172 In the Octagonal Room (1/2)

In a narrow, dark corridor in the basement of the Royal Palace, the footsteps of two men were the only sounds in the flickering light of the candles.

A middle-aged serious Goblin, more than two meters tall, walked with a frown on his heroic, angular face: he didn't look happy at all. His aquiline nose protruded from the face, giving it a lofty and regal attitude.

Just behind him was a young man, still in his teenage years.

”Master, I'm sorry I made this decision without consulting you first, but even without your permission, I'm sure my team will win.”

Helial's words weren't many, but they were enough to make the King of Orma frown even more. ”It does not matter that you accepted without telling me. It's not the first time that's happened. However,” Cesar took a deep breath and tried to calm the negative feelings that were beginning to stir in his chest,” you have accepted; I would go against my own interests if I advised you to withdraw. ”

Although Cesar realized how great Helial's talent was, he thought that challenging Medusa was madness. Within the walls of the Goblin capital, probably only this young Human could be mad enough to accept Medusa's challenge, who was ready to tear him into pieces in the cruelest way in order to avenge his sister.

When word spread that Orma's new star, Cesar's disciple, had accepted the challenge of one of the greatest talents of the generation just before his own, everyone was amazed.

The people would not have been surprised if Circe had challenged her, or even better, Pseudonym had accepted the challenge. But the Human?

The elders of the Sacred Eagle Clan and the Guild of Life of Death had done nothing but shake their heads in the face of such foolishness.

The Sect of the Worthy and all its members, after a first moment of dismay at Helial's idiocy, had begun to celebrate his premature death.

No one could imagine why Helial had accepted and no one believed that his team could win.

Although Medusa was far behind Circe and Pseudonym, the greatest talents of the millennium, her fury was certainly not something that Helial could swallow without choking. This time the young man had found his match.

Everyone was amazed by his team's incredible performance and by last trick he had shown in the Colosseum against Medea. But nobody, not even the most foolish citizen of Orma, thought he had even a small chance against Medusa.

The betting companies had odds so low on Helial's defeat that, even investing millions, the revenue would be insignificant. Moreover, even if one person only bet on Helial's victory and won, he would become Orma's richest person overnight, ruining all betting agencies and fooling everyone who had placed bets against him. Still, nobody had enough guts to bet on him: it would have been the equivalent of throwing money into the cesspit.

Victory?

Rather, people bet on how many attacks Helial could face before dying. One? Two? Nah, too many. Maybe half.

Many had bet on half. Helial probably would be already dead even before Medusa had finished her first attack.

Long story short, nobody believed in his victory.

Helial's team itself, as terrifying as their leader was, did not know how he could handle Medusa. If they had feared her before, they were certain that after the death of her sister she would seek revenge directly.

Even the members of the Tristia Team wondered how those four kids and a cat who had barely reached the Second Phase could defeat Medusa's henchmen, who were ”only” at the Initial stage of the Third Phase. As for the clash with Medusa, who was in the Intermediate stage, they didn't even dare to think about it.

Furthermore, despite being at the Intermediate stage, everyone knew that Medusa's talent had been overshadowed by Orma only because of Circe and Pseudonym's presence. Without them, Medusa would have been considered a great fighter. Even Comodo did not have the same innate talent as Medusa.

Probably, that woman could have easily faced a warrior at the Late stage of the Third Phase and not lost her life when facing one at the Initial grade of the Fourth one.