“What is it...?”
“Don’t get me wrong. This is...”
“What is this?”
“...”
What should I say? Should I say that I didn't buy it, that the girl gave me the panties earlier?
“...”
Finally, Nike shut his mouth.
And then he quietly put the panties in his pocket.
“Let’s go now.”
Reiner gulped as he watched Nike turn around shamelessly.
Nike Valensier. My superior. My comrade. My old friend.
Yet, his tastes were completely unaware of...
‘...Should I pretend I didn’t see it?’
It was a tearful friendship.
“Hey, please take this and remember me every time you use it.”
I became the woman who gave him panties and asked him to remember me...
Still not quite recovered from my trip home, I just leaned back in my chair and stared blankly into space.
“Why is she like that?”
“I don’t know. She made a loud noise in the room this morning, and she’s been like that ever since. Did she see a ghost?”
The two men, ignorant of anything, were just eating breakfast. I had no appetite.
‘How annoying...’
It's annoying for no reason. Who? Ryan, who sleeps so soundly, even snoring!
'You probably don't even know what kind of hardships I went through yesterday.'
Of course, yesterday was a deliberate kidnapping, but if my life was truly in danger, why are you acting so carefree?
“Dad, is the food going down your throat? Are you making money?”
Suddenly overcome with emotion, I snapped at him like a daughter entering a rebellious phase. Ryan was startled, then burst out laughing.
“See how the words have become shorter? Hey, that’s good.”
He stuffed the rest of the bread he was eating into his mouth, shook his hands, and pointed at me with his index finger.
"Keep doing that. No matter how much I look at you, we don't look like father and daughter. Later, when you go to my workplace, cheer me on in a friendly way, okay?"
“...workplace?”
And...
"Now, ladies and gentlemen! Today, the long-awaited semifinals and finals finally begin!"
Is this real?
"A new champion who has appeared like a comet on Griff Street! Ryan, a young father, willingly enters the male-dominated arena, where blood, sweat, and tears flow for his daughter!"
“Wow!”
“I’m going to bet on you today, too!”
Ryan waved proudly to the cheering crowd.
No, what are you so proud of?
“Hey, you bastard, I told you to go make money, so you’re just fighting?!”
Revan, who was standing next to me, was shocked. I felt the same way.
"Yew, yes! Let's get started on the betting before the semi-finals begin!"
A man who wrote "host" but read "con man" started collecting money from the audience.
I was so shocked that I went to the man right away.
“Excuse me. Did he sign the contract?”
“Huh? Who are you?”
“That person’s daughter.”
I pointed at Ryan.
Then the man shouted, “Wow!” and grabbed my shoulder, turning me around and shouting at the crowd.
"Everyone, look! The bizarre life story of contestant Ryan, a story that was hard to listen to without tears! The ultimate father who promised to live the rest of his life for his daughter! The protagonist who saved a man's life is right here, right now!"
“...”
I closed my eyes tightly.
“Please give me a round of applause! This is Ryan’s daughter!”
“Huh! Really? Wow!”
“Wow, with a daughter like that, I definitely have no choice but to grit my teeth and live!”
“Guy, it’s great to have such a cool dad!”
I looked at Ryan through blurry eyes amidst the cheering crowd. He looked at me and shouted.
"My daughter, my treasure! I'm sorry I gave birth to you at such a young age and couldn't do much for you! But since I brought you into this cruel world, I will take responsibility for you until the day I die!"
“Yaaaah!”
“Awesome, awesome!”
It's absurd. Some people even shed tears. The narrative of a "father living for his daughter" really resonates.
'Is this right?'
So this is Grief Street.
It's a back alley that's always present in every big city.
It's a bit of a stretch to call it a ring, but Ryan and his opponent are standing inside the arena, which is roughly a line drawn on the street.
A sign next to it,
Wolf Lehmann's Fight Show!
That con man's name is Wolf Lehmann.
He runs a guild as his main occupation, and apparently also has various side hustles. This seemingly unrelated fighting show is his side hustle.
He's clearly a fraud, but Ryan says he's quite trustworthy in this industry. With just one letter of introduction from Wolf, dozens of miners will trust him and enter Belzer to dig.
