Ch. 87 - Wook's Teahouse

“His nickname in the arena…” Calyx trailed off.

When you think of an arena, the image that usually comes to mind is a mindless battlefield filled with rough and sweaty men. Their nicknames were similarly boorish, like Fighting Mutt, Nail Collector, Executioner, and many others.

“You must wonder why it sounds so easy-going. Almost weak even, right?” Alter asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s just what it sounds like, okay. That guy received his nickname because he only knows how to get hit like a scarecrow. His fighting skills are poor, but he’s said to have good stamina. His odds of winning are low, but he sometimes earns a decent profit by landing a lucky blow. He’s not that bad, basically the kind of fighter you can see everywhere.”

“Any chance he’s actually a good fighter and a better actor?”

Alter laughed. Buried in the noise of the arena, it was barely discernable. Alter shook his head and then patted Calyx’s shoulder.

“Of course there is!”

Usually, after such a question, ‘No’ was the expected response. Calyx frowned after hearing an unexpected answer.

Alter grumbled, “Ah, I’m not a mage, so how should I know? I can’t look inside him. That’s why I marked it with a triangle. Young Lord shouldn’t expect much, either. Greedy people get stomachaches.”

“This bastard speaks so well…”

Calyx replied in a choked voice, suppressing his rage, while Alter laughed.

“Even if we’re not sure about his identity, are you sure there was no match-fixing involved? Is he pretending to lose so he can win big when the bets are against him? Having been doing this for over ten years, he must have made quite a bit of money tricking people,” Calyx continued.

“Even if that’s so, the point is that he doesn’t leave Vista. The reason fighters and mercenaries stay in Vista is because of money. Once they gain it, most of them leave this dangerous border area… But, Gilred doesn’t.”

“I suppose…” Calyx muttered.

“There must be a reason why he can’t leave,” Alter finished.

“Yeah, why would he risk staying here instead of going to Balta? Is it because he doesn’t have enough courage to leave the mage community within Vista…?”

“That’s a possibility.”

“There’s a leap in this logic, though. I don’t know exactly where, so we’ll have to see first,” Calyx said decisively.

“Wooooaah!” The crowd roared.

A mixture of screams and shouts arose as a fighter threw Little Finger out of the arena. The guy received the nickname ‘Little Finger’ because he cut off his opponent’s little finger whenever he won. It’s an illegal arena, after all. Unfortunately, this defeat left him unable to amputate his opponent’s little finger.

It was Scarecrow’s turn to go up.

“Gilred is a rising legend. Why is the other guy called One-Eyed Carter? Because every time he wins, the enemy will only be able to look up at him with one eye…”

‘They are crazy.’ Calyx shook his head.

“Gilred will probably win. He always wins against opponents that inflict permanent bodily damage like One-Eyed and Little Finger.”

At that moment, Calyx made eye contact with Scarecrow Gilred. In this chaos full of people, Gilred’s eyes stared straight at Calyx as if listening to Alter and Calyx’s conversation. 

Calyx slowly dropped the gaze he had placed on Gilred onto his feet. In this distant location where dozens of people shouted and cursed…

‘…Could it be that he’s listening in on us? At this distance?’

Gilred’s gaze, which had touched him for a while, made him foresee something. Finally, Calyx was able to circle the large triangle.

***

“Goodness gracious, welcome!”

Gilred had a shaky expression. The man who opened the door was too bright and cheerful.

Gilred had obtained information about the two suspicious men from colleagues at the arena. It’s his first time seeing those two. 

‘They’ve been doing research on me in advance. Suspecting I’m a mage and even noticing the match-fixing. How did they conclude that there’s match-fixing in an illegal arena? With such clever minds, they could’ve been great writers, and in addition to being smart, they also seem like good people.’

Among those secretly looking for these ‘beings’ called ‘mages’, or ‘demons’ in Vista, how many people are willing to search in such a beastly place? Even so, Gilred didn’t like being caught weak and unaware in such a tiresome matter, so he was ready to get blood on his hands.

“Come in. Would you like something to eat?”

Again, the man was too bright.

