops had participated as a free gladiator several times, this was his first time in such a place. The wandering knight quickened his pace to avoid the stench, and a corpulent overseer approached him. "Is it you? Lops? Here for another match today?"
"Yes, Mr. Klaus!" This overseer was a familiar face to Lops, having many slave gladiators under his control.
Klaus smiled at Lops. "You're an elite mid-level wandering knight. Winning today's chain battle shouldn't be a problem, so we'll pay you less than the new gladiators. Is that alright?"
"No problem. By the way, Mr. Klaus, I'd like to ask you something." Participating as an elite mid-level fighter was a bit overkill. After several matches, his betting odds had dropped significantly, reducing his commission.
"What is it?"
"Have there been any strange new gladiators? Particularly skilled fighters appearing recently?" Lops, remembering Ryan's instructions, seized the opportunity to inquire directly.
"Particularly... skilled? Recently?" Klaus pondered.
Meanwhile, outside the Marienburg Arena.
"You trust him that much?" Veronica asked Ryan as they walked towards the arena.
"Lops is the son of Lord Hyde of Moshen. He received formal military training and is quite capable. Plus, he shouldn't be too stupid." Ryan hesitated slightly on the 'stupid' part but believed that Lops, as a wandering knight, should know how to adapt.
Veronica was about to say more when a dwarf came towards them from the arena entrance, shouting, "By the gods! A great hero has arrived at the arena! Welcome, Mr. Ryan!"
The dwarf was about 1.4 meters tall, with his head accounting for a third of his height. His long beard was tied in various thick braids, covering his big belly and legs, nearly touching the ground. His face was shiny with oil, and his beard and hands adorned with gold and silver jewelry, clearly indicating his wealth.
"Greetings, Longbeard." Ryan shook hands with the dwarf. "Your beard is magnificent!"
"Oh! I love that compliment!" The dwarf stroked his beard proudly. "I spend two hours every day grooming it."
A dwarf's beard was a symbol of age and status. A dwarf never shaved from birth, letting his beard grow longer over time. The longer the beard, the older the dwarf. Identifying a dwarf's status also involved his beard's condition—wealthy and powerful dwarfs had the time and means to maintain their beards, making them smooth and shiny. A messy, scruffy beard indicated a lower status.
"Let me formally introduce myself. I am Griza Stormhammer, from the World's Edge Mountains. Now, I am one of this city's guardians and oversee the arena." Griza laughed heartily. "The Duke has said that Mr. Ryan is a distinguished guest and close friend of Marienburg. If you need anything, just ask. Are you here to watch today's match?"
"Yes, the weather is getting colder. In this cold, one needs some hot action to get the blood pumping!" Ryan smiled, subtly signaling Veronica.
Veronica returned a look that said, "Focus on the task."
"You've come to the right place! Marienburg has everything you need!" Griza led Ryan towards the VIP section. "Today, we have an exciting chain battle! Let me open the VIP box for you and your lovely companion to enjoy a visual feast."
Ryan wanted to clarify that they were just partners, but then he saw a fireball the size of a basin appear in Veronica's hand. She smiled with ill intent.
Magic was allowed in the arena. Ryan decided to keep quiet, not wanting Veronica to pursue the matter.
The arena's interior was built with massive stone columns and walls, resembling a structure capable of housing thousands of troops or even a small city. Inside, it had accommodations, restaurants, hospitals, and deep basements and tunnels, some of which were rumored to connect to mysterious underground realms—havens for kobolds and many fierce beasts.
Following Griza, Ryan and Veronica traversed narrow passages towards the arena. The tunnels, narrow and oppressive, induced a sense of unease, but the bright light and roaring crowd at the end lifted their spirits. Thousands of spectators cheered and jeered, filling the massive arena under the clear winter sky. The transition from the small tunnels to the vast arena was a jarring but thrilling experience.
Griza led them to a box, essentially a ten-square-meter balcony with a long sofa, a table with simple snacks, and a menu listing various food prices. A bell was available to summon a waiter if needed.
