Clearing the Game at the End of the World Chapter 249

Chapter. 14. One Empire, Three Legends (8)

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“Waaaaaa-!”

“Benard Fang! Benard Fang!”

“You were a true fighter, Suin! “You are a warrior!”

“Heung! “By walking on my father’s firm soles, you have made the spirit of Khun Tagiz happy!”

“Kiik! Traitor mayhem! season! “You’re awesome, Suin!”

People cheering and reaching out across the stands.

After a fierce battle, the troll, with a broken piece of armor stuck in one of its eyes and a sword cut in half in its crook, cried out for surrender.

Of course, it goes without saying that Borka, who fought a properly trained troll, was not unharmed.

The professor, who had come out of the stadium in advance, waited for Borka and quickly helped him up when he saw Borka, who had been calmly walking out while cheering from the crowd, fall as soon as the door closed.

“Ugh. “Thank you.”

“Oh my head. The next game is in two hours, what if I get hurt? So let’s just grab the article and tag the troll with me.”

“A gladiator shines brightest when he sheds blood.”

“You’re great, dude. I’m going to put my arm through it, so grit your teeth. “One, two!”

Crunch!

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!”

As soon as the professor counted to three, Borka’s hair stood on end as lightning struck his eyes.

“three. Turn it slowly. The movements are a bit unnatural… but it looks like first aid was administered. Even after being caught in the hands of a troll, only one shoulder is missing. Are you lucky?”

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu its just what she was aiming for. He was agile compared to his size, so the only way to stab him in the eye was to do so. When trolls catch their prey, they have a habit of chewing off the head first. “He would often lift the person he was holding with both hands.”

“How did you know that?”

“The guy in the room next to me went like that. All three. “They were good friends.”

A tattered body soaked in sweat. The strange taste of blood in an exhausted throat and the limited vision of a brass helmet.

Borca says he has returned as a gladiator. This time too, I felt that I had put on the helmet of my own volition. The fishy smell of metal and the sensation of being filled with the moisture of hot breath. Even without trying to think about it, the days of living as Benard Fang quietly seeped into me.

The professor frowned at the sight of Borka moving his adjusted shoulder uncomfortably.

“…64 teams with 128 members in total. You only need six wins to win, but that means you have to play for three days without having time to properly recover from your injury. Even if half of my torso is blown off, I’ll be fine by the time the next game starts. You’re not like that, are you? If injuries accumulate like that, you won’t even be able to show a ‘proper game’ as you say, right? From the next game, let’s just fight in werewolf form. Don’t people who like gladiatorial games like scenes of being torn apart by claws more than swords?”

“I don’t like it.”

Borka respected most of the professor’s words, but he also had firm beliefs about sword fighting.

His not fighting in the form of a stronger wolf did not have any grand meaning, such as ‘respect for the noble power of the forest’.

Because fighting with a human body was more popular.

Gladiator games are life-threatening battles, but they are also a stage for the enjoyment of the audience.

One day, a little over a year after becoming a gladiatorial slave, he achieved a hard-fought victory and ended up reading the expectations in people’s eyes. A dark expectation revealed in the cheers for the wild werewolf. Eyes that look forward to the day when that great beast loses its head at the hands of an even greater gladiator.

“…The amphitheater is both a battlefield and a stage. On stage, there is a division between good and bad actors, and a beast with sharp claws and fangs is better suited as a villain no matter how good the performance is. And a famous villain gets his throat cut at the best of times.”

It’s something you can’t win forever. He had to get out of here alive, and the only thing that decided whether the defeated gladiator lived or died was whether the audience wanted him to live or die.

That’s why they fight in human form. To become popular. To make people look forward to seeing him challenge once again when his scheduled defeat approaches in a more gladiator-like manner than anyone else.

In order to use the opportunity I received to try again and again to reach the top.

In the end, it was a fleeting act, but Benard Fang was able to survive until the last moment thanks to his name and reputation.

To be a gladiator whose people expect life, not death. That was the secret to Borka’s survival in that hellish arena for eight years.

“….If you want to step on the edge of the arena owner’s mantle in just six games, you have to do everything you can. “Isn’t that right?”

