Episode 91
Chapter 32: The Battleground of Cosmos (Part 2)
“More dangerous than I thought?” Jin asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes.
Kashimir nodded gravely. “Yes. Unlike typical martial arts tournaments, there aren’t even basic rules like ‘no killing.’ It’s a dangerous competition. While most participants are relatively weak, there are quite a few skilled fighters who come just to enjoy one-sided slaughter.”
True to its pirate origins, the Battleground of Cosmos had no regulations whatsoever.
Killing your opponent was allowed, as was the use of special items without restriction. In fact, assassinating or poisoning your rival before the match even began was permitted—making it a truly insane tournament.
“The only rule is to win by any means necessary. I’ve even heard of a lunatic who took the opponent’s family hostage before the match to force a victory.”
Because of this, even if your opponent was ranked two or three stars, you had to constantly watch out for dirty tricks.
“Naive rookies ranked four or five stars, who enter without knowing anything, become the main prey. They walk the path of honor, unaware of the world’s darker side, only to be crushed by deceit and trickery. Not that I’m saying Confucius was like that—he’s miles away from this kind of nonsense.”
Aside from training hard every day, Jin was anything but a man of honor.
“And whether or not the opponent uses dirty tricks, the real predators of this tournament are those ranked six stars or higher who crush everyone with overwhelming skill. Most of them are just thrill-seekers—perverts who get off on trampling desperate opponents who fight with everything they’ve got.”
“Thrill-seekers?”
“Yes. You know the type—those who derive pleasure from utterly crushing someone who’s desperately resisting. The most dangerous kind.”
“Hah, what kind of martial arts tournament is that?”
According to Kashimir’s explanation, it was a vile, even horrifying event. Nothing more than a spectacle to encourage gambling and debauchery.
“Well, it’s not officially called a martial arts tournament, but a battleground. Honestly, if it weren’t for Dante, I wouldn’t have even suggested you participate.”
“Definitely not someone who fits in there. Is there some huge treasure or prize for the winner?”
“The champion can choose between a certain prize or a thousand gold coins. That’s a lot by normal standards, but for the next head of the Hailan family, it’s pocket change.”
“Then does he have a rival there?”
“So far, no one knows why Dante entered the tournament. But I think…”
Kashimir paused for effect.
“Maybe he just wants to test his sword. Curious if his blade can shine even in the face of evil and trickery. Otherwise, he’s just a fool who jumped into the gutter without knowing what he was getting into.”
It was hard to believe.
If Dante really entered that disgusting tournament just to test his sword, that was something else entirely.
‘Still, I can’t deny I’m curious. Dante Hailan… someone I could never have dreamed of facing in my past life.’
Back when Jin was just expelled from Runcandel, people often debated who was stronger—Dante, the swordsman, or Veradin, the mage.
They had a lot in common.
Both had surpassed seven stars at a young age and were set to become heads of their powerful families by thirty. Whenever they appeared together at official events, the news was flooded with coverage. They were even the same age.
‘Back then, they got more attention than the children of Runcandel. Luna rarely showed herself, and the eldest heir wasn’t quite on their level.’
Among Runcandel’s second generation, only Luna was considered stronger than Dante. Not that Dante was clearly weaker than his other siblings, but that was the general consensus.
‘I was curious about him. Meeting him wouldn’t hurt. Hopefully, he’s not as unpredictable as Veradin.’
But something about Kashimir’s exaggerated attitude had been bothering Jin. He could have just casually suggested it, but instead, he was pushing it like a salesman hawking a product.
‘Besides, the Seven-Colored Bird probably doesn’t have time to investigate Dante Hailan right now. All the top agents are tied up with Zipple, Alu, and Kinzel. It’s suspicious that this info just happened to fall into their hands…’
Jin smiled, as if a thought had just struck him.
‘Dad must have ordered this. The info on Dante probably came from Runcandel. Now that I think about it, when we visited the study together, Dad told Sir Kashimir he had something to discuss and sent me out first.’
Since then, Kashimir must have been reporting on Jin to Sir Shiron.
The thought crossed Jin’s mind, but it wasn’t important. From his perspective, there was nothing to lose.
Instead, he felt a bit playful.
“Hmm… Sir Kashimir, do I really have to go?”
“Eh, what?”
“I’m not too keen on entering such a disgusting tournament. Besides, Dante Hailan is someone I’ll be running into plenty in the future.”
“Hmm, hmm! Jin Gongja, think carefully. Since you’re from Runcandel, you’ll naturally meet Dante often! But how many chances will you get to actually fight him? This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity…”
“Haha, I’m no fightaholic. I’ve been sparring with Lady Alisa nonstop for the past three months, and I’m exhausted.”
