The True Face

Harrot and The Bald Man didn't call anyone else over; the two of them ate, drank, and talked alone. After a few drinks, The Bald Man became very emotional and began telling Harrot his story.

It started from practicing martial arts to becoming the town guard captain, from his first time fighting in the Gladiatorial Arena to being chosen by Count Sarik, from his first time suggesting Man-Beast Combat to Count Sarik to being reprimanded by Sarik today.

The Bald Man spoke a lot. After being harshly rejected by Count Sarik today, he vaguely began to doubt whether Count Sarik was truly as great and upright as he had thought.

However, Count Sarik was almost The Bald Man's faith. He still couldn't fully accept reality, so he could only confide in Harrot to ease his inner pain.

What was supposed to be a celebration turned into a complaint session for The Bald Man, but Harrot didn't feel it was a waste. He thought it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if The Bald Man could truly see Count Sarik for who he was.

Count Sarik was truly a cold-blooded, selfish noble scumbag, completely devoid of any affection for The Bald Man, even worse than Harrot's initial assessment.

But if The Bald Man no longer wanted to work for Count Sarik, could he escape smoothly? Harrot felt a little worried about The Bald Man's future.

The two talked until nightfall before parting ways. Harrot, of course, didn't have to return to the prison cell to sleep on the floor; he was assigned a room next to The Bald Man's.

Not long after, The One-Armed Man and a noble arrived at Harrot's door and knocked. Harrot knew they were likely there to win him over, so he opened the door and began talking with them.

The noble took out a crystal ball and asked Harrot to place his hand on it, explaining, "Anyone blessed by the Sun has a chance to become a Sun Priest. This crystal ball can test if you have the talent to become one!"

"Sun Priests can harness the great power of the sun and use various wondrous Divine Arts. Some can make crops grow quickly, others can heal injuries, and even bring the dead back to life. It is the greatest and most miraculous power in this world!"

Isn't this just a priest?! So I have the talent to be a priest!

Harrot excitedly placed his hand on it, looking at the crystal ball with anticipation. The crystal ball emitted a very faint light, almost imperceptible if not for the dimly lit room.

Does this count as talent? Harrot nervously looked at the noble.

The noble sighed and said, "With such little affinity, it's likely impossible to become a Sun Priest. However, if you're willing, you can still try at the Sun Temple. Perhaps a miracle will happen."

After saying this, the noble took the crystal ball and left without another word to Harrot. It seemed he didn't believe in miracles. Now, only Harrot and The One-Armed Man remained in the room.

"You've received the Sun's blessing, so you're no longer a Gladiator in the Gladiatorial Arena. However, Count Sarik still hopes you will serve him."

"Count Sarik is willing to share Glory with you and make you a noble Knight! And he will reward you with wealth and land after you complete your tasks!"

The One-Armed Man didn't mince words, getting straight to the point. He was sent by the Count to win Harrot over. Since The Bald Man had an argument with the Count that morning, it wasn't good for the Count to send The Bald Man.

Harrot didn't answer immediately. The Bald Man had already told him about his freedom. He was thinking about how to refuse Count Sarik's invitation without angering him.

Harrot suddenly remembered that Sun Priests could heal injuries and even bring the dead back to life. If bringing the dead back was possible, then healing and regenerating a severed arm shouldn't be a problem, right?

Harrot stared at The One-Armed Man's arm and asked, "How did you lose your arm?"

The One-Armed Man was stunned, not expecting Harrot to suddenly ask this question, but he still replied, "During a battle, I blocked a blade to save Count Sarik, and that's how I lost it!"

Harrot looked into The One-Armed Man's eyes and said, "You took a blade for him, saved his life, and now this is your fate. Do you think I would join him?"

The One-Armed Man clenched his fist, stood up, and glared fiercely at Harrot, as if he were about to fight him.

Harrot and The One-Armed Man stared at each other, neither backing down. After a long moment, The One-Armed Man sat down, poured himself a cup of wine, and said, "You're different from Cleon, very clever. You can see I'm dissatisfied?"

Harrot shook his head and said, "I don't have the ability to read minds. I just put myself in your shoes and thought about it. Anyway, if I were you, I would definitely be dissatisfied with Count Sarik!"

Harrot had genuinely believed that The One-Armed Man and Count Sarik had a close, trusting relationship. But after learning that there were ways to heal severed limbs in this world, and The One-Armed Man was still disabled, combined with Count Sarik's cold and selfish nature, he made a bold guess.

