"Have you heard?" a skinny man asked his friend, who was currently drinking with him inside a Tavern. "It seems that the two Highlanders will be fighting in the Gladiator's Coliseum in two days' time."
"How could I not hear about it?" the chubby man smiled. "The Nobles are spreading this news like wildfire. Even the Gambling Establishments have joined in the hype. They are even calling the battle 'The Deathmatch of the Century.' Clearly, they wanted to rake in the big cash when the betting officially begins."
"Master, who do you think will win?" the skinny man asked the bartender who was busy wiping the glasses on his counter.
"Although I don't think that the Highlanders have a chance of winning, I'll still bet on them," the Tavern Master replied.
"Oh? And why?" the skinny man inquired.
"It's because they are Highlanders," the Tavern Master answered. "They might have Legendary or even Divine Items that can help them reverse this situation."
"Master, you know that you are going to lose money if you bet on them, right?" the Chubby man stated.
"It's fine," the Tavern Master said. "I will not bet a lot. The Gambling Houses are hyping this battle and even saying that the two Highlanders are Masters in the Surface World. However, when I asked about their ranks, they said that it was D-Ranker and a Grade-A Apostle."
"A D-Ranker and a Grade-A Apostle?" the Chubby Man laughed. "And you are still going to bet on them, Master?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
The Tavern Master put down the glass that he was wiping on top of the counter and smiled.
"Just gut intuition," the Tavern Master said. "I have a feeling that we will be watching the most entertaining match since the establishment of the Gladiator Coliseum."
The Skinny Man and the Chubby Man glanced at each other before laughing out loud. Since the Tavern Master wanted to waste his money, they would no longer pester him to change his mind.
For them, they would be betting their money on the Criminals, whom they believed would end the battle in less than five minutes.
It was not only them who thought that way. Most of those who decided to watch the Deathmatch in the Coliseum had the same opinion.
However, just like the Tavern Master, there were a few individuals who believed that the Highlanders stood a chance against the criminals, proving everyone wrong.
And for that simple reason, they decided to put their chips on the two people, who had arrived in their Kingdom for reasons that were only known to them.
———————
"Hah, those two came here in order to see that sister of mine?" A handsome young man with blonde hair smirked. "Unfortunately, even though they still haven't laid their eyes on her, it seems that her bad luck has already affected them. Two days from now, two graves will be dug. I'll at least offer a flower to their tombs."
"But isn't it also romantic?" a beautiful young lady, who had long blonde hair, asked with a smile. "If I were in Aurora's shoes, I'd feel very flattered."
The two of them were Aurora's siblings but from a different mother.
King Septimius had three wives.
Five Princes and Four Princesses.
Aurora's mother was not one of the King's wives. Even now, no one had seen her face.
One day, the King just returned to Agartha holding a baby in his arms and declared her to be his daughter.
Aurora's siblings didn't really treat her like family due to the curse in her body. For them, she was a stain on their bloodline, and they couldn't wait to get rid of her, with the exception of one girl.
The youngest Princess of Agartha, Princess Shayna, truly cared for and loved Aurora.
Currently, the princess was under house arrest in the Royal Castle, undergoing the cleansing ceremony to lift the bad luck that she acquired after spending time with Misfortune's Beloved.
Even so, to this day, the young Princess, who was only twelve years old, still loved her sister, Aurora, and wished for her happiness, even in seclusion.
"So all of us will be going to the Coliseum to watch this match, right?" A handsome young man with silver hair said with a smile. "I already made a reservation. We will be watching the show from the best VIP room."
"Wonderful!" a pretty girl with reddish-brown hair exclaimed. "It has been a while since I watched something fun."
The Royal Children of Agartha discussed the upcoming battle with great enthusiasm. None of them thought that Lux and Gaap had a chance of winning, and were merely going for the fun of it.
Meanwhile, in the Inner Palace of the Royal Castle…
"Princess, are you sure about this?" a maid asked anxiously.
"Yes," a young girl, who seemed to be only around twelve years old replied firmly. "I will ask my Father for permission. With the talismans on my body, I am sure that I will not inconvenience anyone."
"If that is your wish, then this humble one will obey," the maid bowed her head respectfully. "But, may I know the reason why you want to watch the battle? It will be a bloody one and not suitable for someone as young as you, Princess."
"Don't worry about me," the young girl stated. "As a member of the Royal Family, I will experience many things. Seeing violence, blood, and death is something I must learn to get used to at an early age. I'm sure that my Father will not reject my request to watch the battle."
The young girl then looked outside the window of her room. It had been a while since she had stepped outside the Royal Palace due to her house arrest. But now, she decided to leave in order to see the face of the Half-Elf, who had traveled all the way to Agartha in order to see and free her sister from the dark prison that she was currently in.
'I don't know who you are, but please, save my sister.' Princess Shayna pressed her hands together in prayer. 'She doesn't deserve to be alone.'
—————————
Two days later…
The Grand Coliseum was filled to the brim with people.
The majority of them came due to curiosity. Since Highlanders were people that came from the Surface World, the Agarthians wanted to catch a glimpse of them in their last moments.
All of them believed that the two pitiful individuals were fated to die today, so the least they could do was see them off and memorize their faces before they died.
Inside the Arena's Waiting Room, Lux and Gaap sat leisurely as they waited for the battle to start.
The Saintess, Cleo, and two more Saints were ordered to look after them to ensure that neither of them would escape before the battle started.
"Have the two of you accepted your fate?" Cleo asked. "This is the only explanation I can think of to explain how calm both of you are."
"Something like that," Lux replied with a smile.
"We've only known each other for a short while, but it was still good meeting you, Lux." Cleo patted Lux's shoulder in a friendly manner. "I'll make sure to send a flower to your grave once a year."
"Instead of sending me flowers, you should start practicing calling me Daddy, Lady Cleo," Lux replied as he gave the Saintess a devilish smile on his face. "How about it? You can call me Daddy now if you want."
"Hahaha! That's the spirit. You can think of me before you die. I give you my permission."
"I also look forward to you calling me Daddy, Lady Cleo."
Lux and the Saintess smirked at each other. Both of them were certain that the other would lose, which made Gaap and the two other Saints inside the room smile.
Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door, and a guard came in.
"It's time," the Guard said. "Please escort the two of them to the arena."
Cleo and the two Saints nodded.
"Have you finished your prayer, Lux?" Cleo asked. "If not, you can do it now before the match starts."
Lux didn't reply and simply smiled as he followed behind the Guard, who was escorting him and his Master to the arena.
A few minutes later, they came out of the hallway. As soon as their silhouettes became visible, they were greeted by loud applause and cheer from the people in the stands.
The Agarthians had been waiting for this moment in order to gaze upon the two Highlanders, who were going to experience a deadly welcome from the most notorious criminals that had roamed the Kingdom of Agartha.
"Master, are you ready?" Lux asked.
"Of course," Gaap replied.
"How about you, Eiko?" Lux asked the Baby Slime that was perched on top of his head. "Are you ready?"
"Boom Boom Boom!" Eiko replied.
The Baby Slime was already holding two Blast Bombs, with a very sweet smile plastered on her face.
Perhaps, among the three of them, Eiko was the most excited of all for this Battle Royale.
She had been cooped up for so long, and because of this, she wanted to make things go Boom and laugh as she set the entire arena on fire.
New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on free(w)ebnovel(.)com