“P-please, Gongja… just trust me and give it a shot. It’s a great chance to gauge Dante Hailan’s skill! Haha, my tongue’s getting twisted all of a sudden. Must be the heat…”
Jin laughed, pointing toward the window. Outside, snow was falling heavily. The bitter cold of early January was in full swing.
“Heat?”
“Oh dear, another slip of the tongue. Anyway, Gongja! I’ve already filled out your application. Just trust me and go. I have a strong feeling it’ll be a valuable experience for you!”
“Well… if you put it that way, Sir Kashimir, I guess I have no choice. I’ll go.”
“Thank you, Jin Gongja! Oh, and you have to leave tomorrow. The deadline’s tight. Well then!”
“Tomorrow? Wait, Sir Kashimir!”
Kashimir dashed off without looking back, his face pale as if he’d aged ten years.
Jin’s suspicion turned into certainty.
‘He’s reporting to Dad about me. And this time, it’s probably the first direct order: to face Dante Hailan.’
He couldn’t help but smile. He knew his father cared about him, but he hadn’t expected such blatant attention.
If his siblings found out, there’d be chaos.
‘By the way, Sir Kashimir really has no talent for acting… Is it just me? I heard he was great at politics when he became king of the Free Nation of Tikan.’
Jin chuckled softly.
The Battleground of Cosmos was held on an island south of the Bellado Principality. Strangely, it lay outside Bellado’s territorial waters, making it a playground for pirates operating in nearby seas—a forsaken island.
Jin arrived there alone, without a single companion.
‘This is practically a direct order from Dad. I can’t rely on anyone else’s strength.’
Bringing someone along would surely count against him.
To Jin, his father’s message was clear: conquer this filthy tournament alone, with nothing but his sword.
Using magic or spiritual energy in such a snowy place was madness.
‘This is the first time I’m doing something solo since Mamite. And then, as now, the stage is a den of outlaws.’
Passing through Bellado Principality via a teleportation gate, Jin had paid a hefty fee to a fishing boat to reach the island. His first impression was far from good.
It felt like the lowest of the low had gathered here, all clamoring together. The streets reeked, and dried bloodstains were visible everywhere.
It was a neighborhood where people stabbed each other on a whim. Being a remote island mostly visited by pirates and hardened low-level fighters, there was no law enforcement to speak of.
“Heh heh heh heh.”
Every five steps or so, Jin encountered a madman wandering the streets, laughing as if drugged.
Of course, not everyone was like that.
Sometimes, he saw well-guarded rich kids or knights clad in decent armor. They were either participants or spectators of the battleground.
Jin began following one such group, figuring it would lead him to the registration desk.
After about thirty minutes, he arrived exactly where he expected: the registration area. It was nothing more than a table set up in front of a filthy, pigsty-like arena.
“I’m here to register for the battleground,” Jin said, handing over the application Kashimir had prepared.
The man sitting at the desk raised his eyes. A burly pirate covered in hair and adorned with tacky tattoos on his arms—the typical pirate type.
“What? Registration’s closed. Beat it. Better if you die on the way back.”
“Closed? I was told they accept entries until sunset today.”
“Yeah, well, I just don’t feel like taking registrations right now. You don’t get it, huh?”
He made a circle with his thumb and forefinger—clearly asking for a bribe.
Jin’s usual philosophy was to solve problems with money whenever possible.
Including, if necessary, a good punch.
Smack!
Jin slammed his fist down on the old wooden table, hitting the head of the man who was trying to stand up. Crumpled inside his fist was the torn-up application form.
“Ugh! Damn it, you bastard.”
“Register him. I’ll pay.”
Then Jin tossed a few gold coins onto the table. The man’s face immediately lit up with a broad grin as he nodded eagerly.
For a moment, Jin flinched. That punch had packed a serious wallop—enough to make even a well-trained 4-star warrior’s head spin. Yet this guy took it square on the nose and jumped up laughing the instant he saw the money.
“Registration complete! Hahaha, you’re a fiery little one. I like that. You’ll be fighting in Squad 13. Take this—once you get inside, the others will show you around.”
He handed Jin a small slip of paper with something written on it.
Squad 13, Jin Gray.
Since you hit me out of nowhere, I’ll make sure you get decent teammates. Oh, and if this kid doesn’t make it through the night, roast him well and feed him to the sharks.
— Pirate King Cosmos
“Hahaha! Welcome to Cosmos’s arena, where romance and chaos collide. Now go show us what you’ve got.”
The man flashed a grin full of gold teeth. This was the tournament’s host, the infamous pirate Cosmos.