The long-awaited semifinals! Will Ryan, a father who would risk his life for his daughter, triumph once again and face the champion, Pantera, in the finals? Stay tuned and watch!
The host caught the wind excitedly.
Indeed, he had his eye on Ryan, who was looking for work (perhaps because of his size), and gently coaxed him into joining. When it became quite a topic of conversation, he even sold the father-daughter story using the miner's introduction letter as an excuse, showing off his eloquence as a manipulative person.
“This, this. It smells like match-fixing...”
Revan muttered. I was surprised.
“What did you say?”
"Gathering fans by selling strange stories. He's been doing this for five days, starting from the preliminaries, and he's been winning all the way to the semifinals, like a comet, rookie Ryan. Look at him."
Revan pointed to the stake basket next to the host. Unlike his opponent's, which was empty, Ryan's basket was full.
Revan clicked his tongue and added.
"Now that my brother has won, that host's losses are no joke. But why is he laughing like that?"
“You’re really betting everything on the finals?”
"That's right. The finals are all about the money. The crowd is all set to bet on him. But what if Pantera or something wins?"
"That host will eat up all the money, right? More than enough to cover the losses."
"Yes."
“But what if Dad wins?”
“Bunny, look at that guy’s table.”
Revan pointed to the host whose mouth was torn from ear to ear.
"Can't you see the smug grin on his face as he thinks about making a killing? He's clearly confident in Pantera's skills. All the guys he's defeated so far are probably just a bunch of show-offs."
“Are you saying that everyone lost on purpose?”
"This place is like that, you know. I've seen it more than once or twice."
“So he scammed Dad, too?”
I was dumbfounded.
"Honey, this is totally sweet. Whether you win or lose, you'll get your entry fee. If you beat the champion and win, they'll even write you a letter of introduction to the miners."
Innocent Ryan was taken advantage of...
A miner's letter of introduction that can only be obtained by fighting and defeating an opponent with unbeatable skills.
“That person is no good.”
I was about to roll up my sleeves and ask the host a question, but Revan stopped me.
"Don't worry, brother. I'll figure this out logically and come back with a solution. This is a problem we need to tie up before the finals begin."
“No. Let’s just take a look.”
"Yes?"
Revan smiled and then leisurely folded his arms and took a position to watch.
'That expression... somehow it looks like there's a hint of trust in it?'
So I felt uncomfortable, but I decided to just endure it.
However, the semi-finals have begun.
Ryan's skills were just so-so.
“Blow it away, Ryan!”
“Hey! Good job, good job!”
After exchanging a few punches with his opponent, Ryan's lip burst. He rolled to the ground, nearly taking a fatal blow, but barely managed to roll over and survive.
'Ugh, I can't see.'
I barely managed to open my eyes and watch the game.
Honestly, Ryan's fighting skills were as expected. Sorry to say this, but isn't he a quick-witted person?
The ability to instantly detonate a lifeline with a single touch. With practice, you can hunt for life from a distance without contact.
If you have that kind of power, you don't need to be good at physical combat.
Did he get injured once or twice while hunting bears in Belzer? I told him to get injured on purpose, but the injuries were too severe.
It's not like he can't fight at all, though...
'A C-class, no, B-class mercenary?'
I nodded after seeing Ryan's power for the first time.
“Brother, do you have money?”
“Sure!”
As expected, a genius.
I realized why Revan had told me to just watch.
If we had anticipated match-fixing, we could have pooled our money and bet on Pantera or Pandora.
“Wow!”
“Amazing! As expected from Ryan!”
The semi-finals naturally ended with Ryan's victory.
The host grabbed Ryan's arm and gave him a firm hug before making his way through the crowd carrying the final prize basket.
"Now, the long-awaited final! Who will be the winner?"
Two baskets came in front of us.
The final stake is 10 gold.
As the conman had intended, Ryan's basket was filled with 10-gold coins.
Revan took out gold coins from his purse and started holding them.
One, two, three...
As many as ten!
“Sir, if I guess the winner, I get 10% more than the stake, right?”
I asked the scammer, and he chuckled.
“Then! Of course you’ll ask Dad, right?”
Haha. No, that's not true.
But then Revan threw ten gold coins into Ryan's basket.
“Yes, that’s right. Here.”
“...?!”
“Don’t get me wrong. This is...”
