Chapter 122: Making Bets
"What are you talking about?" Taken off guard by Colten’s statement, Roran couldn’t help exclaiming.
His reaction spoke volumes of how impossible he thought the possibility was.
"There’s no way he coul—"
"Shut up and listen," Colten cut him off. "Do you really think he’s like us?" He gave Roran a sharp look. "We who trained and grew sheltered?"
"I—"
"Don’t interrupt me again," Colten spat, looking fed up with Roran, but even more with his voice and nonstop ranting.
"I mean, the last one went just fine." Roran didn’t give up, still making sure to say what he wanted.
Colten gritted his teeth. "How stupid can you be? Last time he wasn’t threatened in the slightest."
Roran opened his mouth, but not a word came... A few more times, "What are you talking about?"
Colten rubbed his forehead. "Last round was just a game; he was playing and enjoying a good fight... maybe even assessing how good of fighters we are."
Colten raised his eyes. "Do you remember what happened to Dave?" he gave Roran a reminder.
Roran went silent for a moment before nodding. "I understand what you’re saying, still... The way he killed Dave isn’t impossible to replicate..."
"Of course it isn’t impossible for you if you use your Echo perfectly and use your family Combat Arts, but he," Colten pointed at the ring. "He did it without any of that!"
Colten’s eyes went back to the ring. "He felt threatened by the armor, the Echo he was unfamiliar with, and the pill... He didn’t think twice before chopping off his head."
Hearing these words, Roran’s eyes went for the ring as well. He finally stayed silent, but his face seemed heavier than usual.
Basil, on the other hand, was using his faith and devotion for something else.
Money!
He missed the opportunity to make bets during both the duel and the first skirmish round. Thus, he didn’t miss the opportunity this time.
He walked around to where Barrett was seated. He squeezed his shoulder from behind to grab his attention before leaning forward to his ear. "Barrett, bro!" he whispered.
Barrett leaned back slightly. "Let’s begin. The rumors we spread are now getting validated," he said flatly with a slight smile.
"That stern face of yours sure holds credibility," Basil praised before walking away.
"Wait!" Barrett turned around to where Basil ran and called, stopping him in his tracks.
He fished out something looking like a small sack of coins. "Here, count me in."
Basil caught it and ran away.
Over the past few days, since that time Moon said that intel was for the weak, Basil shared them with Barrett not to die of frustration. Thanks to that, they started spreading rumors of an impregnable plan to take Moon down.
The goal was simple.
Lower the expectations for Moon and overglorify his opponents, for battles were the place where most would get greedy for money.
Gambling for money was an opportunity for the poor and a luxury for the rich.
Basil wasn’t just going around inviting others to gamble; he avoided certain individuals who would place their money on Moon regardless.
Such as Lexie and her aide; now that Boa and Talia were with them, the entire group was just a no-go for him.
If they made bets, they would just be splitting money with them... Even taking most of it, considering how rich they were and their backgrounds.
"Please, boss, don’t beat them up right away... We need some time," Basil prayed in his heart.
Basil and Barrett had planned this through and even got the perfect men to get everyone to empty their pockets, hoping Moon would fall...
Or just be brain-dead greedy.
Basil ran across the arena to a certain seat; there he sat and looked in the opposite direction, squeezing his way between the armored individuals going downstairs to the arena.
Abshi noticed the movement and raised his eyes to the seat.
They both exchanged a nod before Abshi whispered something into Colten’s ear. Colten nodded in response.
Abshi stood and signaled to Liam and Kase to get moving as well.
A few days ago, Barrett and Basil went to meet Colten and his group after the class they attended with Moon.
There, they shared their plan with him and sought help from his men.
Colten thought everything through before agreeing. Back then, he said, "The Tower isn’t a place where my status would keep us alive for long; my men need new experiences."
The reason was simple.
To everyone in the branch, they were an unfortunate group of nobles who lost their freedom to some nameless hooligan from the first floor.
No one would question them or their motives; no one would ask if they were doing this for their personal profit.
The Azure Flame Clan’s young master’s men were not the kind of people who would gamble for profit.
Little did they know...
Colten was already in favor of their actions after a little consideration.
Basil and Barrett shared their target individuals who were more likely to bet their money on Moon’s loss.
Once they were starting to move, Basil made eye contact with Abshi again, before he discreetly pointed with his chin at Roran, who was one of those on their list.
Impulsive, overfriendly, overtalkative, overconfident, got beaten by Moon.
He was the perfect target for them, but Abshi surprised Basil with a slight look of disappointment and a deep blink.
Basil blinked a few times before nodding; Abshi’s look was enough for him to understand something had happened, but he would inquire later.
The plan was moving in perfect motion now.
Further away in the audience seats, Ed and Samuel were seated and watching.
Ed gave Samuel an overview of what Moon went through so they could figure out what to do now and how to help him through these tough times he was going through.
They, as veterans, knew best that whatever he was experiencing wasn’t a one-time event or a casual episode.
It was something that he would keep suffering as long as he lived, and maybe never get to beat the vanity that comes with it.
Under their gazes, the armored group was walking down the stairs slowly, maybe trying to intimidate Moon, who was standing with his hands in his pockets, unimpressed by whatever they were doing.
Samuel looked at them. "I’m allowing this for you," he clarified.
He was aware of their plans since the beginning, as well as the one behind them. But he had no plans on allowing this under normal circumstances. Ed asked him to wait and see for now.
Only recently did he ask for this to be allowed.
Samuel didn’t ask the reason; instead, he decided to go with what Ed wanted for now.
"Thanks, but don’t worry too much. It won’t matter soon anyway," Ed replied sternly; today, his voice was heavier than usual.
Samuel didn’t inquire; he only watched.
As for Ed, he had much on his mind. "Samuel, you know... Back then we kept going for a reason; it was actually a simple one that kept us from falling so deep into this spark of self-destruction."
Samuel nodded curtly.
They had a few things that the current Moon didn’t have.
Exhaling sharply, Ed added, "We had families to return to every once in a while, and more importantly, we had one another."
"He’s too confident, unable to take a loss," Samuel added.
Ed nodded. "You aren’t wrong, but confidence is something he earned."