Chapter XLIX - Arena (part 2)

After a while, Miss Vesny came with plates on a board. Specifically, Valey's and mine. We ate afterwards while discussing yesterday's mission with Hod. Then after eating, we headed straight to the arena.

I have never been to the arena before. Mostly because I didn't even know it exists. Another, because it was in construction from before I came to this world and became an adventurer. So, I don't even have a grasp on how big it was.

But, as soon as we get closer, I can start guessing.

How is it that I went through this path everyday but didn't even realize that this is a god damn arena? It's so massive!

The arena is incredibly huge. You can see it from the junction that splits the southeast main road and the western main road, where the church and Hod's restaurant is located. 

It is located exactly right next to the Office, separated only by two buildings. From the front, it doesn't look to be that big. But that's because what we are looking at is the width section, not the length.

The front gate is around five meters tall, which was already quite grandiose. The gate is located in the middle of the sandstone wall that belongs to the arena. Again, it's so grandiose, and yet I've never noticed its existence.

This building has to be new. It has to be. I refuse to believe my eyes has been neglecting a building like this for this entire time--

"Let's go in."

Next to me, Hod and the team began walking inside. I snapped out of my daze and followed them in.

Entering that gate, you will see a front desk for where adventurers register their identities. The point is only for taking data, to see who came and at what hour. It's also to check for any intruders or outsiders coming to the arena.

Our team wrote our names on the large book that belongs to the Office at that table. While we write our names, we are being watched by the guardian on the chair. He looks scary, and I'm guessing whether or not he is an employee of the Adventurers Office.

After everyone wrote their names, we entered the arena through the large door right next to the desk. My eyes were immediately blessed by the sight of a perfectly formed Roman arena.

From the entrance, we could see the gigantic arena right in the middle, with regular stone flooring. On the right and left side are spots for the spectators, ranging from this end of the building all the way until the other end. 

There are ten very large steps of chairs in the spectators area. And on four sides of the walls surrounding the combat area, there are entrances and exits that probably lead to somewhere below the spectators seat. Probably the preparation room or something.

The stairs that go to the spectators seat is right in the middle, next to the holes that lead to the bottom of the spectators seat. That's where we are headed.

Our team ended up picking the left side of the spectators area, since there weren't that many people there. It was Hod's idea to pick that side, and I was guessing it's because he wanted a much more silent environment around us.

Turns out... it wasn't like that.

Since the arena is so huge, it could fit tens of people fighting at once. But at the moment, there wasn't much fighting happening. There's only a single fight in the middle, one that makes the whole spectators cheer.

A single guy is fighting two other adventurers. The lonesome challenger is using a longsword, similar to my knights sword, while the other two he is facing uses a short sword and a spear.

It's the first time I'm seeing adventurers spar against each other. Well, aside from the tests that Jrake once held and showed me a while back. This one is genuine, raw, and has more freedom unlike that time with Jrake. I can tell it's also a lot more chaotic.

As the fight goes on, I can safely say that the solo guy is dominating. The two adventurers he was facing were quite exhausted, while the guy can still move pretty well.

With a little movement from his leg, he tackled the one with the spear rushing at him, making him fall to the hard floor.

You can see blood coming from his nose after that fall. It must've been painful.

His friend/partner started moving as well. As the short sword tries to cut him, the solo simply dodges here and there, leaving the short sword cutting the air.

"Yea! Finish him!"

"Go, Solovan, Go!"

The whole crowd is cheering for the solo guy, who I suppose is called Solovan.

The Solovan guy seemed to be pretty good at dodging. He didn't make any unnecessary movements as he dodged and moved forward, and I can tell he must be a high ranking adventurer.

He simply moved a leg and let the other guy get tackled the same way as his friend. He fell to the ground with his face first.

And now, the duo has nose bleeds.

"Oh, come on! You guys just kissed the ground a little too hard!"

He mocked the duo, and it doesn't seem like the duo liked that.

My team sat down somewhere at the third step from the bottom, a little to the middle. There weren't that many people on this side, so we picked this spot. I'm still wondering as to why we picked this spot specifically, but my attention was then averted back to the arena.

Those three kept on fighting until the duo couldn't go on anymore. I don't know what's going on, but those two seemed quite terrible.

