Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 344 Sudden Wealth - Earning Tens of Thousands of Gold a Day! And Su Li's abundant talent acquisition.

Today's grand ceremony is undoubtedly a great honor for the knights who have been nominated. Regardless of their past background or current status, they have become the most dazzling and glorious group in the city, closely guarding the statue of the Goddess of the Sun, parading around the city, and then entering the Lion Ring Arena amidst the attention of tens of thousands of people.

In a single day, he perfectly exemplified the saying: "Past misery is nothing to boast of, today's unrestrained thoughts are boundless. Riding a swift horse in the spring breeze, he sees all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day."

Human beings are naturally inclined to worship heroes, and in this dark and apathetic empire, this worship has been amplified to the extreme.

Each participant attracted a large number of fans and supporters, with tens of thousands cheering for them and enthusiastically supporting the knights they had bet on.

With the selection phase over, the official tournament began, and all competitions and betting took place within the Lion Ring. Harley, who was in charge of managing the gambling business in this arena, immediately sought out Su Li to report excitedly.

"My lord, our betting scheme has been a great success, garnering over 8000 gold crowns in the first round alone!"

Su Li also showed a happy expression. This halfling was the nephew of Foreign Minister Hatzkelin. When he first entered the Hessen Territory, he showed an extraordinary business mind. Now, the betting business of this competition is also very successful under his management.

The first round yielded over 8000 gold crowns! At a 5% commission, that's over 400 gold crowns. And with five rounds of battles on the first day alone, the territory easily generated over 2000 gold crowns in revenue.

Don't underestimate 2000 gold crowns; it's a stable income. If the territory's casino can earn 2000 every day, that's truly making a fortune, exceeding 80000 gold crowns a month! All of the territory's current problems can be easily solved.

More importantly, winners also have to pay taxes. For example, if a gambler wins 50 gold crowns, 45% of his winnings will be deducted by the casino before he receives them and handed over directly to the Hessian territory.

That's why Su Li attaches so much importance to this Glorious Arena and this gambling business, because each round of gambling can actually provide Su Li with about 2000 coins in revenue and tax.

This is why casinos are a highly profitable monopoly. Regardless of who wins or loses, the house doesn't care because they always make money through their cut. No casino gets nervous when gamblers win; they only get nervous when no gamblers come to gamble.

It's safe to say that once a casino is open, it's practically guaranteed to make a fortune. A normal person could earn a fortune overnight, but to run a casino and go bankrupt during the rise of an empire, when its power was at its zenith and believers flocked from all over the world, is something only an oddball like Trump could pull off. The biggest reason for the bankruptcy was probably that gamblers didn't thank him after winning money and were kicked out.

Su Li sat on the top floor of Lion Ring, looking down at the tens of thousands of gamblers and believers cheering wildly. It was like looking at tens of thousands of hens that lay golden eggs. He was extremely pleased.

What pleased him even more were the knights on the field. After entering the Lion Ring, the affairs of hosting the competition were handed over to professionals.

The warm-up matches have already begun on the field, still imbued with the style of the Church of the Sun Goddess, which emphasizes military discipline, strategic wisdom, and the fight against evil.

The goddess's followers are usually warriors, knights, and officers, so they are exceptionally straightforward and bold, and they made no secret of choosing the evil river trolls from Blue Mirror Territory as their target for the warm-up match.

The crowd was cheering wildly, applauding and supporting the Knights of the Church of the Sun, who represented human glory, justice, and civilization.

Countless people shouted for the knights in the arena to swiftly execute this evil man from Blue Mirror Territory!
At the height of the crowd's excitement and the frenzied atmosphere, the champion knight on the field began to openly smear Blue Mirror Territory. He spoke vehemently, saying that all the actions of closing the border, obstructing shipping routes, and raising tariffs were the conspiracy of the evil river troll witch.

As the knight of the Goddess of the Sun, he will use the golden blade bestowed upon him by the goddess to cut down all evil!

Amidst the cheers and excitement of countless people, he held a golden longsword, gleaming with golden light, and with one stroke severed the filthy head of the river troll.

The gushing blood instantly brought the atmosphere in the arena to a new climax.

The people of the empire are a people full of passion and fighting spirit. They admire all powerful forces that use violence to destroy evil and believe that this represents the most righteous civilization of mankind.

Under the deliberate guidance of the crowd, Black Forest Territory undoubtedly became the representative of civilization, while Blue Mirror Territory, which sealed off its borders and raised tariffs, was an evil force whose lord had been bewitched by the river troll witch.