Gilred quickly scanned the room. There was no sign of anyone other than the two of them. He then took a few steps inside. The sound of the door closing behind him was loud.

Another man was sitting in a chair. He pulled his hood further down his face so that only his nose and mouth were barely visible. The man got up from his chair, and Gilred looked at him intently, keeping his muscles tight with tension.

The man had calluses from holding a sword, but he wasn’t like the kind of mercenary you see on the streets. His straight back and atmosphere gave him a sense of elegance that is hard to find in a back alley like this.

‘Is he a noble…?’

Gilred clicked his tongue secretly.

“I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly.”

“…It’s no problem. Tell me what this is about.”

The man slowly pulled the laces on his hood. As he watched the lazy action of taking off the hood, folding it neatly, and placing it on the side of the sofa, Gilred’s eyes opened. Black hair and sharp, green eyes: everyone knows whose appearance matches these traits.

“Cute Cal!”

Calyx’s expression contorted wildly. Having rolled around for several years in the arena and seeing all kinds of vicious faces, Gilred still shuddered.

“… It’s Calyx Radwiell.”

“Ah. Alright. M-Mister Calyx? Sir?”

“Call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Gilred humbly repeated Calyx’s name. ‘Calyx. Right. That’s his name. The heir of Count Radwiell and the blood relative of the demon, whose name has spread throughout the continent. He is widely known in Vista for being wealthy, handsome, cute, and even kind.’

But… for the focus of such exaggerated rumors… Gilred was not impressed. He would admit that Calyx was handsome, but it was difficult to recall the word ‘kind’ looking at those sharp eyes. Also, he couldn’t see Calyx’s “cuteness”. Gilred then thought that he could not trust the rumors.

“Ah, sure, Mister Calyx. My name is Gilred.”

“Let’s sit down first.”

Gilred looked calmer compared to before. Instead of looking at Calyx like an enemy, his eyes searched for his opponent’s motives. All of this was thanks to the Radwiell name that circulated throughout the continent. The story of Rosaline spread like a legend or a heroic story to the demons living in hiding, and its influence was still evident.

“I’m sorry that my circumstances have led to an unwanted approach on your end.”

“I… No, is it because I’m a demon? May I ask why you are looking? Honestly, I have no idea why you are looking for me. Aren’t you the closest person to a demon already?”

Calyx carefully chose his words. He could have created countless fancy excuses. Moreover, the person in front of him is a paragon of the lower classes, who live in back alleys without receiving a proper education. He could spout some believable words, but… 

Somehow, it wasn’t easy. So instead of sweet words, what escaped from Calyx’s mouth was bitter. He smiled.

“I need you.”

“Why do you need me?”

“To be prepared. Just in case.”

“Just in case of what?”

Calyx tapped the table with his finger and stared at his reflection on the smooth table surface: tap, tap, tap. The finger, which had been making a steady sound, stopped. The silence was heavy.

“War.”

Gilred groaned. The Vista Fortress is crowded. Was there a person in the taverns in the alleyways who wasn’t well aware of the possibility of war? However, there’s a difference between the word ‘war’ spat by drunkards with yellow teeth and untidy beards and the word ‘war’ spoken by the heir of Radwiell.

Calyx took a sip of tea and continued the conversation.

“The proposal I am making is for you and any other mages you know. I will never force you to agree, and you will not be penalized for refusal. I swear by my sister’s name.”

***

It was difficult for apprentices from Roots to catch the eyes of senior knights unless they were very skilled. If they only had decent abilities, knights would choose to take in children from close or generous families.

Meanwhile, under Rosaline, there were two knights from Roots. So, it was only natural that her friends and fellow senior knights treated her as an ignorant little child.

As she walked down the hallway, Rosaline met Pardict.

“Hey, Rosaline.”

“Parpar.”

The two bumped their fists. It was the greeting that Pardict had taught her.

“They say you took in someone from Roots again. Are you a collector? Why the hell did you pick him?”

Rosaline pondered momentarily.

“Because he’s cute.” 

Pardict stared at her foolishly for a moment before nodding his head.

“Well… There’s nothing I can do about it then…”