Chapter 29
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Reluctant though they were, he and Moira let go of one another and returned to their positions in line.
Perhaps the girl who had newly become a Princess might be immune to any punishments in her last morning assembly here, but the thin boy was not.
She did hope that he would fill out a little more as he grew up though, like Duke Silvan and his muscular frame... Mmm...
Startled that her thoughts and heart would drift so easily, she chided herself and looked straight ahead.
It looked like the morning assembly was beginning.
There were no seats in the large hall, but there was a wide rectangular stage where the members of the management would stand to address the students.
All voices ceased and every trainee made sure to stay stock still and keep a low profile as the large double doors at the east end of the hall that led to the management offices swung open. Vizier Murad stepped through, alone. This drew curious looks from the trainees. Usually, it was one of the invigilators who would conduct the briefing - unless there was something of such great importance that even the heads of the Arena could not make the announcement...?
The reserved and scholarly walked to the centre of the stage. He walked with a straight posture and a strong bearing despite his advanced age. When he reached the middle, he stopped and raised his gaze, sweeping his eyes across all those gathered in the hall - before stopping on the members of the top 10.
"First."
A sense of anticipation was palpable in the air, some trainees began to fidget despite themselves. Was this going to be big news...?
"The following trainees, please step out of the ranking order where you are positioned now and form a line in front of the stage. Linges. Moira. Seline. Rosa."
"What...?"
"What's happening...?"
"Are they going to be punished...?" Some eager trainees' eyes lit up, rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of being rid of the top and most dangerous duo of Linges and Moira.
"Why these four...?"
"Linges and Moira are the best two, but there's a real gap between them and Seline..."
"What about Rosa...? What is she even doing with those top rankers...?"
Despite the clamour, the noise levels were not high. No one dared to incur the wrath of any member of the management - they were many, many levels above any trainee including even the top-ranked monster.
In front of the seniors of the Arena, even their "monster" was just a little puppy...
The four named trainees filed out of the body of people and formed a line in front of the stage, facing front. Then the Vizier continued.
"These four have been directly recruited by one of the true powerhouses of our Kingdom of the Sands, Duke Silvan himself!"
No theatrics were added, no exclamations, no great passages spoken to honour or embellish them.
Yet the uproar from these words was stupendous. No trainee could believe their ears!
"What in the world!!?"
"How could that be possible???"
"T-That's, that's unfair! How come they..."
"Why... Why not me!??"
"This is unfair! I demand a--"
The last speaker stopped halfway, for his head was separated from his body with but a sharp glance of the Vizier's eyes.
The brazen trainee slumped over, decapitated and deceased.
Without a word, the stewards walked over to dispose of the body while the teenagers around the short and stout dead boy made a large berth for them.
As if nothing had happened, Murad resumed his announcements.
"Do you utmost, perform to your best and perhaps you too might be selected, just like them. However..." He continued on before any further havoc could break out at the prospect of being chosen as well.
"However, there is also a great opportunity for all of you gathered here today."
He cleared his throat and folded his fingers together, joining his hands in front of his waist as he delivered an even more world-shocking announcement.
"Due to the threats of war at the northern borders and east coast with the beastmen tribes and Maritime Empire respectively, the King has announced..."
He raised his head to look the trainees in the eyes, one by one. His eyes passed over the company of young men and women before him, holding their gaze for half a second before moving on.
Then he finished his sentence.
"...That the deathmatches are over. You shall all be recruited into his newly formed Shadow Hawks regiment - and are absolutely barred from harming or killing one another in any way whatsoever!"
Silence.
Stunned silence.
Ludicrous. Incredulous. Preposterous. Shock-inducing.
Silence.
Then a burst of noise so great that it was as if the children had all lost their minds.
Cheers. Jubilant, wild, rambunctious cheers.
They went crazy with delight, and this time, Vizier Murad allowed it, smiling beatifically and serenely, as if he were a sitting Buddha blessing the clamouring masses with his words of philosophy and teachings of life.
And in the midst of the din, one thin blonde-haired boy's mind was blown, along with his careful plans to overthrow the Arena management, exact revenge for Gardner's death and free the trainees.
