"Since you were all about wanting to test your abilities, I'd like to see how much power you can actually manifest." Grecko eventually answered, bringing a challenge for Arex to decide whether he would even accept it or not.
"Enough with the talk and just get on to it." Arex abruptly replied, sounding like he was getting bored with Grecko's words.
"Very well," Grecko eventually replied as he moved towards the two tables to get a bow and an arrow. As he quickly stretched the bow and aimed the arrow forward, seemingly making it appear like he could see Arex's direction, Grecko eventually added, "Let's have the favourite games of the Shikaris."
Leomold, who suddenly heard of the high lord's suggestion, abruptly flinched. He knew that such a game was vile and would surely put Arex at a disadvantage. At that instant, he felt compelled to finally step in and dare to question Grecko for such an idea.
"Forgive me for intruding all of a sudden, high lord." Leomold asked, bending his knee before the presence of Grecko as he pressed his right hand on his chest. "I sincerely ask you to reconsider such a game for this human." Leomold then added, while spreading his left arm aside and pointed in Arex's direction.
Arex, who was left with no clue what they were even talking about, stood behind Leomold wearing a bewildered expression, wondering how Leomold acted in such a way like that.
It had been clear to Arex that all these Shikaris, most especially those seven lords of the Black Parade, were willing to sacrifice their lives if their high lord so wished. And in that regard, there wouldn't even seem to be any reason for Leomold to suddenly decide to ask such a thing from his high lord, all for Arex's sake.
Meanwhile, Grecko, felt suddenly puzzled as to why Leomold would risk his position and life out of his concern for a mere mortal. "And what made you act so suddenly like this, Leomold?"
From the way that Grecko sounded, it surely meant as though he was already leaving a suspicious question over Leomold's decision. Thinking that he might be siding with Arex rather than his own high lord.
Leomold, who had his head bent and facing the ground, felt suddenly nervous. He was feeling uneasy, knowing that this objection he was making at the moment would certainly cause the high lord to be suspicious of him.
"High Lord, Arex Carceri, as I've mentioned, is now part of my research on the Jinnxes as my only living specimen. I'm afraid Arex may not be able to survive this, and if something were to happen to him during the game, I wouldn't even be able to accomplish my research."
As Grecko contemplated Leomold's request, he couldn't simply help but eventually ask of him, "Don't you have any hopes with this human? I mean, if you look at him, he bore so much confidence over himself. It would be a waste not to witness the limit to his prowess, isn't it?"
Grecko adjusted the bow and arrow after retracting it from being pointed towards Arex's direction, then added, "Besides, wouldn't that be better so that you'd be able to observe him further, Leomold? Were you in fear that he'd completely be exterminated because I'll be there? Have some peace of mind, Leomold. It wouldn't be fair if I were to partake, isn't it?"
Following that, Grecko faced the open air and casually released the arrow freely. Both Arex and Leomold witnessed how the arrow, which appeared like it wouldn't hit anything, swiftly pierced through a seagull that the two didn't notice coming at that angle.
Arex's eyes followed the seagull's fall, and it was going down a rift, but just before it could make a crash against the ground, a wild animal that resembled a wolf happened to suddenly appear and took the dead seagull using its mouth. eventually collecting Grecko's catch as its meal.
"As you can see, it is not I whom you should fear in that game, Leomold. Others would go after Arex before I could even have my chance. And we all have become witnesses of Arex's nullification abilities when it comes to their scythes, your scythes, I mean. So, it would only be a fair game."
Leomold was rendered silent. He was out of words not because he couldn't think of any, but because he was fully aware that he would eventually be outsmarted by Grecko eventually. It would seem as though whatever protest Leomold had to raise upon the high lord, Grecko would eventually have something to block it off.
Additionally, the way that Grecko sounded a moment ago was already enough to shut Leomold completely knowing that if he were to still insist his protest, Grecko would really have more reason to doubt Leomold's loyalty to him.
At the very least, it was not what Leomold had intended. What he was just try after was to make sure all was fair and just. However, looking at the current circumstance, it was likely that the high lord had no desire of letting anyone hamper him from commencing with the game of Shikaris.
Meanwhile, Arex, who had become completely perplexed on what was even going on at the moment, suddenly stepped in and inquired, "Hey, have you already forgotten that i'm still here? You've been talking all to yourselves and I feel like I should be involved knowing you had been mentioning my name."
mention
Leomold just stood and faced Arex. However, it was Grecko who stepped forward to be able to answer Arex instead. "Of course, you're entitled to know what's a Shikari's game. But before that, I need to ask you something that you could offer as you stake in case you lose from this game."
"My stake? Something like a collateral?"
"Precisely," Grecko answered as he flashed his good-looking grin at Arex. "We would need that to prove your commitment to this game. If you lose, we'd collect that, and if you win, you get what the other Shikari offered. It's as simple as that.."
Arex was left thinking about what he could offer. He has no fortune or any property even when he was back in the world of living to wager. And even if he does, Arex pondered that these Shikaris wouldn't even have any interest in human properties. With that Arex was only left with the only possible option he could offer.
"So, what's your stake, Arex Carceri?" Grecko asked, sounding a little impatient to hear what Arex has to offer.
Until eventually, Grecko was surprised when all of a sudden Arex eventually replied, "Alright, I don't have anything with me to gamble, so what do you think if I offer you my soul?"