Chapter 135
Major Rumors
Aman remained the same as ever, a ruthless young man who showed no mercy to his enemies. This was the Aman everyone knew well. In the previous competition at the institute to become representatives, Aman and Koross had performed exceptionally. They didn’t touch the other students, relying solely on hunting beasts to become the top of the institute. This silenced the rumors that they only used dirty tactics to seek power for the Setter family.
However...their straightforwardness led competitors from other institutes to think of him as an easy target to bully. This time...even Koross collaborated with Aman. Given that they had been cheated, did anyone really think they wouldn’t retaliate? Those who chose to be kind could do so, but for the Setters, retribution was the right response.
They firmly believed in reciprocating actions. If someone was kind to them, they would repay that kindness a hundredfold. But if someone was malicious, they would face the consequences of their actions!
"The contestants from the top institute are being too violent. They say our representatives planned to ambush their contestants, but what do you call this!?"
"Exactly. Attacking from behind isn’t considered an ambush, huh?!!"
"4 groups have already been eliminated! This isn’t fair at all. They suddenly appear without warning and use such intense power!"
"Are they trying to kill the other contestants!? Why do they have to go this far? Isn’t it excessive?"
Seeing the situation below, with group after group forced to withdraw from the competition due to the severity of the attacks, many spectators expressed their displeasure. Some were fellow students, some were professors from those institutes, and some were even the contestants’ parents. Witnessing such violence, many of them stood up to appeal to the judges to disqualify the Ares Institute students.
However, rules were rules. Since there was no prohibition against attacking, their actions were not technically wrong. Furthermore, the ambush plan was initiated by the other side. How could it suddenly be an issue when the two Ares Institute students retaliated in kind?
While supporters of the other institutes voiced their dissatisfaction, the spectators cheering for the Setter family’s two members could hardly contain their laughter at the scenes unfolding.
"Haha. So satisfying. How about that!? So, what happened to grouping together to take down the number 1 institute? Why are they the ones being taken down instead? It’s hilarious!!"
"When they get hurt, they claim we play dirty. But isn’t teaming up to take down just 2 students equally dirty?"
"Haha, even when they team up, they can’t do anything to these two. The difference in skill is just..."
"Go on! Kill them all. Show them the strength of the number 1 institute’s contestants. Even if we lose, just kill them all!"
"You’re the ones cheating, so what are you complaining about? If these two didn’t fight back, they’d be attacked instead. Is that what you call a fair fight?"
"Weaklings. They start complaining when they lose. Weren’t they acting all tough at first? Now they’re scared when the number 1 institute’s students fight back!"
Students from both sides argued back and forth, just like the battle happening below that started to be fierce. The intensity of the attacks revealed Aman and Koross’s positions, and many students rushed toward them. Now, there were more than 12 students surrounding them, split into 5 groups from 5 different institutes.
Despite this, Aman and Koross showed no signs of distress from being outnumbered. They continued to fight effortlessly, handling everyone with ease. Every attack they launched aimed to kill, increasing the fear among the students.
"Lord Aman and Lord Koross are truly incredible fighters!" A female student exclaimed. The more they witnessed their strength, the more the girls admired them.
"It’s a pity that Lord Aman already has a lover, but Lord Koross is still single. Maybe if it were one of us..."
"Hmph! Do you think the Setter family would be interested in us? They have a long future ahead of them and aren’t thinking about marriage anytime soon."
"That’s true. It’s surprising that Lord Aman has already chosen a partner. The Setter family rule allows no more than 2 wives, which is a strict rule that keeps the men from behaving poorly. But it also makes it very difficult for them to choose a partner."
"Exactly. There’s only the principal wife and the secondary wife in the household, avoiding conflicts among the women. They declared that this rule ensures the men in the family don’t become obsessed with women and avoids any ensuing chaos."
"Only the main family adheres to this rule. The branch families aren’t as interesting anyway. They participate in battles, but their power isn’t as strong as the main family. So before settling for the branch family, we should try to find young men from the main family."
"Hehe, that’s my dream too. However, there have been some rumors about the Setter family lately."
"Rumors?"
"Yes, while everyone is focused on this competition, it seems the Setter family has mobilized their forces to the 6th floor again."
"And what’s surprising about that? Didn’t they just conquer a city on the 6th floor? It’s not unusual for them to send many people to secure the area."
"No, that’s not it. There’s a rumor that they plan to seize another city on the 6th floor."
"What!?! No way! That’s impossible!" The girl listening shook her head.
"I thought so too, but some predict they might actually seize the city. It’s said that the Setter family has been buying up large quantities of healing potions and weapons."
"It might not be true, because if it were, the royal family would be in turmoil."
"And do you think the royal family is at ease right now? Did you notice that no princes have attended this competition? Everyone is waiting for the outcome, because if the Setter family really conquers another city on the 6th floor, their power will increase immensely, along with their resources. The royal family won’t let go of those resources easily."
