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nSimilar scenes repeated several times. All Erita could do was watch.

nEven my position as the daughter of Grand Duke of Krovachatz could not be carelessly presented and used here in this kind of situation, and I didn’t have the strength to destroy this place alone.

nAs I expected this, I couldn’t help the gruesome hatred budding in my heart at this place which was much more cruel and inhuman than anything I imagined. In a sense of shame, still I couldn’t do anything.

n‘…If I had been a little stronger, I could have saved all these children.’

nThere was only Thane I could pull out of this place.

nI knew that I couldn’t save everyone unless I was God myself, but I didn’t want to face that fact.

nI had to try to suppress the rising anger several times. I wonder if a little more time has passed.

nIntuitively, I sensed that the end of this disgusting deed was soon to come.

n“…Madam.”

nYurgen, who had been sitting next to me without saying a word, suddenly spoke.

n“Who’s the person you must meet here?”

nHis deep voice contained anger and contempt for this situation.

nThat’s right, it reminded me of someone I must meet here.

nAt Yurgen’s words, I thought of the original for a moment.

nAmong those who were Ayla’s people in the original work, there were two people I needed.

nThe first was, needless to say, Yurgen.

nBecause his existence, who led the highest rank in the Empire, was nothing short of essential to me.

nAnd the second person I need and the reason why I came to this disgusting place today.

nI was deeply aware of my current situation where I could only do this, and raised a subdued voice.

n“You’ll see him soon, perhaps in the very last order.”

n“What? I don’t think so.”

nYurgen, who had been wondering for a while, noticed something and looked at the stage where a cruel scene was still unfolding.

nThere was a bear beast facing an orc, about twice the size of an adult male with green skin.

nOf course, the image of completing the it’s beast form was not an adult.

nThis fighting arena was a place for the poor quality play of the rich people.

nDirty place where anything was allowed as long as you paid money.

nIn this fighting arena, it was the number of men who were put forward as opponents of animals and monsters.

nAnd the majority of those were the number of people who were slaves and their descendants when they were allowed to enslave them in the Empire long ago.

nSlavery was now ostensibly abolished, and it’s also prohibited to make several people slaves. However, even in the past, there were a lot of male slaves.

nNow, this arena was operated by exploiting a loophole in the law that only forbids the introduction of new slaves at the time.

nLooking at it, I have to say that it’s not very illegal. It couldn’t have been more vulgar and vicious.

n“…haha.”

nYurgen’s expression hardened a little when he realized that the reason I came here was one of the beasts on the battlefield.

nHe would have known that I didn’t just came here to meet a person, but that I came to make him my own.

n“…But if it’s the way you think, there’s no point in just meeting him.”

nI nodded at Yurgen’s remark.

n“That’s right. This place only makes money under the guise of fighting competitions, and never sells beasts.”

nThe moment you buy and sell the beast, it would be an offensive act to the eyes of the Empire.

n“Then how can we… we can’t escape from here with that beast.”

nThat’s also true…

nEven if I knew how to use magic at a high level, I was still an intermediate-level wizard, and the security guarding the arena of this size must not be that strict.

n“More than that, can you hand me some of the things I told you to prepare?”

nYurgen, who had a piercing expression on his face for a moment at my unwillingness to answer his question, sighed and took something out of his pocket.

nIt was a leather pocket.

n“Here it is. When I went to the place you mentioned, it was really there.”

nI slightly opened the pocket I got from Yurgen. Inside the leather pocket was a jewel of the size of a fist shining brightly.

nI told Yurgen to get it prepared for today.

n“Well, yes.”

n“But really, what do you want to do with this? If you’re going to give this gem to the owner of this place and exchange it for a beast, it would be of no use.”

nYurgen’s voice was full of distrust. And yet, on the surface, it was just a shiny, large jewel.

nThe only thing that’s a little unusual was that when illuminated by moonlight, a deep purple color appears inside the blue gem.

nThis kind of fighting arena of this size must be connected with nobles.

nIt would be absolutely impossible for such a person to be tempted by such jewels and exchange them for a beast who would decorate the last order.

n“It’s not a jewel.”

n“What?”

nOf course, this was just an ordinary jewel on the surface.

nWhen Yurgen asked back, I gently shook my heavy pocket.

n“This is the core left by a monster.”

nTo be precise, it was the nucleus spewed out by a monster known to be extinct, but I didn’t even mention it.

nYurgen, who seemed to have been embarrassed for a moment by my words, quickly adjusted his expression.

nOften the core of some monsters was treated more expensive than a jewel, but it was only a few.

n“I don’t think the owner of this place will be tempted even if it’s the core of a monster.”

nI raised one corner of my lips at Yurgen’s concern and smiled.

nOf course, it would be if it were a normal core, but if the owner of this fighting arena who knew the value of it saw it, the story would be different.

