Episode 56.
By the time the inn came into view, Messiah was waiting for us outside the inn.
“Messiah!”
The Messiah has come to us urgently.
The Messiah approached Ephinia and checked every part of Ephinia’s body.
“Are you feeling well?”
“huh. It’s okay.”
“Huu… that’s good.”
Messiah looked at Ephinia without saying anything.
“I think it would be better to have an escort with you from now on.”
“I couldn’t help it because the devil did it this time. I’m a high-level sword expert, so what sort of escort do I need?”
Messiah shaking his head.
“There is no guarantee that this will not happen again. I’ll tell Amis-sama, so you know.”
“to···.”
“I’d like you to refrain from sneaking out like this in the future.”
I also stood by the side.
“I also think the Messiah is right. There is such a thing as an identity.”
“okay···.”
Just in case, I decided to take Ephinia to the imperial palace this time.
On the way to take Ephinia to the imperial family, Ephinia had to constantly listen to Messiah’s nagging.
Then I went back to the inn and wrote a letter to Patrick again.
‘You’re lucky. Since he said he was coming slowly, he probably hasn’t started yet.’
I wrote a letter asking Patrick to bring me the book I got from slaying the Ancient Snake when I came to the Empire.
***
Messiah came to me
“The next opponent has been decided.”
The match was finally caught.
“Who is your opponent?”
“This is Paya, ranked 7th in the gladiator rankings. It turned out that the state had recently risen to the highest level of Sword Expert.”
Ranked 7th.
Suddenly, the opponent’s ranking went up a lot.
“I heard that you will find a suitable opponent. It has risen.”
“While Cassias wasn’t playing, he played a toner-heavy match and proved his skills.”
I realized why my opponent’s skills improved so much.
Toner must have proved his level by showing off his skills to the fullest.
I defeated such a toner with a single knife.
“Is it because of the toner? No, thanks.”
I played the previous two games, but it was not fun to do so.
It was thrilling just to hear the cheers of the crowd.
There was no fun in the game itself.
“As expected, I have to be with someone on my equal footing to improve my skills.”
Of course, it cannot be said that they are equal.
My next opponent, Paya, has recently reached the highest level, so it is not equal to me, who has reached the level of mastery.
However, I have no doubt that it will give me fun as it is the best.
“What weapon does that Paya use?”
“It’s called a whip.”
whip?
From nob le mt l. co m
Not a common weapon.
“Paya is a mercenary who went all the way to diamond mercenary.”
It was said that they were from the same mercenary, so they had a good feeling.
“In addition, you worked as a mercenary in the Free City that you were asking for like Cassias.”
“what···?”
this is amazing
I’d never heard of someone like Paya.
“Then he became skeptical about the mercenary work and became a gladiator.”
“wait for a sec···?”
I’ve never heard of Paya, but I’ve seen people like it.
Just a person who uses a whip like paya.
It was Ana.
‘Ana was the person who dealt with me along with Patrick.’
I remember it being quite difficult.
“Do you know that you know?”
“Hmm… that’s a name I’ve never heard of before.”
Messiah pointed to the paper in his hand and said.
“Isn’t it written about Ana there?”
“doesn’t exist.”
Then it would be a person who has nothing to do with it.
First, I decided to head to the training ground.
It is to think of how to deal with the opponent if he uses a whip.
***
The moderator started introducing me and paya. After my introduction, I moved on to the introduction of Paya.
“This is Paya, who is ranked 7th in the gladiator rankings.”
A concise introduction.
However, the reaction of the audience was enthusiastic. That alone was enough to realize Paya’s popularity.
I said to Paya.
“Please give me a hand.”
“I’d like one too, please.”
As soon as the match started, Paya, contrary to my expectations, approached me brandishing a whip.
I swung my sword with the intention of cutting off the whip, but the whip was tough.
An unbreakable whip tried to wrap around my sword.
“Eutcha!”
I fell back and stopped the sword from getting entangled.
However, I was busy avoiding Paya’s whip that was still running towards me.
‘It’s difficult…’
I don’t know what it’s made of, but the whip didn’t break.
When I tried to block it, the whip entwined or bent the sword and aimed at me.
‘Rather than that, I can’t do anything because I’m worried about the other hand.’
He has a whip wrapped around one hand and is swinging the whip with the other.
Thanks to that, he was inducing close combat with a shortened whip.
“You are very technical.”
A few battles, to be exact, I only avoided the whip.
I had the illusion that the length of the whip was constantly changing.
The reason was the hand wrapped around the whip.
“You adjust the length of the whip by loosening or tightening it. You are amazing.”
“You’ll find out right away.”
I tried to look for a gap, but I couldn’t find it. The speed of the whip was insanely fast.
In order to widen the distance, he put mana into it and immediately flew it to Paya.
Paya whipped around the mana mass I threw and threw it into the sky.
In the meantime, I increased the distance with Paya.
“Fuuu… that’s hard.”
There was a lull for a while. Paya spoke to me.
“You worked in the Free City you were asking for.”
“Yes, that’s right. Paya, I heard that you also worked in the Free City you were asking for.”
