Nox thought about it for a while and decided that it was not such a bad idea after all, so he agreed.
"All right, let’s do that."
anwhile, in another part of the island.
Inside a luxurious room, a figure stood beside the tall tower window, silently looking outside.
His expression was blank, yet his fist was clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
This person was Jack.
"This room... it feels as if I left it just yesterday," he murmured.
"Naive thought I could actually run away forever," he added with a self depreciating laugh.
[You could have easily gotten away, but where to hide was the real problem,] a voice spoke inside his head.
[Tsk, you let your emotions get the better of you. I am sure that Nox boy would have protected you easily,] another voice sneered, clearly annoyed.
[True, we all witnessed what he did in Snowhelm, and during the war. He always cos up with miracles. I am sure he would have found a way if the old man had attacked.]
Jack’s mind turned into a storm as all the voices began talking at once, the pressure building rapidly until an intense headache ford.
"All of you shut up!" he shouted, silencing the voices in his head.
"All of you just shut up. You talk as if you do not know the kind of person that man is. Even if they could sohow stop him, do you know how many casualties there would be?"
Yes, Nox perford miracles, but he was not omnipotent. He felt pain too, and there were people he cared about as well.
Jack respected that.
He did not want to be selfish like his alter ego.
Taking a deep breath, he forcefully pushed all the thoughts out of his mind.
Several seconds later, there was a soft knock on the door.
So ti later, he was walking down a long, carpeted hallway with Soren walking in front of him.
Badump. Badump.
His eldest brother had just inford him that their father had summoned him. Since his arrival, he had been expecting this.
He had even convinced himself that this mont would co sooner or later, yet when it finally did, his chest still felt tight, as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart.
The longer he walked, the more the hallway seed to stretch endlessly ahead.
His heartbeat grew louder in his ears as they finally stopped before a pair of ornate doors carved with ancient symbols. Soren raised his hand and knocked softly, then pushed the doors open without waiting for a response.
The sll of food drifted out first.
He was led into a dining room where his sister Serena was already seated, her posture elegant and composed, as if this were just another ordinary al. At the head of the long table sat his father, Andre, calmly eating as though nothing in the world could disturb him.
Seeing this man once again, Jack gulped nervously as countless mories surfaced in his mind.
...
anwhile, Nox and Eve regrouped downstairs not long after, exiting the inn together and slipping back into the steady flow of people moving through the streets. This ti around, Nox did not simply walk. His gaze lingered, observing everything with quiet intent.
No one laughed.
No one idled around without purpose.
Like before, even the children were training, clashing wooden sticks together under the stern gazes of adults who corrected their stances and timing. Every movent felt deliberate, refined through repetition rather than play.
"This island feels less like a town and more like a massive military camp," Eve remarked quietly.
Nox gave a slight nod. "That was my impression as well."
As they continued forward, the streets gradually widened, opening up to reveal a massive circular structure dominating the horizon. Towering stone walls rose high into the sky, their surfaces polished smooth by ti and countless battles.
A sense of deja vu washed over him as he stared at the structure, reminded of another colosseum on Earth, one located in Ro.
It was the imperial royal colosseum.
They had not even reached the entrance when the noise crashed over them. Roars from the crowd, shouts filled with bloodlust, and the unmistakable sound of tal colliding echoed through the air.
"Co on, let’s check it out," Eve muttered.
They passed through the arched entrance alongside a wave of spectators, and the sheer scale of the interior hit them instantly. Tier upon tier of stone seats surrounded a vast arena below, its ground stained dark with layers of dried blood that spoke of countless battles.
At the center of it all, two fighters were already locked in combat.
One wielded a massive axe, muscles bulging with every heavy swing, while the other moved with sharp, calculated steps, twin blades flashing as he danced around each blow. Neither showed any restraint.
This was not sparring.
It was a real fight.
"Is this... even allowed?" Eve asked quietly.
Nox did not respond right away, his eyes fixed on the arena.
The axe wielder let out a roar and brought his weapon down in a brutal arc. The twin blade fighter barely crossed his weapons in ti to block.
CRACK.
The impact sent him skidding backward across the dirt, blood spraying from his mouth as he crashed hard into the arena floor.
The crowd erupted.
Not in horror, but in approval.
"Yield!" a voice thundered from above.
The fallen fighter struggled for a mont before raising a trembling hand. The fight ended instantly.
dics rushed in without delay.
No one looked shocked.
No one looked concerned.
"That answers that," Nox finally said in a soft tone.
This island was not preparing for war.
This was their nature. Fighting was their way of life.
No wonder the other kingdoms feared clashing with them.
In other kingdoms, children spent their ti in academies, learning magic and combat in controlled environnts. Here, they fought head on, as if trying to kill one another.
Starting this from childhood, there was no way their capabilities would not surpass both humans and awakened beings elsewhere.
Nox folded his arms slowly, calm settling over his expression. He already had a clear image of what the ruler of this island must be like.
A tyrant.
Soon after, the match officiator stepped onto the stage once more, preparing to announce the next battle.
"Ladies and gentlen, this ti we have a special individual entering the battleground," he announced excitedly, causing the crowd to lean forward.
Nox and Eve did the sa, their interest spiking.
Who could it be? The question burned in every mind.
Then Nox saw a familiar figure step out from the opening of the arena.
His eyes widened.
"...Jack."
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