Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 507

It was a clear spring afternoon. Beom-seok and his subordinate Elves were busy packing equipment like towels and underwear. There was a lot to prepare for today’s final battle. The outcome of today’s match against Chaplin Whisper would determine this year’s World League champion.

He glanced at the old katana placed in one corner of the room. This weapon, bearing an unidentifiable maker’s mark, was the first that Beom-seok used when he became a gladiator. He hadn’t used it since signing a sponsorship deal with Chaplin Sports, but he kept it as a good luck charm.

‘Heh heh. Now that I think about it… it’s been 8 years…’

Beom-seok chuckled as he looked at the katana. It hadn’t sustained much damage since he had only used it briefly during his amateur league days, but the handle and scabbard were quite stained. It was a clear sign of the passage of time.

After packing all his bags, he slung one over his shoulder and called out to everyone,

“Alright, everyone! If you’re packed, let’s head out! We have plenty of time, but there’s no harm in getting there early.”

“Yes!”

As he left the room, his subordinate Elves followed in a line. They took the escalator down to the first floor, then boarded a waiting autonomous electric car to head to the parking lot.

From there, they rode the Aaron [a type of vehicle] to Zeon City, the home of the Chaplin Whisper team.

Bang! Pow! Bang!

The Zeon City Colosseum was hosting an event that felt like a festival. Hologram images and slogans wishing for Chaplin Whisper’s victory were displayed in the sky, and celebratory fireworks were exploding all around. On the surrounding roads, bands played lively music as they marched, drawing the attention of passersby. Countless home fans who couldn’t get tickets gathered around the outskirts of the Colosseum, passionately cheering for their team.

‘Heh heh. They’re well-prepared. Trying to intimidate us from the start? But the God Knights won’t fall for that.’

As Beom-seok casually looked down at the Colosseum, the Aaron finished its long turn and slowly began to descend. Reporters from all over the world, who had been waiting below, rushed towards the God Knights as soon as they appeared. They wanted to capture the historic moment that would determine this year’s World League champion on camera.

However, this forced the Aaron to halt its descent. It was so crowded that there wasn’t enough space to land.

– Master. What should we do? We can’t land because of the reporters.

Beom-seok crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. There wasn’t much he could do. No matter how urgent it was, he couldn’t just run over the reporters to land.

“Well, the security guards will take care of it.”

As if to prove his words, the security guards who had been setting up barricades in front of the entrance blew their whistles and rushed over. No matter how important the coverage was, they couldn’t leave the stars of today’s show stranded outside.

“Everyone, please step back! What do you think you’re doing!”

The security guards pushed through the crowd of reporters, using their strength to create space. Thanks to them, the Aaron finally landed, and Beom-seok stepped out.

Instantly, countless flashes went off, and he shielded his eyes with his hand.

“Oh, Gladiator Beom-seok! Are you confident about today’s match!”

“Oh, Gladiator Beom-seok! How are you feeling today!”

“Your score is tied with Chaplin Whisper because of the last incident. How do you feel about that! If Gladiator Beom-seok had played in that match, you could have gotten a draw or better, and you wouldn’t be in this difficult situation today, would you?”

He could have been flustered by the barrage of questions, but Beom-seok calmly smiled and answered briefly. He was grateful to the reporters who had gathered.

Thanks to them, the home fans who harbored animosity towards them were kept at a distance and couldn’t approach. If the people surrounding them now were Chaplin Whisper fans and were shouting insults, it could have negatively affected the morale of his gladiators.

“Hahaha. I’m feeling good, and I’m confident about today’s match. And I’m not dwelling on the last incident. If we win today, the championship is ours, of course.”

“I see. Then what is your mindset going into today’s match? After all, it’s an important match that will determine the championship, isn’t it?”

“Hahaha. What else could it be? Of course, it’s to dedicate the glory of the championship to our Lima City fans who have been so supportive.”

“Ah. Yes. Is that so? Then, could you tell us how you plan to fight Chaplin Whisper today!”

