< Chapter 75 - The Wolf of the Wind #2 >
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When the news of the martial arts tournament was announced in the royal palace, the entire capital began to stir.
I don’t mean it in a bad way, I mean it in a good way.
The nobles who had packed their bags to return changed their plans to stay in the capital for a few more days, and even among the people who had been depressed by the tragedy in the royal capital, there was considerable energy.
“Because there isn’t enough entertainment.”
At Uther’s words, Cordelia nodded a few times before staring at the bed in front of her again.
Uther and Cordelia were currently looking at furniture in a high-end furniture store in the royal capital.
Because the mansion that was to be received from the royal family has finally been confirmed.
“Euuum······.”
As Cordelia seriously examined the king-sized large bed, Uther spoke softly with message magic.
[Just choose whatever you want. You won’t be able to use it for a while anyway.]
It’s not that there were no ready-made products in this world, but the furniture of the nobles was mostly handmade and made to order.
This bed was also just a sample, and production of a completely new product would begin only once an actual order was placed, so it would take at least two weeks and at most a month or more to receive the product after ordering.
‘further······.’
Because this was a bed that had to be shared in one bedroom.
The day of use is still far away, isn’t it?
But Cordelia continued to worry and worry, even groaning.
‘The bed is too expensive!’
Every single piece of furniture was ridiculously expensive, but the bed felt especially expensive.
It seemed like I could buy a decent four-horse carriage with the money I needed to buy one of these.
But, since it was a bed that would fit in a bedroom in a count’s mansion, it was only natural that it would be expensive.
“My head is going to burst.”
“Ugh.”
Cordelia groaned once more and plopped down on the nearby sofa, with Uther sitting right next to her.
“I’m going to take a break for a moment. Can I ask you for some tea?”
“Of course, Count. Please wait a moment.”
The furniture store clerk smiled and saluted, then ordered another employee to bring out tea and snacks.
Since the house had to be completely remodeled, from the furniture store’s perspective, Yuder and Cordelia were literally big shots, but since Yuder and Cordelia were polite and spoke politely despite being counts, the store clerk’s attitude naturally became friendly.
“Whoa.”
Anyway, as Cordelia sat on the sofa and started to sag as if she was going to melt at any moment, Uder chuckled and took out a piece of paper.
[Take a look at this.]
[What is it?]
Instead of answering, Uther pushed the paper closer to Cordelia, and Cordelia blinked, took the paper, and then opened her eyes wide.
[Wait, what is this?]
[Scale chart?]
[Who doesn’t know that? Didn’t I tell you clearly? Gamblers······.]
[No, I didn’t bring it. Scarlett brought it to me.]
Cordelia narrowed her eyes in suspicion at Uther’s words, but soon nodded. This was because she had discovered Scarlett’s signature left on a corner of the paper.
[Anyway, take a look.]
As Uther tapped the paper, Cordelia looked at the scale again.
It was a very simple odds table showing how much you could receive for betting on something in this tournament, but Cordelia looked at it quietly, confusion and anger spreading across her face.
[Wait a minute. Why is it so high?]
The amount you can receive when you walk to the north is 2.1 times the stake.
It wasn’t a huge percentage, but it was a number that Cordelia couldn’t help but feel bad about.
Because the magnification was greater than when I walked in the south or center.
[What, you’re saying that the South or the Center have a higher chance of winning than the North?]
[I guess so?]
[No, how?]
Cordelia looked at Uther with a face of incomprehension.
[Our house’s Yuder… No, no. Anyway, you’re in the North.]
You think the South or the Central have a higher chance of winning when there’s Yuder, who won the Sword Banquet and even stopped the Guardians?
Cordelia was so angry at the mere mention of how bad the game was that she was going crazy, so it was only natural that she would get angry at the current odds table.
[Wow, calm down.]
[Aren’t you angry?]
[No, there’s no need to get so angry. It’s not like the ratio table is even that absurd.]
