Chapter 310: Chapter 309: I’ll Bet on You (3)


    ?


    "Hey, hey, let''s hurry up and go."


    "Ugh, this godforsaken estate. I swear I''ll never step foot in the North again."


    "Such a disgusting lord and an even more disgusting estate."


    Grumbling as they packed their belongings were Max and the troubleshooters who had been detained since the Cabaldi War.


    They had worked in the estate to pay off their debts but couldn''t easily gain freedom. No matter how much they worked, their wages barely covered the dailyborer fees, making it hard to reduce the owed amount.


    Even so, they weren''t about to give back the money they had already received. The sums they''d gotten from Rozalin and Meriel were far toorge to return.


    Stuck in this limbo, suffering through their predicament, the war with Desmond broke out.


    Max and the troubleshooters, serving asmanders of the Labor Assault Corps, finally earned their freedom.


    "We''re free!"


    "Hurrah!"


    At Max''s shout, the troubleshooters cheered loudly. Atst, they were done with this wretched estate.


    Today was a special day. While Max and the troubleshooters were cleaning themselves up and shaving their overgrown beards, ude came to visit.


    "Hey, so you''re leaving now? You''ve all worked hard."


    "Oh, uh... head butler, you''re here?"


    Max greeted ude with a reluctant expression. Though it was Ghiin who had detained them, it was ude who had mercilessly worked them to the bone at the construction sites.


    He had driven them so hard that they''d even considered assassination. But fearing they''d be caught and enved for life, they never dared attempt it.


    Despite Max''s sullen expression, ude spoke warmly.


    "So, what''s next for you after you leave?"


    "We''ve been through so much, so I''m nning to find some less taxing work for a while." Though thement had a pointed edge, ude pretended not to notice.


    "Ah, with skills like yours, isn''t it a waste to do petty jobs?"


    "I''m thinking of saving up a bit more and retiring. I''ll buy somend and live peacefully." "Hm, that sounds a bit disappointing."


    In truth, Max and the troubleshooters were quite skilled. That''s why they had been entrusted with missions like rescuing Ghiin and leading the Labor Assault Corps during the war in ce of Kaor.


    Feigning regret, ude subtly nted the seed.


    "Well, you''ll need a fair bit of money for that. How about earning a fortune in one go?"


    "A fortune? How?"


    "Well, you see, the lord has made something recently..."


    ude, just as he had with Alpoi, began passionately exining the absurd product. Max and the troubleshooters agreed that it sounded ridiculous.


    But they were also wary of the lord''s proven track record. While they hadn''t witnessed the development of the improved wheat or cosmetics, they''d heard plenty of rumors.


    Seeing Ghiin fight on the battlefield had been another shock to them. Part of the reason they hadn''t dared escape was their fear of him.


    And now they were being asked to wager against such a lord? Max immediately shook his head.


    "No, we''ll just leave. We don''t want any more ties to this estate."


    It was an expected reaction. ude nodded as if he had anticipated this.


    "Twenty thousand gold."


    "...!"


    "If you win, each of you will walk away with 20,000 gold."


    The astronomical figure made Max and the troubleshooters'' eyes widen. With that amount, they could retire immediately.


    Though tempted by the staggering sum, Max didn''t give in easily. He was a seasoned leader of troubleshooters who had seen it all.


    "Why... are you offering this to us?"


    The strange powdered food Ghiin had made seemed likely to fail, but why would they offer such a golden opportunity to outsiders like them?


    Seeing Max''s suspicious gaze, ude spoke in a soft tone.


    "You''ve resented me a lot, haven''t you?"


    ...A little."


    "I had no choice. The estatecked manpower. I had to y the viin. I''ve always felt sorry for you."


    "Head butler...."


    "You lead a small group, so you must know how hard it is to guide people. How difficult it is to bear the weight of leadership."


    Max nodded silently. Though ude had a bad reputation, he had pushed people for the estate''s sake, hadn''t he?


    Now that


    was time to leave, Max could somewhat understand his perspective.


    ude sped Max''s hand and continued.


    "It''s nothing special. I just want to give you all a chance to leave with a fair amount of money. Without an excuse like this, I couldn''t give you such a sum."


    "Head butler..."


