"Khehehe. What did you think, Gravel? That's the Black Lion, Duvalan!"
Karot grinned, showing his sharp teeth, as he spoke to Gravel.
"He's on a completely different level from the other warriors. That overwhelming difference in strength… Is that why his matches only happen against multiple opponents?"
"Exactly. Everyone refuses to face the Black Lion one-on-one. Standing in the arena with multiple opponents is the only way to see Duvalan in action…"
"I see… But does he always leave a few alive in every match like that?"
"Not always. In the last match, he took out all five opponents. It seems he only spares those he deems worthy of keeping alive… Three survivors like today? That's quite a lot for him…"
Karot, with a playful expression, stuck out his tongue and mimicked slicing his throat with the edge of his hand, gesturing to Gravel.
"Ooh, right. Nia's match is next, isn't it? Hang around for a bit. I'm planning to place a few silver coins on this one to make it more interesting."
Karot scratched his forehead above his bulging eyes, paused for a moment as if struck by a thought, and then stood up.
"Alright, I'll be back."
Karot jingled a few silver coins in his hand, making them clink as he walked out of Gravel's sight.
"Aruku fruit~ Sweet Aruku fruit, five coppers each~"
Gravel slowly turned his head, scanning the arena, and stopped when he heard a young boy's voice calling out. The boy was wearing a large tray strapped to his chest, filled with large, red fruits.
"(Never seen that fruit before. Should I try one?) Two, please."
Gravel raised his hand to call the boy selling the fruit.
"Coming right up, sir!"
The boy nimbly darted through the stands to Gravel's side. With practiced movements, he drew a uniquely shaped dagger hanging from a strap on his shoulder, sliced off part of the red fruit, pierced a small hole with the sharp tip of the blade, and inserted a straw made from a green plant stem before handing it to Gravel.
"Here you go, sir. But don't eat it like those folks."
"Hm? What do you mean…?"
The boy pointed with his thumb toward the far side of the stands, where Loathans were noisily chewing on Aruku fruit.
"Our jaws aren't strong enough to eat it like that."
"Got it. Thanks for the heads-up."
Gravel handed over a silver coin. As the boy was about to pass the second Aruku fruit, a webbed hand of a Loathan tribesman snatched it from the boy's grasp.
"Looks like my new human friend got this for me, Chiki."
"Huh? Oh, come on, it's just old old Karot! I thought you weren't here today."
Karot, taking a sip from the straw in the Aruku fruit, sat down next to Gravel and spoke to Chiki.
"Old Old? I told you, Loathan lifespans are completely different from you dranke! I'm not even halfway through mine yet!"
"Yeah, yeah, but I heard the other Loathan guys calling you 'old Karot'~"
"You little punk! Keep running that mouth of yours!"
Chiki quickly darted away, shouting toward the stands as he moved further from Karot.
"Aruku fruit, sweet Aruku fruit, five coppers each~"
Chiki's voice grew faint as he disappeared into the distance.
"Cheers, Gravel."
"Did you place your bet?"
"Yep… put some coins on that Droco kid, heh heh."
The arena still seemed to be preparing for the next match.
"Looks like it'll be a while before it starts. How about I tell you an interesting story to pass the time, with our throats nicely refreshed by this Aruku fruit? Care to listen?"
Karot glanced at the arena, then turned back to face Gravel.
"I'd love to hear it. Go ahead."
A smile spread across Gravel's face as he turned toward Karot, eyes wide, ready to listen.
"It's not some grand tale, just a story about Duvalan. I was there when he earned the name Black Lion. Let me tell you about that day."
Karot took another sip of the Aruku fruit through the green straw and began his story.
"Ahem. It was about ten years ago… no, not quite that long. Eight years ago, I'd say. It was in the arena at Ixtarn. Ever been there? If not, I highly recommend visiting someday. Compared to this octagonal arena of the Trea Caravan, it's massive. Big enough to hold chariot races. They've even filled it with water and floated ships in there, so you can imagine the scale…"
Karot paused, closing his eyes as if recalling the past, then continued.
"Right. It must've been the day after they held that flashy 'Battle on the Sea' match, with the arena filled with water. They'd drained it and spread fine white sand across the floor to dry it out. That was the day Duvalan challenged Ollek, the Ogre champion of Ixtarn's arena. Ollek was wielding his prized great axe, while Duvalan—not with the double-bladed spear you saw today—held a massive two-handed mace with an especially large head. Ollek was so huge that even Duvalan looked small in comparison. You can probably picture the size difference."
Slurrrrp
Karot made a loud noise as he sucked up the last of the Aruku fruit's juice, the sound of air mixing with the remaining liquid echoing. He bit into the straw with a crunch, took a bite of the fruit itself, swallowed, and continued.
"The fight between Ollek and Duvalan went on for ages. It was the first match of the day, starting in the morning, but even after lunch, when we were all hungry again, they were still at it. Ollek's axe was chipped and jagged like a saw, and Duvalan's mace had a bent handle. Their armor was a mess, stained with each other's blood and so battered you couldn't tell what it originally looked like…"
"They kept fighting until sunset, and as oil lamps and torches were lit around the arena, Duvalan and Ollek took a moment to catch their breath. They wiped the sticky mix of blood and sweat from their bodies as the arena gradually brightened with the growing number of lights."
