Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 455

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Avend won their World Cup group stage match against the Kazvin team with 3 wins and 1 draw. After winning the first round, they continued their dominance in the forest battle [a gladiatorial combat style utilizing terrain], and Kazvin was unable to recover.

In the end, Avend recorded one draw in the second round due to the opposing team’s hesitation, but won the remaining third and fourth rounds, marking their first World Cup appearance with a victory.

After that, Avend defeated Gondar and Harudum in turn, rising to the top of Group A with 3 wins. In the round of 16, they met the Valike team and achieved a decisive victory, advancing to the quarterfinals. As expected, their opponent in the quarterfinals was the Kelot team. With Ancient Warriors and Menex Odin’s Gladiators as the main players, Avend faced a formidable opponent.

“– Our Avend team has advanced to the quarterfinals with a winning streak of 4 games. Our team’s gladiators are performing exceptionally well. What is the key to their victory?”

Beom-seok was sitting leisurely on the bed in the team’s training camp accommodation, engrossed in watching TV. His preferred ways of relaxing included reading and watching TV, though he had little interest in the former. He wasn’t particularly interested in the news either, but he was definitely interested in the World Cup coverage.

He focused on the words of an Avend professional gladiatorial official who had been invited as a guest on the screen.

“– In a word, it’s skill. The Avend team is skilled enough to reach the quarterfinals, so they simply achieved that. But if I had to pinpoint a factor, I would mention the Lima City Colosseum, which was newly renovated last winter. As long as Oh Beom-seok Gladiator and Tiela are present, no one can defeat the God Knights [Beom-seok’s team] in the forest battle.”

“– I see. I’ve heard a lot about that. But I know that other teams and visiting fans have voiced complaints about the Lima City Colosseum. What are your thoughts on this?”

“– That’s an absurd objection. Frankly speaking, the forest terrain of the Lima City Colosseum is much smaller than that of the Papirancy City Colosseum, which is currently the home of the Forest Elves [a team specializing in forest combat]. And there are quite a few colosseums with this kind of forest terrain around the world. Of course, the fact that Oh Beom-seok Gladiator and Tiela make very skillful use of this terrain may be a concern for other teams, but I don’t think there’s any legitimate reason to complain.

In fact, one of the appealing aspects of gladiatorial combat is the home colosseum advantage, which features unique terrain in each region. If you can’t tolerate this level of forest terrain, you’re essentially suggesting that we rewrite all the rules.”

The news caster smiled and nodded at his words. As an Avend local media outlet, they naturally favored their own team, and the official’s words were reasonable.

“– Haha. I see. Raising an issue with the terrain of the Lima City Colosseum is like saying that we should only play on flat ground.”

“– Exactly. If you request to change the terrain because it’s advantageous to the opponent, it’s the same as saying that. Then gladiatorial combat would become incredibly boring. Unlike other sports, gladiatorial combat doesn’t rely on unpredictable elements like a round ball bouncing randomly. In other words, the outcome is more likely to be determined by the difference in skill between the strong and weak teams than by chance. So, in order to benefit the weaker teams, each team was given the terrain of the home colosseum they wanted, but what if you eliminate these rules? Then only the strong teams will benefit.”

“– I see. Well, let’s move on to the next question. What are the prospects for the Avend team? They’ve reached the quarterfinals, but I’m curious to know how far they’ll go.”

“– Well, that’s a very difficult question. Anyway, the teams that have reached the quarterfinals are all strong contenders, so it’s almost impossible to predict who will win. Moreover, even if Avend defeats the Kelot team in the quarterfinals, there is a very high probability that they will meet Arkan in the semifinals.

That’s the team that mainly consists of Chaplin Whisper’s gladiators, who won the World League this season. And in the finals, there is a very high possibility that they will face Irat, the biggest dark horse of this World Cup. I guess I’ll have to wait and see how far the Avend team will go.”

“– Ah. I see. Yes. I understand.”

The caster, who had finished his comments smoothly, greeted the gladiatorial official who had come as a guest and looked at the front of the camera. It was time to deliver the next news.

