Chapter 286 The Great Escape Part 2, Page 11

On the morning of the celebration, Todd, who was sleeping on his wooden bed, was awakened by a series of clanging sounds.

After getting dressed and getting out of bed, Todd saw the bustling construction site at the arena.

A squad of Ulster soldiers was directing artisans and slaves to install fences and wooden walls at several entrances to the arena.

It was only after asking around that we learned that, in order to ensure that security was foolproof on the day of the celebration, the royal family made a last-minute decision to reinforce the defenses within the red circle in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

While munching on a rye bread and watching the construction below from the terrace, Todd noticed a rather interesting detail: the fences and bunkers were not facing outwards, but rather inwards.

Judging from this setup, it doesn't seem like they're trying to defend against external enemies, but rather to stop attacks coming from inside the arena.

At 8:30 a.m., the sound of drums and music rose from the square outside the arena. The procession marched through the streets, and the laughter of people singing and dancing carried on the wind into the Red Circle.

Compared to the bustling scene outside, the arena was completely silent. The gladiators exchanged glances and kept their voices down to almost inaudible levels.

Sitting on the stone platform in the training field, Todd closed his eyes, resting his chin on his knuckles, like an old monk in deep meditation, without making the slightest movement.

Ackerman, with a stalk of grass in his mouth, walked up to Todd and said with his back to him, "All the gates of the arena have been sealed off, leaving only the main gate for the audience to enter and exit. All the stands and walls have been reinforced with planks and rivets, and the king's viewing platform has even been reinforced with iron sheets and stones."

Ackerman glanced at the soldiers and guards constantly patrolling the wall and spat on the ground: "Damn it, they've practically turned this place into a fortress."

Todd sat cross-legged on the spot, closed his eyes, and asked, "What about the thing I asked you to find out?"

“Oh, right, speaking of that. The people in the Northern faction haven’t seen Lady Pain, Deirdre, for three or four days. According to her confidants, Lady Pain didn’t even take her amulet with her when she left, which has never happened before.”

Hearing this, Todd slowly opened his eyes, looked at Ackerman and smiled: "It must have taken you a lot of effort to obtain this information, right?"

The latter scratched his head shyly: "A bouquet of flowers, a love poem, three nights, and my back is a little sore."

Todd said with a wry smile, "I just hope you still have the strength to complete today's task."

"Boss, don't worry about that." Ackerman patted his chest, looking completely unconcerned.

As the long and resounding horn sounded, the gates of the arena slowly opened, and the spectators, drawn by its fame, surged into the stands like a tidal wave bursting its banks.

The burgeoning gladiatorial craze, the spectacular combat performances, and the long-awaited Kingdom Festival have made this gladiatorial tournament the most-watched in its history. Tens of thousands of gladiators from different countries, speaking different languages ​​and with different skin colors, have come just to witness the spectacle in the Red Circle.

Due to the large number of people, the organizers had to limit the number of people allowed in.

After nearly five thousand lucky people entered the stands, the heavy doors closed, leaving many more people outside to argue and cry.

After finally guiding all the spectators to their seats in the stands, the arena guards and staff maintained order while looking up at the high viewing platform, waiting for the arrival of today's true protagonist.

At 9:30 a.m., amidst a loud drumbeat, King Conchhurber of Ulster ascended the viewing platform.

The king, dressed in a red formal suit, walked to the railing of the viewing platform and waved to the thousands of people below, which drew cheers from the crowd.

The royal clerk bowed towards the platform, then walked to the front of the stands and loudly read out the king's decree.

"By order of the benevolent and wise King Ulster, today's gladiatorial match is a grand event for the kingdom, and all gladiators who perform exceptionally well and gain the approval of the audience will be granted their freedom!"

Amidst the screams and chatter of the audience, Conchuber swayed his obese body as he returned to his throne on the viewing platform, looking at the stunning woman beside him: "Queen Maeve, such a grand gladiatorial contest must be a rare sight in the Kingdom of Connaught, right?"

The woman, dressed in a light pink gauze dress, gently wiped her nails with freshly picked rose petals, glancing at Conchierber with an annoyed look, clearly not wanting to pay any attention to him.

That captivating glance sent a shiver down Conchier's spine.

Gazing at the woman's exquisite and flawless curves, the king swallowed hard, pulled his clothes down slightly, and subtly bent over.

With the ringing of a bell, the gladiatorial games in Ulster officially began.

As one gladiator after another took to the stage to fight, the atmosphere in the entire arena was pushed to its peak time and time again.

The gladiators fought spectacularly, and the audience shouted themselves hoarse. But one person escaped the center of the vortex and quietly came to the end of the corridor on the first basement level.

Todd pushed open the dark and cramped cell door and looked around at the surroundings: straw beds, stone walls, mud—everything was exactly the same as when he first arrived.

Sitting gently on the pile of weeds, Todd looked at the sunlight streaming through the high iron bars of the window, listened to the endless voices echoing around him, and reached his hand towards the ground beside him.

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