novelraw Chapter 58: Where is my little follower?
Chapter 58: Where is my little follower?
Bloodhorn ultimately agreed to Henwil's proposal.
He indicated he would watch another match between Henwil and an adult gladiator before finalizing the specific terms.
Regarding Henwil's decision, Flying Ant and Mishir were both quite perplexed.
They could clearly leave alive now, so why engage in these dangerous activities?
But Henwil didn't explain much, simply efficiently stabbing his opponent to death during the third day's gladiatorial match.
After half a year's absence, Henwil's return excited many audience members.
Some even demanded Flying Ant and Mishir take the field, and Bloodhorn approached them about it.
But they knew they weren't as strong as Henwil and couldn't match experienced gladiators yet.
After demonstrating his value, Bloodhorn agreed to Henwil's conditions.
Thereafter, Henwil participated in weekly gladiatorial matches, and as time passed, many forgot this was just a youth.During his leisure time, Henwil would teach the young gladiators while also assisting in training the slave youths of the arena.
Currently, only thirteen young gladiators remained combat-capable, with two others disabled.
Here "disabled" didn't mean they were crippled, but that they had irreversible internal injuries that prevented intense combat.
These two were essentially thrown in as extras and given to Henwil together.
Henwil was originally the strongest among the young gladiators, their representative figure.
Now having bought their freedom, if not completely devoted to Henwil, they at least felt strong affinity toward him.
These youths now had no one else to rely on besides their fellow companions.
Henwil's agreement with Bloodhorn was: free weekly appearances, splitting audience tip bonuses fifty-fifty.
Accepting bloodshed gambling matches, but not at champion gladiator level, with gambling proceeds also split equally.
Henwil earned an average of five to six thousand gold coins monthly, placing him among the arena's top earners.
Just as Henwil worked to repay debts and passed his thirteenth birthday...
Earl Obiken of the Worui Duchy returned to his residence after discussing matters with his Grand Duke brother.
Upon entering his study, Earl Obiken encountered a familiar stranger.
Kavizé sat with his legs propped on the earl's desk, greeting Obiken: "Old friend, long time no see!"
Obiken frowned: "Isn't it somewhat impolite to infiltrate my home like this!"
Kavizé scoffed: "Hah... you say that as if you're the picture of courtesy! Is not repaying debts your idea of politeness?"
Obiken pulled over a chair and sat: "What brings you here? Didn't you receive my final payment?"
Kavizé: "I received it! But I'm here about another account. Let me remind you - where's my little attendant?"
Obiken raised an eyebrow: "He was affecting Fabio, as you probably learned some things.
Fabio will inherit my title, and that boy wasn't suitable to assist Fabio!"
Kavizé: "So you had him killed?"
"Of course I'm not that stupid, nor that short-sighted. I had someone escort him away. I can give you the address in the Billie Kingdom!"
"Who did you arrange to escort him?" Kavizé produced a severed head from under the table and tossed it onto the desk: "This idiot?"
Obiken frowned: "You killed my shadow guard? Are you provoking me?"
Kavizé dropped his smile: "Obiken, I feel like you're the one provoking me?
Not only did you drive away my little attendant, but you had this idiot sell him to human traffickers.
Ultimately resulting in my quite talented little attendant being burned to death in the traffickers' carriage.
And you lied about making proper arrangements?! Is this what you call arrangements?
Time is truly terrifying - just a few decades have passed and you've forgotten who I really am!
Obiken paused: "What are you saying? He sold that boy to human traffickers?"
"Otherwise? You think I have nothing better to do than come joke with you?"
After a moment's silence, Obiken said: "If I said this wasn't my arrangement, that I didn't know, would you believe me?"
Kavizé shrugged: "Believe! Why wouldn't I? You know, according to divine contracts, transcendent beings beyond certain limits cannot kill worldly rulers without cause."
Obiken said calmly: "Don't you have reason now?"
Kavizé sighed: "After all, we've known each other. I watched you grow up.
You're one of the few interesting humans I've known - killing you would be somewhat excessive.
So! To keep you alive while I vent my anger, I chose a different punishment method.
For example, killing your brother's son, the duchy's heir!"
With that, Kavizé tossed out another head.
Obiken sprang up, drawing the sword from his wall: "How dare you!"
"He's not a ruler, just an heir. Why wouldn't I dare?"
Obiken charged forward, his sword gleaming with battle energy, thrusting directly at Kavizé's chest.
Kavizé showed no intention to dodge, allowing the sword to pierce his body.
Then, under Obiken's furious gaze, Kavizé dissolved into specks of starlight and dissipated.
Kavizé's voice echoed around: "Hahaha... just joking with you. Why would I kill a human duchy's heir?
Old friend, it seems you've also lost your head, forgetting I'm no longer in that previous vessel!
Farewell! I'm leaving the continent for a while. I hope you haven't died of old age when I return!"
After Kavizé left, Obiken opened the package on his desk. One contained the wide-eyed head of his shadow guard.
The other was merely a cloth bundle, not his nephew's head.
Then he thought of something and immediately went to the palace. After confirming his nephew was fine, he had the palace guardians conduct thorough inspections.
Leaving the palace, Obiken remained unsettled. He knew Kavizé was powerful - he'd never even seen Kavizé's complete form.
He only knew Kavizé had many avatars. Kavizé seemed to have some mission, constantly seeking promising humans to nurture across the continent.
He himself hadn't qualified for Kavizé's attention, and now the child who had caught his eye had been indirectly killed by his actions.
And Obiken didn't believe that having ruined the other's mission, Kavizé would let it go just for his sake.
Indeed, three months later, the Grand Duke's heir suffered serious injuries from a fall during an outing.
By the time he was returned to the palace, his body had already turned cold.
Multiple investigations concluded it was simply an accident without any conspiracy.
Obiken never told anyone about Kavizé matters.
Not long after, he visited Fabio.
After his departure, Grand Duke Amil of Worui secretly summoned his former guard captain, now Baron Phoenix.
Shortly afterward, an inconspicuous piece of news circulated among the duchy's noble circles.
Baron Phoenix, credited with merits in bandit suppression, was about to be promoted to Viscount.
Meanwhile, far away in the Billie Kingdom, Henwil prepared to bid farewell to his young companions.