As the champion knights raised their arms and shouted, "Purify Blue Mirror Lake, sweep away the evil minions!"

The entire Lion Ring erupted in cheers and clamor. At this moment, everyone was fervently in support of the expedition to Blue Mirror Lake, believing it to be a civilized expedition and a purification of evil!
Undoubtedly, through this grand Glorious Arena Festival, Black Forest Territory gained a significant advantage in public opinion over Blue Mirror Territory. Both within and outside the territory, there was overwhelming support for Su Li's punitive war against the evil Blue Mirror Territory.

Then, amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere, the Lion Ring officially launched the competition segment of the Glorious Arena.

Su Li also got up with great interest and looked at the knights on the field. These were all elites of a territory. Their competition basically represented the highest military level of the Black Forest Territory.

At first glance, Su Li quickly noticed some outstanding individuals.

A knight wielding a bow and arrow was like a mage turret, unleashing his full firepower. Green star arrows rained down, and the dazzling psionic light was as radiant as fireworks, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

If it were an ordinary elite knight, he would blast them to smithereens before they could even get close.

But his opponent remained unmoved by the attack, stomping down with his right foot, crushing the marble platform of the arena. A large amount of rubble formed a barrier in front of him, and then his shield shone with golden light, firmly holding it in front of him. The green Star Arrow struck the shield, exploding with a deafening explosion.

Su Li was astonished: "Is this the formidable power of a champion-level fighter?"

Reaching this level is practically beyond the realm of ordinary people; no wonder champions can almost always take on a hundred opponents single-handedly.

Hilde introduced Su Li: "The knight with the shield is a champion knight under our high-ranking squire. He broke through to the champion level under your command, so there's no need to elaborate. But the Green Field Knight who uses arrows is a rare lone champion knight named Aldric Stephen, the Lone Forest Watcher and the Sunbow."

"It is said that he was born in a village on the edge of Drake Forest, and from childhood he lived among the Hullins and Rangers, learning tracking and archery. His family has guarded the forest pass for generations, defending against the invasion of wild beasts and Chaos Scatterers. His mother was a famous herbalist who concocted potions with forest secrets, which gave him superhuman senses and emerald-like leaf patterns in his pupils."

"When he was 12, he used his father’s oak longbow to kill an armored lizard that was attacking the village, the arrow piercing its eye socket with precision. The lizard’s scales were forged into the first armor, and from then on the name “Green Field” was spread throughout the border."

Around the age of 18, Eldrick participated in the extermination of Chaos cultists lurking in the forest. He alone infiltrated the enemy camp from the canopy, ignited the Chaos altar with his Star Arrow, and killed the cult's chief priest, thus dismantling the sorcery. From then on, he earned the title "Bow of the Sun," and the church knights who witnessed his archery praised him, saying, "His arrows are like the morning light in the forest, piercing through darkness and chaos."

"The battle that made him famous and revered was the 'Golden Leaf Pass' ambush. When facing the Greenskins' charge, the Eldric archers of wisdom placed paralyzing thistles in front of their lines, and then used Star Arrows to blast the juice of the thistles into the air. The juice that splashed onto the legs of the orc warboars had a huge paralyzing effect, causing the beasts to lose control and trample their own lines. This gave the Imperial cavalry the opportunity to attack and encircle them, helping the Imperial army to defeat the Greenskins' invasion."

Su Li looked at the knight with a cloak and a thick beard with delight. There was no doubt that he was a brave and resourceful knight of the Church of the Goddess of the Sun.

What's even more remarkable is that his skill level is at the champion level!

Although a territory can mobilize a group of champion knights to participate in the competition, this does not mean that champion-level knights are not valuable. In fact, each champion-level knight is equivalent to a fierce general in an army.

No army can have only one general; naturally, the more the better, with fierce generals raining down.

Furthermore, if we narrow down the search to the Greenfield Knights, among the bow-wielding knights of the Black Forest Territory, only Alfred, the Beast Hunter Eagle Eye, leader of the Light Arrow Knights, is a Champion Knight. Apart from him, no other Greenfield Knight in the entire knightly order possesses Champion-level strength.

Although Sylvanas is exceptionally talented and many people have high hopes for her, believing she can break through to the Champion rank, she is currently stuck at the Elite rank.

"If this knight could join our territory, it would undoubtedly significantly enhance our ranged capabilities."

Hearing Su Li's excited exclamation, Hilde had to say, "This is a difficult matter, my lord. We have spoken with Eldrick, and he has no intention of leaving the Church Knights to join the Black Forest Territory."

