Page 198

(Walson)

"Whirlwind Red Lotus Hammer!"

In the center of the arena, a heavily-armored warrior effortlessly swung a massive warhammer, creating a whirlwind of flames that swept through the arena. The mounds of earth in the arena were reduced to rubble.

The fiery ring formed by the high-speed rotation of the hammer charged through the arena, causing the goblins who were the "training" targets to panic and flee. However, in this confined space, there was nowhere for them to escape.

Their inevitable fate was to become exhausted and transform from single goblins into multiple piles or a scattered mess of goblins.

Within the "Genesis of Civilization: Labyrinth of Flame - 2nd Floor," in the more frontline area of this massive labyrinth, there existed a naturally occurring arena.

With a vast stage, stone seating that could accommodate ten thousand spectators, and a sturdy barrier to prevent any harm to the audience, the origins of these structures, which date back to an unknown time, were still being studied by scholars dedicated to "Labyrinthology."

Well... these things were probably the work of the Elemental Guardian of Fire, right? It's not difficult to understand the scholars' curiosity, as the existence of the Seven Elemental Guardians is almost unknown to the world.

Among the more famous ones are probably the goddess Vantinom, secretly known as Lumin the Elemental Guardian of Light to the world, and the elven ancient God of Wisdom, Dokain, whom Barella briefly mentioned.

I stood in a inconspicuous corner of the arena, observing the "training" that was taking place inside.

"So many talented individuals," Derisha also silently watched, and she spoke softly.

"Well, they are adventurers from all over the world... it seems that the temptation of [Inferno Aurum] is quite powerful," I nodded, while trying to move my right hand.

However, Derisha's slender jade hand that was gripping my fingers remained unmoved. Although she held me tightly, it didn't hurt; it was a gentle yet overwhelmingly dominant force.

...Ever since we arrived at the training ground and Derisha started acting like this, it seemed that she felt somewhat competitive after seeing how close Mitty and Dean were. Just like how I felt earlier, she seemed to have the urge to prove herself.

Finally, after entering the venue with our tickets and blending into the crowd, we found ourselves in our current situation.

I tried to search for the presence of Barella, Melon, and Derisha in the vast arena. However, even with my detailed [Mini-map], I couldn't make out anything from the sea of people. Furthermore, this venue extended well beyond the 100-meter range of my scanning ability, so it was futile to continue searching.

Initially, I didn't quite understand why our entire group's seats were scattered. However, upon further reflection on the purpose of this training ground event and the potential situations we might encounter due to our identities, it made sense.

Looking at the adventurers in the arena, all of them were going all out to slaughter the goblins. The question is, why exert so much effort to fight weak monsters?

The answer was quite obvious: to showcase their strength, but also to intimidate.

Today, an adventurer from out of town arrived in this unfamiliar labyrinth city. To gain the favor of other adventurers, they needed to demonstrate their power. After all, no one could guarantee that there wouldn't be any variables inside the labyrinth after the anomaly occurred.

Another point was to intimidate those with ill intentions. As the saying goes, "where there are trees, there will be dead branches." This large-scale investigation team had hundreds of members, and having this kind of security was necessary.

Our current situation, being seated separately, was to avoid drawing attention. Derisha, Melon, Barella, and I were all individuals who had once saved the capital and temporarily retained noble titles. Additionally, Derisha was a princess herself. Whether it was any one of us, being discovered during exploration could potentially lead to trouble.

However, now that I was being led by Derisha like this, as a qualified male, I should respond appropriately.

With that in mind, I gently held Derisha's hand and responded by rubbing it softly.

"Thank you," I said.

"Hmm?" Derisha tilted her head slightly, puzzled about the reason for my thanks.

"No– I was just thinking– It's really great that the one who has been with me all this time is you," I stuttered a bit.

After saying it out loud, I realized that I wasn't very good at sweet-talking, and I rarely expressed such emotions to others.

"Sud– suddenly, what are you saying..." Derisha's cheeks flushed, and she swayed her body uncertainly.

It seemed like I suddenly understood the feeling of couples who were always showing affection in public. Even though we were in a noisy arena, the surrounding sounds seemed to be blocked out as if they didn't exist.

Seeing Dean and Mitty's interactions, perhaps I had come to realize something. I wanted to cherish the people around me even more.

"Hehe..." Seeing Derisha's shy reaction, I couldn't help but laugh and released her hand.

A pure silver ring was now on Derisha's ring finger.

"What is this?" Derisha was curious about the ring that had suddenly appeared on her finger.

"Well, it's a gift– It's sort of a way to express my appreciation for my 'respected and beautiful lady wife,' you know?" I chuckled.

I hadn't often given such girly things to Derisha and the others in the past. It felt like I had been a failure in that regard until today.

Although in this world, rings didn't carry that kind of meaning, for me, it was different. How should I put it? I probably felt that I should make more commitments.

"Stop it, who's your wife?" Derisha finally reacted and turned her head away, but she couldn't help but smile.

This wasn't the reaction I expected.

"So, is that a yes then?" I awkwardly scratched the back of my head.

"Well– Walson, what do you think of Aure?" Instead of answering me directly, Derisha asked a somewhat random question.

"Huh? Barella?"

"Recalling everything up until now, what kind of relationship do you think you have with Aure?"

"We're close friends who can talk about anything," I replied.

"Is it just that?" Hearing my answer, Derisha showed a somewhat subtle look of helplessness.

Wait– did I say something wrong!?

Derisha didn't seem interested in continuing the conversation in that direction. She simply stood up, and it seemed that the martial demonstrations in the arena had ended at some point.

"No matter what decision you make, I'll always be by your side, but... I hope that no one will cry with sadness," Derisha said as she took my hand and prepared to leave the venue, following the crowd. However, she suddenly remembered something and stopped in her tracks, then turned back.

My cheek seemed to have been gently pecked by something.

"Thank you. I really like this ring," she whispered with a light kiss and then led me away from the square.

...

To my surprise, as soon as we left the venue, a group of people blocked our path.

"I never expected to see you here, Grace. Are you here seeking [Inferno Aurum] too?"

"Ah, Krya-senpai."