Beom-seok winked at the reporter who had just asked the question and said,

“That’s a secret. You’ll find out when you watch the match, so I won’t say anything more.”

“Ah. Is that so? Then, could you tell us which opponent gladiator you’re most wary of today?”

Beom-seok chuckled and waved his hand.

“Isn’t that an obvious question? Of course, it’s Amelie. Her twin flail and twin sword techniques are a major concern.”

As Beom-seok was about to leave, another reporter held out a microphone and shouted,

“Do you perhaps have a strategy for dealing with Amelie?”

“Yes, of course. It’s me. She’s no match for me.”

“Hahaha. That’s a lot of confidence.”

“It’s not confidence, it’s what the results tell us. I’ve never lost to her in a one-on-one fight.”

“But isn’t she stronger in team battles than in individual battles? Gladiator matches aren’t fought alone, though…?”

Beom-seok stared at the reporter with indifferent eyes and replied,

“But it’s over if I stop her.”

His confident words silenced the reporter as if they had been struck dumb. Certainly, he was more than capable of stopping Amelie.

In the meantime, Beom-seok excused himself to the reporters and entered the entrance. He wanted to avoid wasting energy before the match. Today’s match was that important and difficult.

As the reporters continued to bombard Diana and Priscilla with questions, their answers also became significant news.

“Yo, Beom-seok. How have you been?”

The person calling out to him at the entrance was none other than Fritz, the president of Chaplin Whisper. And next to him was Rebecca, dressed in a well-tailored dress.

Beom-seok nodded to her and said to Fritz,

“Hahaha. President Fritz, isn’t it? What brings you here?”

“I came to see your face. And to thank you for providing a good viewing box.”

Beom-seok gave him a bright smile. He was going to be his father-in-law in the future. That much courtesy was only natural. It was an empty VIP room anyway, so there was no way he couldn’t lend it to him.

“Hahaha. What are you talking about? I just gave you a seat that I couldn’t even use.”

“Oh. Is that so? Still, I’m grateful. Otherwise, I would have ended up watching from a regular VIP seat. The truth is, I’m quite low on the totem pole within the family. Hahaha.”

“Hahaha. I see. Are there many members of the Chaplin family?”

“That’s right. My father, uncles, aunts, brothers, and cousins—there are so many of them, it’s ridiculous.”

“That’s a blessing too.”

“Hahaha. A blessing… There are many times when I’m in trouble because I can’t remember the names of relatives who are a bit distant.”

“Ah. I guess that could be the case. Hahaha.”

Fritz smiled slightly and looked at him.

“By the way, are you confident about winning today’s match? I overheard you talking to the reporters earlier, and you seemed quite confident?”

“Well, yeah. I can’t exactly say I’m going to lose in front of the reporters, can I? Even if I think I’m going to lose, I have to say I’m going to win.”

“I guess so. Anyway, you have to win. The God Knights should win the championship at least once.”

Beom-seok stared at him intently. Fritz was a member of the Chaplin family. It was a bit suspicious that he was wishing for the victory of the God Knights instead of Chaplin Whisper.

“Are you sincerely hoping that we win?”

“Of course. Isn’t family more important than the family business? If you do well, our Rebecca will be happy, so how could I not wish for the victory of the God Knights?”

Beom-seok glanced at Rebecca and nodded. It was a somewhat convincing argument. Certainly, he would be more interested in his son-in-law’s team than the family’s team.

“If we win, won’t that put you in a difficult position, President?”

“No. Why would I be in a difficult position?”

“Because Rebecca is a gladiator on our team.”

“Well, that’s true, but it doesn’t matter at all. Rebecca isn’t participating in today’s match anyway.”

That was true. Beom-seok had excluded Rebecca from today’s match, considering her special circumstances.

He had made a special consideration because she would be burdened to face the family’s team. If the God Knights won while she was participating in the match, President Fritz and Rebecca would inevitably receive strange looks from the family members. So, he had decided not to even have her sit in the team’s cheering section and had her accompany her father, President Fritz, today.

