Chapter Thirty-One: The Deal (Part One)

Although Chu Tian wanted to stop the two on the dueling stage, Damar and Dirk had already become serious in their fight.

“Very well!” Another attack failed, and seeing Chu Tian stepping down from the arena, Damar felt reassured. He said solemnly, “Let’s not waste any more time! Take my final move!” As he finished, Damar’s face suddenly flushed, his skin turned as fiery as flames, and his purplish-blue veins stood out starkly.

He raised his staff with both hands; a fierce wind began to swirl, darkening the sky. Damar’s face, twisted by the wind, looked almost ferocious. “Volcanic Flames!”

With Damar’s shout, the stage trembled. Cracks split across its surface, and from the torn ground, bubbling lava erupted, flooding the arena in an instant. The dazzling magma gathered, bursting forth with a blue glow, and then, within a hundred-meter radius, the stage transformed into a sea of fire.

“Celestial Sword Aura!” Seeing the transformation before him, Dirk realized Damar was giving his all and decided to hold nothing back.

The sky, once gloomy, became pitch-black beneath Dirk’s fighting aura. Countless stars appeared overhead. As Dirk swung his longsword, starlight rained down like a meteor shower, smashing towards Damar on the stage.

At the same moment the starlight descended, the magma on the stage surged upward, and within that hundred-meter radius, the flames rose like a sudden mountain, rushing to meet the starlight. For a brief moment, the entire Pompeii City watched the dazzling spectacle of fire beneath the darkened sky.

Chu Tian, observing from afar, shook his head and cursed inwardly, “Damar, you fool! If you both end up wounded, how will my plans proceed?”

Fortunately, the scene Chu Tian feared did not occur. Just as the starlight and volcano collided, a clear shout rang out, “Behave yourselves!”

With that crisp voice, a red light bloomed between the starlight and the volcano. In the blink of an eye, everything calmed under the soothing red glow. The sky cleared, the magma retreated underground.

“What is this…?” Dirk landed from the air, stunned. The ultimate moves of two eighth-tier masters vanished so effortlessly?! Could it be the arrival of a supreme continental powerhouse or a ninth-tier magical beast?

Compared to Dirk, Damar understood what had happened. Straightening his disheveled robe, he looked up at the sky and smiled, “Lady Scarlet Flame, your power must have reached the peak of the ninth tier!”

At Damar’s greeting, a voluptuous and enchanting figure appeared above the arena.

Scarlet Flame?! Chu Tian gazed blankly at the red-haired beauty descending slowly from the sky, mouth agape, unable to utter a word.

After landing, Scarlet Flame glanced sidelong at Damar, then strode directly to Chu Tian. She spoke coldly, “Marquis, I hear you’ve been doing quite well lately.” With a flirtatious flick of her waist-length red hair, a glaring scar was revealed on her slender neck.

Chu Tian gave an awkward laugh and blurted out, “Heh, I never expected you to be so beautiful, Scarlet Flame!”

Undoubtedly, Scarlet Flame’s beauty rivaled Selina’s, but unlike Selina’s gentle warmth, Scarlet Flame was alluring and stunning, yet icy and proud. The pride of the dragon race combined with the arrogance of a great beauty made for a formidable presence—especially since the lady before him possessed the power of a ninth-tier mage!

Even though Chu Tian’s actions had been for healing and saving lives, the ugly scar left on Scarlet Flame was an indisputable fact. The fact that she hadn’t killed him afterwards was already quite generous. So Chu Tian immediately flattered her, hoping to ease relations with the beautiful dragon lady.

“Hmph!” Clearly, Chu Tian’s words had some effect. Scarlet Flame snorted and ignored him, turning instead to the crowd entering the arena.

Only then did Chu Tian notice that, surrounded by guards, King Ludi III, Chancellor Andol, Chancellor Greyming, and his elder brother Canas had all arrived together.

“Damar, your skills are impressive—destroying an arena!” King Ludi III glanced at the shattered stage, expressing his displeasure.

“Uh… uh…” At the sight of King Ludi III, Damar’s earlier imposing demeanor disappeared entirely, like a mouse meeting a cat. Blushing, Damar bowed his head and stammered, “Your Majesty… Your Majesty, I was wrong!” Then, recalling Chu Tian’s teachings on official conduct, he quickly added, “I will henceforth use my magic to serve Your Majesty and target Your Majesty’s enemies!”

“Hmm! You have indeed improved. This time, I’ll let it go.” King Ludi III nodded, forgiving Damar.

Whew… Praise to Marquis Vladino! Damar rejoiced inwardly. What a good man—not only lending me gold, but also teaching me how to please the king. Great Marquis Vladino, I praise you…

“Dirk, stand down!” Andol suddenly interjected. “Your Majesty, my steward acted recklessly and caused trouble for the people of the imperial capital. I beg forgiveness on his behalf!” With those words, Andol knelt before King Ludi III.

“Heh, rise,” King Ludi III helped Andol up, smiling as he asked, “With a steward like yours, why not let him serve the empire?”

“Your Majesty, Dirk is not one of our Caesar people, so I dare not recommend him to Your Majesty.” Andol replied steadily.

“Sigh! What a pity.” King Ludi III sighed deeply, thinking to himself that the old rules ought to be changed. It was common for nobles to employ foreign experts in Caesar Empire. The empire was strongly nationalistic and extremely xenophobic. According to Caesar military regulations: non-imperial citizens may not serve in the army! Thus, many experts owned by nobles and commoners alike could not enlist.

“Your Majesty, in truth, today’s events all began because of me…” Seeing Andol and King Ludi III conversing, Chu Tian hurried forward. The villain complains first, and Chu Tian truly had reason to do so!

“I am already aware of everything that happened today,” King Ludi III interrupted Chu Tian. “Though you bear no fault, your duel with Anderson triggered a conflict between eighth-tier masters, which had a very negative impact on the imperial citizens! Therefore…”

Here, King Ludi III gave Chu Tian a meaningful look. “You shall pay to restore this arena. Ten thousand gold coins should suffice!”

Swindler! Absolute swindler! Chu Tian cursed King Ludi III in his heart. I earn you an extra one or two million gold coins every year, and you still make me pay for a minor arena repair!? How shameless can one be!

But under the eaves, one must bow their head! Sharing a tacit glance with King Ludi III, Chu Tian agreed with a sense of grievance.

“Your Majesty, this isn’t fair!” The upright Canas stepped forward to defend Chu Tian. “Today’s events were caused by Anderson’s provocation. How can Vladino be the only one punished?”

“Hmph! Vladino made a minor mistake; paying some gold is enough.” King Ludi III gestured for Canas to calm down, then grew serious, casting a cold gaze at Andol. “Anderson dared to break the sacred rules of dueling! Andol, how do you suggest we proceed?”

“Although Anderson is my son, he has erred, and I will not shield him. I beg Your Majesty to punish him severely!” Andol calmly returned the issue to King Ludi III.

“In that case, Vladino, you shall decide!” After extorting Chu Tian’s money, King Ludi III finally remembered his benefits and handed Andol, the big spender, over to Chu Tian.

Chu Tian’s eyes narrowed again. The plan disrupted by Damar was now back on track…