    Max and the troubleshooters were unexpectedly moved. Their noses stung with emotion. They''d thought ude was a bad man, but he was actually someone with a warm heart.


    ude didn''t appeal to logic or reason. Instead, he stirred Max and the troubleshooters''


    emotions.


    Looking at Max with warm eyes, ude shifted his gaze to the distance and said, "And this is for the lord as well."


    "For the lord?"


    "Yes. Our lord is extraordinary. He has ovee hardships and achieved great things. But...


    hisck of failure is a problem."


    "How... is that a problem?"


    "He''s growing more arrogant by the day. When you''re young, experiencing failure and hardship is what helps you grow. Better he takes a major loss now."


    "Why now?"


    "To be honest, even if he fails this time, it''ll just be a bit embarrassing for him. But losing arge sum of money will make him snap out of it. It''ll curb his arrogance."


    "Hm..."


    "Think about it. What happens if he stays arrogant and another war breaks out? War is a ce where a single mistake can cost your life. We need to correct his mindset now. Losing some


    money is a small price to pay."


    "Ah..."


    Max and the troubleshooters understood ude''s point. It was no longer a secret that


    Ghiin had drawn the ire of the Duchy.


    If such a powerful enemyy in wait and Ghiin remained overconfident, it would surely


    lead to disaster.


    Max, having seen such cases often in his work as a troubleshooter, knew that arrogance ultimately led to ruin. Especially for someone with many enemies.


    ude''s reasoning was sound.


    ''A loyalist!''


    ''We misjudged him!''


    ''Of course, a man like him is the head butler of such a grand estate.''


    Max and the troubleshooters were moved. ude had borne all the me and criticism for


    the sake of the lord and the estate.


    It was only now, as they were leaving, that they understood his heart. They felt a pang of


    guilt.


    Still, a bet was a bet. ude''s logic was sound, but if they lost, it would be a disaster.


    Sensing Max''s hesitation, ude smiled.


    "The mages from the magic tower have agreed to participate as well. The mages have already


    verified it. There''s no need to worry."


    "Oh!"


    The troubleshooters eximed in awe. If the mages had already verified it, there was nothing


    more to say.


    These mages had once belonged to the Scarlet me Tower, renowned as the best in the North. Among them, Vanessa was a 6th-circle mage.


    Mages of that caliber joining the bet? It would be foolish not to participate. ude had deliberately convinced the mages first for this very reason. Troubleshooters, with their vast experience, were hard to sway. Highlighting the mages'' involvement was crucial.


    Of course, ude conveniently left out the fact that Vanessa was no longer with the tower and wouldn''t be participating in the bet.


    "I''ll do it!" Max dered boldly, and the troubleshooters unanimously agreed. Thus, ude sessfully roped in both the mages and the troubleshooters.


    ''Phew, now it''s underway. Don''t worry, we''ll win anyway.''


    Despite this, ude showed some growth.


    After persuading them, he didn''t go straight to Ghiin. Instead, using his authority as head


    butler, he pilfered a small sample of the powdered food and mixed it for himself with a


    determined expression.


    "Hm... the taste''s not bad."


    Though it left his stomach feeling slightly uneasy, it wasn''t too ufortable. In fact, hen/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    even felt a slight sense of fullness.


    With that, he worked until evening as usual.


    "I''m hungry." After drinking the powder mixed with water, hunger was inevitable. He ate another portion,


    rested briefly, and returned to work.


    "Ah, I''m starving. This is useless."


    He was hungry. He wanted to eat something delicious, something he could chew. Thinking


    about it only made the hunger worse.


    Deciding to quit the powdered food experiment, he ate a hearty meal and said, "It''s barely enough to stop you from starving to death. You definitely can''t fight on this stuff. Hahaha!"


    He gave up after just one day. The hunger, coupled with the constant craving for real food,


    was unbearable.


    This time, he was certain the lord had failed.


    Seeing ude so overconfident, Wendy cautiously spoke.


    "But isn''t it a bit rash to decide after just one day? Shouldn''t you try it for at least three days?"


    "Ugh, forget it. I''m too hungry to live on just this stuff. It''s a failure, a failure."


    "...The lord has always delivered unexpected results."


    "Not this time, and even if I lose, it doesn''t matter."


    Wendy looked surprised. For someone who wanted freedom so desperately, how could losing


    not matter?


    Was he really trying to warn the lord about his arrogance?