"Three gold coins for a beer. Dwarfs sure know how to do business." Veronica glanced at the menu and handed it to Ryan. "Want a drink? You'll have to pay for yourself."
"I thought you'd treat me to a drink!" Ryan looked at the exorbitant prices, ten times the market rate, and joked. "Veronica, shouldn't you show some generosity towards your partner?"
"Generosity? Ryan, haven't I been generous enough? I have no money. If you want a wealthy partner, find Troveik. She's a Garon princess with plenty of money." Veronica's tone turned sour. "She could save you many years of struggle. I can't do that. I've given you everything I have."
"And that's why you're still my partner." Ryan said seriously, his eyes showing affection. "On our journey, Teresa mentioned several times about changing partners, but I never planned to. I promised you, if you don't let me down, I won't let you down. Our partnership won't change because of outside factors."
"Looks like I didn't misjudge you. Mwah~" Veronica, thrilled by his words, kissed him on the lips.
"By the way, about what we discussed yesterday, if I... what would you do to your apprentice?" Ryan, curious, asked while holding Veronica on his lap.
"What can I do? I won't take Catherine's life. I'll send her to Garon's magic workshop for further training, and then... after a few years, marry her off to a landlord or something." Veronica laughed lightly, her arms around Ryan's neck. "That's her punishment for trying to take something from her mentor. I didn't give it to her, so she can't touch it."
The match began soon.
Lops drew number twenty-three, meaning he would enter in the twenty-third position.
The wandering knight from Norsca donned standard gladiator gear—a smelly leather armor, a wooden spear, a wooden shield, and a simple helmet. The arena didn't allow gladiators to use their own equipment; they could only use standard wooden gear.
The arena was vast, with gladiators constantly entering and fighting. But Lops, an elite mid-level warrior, skillfully wielded his spear. Trained in complete military education from a young age, the lord's son had excellent reflexes and arm strength. He adeptly used evasion and shield blocking before striking down one opponent after another.
Lops seemed like a war god, sending one gladiator after another off the field. His outstanding strength made the battles one-sided.
Until only two remained.
"Now, let's witness the final duel of this chain battle. The contenders are the wandering knight from Norsca, Mr. Lops!"
"And, the nameless—Butcher, Mr. Bennett!"
Amidst the dust, Lops, sweating profusely, cautiously eyed the emerging figure.
His opponent was tall, wielding a wooden
machete and shield, wearing a mask. He stood over two meters tall, exceptionally bulky, with coal-black skin and blood-red eyes fixed on Lops.
Something felt wrong to Lops, but he couldn't pinpoint it. With Ryan watching from the stands, he bit his lip, knowing he couldn't back down now.
He yearned to be a hero like Ryan, basking in flowers and applause, a knight admired by all.
Witnessing Ryan slay the Chaos champion and barbarian chieftain at Middenheim's defense had cemented Lops's resolve to follow Ryan and become a great knight. To start over, he had to prove his worth to Ryan.
This world had no place for the weak.
"Ahhhh!!" Bennett roared, charging at Lops, his massive form exuding immense pressure.
"The fight begins!"
Lops focused, his combat style favoring defense and counterattacks. He raised his shield high, aiming his spear at the approaching Bennett.
The wooden spear forced Bennett to sidestep, avoiding a direct hit that could penetrate his leather armor and cost him the match.
This played into Lops's trap, as the knight's shield blocked the wooden machete.
"Ahhhh!!" Bennett's large body swung the machete furiously, while Lops blocked with his wooden shield. The machete chopped down repeatedly, sending splinters flying.
It seemed like Lops was on the defensive.
The crowd's excitement peaked, with curses, cheers, and roars echoing through the arena.
"Lops, damn you! All my money's on you! Get up, you bastard!"
"Yeah! Bennett! Keep at it! Kill him! Kill him!"
"Get him! Smash his head!"
"@#&%!@#...￥%&@!"
In the box.
Ryan gently held Veronica, smiling. "The match is decided."
"The wandering knight will lose?"
"No... Lops is about to win."
Tonight there will be another update! Please give votes and tips; I'm grateful for them.
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