“Hmm… In the end, you will only fight in human form in gladiatorial competitions?”

“exactly.”

“Because of popularity?”

“hmm.”

“Aren’t you afraid that the kids will recognize you?”

“….”

Borka remains silent in response to the surprise question. I couldn’t see his expression because it was covered by his helmet, but that silence was enough.

“Ugh. Both this and that are complicated. Then, you are saying that you will continue to fight in human form and continue to get hurt and broken…”

The professor sighed as he threw the limping Borka into the carriage.

“That’s a bit of a problem. According to the rules, players cannot go anywhere other than the carriage stadium before the games for that day are over. That shoulder is a werewolf, so it might be okay for everyday life, but if there’s an intense battle, it’ll fall right out, right?”

“Aren’t the conditions the same for all other partners anyway? In fact, we might have fewer injuries.”

“That sounds like a hell of a condition. Didn’t you feel the same after seeing that dazzling gladiator version of full plate mail? There’s something to be said. We who don’t have a lot of money have to stay in the carriage if we don’t want to be disqualified, but those who have a lot of money go to the temple, go to the hot springs, get a meridian massage – I can bet my sainthood that they get all the services and come out with dog oil on their faces. “If you come out looking really shabby and injured, I’ll say one thing to you, ‘You bastard Roharam.’”

I felt confident after watching the second game. That incredibly honest orc just frowns upon seeing such a clear violation of the rules. It would have been better if he didn’t know at all, but seeing the way he held back even after knowing, it was clear that there was enough pressure to keep the orc quiet. There was probably a deal that involved the benefit or safety of the entire tribe. The current Haunuman speculation contest is a tradition in name only, but in reality it seems to be a proxy war between the eight forces of Haunuman and external forces that want to take their place.

If you dig into it, wouldn’t all the interests and intrigues surrounding this game come out like sweet potato stalks? If I were to just pick something that comes to mind…

Goblins who wanted to change the current situation in Haunuman, where orcs are dominant, may have sided with humans.

Traditional grassland tribes who wanted to drive out the imperial nobles may have joined forces.

The empire, which wants to tame the rebellious grassland tribes, could use the competition to play a trick on Haunuman using the Marquis of Vilderland.

They may join hands with other forces or secretly interfere with them for all of their interests – and all of this may be happening at the same time.

Eight forces alone. On a national level, there are empires and grassland tribes. Race: Beast, Orc, Goblin, Human. Considering the situation, the tribes in the grasslands who have nowhere to go and the vested interests in the city who do not want to give up their space. The city is so intricately intertwined that a single sneeze could turn it into chaos, making it a powder keg of a city.

What was tacitly promised to sort things out before the gunpowder exploded was the Haunuman Speculation Competition.

In the end, as we move toward victory, it will be a match between our opponent, who has received all kinds of support thanks to the pressure and bribes of the forces behind us, and our messy team, which is bound by traditional rules and uses only bare hands and shabby equipment and does not receive medical treatment. .

“how is it. “Whether you win or lose, don’t you feel a little bad?”

“Kuhuhmm…”

A muffled voice came from Borka’s mouth as he quietly massaged his shoulders. As Borka was familiar with the physiology of the arena, he also knew the unimaginably complex behind-the-scenes operations well.

Even in a game where a small amount of money is at stake, it is common to drink poison with one’s meal. They also buy gladiators from the same team or change the wild beasts that will appear in the game into ridiculous ones. How complicated would it be if a fight broke out between nations and races over the governance of a city?

As if to prove their expectations, their carriage was loaded with two pieces of luggage they had never seen before. All that is given for winning the second round is enough silver for a decent meal, a better carriage, and decent equipment that current mercenaries would use. There was no mention of the heavy leather sacks and ornate boxes loaded on the wagon.

Borka grabbed the professor’s arm as he reached out to push the colorful box away with his foot.

“It would be best not to touch it. You become involved with items like that from the moment you receive them. We become their words against our will. The mere fact that I received it makes the opposing camp wary.”

“Really? Then you should open it even more. “If you want to solve such an incredibly complex situation, you have no choice but to get involved yourself.”

