Chapter 111: Conflict

Exquisite Immemorial Palace.

Main Hall.

"Yo, when will be begin?" Rewen asked Hase. He had been doing nothing but devouring the food placed and taking a walk around the hall for the past two hours.

"It will begin shortly." Hase gave the same reply he had been giving to Rewen for the past two hours.

"Yeah, that 'shortly' is too long for me." Rewen also understood the concept that since he is in a reputed place, he shouldn't be so impatient. 'I guess the nobles really are kind of self-centered people.'

"Hase. When did you come here?" This was the young man who met Hase and Rewen when they were talking. He was also one of the Princes.

"I came not too long ago." Hase replied with a smile.

"That's great. By the way, I don't know the name of this young man yet. How about you introduce us?" The young man turned to Rewen with a friendly smile.

"My name is Rewen."

"Rewen? That's an odd name."

"I hear that quite often."

"Are you interested in joining my group after the start of the competition?"

"Isn't there only one winner?"

"There is only one winner. What I'm trying to say is, we stick together. Defeat other enemies who stick together and by the end, fight each other."

"That's clever. I'm interested. Is Hase joining as well?"

"I am joining." Hase nodded.

"Can I take your word for it?" The young Prince asked Rewen for confirmation.

"Uh yeah. I will join your alliance but I'm afraid I won't be of much use."

"That's fine." The young Prince shrugged it off. "Oh, I never seemed to have mentioned my name. You can call me Arata."

"Your Highness Arata."

"Just Arata will do."

"Okay."

"Then I'll write your name on it. Meet me with Hase soon after the competition begins."

"Alright."

After the young Prince, Arata, walked away, Rewen fell into thoughts. 'This should be the best course of action. If I wander around aimlessly, I would be defeated… wait, why would I be defeated?'

"Isn't this some kind of hunting competition?" Rewen asked the blue-haired young man.

"Yes."

"Then why did it seem like we have to defeat people?"

"Because we have to."

"Why?"

"Because… others might not like what we have."

"You mean Gruer Orbs?"

"Yeah."

"Isn't there a rule like, you can't fight others?"

"There's no such rule."

"Then what's even the purpose of hunting? At the end of the day, it's just a test of strength." 

"You are not wrong." Hase appeared thoughtful.

"This is stupid." Rewen was absolutely dumbfounded by the nature of the event. 'And here I thought, people are somewhat smart.'

[Stop nitpicking.]

***

Soon after, an old man appeared. The old man had a large stature and was tall. 

"Ladies and gentlemen. Today, I have invited all of you here to my humble Palace to celebrate the birthday of my granddaughter. Please give me a huge round of applause for her." The old man pointed to a beautiful girl standing alongside him.

'Oh? The Old King himself is the Host? Perhaps it's the culture.' Rewen thought while clapping.

"Today is a day of great joy to me. That is also the reason I conducted this year's event on this day. As all of you are already aware by now, this year, I decided to do something different. I'm going to open up the entrance to the Forest of Michaile for all of you to hunt. The one person who hunts Gruer Orbs is the one and only winner of this competition. 

"Remember. All of you are talented and worthy to be standing over here so you must produce good results. Therefore, I conclude my speech by giving everyone the best of luck!"

*Clap*

*Clap*

*Clap*

'Why is the speech so modern? Wasn't he a King? Is this how a King speaks?'

[Stop nitpicking.]

***

Hase looked around his surroundings, then to Rewen. "Come. The entry has already started. You have the envelope, right?" 

"Yes." Rewen took out his envelope. As he was about to take a step, a figure rushed into Hase.

"What's wrong, Reza?" Hase was perplexed about this little cousin of his.

"Quick. I have something to discuss with you. Quick! Come with me!" Reza dragged her cousin.

Rewen immediately felt as if something was wrong and walked to the two of them. "I'll go with the two of you. Don't worry, my ears are sealed. In fact, I'm deaf. I can't even hear anything."

"You!!" Reza's face was red. "This is our personal matter! An outsider like you have no right to-"

*Pah*

The hall went quiet.

Even Rewen was shocked. 'To think Hase would slap her…' However, he didn't feel that it was wrong or undeserved. If she was someone related to him, he would have already turned her into shape. He liked cute kids but similarly disliked entitled ones. 

"Y-you… for an outsider like him…" She had never been slapped in her entire life. If her father or mother were to have done it, she would understand but her cousin? She isn't going to take a single shit from him. With fast steps, she walked out of the hall.

Discussions erupted in a full-fledged manner.

"Rewen." Hase's voice wasn't good.

"I'm sorry. Because of me…" Rewen understood why Hase slapped his own cousin. It was not because he was friends with him. Nor was it to teach her a lesson. It was all because he was a Noble from the Central. This fact alone changes everything.

"Don't sweat it. Now, I have some work to do." Hase said before walking towards the direction Reza left.

This was a moment of self-realization for Rewen. 'I'm not on Earth anymore. I don't have the liberty to act like I usually do. The Terio Family isn't my own family. I'm just living with them. They couldn't have cared less about me if it wasn't for the fact that I'm a Noble and I don't have any right to blame them for it.' 

He realized that perhaps he might be totally right for speaking up against Reza but this way, he was creating inner conflicts. 'I can't continue like this. If only I had strength and resources… nevermind. I will have it.'

As he was about to take a step forward, a severe pain erupted from the back of his head as he fell unconscious on the floor.

***

"Your Majesty, I am stupid and incompetent." The masked agent in black half-knelt before the Old King.

"Forget it, I know how stupid you are. It was stupid of me to give you a simple task like this. You should have stuck with hardcore missions." The Old King sighed. He got word that his dear granddaughter had taken part in the competition using a disguise and someone else's envelope.

"Please give me another chance!" The masked agent in black pleaded.

"For the time being, give the boy an envelope. As for the compensation… let me take a look at him."

The Old King got up from the chair and went to the room the unconscious boy was. "Hoho, he is an interesting one. Who dared to bet on him?"