“What is this?”
“...”
What should I say? Should I say that I didn't buy it, that the girl gave me the panties earlier?
“...”
Finally, Nike shut his mouth.
And then he quietly put the panties in his pocket.
“Let’s go now.”
Reiner gulped as he watched Nike turn around shamelessly.
Nike Valensier. My superior. My comrade. My old friend.
Yet, his tastes were completely unaware of...
‘...Should I pretend I didn’t see it?’
It was a tearful friendship.
***
“Hey, please take this and remember me every time you use it.”
I became the woman who gave him panties and asked him to remember me...
Still not quite recovered from my trip home, I just leaned back in my chair and stared blankly into space.
“Why is she like that?”
“I don’t know. She made a loud noise in the room this morning, and she’s been like that ever since. Did she see a ghost?”
The two men, ignorant of anything, were just eating breakfast. I had no appetite.
‘How annoying...’
It's annoying for no reason. Who? Ryan, who sleeps so soundly, even snoring!
'You probably don't even know what kind of hardships I went through yesterday.'
Of course, yesterday was a deliberate kidnapping, but if my life was truly in danger, why are you acting so carefree?
“Dad, is the food going down your throat? Are you making money?”
Suddenly overcome with emotion, I snapped at him like a daughter entering a rebellious phase. Ryan was startled, then burst out laughing.
“See how the words have become shorter? Hey, that’s good.”
He stuffed the rest of the bread he was eating into his mouth, shook his hands, and pointed at me with his index finger.
"Keep doing that. No matter how much I look at you, we don't look like father and daughter. Later, when you go to my workplace, cheer me on in a friendly way, okay?"
“...workplace?”
***
And...
"Now, ladies and gentlemen! Today, the long-awaited semifinals and finals finally begin!"
Is this real?
"A new champion who has appeared like a comet on Griff Street! Ryan, a young father, willingly enters the male-dominated arena, where blood, sweat, and tears flow for his daughter!"
“Wow!”
“I’m going to bet on you today, too!”
Ryan waved proudly to the cheering crowd.
No, what are you so proud of?
“Hey, you bastard, I told you to go make money, so you’re just fighting?!”
Revan, who was standing next to me, was shocked. I felt the same way.
"Yew, yes! Let's get started on the betting before the semi-finals begin!"
A man who wrote "host" but read "con man" started collecting money from the audience.
I was so shocked that I went to the man right away.
“Excuse me. Did he sign the contract?”
“Huh? Who are you?”
“That person’s daughter.”
I pointed at Ryan.
Then the man shouted, “Wow!” and grabbed my shoulder, turning me around and shouting at the crowd.
"Everyone, look! The bizarre life story of contestant Ryan, a story that was hard to listen to without tears! The ultimate father who promised to live the rest of his life for his daughter! The protagonist who saved a man's life is right here, right now!"
“...”
I closed my eyes tightly.
“Please give me a round of applause! This is Ryan’s daughter!”
“Huh! Really? Wow!”
“Wow, with a daughter like that, I definitely have no choice but to grit my teeth and live!”
“Guy, it’s great to have such a cool dad!”
I looked at Ryan through blurry eyes amidst the cheering crowd. He looked at me and shouted.
"My daughter, my treasure! I'm sorry I gave birth to you at such a young age and couldn't do much for you! But since I brought you into this cruel world, I will take responsibility for you until the day I die!"
“Yaaaah!”
“Awesome, awesome!”
It's absurd. Some people even shed tears. The narrative of a "father living for his daughter" really resonates.
'Is this right?'
So this is Grief Street.
It's a back alley that's always present in every big city.
It's a bit of a stretch to call it a ring, but Ryan and his opponent are standing inside the arena, which is roughly a line drawn on the street.
A sign next to it,
Wolf Lehmann's Fight Show!
That con man's name is Wolf Lehmann.
He runs a guild as his main occupation, and apparently also has various side hustles. This seemingly unrelated fighting show is his side hustle.
He's clearly a fraud, but Ryan says he's quite trustworthy in this industry. With just one letter of introduction from Wolf, dozens of miners will trust him and enter Belzer to dig.
The long-awaited semifinals! Will Ryan, a father who would risk his life for his daughter, triumph once again and face the champion, Pantera, in the finals? Stay tuned and watch!
