Chapter 339: Arena

Chapter 339: Arena

Whether it was people or things, often you didn’t really need them, but as long as someone stepped forward to fight for them, others would follow and snatch. Especially since the Little Queen was currently on the Giants’ turf, the Giants decided to protect her first. Before figuring some things out, they couldn’t just give her up casually.

A Giant clenched his fist. “That is our Queen. Even her brother has no right to deal with her.”

“She is not anymore. After you brought the news, she is merely Wizard Bran’s younger sister. As an elder brother, Bran will not let his younger sister stay in danger. In return, we will give you wealth beyond your imagination.”

“We don’t need it!”

“You should at least take a look. No one can refuse such wealth.” Zoya clapped her hands. Several chests appeared out of thin air at the Giants’ feet. She gestured. “Open them. You won’t be disappointed.”

A Giant hesitated slightly, then stepped forward and lifted the lid of one chest. Just as a crack opened, dazzling light scattered from within. As the lid gradually opened wider, he finally saw what was inside. This made him shiver uncontrollably. His hand loosened, and the lid fell heavily with a loud thump.

He stiffened his neck and slowly turned to look at his companions beside him, his words slurred. “Th-this… this isn’t real…”

Zoya clapped her hands again. The lids of the chests before them flipped open almost simultaneously. The chests immediately glowed with a spectrum of colorful lights, making the Giants’ faces appear distorted and fierce.

“Wizards do not find joy in deception, so you can take your time discerning the truth.” Zoya continued with a smile. “This is the best choice. You gain unimaginable wealth, and we finally get to retrieve our sister who ran away from home.

No rush. You have plenty of time to think. As guests, I will take you to visit the Arena. There, you will feel the warmth of home.”

Seeing the Giants hesitate, uneasy about leaving the treasure chests just sitting in the camp, Zoya chuckled. “Don’t worry. No one dares to steal in the City of Wizards. If anything goes missing, we will compensate you double.”

Hearing this assurance, the Giants, with anxious expressions, crowded around Zoya and walked toward the city.

Moore walked beside Zoya and asked in a muffled voice, “Is that wealth really meant to exchange for our Queen?”

Hearing this, Zoya’s face darkened, and she stopped. “Watch your words. I don’t want to hear such talk again. That wealth is merely our gift of thanks for bringing us news of her. Whether you accept it or not, we will retrieve our sister.

Grand Sorcerer Bran simply doesn’t want to appear too domineering, as she is his younger sister after all. As an elder brother, he always wants his younger sister to have more happiness.”

Moore argued, “The Little Queen was also very happy with us. She could even do as she pleased.”

Zoya gave a dry laugh. “Our little sister, though willful, has always been kind-hearted and soft. She is far from doing as she pleases. She merely froze you for a few days and lightly let it go. Yet, the benefits she brought you far outweigh your punishment.

If you ask around, you will learn how her elder brother and elder sister kill people. Only by comparison can you truly understand what mercy is.”

As they walked and talked, the Arena soon appeared before them. Zoya stopped and slightly gestured. “That is it. You may go in.”

Having said that, Zoya left the Giants and walked away.

…

Jenny and Lui, who called the Arena their home, had been living quite happily recently. Rolling and tumbling here every day, their martial skills became increasingly proficient, and they made more and more friends.

Initially, Northland City would still send people and funds to maintain this place. As it became a gathering spot for many Warriors, they started to let go. So, Jenny and Lui, who saw themselves as managers, had to take over everything. They knew this wasn’t a deliberate trouble but an opportunity specifically given to them.

Jenny and Lui were very wealthy. Ever since their family found out they had secretly run off to Northland City, not only did they not cut off their financial support, but they also frequently sent them large sums of money along with caring inquiries. So the two were perfectly capable of paying for the Arena’s maintenance from their own pockets. But they knew if they really did that, it certainly wouldn’t end well.

A tavern. This was the first idea the two came up with. Back in the day, it was in a tavern that they witnessed Wizard Bran’s might. They still remembered Bran’s inexplicable answer—”It’s getting dark.” So the tavern got a good name, the Darkfall Tavern. They hoped when Bran saw this name, he might remember something and give them more time.

Many thought they were courting death, daring to use the Arena’s rooms to open a tavern. During those days, aside from Northlanders occasionally coming over for a drink, others stayed far away.

Jenny and Lui were also worried. But when they noticed the Northlanders looking like they were enjoying the spectacle and not minding if it got bigger, their worry instantly turned into irritation. You want to watch the show? We’ll let you have a good look!

They also set up a weapon shop on another side of the Arena. Although they couldn’t find a qualified blacksmith for the time being, as Knights, they always had one or two spare weapons. The shop wasn’t small, especially with two weapons displayed. Some mischievous Northlanders even bought those weapons, making the shop appear even more spacious and bright.

The Northlander lads weren’t bad, at least they helped them through the toughest days, and might continue to do so. During those days, the tavern had hardly any customers, so the two and a few Northlanders laughed and teased each other.

These Northlanders knew about them because every time Grand Sorcerer Bran returned from his travels, he would tell stories of his journey, sometimes even conjuring the scenes to recreate everything that had happened for his people.

Jenny and Lui were quite excited about this, thinking Bran remembered them. But the Northlanders told them this matter had nothing to do with Bran. It was Danny’s decision.

As they grew familiar and surpassed a mere friendship, they learned that Bran did not remember people or things he didn’t care about. He only automatically recorded everything from the past through his abilities. Like a Scholar’s notes, they were only opened again when needed. Although he could find the required records, it didn’t mean he remembered them.

As time passed, the Arena became lively again. Those few days of interaction also helped them find their sweethearts. Influenced by Bran, his people were also clean and tidy, carrying a very pleasant scent. Perhaps it was precisely this scent that easily captured their hearts.

Although the tavern’s income was decent, it was far from enough to maintain the Arena.

Although the weapon shop belched thick smoke, the weapons produced were unusable. The Northlanders still upheld tradition and refused to display their related skills. The Dragon Riders were also conservative; they merely rented the space here. As for their group, the Anya People, they also carefully protected their crafts. Thus, the weapon shop was split into three separate rooms. One was kept for selling finished products, and the other two were allocated for use by the Dragon Riders and the Anya People.

Jenny and Lui never expected that it would be the martial skills they relied on for survival that helped them out of their predicament. The Nobles lingering in the city and the Knights from various countries who came traveling hoped to receive training here. Because three races famous for their martial prowess appeared here simultaneously, merely observing the sparring and contests among the three races’ Warriors was enough to benefit people greatly. Even those seemingly elegant Scholars also possessed extraordinary skills. Without sufficient ability, you probably couldn’t even drink a cup in peace at the Darkfall Tavern.

Before long, many young people from the city were also sent here for training. People hearing the news from outside gradually poured in, and the Arena could finally become self-sufficient.

It’s just that once everything was on track, it became too boring. And today, the boredom was finally broken. The sound of a bell rang out within the Arena…