"So this match was very important to both of them." Kitahara Kaede said, but the short merchant was too caught up in the excitement to notice the chill in her words.
"Of course. That's what makes it exciting. Does Lord Kitahara want to place a few bets? Betting has already closed, but we can make an exception if you want to play." The short merchant smiled.
"Since betting has closed, it would be better not to break the rules. When can we begin the transaction?" Kaede asked.
"Rest assured, Lord Kitahara. The other side still needs to make preparations. At the latest, it will be after this match ends," the short merchant said.
After that, his gaze turned toward the arena ahead, where quite a few people were already shouting.
Soon, two people emerged from opposite sides.
One was a man covered in scars, with a long chain wrapped around his neck.
Opposite him stood a little girl who looked barely half a person tall. Both of them looked utterly miserable, but the man's eyes were cold and lifeless.
The little girl, however, had a fiery look in her eyes as she stared fixedly at the man before her.
As their gazes met, something seemed to stir in the man's heart. He remembered that he had been the same when he first entered this place. Victory after victory had quickly let him see a glimmer of hope. He was about to have a life of his own, and he would no longer have to close his eyes each night without knowing whether he would ever open them again.
But after leaving, he discovered that the world was not as simple as he had imagined. His family, his village, and the people he loved—so many people, all of them suddenly...
Heh.