Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 292

294

“Incredible! The God Knights have achieved a perfect victory, winning 3 and drawing 1 against the weaker Rush Dogs team at home. Who would believe this team was only promoted this year!”

The Rima City Colosseum roared with cheers from 85,000 fans. The home team, God Knights, had secured a victory in their opening match with a thrilling offensive display.

Although today’s opponent, the Rush Dogs, was a team struggling near the bottom of the league, the God Knights were a newly promoted team themselves. Earning 3 points against a team fighting to avoid relegation felt even more satisfying than winning against a strong contender.

The fans celebrated today’s victory by showering the stadium with confetti, waving their cheering tools enthusiastically.

After politely acknowledging the fans’ support, Beom-seok returned to the dugout with a satisfied smile. He was pleased that more fans than expected had come to support them.

Given that season ticket sales were approximately 45,000, it meant that about 40,000 fans had purchased general admission tickets today. This translated to over 34 million Krang [currency in this world] after taxes in a single day, and he couldn’t help but feel proud of their growing revenue.

‘As expected of the Central League. The income is no joke.’

Beom-seok had earned 233 million Krang from the recent additional sales of 23,000 season tickets. Adding this to the existing funds and today’s income, the God Knights’ total funds amounted to 346.3 million Krang.

Although they had a debt of 100 million Krang, it seemed they could afford to purchase a decent gladiator with the general admission ticket revenue from the first half of the league matches. If they did, their strength would increase, and the God Knights would become an even more formidable team.

Returning to his bench, Beom-seok took off his helmet and looked at Diana, the coach.

“Diana, you’ve worked hard.”

“Not at all. You’re the one who worked hard, Master.”

Indeed, if one were to single out today’s star performer, it would be Beom-seok. He participated in the 3rd round and defeated 8 opposing gladiators, laying the foundation for victory. Thanks to this, the other God Knights gladiators were able to overwhelm the Rush Dogs based on their numerical advantage.

“Heh heh. Okay.”

Beom-seok now looked at Remy, who was assisting Diana from the side. He had a favor to ask.

“Remy, today, lead the team back to the training camp. I have somewhere urgent to go with Diana.”

“Where to?”

“I’m going to Mayron City. The Dark Hyenas and Chaplin Whisper team are going head-to-head in their opening match in an hour. I’m going to scout their strength.”

She seemed to understand now, her questioning expression fading. Recently, Beom-seok had consistently shown interest in the match between Zakiid of the Dark Hyenas and Amelie of the Chaplin Whisper team, even discussing it in the bedroom. It seemed clear that he was going to watch their match, which would take place shortly.

“Ah. But what about the press conference that’s about to start? The reporters will be quite disappointed if the coach and today’s MVP are absent.”

Beom-seok made a troubled expression at those words. If both he and the coach were absent from the press conference after the opening match, there was a high probability that problems would arise. Certainly, one of him and Diana had to stay and deal with the reporters.

Shaking his head as if he couldn’t help it, Beom-seok looked at Diana.

“Diana. It looks like you’ll have to stay. It’ll be a headache if the reporters get upset.”

Diana nodded, thinking the same thing. Frankly, she could watch the Dark Hyenas and Chaplin Whisper team’s opening match on video.

“Yes. I understand. Then I’ll attend the press conference.”

“Okay. I’m counting on you.”

Beom-seok took out his wallet and picked up the tickets that were tucked inside. It was too wasteful to just throw one of these away. The opening match between the Dark Hyenas and Chaplin Whisper team was so popular that a single ticket was being sold for over 20,000 Krang on auction sites.

“It’s a waste to just throw these away… Tickets for the Dark Hyenas and Chaplin Whisper team’s opening match are very expensive.”

Jessomina, who was packing her things nearby, reacted to his mumbling.

“Senior. Can I go?”

“You?”

“Yes. There’s someone I want to support.”

Beom-seok tilted his head slightly. He doubted that Jessomina had someone she wanted to support to the point of using honorifics.

Among the gladiators of the Dark Hyenas and Chaplin Whisper team, the only humans were Zakiid and Rebecca, and Rebecca’s participation was uncertain as she had been relegated to the reserves. If so, there was only one person Jessomina could be supporting.

“You, you. Don’t tell me… are you interested in Coach Vincent? No matter how desperate you are for a man, that won’t do! How big is the age gap!”