If they were released and employed, and all of them free, then who should be take vengeance on...? Who should he free? What was there to overthrow...?
Jarred by the unexpected twist in his journey, the boy became listless and antsy.
At this rate, if he were to strike down any of the management or invigilators... Or Vizier Murad himself...
Wouldn't that derail his fellow detainees' hopes of gainful employment under the Kingdom...? Wouldn't that be him stealing their futures for the sake of his personal satisfaction for vengeance...?
He felt lost and disrupted. Who, w-what should he do now about his unsated fires of revenge for his best friend? If not for the Arenas and the despicable deathmatches, wouldn't he still be here, alive and well, joking with him and sharing paths with him...?
...And accompanying Lars so he wouldn't feel so alone...?
...Was his only target of revenge now the backer behind the Arena itself...?
King Vishnu...?
He sighed, despondent.
Useless. Completely useless. He was useless.
It was better to give up on his personal vendetta...
The brouhaha slowly began to calm down, hastened when the Vizier raised his arms in a request for silence as he continued.
"Third. And after this, you may all be dismissed. Trainee Miller."
Perking up and surprised to hear his name called, Lars looked up and gave his full attention to the wizened old man.
"As for you..." He tapped his chin, contemplating what to say, then nodded slightly as if he made up his mind about something.
"Follow me to the management area. Don't worry - it's good news for you."
Setting aside the surprised young man for the moment, he looked down at the 4 special trainees before him and added, "As for you four, you'll need to head off now. I've just received news from the Duke, there's no time for any further packing or anything. All your things are with invigilator Sar-- I mean, maid Sharon. Now go."
He nodded at Lars before turning to walk off the stage and headed towards the double doors again. The slim teenager followed after him, confused but unafraid, confident in his powers regardless of whatever might occur.
But not before meeting her gaze, one last time. Probably the last time they would see one another for many years to come.
He nodded.
She smiled.
He looked sad, but returned the smile.
She winked at him.
And he smiled. She was too cute.
He left to follow Vizier Murad.
* * * * *
As he followed in the vizier's strong but slow and deliberate footsteps, he heard the murmuring undertones of dozens of whispered voices again, this time saying 'Kill him... I want him... Eat him... Murder him... Blood... Flesh... Power...'
Shivering at the illusory sounds pervading his senses, the mage boy shook his head a few times to get it out of his head. Now was definitely not a good time to perform a demon summoning ritual!
He needed to find someplace secluded, perhaps once he escaped the Arena. Then at that time, he would get in contact with Razku'rak Kizorik and plan the next moves.
The vizier brought Lars out of the stony compound of the Arena and its underground network of tunnels.
He took the boy through a short passageway with a few turns and quickly arrived at the management offices of the Arena and Colosseum. through the busy and crowded administrative area, where there were a number of clerks and accountants seated. They pored over countless many sheets of parchment and paper, reading this one, writing on that document, now tabulating, now striking off a line or two.
It was only a little past 7:00 AM and they were already so hard at work...? From the looks of their tired eyes and deep, dark panda eyes, it even looked like they had been up for not a short while - or even pulled an all-nighter!
Lars shivered. He definitely did not want to work a desk job like that, ever!
Finally, the vizier stopped. They had reached a simple room separated from the clerks working area by a see-through glass "window" of sorts. Though, there was also a window looking out of the building to the not-so-arid not-so-sandy Kingdom of the Sands. The floor was slightly higher, perhaps due to flooring installed to so that it wouldn't just be cold stone ground underneath one's feet...?
In truth, the area that the Arena was built in was lush and verdant, green and cool. The Kingdom had long since implemented highly effective mechanisms, spells and other methods for irrigation and aeration of the land, reducing the area of arid lands greatly.
In just one glance, the room they were stopped in front of looked like the room of someone who loved books. Or at least, loved reading, for countless tomes were haphazardly piled in a corner, some opened while others were balanced precariously on each other.
"Please, don't mind my mess. I love books and reading!" The vizier showed a gentle and amicable side to him, smiling as he gazed upon his books with fondness.
The boy was conflicted.
