Chapter 14: The Wager (Patreon)

The first day of our journey went by without incident. No one accosted us. That made sense, given our proximity to Icefall City. Despite the increase in bandit activity, I doubted any of them would dare try anything this close to House Icefall’s territory. I expected things to change once we traveled further away from the city.

To my disappointment, however, it didn’t storm at all. It just remained cloudy the entire day, but there was no rain or lightning.

It would take a week and a half for us to reach Rosewood City. If it was just Lorelei, Corie, Leroy, and I, we could have gotten there much faster. However, it wasn’t just us. What caravans gained in safety, they sacrificed in speed. That said, given the risks involved with the alternative, I wasn’t going to complain.

Rosewood City was southwest of Icefall City, located just within the Brightwood Region, which bordered the Icefall Region. It also marked the edge of what people in the heart of the empire considered true and proper civilization. It was famous for its beauty and culture, as well as the many gardens that decorated the city. It was the home of House Rosewood, who built the city and named it after themselves in an act of monumental hubris.

While I had read a lot about the place, I hadn’t been there myself, not even when I journeyed to the Icefall Region from Sturm Manor. The main road leading up from the imperial heartland didn’t pass by Rosewood City, and I would have had to go out of my way to visit the place. Since I had just wanted to reach Sturm Hill Hall as soon as possible, I hadn’t taken that particular detour.

It didn’t help that House Rosewood had ties to House Thorne, the House that had adopted the Otherworlder who almost killed me. I wasn’t House Thorne’s favorite person at the moment. The less I showed up on their radar, the better.

The founder of House Rosewood had been a younger son of House Thorne who decided to become the Patriarch of his own House, rather than play second fiddle to his older sister. Despite that, the two Houses maintained a cordial relationship. If the gig hadn’t required it, I wouldn’t have gone near House Rosewood’s territory.

For the first leg of our journey, the caravan would travel along the main road, which ran parallel to the Icefall River. This would take a few days. Afterwards, we would follow the road that branched off west. I guessed that we would see more bandit activity after that point.

The Icefall Region didn’t have a large population. Most of it was concentrated around Icefall City, though there were several settlements scattered around the region. They mostly consisted of folks who didn’t want to live under House rule. That was another reason why House Icefall didn’t control the entire region.

None of these settlements were very large. At most they numbered in the thousands. From what I knew, the area nearest to the border with the Brightwood Region wasn’t inhabited at all. That made it a perfect place for an ambush.

Leroy and I spent most of the first day walking alongside the House Sturm carriage, like the rest of the guards, while Lorelei and Corie rode inside. The caravan didn’t stop the entire time, not even for lunch. Everyone ate while on the move.

We weren’t the only travelers on the road. We passed by several others heading north. Most were merchants looking to sell their wares, or adventurers seeking their fortune in Icefall City.

Our caravan also passed by several farmsteads located not too far from the main road. Farming wasn’t easy in the Icefall Region, but people persevered. Most of the farmsteads were single family homes, but we also passed by hamlets that contained three or more families. I sent Leroy to buy fresh supplies from one of them. While we had packed enough provisions for the trip, it didn’t hurt to save them for later.

Besides, I like scrambled eggs for breakfast.

We stopped for the night at a clearing by the road, which looked like it was often used for camping. Following Caravan Master Jeeve’s instructions, the carriage joined the others carts and wagons to form a makeshift barricade around the campsite. This would give us some cover, should something happen.

It wasn’t likely for bandits to attack us this close to Icefall City, but that was no excuse to slack off.

Setting up camp was a simple process. Everyone just put up their tents next to their carts and wagons. Some opted to sleep within, or underneath, their vehicles. Our party chose the former. The carriage was comfortable, but not to sleep in. I knew this from personal experience.

Soon we had the tents set up and a campfire roaring. We all contributed, including our last minute addition, Corie. She kept throwing glares at everyone except Lorelei, mostly at me, but she did her part.

We ate a simple dinner, made by Leroy who was the best cook out of the five of us. As we ate the sound of conversation wafted over to us from the other campfires. It sounded like everyone was in a good mood, though there was an underlying tension in the air.

This was most obvious with the guards from House Icefall and Guildmaster Sinclair’s adventurers. I suspected it was because they knew the real reason why we were out here.

After dinner, we set up a watch schedule for the night. Again, there was no reason to slack off, even if we thought we were safe. The guards from House Icefall posted sentries to watch over the entire camp, but we wanted our own people keeping an eye out as well. We weren’t the only ones. The other parties that made up the caravan did the same.

Since I didn’t need that much sleep, thanks to my cultivation, I volunteered to take the middle watch. Leroy took the first watch, while Corie took the last watch.

