It was only a few seconds after Ledux left that a voice from behind stopped him, sounding very urgent:

"Please wait!"

Ledux knew it was a human as soon as he heard the voice.

To be honest, humans were indisputably the race Ledux hated the most in his life.

The only reason he could maintain a friendly smile in front of those exotic noblewomen was purely because he wanted to establish connections with foreign powers, out of necessity for his own interests.

If he could freely express his emotions, no matter who was chasing him from behind, he would definitely not give them a friendly face.

But Ledux's identity determined that he couldn't freely vent his emotions, so he reluctantly maintained a calm expression and turned around without a choice...

On the other side, Wang Xiaole had achieved his goal of winning the challenge. After receiving the bounty yesterday, he had earned a considerable amount today as well.

In theory, he should have taken the money, stepped down from the stage, and called for Cai and Freya to leave this place without lingering.

But he couldn't do that now because Freya appeared.

Under normal circumstances, Freya should not have come to this side of the arena;

The goddess should have been sleeping tightly from morning till afternoon, just like yesterday, waiting for Wang Xiaole to come back while lying in bed disobediently.

What's going on today?

Wang Xiaole couldn't help but ponder this question in his mind.

He was quite astute and had been paying attention to another girl ever since Freya appeared.

(In a hushed voice) "Could Celia also be here?"

With this thought, Wang Xiaole couldn't help but become completely tense, appearing as if he had entered a state of preparedness, his gaze scanning around.

He was searching for Lucia's figure.

The reason for this search was due to his lack of trust. He was well aware that when Lucia was in her normal state, she was a gentle girl who prided herself on being a virtuous wife. But once a certain topic was involved, she would reveal her yandere side.

Honestly, Wang Xiaole's purpose for coming to compete was just to earn some extra money. He had no intention of winning in the end and taking a beautiful girl home.

Furthermore, he still didn't know who the beautiful girl was; he could only speculate that she was someone related to the royal family, otherwise the queen wouldn't have personally served as the referee.

But Wang Xiaole's genuine thoughts were unknown to others, and even if he were to explain, it would be difficult for others to believe.

Without even having the confidence to convince ordinary people, how could he expect Lucia to believe him through mere words?

Therefore, Wang Xiaole wanted to avoid bumping into Lucia in this inappropriate place;

For this reason, he had to carefully search and scrutinize his surroundings.

People are often like this; when they have no doubts, they feel fine and don't think anything is abnormal.

But once their mindset changes, they become suspicious and always feel like they're being watched.

Now Wang Xiaole's mindset was akin to the workers guarding the morgue, in a sensitive state, most afraid of someone suddenly calling out from behind.

"Hey, what are you looking for everywhere?"

Wang Xiaole felt someone pat him on the back, and his expression immediately turned ugly.

In the moment of life and death on the arena, he did not hesitate for even a second, but in that instant, his body truly stiffened.

However, the stiffness didn't last long, only lasting a few seconds, and soon the person in question noticed:

Lucia was not the type to have a soft, submissive voice, nor had she ever made such a sound, so the only person standing behind him could be someone else.

In a short time, Wang Xiaole recognized that distinctive shout, so he turned around and faced the person directly.

"Cai, when you walk, there isn't even the sound of footsteps. Next time, when you come up behind me, can you say something in advance? Give me some mental preparation."

"From your tone, are you a bit afraid of me?"

Cai pinched her chin, her smile making her eyes arc like a crescent moon, appearing like the pupils of a fox, occasionally reflecting a brilliance.

She pretended to be clueless, but in reality, Cai knew very well:

The person who was truly afraid was not her, but a certain elusive demon lord.

Originally, Cai had considered revealing the secret of Lucia following behind Wang Xiaole after the match ended.

But now, Cai changed her mind, feeling that she couldn't let the grown-up worry and decided to keep the truth hidden.

But keeping silent about everything didn't show any sincerity, so that's why Cai said the following:

"I have something to take care of first. I'll probably be back before dinner. Feel free to do whatever you want in the meantime."

"What are you going to do?"

"Oh, the first thing you ask is about that? I thought you would be overjoyed to get rid of a 'little tail'."

"Don't think of me as such a heartless person!"

Wang Xiaole straightened his face, he wasn't serious most of the time, but when he suddenly got serious, his expression did seem like it.

"We at least lived in the same room before. It's normal to care about where you're going. Or, does Cai think my concern is excessive?"

