Chapter 74: Raise the Bet
Benedict arranged lodging for the three hundred knights near the duke's residence and sent beautiful maids to attend to their bathing, dressing, and sexual needs.
Although the knights didn't refuse, they showed no enthusiasm either. After washing, they simply dressed and left the bathing area, leaving the maids perplexed.
In their previous days, they might have succumbed to their lusts and indulged themselves, but their journey had hardened their wills like steel. Even if a kingdom's princess had stripped naked before them, they wouldn't have flinched.
This left the duke even more in awe of the terror these knights represented.
That evening, he hosted a banquet at his residence, both to celebrate their victory over the beast tide and to welcome the three hundred knights.
At the banquet, he shed his formal identity, personally raising his glass to each knight and engaging in lively conversations. He shared jokes from the noble circles, making the knights laugh heartily, quickly creating a bond between them.
During this opportunity, Benedict discreetly inquired things about the trial. The knights were frank and told him about their experiences without hesitation.
The more Benedict listened, the more astonished he became.
Many of the places they mentioned along the path of the trial were known to him, and none were anything but treacherous.
The educational gap was evident, the knights lacked his eloquence, and their words were free of exaggerations, but their straightforward narratives sent the duke on a rollercoaster of emotions.
Crossing cliffs thousands of meters high, storming through the nesting grounds of wyverns, navigating jungles teeming with poisonous creatures—even though he hadn't witnessed these events firsthand, merely imagining them sent shivers down the duke's spine.
Initially, he considered sending his own soldiers to venture down this path of trial, but after this conversation, he abandoned the idea completely.
As a Duke of Lucanmont, Benedict had full confidence in his troops, especially after the recent battle against the beast tide showcased their exceptional qualities. However, even with that in mind, he doubted how many of his soldiers could conquer the trial.
Perhaps one in ten? Or maybe just one in a hundred?
Undoubtedly, he could amass a mightier army, but the cost would be outrageous, and Benedict couldn't bear to lose even a single one of his well-trained troops.
This further deepened his admiration for these three hundred knights. They, as mere mortals, had conquered the path of death. Truly, these three hundred knights deserved the title of true knights, as recognized by the king himself!
Meanwhile, Arkhan sat on the upper floor, a smile gracing his lips as he observed the lively scene below.
Although he had anticipated the outcome, watching it unfold still filled him with joy.
Finally, he had escaped the awkward position of being a commander without an army and had a loyal army at his command.
This army's cohesion and combat prowess were unparalleled in the current era, capable of triumphing over opponents ten times their number with ease.
"Are you ready, Nidhogg? Don't forget our bet; the loser serves as a servant for the winner for ten years. And don't you dare back out when the time comes, yeah?"
"W-Who would back out! I haven't lost yet!"
While Nidhogg spoke with confidence, a hint of unease simmered in her heart.
She had never witnessed humans with such overwhelming strength and willpower, unlike the pitiful thieves she was used to, who would grovel and bow to the gods, seeking any sliver of hope. Despite the decline of the Age of Gods, those three hundred humans remained strong and didn't seem to have lost their inherent weakness.
However, when she saw those three hundred humans dragging the corpses of twenty wyverns toward Lucanmont, her once unshakable resolve wavered.
At that moment, she almost believed these people had emerged from Odin's Valhalla. Could it be that humans of this era were truly different from the past as Arkhan claimed?
The only solace Nidhogg found now was that there remained an essential difference between humans and gods in terms of their existence.
Trying to kill a god as a human was an entirely impossible endeavor.
To truly kill a god, one needed to be a god themselves, possess the concept of 'god slayer', or wield a divine weapon that could slay gods. The first two were irrelevant, and as for the latter...
Even if Nidhogg were to cut off her own head, she couldn't fathom how Arkhan could find enough divine weapons to equip an entire army.
The difficulty of this task alone far exceeded the challenge of slaying a god.
Therefore, she stood safe and believed that she had already won from the very beginning of this bet.
With that thought in mind, Nidhogg's previously restless heart gradually calmed, and she quipped, "I advise you to be humble, or else... if you lose, I won't hesitate to mock you mercilessly."
"So, you're quite confident, huh?" Arkhan raised his glass to his lips, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Hmph! Since I've agreed, I naturally have confidence in winning." Nidhogg retorted proudly.
"In that case..." Arkhan lightly tapped the armrest with his finger. "How about we raise the bet a bit? What do you say?"
"What do you want to do?" Nidhogg inquired.
"Just one thing." A faint, mysterious smile played on Arkhan's lips. "Apart from ten years of servitude, the loser must do one thing for the winner, anything without exception."
"What if I were to command you to die? Would you do it?" Nidhogg retorted with a cold huff.
"As long as you can win..." Arkhan replied, extending his glass to be refilled by a nearby maid. "Although the chances are quite slim."
"You!" Nidhogg was infuriated. Since her first encounter with Arkhan, she had lost count of how many times she felt underestimated by him. Now, his taunts pushed her limits.
She was Nidhogg, the Dragon of Despair who devoured the world, the symbol of Ragnarok. This uncivilized monkey had no right to be so arrogantly disdainful of her!
"Very well! I agree!"
In a fit of rage, Nidhogg agreed without hesitation.
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