On one hand, the sight of so many books sparked his bibliophilia! On the other...
This place was a horrifying mess! How could someone claim to love reading or books and... Mistreat their faithful companions so terribly so?!? He could not understand!
And the vizier walked straight in, stepping carefully and nimbly over the books scattered over the floor - as if though it were a completely natural and normal state of affairs for him! He was light on his feet, making sure not to step on any books, landing only in the gaps of the floor between the piled up, messed up tomes.
Speechless, the book-loving boy could not bear to perform the same acrobatic feat.
Because he realised that those were no "gaps of the floor between the piled up tomes."
There was literally a "flooring" made up of a whole layer of books already covering every single inch of the floor!!!
He nearly fainted, and only managed to hold on out of the need to find out what he and the vizier were here for.
Raising his eyebrows at the boy, at first frowning then smiling, the balding old man who still had some wisps of white hair spoke. "Ahhh I see! You must like books too! But yes, I understand the space here is a little cramped, so you don't want to come in right? No matter, no matter!"
It seemed that when it came to books, he turned into a completely different person. The Arena support staff outside markedly refused to even look in the direction of the room. Looked like they had already decided to just pretend the flooring made out of books, books and more books should be treated as if it did not exist...
About to swoon, Lars held on tightly to the wooden doorframe nearby to balance himself and hear what the insane old man had to say.
"Miller, my boy, you are a very lucky man." The vizier rummaged around on his desk and picked up a scrap of paper, apparently his notes.
"Alright, the reason you are here is because..."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Reluctant though they were, he and Moira let go of one another and returned to their positions in line.
Perhaps the girl who had newly become a Princess might be immune to any punishments in her last morning assembly here, but the thin boy was not.
She did hope that he would fill out a little more as he grew up though, like Duke Silvan and his muscular frame... Mmm...
Startled that her thoughts and heart would drift so easily, she chided herself and looked straight ahead.
It looked like the morning assembly was beginning.
There were no seats in the large hall, but there was a wide rectangular stage where the members of the management would stand to address the students.
All voices ceased and every trainee made sure to stay stock still and keep a low profile as the large double doors at the east end of the hall that led to the management offices swung open. Vizier Murad stepped through, alone. This drew curious looks from the trainees. Usually, it was one of the invigilators who would conduct the briefing - unless there was something of such great importance that even the heads of the Arena could not make the announcement...?
The reserved and scholarly walked to the centre of the stage. He walked with a straight posture and a strong bearing despite his advanced age. When he reached the middle, he stopped and raised his gaze, sweeping his eyes across all those gathered in the hall - before stopping on the members of the top 10.
"First."
A sense of anticipation was palpable in the air, some trainees began to fidget despite themselves. Was this going to be big news...?
"The following trainees, please step out of the ranking order where you are positioned now and form a line in front of the stage. Linges. Moira. Seline. Rosa."
"What...?"
"What's happening...?"
"Are they going to be punished...?" Some eager trainees' eyes lit up, rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of being rid of the top and most dangerous duo of Linges and Moira.
"Why these four...?"
"Linges and Moira are the best two, but there's a real gap between them and Seline..."
"What about Rosa...? What is she even doing with those top rankers...?"
Despite the clamour, the noise levels were not high. No one dared to incur the wrath of any member of the management - they were many, many levels above any trainee including even the top-ranked monster.
In front of the seniors of the Arena, even their "monster" was just a little puppy...
The four named trainees filed out of the body of people and formed a line in front of the stage, facing front. Then the Vizier continued.
"These four have been directly recruited by one of the true powerhouses of our Kingdom of the Sands, Duke Silvan himself!"
No theatrics were added, no exclamations, no great passages spoken to honour or embellish them.
Yet the uproar from these words was stupendous. No trainee could believe their ears!
"What in the world!!?"
"How could that be possible???"
"T-That's, that's unfair! How come they..."
"Why... Why not me!??"
"This is unfair! I demand a--"
The last speaker stopped halfway, for his head was separated from his body with but a sharp glance of the Vizier's eyes.
The brazen trainee slumped over, decapitated and deceased.
