[125]
Chris went straight to the manager.
Intimidating and then coaxing someone was no longer difficult for him.
However, there was something he hadn’t expected.
“I’m Ons. Head director of the commentary team.”
It was the man introducing himself right in front of him.
Despite Chris’s cold gaze, the plump man smiled warmly and didn’t withdraw his extended hand.
He was clearly requesting a handshake, but Chris pretended not to notice and frowned.
“Commentary… team?”
The man before him had appeared after the manager stood up, saying he needed to check something upstairs. When what Chris had thought was a wall opened and this man emerged, he couldn’t help but be quite surprised.
‘He appeared as if he’d been waiting for me to come here.’
He even wondered if the consecutive “terrorist acts” had been planned movements for this moment.
“Ah. We’re responsible for framing the matches to suit the audience’s perspective.”
Recalling those vulgar and sensationalist commentaries, Chris remained silent. He had assumed there were real people behind them, but facing the actual person responsible, his audacity was astounding.
If Chris had been even slightly more temperamental, he might have spat in Ons’s face.
“In that regard, we really enjoy covering Wolf’s matches. No matter how good our skills are, if the material is subpar, the result will be garbage.”
His exaggerated tone contained equal parts sincerity and jest.
He was the type of person who deliberately feigned shallowness.
“I’m not sure why someone as impressive as you would want to see me.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Meredith.”
Ons’s eyes gleamed cunningly.
“That you’re a very- capable talent.”
Seeing how a seemingly friendly face could change so drastically, Chris remained silent for a moment.
“Capable… That’s an unexpected assessment since fighting is all I know how to do. Outside, when a wolf appears, people either run away in fear or throw stones.”
With slumped shoulders, Chris perfectly embodied an Esper who had ended up in an illegal fighting arena because he had no other way to make money.
“What matters isn’t what talent you have, but where it’s evaluated.”
Ons smiled gently.
“In that sense, isn’t our Colosseum the dream workplace where your talents can be utilized to the extreme?”
“Workplace… huh.”
It was an intriguing expression.
“Why did you come to see me?”
“Because I’ve been watching your achievements.”
Making an odd “hong-hong” nasal sound, Ons leaned forward.
“Would you consider signing an exclusive contract with the Colosseum?”
“What does that…”
“I’ll look into very favorable terms for you.”
“I’m not sure.”
Chris expressed reluctance.
“But if you contract with us, the commission the Colosseum takes from each match will be cut in half?”
Ons said with wide eyes.
Chris pressed his lips together.
He wasn’t sure whether to be surprised that they’d reduce the commission by half or to scoff at the fact that they’d still take a commission even with an exclusive contract.
“Plus, you can be exempted from entry fees for certain matches. You could also move to facilities exclusively for Colosseum fighters.”
“…”
“It would be a very wise choice for a fighter who needs quick cash.”
Rather than nodding and saying “I’ll think about it,” Chris maintained silence with a sullen face.
“You seem to know a lot about my situation.”
It was a subtly barbed comment.
“Unfortunately, that large audience is interested not only in fighters’ skills but also in their private lives.”
Ons made that strange laughing sound again.
“Just as we make the matches stimulating, we need to package the fighters in a stimulating way too. It’s human instinct to reach for items with more glamorous packaging.”
“…Yes.”
Chris pretended to agree while keeping his mouth shut.
“Regarding the contract, you should speak to the… manager who came with me.”
After carefully choosing his words, he explained with an expressionless face.
“Manager. So that’s what they call creditors these days.”
Chris could see Ons rolling his eyes.
Those eyes contained both interest and cunning.
“I’ve received a lot of help from John Doe, so I’ve asked him to manage my overall career as a fighter.”
This was an answer he had prepared with Yuri.
“You were so tight-lipped before… and now you’ve suddenly become eloquent.”
Ons smirked.
“I’ve been watching all along, and this is unexpected.”
That statement “I’ve been watching” somehow sounded strange.
Before Chris could catch on to it, Ons continued.
“Of course, we have no intention of forcing a fighter’s personal choice. Our Colosseum’s main goal is to showcase more amazing matches. But…”
Ons took a business card from his pocket and held it out to Chris.
“Take it. It will definitely be useful.”
Chris kept his gaze fixed on the card and said,
“Everyone tells me that.”
“Wolf has talent in combat but not much talent for lying. Besides, this industry is quite small.”
“…Ha.”
