Chapter 275: v3 - 36: the first recruit

Chapter 275: v3 Chapter 36: the first recruit

The second morning of the reprieve arrived quietly.

Robert had barely finished breakfast when an Arena attendant appeared at the entrance to the quarters.

"Three Hundred and Twenty-Seven."

Robert looked up.

"You’ve been summoned."

He wasn’t told where.

He simply followed.

They passed through corridors Robert had never been permitted to enter before, moving farther from the familiar noise of the fighters’ quarters until the sounds of the Arena gradually faded behind them.

Eventually, they reached a private section overlooking the fighting grounds.

Robert slowed.

He had never been here before.

The seats were upholstered. The walls were decorated. Everything was quiet and carefully maintained.

It was a place meant for people who watched the Arena rather than belonged to it.

Two men were waiting.

Robert’s eyes immediately went to the man standing farther back.

He knew that build.

That height.

That stance.

He had felt that man’s presence from the other side of a blade.

Robert’s eyes widened slightly.

Gene.

He didn’t know the man’s name, but he knew the face now.

This was the man he had fought.

Then his attention shifted to the other man.

Robert studied him for a moment.

Familiar.

Not because they had fought.

He had seen him during the challenge.

The man had stood among the others and watched the final bout with an attention Robert had noticed even from the fighting ground.

Robert remembered seeing him while Carlo fought.

Watching.

Assessing.

Never looking away.

Now, without the distance of the Arena, Robert could see his face properly.

So these were two of the men who had come to the challenge.

Robert’s curiosity grew.

He wondered who exactly they worked for.

The man in front gestured toward a chair.

"Please, sit."

The simple courtesy caught Robert slightly off guard.

He sat.

The other man remained nearby, but there was nothing threatening in his posture.

The first man took the seat opposite him.

"My name is Marcus."

Robert nodded.

He did not recognize the name.

Marcus placed a document on the table.

"Thank you for coming."

Robert glanced at the paper.

"Of course."

Marcus folded his hands.

"We asked to speak with you because we are interested in acquiring the remainder of your Arena contract."

Robert’s eyes moved to the document.

Marcus continued.

"The Arena has agreed to release the remaining fifteen months for fifty thousand gold coins."

Robert went still.

"Fifty thousand?"

He couldn’t quite keep the surprise from his voice.

Marcus nodded.

Robert looked down at the document again.

Fifty thousand gold coins.

For him.

He knew the Arena’s prices could be high.

He knew popular fighters were worth more.

But fifty thousand still felt unreal.

He had spent twenty-one months fighting inside those walls.

He had accumulated perhaps a thousand gold coins of his own.

And someone was willing to spend fifty thousand simply to take the remaining fifteen months of his contract.

Robert swallowed.

He didn’t know whether he should feel proud.

A little, perhaps.

But the pride was quickly followed by something else.

Pressure.

Fifty thousand gold coins was no small amount.

If someone was willing to spend that much on him, then they would expect something in return.

Robert swallowed.

He looked up at Marcus.

"And what would you expect from me?"

Marcus’s expression remained calm.

"The Arena’s contract is only one part of the arrangement."

Marcus’s expression remained calm.

"The Arena’s contract is only one part of the arrangement."

Robert listened.

"If you leave with us, you will enter into service under our patron."

Marcus began laying out the conditions.

"The initial term will be three years."

Robert nodded.

"You will receive a fixed salary throughout that period. Your quarters, provisions, medical care, and necessary equipment will be provided separately."

Robert remained attentive.

"You will also receive further training."

That caught his attention.

Marcus continued.

"The patron expects the men under his service to improve. You will be given instruction appropriate to your abilities, and you will be expected to make use of it."

Robert nodded quickly.

"Understood."

"You will follow orders given to you within the scope of your duties."

"Yes."

"You will keep confidential anything you learn through your service."

"Of course."

"You will not accept another patron while under contract. You will not abandon your duties without cause. And should you be entrusted with sensitive matters, you will treat them accordingly."

Robert listened to every condition.

None of them sounded unreasonable.

In fact, compared with the Arena, they sounded almost generous.

Marcus continued.

"At the end of the initial three years, the agreement may be renewed."

Robert looked up.

"If both sides wish it."

"Yes."

Marcus’s gaze remained steady.

"The patron is willing to invest in you. In return, he expects loyalty."

Robert nodded.

That, at least, was easy.

Someone willing to spend fifty thousand gold coins to release him from the Arena deserved loyalty.

Marcus finished explaining the terms.

Silence followed.

Robert looked down for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"I’m agreeable."

Marcus studied him.

"To all of it?"

"Yes."

There was no hesitation.

Robert had expected conditions.

He had expected obligations.

What he hadn’t expected was to be offered so much in return.

Training.

A salary.

Medical care.

A proper place to live.

A chance to become something beyond an Arena fighter.

He looked up again.

"So where do I sign?"

Marcus’s expression shifted faintly.

"Not yet."

Robert blinked.

"We still have to finalize the purchase with the Arena."

"Oh."

Marcus continued.

"Once that is completed, the remaining documents will be prepared."

Robert nodded.

"Then when do we leave?"

The question came so quickly that Marcus almost smiled.

"In due course."

Robert laughed softly.

"Right."

Marcus rose.

"We will handle the Arena’s side of the matter. In the meantime, return to your quarters and prepare your belongings."

Robert nodded.

"How long do I have?"

Marcus considered him for a moment.

"Perhaps an hour."

"An hour?"

Robert’s face brightened.

"That’s more than enough."

Marcus gave a faint smile.

"Be ready."

Robert turned toward the door, then paused.

"May I ask something?"

Marcus nodded.

"Who is the patron?"

A small smile touched Marcus’s mouth.

"You will know soon enough."

Robert considered pressing further.

He decided against it.

Fair enough.

He reached for the door.

"One more thing."

Robert looked back.

Marcus regarded him for a moment.

"What do you think of this man named Carlo?"

Robert paused.

So they were considering him too.

He thought for only a moment.

"Carlo?"

Then he smiled.

"He’s dependable. Loyal. Someone you want beside you when things go wrong."

Robert’s expression became more certain.

"I’d trust him with my life."

Marcus nodded once.

"Good."

Robert waited.

"That’s all."

He nodded.

"Thank you."

Then he stepped through the door.

The moment it closed behind him, Robert’s pace quickened.

He was leaving.

Actually leaving.

And he had an hour to gather everything he owned before walking beyond the Arena’s walls.

There was one thing he wanted to do before that.

Find Carlo.

He wanted to tell him.

--

Tbc