Chapter 19
"Do you have a moment?"
"..."
Aries, the Rose Fighter, narrowed his eyes.
Then he pulled the woman beside him closer with one arm and raised his other hand to indicate his refusal.
"I'm not interested in men, you know."
"...Neither am I."
"Is that so?"
Aries rubbed his chest as though he were relieved.
Riyan was slightly surprised by how polite he was.
Has he spent so much time visiting noble households that it's become a habit?
Then again, Aries hadn't objected to Riyan speaking casually to him, so perhaps that was simply his natural personality.
Meanwhile, Aries noticed that the attendant beside him was staring at Riyan with her mouth slightly open.
He gently tapped her shoulder.
"Sienna, could you snap out of it and bring us some wine?"
"Ah! Y-Yes!"
The attendant hurried away, her face bright red.
Aries pointed toward the opposite side of the bath.
"If you've come to a bathhouse, you might as well get into the water. Please, join me."
Before entering, Riyan picked up a bucket left behind by an attendant, poured water over his head, and briefly washed himself.
Then he stepped into the bath and lowered himself into the water until it reached his waist.
He let out a quiet breath.
Not bad.
It felt as though the day's exhaustion was melting away.
Warmth spread throughout his body.
At the same time, he felt as though the fragrances that had clung to him during his visit to Sevanne's mansion were being washed away.
The steam that had felt uncomfortably damp only moments earlier now seemed pleasantly warm.
Aries spoke.
"...Is your chest all right?"
He was referring to the dark bruises.
Riyan nodded.
"They told me it'll take a little more time to heal completely."
"That's a relief. By the way, there are a few things I'd like to ask you. Would that be all right?"
"Ask whatever you like."
Aries smiled.
"How on earth did you defeat Yavrik? I was in the waiting room at the time, so I didn't get to watch the match."
"I gave him a few shallow wounds to make him bleed. Then I took advantage of his agitation and cut his ankles."
"...Were you hunting a wild boar?"
Aries looked dumbfounded.
"What about the Blood Wolf Axe? It releases that energy, doesn't it? How did you deal with it? No, wait a moment."
Aries raised a finger, stopping Riyan before he could answer.
He thought briefly before continuing.
"It wouldn't be any fun if you gave me the answer first. The strategy I came up with was to circle the edge of the Arena and hold out until he exhausted himself. I figured there would be no way to win if I allowed him to close the distance. Even if I dodged the axe, that energy doesn't have a physical form. Just touching it causes injuries."
"..."
"That's why I didn't even wear armor that day. I intended to focus entirely on endurance, so I chose a lighter sword and even reduced my weight before the match."
It was an orthodox strategy.
The main event that day had been a Winning Streak Battle.
Since Yavrik would have fought several opponents before Aries, there was a reasonable chance that his stamina would have been depleted.
At least, the strategy seemed sound on paper.
"It's not a bad strategy, but I doubt it would've been particularly effective. I'd say you only got half of it right."
"It wouldn't have worked?"
"You know what a Masterpiece is, don't you?"
"Of course. Is there a fighter who doesn't?"
"Have you ever fought someone who possesses one?"
"...No, I haven't."
Riyan nodded.
"When Yavrik drew upon Mana, his strength seemed to recover. No, it went beyond simply recovering. He appeared to become several times stronger than he was originally."
"What?"
"I assumed Yavrik was exceptionally skilled at hunting down opponents who tried to run away. After all, almost everyone he's fought until now must have done exactly that. So I didn't think opening the distance from the beginning was a particularly good idea."
"...Then what was your answer?"
"I already told you. He's accustomed to catching people who run away, but someone who charges straight at him without hesitation would be unfamiliar. I pressured him quickly at the beginning and wounded him while he was confused. I wanted to prevent him from having time to adjust."
"But didn't you say using Mana restores his strength?"
"That doesn't necessarily mean his wounds regenerate. Once he's injured, the prolonged battle you mentioned becomes a viable option. Mana isn't an infinite source of power."
"I see. So if you try to drag out the fight without preparing the groundwork, you'll exhaust yourself and eventually get dragged into the quicksand anyway?"
"That's how I see it."
In reality, Riyan had faced Yavrik directly and crushed him.
But expecting Aries to do the same would be far too unrealistic.
Since Aries had been in the waiting room and hadn't properly watched the match, he simply nodded.
"That makes sense. Still, you're incredible. You finally ended Yavrik's long reign of tyranny. The Arena management must have been delighted."
Aries spoke with a subtle smile.
Riyan smiled back.
"They were so delighted that they even assigned people to follow me around."
"Ah. You too?"
Their conversation paused.
The attendant returned with a tray containing a bottle of wine and a plump bunch of grapes.
The tray was apparently made from a material that floated on water.
Aries set it on the surface of the bath and smiled.
"Thank you, Sienna. We're having a conversation, so could you give us a little privacy?"
"Call me if you need anything. Promise?"
The woman lightly kissed Aries on the forehead before leaving.
Riyan shrugged.
"You seem close."
"Do we?"
"Are things different beneath the surface?"
"To her, I'm probably a heavy purse full of money. Naturally, she'd want to stay close to me."
"You must pay her generously."
"No. That's not what I mean."
