Chapter 159  : Perfect Hidden Justice

I apply my blood to the slave sealing ink and leave the rest to the slave dealers.

Naofumi: “Don’t register something else with it like last time.”

Slave Dealer: “I already understand.”

I’ll file a complaint if I get another random slave mixed in.

Slave Merchant: “Now then, while the registration happens, you will have free time, so why not check the Coliseum upstairs? Yes.”

Naofumi: “Fine.”

On the Slave Merchant’s orders, the Slave Dealer begins to lead me towards the Coliseum.

And, with nothing else to do, we follow him.

According to the Slave Dealer, today they are holding free matches.

Anyone can enter if they want money.

The spectators bet on who will win, and many will lose all of their money.

We get out of the dungeon area, and begin climbing some stairs.

Naofumi: “The crowd is quite large.”

The matches have yet to start, and the reception desk is quite lively.

The atmosphere is like that of a baseball stadium.

Slave Dealer: “For my uncle’s work, I will be drawing in customers. Yes.”

Naofumi: “This place seems to have a lot of money circulating around.”

Slave Dealer: “Hero-sama should participate as well.”

Naofumi: “And why would I do that?”

I can only defend, so how the hell am I supposed to win?

Slave Dealer: “There are also team games. I’m sure you will be a popular competitor.”

Naofumi: “I’ll consider it based on the rewards.”

I might be able to make a bit of money here…

If Rafatalia and Firo fight with me, I don’t see how we would could lose.

Slave Dealer: “Another Coliseum we manage has special events for monsters. Yes. Perhaps you may be interested in entering your Filo Rial there.”

If Taniko or Rat heard of that, they’d throw a fit. They’re both against the exploitation of monsters.

Having Firo fight for money doesn’t sound bad though.

Naofumi: “I’ll consider it.”

Slave Dealer: “I’ll wait for a favorable response. Yes.”

The Slave Dealer leads us to some spectator seats reserved for him.

The seats are right above the Competitor waiting room. We can see the entire stadium from here.

Hmm… There are quite a few people with evil eyes. Quite a few of them look very muscular.

… And there I witnessed something I hadn’t been expecting.

Naofumi: “I-Itsuki!?”

Mixed in with the other contestants is, without a doubt, Itsuki.

I get up and head down towards the field.

Slave Dealer: “Is something wrong? Yes.”

Naofumi: “Yeah.”

I tell the Slave Dealer that I saw the Hero of the Bow among the contestants.

Slave Dealer: “Here, anyone can enter the games, so it’s not odd for a hero to participate. Yes.”

Naofumi: “Don’t they have to register themselves?”

Slave Dealer: “Participants can register under any name they wish.”

Naofumi: “What is he registered as?”

I read out the number printed on Itsuki’s chest.

Slave Dealer: “Um…”

The Slave Dealer receives a list from a muscular man with a sack over his head.

Slave Dealer: “That number, 982.. That person seems to be registered under 『Perfect Hidden Justice』.”

I thought I would fall over.

So jokes really can make people fall over.

Perfect Hidden Justice!? What sort of bad joke is that?

Not even someone with Chuunibyou would use that one.

(Note: The imagination begins to explosively develop in the eighth grade.)

Doesn’t he feel embarrassed? Even I’m feeling embarrassed here.

Naofumi: “Can you arrange to talk with him?”

Slave Dealer: “Yes, my authority will allow it.”

The Slave merchant gives orders to his subordinates, and we are led to the contestant waiting room.

Naofumi: “Oy. Been a while.”

I call out to Itsuki.

I could have called Rishia, but I wouldn’t be able to talk to him after the game started.

I’ll find her later.

Itsuki: “I… right… everyone…”

Naofumi: “Oy.”

Itsuki: “Yes, everyone’s looking at me… yes. Everyone… looks at me…”

Naofumi: “Listen when someone’s talking to you!”

Itsuki continues to mumble something to himself. I can’t really tell what he’s saying.

I hear a gong-like sound from the center of the Coliseum.

Itsuki: “I’m… a Hero of Justice!”

My words don’t even register to him. Itsuki follows the other competitors and leaves the room.

Naofumi: “The hell is up with him?”

It’s as if he didn’t even notice me.

Slave Dealer: “Well… I looked into that competitor, but he seems to visit a coliseum every day. Yes.”

Naofumi: “Is that so?”

Slave Dealer: “Yes. He has made himself known in this country as a mysterious archer. He has been recorded to become ecstatic when he hears applause.”

Naofumi: “…Did something happen?”

His desire for praise had always been strong, but now he sounds like a mental patient.

What could have drawn him down to that level?

I can kinda imagine what his experience with the Turtle must have been like.

Naofumi: “Shadow.”

