Ackerman's wish to change his gladiatorial opponent ultimately did not materialize.

Since the director of the Colosseum had just been executed by the king, no administrator was willing to take any risks that might come with asserting at this juncture.

This also means that the battle between Ackerman and Casper against the two barbarian sisters will go on as scheduled.

On the night of the news, looking at Ackerman's anxious appearance and the corners of his mouth foaming, Todd advised him: "If you are worried about the embarrassment of meeting, then you better explain it to them in advance before the game." ”

"Awkwardness when we met?" Ackerman shook his head like a spring: "I don't care about such trivial things as identity goofs, I'm worried about gladiatorial fights!"

Caspar wiped the tower shield and said in a sullen voice: "Make it clear in advance, I will not show mercy to women." ”

Ackerman picked up a stone and smashed it on the shield, angry: "If you don't speak, no one will treat you as a dumb person!"

Todd touched the bridge of his nose and said, "I don't understand, when you play against those sisters, just let go of the water a little, just like our fight, isn't it okay?"

Ackerman and Casper looked at Todd in surprise, as if they didn't understand why the other had suggested this.

Casper closed his eyes, pursed his mouth, and hummed in a nasal voice, "It doesn't work, it doesn't work." ”

Ackerman patiently explained to Todd: "The fate of the gladiators is not in their own hands, the real decider is the audience." If you don't perform well or even fight passively, even if you survive to the end, the audience has the right to demand that your life be taken away. ”

"In the last gladiatorial fight, because of your many opponents, Lord Boyle, the two of us had the opportunity to help you secretly. But this time, there are only two opponents, and it is very difficult to release the water. Ackerman sat on the ground, held his head and said, "If I want to do my best to hurt the woman I love, I will definitely not be able to do it, but if the performance of the gladiatorial fight does not satisfy the audience, all four people who participated in the battle will die!"

Todd sighed and said to Ackerman, "Did you misunderstand what I just said about 'releasing water'?"

"You can think of the gladiatorial fight as a show, a grand and gorgeous show......"

Todd's words made Ackerman's mouth open wide: "Performance? You mean acting? Just like in a play? Two guys in gorgeous costumes, holding wooden swords fighting each other like children?"

Casper frowned and said, "Gladiatorial fights are duels between warriors, not between clowns!"

Not knowing how these two men suddenly reacted so much, Todd said as he pondered: "The gladiatorial performance I am referring to is more real than the fight in the play, it looks like a real battle, but it requires a lot of design and rehearsal beforehand. ”

Finding that the two of them still looked ignorant, Todd realized that it was difficult to explain the battle performance similar to the movie with words, so he simply picked up a long sword on the ground with the instep of his foot, held it in his hand and began to enter the "battle mode" in the air.

Swinging his sword, dodging, parrying, and being injured, Todd obviously has no enemies in front of him, but every movement shows that he is fighting to the death, pain, anger, panic, and excitement, obviously facing the air, but his every look makes people completely immersed in that non-existent, but extremely "tragic" battle.

Watching Todd end the "fight" with a slash, Ackerman and Casper froze in disbelief with their round eyes.

Ackerman stammered, "Is this a show? Don't you have an invisible enemy in front of you? This looks exactly like a real battle!"

Todd put the sword back on the ground and said, "This is a combat performance, it is much more real than a drama, every movement, expression and even eyes are carefully planned in advance, and a lot of rehearsals are required. ”

Casper is still a little paranoid: "But this is not a battle after all, what the audience wants to see is blood and death." ”

Todd shook his head and dismissed the idea: "Blood and death are not the only possibilities to stir the emotions of the audience. Think about it, how would the audience have reacted if they had spent a lot of money walking into the arena and seeing the loser's head hit the ground and the fight was over after only five minutes, before their butts were hot?"

Casper was a little puzzled: "What do these viewers want?"

"Wonderful fights, ups and downs of the plot, and unswerving feelings until death......" Todd tilted his head and said: "If it comes down to one word, it is - cool!"

Since there is no suitable word for the meaning of "cool" in the Northdi, Todd specifically uses the word in the lingua franca here.

Ackerman, who was nimble-witted, suddenly realized that he had understood the meaning of Todd's words, but Casper, a soldier of the Holy Acropolis, still couldn't accept this idea: "Combat is sacred! Is it a desecration of the battle itself to blind the spectators with false appearances?"

