Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 489

A sunny weekend afternoon in September. The Senocide City Colosseum radiated heat, intense enough to chase away the approaching autumn. This was due to the season’s sixth match between the home team, Menex Odins, and the visiting team, God’s Knights.

– Greetings to everyone in the arena and watching on TV! Today, here at the Senocide City Colosseum, we have the match between Menex Odins and God’s Knights. First, the gladiators who will be competing today are…

As the announcer’s commentary continued, Beomseok rested one leg on the edge of the dugout’s transparent partition and gazed intently at the arena, lost in his own thoughts. Although this was already the sixth match of the season, it was his first time visiting the arena that day.

‘Heh heh. We’re definitely taking home our sixth consecutive win today.’

As of the fifth match, God’s Knights were tied for first place in the league with a five-game winning streak. In any other season, the word ‘tied’ would have been omitted, but with so many strong teams dominating, two teams were neck and neck with them: Chaplin Whisper and Ancient Warriors.

However, Beomseok didn’t consider Ancient Warriors much of a competitor. When they released Prisika, it was no exaggeration to say they were already out of the running for the league championship.

The championship competition this year would undoubtedly be decided by the fight between Chaplin Whisper and God’s Knights, with Real Heroes, currently in third place, as a potential dark horse. Most of their gladiators were evenly matched at a high level, making them a difficult opponent to face.

‘But this isn’t the God’s Knights of the past. It won’t be easy like last year.’

Beomseok subtly turned his head, glancing at Riccola, who was adjusting her net and spear. Today was her first appearance as a gladiator for God’s Knights, and he had high expectations.

Although she was known to the public as an A0 rank, Beomseok’s expectations were W0 rank or higher. If she lived up to his expectations, it would be no exaggeration to say that God’s Knights had achieved a flawless team composition.

However, Diana seemed quite worried and cautiously approached him. Riccola’s skills during regular training were far below the standards of a World Leaguer [a gladiator who competes in the World League].

“Master, are you sure Riccola will be okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“You keep saying she’s fine, but as someone watching from the sidelines, I don’t have much faith. To be honest, I don’t understand why she’s even on our team.”

“Heh heh. You really don’t have faith in her?”

Diana nodded, saying,

“Yes. Besides, she’s starting as a main player today, which makes me even more anxious. Shouldn’t we have her start as a substitute to verify her skills first?”

“There’s no need for that. That girl will definitely play her part.”

“Of course, if you say so, Master, there’s nothing I can do, but as the team’s manager, I’m very uneasy. If she gets taken down early, it could make today’s match difficult.”

Beomseok stared at her intently. That was absurd. Even if Riccola made a mistake and was taken down early, God’s Knights still had him, Prisika, and Tiela.

“You. You know you’re talking nonsense, right? Do you really think our team would lose to Menex Odins just because we’re one person short? Our God’s Knights aren’t the same team as last year.”

“Well, yes, but… Sigh~ Okay.”

Diana shook her head and stepped back. As the manager, she had done her duty by protesting to her master to this extent. Now, all that was left was to entrust everything to fate and wait.

Beomseok then picked up his equipment and left the dugout. He was feeling restless and couldn’t stay in the dugout any longer.

“Alright! Let’s win today!”

“Yes!”

The voices of the God’s Knights gladiators standing in the entrance tunnel were much louder than usual. They were energized because their master was participating in the match for the first time in a while. They had been feeling a bit drained after playing matches among themselves for over a month since the season started.

Soon after, they entered the arena with confident strides as the entrance signal sounded.

“Riccola! We’re counting on you today! Don’t let us down!”

“Yeah, you can do it! The glory of God’s Knights today depends on you. Fighting!”

Unexpectedly, cheers for Riccola erupted from the home stands. They knew that she had been active in the Wide League team, Super Heroes, until recently.

Immediately after being recruited by God’s Knights, she received a lot of attention from sports media around the world. They called her the Cinderella Gladiator.

It was no surprise that the media was interested in her being recruited as a main player for God’s Knights, a strong World League championship team this year, after playing for lower-tier teams. Naturally, her name was etched in the minds of gladiator fans around the world, and this first appearance became an opportunity to watch with anticipation.

