The Ashen Dominion
Chapter 66 - Fourth Visit

Chapter 66: 66 - Fourth Visit

(Kaiser’s POV)

"Let’s go to the training ground, you two."

I said as I turned to Damian and Viktor. We just finished eating breakfast.

"I’m all ready."

Damian replied to me immediately.

But Viktor...

"...?"

He just tilted his head at me, looking at me weirdly.

"What?"

I asked him, confused.

Then, he opened his mouth after shaking his head for a bit.

"You two have somewhere to go today, idiot."

"...?"

I was confused when I heard that from him. Damian is the same. Though, just after a few seconds...

"Ah."

I realized what he meant.

’I was so excited to train that I forgot.’

Damian looked at me, asking with his eyes what Viktor was talking about.

I opened my mouth and was about to explain it to him, but before I could even do that—

"Kaiser and Damian... Let’s go."

A guard called us two from outside the metal bar gate. I glanced at the guard for a second.

"We’re going to the prize room."

And then I said that to Damian.

"..."

He remained silent, eyes squinting. He’s never been there after all, so he probably doesn’t know how great the prize room is.

"Let’s just go. Follow me."

I told him before I started walking toward the gate. Damian silently followed behind.

"Enjoy!"

I heard Viktor from behind. I just casually waved my hand up in the air without looking back as a response.

The three girls are in their room, fixing their equipment to start their training later.

Anyway, just like that—we stepped out of the copper place...

And the guard started escorting us toward the prize room.

"I wanted to train more though..."

I heard Damian mumble behin me.

’Oh, kid... You’ll soon take those words back.’

I thought to myself, smiling a little bit.

...

...

...

After a few minutes of walking, we reached our destination.

*****

"Wha..."

Damian was speechless when we arrived at the copper rank prize room.

He looked around, and soon—his eyes landed on the long table full of food. I saw his mouth watering after that.

"That’s an all-you-can-eat buffet, it’s free."

I said. And at my words, Damian turned his head to me violently, it was scary.

"For real?"

"Yeah."

His expression lightened up at my words, a wide smile on his face. He was actually about to head to the table.

But suddenly—

"You’re here again, kid. I must admit I’m impressed... You must be pretty skilled."

We heard someone say that to our left. Our eyes shifted to the source of it and there...

"Ah, it’s you again, Mister."

I saw the same servant who had assisted me during my previous three visits here.

And this time—

"My name is Manny."

He introduced himself.

"Oh, well, you already know mine so..."

I just shook his hand for a bit. Then, pointing to my side...

"This is Damian, by the way."

I said that.

"Hello."

"Yes, hello too."

Damian and Manny greeted and shook each other’s hand.

"Another kid, huh."

Manny mumbled.

Anyway, I was ready to eat a lot again and take a bath so without beating around the bush—

"Can you assist us to get our rewards now?"

I opened my mouth and said that. Manny glanced at me and smiled.

"Impatient as ever, huh."

He muttered.

"Got it, let’s just see..."

Then he took out a big book, it was a list. Damian looked at him curiously, while I just waited in silence.

And after a while—

"There... Kaiser and Damian."

Manny found our names on the list.

*****

Manny gave out our battle points fast. He told me I got thirty battle points this time—he was really shocked when he said that to me. He looked at me in disbelief and surprise.

I got twenty battle points last time, it was already a big deal for copper rankers. And now, I got ten more than that this time. I just shrugged and acted like I didn’t care even though I was shocked as well.

Manny frowned at my reaction, annoying him is really fun. You can just see him trying his best to stay calm.

Moving on... Damian only got four battle points. And when he heard that, he finally realized how crazy it is for me to receive thirty of it.

And now, currently—we’re in the room where we look at the items of our opponent and pick whatever we want from them.

As usual, a lot of white cloths are laid on the ground with a lot of things on them.

Damian looked around excitedly, and not long—we reached where Lagoras’ items are.

The three of us stopped there.

"Pick whatever you want."

Manny said to me. I just nodded my head and started browsing. Though, there’s nothing much that interests me, so in the end...

"I’ll get the pair of steel vambraces. They’re considered as one item since they’re a set, right?"

I asked, glancing at Manny.

"That’s right."

He responded, and after that—

"Then, I’ll have them brought to your room."

He added.

"Thanks."

Now that I’m done, it was Damian’s turn. I just followed with them as it was Damian’s request—he wants to ask for my opinion when picking.

Fortunately, his opponent’s items—Rust’s—aren’t that far from where we are.

"Just like what Kaiser did, you can pick whatever you want for yourself."

Manny instructed Damian as he made way for him. Then, along with Damian, I started looking at his opponent’s belongings.

"..."

And it made me frown. Rust only has his weapon, and a few clothes.

But I guess that’s reasonable and normal. After all, he’s just a newbie.

My first fight was against Velcro who has three wins under him already—of course, he’ll have a lot of stuff.

"What do you think?"

Anyway, Damian turned to me and asked that. Just like me, he’s frowning a bit too.

"Hmm..."

I thought to myself for a while, then after thinking of something—

"Why don’t you just ask for Rust’s remaining battle points? That’s still his belongings, right?"

I said to Damian before turning to look at Manny.

"Well, yeah... We actually just remove the battle points under the names of the fallen gladiators, but technically—you can ask for them as a reward too."

Manny explained with a nod of his head.

"Then, I’ll take Kaiser’s advice and just take that."

Damian declared after hearing his words.

"Wait a second."

Manny took out his list again, and after a while—

"He has three more battle points. Do you want to proceed?"

He said that, facing Damian.

"Mhm."

Damian nodded his head without hesitation. Looks like Rust only used two battle points—one for clothes and one for his trash iron sword.

"Got it, I’ll record it under your name."

Anyway, with that—Damian now has seven battle points, and we’re finished claiming our rewards.

’Time to have fun.’

I thought as a small smile rested on my face.

*****

After getting their rewards, Damian and Kaiser went back to the main room. Manny separated from them and they said goodbye to each other—and with that, the two started enjoying the prize room.

They ate a lot. Like, a lot. The two of them devoured whatever they saw on the all-you-can-eat table without hesitation. Some of the people there looked at them with a frown, clearly judging, but Kaiser and Damian just ignored them completely.

The other gladiators recognized Kaiser now too, so none of them dared to say anything. Most of them had the same thought running through their heads: ’That kid will bash our skull open if we annoyed him.’

Kaiser stood out easily. Not just because of his face, but because he was the youngest gladiator. It was impossible to forget who he was.

And after winning four fights, his name started going around the Copper Rankers—even a bit on the Silver Rankers.

Anyway, after eating more than enough, Kaiser headed toward the bath area—and, naturally, Damian followed after him.

There, the two of them began cleaning themselves.

"I hadn’t had a bath for so long, this is so refreshing!"

Damian exclaimed as he lathered his hair.

"Yeah, whatever. Enjoy."

Kaiser replied casually. He was already sitting and relaxing in the small pool, his arms spread on the edge, eyes half-closed.

There were six people in the bath area, including the two of them. The scent of soap mixed with the faint smell of iron and steam, while the sound of water sloshing echoed quietly against the stone walls.

And even here, Kaiser could feel it.

The glances.

From time to time, one or two of the other gladiators would glance at him, some out of curiosity, others out of wariness—or maybe fear.

Even though he didn’t say a word, his brow twitched slightly.

’Please, even just now... Let me bathe in peace.’

He muttered that in his head, clearly annoyed.

Then, time passes by...

...

...

...

And Kaiser—he had a peaceful bath!

Though, right now...

"..."

"..."

He was back in Jeff’s office, the master of the coliseum, for the fourth time.