The host caught the wind excitedly.
Indeed, he had his eye on Ryan, who was looking for work (perhaps because of his size), and gently coaxed him into joining. When it became quite a topic of conversation, he even sold the father-daughter story using the miner's introduction letter as an excuse, showing off his eloquence as a manipulative person.
“This, this. It smells like match-fixing...”
Revan muttered. I was surprised.
“What did you say?”
"Gathering fans by selling strange stories. He's been doing this for five days, starting from the preliminaries, and he's been winning all the way to the semifinals, like a comet, rookie Ryan. Look at him."
Revan pointed to the stake basket next to the host. Unlike his opponent's, which was empty, Ryan's basket was full.
“Even if they can't eat, the trained spectators still cheer for the boss. Probably the finals will be the same.”
"Now that my brother has won, that host's losses are no joke. But why is he laughing like that?"
“You’re really betting everything on the finals?”
"That's right. The finals are all about the money. The crowd is all set to bet on him. But what if Pantera or something wins?"
"That host will eat up all the money, right? More than enough to cover the losses."
"Yes."
“But what if Dad wins?”
“Bunny, look at that guy’s table.”
Revan pointed to the host whose mouth was torn from ear to ear.
"Can't you see the smug grin on his face as he thinks about making a killing? He's clearly confident in Pantera's skills. All the guys he's defeated so far are probably just a bunch of show-offs."
“Are you saying that everyone lost on purpose?”
"This place is like that, you know. I've seen it more than once or twice."
“So he scammed Dad, too?”
I was dumbfounded.
"Honey, this is totally sweet. Whether you win or lose, you'll get your entry fee. If you beat the champion and win, they'll even write you a letter of introduction to the miners."
Innocent Ryan was taken advantage of...
A miner's letter of introduction that can only be obtained by fighting and defeating an opponent with unbeatable skills.
“That person is no good.”
I was about to roll up my sleeves and ask the host a question, but Revan stopped me.
"Don't worry, brother. I'll figure this out logically and come back with a solution. This is a problem we need to tie up before the finals begin."
“No. Let’s just take a look.”
"Yes?"
Revan smiled and then leisurely folded his arms and took a position to watch.
'That expression... somehow it looks like there's a hint of trust in it?'
So I felt uncomfortable, but I decided to just endure it.
However, the semi-finals have begun.
Ryan's skills were just so-so.
“Blow it away, Ryan!”
“Hey! Good job, good job!”
After exchanging a few punches with his opponent, Ryan's lip burst. He rolled to the ground, nearly taking a fatal blow, but barely managed to roll over and survive.
'Ugh, I can't see.'
I barely managed to open my eyes and watch the game.
Honestly, Ryan's fighting skills were as expected. Sorry to say this, but isn't he a quick-witted person?
The ability to instantly detonate a lifeline with a single touch. With practice, you can hunt for life from a distance without contact.
If you have that kind of power, you don't need to be good at physical combat.
Did he get injured once or twice while hunting bears in Belzer? I told him to get injured on purpose, but the injuries were too severe.
It's not like he can't fight at all, though...
'A C-class, no, B-class mercenary?'
I nodded after seeing Ryan's power for the first time.
“Brother, do you have money?”
“Sure!”
As expected, a genius.
I realized why Revan had told me to just watch.
If we had anticipated match-fixing, we could have pooled our money and bet on Pantera or Pandora.
“Wow!”
“Amazing! As expected from Ryan!”
The semi-finals naturally ended with Ryan's victory.
The host grabbed Ryan's arm and gave him a firm hug before making his way through the crowd carrying the final prize basket.
"Now, the long-awaited final! Who will be the winner?"
Two baskets came in front of us.
The final stake is 10 gold.
As the conman had intended, Ryan's basket was filled with 10-gold coins.
Revan took out gold coins from his purse and started holding them.
One, two, three...
As many as ten!
“Sir, if I guess the winner, I get 10% more than the stake, right?”
I asked the scammer, and he chuckled.
“Then! Of course you’ll ask Dad, right?”
Haha. No, that's not true.
But then Revan threw ten gold coins into Ryan's basket.
“Yes, that’s right. Here.”
“...?!”
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