Oldness
I didn't know the full details, but Lady Seraphina was on friendly terms with the Countess.
For someone like that to swallow her pride and borrow money from me instead of the Countess...
I figured she must have her own reasons for it.
"Please raise your head. There's no need to bow over something so trivial, is there?"
So I decided to be considerate, so she wouldn't feel any more embarrassed.
"Lord Edwin..."
Lady Seraphina's eyes sparkled brightly.
"Still, you should refrain from gambling. They say gambling is the shortest path to ruin, don't they?"
"Gambling? What do you mean by that?"
"Hmm...?"
"Huh?"
We stared blankly at each other, blinking.
That was when I realized I had made a serious misunderstanding.
Ah!
My brother, Sir Kaiden, and even those knight trainees had all placed bets. So without thinking, I assumed Lady Seraphina had also bet.
She had bet on herself and lost. That was why she was borrowing money.
That was what I had thought...
It wasn't?
As my thoughts reached that point, Lady Seraphina seemed to realize something as well, her face gradually twisting.
"To place bets on a sacred tournament..."
The face that had been shrinking and cringing as she asked to borrow money twisted. It was the expression of someone whose expectations had been betrayed once again.
But I raised a hand and shook my head at her words.
"You call it a sacred tournament, but this one was closer to a colosseum."
The participation condition for this tournament was anyone who had received a blessing within the last two years. There were no other particular restrictions.
The man named Albert used Bloodbane and a Blood Gem, Lady Seraphina used Astrape, and I myself used the Ring of the Gorgon. It was a duel that spared no means or methods, far from a contest of mutual honor.
"Isn't placing bets at a colosseum the most natural thing in the world?"
Lady Seraphina, listening to my words, didn't seem entirely pleased, but she nodded with a subtle expression as if partially convinced.
"It makes sense logically, but..."
It was clear she understood with her head but not with her heart.
I looked at her, then turned my gaze to the street where dusk had already fallen.
"Then if you didn't place any bets, why are you asking to borrow money?"
"..."
Lady Seraphina pondered for a long while before turning her gaze, like me, toward the dusk-shrouded street.
"Please don't laugh when you hear this."
I nodded.
"The Countess was a young lady of the Root Count family, and my mother was said to have been very close friends with her."
Ah, so that was the connection.
"And then news of the Remington Count family reached you?"
She nodded.
Lady Seraphina's characteristic chivalry had pushed her all the way here. I had thought it strange that even with a Knight's blessing, a noble young lady would come all this way alone.
Not a dopamine addict, but a runaway teen...?
"I left in a hurry and couldn't bring much travel money. And, well, the family horses... I couldn't get one without permission..."
The outline became clear.
That's basically a futures trade...
Unable to use a family horse, she had used her credit as the young lady of the Boltein Count family to buy a horse on credit. She must have thought the prize money for winning was a sure thing and planned to pay with that. But then the variable named me appeared, and she couldn't pay the balance.
Around 300 gold coins, roughly...
The group first prize, the tournament championship prize, the huge underdog bet payout, and the payment for handing Bloodbane over to my brother. All of that combined, the income I was bringing in this time was about 3,000 Silverion gold coins.
This was a considerable sum, about a quarter of our baronial family's annual income. But I would soon have to leave the Remington Count domain, and considering the skill learned at level 25, the more travel funds the better. I couldn't just hand over a large sum I might never get back based on friendship alone.
"I understand the story."
"Th-then...?"
"Still, it's too large an amount. A bit much to lend on credit alone."
"Ah..."
"Instead, how about paying it off with labor equivalent to that amount?"
A level 34 Knight. Owner of the lightning divine sword Astrape. She was a talent more than worth hiring as a mercenary for a while.
The next day.
Having finally crossed the wall of the tedious social scene, I was able to claim the sweet fruits.
"Ahhh..."
This is the taste of an underdog bet. So 3,000 Silverion gold coins weigh this much. Even with the Guardian's Strength A correction, it's this heavy...
I carefully sorted the gold coins and packed them into my bag with great satisfaction. Then I smirked as I watched my brother staring at Bloodbane as if entranced.
"You going to start dating the sword or what?"
"..."
He was so lost in it that he didn't even seem to hear me.
Can't blame him.
Our Levan baronial family has no dungeons. Meaning it's hard to level up and hard to get equipment. To a brother like that, Bloodbane must be like rain in a drought. That reaction was only natural.
It was a good deal for both of us, really.
About 90% of the underdog bet winnings my brother made was roughly the market value Bloodbane was appraised at in the game. Since there are no dungeons in the Silverion Kingdom where one could obtain Bloodbane, I could have made more through auction...
But time is money.