Jessomina, her face reddening, exclaimed.

“No, I wouldn’t be interested in Coach Vincent! And who goes to support the coach!”

“Really? Then who are you going to support?”

She composed herself and answered quietly.

“My Grand Senior Brother.”

“Grand Senior Brother?”

“Yes. I heard from him recently. He said that my Grand Senior Brother joined the Dark Hyenas and is participating in the opening match.”

Beom-seok, his eyes wide, stammered.

“S, surely. Zakiid is your Grand Senior Brother?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

He blinked and said reproachfully.

“But why didn’t you say anything until now?”

“You should have asked. And I only recently found out that my Grand Senior Brother left the dojang [martial arts training hall] and joined the Dark Hyenas team.”

“I guess I never asked.”

Jessomina, who had finished packing, said regretfully.

“Anyway, it’s so unfortunate.”

“What is?”

“Actually, my Grand Senior Brother was going to come to me to join a professional gladiator team. I guess he was going to ask for help since I’m a professional gladiator. But on the way, he took the wrong high-speed flying bus and got off at Senoside. Then, while he was distracted, all his luggage was pickpocketed, and he became a lost child. Fortunately, he met a Hyenas Group official who was passing by and became indebted to him.”

“So?”

“What do you mean? If he had come to me then, I could have had him join the God Knights instead of the Dark Hyenas. My Grand Senior Brother is an excellent swordsman, so if he joined the team, it would only be a matter of time before the God Knights became the strongest team.”

Beom-seok breathed a sigh of relief at those words. He didn’t know how skilled Zakiid was, but he was a dark-skinned man. If Jessomina had brought him and requested his admission, he would have been in a very difficult situation. Beom-seok had no intention of letting a man into the God Knights.

“Ahem. Well, you can contact him by phone. Why didn’t he ask you for help and went to the Dark Hyenas?”

“Hehehe. Actually, my Grand Senior Brother is a very skilled swordsman, but he’s even more absent-minded than that. That’s why the master scolded him almost every day. But he was immediately hit with such a thing as soon as he went out into society with a hopeful heart. Of course, he couldn’t help but be scared. He knew that if the master found out about it, he would call him back to the dojang, saying that his mental training was not enough.”

“What a strange person. Hehehe. But my dear junior, don’t you have a ticket? He wouldn’t have failed to give you a ticket, especially since he’s your Grand Senior Brother.”

Jessomina made an embarrassed expression.

“That’s… the team gave him about 20 day tickets, but he forgot and sold them all on the auction site.”

“Seriously. No matter how absent-minded he is, he sold even the tickets for his junior?”

“Sigh~ I can’t help it. I have to understand since that’s how he is.”

Beom-seok, having roughly understood the situation, nodded. It would be awkward to go alone anyway, so it didn’t seem bad to go with Jessomina to manage her favorability. Besides, she said she was under the same master as Zakiid. He could discuss various questions about his swordsmanship with her, so it would be helpful in many ways.

“Okay. Let’s go together then. It would have been lonely to go alone anyway.”

Jessomina, smiling brightly, slung her sports bag over her shoulder and stood next to Beom-seok.

“Thank you, Senior. I’ll pay for dinner instead.”

“Alright. Then let’s go quickly. No time.”

He quickly packed his bag and hurried away with Jessomina. It would be quick to get to Mayron City by flying car, but they needed to shower and change into going-out clothes, so they needed to hurry.

Afterwards, Beom-seok finished all the preparations and set off for today’s destination.

“Jessomina, let’s go quickly. We’ll be late if we’re not careful.”

Beom-seok, who arrived at the south parking lot of the Mayron City Colosseum, urged Jessomina, who was getting off late.

“Yes. I’m going now.”

She hurriedly followed Beom-seok, who was walking away. But getting in was not easy. Spectators were lining up in an endless queue to enter the stadium. The match was about to start soon. They might miss the first round of the match.

‘This is no joke. Is it because of Amelie?’

Beom-seok had seen this scene once before. It was the day of his duel with Amelie. At that time, many spectators came in anticipation and filled the 110,000-seat Rima City Colosseum. It seemed that a similar situation had occurred today.

Jessomina, looking at the crowd filling the plaza in front of the Colosseum, said with a worried face.

“Senior. What should we do? We’re going to be late.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Should we just cut in line at the entrance?”

