Episode 39.11

"What's your reason for holding a grudge on Orug."

"Like half of the dirty work assigned to me was Shittier Bastard's idea, and he treated me oh so well too. Besides, just eliminating Shitty Bastard would get me pursued by Benchara's assassins for life then. Gotta ruin the whole Benchara's house if I do it. And I mean that's how you exact revenge for real."

"I see."

"So chief, c'mon tell me. Where is sir Zoltan right now? Or are you telling me."

Chubby erased his smile and opened his eyes wide. Hellish eyes.

"You killed him for real?"

As he's usually putting on an innocent amiable-looking face, the wicked look he had now looks even more eerie.

"Yea."

All of a sudden, Chubby began laughing like a mad man while shaking his whole body hard.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh dear, oh dear. Well, well. My goodness. Sorry. Sorry, chief. So you ended up killing a friend from the same land because of me? HAHAHAHAHA. Oh dearie me. Truly from the bottom of my heart. I apologize, see. HAHAHAHAHA."

His laugh sounded really fake.

Lecan who had been listening to Chubby's confession half-heartedly so far is beginning to feel rage.

(Did Zoltan and me get toyed around into killing each other by this kind of guy?)

His swelling rage turned into bloodlust.

A sharp light shot out of his right eye as he glared at Chubby.

That was when.

He felt like he could hear a voice in his mind.

<<Don't you think that was a good fight.>>

It's Zoltan's voice.

<<The night I had a drink with you, I came to believe you were the one I must fight in my life's final match. You too must have an urge to fight me yourself.>>

Did he really. Lecan didn't really want to fight Zoltan when he was called back then.

Yet, on the other side of the coin, he couldn't deny that he was getting excited about the prospect. He cannot say he wasn't full of expectations as he was readying his equipment in the dungeon's vacant room then. And above all, he could have just fled when he found out Zoltan wanted to fight, yet he never did.

That's right.

At the end of the day, both Lecan and Zoltan wished to fight each other from the bottom of their hearts.

<<We both wished to fight against each other. Gods heard our wishes and laid the groundwork for the arena. Don't you feel sorry for Gwislan. He got himself cursed just to prepare our match.>>

(You've got the order wrong.)

<<God of Fates wanted to watch our fight. That is reason <Talisman of Gargoy>'s chance got tampered with, and a pawn called Gwislan came to be.>>

(But still.)

<<Think about it, Lecan.>>

(About what?)

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

<<Both you and I wished to fight, and that wish was realized.>>

(Yeah it is.)

<<Gwislan wished for his freedom, yet he had to endure being enslaved for years.>>

(Yeah, that's right.)

<<In a way, our fates did not get twisted. While Gwislan's did. Don't you feel sorry for him.>>

(Haha. Right. Poor man.)

<<Who cares about miscellaneous stuff as long as you get to live your life the way you want it.>>

That's probably the creed Zoltan held on. Zoltan must have easily agreed to being coerced into fighting Lecan when Torog confronted him. He didn't care about Torog's ploys or stuff. He simply chose the fate presented before him.

<<Lecan. You'd be better off quit getting yourself worked up by others' words, quit getting tussled around by others' ploys. Decide yourself on the worthiness of stuff that came your way and the results of your own actions. Having others decide that for you is just absurd.>>

He's right.

To begin with, there's no telling how much what Chubby said was the truth. And even if it's all true, that doesn't degrade that fight in any shape or form. That was a marvelous fight, that fact would never be distorted in Lecan's mind. That's the important thing.

(Yeah, you're damn right.)

<<No point worrying about what others think about you. The instance you start to want others see you like this, or like that, don't want them to misunderstand you, dislike doing something because it's going as somebody's plan, is the moment you have bound yourself. Live freely, that's what adventurers do.>>

(That's the plan from now on.)

<<Let others say what they want to say. Let others think what they want to think. Freedom is when those stuff stops bothering you.>>

(You're exactly right. I got it.)

<<All good then. It's time for me to go. Farewell.>>

(Yea. See ya.)

Lecan looked at Chubby once again.

With his body writhing, and tears on his eyes, he's still laughing out loud.

What a pitiful man, Lecan thought.

"You've got it rough huh. Well, at least you're free now."

"Eh?"

Chubby stopped laughing and looked dumbfounded.

Then it hit Lecan.

Why did Chubby show himself up before Lecan now of all time. Why did he confess the fact that he was the culprit behind Lecan's and Zoltan's fight. Even though he could get himself killed if he did all that.

This man thinks it's okay if he gets killed. That's why he agitates people, why he wants to be hated. Perhaps this man feels the most alive when he's abused, getting told 'It's all your fault.'

"Bye now. Take care."

"Ah, wai-. Eh? Eh? Eh?"