- Plug Game -
The next and the most special fight prepared for all of them was the fight between Anaak Zahard, the half Zahard Princess and Khun Ran, the descendant from Khun Family.
It wasn't a secret anymore than the two of them fought once in the One Shot One Opportunity and just when they were about to determine the winner, Jue Viole Grace appeared and shot both of them to the Archimedes. Their first match was left without any winner or loser and clearly was a tie.
And now, they were going to have their second match. And since this was the last group, the hosts gave the gamblers a chance to go "All In" and those who won will get extra three million points since it was hard to choose which one will be the winner from the two of them.
Wangnan was actually interested in the fight but he was more worried about Charlotte who behaved kind of weird.
Somehow, ever since she knew that Anaak and Khun Ran will be fighting each other, she hits her head on the wall with gloomy aura.
"Are you.....alright?" Wangnan carefully asked.
"Did you eat the wrong medicine this morning?" Chang asked her.
Charlotte didn't know whether she should run straight and kicked the door to tell Khun who he should place his bet or to calm herself down. She who had read the Manhwa and knew the result hit her forehead on the wall with gloomy aura and behaved abnormally in others' eyes.
"Should we.....get a doctor for her?"
"No need, she will get better soon" Chang calmly answered.
The battle between Anaak Zahard and Khun Ran was actually thrilling enough as they even destroyed the whole arena. When they created a crack on the audience's seat, Wangnan was amazed yet terrified.
"They aren't humans anymore" Wangnan said. "Are you sure that they are E- regulars like us?"
But sadly, at the crucial battle in the fight that was supposed to be special for Anaak Zahard and Khun Ran, a certain green pickle that asked to be cut into pieces showed himself and shouted one word:
"REVOLUTION!!!"
Everyone, "......"
Paracule, the skinny green colored man who was in the Test Floor along with Bam and Charlotte shown himself again. He was the spear bearer in the Test Floor who Charlotte saw as a disgusting and selfish person and she was sure that she wasn't the only one who looked him like that.
If in the past, Charlotte didn't care whether he was alive or death as he didn't really have anything to do with Bam. He didn't hurt him or care about him. She can't remember it clearly but what she knew that if he did something bad to Bam, then she would remember him and make sure to get her revenge later for her brother. The two of them barely talked with each other.
But this time, Charlotte didn't know why but she wanted to raise her fan and then beat him up. Ah....it was because he ruined the match at the most crucial moment.
"Damn, I nearly died" Paracule said and climbed on the piece of the broken stage and shouted, "I MADE IT!!"
Both Anaak and Ran had given their best on this match and their bodies were tired. At the most crucial moment, they would have determined the winner but because of Paracule suddenly showing up himself, the two of them were lost and tied again without any strength to get up.
Wangnan wasn't the only one who wanted to smash that Paracule and beat him up. Because of his appearance from the bottom of the broken stage that Anaak and Khun Ran used, they could at least see who will be the winner instead of seeing them drowning unconsciously while floating on the water.
Altaira was probably the only one who dares to laugh.
"Have you gone mad?!" Estelle asked. She was also irritated with this kind of "plot twist". "What are you laughing about?!"
Meanwhile, Raisin was holding Estrella from jumping to the stage to beat that green pickle. Raisin wondered how could a girl who wasn't even taller than him could be this...heavy. But then, he remembered, the one who he was holding was the one whose eating portions could match with four people. Of course she was heavy.
"Sorry, sorry, I just can't help but to laugh" Altaira said. "When these two were fighting like their lives were on the line, they must have not expected that they would be defeated like this."
Seeing Altaira being happy, Celeste was also happy and made a small smile. She agreed, "You are right. To be defeated by someone who isn't in the same level with them and at their most crucial moment, it must be really embarrassing."
"Don't agree with whatever he said!" Estrella said and was struggling to escape from Raisin's arms. "That Altaira is no one good! Damn, release me will you? Why are you so strong?"
