Chapter 170: Reunion
He t a priest and even sprinkled Holy Water, but the mask absolutely refused to co off.
In the end, he decided to do as Oswal had said.
He would beco a temporary Black Mask and participate in the Arena.
Since he was participating anyway, he intended to win and receive the Phoenix’s Feather.
“It suits you well. You could just keep wearing it.”
“Don’t tease . Anyway, let Sigbard and Aelin know too—I’ll be moving around alone until I can take this mask off.”
He inford his companions separately and moved lodgings alone.
There was no telling what the demon worshiper called Black Mask had been up to.
Until he could remove the mask, he wanted to minimize drawing attention as much as possible.
Thus the day dawned, and he was on his way to the stadium to participate in the Arena.
“Who do you think will win this year?”
“A Knight is the most likely.”
“I’m putting my vote on Iron Arm. Every one of his blows is exhilarating.”
The citizens heading to watch the matches could not hide their excitent.
It felt almost like a festival.
An era where blood-splattering gladiatorial matches were more than enough to stimulate monotonous daily life.
“Hey—! Don’t push!”
Amid the massive crowd. Soone coming from the opposite direction nearly stumbled as if shoved.
He quickly tried to grab them, but the person imdiately regained their balance.
“Are you alright?”
Robin awkwardly withdrew his hand and asked, but the woman with her hood pulled low over her face sharply turned her head without replying.
The man behind her apologized with an embarrassed expression.
“I’m sorry. Soone pushed—”
“Hand it over.”
“Pardon? What do you an?”
“My wallet. Do you want
to cut off your wrist before you listen?”
The man turned out his pockets as if wronged.
There was nothing.
“I am not a pickpocket.”
“Are you going to keep denying it?”
The voice coming from beneath the hood grew even sharper.
As the woman’s hand moved toward her sword, Robin stepped between them.
“You. What’s your problem?”
“Calm down. I saw it too. You there, you did this, didn’t you?”
He lightly bumped the man’s side as he brushed past him. The man wore a confused expression—only for a mont.
When he saw the wallet now gripped in Robin’s hand, his face drained of color.
In that brief instant, Robin had slit the man’s inner pocket with a dagger and retrieved the wallet.
“There’s your evidence.”
“Y-You bastard!”
The man tried to flee, but the woman did not let him.
In an instant, she grabbed his wrist and twisted it.
“Aaaaargh!”
“I’ll cut this wrist off for you.”
Shing.
As the woman drew her sword to carry out her words, Robin hurriedly blocked her.
Clang! With the sound of steel being stopped, the woman looked up at Robin.
“Stop interfering and go your way.”
“You’re drawing a sword in the middle of the city. Are you in your right mind?”
“Mind your own business.”
When the woman refused to back down, Robin kicked the man away.
“Are you so noble? What gives you the nerve?”
“What if I am?”
He faltered at the unexpected answer.
If this woman truly was a noble, it would be best not to get entangled.
But when her hood fell back slightly, he dismissed the possibility.
She was wearing a mask as well—but not just any mask. It was made of bone.
A mask shaped like a human skull.
Looking closely, it was not rely shaped like bone. It was real bone.
“You’re an Arena participant.”
“Aren’t you the sa?”
“If you don’t want to be banned from competing, you’d better be even more careful. The guards will be here soon, so wait.”
At Robin’s admonition, the woman reined in her agitation.
He had not expected her to listen so easily.
Had her reason returned?
The woman stared at Robin intently.
“That voice.”
“Hm?”
“Take off your mask.”
The sudden demand to show his face left him dumbfounded, but it was a request he could not grant.
‘I want to take it off too.’
“How about showing your face first before making demands of others?”
“That would be difficult.”
“I’ll return that answer to you.”
Fweeet! Fweeeet!
Having heard the commotion, the guards were approaching while blowing whistles.
All that remained was to hand over the pickpocket, and it would be over.
“Butcher!”
The woman glanced to the side and pulled her hood back up.
“We’ve t before, haven’t we?”
“Shouldn’t you show your face before saying sothing like that?”
“Don’t you recognize ?”
There was sothing desperate in her voice, and Robin felt a strange sense of familiarity as well.
As he pondered, the woman shook her head.
“That can’t be.”
As the whistle sounds drew closer, she turned her back.
“You’re just leaving? What about the pickpocket?”
The woman disappeared into the congested crowd without answering.
All that remained was the pickpocket clutching his wrist.
“Ughhh….”
If this continued, he would have to give a statent alone.
Unable to remove the mask as he was, he preferred not to get entangled in unnecessary trouble.
Just as the woman had left, Robin also quickly vacated the spot.
There was not much ti left before the Arena began.
With so many witnesses present, he put aside worries about being falsely accused.
‘Trouble already, before it even starts.’
How skilled was that woman?
Perhaps they would face each other in the match.
Thinking he would speak with her a little more next ti they t, he headed toward the Arena.
“The winner is Black Mask!”
Amid cheers following the referee’s declaration, he returned to the waiting room.
The Arena main tournant was conducted in a tournant format, and he had just advanced past the quarterfinals.
Only two matches remained.
The closer it ca to the finals, the higher the caliber of his opponents.
Of course, there had been no one skilled enough to push Robin into a corner.
But that was only up to now.
‘To think my next opponent would be that woman.’
The hooded woman had easily advanced to the semifinals.
From what he had observed during the quarterfinals, it was clear she still had not used her full strength.
Moreover, there was one more familiar face.
‘What is that bastard doing here?’
Nelson, the Vice-Captain of the Third Knight Order.
It had not even been that long since he was injured in Narvik, yet he had participated in the Arena.
Nelson’s next opponent was a Knight from the sa Order.