The spectacle of an Area Leaguer-level gladiator playing in the World League was also quite an exciting sight to see.

In response, the announcer shook his head and added a comment.

– Isn’t this too unexpected? God’s Knights recruiting a gladiator like Riccola. In fact, God’s Knights is famous for making successful trades thanks to the insight of Chairman and gladiator Oh Beomseok, isn’t it? But a gladiator like that…

– Yes, that’s right. I was very surprised this time too. Just in case, I watched Riccola’s past play videos from a few days ago, and it wasn’t good. Her technical skills are quite good, but she has many physical problems. Her strength is low, her stamina is problematic, and her agility and balance are also substandard. I can say with certainty that Riccola is definitely not qualified to play in the World League.

It seems that God’s Knights has made a big mistake this time.

The announcer scratched his head as he watched Riccola closely following Beomseok. Still, some questions remained.

– Ah. But what’s even stranger is that Riccola is starting as a main player today. Even if the recruitment was a failure, they would have had a few weeks to evaluate her skills, right? But to start as a main player in her first appearance, what does that mean?

– I don’t understand that point either. Starting as a main player means that her skills have been recognized, but that doesn’t make sense. There’s definitely something there, but I can’t figure it out… Anyway, Menex Odins, her opponent today, must be very frustrated.

Meanwhile, Riccola, who had arrived at the center of the arena, stood at the very front, holding a net and spear in each hand. She glared at the Menex Odins’ formation with a nervous look. Her mission today was to be the vanguard, the first to clash with the enemy, so her responsibility was very heavy.

Beomseok approached her from behind and quietly said,

“Riccola. Don’t be nervous, just do what you always do. Then no one will be able to say anything about you being our team’s main player.”

“Yes. I know. I’m confident, so don’t worry too much.”

Shaila, who overheard this conversation, sighed deeply. Riccola had consistently been sent flying far away at the first collision during practice matches. But now she was confidently revealing her abilities. Shaila couldn’t help but feel pathetic.

‘Sigh~ There’s nothing I can do. Elves will say anything for their master. Anyway, I and Tiela are here, so there won’t be any major problems.’

Shaila patted Tiela’s shoulder next to her and gave her a meaningful look. Now that things had come to this, they should at least do well together. Tiela seemed to agree, nodding in response.

– Peeep! The match begins!

As soon as the match started, Riccola, who had been preparing, dashed forward with great force. Shaila’s eyes widened at the sight. During practice, she was so slow that it was annoying to chase after her, but now it was so difficult to keep up even when exerting all her strength. It was as if she was seeing a different elf.

The same was true for the Menex Odins gladiators.

“W-What! She’s not ordinary!”

But it was too late. Riccola had already reached their faces and was vigorously throwing her net.

Whirr.

While gladiators number 2 and 4, entangled in the net, struggled to break free, Riccola’s quickly wriggling spear tip was striking gladiator number 4’s abdomen. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t have been an easy situation to be caught in, but the unexpected situation caught them off guard.

But the damage didn’t end there. Riccola, grabbing gladiator number 2’s head and jumping high, was driving the spear tip directly into the face of gladiator number 9, who was standing at the very back of the formation. And grabbing the wrist of gladiator number 11, who was extending his sword, she threw him down. She had also learned considerable martial arts skills to work as a city hero.

– What on earth is going on! Menex Odins is collapsing in the early stages due to Riccola’s performance.

– Y-Yes, that’s right. This is really unbelievable.

Meanwhile, Shaila and Tiela, who had broken through the collapsed central line, stood next to Riccola. The eyes of the other vanguards looking at her were full of favor. With this level of skill, there was no problem with her as a teammate.

In the meantime, Beomseok and the veterans of God’s Knights, including Prisika, had already ambushed the scattered Menex Odins gladiators and were brutally slamming them to the ground one by one.

– I guess Riccola’s performance was the main factor, right?

– Hmm. Yes. That’s obvious. She knocked down three people at once in the early stages, so she can be said to be the top contributor. Hehehe. God’s Knights really got one over on them.

