Chapter 40: The Wager
On the second floor of the banquet hall, the “big figures” who held control over various resource channels of the Red Eagle Territory were gathered.
Unlike the more relaxed and casual atmosphere downstairs, the second floor bore a very different tone.
After all, the chatter of the younger generation below could still be brushed off as “the children’s frolic,” but every word exchanged here could very well represent negotiations worth at least thousands of Tyrella gold coins. No one dared take matters lightly.
Especially not the Bruno Merchant Guild.
As one of the largest merchant guilds in the Southern Region, it was backed by the Robert Family of the Southern Duke and the Nibel Family, one of the three royal families, also known as the Golden Lion Family and the Golden Flower Family.
Thanks to this support, the guild had easily secured vast resource outputs from the Cold Ridge Territory and Fertile Territory, effectively controlling a quarter of the resource channels across the Southern Region.
When the Red Eagle Territory was fragmented, and voices weren’t yet unified, the Bruno Merchant Guild had been able to maneuver with ease.
But things had drastically changed after the Red Eagle Territory was reunified under the full ascendancy of the Kasein Family.
Because the Kasein Family was a staunch supporter of the Karla Family.
As one of the three royal families, the Karla Family clearly did not have a harmonious relationship with the Golden Flower Family, the Nibel Family.
Especially considering that the current ruling Karla Family, the Griffin Family, had seized power from the waning Nibel Family and had tightly held onto it ever since.
Thus, with the Kasein Family, loyal followers of the Karla Family, in control of the Red Eagle Territory, the Bruno Merchant Guild naturally found itself in a bind.
Not to mention that the Cold Ridge Territory and Fertile Territory bordered the Red Eagle Territory from south and north respectively, making it impossible to conduct business in either without passing through the Red Eagle Territory.
Of the seventeen main ingredients used in the fire-elemental Bloodline Elixir formulas controlled by the Bruno Merchant Guild, ten were exclusively produced in the Red Eagle Territory, with four of those tightly controlled by the Kasein Family. This left them with no choice but to engage with the Red Eagle Territory.
At this moment, as the various negotiations drew to a close and most people had secured favorable outcomes, the atmosphere gradually became less solemn. The Bruno Merchant Guild began to grow increasingly restless.
After a long silence, the guild’s representative for the negotiations finally had no choice but to steel himself and step forward.
“Marquis Visen, this is a birthday gift I’ve brought for your granddaughter,” the representative said with an awkward smile. “I arrived in a hurry earlier and couldn’t deliver the gift to her personally, which I deeply regret. I must trouble you to pass it on.”
A servant nearby promptly stepped forward and handed over a list.
Marquis Visen did not take it himself, but just by glancing at the thickness of the list received by his third son, Wade, he could tell the gift’s value wasn’t below five thousand gold coins.
For a marquis, that amount was paltry. But as a birthday gift for a granddaughter reputedly favored by Marquis Visen, it was just about right.
However, that was the value for someone “well-liked.”
The difference in value for someone well-liked, deeply favored, or an heir apparent was significant.
“Monica is indeed very outstanding. I’m already preparing to name her the third-generation successor,” Marquis Visen said with a smile. “Thank you for your thoughtfulness. I’ll pass the gift to Monica. She’ll surely be pleased.”
“No, no, it’s our guild that was inadequately prepared.”
Inwardly, the representative cursed the intelligence gatherers of the guild for being utterly useless.
Sending a gift worth only five thousand gold coins to a future female marquis, what a blatant insult!
“Not being able to deliver the congratulatory gift personally was a breach of etiquette on our part. I must ask for your understanding, Marquis. Our guild will be sending another gift to express our apology. Please, ensure Miss Monica receives it.”
“Heh, very well. I’ll pass the message,” Marquis Visen said with a hearty laugh. “But whether Monica accepts the gift or not, I can’t promise that. You may have heard, she’s a bit spoiled by me and has quite the temper.”
“Not at all,” the representative quickly responded with a forced smile. He knew that once he returned, a massive purge awaited the intelligence division. “Miss Monica is not temperamental. She’s simply a perfectionist with a refined pursuit of excellence, an extraordinary trait, one that only a family like the Kasein Family could foster in a successor.”
“Heh.” Marquis Visen chuckled lightly.
Just as he was about to speak, Wade, who had returned after placing the gift list, leaned in to whisper a few words in his ear.
Although the representative from the Bruno Merchant Guild couldn’t hear the father and son’s conversation, he noticed Marquis Visen’s brow twitch slightly, clearly something unexpected had come up.
Sure enough.
Once Wade stepped back, Marquis Visen turned his gaze to the representative and smiled. “My son just told me something amusing.”
“That must be quite the entertaining story,” the representative responded with a laugh, though unease had begun to rise within him. He started to suspect that the situation had veered completely beyond the scope of his preparations.
“There’s going to be a knight’s duel downstairs.”
Marquis Visen stood before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the open ground outside the hall.
People were gradually beginning to emerge and gather around the area.
And naturally, this shift began to draw the attention of all the big figures present in the hall.
“A life-or-death knight’s duel,” Marquis Visen said in a low voice. “The duel is between the Baron of Gem Territory, Hess Billy’s eldest son, Andre Billy, and the Household Knight of the Baron of White Mountain Territory, Ster Bole’s family knight, Yam Soderbell. …Tell me, who do you think will win? Will the victor use the blood of the loser to consecrate their victory? If you get both right, I’ll only take ten percent of Bruno Merchant Guild’s profits. If both are wrong, I’ll take twenty percent. If you get one right and one wrong, then it’s fifteen percent.”