    As she gazed at him curiously, ude turned his head away. Staring out the office window, he muttered, "I''ve got nothing to bet... my life''s already


    ruined, so I''ve got nothing to lose."


    ude had nothing left to wager. That''s why he had dragged in other people''s lives to bet on


    instead.


    Wendy, who briefly thought he might have improved, simply stared at the office ceiling.


    ***


    The contracts were quickly signed. The mages and troubleshooters wagered their lives,


    demanding freedom and money in return if they won.


    It was only natural for Ghiin to readily agree.


    Gaining an extension on 46 mages'' contracts and recruiting 10 new troubleshooters was an


    opportunity he couldn''t pass up.


    ude looked at Ghiin confidently and said, "I''ll handle the oversight. Can''t let anyone


    sneak food to them."


    "Do as you please."


    "Haha, don''t regret it."


    "You, on the other hand... Well, you have nothing to regret."


    News of the wager between the lord and the head butler quickly spread through the estate.


    This time, even Ghiin''s close aides like Belinda and Gillian, who usually tried to dissuade him, didn''t bother. They had learned through repeated attempts that trying to stop him was pointless. Besides, there was genuine curiosity about whether Ghiin would seed again this time.


    The longtime residents of the Fenris region, familiar with such wagers, predicted Ghiin''s victory.


    Their belief wasn''t based on any concrete knowledge-just that Ghiin always won. So, they assumed he would win this time too.


    "They say the head butler challenged the Lord again?" "Tsk, tsk, why does he keep doing this when he always loses?"


    "But I hear this time''s different. Even the mages are participating." "Pfft, like that makes a difference. The mages joined before too." Ghiin''s poprity was so overwhelming that mockery of ude only grew.


    But ude didn''t care. He was genuinely confident in his victory this time-or so he told


    himself.


    The participants, however, didn''t share his optimism.


    "What is this?!"


    "You expect us to survive on just this powder for a month?!"


    "And then participate in mock battles?!"


    "How are we supposed to do that?!"


    The knights and soldiers selected for the test looked at their powdered rations with sheer


    horror.


    What was the one advantage of this estate? Despite the tough training, they could always eat


    their fill. Food was abundant, especially recently. The people of Fenris had even started developing various sauces to make their meals more enjoyable.


    This wasn''t a change Ghiin had pushed for; it was natural result of their abundant food


    supply. And now, in such a food-rich environment, they were being asked to subsist on powdered water while continuing their rigorous training. Of course, they were furious.


    Among the knights, the senior members Gordon and Lucas were the first to express their


    anger.


    "I''m not training on this crap! It''ll ruin my muscles!"


    "This is a conspiracy from those jealous of my genius! I won''t stand for it!"


    Even the elves reacted simrly. Ascon, unfortunately one of those selected, exploded with


    rage.


    "You bastards! At my age, you expect me to survive on this?! $#@%! $@#%! $#@%!


    %$#%!"


    His cursing was so intense that it was hard to listen to.


    Though they tried to rebel, they were swiftly subdued by Gillian and the other knights


    stationed to oversee them.


    The non-participating knights worked even harder to suppress the participants, fearing they might be dragged into the experiment themselves.


    The participants, filled with resentment, shouted in unison.


    "They say this was the head butler''s idea?!" "Damn it! What does this have to do with us?!"


    "Why does everything have to be so extreme?!"


    Even without the wager, the experiment would have happened. But it wouldn''t have been


    conducted this way.


    Ghiin had originally nned to gradually test the effects, monitoring the participants''


    conditions over several days. After all, this wasn''t regr food but emergency field rations. It could have been tested safely while bncing other tasks.


    But ude, aiming for victory in the wager, had pushed things to the extreme. Seizing on


    Ghiin''s mention of a one-month timeline, he had exaggerated the conditions. As a result, all the participants'' resentment was directed at ude. They were truly forced to survive on just water and powder for an entire month.


    Despite the outcry and criticism, ude didn''t bat an eye.


    ''I''m not hungry.''


    He was a man of unyielding mental fortitude.


    The wager had begun. To secure his victory, ude started preparing even more


    meticulously.


    Meanwhile, Ghiin, taking advantage of the ongoing bet and experiment, decided to try a


    training regimen he had been pondering for a while. [Invisible Sword Master]


    It was inspired by a book written by Gordon.


    [T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi/revengerscans ]