Without a word, the stewards walked over to dispose of the body while the teenagers around the short and stout dead boy made a large berth for them.
As if nothing had happened, Murad resumed his announcements.
"Do you utmost, perform to your best and perhaps you too might be selected, just like them. However..." He continued on before any further havoc could break out at the prospect of being chosen as well.
"However, there is also a great opportunity for all of you gathered here today."
He cleared his throat and folded his fingers together, joining his hands in front of his waist as he delivered an even more world-shocking announcement.
"Due to the threats of war at the northern borders and east coast with the beastmen tribes and Maritime Empire respectively, the King has announced..."
He raised his head to look the trainees in the eyes, one by one. His eyes passed over the company of young men and women before him, holding their gaze for half a second before moving on.
Then he finished his sentence.
"...That the deathmatches are over. You shall all be recruited into his newly formed Shadow Hawks regiment - and are absolutely barred from harming or killing one another in any way whatsoever!"
Silence.
Stunned silence.
Ludicrous. Incredulous. Preposterous. Shock-inducing.
Silence.
Then a burst of noise so great that it was as if the children had all lost their minds.
Cheers. Jubilant, wild, rambunctious cheers.
They went crazy with delight, and this time, Vizier Murad allowed it, smiling beatifically and serenely, as if he were a sitting Buddha blessing the clamouring masses with his words of philosophy and teachings of life.
And in the midst of the din, one thin blonde-haired boy's mind was blown, along with his careful plans to overthrow the Arena management, exact revenge for Gardner's death and free the trainees.
If they were released and employed, and all of them free, then who should be take vengeance on...? Who should he free? What was there to overthrow...?
Jarred by the unexpected twist in his journey, the boy became listless and antsy.
At this rate, if he were to strike down any of the management or invigilators... Or Vizier Murad himself...
Wouldn't that derail his fellow detainees' hopes of gainful employment under the Kingdom...? Wouldn't that be him stealing their futures for the sake of his personal satisfaction for vengeance...?
He felt lost and disrupted. Who, w-what should he do now about his unsated fires of revenge for his best friend? If not for the Arenas and the despicable deathmatches, wouldn't he still be here, alive and well, joking with him and sharing paths with him...?
...And accompanying Lars so he wouldn't feel so alone...?
...Was his only target of revenge now the backer behind the Arena itself...?
King Vishnu...?
He sighed, despondent.
Useless. Completely useless. He was useless.
It was better to give up on his personal vendetta...
The brouhaha slowly began to calm down, hastened when the Vizier raised his arms in a request for silence as he continued.
"Third. And after this, you may all be dismissed. Trainee Miller."
Perking up and surprised to hear his name called, Lars looked up and gave his full attention to the wizened old man.
"As for you..." He tapped his chin, contemplating what to say, then nodded slightly as if he made up his mind about something.
"Follow me to the management area. Don't worry - it's good news for you."
Setting aside the surprised young man for the moment, he looked down at the 4 special trainees before him and added, "As for you four, you'll need to head off now. I've just received news from the Duke, there's no time for any further packing or anything. All your things are with invigilator Sar-- I mean, maid Sharon. Now go."
He nodded at Lars before turning to walk off the stage and headed towards the double doors again. The slim teenager followed after him, confused but unafraid, confident in his powers regardless of whatever might occur.
But not before meeting her gaze, one last time. Probably the last time they would see one another for many years to come.
He nodded.
She smiled.
He looked sad, but returned the smile.
She winked at him.
And he smiled. She was too cute.
He left to follow Vizier Murad.
* * * * *
As he followed in the vizier's strong but slow and deliberate footsteps, he heard the murmuring undertones of dozens of whispered voices again, this time saying 'Kill him... I want him... Eat him... Murder him... Blood... Flesh... Power...'
Shivering at the illusory sounds pervading his senses, the mage boy shook his head a few times to get it out of his head. Now was definitely not a good time to perform a demon summoning ritual!
He needed to find someplace secluded, perhaps once he escaped the Arena. Then at that time, he would get in contact with Razku'rak Kizorik and plan the next moves.
The vizier brought Lars out of the stony compound of the Arena and its underground network of tunnels.
