A Single Road

"What? Are you jealous of me?" Valo's eyes widened. "Hey, if it's because you have to stay here for training while I'll be leaving before long, I can understand how you feel, my Eastern friend. And I won't hold it against you."

"If that were really the case, it would be simple," Zhang Heng said.

"What does that mean? Because I really can't imagine... any other reason why you wouldn't be happy that a friend was about to escape this misery," Valo said.

Zhang Heng sighed. "My dear Roman friend, have you never had even the slightest suspicion that you ended up here not because of some coincidence or accident?"

Valo froze at that, but before he could speak again, a whip lashed toward the two of them.

Zhang Heng stood motionless, without even blinking. Valo, on the other hand, was badly startled and instinctively recoiled, only to crash into a Parthian behind him. Yet in the end, the whip stopped short before Zhang Heng's face, only a few centimeters from his cheek.

"What, did you leave an antique with me?" the Parthian said maliciously.

Valo was still somewhat dazed, unable to understand why someone with no grudge against him had suddenly come looking for trouble. But when he saw the equally hostile eyes around him, he was not so foolish that he failed to realize what the problem was.

Whether Zhang Heng was jealous or not was another matter, but his earlier words had successfully stirred the jealousy of the other slaves.

In their eyes, Valo was undoubtedly a "deserter."

While everyone else still had to train hard for the assessment, he had no need to worry about it. Before long, he would be out of here, leisurely going about his business.

Though he understood this, Valo did not