"I should be the one who ask you that! How much did you eat today, huh? How could you be so heavy?"
"Tch, just release me! Why are you being so clingy? Don't you know that clingy men are the worst?"
"Who is being clingy man here? I'm trying to protect our team's face and dignity! Don't just jump there and ruin our faces!" Raisin instantly exploded when he heard the latter part.
"Those two are fighting again...." Estelle said and sighed. Celeste sweated dropped. Altaira, on the other hand, looked amused.
"They are kind of close though" Celeste said.
Altaira, "......."
Estelle, "......."
'The two of them clearly look like they are going to fight with their lives on their lines' Altaira and Estelle silently thought while looking at Celeste with the blank look. Celeste was confused at their behaviors and when she asked, Altaira just replied with nothing and patted her head.
"But aren't you going to do something and separate the two of them? After all, from how I look at them, Raisin looked like he is going to pull out his spear soon" Altaira said.
"Ah, don't worry, they won't hurt each other" Estelle said. "Like you once said, fighting and bickering is the part of their daily activities. They won't die."
|Night|
At night, the losers and the winners, the participant of this Workshop Battle were all invited to the party.
Charlotte wore a simple black dress with a white hairpin on her head. It was a shame that she should cover herself with a mask to cover her upper face.
Wangnan, when he saw Endorsi, he blushed and praised the princess' beauty. But being a realistic person, Akraptor who had seen how cruel the princess could be wished that he didn't meet the princess in the arena otherwise things would turn bad.
Charlotte tapped his shoulder and said, "Don't worry. You won't meet her in the arena."
"And how you are sure of it?" Akraptor asked while drinking his drink.
"Hunch."
Akraptor, "........."
Before, when they prepared themselves for the party, Miseng and Prince were both dressed in pumpkins. Apparently the two of them had an idea to ship both Goseng and Horyang. This gave Charlotte a good idea as she asked the two of them to be the matchmakers for both Altaira and Celeste. The two of them, of course, agreed.
"The last time you joked about Altaira and Celeste, he chased you around" Khun said. "This time, if he knows that you are the one behind this, won't he skin you alive?"
In the past, whenever she teased Altaira about Celeste just because they hung out a lot, Altaira would chase her and beat her up. But this time, after seven years, Charlotte felt that any attempt that she did to make Altaira and Celeste became closer, instead of getting beaten up, she would be praised instead. And even if he will skin her alive, she had lots of ways to run away from him.
"If this turned out well, then doesn't that mean I'm doing a good deed?" Charlotte said with a smile to Khun.
"I'm afraid that you aren't just helping your brother, but you are also doing this because with Celeste around, Altaira won't be able to do anything to you right?" He guessed.
And he was right about it.
Celeste was a nice and gentle person. Now that Altaira seemed to be caring of Celeste, whenever she pissed off her brother in the future, then she could use Celeste to save her. And besides, her brother had a high standard in his former life that he didn't get a single girlfriend when his face was quite handsome and good-looking. It was really a waste.
So by getting her brother a girlfriend, she had done a good thing and also find someone to defend her whenever Brother Altaira planned to beat her up.
"You've figured out this fast?" Charlotte looked amazed when he figured it right. "Am I that easy to read?"
"You didn't even try to deny it."
"It's not like it's an embarrassing secret right?" Charlotte asked back.
"Then what about Bam? Are you going to play a matchmaker as well for him?" Khun asked while wearing his mask.
"Brother Bam? Isn't Princess Endorsi still waits for him?" Charlotte asked unconsciously.
Endorsi Zahard was a Zahard Princess. Bam was now the Slayer Candidate Jue Viole Grace. If the two of them were together, even when Bam wasn't a slayer candidate, if anyone else knows about it then it would result to their executions. It was something that even a child in the tower could think of.
So hearing Charlotte saying these words made Khun raised one of his eyebrows.