That’s how it was written in the information the Messiah brought me.
Paya nodded.
“Then do you know a kid named Ana?”
“yes···?”
Know.
“You can see the reaction. How is the child doing?”
“yes. But what are you doing?”
“This is a child I taught a little bit. We will talk about the rest after the game.”
I took a stance.
That whip is the problem. It will come close to me again.
‘then···.’
As expected, Paya approached me brandishing a whip.
I blocked the flying whip with my sword. The tip of the whip coming towards me as it coiled itself around the sword.
But it stopped.
Paya started to panic. I tried to retrieve the whip, but it’s stuck to my sword.
“What is this…?”
The whip bounced off as if something hit a wall. My sword and the whip that won’t come off.
But I didn’t use telekinesis.
From nob le mt l. co m
No, to be precise, I released the telekinesis I had been using until now.
‘This isn’t telekinesis.’
Because of the telekinesis, the threads of the exorcism sword came out the moment he swung the sword.
And the moment the whip and the thread met, they got tangled.
I drew the sword towards me.
“going!”
Paya, who did not let go of the whip until the end, flew towards me while floating in the air.
And I threw away my sword and clenched my fists.
“Crash the regime!”
I shouted the technical name excitedly. My fist dug into Paya’s stomach, and Paya collapsed with a stoop.
The host next to him announced the end of the match.
The third victory came to me.
‘But I’m going to face the champion before ten matches?’
Having beaten 7th place in the rankings, there are only 5 players left, excluding the champion.
At first, I gave up on this idea.
The emcee announced my victory, and I enjoyed the victory while listening to the cheers of the crowd.
After that, Paya came to visit me while I was resting in the waiting room.
“You are a very talented person.”
“hahahaha, what is it?”
“As expected, not everyone gets a black rank. Besides, it seems that there is something hidden.”
That’s the answer. I don’t mean to say that honestly.
“You said you knew Ana by the way, right?”
“Yes, when I promoted the diamond mercenary, my opponents were Patrick and Ana.”
Paya smiles brightly.
Despite her age, she has the same smile as a young girl.
“Anna… and Patrick. Are you still on bad terms?”
“yes···?”
“Patrick is a child who is indifferent to everything, and I care very much about him as Ana.”
“But why are you on bad terms?”
“Originally, if you pay attention, there will be a lot of nagging. That’s why Ana has been nagging Patrick ever since she was little.”
It was the first time I had heard of it.
It’s my opinion, but I also thought that it was Ana’s plan that Patrick accidentally met Ana.
“okay.”
“Because I’m a friend of Patrick’s adoptive father, I told Ana to take care of Patrick.”
Patrick’s adoptive father?
if···.
“You mean Patrick’s adoptive father, Oud?”
“Uh, do you know Odd?”
“I heard from Patrick.”
The man who saved Patrick from danger. Even though he was a gold grade mercenary, he single-handedly defeated an ogre.
“yes? Is it Patrick?”
“yes.”
“That can’t be… Patrick wouldn’t like to talk about himself.”
I thought that the Patrick I experienced and the Patrick that Paya experienced were different.
“is it so? I was told by Patrick himself.”
“Patrick, he seems to have changed a lot too.”
“Is that right? The Patrick I saw seemed a little secretive, but basically he seemed bright.”
Paya nodded several times.
“As expected, people change.”
“And Patrick is now my pupil.”
“yes···?”
Paaya was surprised for a moment, but soon agreed.
“If you are that skilled, you only have two disciples. But this is just a coincidence. To accept Patrick as a disciple.”
“hahahaha···.”
Maybe this person knows.
“Do you know where Aether disappeared?”
“That’s because I… left suddenly.”
“yes···?”
“I just left a letter and left.”
What did you write in the letter?
“Did you not say anything to Patrick?”
“If there was anything written on it, I gave it to Patrick.”
That’s right.
“It was written so strangely that it was difficult to tell Patrick.”
What is the strange content?
“Could I possibly know the contents of the letter?”
“He said something embarrassing, as if he had reached puberty late.”
It’s an embarrassing word.
I couldn’t contain my curiosity.
“Because he wrote that he would come and see the world with his own eyes.”
“What do you mean?”
“At the beginning of the letter, he said something unknown, and it was written like that at the end. He said he would come and see me, and he will come someday.”
It was something I couldn’t understand either.
“Certainly it’s ambiguous to tell Patrick.”
It was just vague words.
“But if we meet again someday, I will give you a slap in the back of the head.”
“hahahaha. why? Because of your sudden departure?”
“No, it’s revenge for leaving a little guy in his prime. Without flinching.”
“That’s an interesting story.”
I couldn’t know much through paya, but a new relationship continued.
“If I ever get involved again, I won’t be so vain this time.”
“yes. I will expect.”
So Paya left, and I headed to the inn.
I was curious about the recent situation of Odd, who left without saying anything, but I had an unfounded idea that I would meet him someday.
‘Surprisingly, I mean.’
When I arrived at the inn, Messiah came out to meet me.
I faced such a Messiah with a smile.