Episode 49

The monster, seeing the crack, grinned menacingly and struck the barrier even harder.

Unlike lower monsters, high-level ones had intelligence.

It wasn’t just their strength that made them dangerous.

The monster seemed to know exactly how to break the barrier.

“Ahhhh!”

“Help! Save us!”

People beyond the barrier screamed in terror.

The royal knights stepped up to block the barrier, but they too looked scared.

Crack-.

The barrier was breaking piece by piece.

Just when it seemed like it would shatter completely, Peter readied his sword and swiftly attacked the monster from behind.

Screeech!

The monster roared in pain as a deep gash appeared on its back.

Its eyes, glowing a chilling red, fixed on Peter.

The creature turned, intending to devour Peter.

At that moment, Peter steadied his sword, now glowing with blue energy.

As the monster lunged with its sharp teeth bared, Peter struck, piercing the monster’s vital point with his sword.

Thud!

The massive body fell to the ground with a resounding crash.

“……”

A moment of silence fell over the arena.

The monster lay defeated, and there stood the scrawny man everyone had mocked.

A person stood up, speechless, and finally spoke.

“He… he saved us.”

People gradually came out of their panic and began to applaud Peter.

“Wowwww!”

The cheers echoed through the arena, deafening.

He was nothing short of a hero.

Despite the overwhelming excitement, Peter remained calm.

The only one left standing in the arena, Peter was the final gladiator and the winner.

The Emperor, looking very pleased, stood up and spoke.

“Brave one, what is your name?”

Peter knelt before the Emperor and answered.

“Peter, Your Majesty.”

“Your bravery is unlike anything I have seen before. Even with one arm unusable, your skill is incredible.”

“You are too kind, Your Majesty.”

“As promised, I bestow upon you the ‘Tear of the Sun.'”

At the Emperor’s signal, an attendant hurriedly presented the ‘Tear of the Sun’ to Peter.

Receiving such a national treasure was a lifetime honor.

Peter took the box containing the jewel and bowed deeply to the Emperor.

“It is the greatest honor of my life, Your Majesty. But it is too much for me.”

“That is the weight of victory. Whether you auction it off or gift it to someone, it is yours to decide.”

The Emperor laughed heartily and looked at the scoreboard.

“It seems you are not the only winner.”

He glanced at the name of the person who had bet on Peter.

It was a bet of unprecedented magnitude.

The Emperor’s words were true; while Peter was the champion, there was another who had succeeded immensely.

All eyes turned to Sierra Drenihan.

She wore a very pleased expression.

Anyone would be overjoyed; she had just become the owner of a staggering 98 million gold.

This tournament defied all expectations.

The scrawniest man turned out to be the heroic victor, and the only person to predict it was a young lady who seemed unlikely to know anything about gladiatorial combat.

The Crown Prince looked at Sierra Drenihan with a face full of interest.

It was he who had arranged for Peter to participate.

Peter, a seemingly insignificant mercenary who had trained in the countryside and served as a soldier on the tumultuous borders, had his abilities revealed by chance.

The Cretan Empire, which bordered Terium and shared the giant demon ore mountain, was a constant source of regional conflict.

During a patrol of the border, one of the Crown Prince’s duties, Lucion had discovered Peter fighting off bandits from the enemy country.

Despite his small stature, Peter, wielding a sword aura, had completely subdued the bandits trying to steal the demon ore.

Recognizing his potential, Lucion had encouraged Peter to enter the tournament, and Peter had agreed.

Lucion had anticipated an exciting match, but this was beyond his imagination.

“This is beyond my expectations.”

Originally, Lucion would have been the only one to bet on Peter.

Not Sierra Drenihan.

Lucion wasn’t in it for the money; it was simply for entertainment. Since someone else had already chosen Peter, he didn’t place his bet on him.

But what had Sierra seen in Peter to bet such a large amount?

A curious fascination stirred within him.

* * *

“Congratulations.”

The royal attendant handed me a white check.

98 million gold.

An amount so large it was hard to even fathom.

I grinned and carefully placed the check in my bag.

“Thank you.”

The attendant bowed and exited the room.

“Sierra, did you really know that man would win?”

Arzen asked again, still in disbelief.

“I sensed something extraordinary about him. It was all luck, really.”

A predestined luck.

Arzen muttered something about how remarkable talent always shows itself.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

“Lady Drenihan, the champion wishes to see you.”

My eyes widened at the attendant’s words.

“Let him in.”

The door opened, and Peter entered, bowing deeply to me.

“Thank you for believing in and choosing me.”

“No, it was really impressive earlier. Congratulations on your victory.”

I beamed at him, and Peter smiled back.

“I came to give you something.”

“To me…?”

Peter reached into his pocket and pulled out something that sparkled.

“This is….”

It was the ‘Tear of the Sun.’

Just as in the original story, he offered the treasure he received to the one person who believed in him.

“It’s far too grand for me. I want to give it to the lady who believed in me.”

“No, this is the reward you fought so hard for. Thanks to you, I’ve already received a huge amount of money.”

As I tried to refuse, Peter smiled gently.

“The truth is, I don’t have much time left to live.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

“I have an incurable disease. I’m alone with no family or friends to give this jewel to. I can’t just bury it before I die, can I?”

I was stunned by Peter’s revelation.

He had an incurable disease?

It was hard to believe, given his performance in the arena. Anyone would think so.

“My only wish before I die was to be recognized by someone. I thought no one would choose me, but you were the only one who did.”

“…If you can use sword aura, why did you stay in the countryside?”

“It’s where I was born and raised. Someone had to defend the border from the constant Cretan invasions.”

“I see….”

As I struggled to find words, Peter smiled wistfully.

“I have Lisbeth’s disease. I’m only twenty-three, so I don’t have much time left.”

“Lisbeth’s disease?”

Arzen, standing nearby, responded.

“Yes. The disease paralyzes parts of the body and eventually stops the heart. The reason he can’t use one arm is because of this disease.”

Though he spoke brightly, it was clear his spirit was heavily burdened.

“Even the Emperor, who recognized my skills, offered me a place in the royal knights, but….”

Peter couldn’t finish his sentence, his voice filled with despair.

I, rubbing my tingling arm, spoke up.

“…Peter, I have the same disease.”

His eyes widened in shock at my words.