He took the boy through a short passageway with a few turns and quickly arrived at the management offices of the Arena and Colosseum. through the busy and crowded administrative area, where there were a number of clerks and accountants seated. They pored over countless many sheets of parchment and paper, reading this one, writing on that document, now tabulating, now striking off a line or two.
It was only a little past 7:00 AM and they were already so hard at work...? From the looks of their tired eyes and deep, dark panda eyes, it even looked like they had been up for not a short while - or even pulled an all-nighter!
Lars shivered. He definitely did not want to work a desk job like that, ever!
Finally, the vizier stopped. They had reached a simple room separated from the clerks working area by a see-through glass "window" of sorts. Though, there was also a window looking out of the building to the not-so-arid not-so-sandy Kingdom of the Sands. The floor was slightly higher, perhaps due to flooring installed to so that it wouldn't just be cold stone ground underneath one's feet...?
In truth, the area that the Arena was built in was lush and verdant, green and cool. The Kingdom had long since implemented highly effective mechanisms, spells and other methods for irrigation and aeration of the land, reducing the area of arid lands greatly.
In just one glance, the room they were stopped in front of looked like the room of someone who loved books. Or at least, loved reading, for countless tomes were haphazardly piled in a corner, some opened while others were balanced precariously on each other.
"Please, don't mind my mess. I love books and reading!" The vizier showed a gentle and amicable side to him, smiling as he gazed upon his books with fondness.
The boy was conflicted.
On one hand, the sight of so many books sparked his bibliophilia! On the other...
This place was a horrifying mess! How could someone claim to love reading or books and... Mistreat their faithful companions so terribly so?!? He could not understand!
And the vizier walked straight in, stepping carefully and nimbly over the books scattered over the floor - as if though it were a completely natural and normal state of affairs for him! He was light on his feet, making sure not to step on any books, landing only in the gaps of the floor between the piled up, messed up tomes.
Speechless, the book-loving boy could not bear to perform the same acrobatic feat.
Because he realised that those were no "gaps of the floor between the piled up tomes."
There was literally a "flooring" made up of a whole layer of books already covering every single inch of the floor!!!
He nearly fainted, and only managed to hold on out of the need to find out what he and the vizier were here for.
Raising his eyebrows at the boy, at first frowning then smiling, the balding old man who still had some wisps of white hair spoke. "Ahhh I see! You must like books too! But yes, I understand the space here is a little cramped, so you don't want to come in right? No matter, no matter!"
It seemed that when it came to books, he turned into a completely different person. The Arena support staff outside markedly refused to even look in the direction of the room. Looked like they had already decided to just pretend the flooring made out of books, books and more books should be treated as if it did not exist...
About to swoon, Lars held on tightly to the wooden doorframe nearby to balance himself and hear what the insane old man had to say.
"Miller, my boy, you are a very lucky man." The vizier rummaged around on his desk and picked up a scrap of paper, apparently his notes.
"Alright, the reason you are here is because..."
