By Zephyria “Which bastard is it! Who threw something like this!”
“You can’t even dodge that, but your mouth is so fast. Chattering.”
Clack, clack, the heavy sound coming from thick platform heels was heard. A woman dressed in a gothic dress approached with an elegant gait and grabbed the drooping rag doll by the scruff of its neck.
“Morbang, I’m sorry. Did it hurt a lot?”
The woman dusted off the surface of the picked-up doll with her lace-gloved hands. Then, she swung it mercilessly at the man who was still sitting down. The man instinctively raised both arms above his head.
Leonardo’s lips gaped. He wondered why his business partner, who should be sleeping quietly in his residence, was causing a ruckus in front of him.
“Beatrice—”
He was about to call her name in a daze, but he quickly covered his mouth with his palm. As soon as he did, he noticed that attention was gradually gathering in this direction. That was because the scene of a woman in attire that didn’t suit the league at all beating a man much bigger than herself was quite a spectacle.
The bizarre skull ornaments that seemed to summon even Satan, and the dress that was the epitome of splendor, were clearly Beatrice’s usual attire. He didn’t know where she had been hiding until now, but it seemed that she had come out because of him… The problem was that he was worried that he would get caught up in the commotion if he even acknowledged her here.
“Wow, what’s up with that woman?”
“Her concept is no joke.”
As expected, the passing participants added a word each. Leonardo, who was assessing the situation, wondered whether he should stop the rampaging ally or not.
Just in time, the league staff who were controlling the crowd noticed the commotion and shouted from afar.
“What are you doing there?”
“Off-field combat is prohibited!”
However, Beatrice did not stop. With an expression that she had caught them at the right time, she only focused on beating the man, swinging the doll like a boomerang.
Because she didn’t welcome the midday sun, the hollow eyes hidden by the wide hat brim shone particularly hysterically today.
“Y-you crazy woman!”
The man, who had suddenly become the official weakling in front of everyone, desperately tried to resist, but each time the human-like figure was struck down, he repeatedly collapsed helplessly due to the heavy impact, as if there were stones inside the doll.
Then, a mediator appeared in front of them.
“Hey, Bell.”
A giant who could swallow both shadows whole. The figure who snatched the slender wrist wielding the weapon stopped Beatrice.
“Do you want to be eliminated before even going to the preliminaries? Enough.”
“That bastard keeps chattering! Instead of Leo, ugh—!”
A rough and rugged palm blocked the red lips that contrasted with the pale skin. Beatrice’s cheeks were hollowly distorted. Even so, it was quite a rough touch for a companion accompanying a gorgeous lady.
“Don’t make a fuss. You didn’t come here to interfere.”
“Agh, you idiot! You’re ruining my makeup!”
Leonardo, who had inadvertently heard his name mentioned in passing, hid his shock and took a few steps back as he was. The identity of the giant was Gillian. Another business partner of Libertas, the wine-loving man of great strength.
‘Why is that guy here too?’
Encountering two welcome faces in an unexpected place, Leonardo became inwardly afraid of how many more people would pop out afterward. He didn’t think that his business partners would leave everything about the league entirely to him, but it was unexpected that they were acting so openly.
He wanted to quietly drag them away right away and ask what was going on. However, the league staff, who had barely managed to push through the crowd, approached the tangled three people.
“What’s going on?”
The man who had been getting beaten might say something foolish, so Gillian cut him off preemptively.
“Ah, this guy kept glancing at her skirt and making ridiculous comments about showing off her skills, so our Belle got angry and did this. Hitting him first was wrong, but isn’t the guy who couldn’t control his tongue also at fault? What a disgrace in a sacred arena.”
“No, that’s not―!”
The public opinion quickly shifted due to his brazen behavior. Those who had approached to stop them glanced at the man with narrowed eyes.
“What, he deserved to get hit.”
“Why is he acting like that when he came to take the test?”
“His ‘host’ must be between his legs.”