– What do you mean?

– They completely hid Riccola’s skills and easily won today. In fact, Menex Odins isn’t a team that can be easily defeated, is it?

That’s right. Menex Odins was a stable mid-tier team, currently ranked 10th in the league with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses. No matter how strong God’s Knights was, they couldn’t have collapsed like that in less than a minute. It was clear that hiding Riccola’s skills and exploiting their carelessness played a big role in this victory.

The announcer nodded as he witnessed the end of the match.

– Yes. That seems to be the case. Riccola’s skills were excellent, but the fact that three gladiators were defeated in the early stages is proof that they were careless.

As the commentators chattered, Beomseok and the God’s Knights gladiators walked through the quiet arena and returned to the dugout. The home fans were speechless at the absurd defeat.

On this day, God’s Knights easily won their third match, securing their sixth win of the season.

As autumn deepened, Theresa, caressing her slightly bulging belly, was entering a hotel room. It was to meet Lucas, who claimed to be her father.

“Hehehe. My daughter. Welcome…”

Theresa smiled brightly as she looked at Lucas, who had come out to greet her warmly at the front door.

“Yes, Father. Have you been well?”

“Well, there’s nothing to complain about. I’ve recently become interested in fishing and have been spending my time without realizing it.”

“Oh, really? But don’t get too caught up in your hobbies. Your talent is too precious to waste your life on leisure.”

“Hehehe. I guess so. I’ve been thinking a lot while staring at the float [a device used in fishing]. Some of those thoughts are business ideas, too.”

“Oh? What kind of business are you planning to start?”

Lucas tilted his head and sat on the sofa.

“Well? It’s not at the stage where I can talk about it yet because it’s still in the planning stages.”

“Oh, really? Then please tell me as soon as it’s finalized. If there’s anything I can do to help, I’ll be happy to do so.”

“Hehehe. It’s okay. It’ll be hard enough for you to deal with that Beomseok guy, so I can’t put that burden on you. I’ll take care of the new business myself, so you should do everything you can to win his heart.”

Theresa sat in front of him and chuckled.

“Don’t worry about that. He’s already halfway there. In just a little more time, he’ll show infinite carelessness towards me. Then… you know what to do, right?”

“Hehehe. Of course, I know. Anyway, just handle this matter well. Then I’ll never forget your contribution and keep it in my heart.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s only natural for a daughter to help her father.”

“No. Transactions between blood relatives must be even more thorough. If you just keep asking for help because of family ties, you’ll end up hurting each other’s feelings.”

“Hahaha. Yes, I understand. Then I’ll look forward to it.”

Lucas glanced at Theresa.

“But what brings you here today?”

“There’s one thing I’m curious about.”

“What is it?”

“When are you going to get rid of that Beomseok guy?”

“Well, it’s only been three or four months since I was released from prison, so I think it’s still too early. Let’s think about it slowly.”

She sighed deeply and said,

“Sigh~ Still, I hope it’s over as soon as possible. It’s so annoying that he keeps hitting on me. And I keep missing out on opportunities. Actually, now that we’re talking about it, I’ve had many opportunities to completely eliminate him so far.”

Lucas looked troubled. He couldn’t accept her proposal at the moment.

“Just be patient. There’s a time for everything.”

“Well, if you say so, Father, there’s nothing I can do, but I’m still disappointed and annoyed.”

As Theresa turned her head with a dissatisfied expression, Lucas glanced at her belly. It seemed more protruding than usual.

“Theresa. But what’s wrong with your belly? It seems a bit big?”

“Oh. It’s because I ate a lot for lunch. I didn’t have breakfast because I had to come here in a hurry today.”

“Oh dear… You should eat your meals on time. Health is the top priority no matter what you do.”

“Yes. I know, so don’t worry too much.”

Lucas nodded calmly at Theresa’s answer. But he couldn’t hide the strange look in his eyes. The shape of her stomach after the meal was unusual. And she was usually obsessed with managing her figure to the point of being a germaphobe.

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

Everyone, have a great day. I’ll see you again tomorrow.