"He said he's used to being alone, and with his war eagle, he prefers the vast sky and the free forest." "He also owns a war eagle?" That's a war eagle rider! "His record in competitions isn't 2-16, is it?"

“No, that’s not it,” Hilde replied immediately. “On the contrary, he is very strong. Many knights have said they would not want to fight him while he is riding his warhawk, so for the sake of fairness, he cannot ride his warhawk in the arena. Similarly, it would be unfair to him if both sides were on horseback, so he dismounts his warhawk and his opponent cannot ride a warhorse either.”

incredible!
He single-handedly persuaded the organizers to set a separate rule for him.

While Su Li and Hilde were talking, the competition on the field had already come to a conclusion!
As a heavily armored knight, he was somewhat cumbersome after dismounting from his warhorse. In particular, this champion knight was inclined to the earth element and usually relied on a half-griffin to make up for his lack of speed. Now that he was forced to dismount, he was unable to maneuver at all. After several charges failed to completely defeat his opponent, he was forced to raise his hands and admit defeat.

Both sides displayed a civilized approach to warfare, showing humility in victory and elegance in defeat. This attracted cheers and screams from a group of women. This was how women imagined war to be: knights in white gloves, roses pinned to their breasts, riding white horses, all gentlemanly and courteous.

However, aside from a very few battles where the opposing forces were mismatched or the disparity in strength was too great, the remaining battles were filled with bloodshed and violence. Most knights were extremely irritable and stubborn, like mules, and would never easily admit defeat.

Fighting to the bitter end is their norm. Even if they are knocked down, they still roar in defiance, demanding a ransom for another fight. Especially those who fight to the very end and are narrowly defeated by one move are even more dissatisfied. As soon as the referee makes the final decision, they immediately jump up from the ground and continue to roar for a rematch.

This ransom is extremely high, equivalent to one-tenth of one's own worth! That is, a regular knight has to pay at least 5 gold crowns to re-fight a match, and an elite knight has to pay at least 25 gold crowns to re-fight a match.

In less than half an hour, the arena brought Su Li more than 4000 gold crowns, making him instantly rich!

The main point is that as long as someone proposes a rematch, it's impossible to fight just one match. There will be a maximum of three revival matches, with the first player to win four matches or the opponent who gives up winning.

However, the knights of the empire are so impulsive that they are unwilling to easily admit defeat even in a horse-riding duel with lances, let alone in such a grand duel that everyone is watching.

Many arenas last until the seventh round before a winner is decided. Such an elite arena can generate 150 gold crowns in ransom. Su Li takes 60% of it, which is 90 gold crowns.

In the championship arena, gold flows like water, and the ransom for a rematch can reach nearly 150 gold crowns.

What if you don't have enough to pay the ransom? No problem at all! The arena offers a one-stop service! Not only are there betting odds right next to the ring, but there's also a halfling bank offering loans to knights. If you can't repay, no problem either; you can sign a military service contract with the territory. Elite knights receive a monthly salary of 5 gold crowns, 4 of which will be used to repay the loan.

Following this model, Su Li made a fortune.

This kind of competition perfectly blends the thrill of fierce fighting with the excitement of gambling, making every participant and witness feel their blood boil and unable to stop.

Here lies an opportunity to make a name for oneself, such as the exceptionally unique elite knight, Blood Shield Jess Stewart, a knight of remarkable resilience. Even during the earlier selection rounds, numerous individuals and followers had already taken notice of this powerful elite knight.

He was practically a Saint Seiya, incredibly resilient. His enemies might defeat him once, or even twice, but each time he would rise again, burning with fighting spirit to continue the battle.

Just as a Saint Seiya cannot be defeated twice by the same move, he is the same. He can always learn and improve in battle, and then rely on his powerful defense and recovery abilities to defeat his opponent.

Several times, even the most avid gamblers thought the knight was about to give up. The referees and commentators on the sidelines thought the blood-soaked knight would never get up again. But to everyone's astonishment and shock, he always managed to get up again and again, grit his teeth and fight on, wearing down his opponents.

Based on his current performance, he is undoubtedly the favorite to win the elite group championship.

Because elite knights only have a limited number of bloodline abilities and divine magic abilities, there won't be much variation. This powerful elite knight can obviously turn defeat into victory by relying on his strong resilience and learning ability.

His title of Blood Shield does not come from the blood-stained shield he holds, but from the fact that his blood-stained body is as resilient as the shield, always able to stand firm!
Of course, there are also gamblers here who go bankrupt. Gamblers, gamblers, nine out of ten lose!

Just like this Blood Shield Jayce Stewart, although he repeatedly turned the tide, in fact, from the moment he entered this gamble and competition, he was destined to lose everything!