“Hahaha. That’s exactly why Rebecca was excluded from today’s match.”

“Could it be because her skills are lacking?”

At the same time as this answer, Fritz’s expression contorted. Rebecca was pinching his thigh. It was true, but there was no need for her father to mention it directly.

“Father!”

“Hahaha. Okay. I’m sorry. I misspoke.”

“If you do that again, I’ll get angry.”

“Alright, alright.”

Rebecca snorted and turned her head away. Beom-seok avoided eye contact, looking embarrassed. He thought that not having her participate in the recent matches had left a lingering resentment in her. He thought it would be a good idea to talk to Diana and increase her participation rate next year.

He gave an awkward smile and made excuses.

“Hahaha. President, Rebecca is an excellent gladiator. The reason why I haven’t had her participate in the recent matches is because I’ve been giving her time to practice her spear techniques, not because her skills have declined. She will be participating in matches more often around next year, when she has perfectly mastered the spear techniques I’m teaching her.”

“Ah. You had such intentions. I misunderstood. Hahaha.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Fritz glanced at Rebecca and said to Beom-seok.

“Anyway, I should get going now.”

“Are you leaving already?”

“Hahaha. I can’t keep you here when you have a match ahead of you, can I? Anyone with any sense would leave now.”

It was true, but Beom-seok couldn’t agree. It would be rude to nod his head here.

“I mean, it’s okay, but…”

“No. I’ve said everything I needed to say, and I should get going now. Well, then.”

“Yes. Then I can’t help it. Please go in.”

After Fritz and Rebecca left, Beom-seok hurried to the gladiator waiting room. Everyone must be waiting, so there was no time to hesitate. In the gladiator waiting room, there was time for a final check of the strategies and tactics for today’s match.

Wow! Wow!

Two hours later, Beom-seok, who came out of the gladiator waiting room and arrived at the dugout [team shelter], was surprised to see the crowd filling the arena. He knew it would be a full house because it was an important match, but he didn’t expect them to be cheering so enthusiastically. As if they had practiced in advance, the home fans of Zeon City were putting on an organized and magnificent cheering display.

‘This is crazy. They’re really going all out.’

Zeon City was the base of the Chaplin family, and the majority of the residents were directly or indirectly under their influence. Naturally, their loyalty to the cheering team was high, and they would drop everything to come and lend a hand if there was such an event. But today, it was really too much.

Everyone was wearing the same cheering uniform and following the leader in front with precise cheers. It was enough to make one wonder if they had come to a military academy sports day.

“Damn it. But we’re still going to win. This isn’t a school sports day, so there won’t be any cheering points.”

As if infected by his mutterings, his subordinate gladiators calmly waited for the match to begin, tending to their weapons. They also wanted to win today’s match for themselves and for their master.

Diana approached Beom-seok and said,

“Master, don’t worry. We will definitely win.”

“Of course. I’m going to give it my all today too.”

“Yes. Our children will fight with all their might.”

Beom-seok gave a wry smile and bumped his clenched fist against his palm.

“Hahaha. That’s right. Let’s show them the difference between Elves with and without a master, and let them feel the strength of the God Knights to the bone.”

“Yes. That’s right. I’ll do my best to help too.”

Beom-seok stood up, looked around at everyone, and shouted at the top of his lungs. It was very important to boost morale before the match.

“Alright! Let’s be sure to win today!”

“Yes! We will definitely dedicate the victory to Master!”

“When you go out to the match, don’t be intimidated, and be sure to push them hard! Got it!”

“Yes! We will never be pushed back!”

“Good. Then I’ll trust you! Now, everyone, let’s go outside!”

Beom-seok, nodding with a faint smile, left the dugout. There was still some time before the match started, but there was something he had to do before that.

It was stretching. It was an essential routine to do before strenuous exercise, but today it needed to have a slightly different meaning.

It was an expression of his will not to be intimidated by that enthusiastic cheering. Since the strength of the two teams was not significantly different, the victory or defeat could depend on how much willpower they had.