Rather, the professor held the pouch in his arms and pointed to the box with his chin as if he was happy to see it. Seeing that, Borka sighed and brought back the box he had put away. This was a matter outside of sword fighting, and at least his captain was a frighteningly bright person in that regard.

Slap!

“Oh my, what is this? Silver coins, jewels… it must have been sent from the goblin tribe, seeing as it was full of actual items. Let’s see… [I am deeply impressed by your excellent battle. The competition ends in three days, but the future for a warrior like you is endless. We ‘Three Fingers’ are ready to pay a good price for your future. Don’t doubt it. We have lived to prove that the saying that a warrior’s honor cannot be bought with money is false.]… This is an extremely goblin-like letter. “What is it over there?”

“… Just as the captain said. It’s a box sent by the Marquis of Wildeland. Imperial gold coins and two good quality shields. There’s a letter in it. Roderick says he wants to give me, a criminal, citizenship of the empire and hire me as the Marquis of Wildeland.”

“What do you want from us in return?”

“We will lose the game. If you meet a warrior from another tribe, beat him, and then when you meet a warrior from the marquis, ask him to lose. “If you accept the additional conditions, they will make it okay for you to avoid any unfortunate events that occurred when you were not in a relationship.”

“It’s a threat that if you don’t accept it, you will have to pay for the dead knight’s life. It’s a threat to fix matches due to unreasonable match conditions. This is the standard for illegal sports gambling. Same here. “They say that if you cooperate, you will be able to enjoy the goblin’s greed for yourself, but if you don’t, you will have to pay for the damage caused to them.”

Unfair competition bribes and match-fixing threats. I thought it was only natural since it was a game where the city’s governance was at stake.

‘This is probably the reason why the Tusk Claw tribe had empty fighter positions until the end. The Tuskclaws I saw were an orc tribe that purely valued tradition and honor. ‘Everyone started to avoid it because they knew that they wouldn’t receive any support even if they joined this tribe’s Daejeonsa Temple.’

A camp that only expects the capabilities of its fighters to engage in proxy wars between forces. Even if it were me, I would avoid it.

“Anyway, I’m meeting my son and daughter for the first time in 15 years, and since I can’t show them my father who was a slut, I guess I’ll have to get you some treatment…” The

professor looked around to see Borka, who didn’t show it, but was still flinching as if his shoulder was uncomfortable. saw. I see a few items that can be used as splints, but they are meaningless since I have to take them off in a few hours. If you just leave here, the people who gave you this gift will think they were right and run over to declare you disqualified.

“Power war. “It’s a power war…”

As the professor was pondering for a while, he saw a boy with a shaved head walking from alley to alley, handing out something to the gladiators on the carriage. In order to prevent the fighters from playing a trick, outsiders and fighters cannot meet until today’s schedule is over, so the items that the boy is handing out must have been prepared for the gladiators.

“It smells like a potion. Even in the arena, they would often provide it when there was a series of battles. “It saved me an hour.”

“The color looks like plain water? Although something like that is effective for trauma, it is not effective for bones or joints…”

Oh, wait a minute. Something just occurred to me.

Looking closely, I felt that the potion boy’s clothes looked a little familiar, although his attire was a bit different.

There is also gold thread on the sleeves of the dress. It is also the case that gladiators use the boy’s potion without suspicion in a fighting contest where all kinds of tricks are rampant. Parani shaved head. Those innocent eyes and white clothes? if….?

The professor quietly folded his hands together, just in case, as he looked at the boy who had delivered the potion to the other side of the alley and was slowly approaching him.

“Latura.”

“Um… Ah! Ratura lo-haram! Among the gladiators, there is one who serves Lo Haram! Nice to meet you! “My name is Cedric, Little Child of Light!”

“Oh my~”

A satisfied smile bloomed on the professor’s face as he heard the boy priest’s words turning his doubts into certainty.

“It looks like you are a training priest of light. “Can you tell me why a priest of the church participates in this arena?”

“sure. Those of you from outside may not know this, but historically, there were many gladiators who were harmed by poisoned drinks or food during competitions. That’s why our denomination is volunteering like this with a little ‘goodwill’ from the organizers. “The priests of light live lives without an iota of shame in the sky, so they use the items we give them in the name of Ro Haram without question.”