It had to be said, Cai was somewhat touched.

Not because Wang Xiaole did anything particularly moving, but when faced with the young man in front of her, it was easier for Cai's heart to be touched.

In the end, there were no rules for how girls treated boys;

If it was someone else standing on the opposite side, even if that person willingly sacrificed their life in front of Cai, she wouldn't even bat an eyelid.

Because she wasn't interested in that person, she wouldn't have any passionate reaction. In other words, her "liking level" for them was very low.

Due to Wang Xiaole's high level of likability in Cai's heart, her reactions naturally differed from when she interacted with "strangers".

On further examination, the human's strength lies in differential treatment, and this strength is particularly evident in Cai!

"Thank you for your concern, and let me correct one thing: we are not roommates, but we have slept on the same bed."

After joking, Cai's smile immediately receded, and she stopped the small gesture of touching her chin with her fingers. With a tone different from the morning, she said:

"Since you want to earn money, you still have to participate in the match, but tomorrow's opponent is not ordinary."

Ledux or the Red Archbishop, Cai determined that one of these two guys would be blocking Wang Xiaole tomorrow. As a member of the church, Cai naturally knew the skills of the Red Archbishop very well.

The last demon, just like the others, is not to be underestimated.

Although Cai didn't think that Wang Xiaole had any chance of losing, it was still good to have an extra insurance.

The most urgent matter at hand:

"I need to prepare a weapon for you. You can't always rely on your fists to fight, right? Even though powerful magic is effective, its weaknesses are obvious, especially in close combat. Your close combat skills need to be strengthened."

Wang Xiaole lacked a weapon that he could use, even though he had the strength.

While he could buy a kitchen knife from a shop on his way to the arena and make do with it, Cai didn't want him to settle, and besides, a kitchen knife wouldn't be good for his image.

"Do you know how to use a sword?"

Cai hoped that he did; otherwise, her proposal would be impossible to implement.

"I can use a sword... and I'm good at it."

She wasn't trying to comfort him—Wang Xiaole had a wealth of knowledge and experience with various weapons. Using a sword, a classic weapon, would be as natural for him as a grown lion using its claws.

"It's good that you know how! I'll leave for a few hours and bring the sword to the inn during dinner time."

Before leaving, Cai did one last thing: she put a strange-shaped doll in Wang Xiaole's shirt pocket.

"Do you like making handicrafts?"

Feeling embarrassed to have a doll in his pocket while on the go, Wang Xiaole chuckled.

"It's a small prop that allows me to see what's happening around you. Look!"

Cai held up a round crystal, and the image displayed inside the crystal was an exact replica of Wang Xiaole's surroundings.

This meant that the uniquely-styled doll served as a portable camera.

Even when presenting this item, Cai's smile remained unchanged.

Now Wang Xiaole felt awkward. He ran his hand through his sleek black hair, not knowing what to say.

He was a smart person and understood that Cai still had concerns. She was worried that he might suddenly go to a hard-to-find place, so she prepared the doll.

With the doll, even if Cai wasn't by his side, she could still know what Wang Xiaole was up to at any time.

Was this considered surveillance?

Not entirely!

If Cai wanted to, she could prepare something smaller, using a less noticeable method to secretly monitor her target, and even act innocent when retrieving it afterwards.

To be objective, Cai had the means to do so, but she would not actually turn the possibilities into reality.

In her heart, there were a few principles that couldn't be shaken.

Wang Xiaole's attitude towards the doll was complicated precisely because he understood this.

"Do I really have to take this thing with me?"

"You must carry it with you at all times, even when you go to the bathroom."

"What would happen if... after you leave, I get bored and take off the doll?"

"I would cry my heart out!"

After reminding him of the consequences with a bright smile, Cai bowed and then left the arena.

At this moment, the ordinary spectators who were just watching the spectacle also began to disperse in groups, and Cai's figure was not conspicuous in the crowd.

(Muttering to oneself) "Crying hysterically until death? She's definitely capable of it."

In order to prevent Cai's crying from happening today, Wang Xiaole can only adopt a different approach and carry the doll with him.

After all, he doesn't plan on doing anything sinful. What harm can it do to bring the doll along?

A clear conscience is unafraid of shadows.

However, even though Wang Xiaole is currently not planning any mischief, the upcoming events are planning to mess with him.