BAM! BAM! BAM!
I was jolted awake by a loud banging on my door.
"HEY, KID! THE SERVANTS ARE HERE!!!"
Brock's voice rang out from outside.
"Ugh..."
I groaned, sitting up slowly.
'Already…?'
I thought.
It felt like I had just shut my eyes for a second.
Well—
"Gah...!"
My back ached from sleeping on what was basically just wood.
So I guess it really is afternoon now.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The banging didn't stop.
"I'M AWAKE! STOP IT, YOU BRUTE!!!"
I shouted back at the door.
And the moment my voice reached him—
"HAHAHAHA! OKAY!!"
Brock finally stopped slamming his fist on the door.
"Does he plan to break it...?"
I muttered with a frown.
Then—
Fwoosh~
I got up from the bed, stretching lightly.
"Hmm?"
My body felt weirdly light.
Surprisingly, I didn't feel exhausted too.
'Just my that my back is killing me.'
I thought, rubbing my lower back.
"Ugh, I'm in a child's body and still have back pain like I'm in my thirties… This is fucking bullshit."
I grumbled, dragging myself toward the door.
Click—
I undid the lock.
And immediately—
BAM!
The door swung open with force.
"Come on, kid! Let's go!"
Brock stood there with a big, dumb grin plastered on his face.
"..."
I stared at him with furrowed brows.
'Is he Damian's father or something?'
The thought crossed my mind. They had the same energy.
'Meh, whatever.'
I shook the idea off.
And with that—
Tap—
I stepped out of my room.
Bam!
"Gah!"
Brock gave me a heavy-handed pat on the back as I passed by him, still grinning like a fool.
His palm might as well have been a slab of stone.
'I bet there's a mark on my back right now.'
Anyway, just then—
"Huh?"
My eyes shifted forward, catching sight of what was happening ahead.
My eyes locked onto the group ahead.
Nine men stood there.
They're all huge and intimidating.
Muscles bulging like they were carved straight out of stone.
Their beards were thick, wild, and unkempt.
Faces marked with battle scars—each one probably holding a hundred brutal fights behind it.
They weren't dressed in armor or anything flashy. Just casual medieval wear.
Loose tunics hanging off broad shoulders, worn boots caked with dust, belts strapped across their chests. A few had cloaks lazily draped over one shoulder like it was nothing.
And then there was me...
Still wrapped in raggedy-ass clothes like I'd just crawled out of a garbage heap behind some sketchy tavern.
'Great. I look like a beggar standing next to war gods.'
I sighed internally.
Then, over at the metal-barred gate I came through earlier—
"Hmm?"
I noticed five more people.
They stood behind the bars in perfect formation. All dressed the same.
White shirts tucked neatly into black pants, not a wrinkle or speck of dirt in sight.
Clean. Polished. Way too polished for this gritty place.
And just like that—
'They're the servants.'
I figured it out immediately.
The contrast between them and the rest of us was... honestly ridiculous.
Then—
"Wait..."
My eyes focused on one of the faces.
They're familiar.
Someone I knew.
"Hmm? You know someone there?"
Brock's voice came from behind me as he noticed my stare.
"Mnm."
I gave him a simple nod.
"That's good!"
He grinned.
"Some servants tend to overprice stuff to squeeze more out for themselves. If you know one, you've got a better shot at not getting scammed."
He explained.
"Noted."
I answered flatly, eyes still fixed ahead.
Then—
"Can I approach them and use my battle points now?"
I asked.
"Yeah."
Brock replied casually.
"Go on, I'll be with the other fighters. Come to me after—I'll introduce you to them."
He said.
And with that—
"Thanks."
Tap- tap- tap—
I didn't waste any more second. I walked toward the row of servants with quick steps.
My gaze locked on the boy standing at the end.
The familiar face.
It was Rai.
*****
Tap- tap- tap—
I walked steadily, each step firm with purpose.
"..."
My eyes locked on Rai.
And soon enough—
"Huh?!"
His gaze met mine.
Shock flashed across his face, confusion trailing behind it as he recognized me.
And a few moments later—
Tap—
I stopped right in front of him.
The only thing separating us now was a set of cold metal bars.
He was on the other side.
"..."
"..."
We stood there in silence, just staring.
No words. No reaction from anyone else around us either—they don't give a fuck.
They just want to do their job and be done with it.
Then finally, I opened my mouth—
"Hello."
Simple. Flat.
"Ah! H-Hello!"
Rai stammered back, clearly flustered.
His eyes scanned me quickly, maybe trying to make sense of how I ended up here.
I was slightly taller than him, so he had to look up a little.
"..."
He said nothing for a while.
But eventually—
"What happened...?"
He asked that.
His voice was quiet, eyebrows drawn tight with worry.
I shrugged my shoulders at his question.
Then—
"Well..."
I gave him a quick summary of what happened to me. Just enough for him to understand how I landed here.
...
...
...
"That's... Umm... Hmm..."
Rai was lost for words after hearing my story.
He had been already been sent to the servant section before I got dumped into the gladiator cell, so he didn't know a damn thing about what went down after he left.
Anyway—
"Let's move on. I want to use my starting battle points."
I said that, shifting the topic.
"A-Ah, right!"
Rai straightened up, still a bit shaken.
Then, with tired eyes—
"I was only trained on this stuff yesterday. The woman teaching me barely gave a damn—told me I'd just figure it out as I go."
He grumbled under his breath.
But Rai's expression brightened quickly after saying that.
And with a small, eager smile—
"Anyway, I'll do my best to help you! So, what do you need me for?"
He asked.
It looked like Rai was under a lot of pressure already, having been tossed into work right away after arriving here.
'Meh, who cares…?'
I rolled the thought in my head.
My situation was way worse that his, and Rai knew that too.
So, I didn't hesitate—
"I need a weapon."
I declared. Straightforward.
"What kind?"
Rai tilted his head, waiting.
"Hmm..."
I paused. Thinking.
The truth was... I had no clue.
I'd never even held a proper weapon in my life.
Well... I swung sticks when I was a kid and beat up my bullies with them.
Anyway, moving on—
Fwish—
I looked at Rai again.
And after thinking about it—
"Anything's fine. If you can swing it around, that means I'll be able to use it too. Just pick one like you're picking it for yourself."
I simply said that, waving my hand casually.
"Oh."
He blinked at me in surprise.
But quickly after—
"Got it."
He gave me a sharp nod, face full of determination.
I nodded back at him.
"I'll head to the weapon room now."
Rai said.
He bowed his head slightly before turning to leave.
But right then—
"Ah..."
Something clicked in my mind.
And before he could get too far—
"If there are any points left, grab me some proper clothes too!"
I exclaimed that.
"Okay!"
He answered over his shoulder without slowing down.