“– The next news is about the incident involving Valike region hooligans [violent sports fans]. They rioted yesterday after their team lost, engaging in group fights with our Avend fans in various parts of Lima City, and there are indications that the situation will recur today.

Citizens, please be aware of any potential violence and, even if someone provokes you, do not retaliate and report it to the nearest police station.”

The news screen displayed footage of yesterday’s riot. People were moving around in groups, destroying public property, and engaging in brawls in groups of three or five. There were also people confronting the police, who came out to suppress the riot with batons in their hands, and people being taken away in restraints.

‘Whew~ Yesterday was really something. Anyway, those Valike region hooligans are intense. Our Lima City fans were completely overwhelmed.’

The violence of sports fans from the Valike region was notorious worldwide. Whenever there was a major international event like this, they would arrive in groups for sightseeing and cause trouble, and if their team lost, they would riot like that, making the local police extremely nervous.

Fortunately, the riot police had anticipated this and were prepared, otherwise it would have escalated into a full-blown riot and turned Lima City into a complete mess. Because of this, Beom-seok was more worried about the aftermath of a victory than winning against the Valike team.

“Well, the police will handle it.”

Beom-seok soon turned off the TV and got up from his seat. It was almost dinner time.

He went out the door, dragging his sandals on the floor, and went downstairs. When he arrived on the first floor, he noticed a woman outside the hallway window and his eyes widened. She was directing some elves wearing security equipment, and he couldn’t help but be surprised because she was an unexpected person.

‘What? Why is Margaret here?’

Margaret was the president of MR Security [a private security company] and not the kind of person who would be personally overseeing operations at the team training camp. Curious, Beom-seok went out through the front gate of the accommodation and called out to her.

“Hey, Margaret! What’s going on here!”

Margaret, who was hurrying along, turned her head as if she had heard his shout.

“Beom-seok? What a coincidence.”

“No, it’s not a coincidence. Why are you here? Only team officials are allowed to enter here.”

“Ah. It happened like this. Inspector Lexter asked me for a favor.”

“The Inspector? What’s wrong?”

“He asked me to assist the police. The police are fully mobilized for the World Cup, and the Valike region hooligans are rioting, so they seem to be short-handed. So I brought MR Security guards and bodyguards to support them.”

Beom-seok nodded. When these large-scale events take place, tourists flock from all over the world, and public safety deteriorates, but there is a limit to police resources. With yesterday’s incident, it made sense to outsource security.

“Ah. I see. So you’re going to be here all the time?”

“No. I just came here because I had something to discuss with the security officer in charge of this place. It’s a bit complicated because it’s a team training camp.”

It was understandable. In the training camp, they practice various tactics and strategies before the game, so they are very sensitive to the entry of outsiders. Even though MR Security employees came for security, there would be many things to investigate.

“I see. Then you’ll be leaving soon.”

“Yes. I just met and finished talking. I have to go check on the employees who are stationed in the city.”

“The city? MR Security employees are there?”

“Yes. We’re also fully operational now. The city is a mess because of the Valike region hooligans. It’s practically a riot zone.”

Beom-seok tilted his head and said.

“Really? Didn’t most of the riot police who were waiting in advance take care of it yesterday?”

“No. Yesterday, they only apprehended a few people who were rampaging aimlessly. In fact, today is when the real trouble starts.”

“No. Why?”

“Yesterday, most of the Valike region hooligans quietly retreated because the riot police were waiting for them.”

“Really? Then it’s over, isn’t it?”

Margaret shook her head.

“It’s not like that. In fact, the Valike region hooligans riot not as an expression of anger, but as a form of celebration. Their game is over because the Valike team lost, but they believe that the end of the World Cup should be marked by a large-scale riot.”

“What are you talking about? Where did you hear that?”

“I can’t understand it either, but they have a firm conviction that rioting at the World Cup is a way to uphold the tradition of the Valike region hooligans.”

At those words, Beom-seok clicked his tongue in disbelief. A violent incident was not a game, and he couldn’t comprehend why they regarded it as a festival.

“Oh, my. What kind of people are they?”

“Well, there are all kinds of people in the world.”