“Aha…. There are many other denominations, but you are asking for support from the Gwangmyeong denomination. “It seems like there is quite a bit of community in Haunuman?”

“Hehehe. Because it is a city with many different ethnic groups, the number of believers is small, but the congregation is large. There are many people living in the grasslands, but most of them have false heretical beliefs such as the spirit of ancestors. It was to spread the will of light to them, and because it was a rough city, Haunuman Parish received quite a lot of support. “There has been a strange increase in support recently.”

“Hmm… that’s right. Is that so…”

the professor thought, looking into the boy priest’s innocent eyes through the face shield of his helmet.

It is natural that the Diocese of Gwangmyeong gives strength to a city with many different races. Originally, it was the light’s job to call them heretics and oppress them. The direction of oppressing the grassland tribes would have suited the empire’s tastes, so it would have helped a lot in establishing itself. The recent increase in support and the fact that people are going to get their faces stamped like this… probably means that the archbishop is preparing to actively promote the changed policy of being friendly to different races.

Well, it is said that there is no need for all such small details and that it is a fairly large parish.

‘It’s a power war. ‘It’s okay.’

After completing the calculation, the professor grabbed the shoulder of the priest who was about to move to the next alley.

“Young brother. “Do you know my face?”

“It can’t be. “I was born and raised in Haunuman, so I don’t know anyone outside… Huuuuuuck!”

The voice, which had gradually become irritated and gruff, became tinged with astonishment as soon as it faced the face with its helmet removed.

“W-uh…. stand…. saint….? It certainly looks exactly like the portrait of the Blood Saint handed down from the church…”

“Latura. “May the grace of light be with the young saint.”

When the professor took off his helmet and opened his mouth with a kind smile, the boy fell flat on the cold stone floor. He was a real saint. A blood saint who has recently been working miracles wherever he goes and is called the living representative of Roharam. Why would such a noble person end up in such a barbaric arena?

“Glory be with you! “I wonder what brought the saint to Haunuman… no, if he had visited the parish in advance, he would have been treated appropriately!”

“Ha ha ha ha ha. Daewoo. This is absurd to me, who is just a tool. “The reason I came here is… Could you listen to me for a moment?”

The professor whispered in a secret voice into the ear of the boy, whose eyes were full of tears and showed no sign of coldness, on the muddy stone floor.

“Because His will points to this place.”

“Hmph! Ah yes! All right! That’s right! You are the closest person to Him! “It’s cancer!”

One of the good things about being a high-ranking religious official at GG. There is no need to explain the reasons for your actions.

Right now, the only person in the Gwangmyeong Church with a higher rank than me is Archbishop Norman, right? When I say, ‘God told me to go here-’, everyone has no choice but to nod. If someone asks, ‘Hey, I’m a saint. Are you closer to Roharam than me?’ If you say one word, it has no choice but to disappear.

The professor spoke in a kind voice to the boy, who was shedding tears of joy as he witnessed the great meaning of light for the first time in his life.

“I have something to say to the bishop of this diocese. As you can see, it is difficult to visit the diocese by participating in a fighting competition as a gladiator. “If you’re not busy, could you tell me what I have to say!”

“Anything you ask me to do, I will do it!”

“okay. “You’re kind.”

While the professor bent down to wipe away the boy’s tears, Borka stepped forward and offered his shoulder as if he understood. You probably think he’s doing this to get treatment from this boy priest.

Snap!

[Uh huh. Not yet. It’s behind you.]

[Hmm? Isn’t this it? Even an ascetic priest can use healing magic at least once.]

[Tsk tsk tsk. It’s because the boy is this small. Watch what this saint does.]

The professor who gave Borka a face using message magic looked the boy in the eye and spoke clearly.

“Go to the parish and tell them everything you heard from me. “Wouldn’t it be good to hold a sacrament of healing at the religious level for those suffering during this cold and violent season?”

The professor smiled happily as he watched the young priest mutter the healing sacrament over and over again.

****

After a while.

Less than an hour has passed since the priest threw away the potion box and disappeared into the alley.

