The Virtues of Nobles Were Like Schrödinger's Cat

After finishing their meal, Tommy and Claude left with what little money they had left. Time was tight now, and they had to head for West Lyme immediately.

Henry, meanwhile, wondered whether he could "borrow" some money from Danilo and his people.

In Arenas across the Empire, the stakes in the Arena Tournament were enormous. First-round bets ranged from one Denar to three hundred Denars.

Henry calculated that if he robbed Danilo of his money, it would solve his funding shortage and leave him with even more to bet.

He also knew Danilo was just a minor player. The real boss was the man behind him, and getting that money would probably not be easy.

Could Earl John really not know about a gang being formed in Audoh and throwing its weight around in the streets?

After thinking it over, Henry decided to have a talk with Danilo. This time, he wore his Imperial Robe to Danilo's residence and knocked on the door.

Danilo opened the door. When he saw Henry's Imperial Robe, an almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face.

"Old friend, what brings you here?"

"I've run into some trouble and need your help." Henry went straight to the point.

Danilo smiled, looking rather troubled. "I'd like to help you too, but I'm short on money myself."

Henry narrowed his eyes. This brat saw my Imperial Robe and was pretending not to notice?

Henry smiled faintly. "I heard your boss is very wealthy. If you can introduce me to him, perhaps I can get his support."

"I can take you to see the boss, but I can't guarantee whether he'll be willing to help."

"Thank you."

Henry followed Danilo to their headquarters and met the so-called boss—Earl John.

Henry: ???

Earl John was dressed in luxurious silk loungewear, drinking wine, eating a leg of lamb, and watching a Dancer perform.

Earl John beckoned Henry over. "Come, Henry. I am Earl John Hoyland. You were not mistaken."

Henry sat beside John in shock. "Earl John, you..."

Earl John raised a hand to stop his question and asked instead, "You're badly short of money?"

"I am! I need more funds to place bets in the Arena Tournament five days from now."

Earl John nodded. "A Knight who signed huge contracts with those merchants and now carries all those debts—must be hard, isn't it?"

Earl John had someone pour Henry a glass of wine and bring him Cream Bread and smoked chicken. "Eat. Watch the songs and dances of our grasslands. We can talk after you finish."

As Henry ate and watched the performance, he noticed that Earl John seemed to be watching him now and then.

"Ahem. You should already know that the King has ordered the Pioneer Act to begin, correct?"

"I know."

After a while, Earl John said, "I can lend you money, but I have one condition."

"What condition?"

Earl John stared at Henry and said slowly, "I want you to lose to someone I designate in the Arena Tournament—my son."

Henry's expression changed. He had not expected Earl John to make such a demand.

"Why?"

"This is a transaction. You help me achieve my goal, and I help solve your funding problem. Of course, you may refuse."

Henry fell silent, then asked again, "I need a reason. You know that I ranked first at the Royal Knight Academy. I've won the royal capital's Arena Tournament six times. I can't trade my noble reputation for this little bit of Denar."

"If you agree, I will not only give you sufficient funds, but also offer you some additional benefits." A trace of... malice? Cruelty? flashed through Earl John's eyes.

Henry looked up. "What benefits?"

Earl John leaned close to Henry's ear and whispered, "I can help you deal with certain troubles, such as... your wager with Baron Pedro."

Henry showed nothing on his face, but stormy waves were already raging in his heart!

He knew John had strong control over his territory, but he had never imagined his control was this strong!

"Since we've already come this far, let's put everything on the table. How far can you go?"

Earl John wore a nostalgic expression as he said, "He is an Honorary Baron under me. Back when I was at my lowest point, he used his entire fortune to fill the hole for me. It was the wealth he had built over half his life."

But John's expression immediately turned ugly. "I gave him noble glory. I gave him two of the most profitable businesses, enough for him to earn over ten thousand Denars a year! Back when he was a merchant, he would never have dared dream of such a stable life!

"But what about him? How did he repay me?! Tax evasion would have been one thing, but now he's interfering with my city defenses, interfering with local patrols and public security... What is he trying to do?"

John placed a hand on Henry's shoulder and said viciously, "And now, behind my back, he used the enormous sum of one hundred seventy thousand Denars to make this sort of deal with you? Does he have any respect for me left?

"Do you know that those one hundred seventy thousand Denars are all my money? That's enough to pay my army's wages for over a year."

Earl John said furiously, "He wants to turn his son into an Independent Noble. I cannot tolerate such behavior!"

"You want to get rid of him?"

"He must die. He has set a bad example for my subordinates. Once your castle is built, it will be time for him to die. You get a castle for free, then you lose to my son."

To a farming household, one hundred Denars was wealth they would never see in a lifetime. One thousand Denars was a number city Free People could not even imagine.