They each threw out a word and slowly turned their backs, sending cold glares.
“What nonsense, that’s not it! How did it become like that!”
The man, looking dazed, shouted as if he was wronged. He immediately grabbed onto the staff and appealed to them, but they also only looked at the man with disapproving eyes.
Soon, they stepped between him and the woman called ‘Belle’ to create a reasonable distance. One of the staff members asked Gillian, who was relatively reasonable, again.
“Thank you for the explanation. Are there any additional damages?”
“Yeah, well. We’re fine. As you can see, this young lady has a very fiery personality.”
“That’s a relief then. There will be no disadvantages, but could you tell me the participation number and league alias that were given out at the time of registration? You two are together, right?”
“Why?”
It was Beatrice who retorted sharply. Her expression clearly showed her displeasure. Sensing a difficult aura from the short answer, the official responded calmly, as if not to provoke her.
“Well, it’s our job to identify and handle issues between participants inside and outside the arena. We would appreciate your cooperation.”
Gillian grabbed Beatrice’s shoulder and pulled her back as if telling her not to step forward. Then, he replied with a cheerful smile.
“This one is Belle, participation number D67-314. Do you need mine too?”
“Yes, we would appreciate it if you could tell us.”
Around that time, Gillian’s eyes glanced sideways. The end of his gaze was directed at Leonardo, who was standing awkwardly and watching the situation.
Gillian’s eyes narrowed long and he blinked one eyelid quickly. It was a short moment, but it was a very clear signal to Leonardo. That he came to help him for their purpose.
“My participation number is D67-808. Alias is Beast.”
Leonardo raised his hand and wiped his face. Those who were gathered here today were gathered for the second part of the test match. In other words, the fact that they appeared with participation numbers and aliases meant that they had already completed the first match.
‘These guys don’t even share the situation anymore.’
Even if they couldn’t meet face to face because they each had things to do, there were plenty of ways to convey the message. The fact that he didn’t know until now meant that they had deliberately hidden their participation. Somehow, it felt like the baggage 5 and 6 that he had been trying to avoid had finally been added.
‘I’d rather it be someone else, Beatrice is difficult to control. She’s also too noticeable.’
He should be grateful that Gillian came along as a sedative. Leonardo barely swallowed the sigh that was about to burst out.
“We will handle this person appropriately after a few questions. Please do not step forward directly next time and report to the management.”
The league staff left a simple greeting and then picked up the sprawled man and took him somewhere. The other man who seemed to be with him looked around blankly, and as soon as he met Beatrice’s eyes, he ran away in a hurry.
After the situation subsided somewhat, Gillian, who had been watching their backs, frowned. Soon, he drove away the concentrated attention with a fierce face and then nudged Beatrice’s arm.
“I told you not to step out on your own.”
“It’s annoying, Morbain’s clothes got dirty.”
“You’re the one who did it.”
Beatrice adjusted her hat as if nothing had happened and then picked up the doll and hugged it tightly. Since Morbain was much taller, his dangling feet were already dragging on the floor. The shoes, sewn together with clumsy stitching, were covered in dirt and bloodstains.
“Judy said she won’t remove stains anymore.”
“Don’t say the children’s names here. If you do it one more time, I’ll just knock you out and drag you around, okay?”
“How can you say such violent things to a lady? As if you’re not a beast.”
As the two were bickering, a shadow that had been hovering nearby slyly poked its head out. He clapped his hands and approached the two people who looked extraordinary at first glance.
“Wow, beautiful sister, reliable brother―. I saw you guys taking down the thugs!”
Leonardo doubted his eyes and ears for a moment. It was a familiar voice and a cheesy tone.
“If you don’t mind, wouldn’t you like to join hands with us? The more collaborators you have until the finals, the better!”
In addition, it was a story he had heard often somewhere.
The meaningless pistol attached to his waist and the obviously light footwork turned around as it was.
Ero, smiling brightly, waved his hand at Leonardo.
“Isn’t that right, brother?””