Reluctant though they were, he and Moira let go of one another and returned to their positions in line.Perhaps the girl who had newly become a Princess might be immune to any punishments in her last morning assembly here, but the thin boy was not.She did hope that he would fill out a little more as he grew up though, like Duke Silvan and his muscular frame... Mmm...Startled that her thoughts and heart would drift so easily, she chided herself and looked straight ahead.It looked like the morning assembly was beginning.There were no seats in the large hall, but there was a wide rectangular stage where the members of the management would stand to address the students.All voices ceased and every trainee made sure to stay stock still and keep a low profile as the large double doors at the east end of the hall that led to the management offices swung open. Vizier Murad stepped through, alone. This drew curious looks from the trainees. Usually, it was one of the invigilators who would conduct the briefing - unless there was something of such great importance that even the heads of the Arena could not make the announcement...?The reserved and scholarly walked to the centre of the stage. He walked with a straight posture and a strong bearing despite his advanced age. When he reached the middle, he stopped and raised his gaze, sweeping his eyes across all those gathered in the hall - before stopping on the members of the top 10."First."A sense of anticipation was palpable in the air, some trainees began to fidget despite themselves. Was this going to be big news...?"The following trainees, please step out of the ranking order where you are positioned now and form a line in front of the stage. Linges. Moira. Seline. Rosa.""What...?""What's happening...?""Are they going to be punished...?" Some eager trainees' eyes lit up, rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of being rid of the top and most dangerous duo of Linges and Moira."Why these four...?""Linges and Moira are the best two, but there's a real gap between them and Seline...""What about Rosa...? What is she even doing with those top rankers...?"Despite the clamour, the noise levels were not high. No one dared to incur the wrath of any member of the management - they were many, many levels above any trainee including even the top-ranked monster.In front of the seniors of the Arena, even their "monster" was just a little puppy...The four named trainees filed out of the body of people and formed a line in front of the stage, facing front. Then the Vizier continued."These four have been directly recruited by one of the true powerhouses of our Kingdom of the Sands, Duke Silvan himself!"No theatrics were added, no exclamations, no great passages spoken to honour or embellish them.Yet the uproar from these words was stupendous. No trainee could believe their ears!"What in the world!!?""How could that be possible???""T-That's, that's unfair! How come they...""Why... Why not me!??""This is unfair! I demand a--"The last speaker stopped halfway, for his head was separated from his body with but a sharp glance of the Vizier's eyes.The brazen trainee slumped over, decapitated and deceased.Without a word, the stewards walked over to dispose of the body while the teenagers around the short and stout dead boy made a large berth for them.As if nothing had happened, Murad resumed his announcements."Do you utmost, perform to your best and perhaps you too might be selected, just like them. However..." He continued on before any further havoc could break out at the prospect of being chosen as well."However, there is also a great opportunity for all of you gathered here today."He cleared his throat and folded his fingers together, joining his hands in front of his waist as he delivered an even more world-shocking announcement."Due to the threats of war at the northern borders and east coast with the beastmen tribes and Maritime Empire respectively, the King has announced..."He raised his head to look the trainees in the eyes, one by one. His eyes passed over the company of young men and women before him, holding their gaze for half a second before moving on.Then he finished his sentence."...That the deathmatches are over. You shall all be recruited into his newly formed Shadow Hawks regiment - and are absolutely barred from harming or killing one another in any way whatsoever!"Silence.Stunned silence.Ludicrous. Incredulous. Preposterous. Shock-inducing.Silence.Then a burst of noise so great that it was as if the children had all lost their minds.Cheers. Jubilant, wild, rambunctious cheers.They went crazy with delight, and this time, Vizier Murad allowed it, smiling beatifically and serenely, as if he were a sitting Buddha blessing the clamouring masses with his words of philosophy and teachings of life.And in the midst of the din, one thin blonde-haired boy's mind was blown, along with his careful plans to overthrow the Arena management, exact revenge for Gardner's death and free the trainees.If they were released and employed, and all of them free, then who should be take vengeance on...? Who should he free? What was there to overthrow...?Jarred by the unexpected twist in his journey, the boy became listless and antsy.At this rate, if he were to strike down any of the management or invigilators... Or Vizier Murad himself...Wouldn't that derail his fellow detainees' hopes of gainful employment under the Kingdom...? Wouldn't that be him stealing their futures for the sake of his personal satisfaction for vengeance...?He felt lost and disrupted. Who, w-what should he do now about his unsated fires of revenge for his best friend? If not for the Arenas and the despicable deathmatches, wouldn't he still be here, alive and well, joking with him and sharing paths with him...?...And accompanying Lars so he wouldn't feel so alone...?...Was his only target