Need to Pay More

Mistveil City.

As the largest trading city on the west coast of the Pande Continent and the capital of the Fieltzway Alliance, Mistveil City was undoubtedly a vibrant place.

The "vibrant social groups" scattered throughout its streets and alleys were proof enough of that.

Crowds flowed through the streets like tides. Craftsmen enjoyed brisk business, while the "artisans" lurking on street corners did quite well for themselves cutting purses... Hawking and shouting never ceased.

The arena at the city center was even more packed with people. Perhaps this was the liveliest period Mistveil City had seen in more than fifty years since its founding.

Because the Lionheart Kingdom had sent a noble delegation to Mistveil City to forge an alliance.

For Vidis, leader of the Fieltzway Alliance, an alliance with the Lionheart Kingdom meant that his rule would be recognized by the upper classes of the Pande Continent.

It also meant that this alliance leader would henceforth bear the title of King Vidis, while Fieltzwe, a trade alliance built by pirates and stowaways, would become a kingdom.

Thus, for this major "historical event" of alliance between the two nations, Leader Vidis and the Lionheart Kingdom jointly held a grand tournament in Mistveil City.

They had even made the rare effort to clean up public order—members of the Crimson Brotherhood, who usually sold all manner of bizarre drugs and slaves openly on the streets, had all been driven outside the city.

Li Ang stood in a lounge at a corner of the arena's top floor, looking down at the bustling crowds below and the delegation carriages filling an entire street. He let out a long breath and removed the chainmail face-covering helmet from his head.

It was the first time in months that he had taken off the protective gear concealing his face in front of others.

Because it would soon be his turn to enter the arena.

This was an unprecedented tournament. Participants could only wear designated armor and use designated weapons; they were forbidden from competing with their own equipment.

For this jointly organized event, the Lionheart Kingdom had even brought out a Pioneer Baron certificate that had not been awarded for a long time as the champion's prize.

Becoming a Pioneer Lord might have been the only way to rise through the social ranks in this age ruled by nobles... but those who became Pioneer Lords were usually descendants of nobles themselves.

Ordinary people could not afford the expense and risk of developing territory.

Of course, those able to participate in a tournament like this usually weren't ordinary people.

Li Ang was an unusual fellow as well.

He had been in the arena for half a year, and had now even become one of its resident swordsmen, always wearing that face-covering helmet.

That was mainly to avoid the eyes and ears of the Crimson Brotherhood.

This massive underworld organization, which ran rampant across Pande, was sparing no effort in sending assassins after him. Or rather, after the original owner of this body—Lyon Griffin.

The secondary reason, though... was that he needed money.

"Mr. Li Ang, this isn't like the little scuffles before. This is a lucrative deal..."

Behind him, a fat man weighing at least three hundred pounds looked at Li Ang with a face full of smiles. He was the owner of Mistveil City's central arena and the organizer of this tournament.

Li Ang glanced around. There were only the two of them in this secluded room.

"Is this the kind of deal where you want me to lose, or the kind where you want me to win?" Li Ang was already used to such "deals." He had done plenty of them over the past six months. Even that face-covering helmet had come from one.

"See that man in the red armor over there? He's Young Master Foucher, Duke Alma's... illegitimate son."

The owner pointed toward the arena below.

At the edge of the field, a blond, fair-skinned young nobleman was being helped into his armor by several attendants. The standard leather tunic apparently pinched his neck, and the nobleman kicked one attendant in the face, sending him tumbling.

An illegitimate son had no inheritance rights, naturally, nor could he possess a title or territory. But this illegitimate son was probably quite favored by the duke, so the duke had used this method to give him a chance to obtain a Pioneer Baron certificate.

For the greatest lord of the Lionheart Kingdom, establishing a Pioneer Baron territory in the wildlands so that this illegitimate son could become a Pioneer Lord with legal land and title was hardly difficult.

The certificate itself was harder to obtain—because the Bacchus Empire had encroached upon the kingdom's borders year after year, many nobles had lost their lands. With too many wolves and too little meat, the Lionheart Kingdom had not issued any new certificates for several years.

"So you want me to help that young master win this tournament? No wonder the previous rounds were all team battles..."

Li Ang curled his lip. In such team battles, participants were divided into groups for a melee, and the entire last remaining group advanced. It was the best way for skilled fighters to carry their "friends" to good results...

"It's easy talking to smart people... That's right. Duke Alma is willing to pay a thousand denars, as long as you can take Young Master Foucher into the finals. The Great Swordsman he hired before was injured in the last match, and I have to change his team members too, or it'll look too fake..."

The owner's greasy fat face had blossomed into a flower as he somehow dragged a red wooden chest out from behind him.

The chest scraped across the wooden floorboards with a dull sound. It was clearly quite heavy.

The owner opened it, revealing gold coins packed to the brim inside.

Gold coins—the one thing in this world that everyone could sincerely love. Their allure surpassed everything else.

Li Ang reached in and grabbed a handful. Looking at the gleaming gold and feeling its satisfying weight, his eyes shone with intoxicated delight, as though what he held was the... heart of an unparalleled beauty.

There were a full thousand such beauties. It was truly hard to resist.

"Then it's settled. As long as Young Master Foucher reaches the finals, you can take this enormous sum."

Fat Boss was clearly a qualified businessman. From Li Ang's gaze and expression, he seemed to see a reflection of his younger self...

This kid would probably build an arena of his own someday...

"Ah... forget it!" Li Ang reluctantly looked at the coins in his hand, then opened his fingers and let them slip through the gaps one by one, falling back into the chest with crisp clinks.

"Why? That's a thousand—" The owner was utterly shocked.

He couldn't understand it. If he were a few years younger... well, if he had Li Ang's skills, he would definitely suit up and enter the arena himself.

A thousand denars was no small fortune.

Besides, the illegitimate young master's opponent in the finals had most likely accepted the same sort of deal.

Li Ang looked up at Fat Boss and pointed to the red banner with a golden lion hanging on the arena wall. "The champion's prize for this tournament is a Pioneer Baron certificate!"

"That means I can raise the knightly banner left behind by my father again as a knight, and restore the knightly emblem bearing countless glories and honors upon the Pande Continent! This is my best chance to enter the noble class! Do you understand?"

Sweat beaded slightly on the owner's forehead. He knew that with equal equipment, the young man before him really could win the championship. Every match over the past half year had proven it.

But then Fat Boss heard a ringing, forceful declaration that left him in awe...

"Need to pay more!"

The owner wiped the sweat running down his fat face. "Fifteen hundred denars. Not a coin more..."

"Eighteen hundred! Duke Alma gave you at least two thousand, didn't he?"

Li Ang's single sentence shattered Fat Boss's composure.

"Fine, deal... Mr. Li Ang, you really are..."

Fat Boss did not know what to say. He now felt that this kid might one day build chains of arenas across many cities.

Li Ang turned back toward Fat Boss and pointed at Foucher, who had finished putting on his armor and was hopping about at the edge of the field. "But this guy is really weak. He might fall off his horse without anyone even touching him... Are you sure people won't get suspicious if he wins?"

Fat Boss wiped the sweat from his bald head again. "He's the duke's son. So what if people get suspicious... You should worry about yourself instead. Don't get careless. The opponents aren't weak. You have to bring Young Master Foucher into the finals for our deal to be complete."

Fat Boss did not know that before Li Ang's eyes was an interface no one else could see.

It displayed data that even Pande people would not understand if they saw it.

Iron Bones: 7

Strong Strike: 7

...

One-Handed Weapons: 502

Two-Handed Weapons: 501

Polearms: 503

Archery: 335

Crossbows: 67

Throwing: 53

...