Chapter 8 : Library Opening

After all the truths were revealed, I no longer doubted Letia.

Although we remained adversaries by status, at least I could trust that she harbored no hostility toward me.

The only person in the Kingdom of Lyor who stood by my side.

Just being with her gave me a sense of comfort.

“I brought the application form for the gladiator tournament you mentioned.”

“Thank you.”

After confiding her thoughts, Letia started visiting the prison frequently, with the excuse that frequent meetings were necessary to grow closer.

I felt like an NPC being courted by a player.

“Are you sure this is okay with you?”

“Yes, it’s fine. Just proceed as is.”

The application form Letia brought contained all my personal details without fabrication, including the fact that I was an imperial knight.

Letia twisted her lips as if conflicted.

“Wouldn’t it be better to list you as a slave of the Heter family? It’s not entirely untrue.”

“You don’t want me to suffer, do you? I appreciate it, but if you do that, it might look like you’re covering for me. Even if it’s easier, I don’t want to cause trouble for you.”

“I’m fine. My position isn’t so weak that it would falter over something like this.”

“It’s a matter of how I feel. Besides, the truth about me being an imperial knight will inevitably come to light. No matter how difficult the path, I want to win fairly and claim the honor of a victor wholly.”

The pain that didn’t kill me only made me stronger.

My mentor loved challenges and imposed theoretically impossible trials on me.

After enduring them as if my life depended on it, I became who I am today.

I didn’t want to stray from the path I had walked, even if it seemed unfair.

“Besides, no matter what interference comes, I’ll crush it with skill. Even with one arm, I’m still active.”

“Now that I think about it, I’ve always been curious—how did you lose your arm?”

“Oh, well… about that…”

The truth was, I lost it as the price for saving you, forcibly taken by the Emperor.

I wasn’t sure if I should be honest about it.

Letia, who now treated me with the utmost respect as her savior, would feel burdened if she learned the full story.

I didn’t want to weigh her down.

“I lost it in a duel with a powerful foe.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Huh?”

“Did you know that whenever you lie, the corners of your eyes twitch slightly?”

“W-what? That’s news to me!”

“Well, I hope you remember it from now on and work on improving it.”

A sense of embarrassment washed over me, like having my weaknesses exposed.

I had no idea I had such a habit.

No wonder the lies I told Princess Ariel were so easily uncovered.

Having spent ten years by my side, she likely knew about it all along but chose not to tell me, perhaps intending to use it to her advantage.

“Why did you tell me? You could’ve used it whenever we talked.”

“Well, I don’t want to figure out the feelings of someone I like through shallow tricks.”

“…”

Her words made my heart race, and I couldn’t help but admire her.

Whether she was sincere or not, anyone in my position would have been moved by her kindness.

“Thanks for telling me. Can I ask one more thing?”

“Of course.”

“If you knew it was a lie, why didn’t you press further?”

“Because you looked me straight in the eye and hesitated before answering. Avoiding eye contact would mean guilt, but your expression showed deep concern. It was clear you had a good reason for not telling me.”

“You’ve completely read me.”

“Fufu! In any case, since it was a well-intentioned lie, I don’t plan to dig further. Everyone has secrets, after all.”

Letia’s thoughtfulness and consideration for others were admirable.

Her acclaim as a young hero wasn’t solely due to her overwhelming strength.

Her composed demeanor, ability to gauge others’ emotions, and humble attitude made her seem mature beyond her years.

If not for the occasional youthful moments she showed me, I might have suspected she was living her second life.

“Master, it’s time for you to head to the royal palace.”

“Is it that time already? Understood, prepare the carriage.”

“Certainly. I’ll have it ready promptly.”

Even Zenith, who sometimes felt overly jovial, now displayed the flawless poise of an aide.

The night of my jailbreak felt like a dream.

Although there was a sense of disconnect, seeing heroes and their aides fully embrace their roles made it all understandable.

In fact, it felt more human, and I found it endearing.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. I’ll inform you of the tournament schedule after I return from my duties, so please wait.”

“Thank you.”

With a wave, Letia departed gracefully.

As she left, silence filled the prison.

It no longer felt like a prison but rather my own room.

“A perfect hero, huh…”

Though I had dreamed of it, I could never become someone like Letia.

But there was one thing I could say with confidence:

Even if I couldn’t surpass a hero, I could stand beside one.

This was my chance to prove it.

Time flew by, and the day of the tournament’s opening arrived.

Holding a gladiator tournament during wartime seemed absurd, but it was precisely because of the war with the Empire that it was being held.

Even the Empire, during its undefeated streak of invading smaller nations, would hold festivals.

According to the Emperor, it was to show the weak nations the composure of the strong.

However, the current situation was different: the United Kingdoms, led by the Kingdom of Raior, were now pushing back the Empire.

It was only fair for them to repay the Empire for its past provocations.

The gladiator tournament wasn’t as grand as a festival, but it was an innovative way to show the Empire their composure without being complacent.

The tournament aimed to showcase the martial arts of each nation, strengthening their unity through a display of skill.

To the Emperor, it would seem like a declaration: “While you laze around, we’re growing stronger like this!”