Upon hearing this, the representative’s heart immediately sank.
His worst nightmare had come true: everything he had prepared for this negotiation was now useless.
And worst of all, Marquis Visen had positioned himself in an entirely unbeatable stance.
If the representative guessed both outcomes correctly, he would indeed only need to pay ten percent of the guild’s profits, but that would effectively be a tacit admission that the Bruno Merchant Guild had complete intelligence on Red River Territory and even the Marquis’s Estate.
That would inevitably trigger a purge from Marquis Visen, and every spy and informant the Bruno Merchant Guild had placed in Red River Territory would be rooted out.
But if he guessed wrong, then the guild would be forced to surrender twenty percent of its profits.
Twenty percent might not seem like much, but in reality, of the guild’s annual profits, the Golden Flower Family and Golden Lion Family each took twenty percent, and the Cold Ridge Territory and Fertile Territory each took ten percent. Of the remaining forty percent, fifteen percent went to the lords of closely allied territories.
In other words, the Bruno Merchant Guild was left with only twenty-five percent of its annual profits.
Now, if Marquis Visen demanded twenty percent, the guild would have to find ways to squeeze others’ shares to avoid working for nothing.
That would entail rounds of arduous negotiations, far more difficult than convincing Red Eagle Territory to accept ten percent.
As for the “one right, one wrong” result, the representative directly ignored it.
Because it was a very clear word trap.
A life-or-death knight’s duel was practically a blood feud, how could the victor possibly spare the loser?
At this point, the representative decided that even sacrificing their intelligence network in Red Eagle Territory would be acceptable.
After all, twenty percent of profits was a heavy burden for the Bruno Merchant Guild.
But in contrast, the guild already had the experience of building intelligence networks. As long as there were sufficient funds, reconstructing one, even after exposure, would not be difficult.
“I believe Sir Andre Billy will win this duel,” the representative said solemnly. “Moreover, he truly needs a victory bathed in the loser’s blood to wash away the shame he suffered yesterday.”
“Very well.” Marquis Visen nodded, saying no more.
At that moment, as Andre Billy and Yam entered the open grounds below, all eyes naturally turned toward them.
“Who do you think will win?” Viscount Agley also looked with interest at the two in the courtyard and asked his two sons.
“Andre.”
Both members of the Senels Family shared the same opinion.
“Yesterday Andre didn’t use a Rare Iron Weapon, but today, since it’s a life-or-death duel, both sides are allowed to use them. With the addition of such weapons, Andre’s strength is formidable, he already proved himself on the battlefield against Red River Territory.”
“A pity. I even sent Atork to get close to those brothers. Looks like that olive branch is going to waste.”
Viscount Agley gave no particular comment on his sons’ words. “Even without Yam Soderbell, there’s still Akar Soderbell. …But it seems no one believes in Yam Soderbell anymore.”
“After all, the Billy Family’s exclusive ‘Raging Overlord Fist’ is too renowned among Second-Tier Bloodline Users.”
…
While evaluations and bets were taking place upstairs, the same was happening among the young noble offspring downstairs.
Atork naturally made his way to Monica’s side. Watching the two duelists prepare, he asked, “Miss Monica, who do you think will win this duel?”
“What do you think?” Monica countered with a question.
“Andre Billy.” Atork sighed lightly and said, “That ‘Raging Overlord Fist’ of their family combined with his ‘Tailfire Bull’ bloodline makes for a terrifying outburst. Even a Third-Tier Bloodline User could be injured if caught off guard, no Second-Tier Bloodline User can withstand that. …Yesterday, Andre didn’t use any weapons and couldn’t find footing in mid-air. Today he’s fully prepared. He won’t lose.”
“I thought you’d support Yam.” Monica glanced at Atork, then said, “Weren’t you two chatting happily just now?”
“Chatting pleasantly with Yam doesn’t mean I think he’ll win.” Atork shook his head. “Reality doesn’t bend to our preferences. We must respect the facts.”
Monica didn’t reply.
In truth, she didn’t care whether Yam won the duel.
Rather, if Yam died in the duel, that would better serve her interests.
Only then could she provoke Akar Soderbell’s fury and hatred toward Andre Billy, and only then could she manipulate Akar into killing Andre and Shuke, thus paving the way for Anna to ascend as lord of Gem Territory.
It was precisely to orchestrate tonight’s duel that she had visited Baron Hess yesterday to hint at her stance.
The world believed Andre was seeking revenge, to cleanse his humiliation with an honorable knight’s duel.
But only Monica knew that everything today was a result of her silent manipulation.
She tilted her head slightly and looked toward the main hall doors.
And then, she saw Akar step out, thick with murderous intent.
“Shall we make a bet?”
“Don’t tell me you want to bet on whether Andre will kill Yam. That’s boring.” Atork shook his head. “There’s no suspense in this duel. …Let’s bet on something more exciting.”
“Oh?” Monica raised her brows. “Like what?”
“After Andre kills Yam, will he survive the night?”
Monica glanced sideways and saw that Atork, too, was looking toward the banquet hall entrance.
Clearly, he had also noticed the bloodlust surrounding Akar.
“Heh, and you want to make this bet in the Marquis’s Estate?”
“Can’t it just be an excuse to give Miss Monica a birthday gift?”
“So, do you think Andre will survive the night?”
“I’m betting on Miss Monica’s other stance.”
“Heh.” Monica chuckled softly. “What a cunning answer.”
“Pardon my impropriety.”