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Chapter 86: Monsterphilia
At this moment, East Main Street was already bathed in the vibrant colors of a grand festival.
"Today is the Monsterphilia, held every year by the Ganesha Familia. Mr. Ai—Aiden, are you interested in the Monsterphilia?"
Lefiya walked beside Aiden, looking up as she asked softly.
Her azure eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"It couldn't hurt to take a look."
Aiden smiled and nodded.
To be completely honest, he didn't have much interest in this circus-style performance, but the three of them couldn't just wander the streets aimlessly. That would be far too awkward.
Especially with Ais in their group.
The blonde Sword Princess was like a broken automaton—silent, reserved, and incapable of squeezing out a single sentence to save her life.
Aiden had absolutely no idea how to communicate with her effectively.
If it weren't for the lively Lefiya acting as a social lubricant, Aiden suspected that window-shopping with Ais would have caused the very air to freeze solid from the sheer awkwardness.
Seeing Aiden agree, Lefiya was visibly eager to attend the Monsterphilia. Ais, unsurprisingly, had no objections and simply followed quietly.
And so, the trio merged into the surging crowd, making their way down East Main Street toward the magnificent colosseum.
.....
Dust billowed into the air.
Freed from its heavy iron chains, a monster unleashed a deafening roar and charged straight ahead.
Standing alone to face it was a woman with short, crisp hair whipping in the wind. By a mere hair's breadth, she dodged the full-body tackle of the massive, two-meter-tall boar monster known as a Battle Boar.
"Ooooohhh!"
Layer upon layer of sky-shaking cheers swept through the venue like a physical tidal wave of sound.
A swirling vortex of scorching air enveloped the massive amphitheater, which could hold up to fifty thousand spectators.
Inside the colosseum in the eastern part of the city, the stands were packed with a sea of people.
Under the watchful eyes of the audience, today's main event—the Monsterphilia—officially commenced.
Down in the central arena, the monsters specifically captured from the Dungeon for this very day completely unleashed their ferocious nature.
The Battle Boar's four thick legs thundered across the ground, launching a literal reckless charge capable of easily pulverizing solid rock at its sole prey.
Yet, the female tamer belonging to the Ganesha Familia effortlessly dodged every strike, drawing thunderous cheers of support from the crowd.
To an expert's eye, the spectacle looked somewhat akin to a bullfight.
The beautiful woman, clad in a gorgeous outfit and armed only with a long whip and a cape, danced back and forth on the edge of life and death against the raging beast countless times.
Her mission in this Monsterphilia was not to defeat the monster, but to tame it.
The sight of tamers risking their lives to subjugate these lethal monsters filled the citizens with awe, reverence, and an unparalleled sense of exhilaration.
Unpredictable situations unfolded one after another, leaving the audience's palms sweating with tension time and time again.
The roars of the monsters, the passionately amplified commentary echoing through Magic Stone devices, and the tsunami-like screams of the crowd all combined to continuously push the venue's enthusiasm to its absolute peak, seemingly without a ceiling.
Aiden stood amidst the crowd, his gaze sweeping across the raucous stands.
His sharp eyes caught sight of Robin, Furina, and the others. They were watching the performance with eager interest, and Furina was even holding up a freshly bought monster-shaped cotton candy.
However, with too many people separating them, there was no way he could squeeze through to meet up with them in this environment.
His line of sight returned to the arena, but his eyes grew profound.
On the surface, the Monsterphilia seemed like a superficial event, focusing entirely on lively entertainment and cheap thrills.
Though the organizer was the Ganesha Familia, Aiden knew perfectly well that the Guild was secretly backing it.
As for its true purpose, only a select few were aware.
And he just so happened to be one of them.
He knew that in this world, there existed monsters possessing intelligence and reason, known as the "Xenos."
He also knew that Ouranos, the head god of the Guild, and his subordinate, the sage Fels, had been working tirelessly to ensure the survival of these Xenos.
This Monsterphilia was just one piece of their grand plan.
Its purpose was to subtly alter the general public's ingrained stereotypes about "monsters," paving the way for a future where intelligent monsters could coexist peacefully with humanity.
Aiden offered no judgment on the painstaking efforts of the Guild and the Ganesha Familia.
Because in his eyes, it was far too idealistic.
Idealistic to the point of—sheer stupidity.
The slaughter between monsters and humanity had been ongoing for thousands of years.
From the era before the gods descended to the lower world to the present day, countless heroes and mortals continued to perish in bloody battles against the creatures of the Dungeon.
That hatred had long since seeped into the marrow, carved deep into the bloodlines of every race.
To expect humanity to forget thousands of years of blood feuds and embrace monsters that had somehow gained sapience was nothing short of a pipe dream.
Anyone who dared to publicly propose such a thing, regardless of who they were, would instantly become the public enemy of all mankind, drowned in universal condemnation.
Even if that person was a revered deity—even if it was the great god Ouranos who suppressed the Dungeon and maintained the balance of Orario—even he wouldn't dare publicly preach peaceful coexistence between humans and monsters.
The topic itself was an absolute taboo.
At the very least, Aiden had no desire to touch it.
There were many kinds of heroes.
He wanted to become a hero, but not the kind who immolated himself for a lofty, illusory ideal.
The path of an idealist was too heavy, and far too lonely.
What he pursued was the strength to protect those closest to him; he sought a reality where he and his companions could live well.
His justice was, "My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror; everything I do is justice," not striving for some unattainable, universal utopia.
To the common citizens, the Monsterphilia was undoubtedly a feast for the senses.
The terrifying Dungeon monsters they usually only heard about from adventurers were now being played like fiddles by powerful tamers. This thrilling, novel experience was more than enough to elicit their most passionate cheers.
However, to a real adventurer, this supposed attraction felt rather lackluster.
Lefiya quickly lost interest.
The tamed monsters in the arena, be it the Battle Boar or anything else, were things she had seen countless times in the Dungeon—she had even personally slaughtered more than she could count.
Watching a performance where the beasts had their fangs practically pulled out felt like watching a thoroughly dull play.
"Let's go. We can check out somewhere else."
Seeing Lefiya's waning interest and Ais's total blank-slate expression of 'Who am I, where am I, what am I doing?' from start to finish, Aiden took the initiative to suggest, "Come to think of it, I haven't really had a chance to properly explore Orario. Do you have any recommended tourist spots?"
He hadn't been in Orario for very long, and the vast majority of his time was spent either at the Familia's headquarters or in the Dungeon. He had never really acted like a tourist and appreciated the scenery of the center of the world.
Given today's bustling festival atmosphere, it was the perfect opportunity.
"Okay!"
Lefiya's eyes instantly lit up, sweeping away her previous boredom.
She immediately nodded, saying enthusiastically, "I know a few really famous places. You'll definitely love them, Aiden!"
.....
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