Todd scratched his head, having dealt more with these medieval war honor frenzy, and he gradually figured out the thinking circuits of these people, only to hear him say: "I do not recognize that all battles are sacred and noble. I'll give you the simplest example, compare war with gladiatorial fighting. Sacrifice in war is for the fulfillment of a worthy purpose and wish, but what is the purpose of death in gladiatorial fighting, is it to please the spectators who pay for admission and the masters who deprive themselves of their liberty?"

Casper lowered his head and fell into deep thought.

"Sacrifices in battle, according to the purpose of the initiation and the results achieved, are divided into valuable and worthless. In my opinion, the sacrifice in war is valuable, and the sacrifice in gladiatorial battle is worthless!"

After listening to Todd's words, Casper thought for a long time, and finally nodded slightly, accepting this point of view: "Lord Boyle, I agree with you. ”

Seeing that the three of them had reached a consensus, Ackerman clapped his hands happily: "Lord Boyle, your wisdom and intelligence have opened my eyes! Many people say that you are a person who can only solve everything with brute force, and I want to say that they are all wrong!"

Casper looked up into Todd's eyes, and although he didn't speak, his expression revealed an intriguing inquiry.

Todd looked away and naturally changed the subject: "Ackerman, there is still a problem that has not been solved at the moment. ”

"What's the problem?"

"Your show rivals, the barbarian sisters. ”

Ackerman's expression froze.

"You need to convince them to join the show, but then your deception on them will be exposed......"

"It's a trifle to me!" said Ackerman, clapping his chest and confidently exclaiming, "Their affection for me is as warm and sincere as the rising sun of Ilmagus!

—————————————

"You liar, go to hell!"

A young woman in gray fur and a ponytail clenched her fingers and slammed a fist into Ackerman's handsome face, then a knee into her opponent's lower abdomen.

With a pained look on his face, Ackerman bent over, took a few steps back, and pleaded with his hands raised, "Listen to me, I am sincere to you and your sister......

Another young woman in a beige linen shirt with short hair grabbed Ackerman by the arm, threw him to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw, and then kicked him out and kicked him hard into the lower gear, shouting, "Scum, maggots, you're a demon, playing with our feelings!"

Standing not far away, Todd, who was watching all this, covered his crotch with a pale face, grinning with empathy. He looked at Caspar, who had a calm face beside him, and asked in a low voice: "Look at this posture, it won't take until the day of the gladiatorial fight, these two women can take Ackerman's life now!"

Casper polished the short sword in his hand without raising his head: "You keep looking." ”

Ackerman, who was kneeling on the ground, grabbed the woman's ankle and shouted in pain: "Parni, you don't need mercy, come on! Kill me! I am gnawed at my heart every day by the two poisonous snakes of panic and self-blame, and I don't want to live anymore!"

The barbarian woman, known as Parni, stopped her attack and glanced at her sister.

Ackerman, who was lying on the ground, squinted his eyes, quickly glanced at the expressions of the two sisters, and then his voice took on a bit of crying: "Parni, I love you deeply! But I also love your sister deeply! I know that it is my fault and my fault to fall in love with two women at the same time! But you are so beautiful, so perfect, I have no way to choose between you!"

Todd was dumbfounded, and it took a long time before two words came out of his mouth: "Shameless ......"

The barbarian sisters' expressions gradually softened.

Sister Parri frowned and said, "Your past lies have made me can't believe every word in your mouth now. ”

Ackerman slammed his forehead into the ground, the slate made a heavy thumping sound, and his voice and expression perfectly expressed his remorse and deep affection: "If I don't love you, why should I expose my evil deeds? If I don't love you, why should I come to you to discuss countermeasures? If I don't love you, why should I be so miserable?"

The anger on her sister Parni's face slowly faded, and she crouched down to look at Ackerman and said, "Do you really think of a way to deal with this gladiatorial fight?"

Ackerman raised his head and looked at the other party with an affectionate expression: "For you, I have tried my best and tasted all the hardships, and finally let me find a way to survive the day after tomorrow safely." You help me up first, there is a hut behind here, and when you get there, I will explain it to you slowly. ”

Seeing the two sisters help Ackerman to the corner room, Todd said helplessly to Casper, "Is he the only one who is like this today, or has he always been like this?"

"All the time. ”

Todd was about to say something more when there was a rustling sound in the hut not far away.

While Todd was still inexplicable, the moaning of men and women in the room finally made him realize what was going on there.

"Let's go. Casper sat up from the ground and walked in the opposite direction: "The sound won't stop for two or three hours......