[What does that mean?]
[No one saw them fight.]
Cordelia blinked at Uther’s words, and then understood. Because it really was true.
[No one has seen the fight with the Guardian King. Honestly, if you look at it objectively, even if he was weakened, do you think it makes sense for two teenagers to defeat the Guardian King? They probably just somehow interfered and were lucky enough to stop him with the help of the Guardian King and other forces.]
If you take a step back and look at it, this story definitely makes more sense.
Moreover, until just a year ago, Yuder was a sickly boy who suffered from constant illness at home.
[I guess you were stronger than me? Well, I guess so too.]
If Cordelia hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have been able to force open the sixth gate.
It was also Cordelia who struck the final blow.
[Well, if you leave it like that, nothing will come out?]
Cordelia was quickly excited, but her face was clearly filled with joy.
But that didn’t last long, because Yuder was upset that he was being ignored.
[But there was a sword banquet.]
You all must have seen the fight with the best sword there, right?
[Even if you saw it, it was a minority··· The best swordsman turned traitor this time. So his evaluation can’t help but be lowered.]
Of course, it wasn’t the case that Jeilgeom’s skills suddenly decreased just because he betrayed him.
[I still don’t understand.]
[Here’s one last thing.]
[what?]
[Because this is a group battle.]
The regular martial arts tournaments held by the Royal Family of Seilun were not one-on-one tournaments.
It was not a tournament where you gradually advance to the round of 32, round of 16, and quarterfinals, but rather a format closer to a war where all the players were gathered in one place and had a single fight to determine the winner.
[Since there are 30 people each in the North, South, and Central, a whopping 90 people are fighting together. At this point, individual skills are important, but the power of the group itself becomes more important.]
And in that sense, the evaluation of the North was worse than that of the South or the Center.
Other than Lucas and Uther, there weren’t any particularly notable talents, and the overall age group was younger than other regions.
[To add a little more spice to this, I was injured? I’ve been sick in bed for a few days, so they probably thought I wasn’t fully recovered.]
Uder had been unconscious for three days. By normal standards, it would take at least a month for someone with that level of injury to fully recover to their usual abilities.
[Now that I think about it, is it really okay?]
When Cordelia asked with a worried expression, Uther nodded immediately.
[Because it has regenerative power.]
[Haaah… Anyway, I understand. I just need to show you an example, right?]
[Oh, so I bet everything I had in the North.]
[Good job… Wait, what did you say?]
[He said he invested all his wealth in the North.]
As Uther spoke with a big smile, Cordelia forgot about the order not to touch him and started touching him – that is, hitting him.
[Gambler out! It’s a broken engagement! The engagement is broken!]
[Oh, gambling? I said this is an investment.]
[Mr. Woo, it doesn’t hurt at all when I hit you, does it?]
[Hehehe, our princess, calm down. You wouldn’t lose while I’m here, would you?]
[Wow, look at the way you talk. You’re really unlucky.]
But it was also true.
It was a much stronger Yuder than the world thought.
[Don’t worry, I’ll make it big. I told you that I raised the multiplier in the first place, right?]
Cordelia blinked at Uther’s words. It was as if she had heard something strange.
[Wait, what? Who increased the multiplier?]
[I.]
[how?]
[By spreading rumors?]
Uther spoke with a calm expression, and Cordelia, who had a blank expression, soon realized what Uther meant.
[Hey, no way.]
[Oh, that’s a rumor I started.]
I heard that Yuder is weaker than expected.
They say that it wasn’t skill that won against the Patriots.
They say that the contribution of the sorceress Cordelia was greater than that of Uther.
He said he was still struggling with his injury.
There are no useful people in the North, etc.
[It took some effort to make it seem like it was very reliable inside information.]
As Uther spoke with a gentle tone, Cordelia couldn’t help but think of the same old words.
[Wow, you little scammer.]
[So you don’t like it?]
