Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 391

393

The recruitment went smoothly. The coach, who I thought would object due to the league schedule, was either actively cooperating or indifferent.

The Ancient Warriors coach allowed it because he needed to rehabilitate Prisika, who was suffering from mental issues, and Remnant, the coach of the Dark Hyenas, gladly sent his disciple Zakid, hoping he would rise to the top. Vincent, who was aiming for the league championship, showed displeasure but had no choice but to send him.

It wouldn’t make sense if Amelie was missing from a gathering of the world’s strongest gladiators.

“Oppa! Over here!”

As Beom-seok’s flying car landed in the MKKN broadcasting station’s parking lot, Karen waved her arms happily. He opened the car door, got out, and walked towards Karen.

“Karen, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, come on. It’s nothing. You’ve worked so hard for me, I should at least provide this much service. It’s been very helpful to me. And I’ve received a lot of praise from the production team for having a wide network. Hehe.”

Indeed, thanks to him, Karen overcame the difficulty of the program being prematurely terminated. As the promotion that the world’s strongest gladiators were gathering together aired, many gladiator fans visited the bulletin board and responded positively.

If the viewership ratings were decent this time, her co-hosted ‘Let’s Meet Sports Stars’ would continue until next spring. Then, she could feature many big-name sports stars on the show during the winter vacation season and continue to build recognition.

“Okay. I’m glad it helped.”

Karen linked arms with Beom-seok and said,

“Okay, let’s go quickly. The bus to the filming location is waiting.”

“Bus?”

“Yes. We’re filming outdoors.”

“Outdoors where?”

“At Sanoside Citizen’s Sports Park nearby.”

Beom-seok looked at her with a troubled expression. Citizen’s Sports Parks were usually frequented by civilians. There was a risk of suffering from the fans flocking in. The recognition of the world’s top 3 gladiators and Prisika was that great.

“Will it be okay? Fans will flock in, won’t they?”

“Don’t worry too much. We’ve also deployed control personnel, and fans will act cautiously if we say we’re filming.”

Beom-seok nodded in agreement and followed Karen. Extreme fans might ignore the filming, but he was relieved that there were control personnel.

“Well, if that’s the case, it doesn’t matter… But why didn’t you send me the script today? Usually, there’s something like that, right?”

“Well, yes, but not for our program. Actually, you guys are famous sports gladiators, but you’re not celebrities. So, if there’s a script, you just read the contents as they are, which makes the atmosphere awkward and stiff. It’s better to go without a script and be comfortable.”

“Hmm. What if we make a mistake?”

“Well, that’s okay too. The most interesting scenes come from mistakes. And you guys aren’t professional entertainers, so fans will understand and move on. And if it’s really big, we can just edit it out.”

“I understand, but what if we don’t get enough footage? We’re only filming for one day.”

Karen slightly raised one corner of her mouth.

“We’re professionals. We’ve anticipated all of that and planned the broadcast, so don’t worry. You guys just have to answer our questions honestly and do what we tell you to do.”

Beom-seok nodded calmly. Even though he wasn’t a celebrity, he could at least answer the questions asked in front of the camera. Beom-seok was so used to the media that he was surrounded by reporters’ interview requests after every game.

“Well, that’s not difficult. But what’s the filming about? If it’s outdoor filming, it seems like there will be a lot of physical activity.”

“Maybe so. You guys will be fighting to determine the strongest.”

Beom-seok looked at Karen with a dumbfounded expression. The gladiators gathering today were world-class, so they would have to compete someday, but not here.

He wanted to defeat Zakid and Amelie inside the Colosseum arena surrounded by fans. And if they fought here, the income from their subsequent matches would decrease. Some fans who had lost interest because the outcome had already been decided might not come to the Colosseum.

“Hey, wouldn’t that be a bit much? The match between the gladiators gathering today is a big event in this year’s World League. It’s not something to show on an entertainment show.”

“We know that too. There won’t be any of the things you’re worried about, so don’t worry.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I promise. But it will be a blood-curdling match. Please be prepared for that.”