Jeffrey, as a regular mortal and our driver, didn’t have to take a watch. Lorelei, as the body we were guarding, didn’t have to either. She protested, since she was also an adventurer and wanted to contribute, but the rest of us convinced her otherwise. That didn’t stop her from pouting about it.

Soon after, we all turned in, except for Leroy, and the night passed by without incident.

***

I held up a bunch of talismans.

“Everyone, take these,” I said. “I meant to give these to you guys yesterday, but I didn’t get the chance until now.”

That was a lie. I had plenty of opportunities yesterday to give the talismans out to everyone, and that had been my plan, but I changed my mind when Corrie showed up. Her arrival gave me an opportunity I decided not to pass up.

It was the morning of our second day of travel, and everyone had been up for at least half an hour. Those like Corie, who took the last watch, had been up for even longer. I woke up early so I could get a bit of cultivation in.

Most people were in the middle of eating breakfast, like us. I cooked this time, making some scrambled eggs. Others decided to take this time to get some early morning training in. Since we had the time, I decided to put my plan into motion. It hinged on Corie to treat me the way she had until now, and I wondered if she would take the bait.

I gave Jeffrey, Corie, and Lorelei three talismans each. I already gave Leroy his talismans yesterday morning. Thankfully, I made extras, which meant I had enough for Corie, even though she hadn’t been a part of my initial preparations.

“What are these?” Lorelei asked as she took hers.

She studied the markings on the talisman with an intense look on her face. The talismans used magical symbols that originated from Spirit Earth, so I doubted she had seen anything like them before.

Corie frowned at me, though she still took hers. Jeffrey looked confused, but grateful, to receive his.

“They’re talismans that I made,” I said. “Think of talismans as limited use magic items. To activate them, just infuse them with a little bit of your mana.” I pointed to Jeffrey just as he opened his mouth. “Don’t worry, I know you can’t use mana. Your talismans are different. You just need to spit on them to activate them.”

Jeffrey nodded, his confusion fading away.

“What do these talismans do?” Corie asked in a skeptical tone.

“Two of them are Protection Talismans,” I explained. “They’ll block a certain amount of physical or magical damage before they’re used up. How much damage depends on the strength of the attack. The ones I just gave you can block one spell from a First Circle wizard with nine threads, or one attack from a magic beast at that level. Think of them as a lesser version of a shield spell. To use them, just activate them and slap them somewhere on your body. They have to be touching your skin, so keep that in mind.” I paused for a brief moment. “The other talisman-…”

Corie barked out a laugh, interrupting me. Yes!

“You expect us to believe that?” she asked, her voice dripping with scorn. She held her talismans away from her, gripping them between her thumb and index finger, as if they were smelly rags. “You’re still just a First Circle wizard who hasn’t even formed his second thread. There’s no way you could make something that powerful.”

Lorelei frowned at her words, while Jeffrey looked indignant. Leroy narrowed his eyes, and I detected the faintest hint of killing intent emanating from him.

However, I just smiled. I had expected Corie to react like this, given her obvious dislike of me. I don’t know the reason behind her dislike, but I wasn’t above using it to my advantage.

“Corie, stop being so mean,” Lorelei asked, annoyed by her friend’s behavior. “It’s clear that Lord Gabriel spent a lot of time and effort making these talismans.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Corie said. “I just don’t believe they do what he says they do. These talismans don’t feel like anything special to me. They just feel like pieces of paper with a bit of mana in them.”

I mean, that wasn’t an inaccurate way to put it. Still, talismans were much more than that.

“Oh, you doubt me?” I asked.

Corie scoffed.

“Of course.”

I grinned at her.

“In that case, do you want to make a bet?”

At that, Corie’s expression turned wary.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I meant what I said. Are you willing to back your words up with a little wager?” I asked.

Corie’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“What kind of wager?”

“It’s simple,” I said. “I claimed that these Protective Talismans can block damage equivalent to a spell cast by a First Circle wizard with nine threads, and you said that they can’t. That’s our wager. Are you in?”

Lorelei and Jeffrey looked between the two of us with concerned expressions on their faces. Leroy, on the other, looked amused. I suspected he figured out what my plan was, or at least part of it.

“Why would I agree to something like that?” she asked, derision in her tone.

I shrugged.

“To prove a point and earn a little something in the process.” I grinned at her. “Unless, of course, you’re too scared to give it a try. In which case, I’m waiting to hear your apology.”

Corie scowled at me.

“And why would I apologize to you?”

I dropped the grin and gave her a cold look.