I didn't want to waste that much time.
By the way, is it that Dylan guy again this time...? What kind of person is he?
The conclusion came that Bloodbane was a weapon with no issues, and it was handed over to me as the winner. Along with that, the investigation results were shared: the man named Albert was from a place called the Bordan Baronial Domain.
A domain ruled by Dylan, younger brother of Count Remington, and from what I remember, not a particularly distinctive region. The origins of Bloodbane and the Blood Gem remained a mystery.
I'll have to pay a visit later.
— Something that happens once may never happen again, but something that happens twice will surely happen again.
Even if the butler's assassination attempt was his own doing, his backer was that man Dylan. Albert might have just been from the Bordan Baronial Domain, but having been involved with him twice is too concerning to dismiss as coincidence. I should plan a visit after raising my level to at least 40.
For now, then...
The skill I worried about most when choosing Guardian, the one learned at level 25 — Impact Dispersion. To obtain it, I first need 100 sets of equipment. From now on, it was time to pound the pavement and hunt down 100 sets of gear.
"Ahem. So, what should I help with first?"
Lady Seraphina, hired by me in the form of a mercenary, asked while gauging the surroundings.
"Well, for starters, how about carrying some luggage?"
Since I needed to prepare 100 sets of equipment, I had gotten the Countess's permission and received two additional magic bags. I could wear two front and back, but three was too much, so I decided to get Lady Seraphina's help.
"First, I plan to go to an armor shop."
"Mm, an important matter, yes."
Nothing is more important to a knight than equipment. She nodded and slowly walked after me.
I held the memo Royta had written and looked around.
Garga, Narupa, Drana.
Knight trainees' pay is meager, so even equipping themselves is a bit of a burden. These were the reasonably cheap armor shops that such knight trainees often frequented.
Starting with Garga.
Ding-a-ling.
"Welcome!"
When I opened the door to Garga Armor Shop, a middle-aged man with a rather prominent belly came rubbing his hands from inside. His gaze swept over my attire. And the moment he confirmed Lady Seraphina following behind, the corners of his mouth rose so high it was almost concerning.
He seemed to have instantly realized we were noble customers owning no fewer than three magic bags. The armor shop owner clasped his hands as if he had been waiting for this.
"What sort of items are you looking for? Helmets, shields, breastplates, gauntlets, greaves... we have everything!"
"Hmm."
I casually looked around the shop, eyeing armor that might be worth buying.
All of it seems a waste...
Quite carefully crafted items were on display, and even the cheapest-looking ones showed signs of thorough workmanship. The thought that it would be too much of a waste to buy them just to destroy them crossed my mind.
They're also pretty expensive. Wait a minute... this is reality, not a game. Do I really need to wear perfectly fine equipment?
"I'm looking for something a bit old."
The man flinched.
"Old... items, you say?"
"Yes."
"Please wait a moment."
He lowered his voice and guided me deeper into the shop. Then, drawing aside a curtain hung to block the light, he looked at me with a gaze full of tension.
"You have a discerning eye, customer. As it happens, we have one item we've been keeping separately."
Clunk.
Creeeak.
The box opened. Inside, a silver breastplate with the traces of time fully intact was carefully placed.
"It's an early work by the craftsman Lauren Marka, who was active a full 120 years ago."
Oh, pretty high-quality armor. Well-maintained too... excellent.
"The preservation is excellent, and the craftsman's signature remains intact."
"This oldness... how much is it?"
"About 460 Silverion gold coins."
"I'd like to go a bit cheaper on the oldness."
"Ah, in that case... this is also Lauren's equipment, though the design on this breastplate is a bit inferior, the function isn't bad, so for about 380 gold coins—"
"My oldness is—"
The shop owner swallowed dryly as he looked at me.
"Doesn't exceed 10 gold coins."
The shop owner's smile vanished.
"Hey, Bron!"
"Yes, boss. Ya called?"
"Open the warehouse for him..."
"Which warehouse?"
"...The one all the way in the back."
The worker who appeared a moment later had a stiff expression.
"Ain't nothin' but scrap we gave up fixin' and stolen goods in there, boss?"
Found it. My equipment.
I beamed and followed the man named Bron to the warehouse. Inside were moth-eaten gambesons, rusted chainmail with rings torn out, brigandines with iron plates falling off like popcorn, and plate mail as warped as the shop owner's face. A whole lot of trash and rags that would get you mistaken for an undead if you wore them around.
That day, I was able to acquire 100 sets of equipment for a total of 10 gold coins. Lady Seraphina, face bright red as she stifled her laughter with little snorts, was a bit distracting, but in the end, since I saved over 2,000 gold coins—
It was my victory.