When Charlotte first learnt about Zahard Princesses, she didn't quite understand. Why would someone give up her freedom to love someone to attain the glory, fame and power? Only when she asked Altaira that she understood about it.
With glory and fame, their names would be remembered for a very long time and written in the history. They will gain lots of supporters and enough power to stand above a million people in the tower and only below one person who was Zahard. They could do whatever they wanted to do and no one would dare to go against them. Who doesn't want all of these?
But hearing his words, Charlotte suddenly have another question to ask and then asked Altaira: "Will the princesses be sure that no matter what happens, they won't fall in love?"
Falling in love was something natural and happens without one's realizing. She believed that everyone would have their own soulmates and it was something that would happen to every single person. It might not be in the past or present, but it might happen in the future. For this question, Altaira told her that as long the princesses remained resolute and firm with their goals, then they would have their own ways to prevent them from falling in love with someone.
In another word, whenever there is the will, there will be the way.
And besides, since they were the Zahard Princesses, the moment that they held that title, they knew the prices that they paid, consequences for their behavior, responsibilities that they shoulder and the glory that they enjoy. After hearing these words, Charlotte told her brother that she would rather live an ordinary life rather than choosing that path and she still remembered that Altaira just laughed and said: "You are too unambitious and naive."
Knowing the girl was lost in her thoughts and didn't listen to his words, Khun decided to flick her forehead and gained her attention.
"Huh?"
"Did you hear what I just say?" Khun asked and she shook her head, laughed nervously, scratched the back of her head and replied with she was lost in thoughts.
"The party is going to start soon" Khun said. "Shouldn't you be going to take your mask? Or, do you want to stay here instead?"
"Ah, right" she remembered. "My mask. Where did I put it again? Oh, In my room."
Khun just watched the young lass ran again to her room to take her mask and then sprinted down again. When she returned, the two of them left and headed to their own destinations. While she decided to look for both Wangnan and Akraptor, Khun headed to the meeting room where the gamblers and the hosts would gather around to talk about what will they do next, since there were only two gamblers who survived from the 'All In' catastrophe and he wasn't one of the two.
Charlotte who remembered this thought about Bam and Endorsi. One was able to tell that the two of them actually had no fate considering their statuses and identities. Charlotte felt sad after she knew that. Endorsi went so far to violate the laws and chased Bam for seven years.
After reading the Manhwa, she had a strong feeling that some, or maybe all, Zahard Princesses would be interested with Bam. With those princesses being interested in her brother, then won't that mean that her brother be in greater danger?
Under the mask, her smile faded and was replaced with frown. She propped her cheek with her palm and held the glass, slightly moving it around while thinking about how much problems will her brother face in the future. Sometimes, she thought that it would be better if she shoulder the fate and destiny instead of her brother. But then again, it was her brother's right and besides, who doesn't suffer in this tower? Hardships existed to challenge us and gave us lessons, she was taught like that by her teacher back then. But sometimes, the hardships will be too bitter for one to shoulder. Aside from following him walking to the dangerous path, was there nothing else she could do?
Wangnan flicked his fingers and finally gained her attention. Charlotte was lost in her thoughts that she didn't listen to what Wangnan and Akraptor said.
"What are you thinking until you don't hear us calling your name?" Akraptor asked.
Charlotte smiled underneath her mask and looked at him, "Nothing, I'm just think what I'm going to do after I bring my brother back. I can't wait to tell him everything that happened these days."
"Sometimes you are just like a child" Akraptor said again.
"What do you mean 'sometimes'?" Wangnan asked as he corrected, "Isn't she always the childish one?"
"What's wrong with being childish?" Charlotte asked the two of them. "I could be arrogant and childish because I am young. By the time I be older, wouldn't it be late for me to behave like one?"
Akraptor just smiled and patted her head, "You are right. Just behave like a child as you are still young."
Seeing Akraptor's gesture, Wangnan reminded him, "If Viole knows about this, then he won't let you off."
"Just keep it as a secret" Akraptor said to him.