In truth, it was rare for soone who was not a Knight to reach the semifinals.
‘Will I get the chance to et him?’
When Robin spotted Nelson, he was seized by anticipation.
If he were to face Nelson, this would be a legitimate opportunity to kill him.
Most of the matches ended before one side died, but even if soone died in the middle, it was not a cri.
If the opponent refused to yield, killing them was permitted by the rules.
Since it had co to this, he hoped to et that bastard in the finals.
Smack.
As he lightly slapped both cheeks, his killing intent subsided.
“Hoo. Composure. Composure.”
He left the waiting room to cool his head.
On his way to the common lounge for a short walk.
He stopped when he heard a conversation leaking out from the players’ waiting room.
“Not content with tarnishing the family na, you even raised a rebel. Have you no sha?”
The owner of the reproachful voice was Nelson.
“With His Majesty the Emperor observing the finals, this will truly be sothing to see.”
Two keywords he could not ignore had just co up.
A rebel and the Emperor.
“It is not too late even now. Please return to the family.”
There was no reply to the coaxing voice.
“Do you intend to remain as the disgrace of the Grimbard family?”
It was such a one-sided conversation that one wondered if there was even soone listening.
Nelson asked while suppressing his frustration, but the other party remained silent.
“Think carefully. If I encounter the rebel you raised, I have no intention of ending it simply.”
“And who do you think will end whom.”
An aged voice finally responded.
Though the voice was faint and mixed with ragged breathing, it continued clearly.
“I taught him everything I have.”
“Everything…?”
“Nelson Grimbard. You should worry about yourself so you are not devoured.”
“You will be held accountable for those words.”
The conversation ended there.
Robin hurried on his way.
The surna Grimbard implied that Nelson was a noble.
And from the context, the old man he had been speaking to also seed to be a mber of the Grimbard family.
As he sat in a corner of the lounge, replaying the conversation in his mind, Nelson approached.
“Black Mask. I was deeply impressed by your swordsmanship.”
For a mont, he wondered if he had noticed the eavesdropping, but that did not seem to be the case.
“You look familiar. Have we t sowhere before?”
“I wonder. If it were a steadfast Knight like Sir Nelson, there is no way I would fail to rember.”
“Ha ha! My apologies. Perhaps it is because of the sa hair color. It reminded
of a troubleso fellow.”
‘That would be .’
After responding appropriately, the bastard began rambling about things no one had asked him about, as if he were amused.
“I recently visited Narvik. It is a beautiful city.”
“By any chance, are you the one ntioned in the report about subjugating a Lich in the Uncharted Area, Sir Nelson?”
“Hm? You are quite well-inford.”
“Isn’t rumor faster than words?”
Perhaps pleased at being recognized, Nelson laughed unpleasantly.
“They say so Adventurer played a role, but that must be a false rumor.”
“You truly know the details well?”
“The instance of Sir Nelson throwing himself forward to block the Lich’s attack will beco an example for Knights everywhere.”
“You flatter . I rely did what had to be done.”
To take pride in being turned into a at shield.
And to speak as if he had done it of his own will—he wondered if the man had a tendency to lie.
“Even if you were beaten into a bloody pulp because of it, had it not been for you, Sir Nelson, the Knight Order would have suffered heavy losses.”
“Y-Yes, I suppose so?”
“Your spirit of sacrifice, writhing disgracefully and wandering on the brink of death, was chivalry itself.”
Nelson looked at Robin as if asuring sothing.
‘Was that too much?’
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
Nelson suddenly burst into laughter.
Perhaps he had not yet recovered from the aftereffects of being struck by the Lich.
“It has been a long ti since I t a true swordsman. What is your na?”
“Black Mask.”
“No, not a nickna. Your real na.”
“I apologize. By my master’s strict order, I cannot reveal it. I ask for your understanding.”
Nelson did not press further.
“I hope to see you in the finals.”
“I will do my best.”
“Good. The semifinals will begin shortly, so you should head in.”
Nelson remained where he stood, watching Robin walk toward the waiting room.
For a mont, Robin wondered if his identity had been exposed, but even if it had, it did not matter.
He had committed no cri.
“The semifinals will begin shortly! Spectators who have not yet taken their seats, please hurry!”
The attendants’ announcent rang out cheerfully.
A knock sounded at the waiting room door, and it opened.
“Black Mask, are you ready?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
At the end of the long corridor lay a spacious circular arena.
With a diater of 50 ters, it was large enough to accommodate countless spectators.
When he reached the center, he saw the woman he had encountered that morning.
“The long-awaited semifinals! Who will win?!”
At the host’s voice, the spectators erupted in wild cheers.
This truly made him feel like a gladiator.
“Is it a coincidence that both competitors wear masks? Butcher and Black Mask! One of them will advance to the finals! It has been a long ti since a swordsman who is not a Knight has reached the finals!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
Contrary to her nickna, the woman called Butcher displayed refined swordsmanship.
To the untrained eye, it might have seed ordinary, but Robin could tell she was far from average.
To use only the exact amount of strength necessary was a level attainable only through countless hours of training.
“You—why is your nickna Butcher?”
“I use my sword roughly.”
“It didn’t look that way at all.”
“You’ll see.”
Her words sounded as though she had a hidden card up her sleeve.
“Sorry, but I have no personal feelings. I have to win.”
“You speak as if you have already won.”
“Yeah. I will win.”
Shing.
The two drew their swords simultaneously.
The tips of their blades, aid at each other, did not waver.
“The light-footed Butcher and the restrained Black Mask! Their match begins now!”
Clang!
The mont it began, Butcher’s sword and Robin’s sword collided.
A contest of strength without a single step of retreat.
The Arena semifinal had begun.
Reviews
All reviews (0)