Knight Lords: Infinite Simulation and the Path of Light

Chapter 205 Taking the bait
The gold coins clattered onto the table, and the onlookers counted them silently in their minds.

Forty pieces, a full forty pieces! This young adventurer is truly formidable.

Russell, breathing heavily, watched Haven stack ten gold coins into a neat pile of four gold coin pillars in front of him. As Haven pushed the four gold coin pillars forward, Russell felt his heart skip a beat, and his eyes, hidden under his heavy eyelids, seemed about to bulge out.

"Hey, wanna go for a big one?"

Under Haven's gaze, Russell felt like he couldn't breathe. It wasn't that Haven released any immense pressure, but rather that the forty gold coins were simply too heavy. Even Russell, who had been overwhelmed by the repeated defeats, couldn't help but calm down a bit.

Of course, this composure only lasted a few seconds before being swallowed up by endless desire.

If I could win those forty gold coins, I could live a carefree life for two or three years if I spent them sparingly. Of course, if I did something with that money, I, Russell, would soon be known as Master Russell.

When Marigolo Yang retired from the city defense patrol, he only spent a little over three hundred gold coins to start Rotten Mushroom. If he can do it, why can't I?

Under this self-hypnotic brainwashing, Russell's last shred of rationality vanished, replaced by an overwhelming greed. His eyes were fixed on the four stacks of gold coins placed in front of Havent, as if they were already his.

"Cough cough~"

"Hahahaha~~~ Bro, we don't play for such high stakes here. We just have a lively and fun time with our brothers."

Although Russell really wanted the forty gold coins, he outwardly prepared to persuade him to decline. After all, when he won against those guys from Baro Province last time, those sore losers almost came to blows with him. This time, he had to handle things carefully. He wanted the money, but he had to get it safely.

"You're suddenly going to play this big game; it might damage the harmony between the brothers."

Looking at Russell, who had set a trap for him, Haven found it somewhat amusing; this guy was even playing hard to get with him.

"Oh, I see. That's a real shame. Never mind, I'm not playing anymore. I'm going back to rest."

Seeing the fat sheep about to run away, Russell couldn't accept it. Those were all his money, his money. To have those forty gold coins taken back right in front of him was worse than being killed.

"Hey~ no, since you want to play, I'm naturally willing too."

Russell placed his large hand on the table and looked at Haven with the best smile he had ever given, although the smile seemed a bit disgusting to Haven.

"Okay, in that case, let's play on a smaller scale first."

As he spoke, he took down five gold coins and placed them in the betting area.

Seeing that Haven only bet five gold coins, Russell breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little disappointed.

However, the thought that if the other party really placed forty gold coins at once would put considerable pressure on Russell, since if he really caused a stir, it would be like cutting flesh off his own body.

Soon the gambling resumed, and as the stakes increased, most of the people in the tavern came to watch. For them, even if they couldn't participate in the excitement themselves, it was still very enjoyable to experience it as spectators.

After two rounds, Havent had two fewer stacks of gold coins in front of him, while Russell had twenty more gleaming Imperial coins in front of him.

The latter was holding the gold coin in his palm, examining it closely, as if he were admiring the most precious thing in the world.

"Hehehe, bro, I'm so sorry."

Haven didn't show any particular emotion about this, as if he wasn't the one who lost twenty gold coins in two games.

"It's okay, let's continue. You're not planning to quit, are you?"

Having won two more games, Russell, whose confidence had swelled to the extreme, naturally couldn't possibly stop playing, thus erasing the last bit of worry that had risen in his heart.

"Hahahaha, what are you saying, bro? How could I, Russell, be that kind of person? You can ask around, Brothers, when are you finished talking? I, Russell, am not going to keep you company."

"Play! Play as much as you want! We're going to have a blast today!"

Seeing Russell's reaction, Haven also acted impulsively, betting all his remaining coins, looking just like a desperate young man trying to win back his losses in one fell swoop.

Marigoldo Yang, sitting on the huge recliner by the bar, took a couple of sips of the hot tea handed to him by the waiter, then leaned back in the chair to catch his breath.

The path they've walked wasn't difficult, but for the aging Mario Groyan, whose energy is waning, it has become an extremely challenging task.

For Marigoloyan, ever since the incident at the pier a few days ago, he has been filled with anxiety and fear.

Having brought so many people there, I thought they were conducting some kind of human tissue trafficking or experimentation, but I never expected that these guys in the shadows were carrying out activities of an evil god.

Upon learning that His Majesty Emperor Frederick IV had personally come to the scene to quell the riots and was nearly killed by the werewolves, Marigloyan's heart nearly jumped out of his throat.

Although His Majesty the Emperor escaped the attack unscathed, the investigation into the beastmen must be put on the agenda, and he has even begun his own investigation.

I visited a few old friends from the patrol team these past few days, and they all said that there might be some action coming up from above, but they didn't know what the specific action would be.

Already feeling guilty, Marigolo Yang lost all courage after confirming that the authorities would indeed take action. He rushed to the junkyard for help, but what happened next made him even more desperate.

There was no one there. After searching the warehouse without finding anything, Marigloyan stood at the basement entrance, extremely conflicted. After struggling for a moment, listening to the roars of wild beasts coming from below, he finally gave up. From that moment on, Marigloyan knew he had been ruthlessly abandoned. What awaited him was only the day when he would be found by those spies and investigators, taken back to a dark cell, and subjected to endless torture and interrogation.