Count Sarik didn't care at all about The One-Armed Man, who had saved his life! His monthly visits to the Gladiatorial Arena to see The One-Armed Man were just for show!

And The One-Armed Man was no longer as loyal to Count Sarik as he once was!

The One-Armed Man sneered, "I risked my life for him, and even lost an arm to save him. What was the result?"

"My Glory was taken back. I'm no longer a Knight with extraordinary power. I have no land, no wealth, no honor. I can only live as a disabled man, supported by him! How could I not be dissatisfied with him!"

"Heh, now I'm disabled, and I rely entirely on him to live decently. I wouldn't dare anger him. I'll tell him you accepted Marcus's invitation, that way he won't be angry with you, nor with me."

"Don't spread what we talked about tonight. Also, you should talk to Cleon! He's even dumber than me; he's only just starting to doubt Sarik!"

The One-Armed Man said no more, drained his wine, and left. His mission had failed, but he wasn't particularly upset; in fact, he felt relieved. He would have felt miserable if Harrot had truly pledged loyalty to Count Sarik.

As The One-Armed Man left, he ran into The Bald Man, who was staring blankly.

The Bald Man looked dazed and conflicted. Without a doubt, he was troubled by the conflict with Count Sarik earlier in the day.

The One-Armed Man approached and asked, "Hey, Baldy, what are you thinking about?"

Seeing that it was The One-Armed Man, The Bald Man said, "You're closest to Count Sarik. Tell me, why didn't the Count listen to my request to stop the Gladiator match today? Did he already guess that Harrot could defeat the Ogres?"

The One-Armed Man was speechless. This guy is too stupid! Still agonizing over this? Of course he wouldn't listen to your request, that's just nonsense. You're just a pawn to him; he doesn't care if you request or beg!

The One-Armed Man sighed, leaned in close to The Bald Man's ear, and whispered, "How long are you going to be this stupid! Count Sarik doesn't see us as brothers at all! You and I, in his eyes, are just dogs!"

The Bald Man's eyes widened as he stared at The One-Armed Man. This man, who was the most loyal and trusted by the Count, had just said these words.

The One-Armed Man looked around to make sure no one was there, then pointed at his severed arm with his one remaining finger and said, "My left arm was broken blocking a blade for him! It's no exaggeration to say I saved his life!"

"And him? He took back the Glory he shared with me and sent me to this Gladiatorial Arena to waste away!"

"At first, I hypnotized myself just like you, thinking that the Count couldn't be a cold-blooded and heartless person, and he wouldn't forget my loyalty!"

"But that guy, aside from visiting me once or twice a month at the Gladiatorial Arena like a show, didn't give me any compensation at all!"

"Several Knights from my time, some became village lords, some gained great wealth, but only me, with no money or power, am stuck here in the Gladiatorial Arena, just waiting to die!"

The Bald Man stood stunned for a moment after hearing The One-Armed Man's words. He finally understood; all his doubts had answers, and everything that didn't make sense now connected.

He wasn't stupid; it was just that Count Sarik had helped him when he was at his lowest point, and the gratitude he felt for Count Sarik ran too deep. Plus, Count Sarik was indeed very cunning, which was why he had been deceived for over a decade.

It was precisely because of his heartfelt admiration and gratitude that he had served the Count wholeheartedly for half his life, expecting nothing in return. He had always believed that Count Sarik was different, special.

The One-Armed Man continued, "That Scarface was also arranged by the Count. Once he's made enough money, he'll throw him out as a scapegoat."

"And you, you ridiculously kept trying to convince the Count not to listen to Scarface!"

"I genuinely feel bad for you. With your strength, what couldn't you do? You could join the King and gain Glory, even become a Deputy Commander of the Royal Knights, no problem. What do you gain by risking your life for a scumbag like Sarik? He won't give you anything!"

"Don't stay here. Count Sarik, at his core, is someone who pursues profit and disregards human life. You can't change the fate of the Gladiators. Let it go!"

The One-Armed Man said nothing more, patted The Bald Man's shoulder, and left. He had pledged loyalty to the wrong person, lost an arm, and become crippled; his life was completely ruined. But The Bald Man could still have a better future, and he was giving him advice purely out of goodwill.

The Bald Man watched The One-Armed Man leave, his heart no longer confused. The One-Armed Man, once the most loyal to the Count, was now the one who understood the Count best. His words had completely awakened The Bald Man.