Beom-seok licked his lips and glanced at Margaret slyly. If a riot broke out, the riot police would be dispatched and a big fight would ensue, and it seemed like there would be quite a spectacle to witness. Since he had no schedule after dinner until tomorrow morning, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take some time to go see it.

“Margaret. Can’t I come along?”

“Why are you going there, Beom-seok?”

“Hey. What’s more exciting than watching a fight? I want to go see it.”

Margaret stared at him with a troubled expression.

“But you’re a gladiator on the national team, Beom-seok. Can you get out easily?”

“Of course. I have an unlimited outing pass. And I’m the chairman of God Knights. If I need to go out urgently for team business, they’ll let me go if possible.”

“Hmm. But it’s going to be quite dangerous. And if you get caught by reporters who are covering the event, it will cause problems in many ways.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can wear MR Security riot gear. The helmet face shield is tinted, so the reporters won’t recognize me. Right?”

MR Security riot gear was tinted to prevent protesters from identifying the officers, so their identity was rarely revealed. If Beom-seok wore it, the reporters wouldn’t be able to recognize him.

“Well, that’s true, but what if you get injured?”

“Hey, don’t worry about that. I’m just watching from behind. And even if a confrontation occurs, do you think I’ll get injured fighting an ordinary person while wearing riot gear?”

“Well, that’s true, but… Well, okay. But promise me that you’ll never leave the riot vehicle. And promise me that you’ll be back before 10 o’clock.”

Beom-seok hesitated slightly. If there was anything more fun than watching a fight, it was participating in the fight directly.

“Do I have to?”

“Of course. Beom-seok is the main gladiator of our Avend team. If something happens to you, I won’t be able to face the locals. If you don’t promise me, I can’t take you with me.”

Seeing her so insistent, Beom-seok had no choice. If Margaret didn’t help him, he wouldn’t be able to go to see the fight, let alone participate in it. It was better to agree with her for now.

“Okay, I got it. Then you’ll take me with you, right?”

“Yes. I understand. But today’s operation is absolutely confidential, okay?”

“Hehehe. Don’t worry. That’s what I was going to ask you. Then I’ll go get an outing permit and come back, so wait here for a moment.”

“Yes. Then come back quickly.”

Beom-seok, who went back to the accommodation humming a song as if he was excited, easily obtained an outing permit and came back down. He made an excuse about recruiting gladiators, so they readily allowed him to go out. Strengthening the God Knights’ power meant improving the power of the next World Cup team, so the coach, Clark, had no choice but to help.

He soon took a flying car with Margaret and headed to the downtown area of Lima City.

“Okay. Everyone, be ready to deploy at any time! Be prepared to leave as soon as the police request support.”

At Margaret’s shout, about 100 MR Security personnel quickly donned their batons and transparent shields and lined up. They were stationed in the schoolyard next to the north entrance to the downtown area.

Currently, they were blocking the hooligans from entering the northern part of the city in advance in case of an emergency, but they had to be ready to deploy at any time if the police requested assistance.

Beom-seok, who was wearing black riot gear and standing behind Margaret, grumbled as if he was bored.

“Tsk. I don’t see any hooligans at all.”

“Yes. We’re unlikely to encounter any hooligans. Our main job is to provide support in case of an emergency.”

Beom-seok put his baton on the floor and scratched it here and there.

“Then it’s going to be boring, isn’t it?”

“We can’t help it. If the police successfully handle the situation, there’s no reason for us to intervene.”

“Why? Wouldn’t it be easier to suppress the riot if we stepped in too?”

“That’s true, but money is the issue. If we deploy to suppress the riot, the police have to pay additional costs. Like hazard pay. Of course, the police are reluctant to do that.”

Beom-seok pouted. Then the purpose of him coming here was greatly diminished. The reason why Beom-seok went to the trouble of getting an outing permit and participating in MR Security’s operation was to watch a fight.

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

Suddenly, the number of mosquitoes has increased. There weren’t many in the middle of summer, but now they’re flying around in formation. Oh, geez… The weather is cool, so I guess the mosquitoes are enjoying life too.

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