“You all but called me a liar to my face,” I said in a flat voice. “While I am willing to put up with your attitude due to your friendship with Lorelei, there are limits to my patience. So unless you’re willing to back up your words with action, I expect an apology from you.”

Corie’s scowl deepened.

“You might be from some fancy House, but you aren’t the boss of me,” she said. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

“No, but my mother hired Lord Gabriel to escort me to Rosewood City,” Lorelei said. “He has to be here. You don’t. I won’t force him to put up with your behavior. If you want to come along with us, apologize to Lord Gabriel.”

Lorelei wore a hard expression on her face, and spoke in a severe voice. She reminded me a lot of her mother at that moment.

Corie gave Lorelei a betrayed look.

“You’re siding with him, Lorrie?” she asked. “I thought we were friends.”

Lorelei’s expression softened just a touch.

“I love you, Corie,” she said. “You’re my best friend.” Her expression hardened once again. “However, we’re on a job. If you want to keep traveling with us, I expect you to act like a professional. You’ve been an adventurer for years now. You should know this.”

Corie flinched at that last sentence. The rest of us ate our breakfast, enjoying this little show.

When I had first met Lorelei, she gave me the impression of an innocent young maiden who needed protection. I now saw that my first impression of her had been wildly off the mark. Right now, she looked like an older sister scolding her younger sibling.

Regardless of what happened, I won. Either Corie apologized to me, which was a victory unto itself, or she wouldn’t, in which case I would proceed with my plan.

Corie glared at me with venom in her eyes.

“I’m not apologizing,” she spat out.

“Oh good,” I said, my grin returning. “Wager it is then.”

Corie’s eyes blazed with anger for a moment, before her lips twisted up in a smirk.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll play your little game. What are we betting?”

“If I win, you have to treat me with the courtesy and respect my station demands for the next month.”

While I could demand merits or money as part of the wager, I would get plenty of those soon enough if my plan worked. Having Corie not be such a bitch to me was of far greater value at the moment. We hadn’t interacted all that much, but I was already tired of her attitude.

I decided to go with a month since it would take us a week and a half to reach Rosewood City, and I didn’t know how long we would be there. Since it would also take us a week and a half to get back to Icefall City, a month seemed good.

“Fine,” Corie said with a scoff. “It’s not like you’re going to win anyway. When I win, you have to be my servant for the next month.”

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“Corie!” Lorelei said, aghast.

The killing intent emanating from Leroy grew stronger. Corie ignored it, and continued to face me.

“You heard me,” Corie said. “When I win, you have to be my servant for the next month.” Her smirk widened. “I like the idea of having a House brat wait on me hand and foot.”

Our spat started to draw attention from the rest of the caravan, and several people looked our way.

“How is that in any way equal to my wager?” I demanded. “There is a big difference between treating someone with courtesy and respect, and becoming someone’s servant.”

Corie shrugged.

“That is my wager,” she said. “Take it or leave it. Unless you’re too scared to back up your words with action.”

Seriously, what the fuck was this girl’s problem? Ever since we met, she had treated me with nothing but contempt and disdain. It would make sense if I had done something to her, but I hadn’t.

The other adventurers in the guild didn’t like me either, but they limited themselves to dirty looks. Apparently, Corie thought that was too tame.

I had confidence in my talisman, but the sheer gall of this girl demanded some kind of response. I couldn’t let her get away with treating me like this. She needed to be knocked down a peg.

“Fine,” I said. “But I’m changing my wager to match yours. When I win, you have to be my servant for the next month.”

“What?” Corie said, rearing back. “No way. Who do you think I am?”

A part of me found it funny that she would say something like that to me off all people. It almost felt like our roles were reversed, as if she was the young mistress of  House while I was the commoner mouthing off to her.

“Why not?” I asked with a snort. “It seems fair to me.”

“You-…” Corie started to say, but Lorelei interrupted her.

“Corie,” she said, a warning in her voice.

Corie shut her mouth and fumed for several seconds.

“All right then,” she spat out. “Fine. If that’s the case, let’s up the ante. The loser serves the winner for the next year. Deal?”

Oh, this poor girl. A part of me thought about letting her off the hook. She had no idea what she was getting herself into.

The rest of me said fuck it, let her dig her own grave.

“Deal,” I said, before standing up. “For this wager, let’s see if we can’t get some help.”

Since Corie wanted to take things this far, I might as well get started with my plan early. I had planned on Corie testing out my talisman herself, but with a wager like this, I might as well have an audience.

I walked to the center of the camp, drawing attention from everyone. The others followed me. Corie wore a confident smirk, though I saw a hint of unease in her eyes. Lorelei and Jeffrey both looked apprehensive, though for different reasons I imagine. Leroy was the only one who looked calm. Of course he was. He helped me test out the talismans. He knew how strong they were.

