I Became a Gladiator in the World of Gender Reversal

42 – Breaking the Illusion-13

“Is a sword fight… Worth it?”

At the unexpected question, I scratched my head.

I heard regret that I might not have acted too harshly yesterday, but Florence acted politely in her own way.

Then, I felt like I should give a serious answer accordingly.

“Hmm…”

Come to think of it, it wasn’t like I liked sword fighting ever since I was on Earth.

I had never handled a sword, and I didn’t like sports very much.

I’ve heard several times that I have talent, but I didn’t like it enough to want to make it a career.

“I like it now. I like it, but…”

Florence’s face was serious. Maybe, to the extent that it seems like someone who is thinking more deeply about my life than I am.

“But… You’re a man? Even if you have to leave Selam, you can meet a better woman and live comfortably without such training.”

If the tone had been a bit sharper, it would have been taken as an attack on me. However, she was so crowded that she could not be blamed.

“Why is it so hard…”

“In the end, that’s what you live for by sticking a straw in a woman. Well, there’s nothing I can’t do if I have to…But it’s not something I like.”

I still remembered how the men of Selam lived. It wasn’t the life I wanted.

“Yes?”

Florence’s face went pale. Did I say something I couldn’t do?

The expressions of the other gladiators weren’t very good either, so it seemed like I had made a mistake. How do I get over this situation?

“Hey, come out for a second. Let’s talk outside.”

It was a moment when I wanted to rest. Today, for some reason, I feel like I’m getting more nervous, because more strength went into my arms.

It was a waste of time, but I couldn’t be confident that I was training by saving every minute and every second. I could spend this amount of time.

I dragged her up to her empty place, let her sigh, then continued her words.

“Did I say something strange?”

Florence bowed her head, her face flushed.

“If it’s a man… It’s not something you shouldn’t say. If a woman had said that… She would have been treated very rudely and violently, like a criminal.”

“Why?”

“Discrimination against men and aggressive words and actions can be grounds for prosecution.”

“It’s terrifying.”

Thanks again to the other gladiators.

I wasn’t the type to discriminate against anyone, but if I were in a situation where I could end up in jail just because I said a word the wrong way, I wouldn’t have opened my mouth.

Wouldn’t it have been treated as an invisible person and tried not to face each other as much as possible? Put aside the likes and dislikes of that person.

“But, I’m not saying anything wrong. I’ve been to Selam myself, and I know what the men there think.”

“That’s…”

“Trying to rank in rank based on how good a woman he met, and if not, he tries to rank himself in lineage. A life like that didn’t seem very desirable.”

Logan, in that sense, was a man who could have been regarded as belonging to Selam’s highest caste.

But he wasn’t envious of that.

“If there’s a person I like, I wanted to do something for that person. It’s something related to Dana… But aside from that, I wanted to be confident myself.”

“Such…”

Florence shook her head in disbelief.

“So, I have to live on food, so I have to work… Gladiator fights looked so cool. Have you seen Dana fight?”

“No, that… Not yet.”

“I really need to see it once. Are you crazy? The sword just disappears in the middle as if it had just used magic…”

While I was excitedly explaining Dana’s sword fighting, I realized that I was talking about an off-topic story.

“Anyway, that… There were things that impressed me greatly, and I came from a little far away. It didn’t seem like there was much I could do.”

I wasn’t the right age to learn skills, and I didn’t think I would be able to become an ordinary farmer.

“Well, so somehow it went by and it ended up like this. From a very broad perspective, this is also taking advantage of my being a man… But, isn’t it tied to just one person?”

It was a story I heard inside, but the gladiatorial arena wasn’t the only one in this place.

Daisy was a nice person and she didn’t mean to leave me either, but if her relationship splits, she’ll be able to get by without her.

“I never imagined that there would be a man who would say such a thing.”

“What, is that so…”

Until the first sword fight, there were all kinds of crazy girls, but now that she was shaking like this, she could understand a little.

I just don’t know. Can not help it.

Because what I consider important may not be considered important by others, and vice versa.

“But I’m not like a freedom fighter… I’m doing this because I can live forever.”

It is a different world. The law seemed to be made surprisingly densely, but it did not seem that the concept of labor law or human rights was well refined.

Even now, somewhere, no, among the audience, I wonder if there are people who are being exploited as laborers.

Fortunately, except for the bully I met on the first day, I haven’t seen anyone with such a dark expression.

“Anyway… So the conclusion is important, at least it’s much more than meeting another woman and living an ordinary life as a parasite.”

At this level, I had enough rest. After warming up, I went down to the training ground again.

“Hey, hold on!”

Florence, grabbed my shoulder.

/////

Florence, dragged along by Evan to a dark place, trembled with anticipation and fear.

It was dangerous to go alone with a man to a place where there were no other people.

Since it went all the way there, no matter what kind of false accusation the man laid, the woman had no means to resist.

However, Florence followed him as if possessed. Even though he knew it was dangerous, he couldn’t help it.

“Are sword fights… Worthwhile?”

However, he continued the story casually.

It was neither black nor malicious.

Just as if any other gladiator would have given the same answer if asked, he calmly told his feelings.

Evan was not a man who could be seduced by money. Florence could clearly understand the meaning.

To him, Florence was just one of many women.

‘…’

However, Florence was the same. Not once, she had never seen Evan as a person named Evan.

He was just a man. Somehow, he entered the space called the gladiatorial arena, a man she seemed to be able to meet even at her level.

However, the reality was different. He was not one of many men, and she was foolish for trying to set the ‘standard that other men want’ in front of such a person.

“I wanted to be proud of myself.”

However, Florence’s heart did not stop. Like a great fire, she burned without ceasing.

Cool.

It is beautiful to see her appearing easy-going but not being swayed by other people’s gazes and jumping in to prove her values.

I wanted to be this person’s woman.

Florence may not enjoy sword fighting as much as he did.

But he was able to work for it. He could love If it was for someone he liked, he thought he could.

The conversation is over. He laughed awkwardly and walked towards the training ground again.

Florence made a decision.

It is okay to become one of the many people who aim for him in this Colosseum.

It doesn’t matter if all the things she’s been trying to meet the man up until now become meaningless.

Just as he endured that hard training for her own convictions, it seemed like she could too.

Even among so many women in the same position as Florence, he could be sure that she would love him more than anyone else.

“I…”

“Huh?”

As his eyes met, Florence felt his heart freeze.

Scary. If you cross the line, if you disappoint him one more time, you might really lose all your remaining chances this time.

However, that chest did not remain frozen for very long. For that, the passion that burned deep inside Florence was too hot and intense.

“Can you… Sparring with me?”

He smiled awkwardly for a moment, then casually nodded his head.

Florence stood in front of Evan on a small ring.

His eyes were fierce. He was glaring at her earnestly and sharply, as he had done in a sword fight.

But this time, her eyes did not match him.

“Haa…”

It’s okay not to be a special person. He’ll admit he’s weaker than the gladiators here, and he can’t help it if he doesn’t get his pick in the end.

But at this moment, I won’t stand in front of him with a clumsy mind.

If he likes sword fighting, then Florence likes Evan.

He was able to hold the sword with all his heart. He could fight

“Let’s get started!”

“Yes. Let’s try it.”

Her practice rapier stretched forward like a flash.