This torment put immense psychological pressure on Marigolo Yang. He did consider escaping the capital, but the wealth he had accumulated over the years prevented him from making a decisive decision to give it up. Under such anxieties, Marigolo Yang visibly became thin and listless, both mentally and physically.

The once domineering old man who dominated the southeastern part of the city has lost his former glory. Even his old habit of drinking a glass of strong liquor every day has unknowingly turned into a cup of warm tea.

"What's going on over there? Why are there so many people?"

Marigoldo Yang, sprawled out in his seat, looked at the shouting crowd in the distance and turned to the waiter beside him to ask a question.

The waiter was wiping the wine glasses when he heard his boss's words. He stood on tiptoe, listened intently for a while, and then replied.

"Boss, Russell's gambling. From what the onlookers are saying, the stakes seem pretty high right now. Why don't you go and shut him up?"

Hearing his buddy's reply, Marigoldo felt a little irritated and tried to sit up. This damn guy had ignored what he said. He had told him not to cause trouble.

However, Marigolo Yang's anger came and went quickly; the rage in his chest vanished before he could even sit up.

"Damn it, this idiot has gone this far again. When will he ever behave himself? If he tries any more tricks and gets caught, I'm not helping him anymore."

The men weren't surprised that their boss didn't seem inclined to get up; after all, he hadn't made a move in a long time, and they had grown accustomed to his mild demeanor.

"Yeah, boss. Speaking of which, Russell has been getting more and more unruly lately. I've heard him talking about you in the pub more than once."

As he spoke, the man glanced back at his boss, and seeing that Marigoldan didn't react in any particular way, continued:
"On several occasions, he even spoke ill of you in front of many guests. He doesn't seem to realize how much you've helped him over the years. He's really becoming more and more unruly."

While working, the man kept complaining about Russell's various affairs, completely unaware that Marigoldan, who was slumped in his chair, was becoming increasingly cold-eyed. Although he had been distracted by what happened that night, his years of experience as a mob boss had made Marigoldan instinctively aware of the probing he was being put through by his subordinates.

Marigoldo Young encountered many such tests during his years of cultivating rotten mushrooms. In the first few years, these tests were so frequent that they happened almost every day. Later, as his reputation spread throughout the lower city, these tests gradually became less frequent.

And now this kind of probing has occurred again. It seems that these wild dogs think he is old and want to come up and devour his flesh. Marigoldon's triangular eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the crowd not far away, as if trying to see through the layers of people to see Russell sitting in his seat. Then he turned his head to look at the worker next to him and fell into deep thought. No one knew what the old man was thinking.

"Oh no!!! Boss!!! Boss!!!"

"They've started fighting! They've started fighting!"

Amidst the shrill shouts of his companions, Marigoldo Yang was jolted out of his reverie and looked up at the chaotic crowd not far away.

There was a clang.

Marigolo Yang's teacup was knocked to the ground. The tavern owner, who stood up from his chair, asked his waiter with a puzzled look. After all, everything was fine just a moment ago. How did a fight break out in the short time he was thinking about something?

"What happened? How did they start fighting?"

The guy was a bit dazed at this point, but he regained his senses after being roughly shoved by Marigolo Yang a few times.

"Boss, it seems like Russell lost and got angry, saying the other side cheated, and then they started fighting."

Upon hearing the waiter's rough description of the situation, Marigold cursed inwardly, bent down, pulled out a rusty broadsword from under the bar, and strode menacingly toward the crowd.

"Damn it, get out of the way, all of you get out of the way. If you dare to cause trouble here, I think you're all tired of living."

The crowd that had been watching the fight in a circle turned around when they heard the noise behind them. When they saw the tavern owner walking over with his machete, they scattered like birds and beasts. After all, no one wanted to get hit by the back of a knife on Old Marigold's way in.

Without the crowd blocking his way, Marigoldo Yang rushed to the center of the fight. Calling it a fight might be an overstatement, since the other person wasn't fighting back and was just taking hits. How could that be called a brawl? It would be more accurate to call it a one-sided beating.

Seeing Russell being trampled under Haven's feet like a dead pig, Marigroyan's face twitched involuntarily. Compared to Haven, Russell was at least three times heavier, but now that idiot Russell was lying on the ground groaning, showing off his jiggling fat to the crowd.

"Hey, young man, what's your name? I'm Marigolo Yang, the owner of this hotel. My friends call me Old Knife for their sake. If you have any problems, feel free to tell me. I'll take care of anything I can."

Haven loosened Russell's fingers, which had been bent at a 90-degree angle, and looked Marigold up and down. This was the right way for him to be.
"Hehehe~~ Really? You can solve everything? This guy says he's your best brother, so how do you handle the gambling and cheating here?"

Faced with Haven's questioning tone, before Mariglo Yang could say anything, Russell, who was being trampled under Haven's feet, got excited first. It seemed that Mariglo Yang's arrival gave him courage, and he began to curse at Haven.

"Bullshit! You better let me up right now and apologize to me, or Boss Yang from Marigolo will make you regret it!"

Haven looked down at the fat guy who was still barking at him like a dog and laughed happily. He had to admit that this guy was a very competent prop, very good at adding drama to his role at the right time.

"Ah~~ It seems that Boss Marigolo Yang thinks so too, is that right?"

Under Havent's lion-like gaze, Marigold felt his heart skip a beat. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Havent grabbed the dice from the gambling table and squeezed them hard, causing a small black cube to fall from the shattered dice.

"Now, can Boss Marigolo Yang give me an explanation?"

(End of this chapter)