Chris rubbed his face dryly, as if to say “I told you so,” and asked in an irritated tone,
“What? Can this one business card pay off all my debts? Can it find my Guide?”
This should appear as if he had blurted out something in frustration.
“Oh.”
Ons smiled with his eyes, as if he’d been waiting for this.
For a middle-aged man with a potbelly, he had quite a slick attitude.
“I can do something better than that.”
“I don’t need drugs.”
“I’m not making such a trivial offer. I—our commentary team—can make you a star of this Colosseum.”
Ons’s voice dropped slightly.
“Perhaps even more might be possible.”
Chris bit his lip.
The other side was making plausible offers, but there was no real substance to them.
“I want to become the champion.”
Chris spoke directly.
“Is it true that if you become the Colosseum’s champion, you can make a wish?”
Ons opened his eyes wide.
“You’re barely completing three months, and you’ve already heard about the champion and their rights. Wolf, you’re more resourceful than you look.”
Though Chris thought “oops,” he decided to brazenly continue.
“People like me always look for breakthroughs.”
“Well. I wasn’t questioning you.”
Ons shrugged and opened his mouth.
“If you want to become the champion, you must win all your matches. Only then will you be able to reach the true depths of the Colosseum.”
The man winked.
“Oh my. Having a fighter I’ve been watching as a fan so close makes my lips loose.”
It was clearly an intentional remark.
Chris slightly averted his gaze.
“…I’ll consider it.”
Seemingly satisfied with that, Ons stood up.
“Even a wild wolf would be less cautious than you. Well then, I look forward to our next meeting, Wolf.”
He opened the disguised door in the wall and disappeared.
After waiting for the manager to return, Chris received a promise of definite measures and then returned to his room.
Yuri, who had been reading a book with his legs crossed, just peeked up with his eyes when Chris appeared. Following his glance toward the dining table, Chris discovered it was full of food.
“Eat.”
“I wasn’t starving.”
“You probably didn’t eat properly either.”
His cold gaze seemed to say, “Are you going to make me say it twice?”
Chris slowly sat down in the chair and began to move his hands.
At first, he intended to eat just a little, but the food kept going in. Realizing he was hungrier than he thought, Chris inwardly clicked his tongue.
He couldn’t believe he’d been so tense that he hadn’t even known he was hungry.
How did Yuri know to prepare food in advance?
When he finished eating and stood up, all the many plates were empty.
Yuri finally put down what he had been reading and stood up. He jerked his chin at Chris.
Moving with a sullen face, Chris stood at attention, looking at his master.
“Take it off.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Or should I strip you myself?”
Yuri raised the corner of his mouth at Chris’s undisguised astonishment.
It would have seemed quite seductive if he were in his true form, but now, as John Doe, only the disgust Yuri was projecting showed through.
“On a day with no match. You went out for such a long time and came back thinking you could skip an inspection?”
His tone betrayed a strange obsession.
Chris, pondering what would be Wolf-like behavior, carefully threw out words of defiance.
“Didn’t you give me permission to go out?”
“I said briefly.”
Indeed, Yuri had thought of everything.
“I need to check what you’ve been doing. So, take it off.”
Chris began awkwardly unbuttoning his clothes.
He was careful as he dropped his outer garment to the floor, conscious of the business card he had tucked in the pocket.
As he removed his shirt, revealing his firm chest, Yuri stepped forward and slowly slid his hand over it.
“…It doesn’t seem like you’ve been rolling around indecently.”
Yuri, who had been intimidating his dog who wouldn’t have been distracted anyway, moved his lips.
“If I had such thoughts, I would have acted on them already.”
Chris added meekly with downcast eyes,
“Honestly, wouldn’t it be more convenient for Mr. John Doe if I were on drugs and living recklessly?”
‘Because my debt would increase,’ he mouthed silently.
Yuri had to try not to smile at Chris, who was playing along with this little game quite well.
“If you touch drugs, your value as merchandise decreases.”
Chris deliberately let out a deep sigh.
“I stopped by the management office to ask them to pay more attention to security because of the consecutive incidents.”
He added emphatically,
“That’s all.”
Chris hoped Ons was watching this scene—his performance with all his might.
‘Something happened.’
Although Yuri was certain of this fact, he shrugged and slowly backed away.
On the surface, he looked like a satisfied John Doe.
“Don’t forget. Until you pay off your debt, you belong to me.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