Beom-seok wasn’t afraid of that. The money he received for today’s appearance was 2.5 million Krang [currency in this world]. He was prepared to be worth that much.

“Well, then it doesn’t matter.”

Beom-seok and Karen soon arrived at the parking lot where the bus to the filming location was waiting. They greeted Amelie and Prisika, who were already there, and waited for Zakid. A little later, a luxury flying car landed in a nearby parking lot, and a man with a huge physique ran towards Beom-seok. His expression was flushed, as if he was angry.

“Oh Beom-seok! You! You did this, didn’t you!”

Beom-seok, who was nonchalantly looking at Zakid, who was breathing heavily and blocking the sunlight shining on him, tilted his head as if he was puzzled. He didn’t know why he would be angry with him.

“No. What did I do?”

“You! You bastard! What do you think of me! Why didn’t you come to me!”

Beom-seok scratched his head, even more unable to understand. When recruiting for this filming, he had contacted everyone by communication or asked acquaintances such as Rebecca and Gelsomina, but he hadn’t specifically visited anyone. And even if he had visited someone for recruitment, there was no reason for him to be angry.

“No. What are you talking about? Why would I not visit only Mr. Zakid? I didn’t visit anyone.”

“Don’t lie. You know that we fought Chaplin Whisper in the 8th match, right?”

“Yes. I know. So the Dark Hyenas lost with 1 draw and 3 losses, didn’t they?”

“You know it well. But Amelie told me then that you sent her a challenge in a separate meeting. And you went to the Senoside Colosseum before and publicly challenged Prisika, right?”

Beom-seok delved into his memories and realized. Come to think of it, he had unintentionally expressed his intention to challenge Amelie and Prisika. Prisika had gone to check on Rezaris, who had become his elf, and her identity was revealed, so she had no choice but to blurt it out, and Amelie had come out during an emotional argument with Rebecca’s father, President Fritz, at a meeting.

“Ah. Come to think of it, that’s right.”

“But why! Why don’t you send it to me! Do I look that easy to you!”

Beom-seok, with an embarrassed expression, gave an awkward smile for a moment. It seemed like he was trying to get through this crisis with a smile.

“Hahaha. I was going to send it anyway. But there are still some games left, so I was waiting for the right time.”

Zakid looked at him with squinting eyes.

“Really?”

“Yes. That’s right. There will be a game with Chaplin Whisper soon, so I was going to beat Amelie then and send a challenge with that momentum. In fact, isn’t it necessary to consider the time and place for sending a challenge?”

At those words, Zakid nodded with a satisfied expression. In other words, it meant that Beom-seok recognized him as the most important rival. His explanation now had the nuance that he could only challenge him after defeating Amelie.

However, Amelie, who was standing next to him, couldn’t help but be angry. She was clearly the gladiator who ranked first in the world gladiator rankings.

“Mr. Beom-seok! What did you just say! It sounds like you’re saying you can definitely beat me!”

Beom-seok, flustered, waved his hands wildly and stepped back. It felt like she was going to hit him. But his answer was honest and straightforward.

“W-well, of course, that’s true, but that’s not what I meant.”

“What! Okay. Let’s settle it right here! Let’s show the world who’s stronger!”

Some cameramen were diligently pointing their lenses, finding this situation interesting. It was a gathering of the world’s strongest gladiators, so they had expected this kind of situation to happen from the beginning.

Then Karen quietly approached and blocked the way. If a fight broke out here, it would be difficult to proceed with the filming in the future. No professional puts the climax in the introduction. The initial atmosphere was already high enough with the current situation, so it wasn’t too late to direct the rest at the filming location.

“Hahaha. What if the atmosphere gets too heated already? Amelie, there’s a battleground prepared at the filming location, so you can beat Beom-seok there. And Mr. Beom-seok, please don’t provoke your opponent too much. We’re a friendship-oriented broadcast program.”

Now, having checked the camera’s gaze around him, Amelie quietly stepped back. As the strongest gladiator, she needed to maintain her dignity. Thanks to this, Beom-seok, who had escaped the crisis, winked at Karen and hurriedly boarded the bus.