of revenge now the backer behind the Arena itself...?King Vishnu...?He sighed, despondent.Useless. Completely useless. He was useless.It was better to give up on his personal vendetta...The brouhaha slowly began to calm down, hastened when the Vizier raised his arms in a request for silence as he continued."Third. And after this, you may all be dismissed. Trainee Miller."Perking up and surprised to hear his name called, Lars looked up and gave his full attention to the wizened old man."As for you..." He tapped his chin, contemplating what to say, then nodded slightly as if he made up his mind about something."Follow me to the management area. Don't worry - it's good news for you."Setting aside the surprised young man for the moment, he looked down at the 4 special trainees before him and added, "As for you four, you'll need to head off now. I've just received news from the Duke, there's no time for any further packing or anything. All your things are with invigilator Sar-- I mean, maid Sharon. Now go."He nodded at Lars before turning to walk off the stage and headed towards the double doors again. The slim teenager followed after him, confused but unafraid, confident in his powers regardless of whatever might occur.But not before meeting her gaze, one last time. Probably the last time they would see one another for many years to come.He nodded.She smiled.He looked sad, but returned the smile.She winked at him.And he smiled. She was too cute.He left to follow Vizier Murad.* * * * *As he followed in the vizier's strong but slow and deliberate footsteps, he heard the murmuring undertones of dozens of whispered voices again, this time saying 'Kill him... I want him... Eat him... Murder him... Blood... Flesh... Power...'Shivering at the illusory sounds pervading his senses, the mage boy shook his head a few times to get it out of his head. Now was definitely not a good time to perform a demon summoning ritual!He needed to find someplace secluded, perhaps once he escaped the Arena. Then at that time, he would get in contact with Razku'rak Kizorik and plan the next moves.The vizier brought Lars out of the stony compound of the Arena and its underground network of tunnels.He took the boy through a short passageway with a few turns and quickly arrived at the management offices of the Arena and Colosseum. through the busy and crowded administrative area, where there were a number of clerks and accountants seated. They pored over countless many sheets of parchment and paper, reading this one, writing on that document, now tabulating, now striking off a line or two.It was only a little past 7:00 AM and they were already so hard at work...? From the looks of their tired eyes and deep, dark panda eyes, it even looked like they had been up for not a short while - or even pulled an all-nighter!Lars shivered. He definitely did not want to work a desk job like that, ever!Finally, the vizier stopped. They had reached a simple room separated from the clerks working area by a see-through glass "window" of sorts. Though, there was also a window looking out of the building to the not-so-arid not-so-sandy Kingdom of the Sands. The floor was slightly higher, perhaps due to flooring installed to so that it wouldn't just be cold stone ground underneath one's feet...?In truth, the area that the Arena was built in was lush and verdant, green and cool. The Kingdom had long since implemented highly effective mechanisms, spells and other methods for irrigation and aeration of the land, reducing the area of arid lands greatly.In just one glance, the room they were stopped in front of looked like the room of someone who loved books. Or at least, loved reading, for countless tomes were haphazardly piled in a corner, some opened while others were balanced precariously on each other."Please, don't mind my mess. I love books and reading!" The vizier showed a gentle and amicable side to him, smiling as he gazed upon his books with fondness.The boy was conflicted.On one hand, the sight of so many books sparked his bibliophilia! On the other...This place was a horrifying mess! How could someone claim to love reading or books and... Mistreat their faithful companions so terribly so?!? He could not understand!And the vizier walked straight in, stepping carefully and nimbly over the books scattered over the floor - as if though it were a completely natural and normal state of affairs for him! He was light on his feet, making sure not to step on any books, landing only in the gaps of the floor between the piled up, messed up tomes.Speechless, the book-loving boy could not bear to perform the same acrobatic feat.Because he realised that those were no "gaps of the floor between the piled up tomes."There was literally a "flooring" made up of a whole layer of books already covering every single inch of the floor!!!He nearly fainted, and only managed to hold on out of the need to find out what he and the vizier were here for.Raising his eyebrows at the boy, at first frowning then smiling, the balding old man who still had some wisps of white hair spoke. "Ahhh I see! You must like books too! But yes, I understand the space here is a little cramped, so you don't want to come in right? No matter, no matter!"It seemed that when it came to books, he turned into a completely different person. The Arena support staff outside markedly refused to even look in the direction of the room. Looked like they had already decided to just pretend the flooring made out of books, books and more books should be treated as if it did not exist...About to swoon, Lars held on tightly to the wooden doorframe nearby to balance himself and hear what the insane old man had to say."Miller, my boy, you are a very lucky man." The vizier rummaged around on his desk and picked up a scrap of paper, apparently his notes."Alright, the reason you are here is because..."