Let’s see if she’s here.

(Note: This is gender-neutral in Japanese, but it seems public consensus is that Shadow is female.)

Shadow: “What is it-gojaru?”

… She really appeared.

Shadow: “The ride on the Hero of the Shield’s carriage was terrible-gojaru.”

If I worry about it I won’t get anywhere. I won’t confront her on the matter.

Naofumi: “Why were you unable to locate Itsuki when he’s in such plain sight?”

Shadow: “The Hero of the Bow has a habit of concealing himself, so there was little information on his appearance and location being circulated-gojaru.”

Well, that’s true. The Heroes have changeable weapons, and common faces. If they change to a common weapon, then they are unidentifiable from the rest.

Though he still uses a bow, I guess he is smart enough not to change it in battle.

Naofumi: “Do you think you can capture him here?”

Shadow: “The Queen has given an order to keep tabs on him, but to wait until an order is given. That Hero is good at running and hiding-gojaru.”

Naofumi: “Well, that’s true… can you continue following him?”

Shadow: “I’ll do that-gojaru. However our personnel has decreased from that time with the Spirit Turtle. I cannot call for reinforcements.”

Naofumi: “Understood. Ah, right.”

I turn to Rafatalia

Naofumi: “Rafatalia, should we report this to Rishia?”

Rafatalia: “No! Absolutely not. If Rishia sees the Hero of the Bow acting like that, she’ll develop a mental trauma.”

Naofumi: “I… see…”

He seems to have become mentally crippled, fighting in the coliseum only for praise.

If Rishia met Itsuki like that, there’s no telling what will happen.

There’s a possibility she will continue trying to talk to him and… Perhaps snap and stab him?

I can only see bad endings to that scenario.

And where are his comrades?

Shadow: “Anyways, I’ll start my investigation-gojaru.”

Naofumi: “Ah, if you find anything out, please report it to me.”

Shadow: “Understood-gojaru.”

Naofumi: “Now then what should we do about Rishia?”

Rafatalia: “I’ll meet up with her, and keep her away, so please… keep it a secret.”

Naofumi: “Understood, leave it to you.”

I use the slave system to track down Rishia. It gives me a general idea of her location.

I can’t use it to find people who aren’t in my party, and I can’t use it to find people who are too far away.

Naofumi: “It seems she’s in the Plaza south of here. I’ll leave it to you, Rafatalia.”

Rafatalia: “Understood. I’ll definitely keep her away.”

Rafatalia runs off.

Those two do get along quite well.

Naofumi: “Anyways… I wonder what happened to him.”

Shadow: “Ah, about that-gojaru. We have some witness testimonies from the soldiers from the Spirit Turtle Village.”

Naofumi: “You should have brought that up sooner.”

Shadow: “Even though I say that, it’s information you probably already inferred. Apparently the order in which the seal statues were destroyed was first, the Hero of the Bow; second, the Hero of the Spear; third, The Hero of the Sword-gojaru.”

Naofumi: “I see…”

Ren’s story did give off the feeling that the turtle awakened almost immediately after he destroyed the statue.

Shadow: “The Hero of the Bow was the first one to cause a commotion, and all of his companions were with him, or so it was recorded-gojaru.”

Naofumi: “What do you mean?”

Shadow: “…The Hero of the Bow destroyed a statue half a day before the other two. After that, taking advantage of the commotion, numerous treasure hunters began plundering the nearby ruins causing mass confusion. The Hero of the Spear used the chaos to enter a temple and break a statue, and almost immediately following him the Hero of the Sword destroyed one as well-gojaru.”

Naofumi: “So Itsuki and friends were apprehended after they first broke a statue, and had this action recorded by the area’s soldiers?”

Shadow: “And after a while, the Spirit Turtle awakened just as the Hero of the Bow testified-gojaru. In a panic, the guards released him so he could go fight it-gojaru.”

And after that he went missing.

Something must have caused the time lag in the Spirit Turtle’s awakening.

That kid is a mass of half-assed justice.

What could have caused him to have to break laws with his Justice?

So the reason Ren and Elena were able to enter so easily was because of the Chaos caused by Itsuki’s group.

The game starts, and I watch Itsuki fight.

I thought that a long range weapon would make the match unfair, but the playing field was a narrow maze where one would be unable to build up distance. He was at a disadvantage.

But Itsuki is easily able to win.

So he’s at least stronger than the average fighter.

But his eyes look strange. Whenever the crowd gets louder, he raises both of his arms in the air and shouts out.

Is that really Itsuki?

The Itsuki I know is just a bit more mature. He was a relatively docile hypocrite.

I haven’t talked to him yet, so the cause is still a mystery.

Though I’m not sure if he’ll actually say anything.

I guess I should at least try.