Soon, the flying bus carrying them headed to the athletic field with a track in the nearby citizen’s park.

“Okay. Follow me!”

Karen led everyone to the athletic field with a track in the east of the park. The staff who had come in the first place had already made full preparations, and the surroundings were full of filming equipment.

Then a young man with red hair greeted Beom-seok and the rest of the gladiators. It was Bruce, one of the co-hosts. Like Karen, he was a singer and talent [a celebrity who can sing, act, and host], and he was loved by many female fans for his tall height and handsome appearance.

“Hello? Mr. Oh Beom-seok. I’m Bruce, who is co-hosting with Karen.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Bruce, leaving Beom-seok who was asking for a handshake, went straight to Prisika. Beom-seok, who was embarrassed, looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, but he greeted Prisika with a bright expression as if he didn’t care.

“Prisika. Hahaha. It’s really nice to meet you. Why haven’t you been in the game lately? I’m a big fan of yours, and I was very worried.”

“Ah. Yes, Mr. Bruce. I’ve been sick lately.”

“Really? Are you okay now?”

“Yes. I’m much better.”

Karen, seeing Beom-seok’s distorted expression, quietly approached him.

“Bruce is a big fan of Prisika.”

“Even so, why would you ignore me and leave when I ask for a handshake?”

“That’s just how he is. He’s been in the star ranks since he was young, and everyone around him has been pampering him, so he has a self-centered way of thinking. So please understand.”

“Whether it’s understanding or anything else, a program host should act like a host. Who would act like that to a visitor?”

Karen, who sighed deeply, shook her head. Beom-seok’s words were not wrong at all. She had also had a hard time because of Bruce.

Male entertainers make a living from the popularity of female fans, and the easiest way to build recognition is to become heterosexual. This greatly stimulates women’s expectations.

Thanks to this, female talents and singers in the entertainment industry are constantly approached by male colleagues around them, and Bruce’s target woman was her. It was to cause a scandal with Karen, a famous female entertainer, and be recognized as heterosexual.

Of course, it could be accepted in view of his sincerity, but Karen didn’t really like it because it was a fake love. Originally, Bruce was such an extreme elf lover that he despised women.

In particular, he was a fanatical fan of Prisika, the ace of his hometown team, Ancient Warriors. He was the one who persuaded the production team, who were showing difficulty in her appearance this time, as if threatening them.

“That’s true. But what can we do? That’s just how people are. We have to understand and move on.”

“No, it’s a problem because it’s beyond the level of understanding. I just want to punch him!”

But Beom-seok didn’t actually take action. There was no way he didn’t know what would happen if he caused an accident here. ‘Gladiator Oh Beom-seok. Assaults famous entertainer B [Bruce].’ If an article with this phrase appeared in the newspaper tomorrow, it would be really terrible. Anyway, Beom-seok had achieved considerable personal development during that time.

But the problem was that Zakid couldn’t do that. When Bruce rejected the greeting as if it was annoying, he immediately grabbed his head with one hand and lifted him up.

“Who are you!”

Soon the staff rushed in. Seeing this, Beom-seok quickly laughed heartily and approached.

“Hahaha. Why are you rushing in to die when Mr. Zakid is just trying to make you laugh? This is how he usually greets people in a friendly way. I’ve been through it a few times too. Hahaha.”

As he poked him in the side, Zakid quietly put Bruce down. If today’s events were reported in the media, he would be severely reprimanded by his teacher, Remnant. But he didn’t feel relieved, so he hit Bruce’s back hard with his palm and said.

“Hahaha. Oh, this guy is so funny. Very interesting.”

Bruce, who patted his back, quietly stepped back and glared at him. There was no way he didn’t know that his emotions were contained. If he wasn’t a modified human, he could have been seriously injured by that palm.

But he couldn’t stand up to him, perhaps because he was intimidated by his bizarre power.

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

A grasshopper has invaded the room. I left the door open because it was hot, and it squeezed in. I caught it well and put it outside, but I don’t know if it will be safe. It’s raining quite a bit now. ^^;;;;;;

Then everyone have a good day. I’ll see you again tomorrow.