At James's prompting, Kaplan, the computer expert, even calculated the odds and set up a betting pool on the spot.
As Kevin's closest team, they knew more or less what his actual combat ability was. Moreover, the function of Mental Shock seemed to be on cooldown.
Overall, the commander's marksmanship was above average, but hand-to-hand combat was absolutely his weak point. Aside from Kaplan, the computer expert, nearly everyone present could suppress the commander.
In comparison, those who had recently witnessed Countess Lara's overwhelming combat prowess in the courtyard had already anticipated the outcome of a one-on-one fight.
"I'm betting on Countess Lara!"
Kaplan, who trusted data analysis the most, naturally tossed several hundred dollars onto Lara.
"Put me down for Countess Lara too..."
James, the female soldier Rain, and Barry followed with their bets.
Leon hesitated for a moment before finally investing the three hundred dollars in his pocket on Kevin.
Under Claire's questioning gaze, Leon's voice was low and meaningful.
"I've known the captain for so long, and he doesn't seem to have suffered many losses..."
"Do you think Lara would win if they played mind games?"
Claire hesitated for a minute, then promptly pulled Jill over and placed the loose cash she had on hand on Kevin.
James and the others kept mulling over Leon's words. The more carefully they thought back, the uglier their expressions became.
Suffer losses? It really did seem like there hadn't been many... That guy was full of schemes.
At the same time, the commander finally rose and faced Lara. The carefree smile on his face gradually faded.
"Crawford family member, is this so-called test of yours a boring public-friendly match, or a formal private duel?"
"If it's the former, then I'm sorry. My status as a BSAA Senior Agent is recognized by Count Richard and authorized by the United Nations. I don't have time to play house with you here."
Lara's brows drew tightly together. She heard intangible hostility in the commander's words.
That was right. Although the Crawford family was one of the BSAA's primary financial backers, the organization was ultimately affiliated with the United Nations.
With Umbrella's turmoil and the T-Virus leak, the BSAA's authority would inevitably continue to expand. It might even gain extraterritorial law enforcement powers.
At such a sensitive time, moving against it would indeed be troublesome.
She hated trouble...
"You can treat it as a private sparring invitation..."
"Still, life is like a battlefield. Scrapes and bumps are unavoidable. If you're worried about getting that pretty little face of yours scratched and being unable to put on makeup afterward, you can refuse."
After the commander covertly jabbed at her with his words, Lara narrowed her eyes and retorted with cool lips.
"Refuse? A member of the Crawford family has walked right into my sights. Why would I refuse?"
"Let's make this simple. How about a Wild West gunfight?"
"Perfect. I hope you can go down there and send my regards to my parents..."
The heavy scent of gunpowder in the commander's words spread through the air, and the two became locked in confrontation.
"Just hope you don't misfire halfway through and shoot through your own foot, pretty boy!"
The arrogant countess had been provoked into anger as well.
"Enough! Sit down, all of you!"
Just as bloodshed was about to break out, Dr. Charles, whose expression kept shifting, slowly maneuvered his wheelchair forward and roared with his neck stiffly craned.
Lara and Kevin glared at each other before separating slightly. After all, Dr. Charles was an elder of their family and deserved at least a measure of respect.
"Kevin, Richard and I are both deeply sorry about your parents' deaths..."
"But the grudges of the previous generation should not continue between you two!"
"I truly regret telling you the truth on the road!"
"Also, Richard supported your life and education and did everything he could. He is your elder! You have no reason to take your anger out on him!"
Lara frowned slightly at that. Only then did she recall that her father's journal seemed to mention Kevin's parents' deaths.
In a sense, the Crawford family really should bear part of the responsibility for it.
Kevin gave an easy smile, seemingly without much anger in it.
"Uncle Charles, Count Richard is my benefactor. There is no question about that. I'm not so unreasonable as to blame others for my parents' accidental deaths."
"But if a member of the Crawford family walks right into my sights, am I supposed to hand them the trigger?"
That impulsive, reckless girl! Dr. Charles looked at the countess with some disappointment in his eyes.
From the moment she entered, her behavior toward Kevin had been full of deliberate difficulty and targeting. No wonder the boy had overthought things.
After all, he had only just learned the cause of his parents' deaths. It was already remarkably difficult for him to remain calm.
"I'm sorry. I was discourteous..."
Though she remained unconvinced inside, Lara could only apologize with a stiff face to ease the atmosphere. By all rights, what she had done was indeed inappropriate.
Besides, she still needed Dr. Charles's help to decipher some hidden information in her father's journal.
"It's alright. It seems this was only a misunderstanding. Please forgive my rudeness as well, Countess Lara..."
Kevin's smile blossomed, and its false sweetness made Lara dislike him even more.
However, the commander could not be bothered to cater to this troublesome countess. After running into this soft rebuff, she would probably settle down for a while.
Of course, escalating the conflict and putting a label on this simple duel had one more important reason.
He couldn't beat her...