From the moment he first paid the ransom, there was no turning back. Although he always managed to turn the tide and win, when he won, he only received 40% of the ransom after tax, which was only 10 gold crowns. But when he lost, he had to pay the full 25 gold crowns as ransom.

So from the moment Jess entered this competition, he embarked on a gambler's destiny. His only chance to turn things around was to win every match and become the champion.

But for gamblers, the worst thing is having even a sliver of hope to turn things around. This faint hope will inevitably drag them into an even darker abyss.

All of this is very much in line with the dark and despairing style of this world.

However, Su Li was in a good mood because it meant that this powerful elite knight was destined to be his man.

Su Li had witnessed his battles and believed he had a high probability of breaking through to become a Champion Knight. If he did successfully achieve this, Su Li wouldn't mind helping them pay off their current debts. What was a huge problem for an Elite Knight was actually quite easy for a Champion Knight to solve.

While Su Li was focused on the other knights, cheers erupted from the arena. In fact, this competition was more than just a festival to attract other knights; it was the perfect stage to showcase the territory's formidable military strength. In the battles within the arena, the knights of Black Forest Territory clearly held an overwhelming advantage!
This caused the onlookers and gamblers to cheer continuously. These people were also very shrewd. Whenever there was a battle between territorial knights and outsiders, they almost never hesitated to bet on the knights of Black Forest Territory to cheer for their own knights.

The knights of the territory lived up to expectations, defeating their opponents time and time again, allowing their subjects who had bet on them to make a fortune.

The feeling of our own people fighting for victory, and the situation of dominating the opponent, was incredibly exhilarating, and the stadium erupted in thunderous cheers time and time again.

The cheers of the people even overwhelmed the morale of the other thousands of knights!

This atmosphere of unity and fervent cohesion is unparalleled in its appeal to the knights.

The corrupting influence of chaos permeates this world, and the most effective way for mortals to combat it is through fervent devotion and unwavering focus. Clearly, this religious fanaticism and extreme fervor greatly attract the interest of knights.

Su Li's gaze was also drawn to the arena, and he quickly smiled and said to Hilde, "Our territory really has a lot of powerful people."

It's no exaggeration to say that a large number of formidable figures have emerged. Many of these knights are ones Su Li hadn't even paid much attention to, clearly representing a new generation of knights who have joined and grown up. This perfectly demonstrates the abundance of talent within this territory; Su Li witnessed at least four of the territory's knights decisively defeating their opponents on the field.

Standing beside Su Li, looking down at the arena, Hilde's heroic face was full of confidence as she said, "All of this is undoubtedly thanks to your leadership, Lord. Our knights have been able to have so many opportunities and combat power."

She then pointed to the arena and said, "The knights you see active on the field are all the best in our army, and they are expected to break through to become champion knights. One of them is Iron Lung Calvin Trang. He was once a resident knight and a member of the Flame Sun Knights. In a war in which the beastmen attacked the farm outside the city at night, he rode his warhorse and fought against more than 50 horned beasts and inferior horned beasts. The battle lasted all night and he finally killed all the horned beasts and killed two great horned beasts and one great horned bull."

"Green Valley Knight Matilda de Merkel, a powerful female knight. When the Green-skinned War Pig Riders and the Giant Pig Riders charged into the wheat field, she launched a counterattack with only three armed squires. In the end, all three of her armed squires were killed in battle, but she survived that terrible battlefield, surrounded by the corpses of seven Giant Green-skinned Warriors and twelve Green-skinned War Pig Riders. You know the fighting power of the Giant Green-skinned Warriors; each one is no weaker than an elite human knight."

"Raven von Varley, the Water Mirror Knight and Arbiter, is best known for his one-stop mediation of a fierce conflict between two villages over water. He single-handedly defeated hundreds of brawlers, including knights, squires, and retired veterans! And in a gang fight in the city, he single-handedly dispersed more than 30 thugs."

"And finally, the Oath of the Lone Tower - Dawn Knight - Edwin Belame, in a battle during a plague undead attack on a border outpost, Edwin cut through the ranks of hundreds of undead monsters and killed the necromancer who commanded this army of the dead amidst thousands of troops."

After saying that, Hilde's lips curled up slightly with a smile as she looked at Su Li: "My lord, I think you understand what this means."

What does it mean? Su Li's smile faltered instantly. He had just been excited about having so many talented people under his command, but seeing Hilde's smile, he immediately realized what it meant.

This means that I'll be competing against these terrifying guys for the championship!?
(End of this chapter)