nHe could never refuse the deal I would offer.

nRegardless of the process, the fact that the results are set made me feel relieved.

n“Don’t worry. It will cost the owner more than any other jewel.”

nOf course, this core, which was more valuable than jewels, would drive the owner of this arena to destruction.

nI turned my head, swallowing my last words.

n“Sigh… Indeed, it’s a mysterious person.”

n“What are you talking about?”

nThe conversation between us stopped for a while.

n“Haha, time flies so fast today!”

nThe host appeared in the air again. That meant that now only the last order was left.

n“Then I’ll reveal the one I caught specially for today. I guarantee you won’t be able to see it anywhere except in our fighting arena!”

nAs the host’s voice became louder, the atmosphere among the audience grew stronger.

nFor me, both of them were just disgusting.

n“Today’s last monster is…”

nThe host pointed a finger at a place.

nEveryone’s eyes followed him to the center of the stage.

n“The main character is… an Ogre!”

nAt the same time as that cry, a large iron cage appeared in the empty space.

nRoar!

nAnd a roar of momentum that seemed to tear a large space broke out.

n“Oh my god!”

n“It’s a real Ogre!”

nThe roar stirred up the audience who covered their faces.

nOgres, who live in the deep mountains, boasted a larger size, superior strength, and tough skin than orcs.

nAlthough not very clever, the ogres with overwhelming power were also one of the worries of those who crossed the mountain.

nOf course, if it were a knight who could emit an aura, he might be able to deal with it somehow.

nHowever, it was a different story when a knight who had reached a certain level was armed.

nI bit my lips at the ogre’s appearance.

n“This ogre we’ve specially prepared is a very big and strong guy! One big punch will leave you out of your mind!”

n“Wow! That’s amazing!”

n“I want you to show me the guy you’re going to deal with!”

nAfter a while, the crowd started to scramble to demand the ogre’s opponent.

nEven so, the fact that they even starved the vicious ogres and made them more ferocious did not give them any hesitation.

nFor them, this situation was just an interesting moment of entertainment.

n“Okay, then it’s time for the final hero to appear… A very rare beast that’s the pride of our fighting arena!”

nAt the same time as the host said, cheers erupted from place to place in the audience.

n“I’ve been waiting for a long time!”

nI struggled to suppress the resentment that rose again in response to that reaction.

n“It’s the wolf beast!”

nWhen the host clapped his hands, everyone in the arena followed and an applause resonated in the arena, the door in a corner of the stage opened, and a boy was pushed out by a guard.

nThe child with pine-colored hair was different from what I expected.

n‘…At this time, he’s still small.’

nWhen Thane appeared in the original, he was already an adult.

nAt that time, he was larger than other characters, so I never imagined that Thane would be this small.

nAlso, in the original story, Thane’s past was not dealt with deeply.

nTherefore, I only know that he’s from this fighting arena and would be rescued by Ayla, the female protagonist, five years later.

n‘…The heir of the wolf beast tribe, yet so small.’ Erita bit her lips tightly.

n“Is that a wolf beast?”

nYurgen asked me in a low voice as I was watching Thane confronting the ogre.

n“Is that the boy you wanted to see?”

n“…That’s right.” With a heavy heart, I slowly affirmed.

nIn the past, the beasts were very diverse in their race.

nHowever, the Empire disrespected the beasts, and recklessly captured them and made them slaves.

nAlthough their physical abilities were twice that of humans, the number of beasts gradually decreased because they could not overcome the number of human heads like a swarm of ants.

nEventually, the beasts hid away from the human eye into the deep forest.

nNow, only a few ethnic groups of numbers remained and maintained their existence.

nAnd it was the wolf beasts who led the beasts that remain in this land.

nThane was from a royal family of such wolf beasts.

nWhen I saw Thane, who was small in size, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to leave him if I came earlier, but I regretted that I had only come now.

nFortunately, Yurgen did not ask any further questions.

nHow did I know that Thane was here, and why would I want to take him with me?

nApart from that, Yurgen did not inquire about my numerous secrets.

nFrom my actions that are not appropriate for my age, to my status.

n“Yurgen.” I took a breath and called for Yurgen.

nThe fight between the Ogre and Thane would certainly end with Thane’s victory.

nThane has spent more than ten years in this fighting arena.

nThat meant that the small, weak-looking Thane was strong, but it also meant that I’m still concerned about Thane in this fighting arena.

nSo there was no way that the doomed host would let Thane die or be injured so much that he couldn’t move.

n“I’ll meet the owner of this place soon.”

nAt my words, Yurgen nodded his head with a serious expression on his face.

nThe end of Thane’s turn meant that the time had come for us to face the owner of this place.

nI moisten my dry lips once with my tongue and open my mouth in a low voice.

n“The next time I meet the owner of this damn place, don’t do anything and just watch. Don’t say anything, and just stand behind me.”

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