“Excuse me, fellow travelers,” I said, pitching my voice to carry to the rest of the camp. “I am hoping that one of you can help Corie and I resolve a wager of ours.”

The rest of the caravan glanced at each other with various expressions on their faces. Some looked annoyed, some looked amused, but most looked curious.

“What sort of wager?” someone called out. It was one of the five adventurers sent by Guildmaster Sinclair, one of the squishy spellcasters.

He was a man in his mid-twenties with tanned skin and russet red hair. His features were quite plain, but his blue eyes burned with an intensity that overshadowed his homely appearance. He wore red robes, wielded an enchanted staff topped with a Fire crystal, and his familiar, a Firehawk, rode on his shoulder.

His entire aesthetic screamed “Fire Wizard”, and he was indeed a Fire wizard of the Second Circle, though only to the second thread from the feel of it.

The man approached, followed by the other four adventurers sent by Guildmaster Sinclair. Lieutenant Hayden and a few of his guards approached as well. They weren’t the only ones, and soon a sizable crowd surrounded us.

I held up one of the many, many spare Protective Talismans I created, showing it off to everyone.

“This is a talisman,” I said. “It’s a limited use magic item that I created. This talisman in particular is a Protective Talisman, which can block damage equivalent to a spell cast by a First Circle wizard before wearing off.”

At this, several of the nearby adventurers scoffed in disbelief. The rest of the crowd wasn’t as vocal in their disbelief, though they still wore skeptical expressions.

“You expect us to believe that someone at your level of power created something like that?” the Fire wizard said, an amused expression on his face. I guessed his comrades elected him as their spokesperson. “I find that difficult to believe.”

The adventurers sent by Guildmaster Sinclair all wore expectant smiles. No doubt they thought that an arrogant House brat was about to be put in his place.

“See, Corie didn’t believe me either,” I said. “Thus the wager. I need someone to help us either prove my claim, or disprove it. If I win, Corie will be my servant for a year. If I lose, I will be Corie’s servant for a year.” I glanced back at Corie, who continued to smirk at me. “Initially, I wanted to bet lesser stakes, but she insisted on escalating the matter, and who am I to stop someone from suffering the consequences of their own actions?”

Corie stopped smirking when I said that. I turned back to face the crowd.

“Will one of you help us settle this wager?” I asked.

The crowd began to murmur to each other.

“Who does this brat think he is?”

“There’s no way he’s going to win.”

“It’ll be interesting to see this guy as Corie’s servant.”

The Fire wizard who spoke up earlier looked thoughtful.

“Does it have to be a wizard at the First Circle, or just a spell cast at that level of power?” he asked.

“Just a spell cast at that level of power.”

“In that case, I’ll help you settle this wager of yours.”

I clapped my hands together

“Excellent!” I turned to Lieutenant Hayden. “Will you act as an impartial observer and make sure no one interferes? You’re the closest we have to a neutral observer.”

Lieutenant Hayden looked like he just swallowed a lemon.

“I will, Lord Gabriel,” he said after a moment’s hesitation.

“Are you calling me a cheater?” the Fire wizard said, scowling.

I gave the man a smile that didn’t reach my eyes.

“I’m just taking all possibilities into consideration,” I said. “The last time I was in a situation like this, my opponent’s friends cheated to try and help him win. It didn’t work, but it pays to be vigilant.”

The Fire wizard’s scowled deepened.

“Fine,” he said. “How do you want to do this?”

“Simple,” I said. “You hit me with a spell at the ninth thread of the First Circle, and I’ll use a Protective Talisman to block it.”

At this, the murmuring increased in intensity.

“Lord Gabriel!” Lorelei said. “Corie didn’t mean anything with her words, surely there’s no reason for you to do this.” She turned to Corie. “Things have gone far enough. Just apologize already.”

If it was just about the wager, she might have had a point. However, this wasn’t just about the wager. The whole reason why I drew all this attention was to prove how effective my talismans were to a crowd of adventurers, the people most likely to need them. That was how I planned to earn more money and merits, in addition to adventuring.

Corie crossed her arms with a stubborn look on her face.

“He’s the one who insists on going through with this,” she said. “I’m not making him do anything.”

The Fire wizard looked at Leroy with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked. “Lord Gabriel here might get hurt.”

Leroy gave the man a faint smile.

“I have faith in the young master.”

The Fire wizard looked at him for several seconds, before shrugging.

“Well, I tried. Let’s get this over with.”