But one hundred seventy thousand Denars was merely a small sum to an earl. Even the most basic annual tax revenue could cover it.

More than seven hundred thousand people within Earl John Territory provided him with all kinds of income. And don't forget, that didn't even include the Slaves. Slaves did not count as people.

"I have two sons. One will inherit my earldom, but I cannot grant lands to my second son. You know, if a family wants to remain powerful, it cannot divide its authority.

"So I need him to make a name for himself and become an Independent Noble, at the very least a viscount. Merely pioneering a piece of land will not be enough.

"Henry, you understand. I am an earl, so I cannot participate in this Pioneering War on a large scale... I can only provide him with a little supplies and a pioneer force. Nor can I let my eldest son become suspicious."

Henry understood. When the time came, he would also have to lend John's son some support.

"Fine. Then I'll lose once."

Henry nodded. If that was the case, losing once was acceptable. That was one hundred seventy thousand Denars. He could lose twice for that!

A noble's reputation and dignity could not be insulted or challenged—unless someone could pay enough Denars.

If he could get a castle for free, he would even be willing to rule the world as King.

"Then, Henry, shall we have a pleasant cooperation?"

Henry raised his glass. "A pleasant cooperation."

He understood it now. What Earl John valued was Henry's reputation and the King's attention. That was Earl John's political wisdom.

A noble-born man with an excellent record, who could also raise the Pioneering War at exactly the right time—such a person would certainly draw the King's attention.

This was how nobles traded with one another: dark, ugly, bloody. There was no need for contracts or fairness. There was only calculation and greed.

"I'll arrange for my son to meet you in the finals. You're confident you can make it to the finals, right?" Earl John asked.

"Of course. I'll do my best to make the match look real. Should I shed a little blood?"

"That won't be necessary. As long as you follow the plan, I'll fulfill my promise once it's done." Earl John revealed a satisfied smile.

"Give me the money."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you say there would be extra money too? I need it for betting."

"You're really greedy, Henry."

After Henry left and saw Bain, he suddenly realized that he had broken his promise about Bain's Warhorse again.

Henry could only pull Bain aside and say, "Bain, I'll buy you the finest Warhorse. A sixty-five-Denar Warhorse."

Bain's large face fell, and he said in a slightly tearful voice, "I don't care about that at all. I can change horses whenever. I'll listen to you, my lord."

Henry smiled awkwardly and said he would definitely buy Bain a Warhorse. Definitely! That was the promise a qualified Knight made to his Retainer companion.

A few days later, the Arena Tournament began as scheduled.

Everyone in Audoh was stirred up, discussing the tournament. It was one of the few forms of entertainment available.

And if they could make a little profit, even better.

The Mercenary Groups and merchants who had recently flooded into Audoh also joined in, making the prize pool for this Arena Tournament grow larger and larger.

The tournament opened with four consecutive team melees, leaving the audience fired up. Anyone who did not know better would have thought they were the ones competing in the Arena.

Henry, Boman, and Fas all steadily advanced into the top eight, their momentum fierce enough to thrill those who had bet on them.

There were generally three kinds of bets in the Arena Tournament: betting on how many rounds a contestant could win, whether they could claim the championship, and whether they could win a particular match. The exact rules were extremely complicated.

"Fixed match! It has to be fixed! My money!"

"Ah, I should've bet more! This guy can win four straight matches? Could he be the champion? I've lost out, I've lost out."

In the eyes of these gambling addicts, not making money meant losing money.

Noon was the break, and the afternoon would bring one-on-one battles among the top eight. All eight contestants had to eat in the Arena to prevent any special circumstances.

Boman boasted, "This time, let's see whose ranking is higher!"

Fas rolled his eyes. Boman wanted to compete with him over everything. It was infuriating.

Then, in the afternoon matches, Knight Boman was defeated by Earl John's second son.

Boman returned to the waiting area and saw Henry and Fas looking at him strangely. Somewhat awkwardly, he said that he had fought four consecutive matches that morning and was too tired. He had simply been careless this time.

Then Fas "also" lost to John's second son.

"Well, I didn't expect him to counterattack like that. I didn't react in time. I must be bruised all over. These wooden swords are really high quality, haha."

Henry looked meaningfully at Fas, sensing that something was off.

The final began immediately. Before everyone's eyes, Henry and Earl John's son engaged in a fierce contest. Despite Henry's exceptional strength, he still lost the match.

Henry "carelessly" allowed John's second son to find an "opening," and two consecutive strikes knocked Henry to the ground.

The audience was dumbfounded. Wait, was this earl's son really that strong?

After Henry was helped off the field, he saw Boman and Fas wearing strange expressions.

Henry struck first, saying, "What are you looking at? Didn't you two lose to him too?"

Ah, the weather was really nice today, haha.