"Hey, aren't those two Julius and Carvin?"

Cony asked from behind me. The position of our seats were the three of us: me, Hod, and Barett, sitting in the lower front step. While Cony and Valey sat behind us on the step above and behind us.

Cony asked the others since I have no idea who they were, and everyone seemed to realize it.

"Yeah, that's them."

Hod answered quite coldly, and it seems like he knows something I don't.

"Are they friendlies?"

"Yes. We assisted their team on a mission a few months back."

Hod confirmed that they are Julius and Calvin. I'm just asking whether or not they are friends.

"They called for help during the mission to apprehend a local mutated demon beast. And I believe that beast was Green ranked."

Hmm... I see.

"And what are their ranks?"

"Back then they were Purples, and we were Greens. And now, I believe they are in the Green ranks already."

"... I see."

Those guys... are Green ranks? Seems a little too high to me.

I continued to watch their one sided fight. However, it doesn't seem like this fight is ending soon, since the solo guy is just toying around.

"And the one they are fighting..."

Hod mumbles, and I realized he might've known something as well. That solo guy sure is good with his moves. He might be someone special.

"The teammate of that wind guy. Marksus, right?"

Barett pointed out, and I turned my attention quickly to him.

Marksus? That guy is a teammate of Marksus?

"Marksus?"

I asked, and the others realized that I was also here. Barett then pointed his hand forward, specifically towards the spectator's seat on the opposite side of us.

There, a ton of adventurers are cheering for Solovan. They are all on the side of the one man facing the outnumbered situation, and Barett pointed his finger at them.

Very quickly, I know right away who he is pointing at. One man, out of all those adventurers, stood out the most.

He had gray hair. A short beard, and a very wide grin as he studies his friend beating up the two poor low ranking adventurers.

That's Marksus. The Yellow ranked bully I've been hearing about.

"So, that's the Yellow ranked guy?"

I asked after seeing his gray hair, and Barett nodded.

"Yes. I think he is a more senior Yellow rank than Fran."

"Yeah, now I remembered! I heard from some adventurers at the Office. Fran was defeated by him."

Behind us, Cony shouted after realizing, and Barett turned his confused eyes around to Cony. Valey also has not heard of this news yet, which was odd as to how Cony learned of this news.

"Fran was defeated by Marksus!? How? When?"

"Quite recently. It was an unfair fight."

Instead of Cony, the one who answered that was Hod. We all turned our confused eyes to him, who was studying the fight happening in the arena quite closely.

"Y-You've heard about the battle??"

Barett asked Hod, but I lifted my hand to stop Barett from asking. Everyone realized that I had something to say, and Hod turned his gaze to me.

"I was wondering why we sat here, in this side of the spectators seat that has less people."

I said while staring at Hod with a wide grin, and Hod only chuckles as he realizes.

"I hate how smart you are."

"Fran came to you for help, didn't she?"

I pointed out the hidden fact that was kept hidden away from us, and everyone turned surprised. Hearing that guess coming out of my mouth, Hod let out a sigh.

"She came to me with tears on her face. I didn't want to degrade her pride any further."

Hearing that, I opened my eyes widely. Was it that bad that Fran ended up crying...?

"Are we not your friends, Hod? You could've told us."

Barett said after realizing what's going on, and Hod turned his smile to Barett.

"Don't worry. I didn't say no to her. We are here to help her, after all."

Hod said with a grin, but then he turned his grin to me. I only chuckled at how everything seemed to be turning out exactly like he planned, because he definitely plotted everything to be happening this way.

"Stupid mastermind. You could've just made everything easier if you told me."

"Well, there's too little knowledge on my side. I think it's best for you to hear it from the victim herself."

Hod said as he stood up, and he turned towards the left. We all followed his gaze, and I immediately realized the exact reasoning as to why he picked this position.

Sitting not too far from our position... a team of four is sighted. They are very familiar as they once journeyed with me, Hod, and Valey inside a carriage back to Mazino.

And at the center of their group, a young lady seemed to be wearing a hood to cover her identity. However, since her teammates did not put up any cover, her anonymous facade is not working properly.

"Now, who else wants to go!?!?"

A loud shout can be heard from the middle of the stadium, stopping everyone from moving. In the middle where the fight was, we can see Julius and Calvin on the ground, not moving.