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Chapter 189




Bargan headed back to the lobby to receive his match earnings from the receptionist.
“Great job, Sir Bargan, that was an amazing match,”
With a big smile on her face, the receptionist’s attitude was completely different from before.
On the other hand, Bargan’s blunt attitude hadn’t changed at all since the beginning.
“I’m here to collect my earnings.”
“Yes! Here it is.”
Clink.
She took out a bag that seemed pretty heavy.
“It’s 1,500 erus. Also, congratulations, Sir Bargan, for winning four consecutive matches.”
Clap clap.
She even gave him a soft clap afterward.
Bargan ignored her and looked at the bag.
1,500 erus was by no means a small amount. To be specific, it was twice as much as he’d earned in his previous match.
This was natural since the higher the value of the Fighter, the higher their earnings. Bargan was gradually increasing his value day by day.
If he were to win his next match, his earnings would probably be doubled again.
‘Of course, the higher the ranking, the harder it is to get a match.’
At least, he wouldn’t be able to fight multiple times in a few days like he was doing now.
Nevertheless, it was fine for now.
In all honesty, his four consecutive victories were a surprise to him as well.
Bargan was well aware of his skill level. He could only be considered among the best of the lower-ranked Fighters in the Lirua Arena.
And yet, he had won four times in a row.
In all honesty, there wasn’t that big of a difference between Bargan and Himba, who he’d fought today.
Nevertheless, the battle had been one-sided. At first glance, it might have seemed like a rather fierce battle, but Himba’s attacks hadn’t even caused him any trouble.
Of course, it could be said that the result had been influenced by luck and other complex factors that were difficult to calculate, but the most decisive factor was Bargan’s momentum.
‘As long as I maintain this form, it would be worth trying even if I meet someone stronger than I am.’
More importantly, Bargan felt that he was getting stronger the more he fought.
Leaving the arena, Bargan began to head to the inn, but he stopped not long after he started.
It was just starting to get dark.
“…”
And a man was standing in front of him.
A Dragonman with blue scales.
“You’ve got a lot of skill, senior.”
Senior.
It was an awkward title and not something he expected to hear from someone he’d met for the first time.
Bargan shot back in a cold voice.
“I don’t remember having a junior like you.”
“That’s natural. This is our first meeting.”
Bargan narrowed his eyes slightly at the sly answer. Just as he started to reach for his club, the man changed his attitude and hurriedly waved his hands.
“Ah. Relax, relax. I didn’t come here to fight.”
“Do you expect me to believe that?”
“Really. I have something to tell you.”
“Say it then. I’m listening.”
“I can’t say it here.”
“…”
Was he messing with him?
Just as Bargan’s irritation was about to reach another level, the man spoke urgently.
“I swear. I have no hostile intentions towards senior. Rather, it could be said that we are on the same side.”
“On the same side? Are you saying that you know what I want?”
Bargan had a cold sneer on his lips but the man in front of him just nodded calmly as if he had been waiting for such a question.
“Of course I do. Aren’t you dissatisfied with the darkness in this city?”
“What?”
“The match-fixing.”
“…!”
Bargan’s expression changed slightly at those words.
When he saw that, the man let out a soft sigh of relief.
“Are you interested now?”
“…who are you?”
“You can call me Aram. A Fighter who is dissatisfied with the darkness in Lirua just like senior.”
Aram looked around for a moment before continuing.
“We should change locations first. There are too many eyes and ears around here.”
* * *
In the end, Bargan decided to take Aram to the inn where he was staying. Aram followed him with great caution. Sometimes it seemed like he was checking to see if anyone was tailing them.
Click.
Even after they entered the room and closed the door, he didn’t let his guard down. Instead, he thoroughly checked the room for a few minutes and even opened the window to look around outside.
It was only after this that he finally opened his mouth.
“…hmmm. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like we picked up a tail.”
Aram wiped some cold sweat from his forehead before casually sitting on the bed.
“First off… should I say that it’s nice to meet another comrade?”
“Forget about the greeting and get to the point.”
Aram let out a bitter laugh.
But it seemed like he’d gotten used to Bargan’s cold tone to an extent.
“Fine then. I’ll just say it outright, senior. Please join us.”
“…us?”
Aram nodded.
“That’s right. Like senior, I’m one of the Fighters who are dissatisfied with Lirua’s current state. I think that Kangki and the other leaders in the city are all crazy.”
“…”
“However, I only ever had vague thoughts about it. After all, I didn’t have the courage to do anything about it. The opponent is a super-strong man who managed to make it to the semi-finals of the Championship, and the forces supporting him are unfathomable.”
Those words were things that Bargan could relate to.
He had also struggled against the darkness in Lirua and had felt despair when he realised its depth.
“…but then I met him.”
“Him?”
“Ountar.”
This was his first time hearing the name.
“Under his leadership, comrades who all had the same thought were able to come together. I cannot tell you the exact number, but I can at least say that we have grown enough to be considered an organisation.”
Aram’s expression became a bit sad.
“It took a very long time and a lot of patience.”
“…”
Bargan was speechless for a moment.
He never would have expected something like this.
He couldn’t believe that a man like Kangki didn’t know about the existence of an opposing organisation in the city he controlled.
‘I didn’t know either.’
Even after leaving Lirua, Bargan had never even heard rumors about them. This was his first time hearing about Ountar and the organisation Aram was a part of.
“There’s a reason why I came to you, senior.”
“Isn’t it because you want me to join your ‘organisation’?”
“That too, but it’s mostly because we would like to borrow senior’s strength for an operation.”
“Operation?”
Aram lowered his voice.
“This might be our best chance to kill Kangki.”
“What? How…?”
“Once a month, the Lirua Arena will be closed for a day. The excuse is that it’s for cleaning, but that’s not the truth. That’s the day that Kangki uses the arena for himself.”
“Using the arena for himself?”
“That’s right. Even now, he never neglects his training. On the day that the arena is closed, he calls some Fighters there and makes them his fighting partners. The Fighter usually depends on Kangki’s mood, but this time, we can confirm that the Fighter will be ‘Kaytai’, who is ranked 4th in the arena.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because Kaytai is one of our comrades.”
This meant that the 4th ranked Fighter was a part of their organisation.
Bargan couldn’t hide his surprise.
It seemed that this organisation led by this man named Ountal was larger than he initially thought.
Aram continued to speak in a solemn tone.
“So we came up with a plan. It’s not too complicated. We will all attack Kangki, who will go to the arena with minimal security that day. This month is our best chance. If we miss this opportunity, we might not get another like it for several years.”
“Why do you say that? Doesn’t he use the arena once a month?”
“Because this time, two of his three henchmen have gone missing.”
“Three henchmen…?”
“They are the most dangerous and terrifying beings that support Kangki.”
Even as he said this, Aram trembled slightly. This showed just how terrifying these ‘henchmen’ were.
“They are ‘Samash’, the current Champion of the Lirua Arena, and ‘Hubi’, also known as the Midnight Reaper. According to Kaytai, they are both currently carrying out special missions for Kangki.”
“Special missions?”
“That’s right.”
After closing his mouth for a while, Aram spoke in a serious voice.
“I’m not too sure about the details, but it seems that they are looking for someone.”
(TL: Another secret organisation fighting the bad guys. The author really likes those.)