Cordelia snorted in amusement as Uther shrugged his shoulders with a sly grin.
[It’s not good this time. It’s not like we’ve won yet.]
[Hehe, why are you like this? Don’t you trust me?]
[Because it’s a group battle like you said?]
When Cordelia made a slight fuss, Uther crossed his arms and said.
[Then let’s make a bet.]
[What kind of bet is that? A bet that you’ll lead the team to victory? I don’t like that. If I don’t win anyway, I’m going to lose all my money.]
[No, not that. How many kills will I get?]
It wasn’t really an attempt to kill me.
After all, it was a martial arts tournament where the use of sharp weapons was prohibited from the beginning.
Sending an opponent out of the ring, making him surrender, or removing the belt he was required to wear during the match was considered killing him.
At Uther’s provocative question, Cordelia slightly wiggled her eyebrows and asked in a suggestive tone.
[You speak first.]
[20 kills?]
The enemy’s number was 60 in the center and the south combined, so 20 kills was more than enough.
But Cordelia shook her head as if it was ridiculous.
[If you want to win anyway, don’t you have to do that much?]
[Then 30 kills?]
[40 kills.]
40 kills out of 60.
Considering that the center and the south would fight each other, it was virtually the same as telling Yuder to kill them all.
‘I guess you’ll say I can’t do it at this level?’
Because Cordelia was satisfied with just hearing Yuder groan once.
But Uther gave an unexpected answer.
[good.]
[uh?]
[Okay. If I get over 40 kills, Cordelia, you will grant me one wish. If I can’t, I will grant you yours.]
[Now, wait a minute. Why the sudden wish?]
[Oh, are you scared? You only got 40 kills?]
Cordelia got angry without realizing it when Uther smiled and provoked her, but she didn’t rush at him right away. She had experience.
There was no way that Yuder would say something like that without any basis in belief.
‘Well, wouldn’t that be too much?’
40 kills out of 60.
It would be better if it was a 1:1:1 group battle between the Southern and Central combined teams and Yuder alone.
[40 kill call?]
[50 kills. I’ll do it if it’s 50 kills.]
If you say you can’t do it, then I’ll tease you this time and say you’re scared.
When Cordelia spoke with a smile of conversion, Uther nodded immediately.
[50 kills call. Instead, you made a clear promise? If I get 50 kills, I’ll grant you any wish? Any wish?]
[Okay, wait a minute.]
[Why are you scared? It’s 50 kills?]
[Mr. Woo, isn’t that right? You’re the one who needs to be prepared. You’re not going to just let it go, are you? You’re going to make some crazy wish?]
[I would do that too? I would really make an unreasonable wish.]
When Uther spoke with his eyes wide open, Cordelia flinched without realizing it.
That’s because he was worried.
‘What, what the heck?’
What is that incredibly unreasonable wish? Huh?
Cordelia’s face suddenly turned red as delusional circuits began to turn in a corner of her head.
[Rice, perverted bastard.]
[Now, wait. Why. What did I say? Aren’t you the one who’s thinking weird?]
[Oh, no? Anyway, good. It’s a 50-kill call, call.]
[Okay, let’s do a stamp.]
[uh?]
[Disruption.]
Uther even held out a contract saying when it was made, and Cordelia was dumbfounded.
[Okay, then I’ll be looking forward to it.]
[Ugh, it’s me.]
Cordelia, who had just laughed, took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anxiety.
I felt like I was really being caught up in something, but it was still an incredibly advantageous situation.
‘That’s right, it’s a whopping 50 kills.’
50 kills out of 60.
It’s a group battle, so how do you do it? It’s team death, so it’s 1:1:1.
No matter how much effort was put into it, it was impossible.
Unless they try to scam you again.
‘Fraud.’
Uder is a fraud.
It was Cordelia who suddenly began to feel very anxious.
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< Chapter 75 - The Wolf of the Wind #2 > End