The two of us took up positions opposite of each other, while the rest of the camp formed a rough circle around us. They didn’t stand too close, in case anything went wrong. Several in the crowd exchanged coins, making bets with one another.

I started to take off my top, revealing my bare chest, though I made sure to keep the seal over my dantian hidden from view. Everyone stared at me in shock.

“What are you doing, Lord Gabriel?” Lorelei said. She blushed and averted her eyes.

She wasn’t the only one. Corie did as well. The other female adventurers didn’t. In fact, many of them leered at me.

“The Protective Talisman only protects your body,” I explained. “It doesn’t protect your clothing or any items you’re wearing. I don’t want to ruin my top.”

As I spoke, I activated one of my Protective Talismans and slapped it onto my arm. It stuck to me, as if glued there, and I felt it take effect.

“It’s not too late to back out,” the Fire wizard said, speaking in a low voice. “There’s no shame in admitting when you’re in over your head.”

Hats off to him for trying to do the decent thing, but it wasn’t necessary. I just grinned in response.

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “Just cast your spell whenever you’re ready.”

The Fire wizard studied me for a moment, before shaking his head.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Even as he spoke, he gathered mana in the palm of one of his hands. It became hot and fiery, turning into a spike made of flames. No, not a spike. A lance.

“Fire Lance!” the man yelled, thrusting his hand out.

The Fire Lance shot through the air towards me, aiming for my arm. It moved so fast that if it weren’t for my divine sense, I wouldn’t have seen it coming. I doubted I would have been able to dodge it, even if I used mana to enhance my body.

That was the power of a Second Circle wizard compared to a First Circle wizard. Thankfully, the Fire wizard held himself back to the ninth thread of the First Circle. Otherwise, this spell would have injured me even with the talisman. Without it, it wouldn’t have taken my arm.

The Fire Lance hit me in the arm and shattered. At the same time, the Protective Talisman ignited and turned to ash as it expended the mana inside it to keep me safe.

And that was it. Nothing else happened. I was fine. I wasn’t even singed.

Silence fell over the camp as everyone stared at me in wide-eyed shock. Well, not everyone. Leroy looked the same as ever. After all, he already knew how this was going to play out.

The Fire wizard gaped at me, mouth hanging open. He wasn’t the only one. Lorelei and Jeffrey reacted the same way. Corie’s face fell and she blanched.

I clapped my hands together, the sound ringing out and breaking the silence.

“And there you go,” I said. “As you can see, my Protective Talismans worked as I said they would. While they aren’t as good as using a shield spell, for those who can’t cast shield spells yet, having one can mean the difference between life and death.”

Shield spells were one of the ways wizards increased their survivability. After all, while wizards wielded great power, their bodies were still fragile. Without shield spells they wouldn’t last that long in a real fight. Even Earth wizards, who could reinforce their bodies with Earth internal magic, had their limits.

However, shield spells were difficult to cast, requiring a lot of mana, magical strength, and mana control to be even somewhat effective. That was why most wizards only gained the ability to cast shield spells when they formed their Second Circle, though a few managed to do it earlier than that. This was another reason why Second Circle wizards were more powerful than First Circle wizards.

“I just so happen to have several spare Protective Talismans on hand,” I said. “If any of you are interested in acquiring some, then come speak with me after we make camp tonight. I’m sure we can come to an arrangement.” I paused for effect. “I also have a few that can be used by regular mortals.”

Several of the adventurers in the crowd, most of whom were First Circle wizards, looked interested at this. So were several of the merchants, who were regular mortals. After all, they just saw for themselves how effective my Protective Talismans can be, and the world was a dangerous place. Having a life saving treasure could make a world of difference. I had no doubt that many of them would want to buy at least one talisman from me.

The Fire wizard’s expression turned sour, as he realized that I had used this entire situation as an excuse to advertise my wares. I ignored him and turned to Corie, giving her an evil grin. She took a step back.

“Now then,” I said, resisting the urge to cackle with glee. “I believe I won our little wager.”

The question was, would she honor our agreement? Everyone turned to her with expectant looks on their faces. However, a few of the female adventurers gave me ugly looks. I could imagine why, but they needn’t have worried. I didn’t plan to try anything untoward with Corie. I was an arrogant ass at times, but I wasn’t a scumbag.

After a few long moments, Corie slumped and closed her eyes.

“Yes, you did,” she said through gritted teeth. “I will keep my word. For the next year, I am your servant.”

“‘I am your servant’ what?’” I asked, just twist the knife.

Corie’s eyes snapped open and she glared at me. If looks could kill, I would be dead a thousand times over. Leroy muttered something to her that I didn’t catch.

“I am your servant,” Corie ground out. “Young master.”

Ah, music to my ears.