Chapter 134

Ludger is preparing for the upcoming match. He watches all the strong participants in the Winter Tournament and makes some plans to defeat them. Of course, he didn't make it for the participants who have a good relationship with him but only to the people from the fighting guild. As he watched the matches, he was able to see their flaws and weak points.

'Watching it from this VIP seat really makes me able to see their matches more clearly. Hmm, that person is...!' Ludger thought and realized the next match. 

The person appearing in the arena is someone she is familiar with. He is one of the regular customers of the Red Dawn restaurant and also a famous mercenary from the mercenary guild. Tan skin, dark red hair with green slit eyes. While he was quite an easygoing person on the outside, his real self is a shy introverted person.

'Did the Guild Master of the mercenary guild never know about our relationship? He won't dare to defeat me because I know his secret. And he always said that he would not be my enemy because he knows how scary the fan members are.' Ludger thought while watching the match. 

Suddenly Ludger realized something. 'What if what he showed me was a fake to catch me off guard? Because of the dreams of Renneshia from the game, I feel more suspicious about the people around me. Maybe I am just afraid that what happened to her will also happen to me.'

Ludger shook his head to make those negative thoughts disappear from his mind. It has been around a month since Ludger kept seeing the dream about Renneshia from the game every night. In that dream, Renneshia from the game is isolated by her surroundings because of the misunderstanding and the wrong teaching Renneshia got when she was in the Eastern part of the Empire.

The Renneshia in the game only sees other people's malice in her life. She was ignored and no one would care about her. She only lives without anyone to help her even when she needs someone to be by her side. It was a life of hardships and loneliness that was unimaginable for a normal person to experience such a life without not going insane. After all, human is social beings who need to have some social interactions as they are alive.

'I feel like I'm starting to become her because of that dream that I saw every night. Did I have a lot of stress lately?'

As Ludger thought about the changes that slowly changed like the Renneshia's in the game way of thinking lately, the match ended with a predictable result. As the match ended quickly, the preparation for the next match was able to proceed quickly. Ludger remembered the contestants for the next match and started to focus on the contestants. 

'The next match is Ed's turn. I think he will have a hard time because of his opponent is quite strong. But most people who become Ed's opponents are mostly too weak and unable to gauge his true strength. This match will determine his real strength. This will be interesting.'

Ludger is interested in his new friend's abilities. Ed has a different way from the other two. While Rain and Leo seem to be using their full power to quickly end the matches. Rain who suppresses his opponent with his super strength and Leo who suppresses her opponent with her powerful magic. Most of the contestants in this Tournament are doing something similar to reserve their power and get enough rest for the next matches. 

Only a few people that Ludger see trying to hide their true power in this Tournament and Ed is one of them. In the previous match, Ed ended his match while making it look like he won because he was lucky to have his opponent fall out of the ring as if he had accidentally tripped. But for everyone who was able to see what he was doing knew how quick and efficient his movement was.

'But why do his movements show great sadness as if he was mourning for losing someone precious? Right, I heard that he had a broken heart from Rain's story... He said that Ed was unable to meet his beloved so he decided to train to be a strong man that would be able to protect her in the future. It was quite a good story. Should I put it in my story?' Ludger thinks about what she knows about Edgar.

"I think that I feel a bit envious because of that." Ludger unconsciously muttered with a small voice. 

'What a lucky Lady to have someone so devoted and ready to give his everything like that for her. Will I be able to meet with someone like that too?' Ludger or rather Renneshia thought as she watched the match.

"So, why do you envy him? Don't tell me you are actually a battle junkie?! Do you want to fight that much?" Suddenly Darius comes and asks Ludger with a surprise and a bit teasing face.

"No. I feel envy because he seems to be able to love someone so seriously... In that case, I might also feel a bit of envy for you too. Hmm?!? Why are you making such a face?" Ludger admits about his true feelings but Darius' expression becomes strange.

"Ah, about that... Umm, that's... How should I say it..." Darius feels hesitant to say it to Ludger and there is a fear in his eyes.

"What do you want to say? You better say it now or else." Ludger said with a sly smile that made Darius have a bad feeling. 

"I'm not really sure about it but when he arrived in this City... But then... I don't know if my ability has been a problem lately..." Darius seems to have a hard time saying what he saw.

Kadaklan family heirs always have the ability to see other people's fate. But Darius, no, Kismet have a good sense of seeing the fate of people's love relationship and seeing their true love. That is the reason why he was able to devote his feelings and love to Ludger's mother, Katarina.

Ludger has heard about Kismet's ability explanation before so he knows how accurate his ability was. But this time, Ludger felt something wrong because Kadaklan said that his ability had some problems. It only makes Ludger feel more curious about what he saw. And also the reason for his hesitant behaviour toward Ludger.

"Is it related to me?" Ludger asked to make sure of it.

"Haa..., when I saw them talking to you in Red Dawn restaurant before... I saw that his fate suddenly connected to you. I don't know how to say it because both of you are male and it reminds me of your fans club members' crazy conversation. You... You don't have feelings for him, right?" Darius' face twitched with a mix of tired, fear, worry and trouble in his face.

"Are you saying that because I was also male? Then what if I am a tomboy girl?" Ludger asks with a curious face.

"Hahaha. What a good question. If you are her daughter, I will not allow him to get near you before he shows me his determination and defeats me. Well, your face is quite similar to your mother's, that's why I also love you although not as much as love for your mother. But it will be different if you are her daughter because it means that you look like her when she was young. How dare those insects get near to..." As Darius thinks about it, his face becomes dark and twisted as if he is a villain or evil person who making horrible plans. 

"Stop it! As you know that I was a boy. But you are right, my beauty is definitely come from my Mom." Ludger quickly stops Darius from continuing his dotting father mode.

'I'm so sorry for lying about my real identity but I just want to protect myself and my mother. Even if you are a trustworthy person but I won't dare to gamble my life without I am sure that it will be safe for me...I want to tell him the truth because he was my Mom saviour. But if he acts like this, I will become suspicious.' Ludger makes decisions after hearing Darius answer.

Ludger actually believe that Darius or Kismet will definitely protect them from anyone that trying to harm them. But when Ludger thinks about the God of Chaos apostles that might try to target the Goddess fragment in Renneshia's soul like what happened to Shia before. From what Shia know, the fragment bearers is always a woman. Maybe it was because they bear the Goddess fragment.

That was also the other reason for Renneshia to keep hiding her identity and act as 'Ludger'. But as her body grows, she needs to think about the solution to hide her gender. While she is still able to hide it with the help of her magic right now, but what she will do later?

"Hey, Ludger, you won't fall in love with another male, right? Please find a good woman to be your bride later. If you have some difficulties, you can ask me to help you." Darius started to say with a serious face.

"What are you talking about?! I have not thought about it because I still have a lot of things that make me feel worried. Before I could find the solutions, I don't think I will be ready to have a relationship with the opposite sex." Ludger said with a sad face.

Darius shuts his mouth because he doesn't want to hurt Ludger's feelings as he doesn't know about Ludger's past. Because right now he was only able to wait until the mother and son pair was ready to tell him their secrets.

They silently watch the match before going to the Red Dawn restaurant after the matches.