"If the royal family is moving like this, it means..."
"Yes, it means there is some truth to the rumor. Right now, people in the palace are scrambling. They need to find something important or an opportunity to negotiate with the Setter family."
"Brr, that’s chilling! The Setter family is truly becoming more powerful."
"I heard that Prince Joseph, who should have been punished due to the Fernal family’s complaint about him protecting another woman over his fiancée, is also getting an opportunity this time. If he can’t become the representative to ally with the Setter family, he will face house arrest and will have to marry that woman as a lowly concubine. But if he can become the representative, that woman will be elevated to a high-ranking concubine."
"Oh my!! So the Fernal family..."
"Exactly! They must feel utterly humiliated. It’s well known that the Fernal and Setter families don’t get along, but the king’s offer shows that if the Setter family conquers another city on the 6th floor, they will become a superpower that even the Fernal family can’t compare to."
"!!" The young woman who heard this didn’t know what to say.
Originally, the Ares Kingdom had balanced power among various factions, giving common people many choices for alliances. This was unlike the Gaia Kingdom, where the Max family held supreme power, with their every move affecting the entire kingdom. However, if the Setter family continued to advance at this pace, it’s not surprising that the Ares Kingdom would undergo significant changes!
"There’s also a rumor that the Second Prince is making significant efforts as well. Some have seen him in the Gaia Kingdom. No one knows what move he took this opportunity to make, but there’s a rumor that he’s searching for the Tesenes herb, which the Max family possessed and was kept in the Gaia Kingdom’s royal palace."
"I understand. He needs those herbs for the Eldest Young Lord, doesn’t he?"
"Yes! The Tesenes herb is similar to Tezetrons. Even though its quality is much lower, if the Setter family gets them, it would mean the Second Prince has a chance to become favored by the Setter family."
"Indeed, the competition between the princes is extremely fierce. But even ordinary people need to start competing too. As mentioned...after this, the Setter family might reach a position where no one can touch them. So, before that happens, we should try to find a partner from the Setter family."
"The more I hear you talk about this, the more I feel that being the secondary wife of Lord Aman isn’t so bad. Even if he’s the Demon within the Setter family, I’d let him treat me however he wants if it means my family could become more powerful."
The two girls laughed together hopefully, while the two young men from the Setter family, still battling their competitors, had no idea they were the focus of such attention.
Ellie thought back to what Aman had mentioned earlier. It seemed that the eldest young lord had started taking action. She initially thought he would act in a month or two, but she didn’t expect him to be so impatient. Or perhaps he was already well-prepared.
If his current actions succeeded, it would be major news. Even with just rumors leaking out, the royal family had already taken significant steps. She couldn’t imagine the level of shock if they actually conquered another city on the 6th floor, especially if it was the suddenly recovered eldest young lord who led the effort.
It might become a kingdom-wide sensation, with other kingdoms even sending their royalty to congratulate the Ares Kingdom!
Before long, the competition ended. The two young men had shown their full potential, defeating more than half of their opponents, leading to a decisive victory. Their score was too far ahead, and with only a few contestants left, further competition wouldn’t change their ranking. Thus, the competition was concluded. Only the 2nd and 3rd places remained to compete, or rather, it was a way to eliminate the problem by awarding the 1st place. Otherwise, Aman and Koross might have caused the remaining two groups to be eliminated as well.
The two young men from the Setter family emerged with a bit of frustration. Their intention had been to take down all the groups that dared to team up against them with their overwhelming power. But who would have thought...all the groups had collaborated, except for the Ares Kingdom, which was completely in the dark. As a result, the two remaining groups were the ones that had been cooperating all along.
Despite their frustration, a win was still a win. The cheers and jeers from the audience greeted them, with the particularly loud cheers from the girls around Ellie almost making her ears burst.
Ellie left the spectator area to meet the two young men at the rendezvous point. As per Aman’s request the previous day, if they won the competition, Ellie would treat them to a fantastic meal, which she promised to cook herself.
Although she wasn’t particularly eager, she was someone who kept her word. Besides, her cooking skills weren’t bad. So, the two got to try "Jim Jum[1]" for the first time. Even though there were no glass noodles, the combination of boiled meat, vegetables, eggs, and various ingredients in the broth was a novel experience for Aman and Koross.
Not to mention the delicious dipping sauce. Despite reducing the chili because people nowadays didn’t enjoy spicy food as much, and having to find oddly shaped but similarly tasting spices, it still provided a unique flavor.
Aman and Koross loved it. Whether it was the food itself or the atmosphere of preparing the meal by themselves, waiting, and chatting while the meat cooked, this significantly improved the atmosphere between them.
Ellie also felt that cooking together, drinking, and eating Jim Jum made them seem more like friends...which wasn’t a bad feeling at all...
[1] Jim Jum is a Thai hot pot.
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