Karot paused to pick a piece of Aruku fruit from between his teeth with a fingernail, then continued.
"Then, out of nowhere, a spectator pointed to the center of the arena, high in the air, and shouted, 'There's a glowing lion!' Sure, someone yelled about a shining lion, but at first, I thought it was just some drunk fool seeing things. I sat quietly, waiting for the arena's lights to come on."
Karot stuffed the last bit of the Aruku fruit into his mouth, wiped his hand on his clothes, and went on.
"But then, the crowd started murmuring. It wasn't the usual cheers for the fighters—it was more like the low buzz you'd hear in a tavern, conversations overlapping into a hum that filled the arena. Curious, I looked around and saw more than a few fingers pointing at the sky. Naturally, I followed their gaze, and there it was—a lion, floating in the air, just as someone had said. To describe it better, it was a lion with a black body and a glowing white mane. Later, I learned from Duvalan himself that it was a divine messenger sent by Rhaud, the God of Duels. The entire arena was stunned, staring at this divine messenger… Even now, it's hard to believe I saw something like that. The messenger of Rhaud floated above the arena, circling slowly, completely ignoring the shouting and clamor of the crowd below. With each step, it transformed the flames of the torches and lanterns into a pure white light, matching its mane."
Karot gestured animatedly, recreating the scene for Gravel with his hands.
"Everyone watched in silence as the lion walked through the air, its breath igniting the arena's flames. The noise of the crowd faded, and a stillness settled over the arena. I was one of them, staring in awe. It was my first time seeing a divine messenger—probably the first for most people there. It's not something you see every day… After turning all the arena's lights white, the lion hovered between Duvalan and Ollek, looking down at them. The arena was so quiet, it felt out of place for a place like that."
Karot used his left hand to represent the arena floor and his right to show the position of Rhaud's messenger, illustrating the scene for Gravel.
"That silence didn't last long. Duvalan and Ollek's roars echoed through the arena, and they charged at each other. Blood sprayed, bones cracked, and their duel raged on. Maybe because they thought the God of Duels was watching through his messenger, they fought faster and fiercer than ever, swinging their weapons with reckless abandon. I don't even know how long it went on—minutes, hours? All I remember is shouting and watching the fight unfold. Time passed, and it was only after Ollek's head was crushed by Duvalan's mace, collapsing onto the arena floor, that Rhaud's messenger descended. As Duvalan raised his blood-soaked mace in a victorious roar, the messenger slowly approached him. Duvalan hesitated, unsure how to react to the divine being coming toward him, but soon he dropped his mace, knelt on both knees, and bowed his head to await the messenger."
"A divine messenger… That's incredible. It's not common for the God of Duels, Rhaud, to send his messenger to an arena, is it?"
Gravel asked Karot.
"Exactly. The gods rarely show themselves in our world. But sometimes, like that day, they send their messengers or even appear themselves to show a miracle."
"So, what happened next?"
"Khehehe. You sound like an eager kid. Alright… Where was I?"
Karot scratched his forehead, trying to recall where his story had left off.
"Oh, right. As Rhaud's messenger approached the kneeling Duvalan, its form began to fade. It was like it was being absorbed into Duvalan's body, growing hazy like smoke. By the time it reached him, it could barely maintain its shape and dissipated into the air… If you were expecting some grand spectacle, you might've been disappointed. It might've just looked like Rhaud's messenger vanishing into nothing. But many believe—myself included—that it was the moment Rhaud bestowed his divine blessing upon Duvalan. I once asked Duvalan what it felt like to receive a god's blessing, and he said… something like it felt like someone draped a warm fur cloak over his shoulders on a cold winter's day. A clumsy way to put it, but very Duvalan."
"A divine blessing… I can't even imagine what that must feel like…"
"That's when it started. From that day on, Duvalan's name was tied to the Black Lion. If you ever visit Ixtarn's arena, you'll probably find paintings of that moment being sold. Come to think of it, you might even find one here at the Grand Market among the art vendors… Khehehe."
"I'd love to see that scene, even if it's just a painting. Thanks for the great story."
"Khehehe. Not a bad way to pass the time waiting for the next match, right? Come to think of it, that's probably when it began… Sparing opponents with potential, like today, while cutting down those without a spark…"
"Is he looking for another opponent on Ollek's level?"
"Could be. Maybe he's chasing another match worthy of the gods' praise. Or maybe we're overthinking it—Duvalan just loves the fight itself, the clash of weapons against an opponent."
"Your throat must be dry from all that storytelling. How about another Aruku fruit? It's a small price for such a great tale, but it's on me."
"Khehehe, I keep getting treated. I'll take it. If the Droco kid wins today, I'll have that Chiki brat fetch a painting of the Black Lion for you… Looks like the next match is about to start. Let's see if Droco Nia can beat Doaju."