Name: Lara Crawford
Rank: Fool (B+) (Overall Value: 75–80)
Occupation: Archaeologist, Adventurer, Explorer
Strength: 14
Constitution: 16
Agility: 15
Intelligence: 14
Perception: 17
Overall Value: 76 (Years of mountaineering, hiking, and adventure had forged her a strong physique.)
Skills: 1. Firearms Mastery: Advanced
2. Close-Quarters Combat: Intermediate
3. Archaeology: Advanced
4. Trap Disarming: Intermediate
The data before him had actually been analyzed by Apocalypse the moment Kevin entered the room.
It seemed that ever since assimilating the Red Queen's motherboard, Apocalypse had gained the ability to scan personnel information.
Leaving aside that string of intermediate and advanced skills, an overall value of seventy-six alone was enough to leave most people far behind.
Among those present, aside from Chris and James, who had barely crossed the threshold of seventy, even Leon, who would one day fight a Tyrant head-on, only had an overall value of sixty-nine.
The only one present who could completely defeat this countess was Alice in her Half-Apostle form.
As for Kevin himself, aside from his maxed-out intelligence of twenty, which made him look impressive, his physical attributes in every other respect were utterly crushed by Countess Lara.
Unless his brain had short-circuited, only a fool would willingly step forward to get beaten up. That did not fit his principles of acting in his own interests.
Still, thinking about it, it seemed he could do something interesting.
Kevin looked at Countess Lara, who was clearly holding back a bellyful of anger, and a smile suddenly bloomed across his face.
"Actually, putting aside our prejudices, I agree with Countess Lara's proposal for her to spar with a BSAA member..."
PS1: This book has received the "Most Potential" recommendation slot, but compared to the other big names, its results are second from the bottom.
Once again, I hope readers can steadily cast any spare recommendation votes and monthly votes you have for this book. Thank you.
PS2: I would also like to thank reader Cangyujiu for the suggestions. Some were quite pertinent, and I have made revisions.
However, I would like to share a few thoughts. Every work has its author's considerations and characteristics, but it is difficult to please everyone.
Reading is meant to discover beauty, not to hunt for flaws. Of course, that is another matter if the problems are serious.
If you care too much about certain insignificant details, it will affect everyone's mood when appreciating beauty.
So if there are flaws, please be understanding. My apologies.
Goodnight, Countess
"Oh? Perfect. You decide the method of sparring. There are several unused training rooms in the backyard, and you can pick a suitable place while you're at it."
Countess Lara, who had originally thought she would have to swallow this insult, heard that and lightly raised the corners of her lips. Her smile was radiant, but her eyes were cold and sharp.
Kevin naturally understood Lara's unspoken meaning: Please decide how you want to die and where you want to be buried.
"However, in order to avoid deepening misunderstandings between us and to keep things fair, I think you can choose one opponent from the BSAA's female members."
"They are elites I personally recruited from Raccoon City. They are qualified to represent the BSAA in battle!"
The commander wore an equally warm smile, as though he truly were considering fairness.
"Hmph! How do you know I'll definitely take part in this boring game?"
Lara let out a cold snort. Under Dr. Charles's watchful gaze, she ultimately did not directly speak the latter half of her mockery toward Kevin.
A coward hiding behind women! The countess's opinion of the commander dropped even further.
"Holy Trinity Church..."
Kevin smiled slightly, revealing eight neat teeth.
Upon hearing those familiar words, the countess's pupils suddenly contracted.
Based on the clues she had uncovered through years of investigation, her father's disappearance seemed to be inextricably connected to that secret organization.
Could this pretty boy know something?
At that moment, the people watching from afar all raised a hand to their foreheads, pity in their eyes.
It was over. That scheming captain was digging another pit.
It looked like their countess would be the next silly deer tricked into a trap.
"Fine! How do you want to compete!"
Sure enough, after giving the commander a deep look, Lara immediately agreed to Kevin's proposal. However, the countess then put forward a condition of her own.
"Also, I want to make a bet with you. If I win this game..."
"Tell me everything you know about my father and Holy Trinity."
Kevin nodded subtly. He had expected Lara's bluntness.
"Since it's a wager, boss, you should put up some stakes too. If our side happens to win..."
"First, on top of the BSAA's current compensation, the members under my command need a thirty percent raise. The cost of living in Britain isn't cheap..."
"Second, these heroes stepped forward in times of crisis. For the justice in their hearts, they fought through blood and fire, and were even forced into homelessness."
"So, as the owner here, could you generously lend a hand and purchase a small property for them in County of Surrey?"
"They have already shed blood. At the very least, they should not have to shed tears again because of life's hardships, right?"
He was actually not making demands for himself?
Perhaps this man was not a lone hero capable of turning the tide, but he was definitely a competent commander!
Lara's opinion of Kevin improved slightly.
Still, a salary increase plus property purchases would indeed be no small expense.
Although the countess would pay any price to obtain information related to her father, she still hesitated before making a decision.
Before you continue