The bishop, who appeared leading the priests with a solemn expression, bowed his head deeply with a reverential expression.

“Latura. I heard that He always comes to the lowest and darkest places. “Seeing you wearing the rugged gladiator’s clothes instead of the priest’s uniform, I am touched and heartbroken because those words seem to be true.”

“Ratura lo haram. Wouldn’t the most comfortable place be where His will is? So how do you prepare?”

In response to my question, the bishop turned slightly and held out his hand as if to look at it for himself.

Chuck chuck chuck chuck!

“Praise! Praise!”

“Latura! Ratura!”

Flags depicting a combination of the sun, moon, and stars symbolizing light filled the alleys, and the priests, exalted by their participation in the sacred mission, were chanting in unison.

“Huh….”

“This is a request from a saint called the guiding light. How could you neglect it? “I will do my best to ensure that your Son can focus solely on carrying out His will.”

After saying those words, the bishop bowed his head deeply and stepped back.

The priests who came out along the alley took their places one by one around the carriage and began to unleash their respective sacred powers.

It was roughly like this.

“Ahem! Thanks to the constant tribulation, there are many people who are injured and sick. I think I need some treatment…”

If you take off the bandage on Borka’s shoulder while making a subtle comment like “

Whaaaaah!”

“Let there be light!”

“You say it will be as warm as a spring day melting the ice caps!”

The priests poured out sacred spells so thick that you could taste them on your tongue, and said,

“It’s an unusually cold day, and it’s even snowing. “I wonder if there is no one who closes their sad eyes in the bitter wind…”

and sweeps his exposed arms, and

he roars!

“Beware of heretical attacks!”

“Mutation Blood, the leader of the evil gods, is seeking the destruction of humanity!”

They ignited the fire to burn the heretic brought by the Holy Knights, instantly warming the surrounding area.

“Those who are exhausted seem to need peace of mind and courage….”

Rumble!

The choir of the church gathered around and began to sing a song filled with blessings as they murmured and relieved their sore throat.

Several goblins from the tournament organizers approached and complained to the bishop, but the bishop just repeated the same thing like a parrot.

“I am simply extending the gift of healing to the cold and sick. “It just so happened that the carriage was there.”

“I just lit the scaffold to raise awareness among citizens about heresy. “It just so happened that there was a carriage there.”

“It is only a religious event and has no other meaning.”

The professor, who received healing, blessing, and warm warmth all over his body under such iron-clad protection, and whose skin as well as his shoulders became softer than when he was just born, pretended to ask Borka, who had stiffened, to sit comfortably.

Of course, the werewolf, who had lived a rough life his whole life, only became more hardened by this kind of extreme treatment.

“What is all this?”

“Well. They say it’s a power war. Now that I think about it, it’s a bit like a bunch of sloppy guys making a mess, isn’t it? They would have tolerated it if they had kept a certain line, but they crossed the line by not allowing the injured person to be properly treated. “How scary are the aftereffects for a gladiator who makes a living from his body?”

They told me not to go to the temple, so I brought the entire temple. The bastards have to make fun of each other while looking at people. By now, wouldn’t the forces that took the money and took out the gladiators be looking at the empty temple and wondering what was going on?

‘I didn’t really have any intention of hiding it. Since I used the name ‘Professor’, I don’t feel pressured to reveal it because over time, people among the believers of the light will surely recognize me.’

The unfortunate thing is that, thanks to the reputation of the Blood Saint, our odds will be lowered significantly from the next game. Lucilla must be very disappointed. We would have made a lot of money by giving all our money during the 1st and 2nd games.

“Hey coachman! Let’s go! “There’s less than an hour left!”

“Yes yes! “I’m going, saint!”

The coachman, who suddenly looked 10 years younger after receiving the blessings of a priest and a holy priest, drove the carriage as smoothly as he had ever seen in his life. Pushing away the citizens who flocked to receive free treatment and blessings, the professor and the group of members of the Gwangmyeong Church slowly made their way to the next game venue. moved towards.

It was a procession showing that Professor Seongja and the Church of Gwangmyeong had officially entered the Haunuman speculation competition, in which all kinds of forces were involved.

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