Hearing about a tournament while the Empire struggled on the battlefield would likely infuriate him.

I wouldn’t be surprised if news of his death from rage came soon.

“The stares are all so hostile.”

“Of course. You’re the only representative from the Empire among the participants.”

“But I’m just a prisoner.”

“That’s exactly why they’re burning with hostility. Losing to a prisoner would disgrace their entire nation.”

“If I win, the participating nations will all flip out, won’t they?”

If the Empire won in a tournament meant to provoke it, the event’s significance would crumble.

The United Kingdoms would do anything to prevent my victory.

That’s why Letia warned me about the interference I’d face.

“This is why I didn’t recommend participating in the tournament.”

“But you told me about it, knowing this would happen, for my sake. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

“I’ll be cheering for you from the stands. Take care of yourself.”

“Don’t worry.”

With Letia’s farewell, I stepped into the center of the arena.

The cheers and applause for the other contestants turned into jeers the moment I appeared.

“Get lost!”

“Boo! Die, Empire scum!”

“What, did you hit your head too hard?”

“Cut off his other arm and send him back!”

“Anyone who loses to the Empire is dead to us!”

The United Kingdoms’ hatred for the Empire was palpable.

Insults, curses, and grotesque mockery poured out freely.

The most notable comment was someone claiming they used my severed arm to comfort my mother last night.

As an orphan, it didn’t faze me, but their hatred was evident in their crude and vulgar remarks.

“I heard rumors about someone from the Empire entering, but I didn’t think it was true.”

“This is outrageous. How could someone like him step foot in such a sacred place?”

“If you’re crippled, you should’ve stayed put…”

“Let’s get rid of him first and then settle things among ourselves.”

The other contestants were no different, openly mocking and glaring at me with disdain.

Today’s preliminary round involved 50 participants, with only the last five standing advancing.

But thanks to my presence, this group was shaping up to be a 1-vs-49 situation.

“Not bad.”

The other preliminary rounds had been chaotic free-for-alls, with everyone conserving their strength and focusing solely on surviving as the final five.

Few stood out, and the audience was more excited about the chaotic brawls than individual skill.

What if I defeated everyone here, demonstrating overwhelming power?

I was curious to see how the spectators’ jeers would change.

“Let’s not waste time. Don’t come at me one by one—come all at once.”

Tapping my wooden sword on my shoulder, I provoked them.

Already hated, I was now openly taunting them.

The gladiators drew their weapons, eyes blazing with killing intent.

Unlike me, armed with a wooden sword, they were prepared to kill.

“Get him!”

“A wretch from a fallen empire! How dare you act so arrogant?”

“Fine! I’ll cut off your remaining arm and legs too!”

The gladiators surged toward me like a tidal wave.

I boldly threw myself into the wave of surging gladiators.

“Let’s have some fun, shall we?”

With nimble footwork, I weaved effortlessly between the gaps of the combatants.

Using the wooden sword, I struck their heads, rendering them unconscious in one blow, or kicked their bodies to send them out of bounds.

Occasionally, I dodged or redirected incoming weapons with precise movements, causing them to strike others instead.

“Where’s all that bravado from earlier? Come at me!”

Seeing that they struggled even to locate me, I decided to stand still.

As a handicap, I drew a small circle on the ground and stepped into it without a word, smiling faintly.

“This bastard…!”

“Daring to mock us like this?”

“If that’s what you want, we’ll kill you!”

Their faces turned red with rage, and with angry shouts, they charged again.

With minimal movement, I dealt with them one by one as they approached.

I tilted my head to avoid a blade aimed at my brow.

An arrow targeting my legs was caught deftly between my toes.

An axe swinging for my ribs was parried with the wooden sword before I struck the attacker’s head.

A charging spear was caught between my arm and body, and I snapped it in two.

“Diiieee!”

I planted the wooden sword into the ground.

With my now-free hands, I grabbed an oncoming combatant by the face and slammed him into the ground.

The next one rushing toward me was seized by the collar and thrown out of bounds like garbage.

Those recklessly charging were tripped, then stomped on the head.

“I remember now! The Empire’s contestant is a knight!”

“A knight?”

“Yeah! He hasn’t used aura, but he’s definitely a knight!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t use aura against you lot. So come at me already.”

Though I declared openly that I wouldn’t use aura, the combatants hesitated.

They seemed terrified after witnessing the fate of their fellow competitors.

“If you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you.”

Pulling the wooden sword from the ground, I crouched into a stance.

Seeing this, the gladiators raised their weapons defensively.

Little did they know how futile their actions were.

I launched myself forward, kicking off the ground powerfully, reaching the midst of their ranks in a single bound.

Moving freely in all directions, I tore through their formation.

Finally, I broke through to the far side of the crowd.

Crack!

A series of dull cracks echoed as the spines of the standing gladiators snapped in unison.

They collapsed to the ground, leaving the arena floor covered with their bodies.

I stood alone on the battlefield.

“How do you lose to a cripple? Just cut them off already—those are more useless than my arm.”

I glanced at the jeering spectator who had been mixing crude insults earlier and smirked.

But no further boos came.

The arena had turned silent, like a library.