She looked at Beom-seok with strange eyes. It was the worst method, but she thought it would be difficult for him too. Security guards were stationed in front of the entrance for safety. If they tried to cut in line, they would likely be taken to the security office immediately.

At that time, a long whistle was heard from the crowd behind the line. A man, disguised like Beom-seok and Jessomina with sunglasses, a hat, and a mask, was being chased by someone with a spotted dog.

Jessomina pointed at him and said.

“If we do that, we might get chased by security guards like that person. Then we might not be able to see today’s game at all.”

Beom-seok, looking at the fugitive running in this direction, scratched his head awkwardly. Since they were somewhat popular, they could face a difficult situation if such a thing happened. For example, it would be very embarrassing if articles such as ‘Gladiator Oh Beom-seok caught cutting in line’ appeared in the media.

“Really? Well, it would be a headache if we got caught by security guards. It would be a great disgrace if our identities were revealed.”

“Yes. I think it’s better to wait quietly in line and enter now.”

“But there might be another way.”

Beom-seok, muttering those words, slipped out to the side of the line. He could catch the fugitive and enter the stadium with the security guard as if he were arresting him. When the guy was close, he quickly ran and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

“You bastard! Where are you running!”

The unidentified man, staggering greatly from the momentum of the run, looked at Beom-seok with sharp eyes. He couldn’t help but resent being caught by an unexpected obstruction. But soon he relaxed his eyes and stopped the spotted dog, which was growling and running to save him.

“Dalma, stop! He’s someone I know!”

Dalma, restrained by his hand, raised his tail and circled around. He was ready to attack at any time, judging by the fierce snorting, but he was only wandering around and not rushing in right now.

Beom-seok looked at the unidentified man with a puzzled look. Unexpectedly, he referred to himself as someone he knew. Besides, Beom-seok was even wearing a simple disguise.

“Who are you? You say you know me?”

“Who else could it be but me.”

The man took off his mask and sunglasses and smiled. It was none other than Julian. Beom-seok, with a bewildered expression, quietly released the arm that had been strangling his neck. He realized that he had made a big mistake. Julian was the leader of the Dark Hyenas, who were playing today’s game, and was not someone who would be chased by security guards.

“No. What are you doing here?”

Julian looked at the security guards emerging from the crowd and quickly took off his hat, sunglasses, and other disguise tools and put them in his arms.

“Something happened. But please pretend to be my companion for a moment. The situation is not good.”

“What situation?”

“You’ll see.”

The elf security guards who appeared next surrounded Julian and Dalma.

“I’m arresting you as a flagrant offender. You were caught selling black market tickets, so you have nothing to say, right?”

He winked at Beom-seok and said to the security guards.

“Hey! What kind of black market dealer am I! I just came to pick up a friend.”

“Don’t lie! Your outfit and the Dalmatian you’re with! You’re definitely the black market dealer we witnessed!”

Beom-seok, giving Julian a strange look, approached the security guard. He didn’t know what was going on, but he thought it would be better to help him. Julian was the leader of the Dark Hyenas team, so he could go in and out of the staff entrance.

“Hey. You guys. Aren’t you mistaken? He’s the new leader of the Dark Hyenas team. He’s not someone who would be a black market dealer.”

“T, that can’t be?”

“That’s right. I guarantee it, I guarantee it like this.”

The security guards, with embarrassed expressions, looked at each other with troubled expressions. If he was really the leader of the Dark Hyenas team, this was a great discourtesy. But this black-haired man could be lying, so they still didn’t let their guard down.

In fact, he was wearing a hat and sunglasses, so he looked very suspicious. He could very well be a colleague of the black market dealer.

“Who are you, guaranteeing it? Please reveal your identity.”

“Hmm. It’s going to get pretty noisy then.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’ll have to reveal it. Otherwise, you’ll be taken to us with that guy.”

Beom-seok, looking around, slightly raised his sunglasses and hat. Then, the crowd, who had been focusing their attention on the unexpected commotion, recognized his identity and shouted loudly and ran over. There was no way that the Highrun gladiator fans wouldn’t recognize Beom-seok, the world’s greatest prospect.

“It’s Gladiator Oh Beom-seok!”

In the end, the security guards who were chasing Julian became escorts, protecting him and Jessomina. If an accident happened, they would be severely reprimanded, so it was inevitable.

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

Have a great week everyone. I’ll see you again tomorrow.