Chapter 373 - 372: A Loss?
Madeline remained silent at Sol's statement, neither confirming nor denying his words, but that reaction alone told him everything he needed to know.
Sol continued, his tone calm yet firm.
"There are only two ways this ends. The first is that Thorwyn keeps breaking your shields until Bob eventually runs out of them, you would have no choice to concede at that point, making it his win. The second is that the battle drags on long enough for Bob to burn through so many items that even if Bob somehow wins, you'll still be at a loss from all the destroyed items in the process. Of course, there's always the possibility that Thorwyn makes a mistake... but given that he's only getting better as the fight continues, we both know that's not likely to happen."
His eyes gleamed as he leaned slightly forward.
"No matter how you look at it, this ends in your loss. The only difference is how much you're willing to lose in the process. How much gold have you burned already? Each of those items Bob is using are unique at the very least, so let's say they cost 500 gold apiece. That means you've already lost 2,500 gold in gear. So tell me, Madeline—how much more are you willing to spend just for a chance at Bob winning? 10,000? 15,000?"
He let the number settle before delivering the final blow.
"If you really wanted to win, you'd use your technique not just on the items but on Bob itself. But, as you said earlier, Bob's combat value is worth 25,000 gold. Do you really want to risk destroying him with your own law technique just to win this fight? Is 23,000 gold worth of fur worth the risk?"
"Bob will be destroyed!?"
Chloe, who had been struggling to keep up with Sol's breakdown, misinterpreted his words and panicked.
She turned to her mother, her eyes wide with worry.
"Mom! Please save Bob! I don't want him to get hurt!"
Madeline immediately moved to calm her daughter's fears, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay, Chloe. That won't happen. Bob is going to be fine."
As Sol finished his analysis, he casually lifted his teacup and took a slow sip, leaving Madeline to her thoughts.
Silence lingered between them for a moment before she let out a low sigh.
"I know I'm technically the one cheating here," she admitted, "but why does it feel like I'm the one who got tricked?"
Sol smirked. "You can only blame yourself for underestimating Thorwyn."
Madeline turned her gaze back to the fight—only to see Thorwyn's combat value continuing to rise with every exchange.
The increase wasn't as drastic as the original jump to 19,000, but it had now reached 22,000.
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Meanwhile, Bob's combat value remained stagnant. After all, Bob was, at the end of the day, an item that operated under a rune construct with limited abilities. It wasn't able to grow mid combat like a real living being such as Thorwyn.
The only way such a thing could happen was if Madeline risked everything and used her law technique on it.
And at this rate, it was only a matter of time before Thorwyn surpassed him completely.
She knew this from the moment Thorwyn's value spiked, but she hadn't conceded. Maybe it was in hopes that Bob would prevail regardless or that Sol would concede on his own end or some other reason she was keeping to herself. But regardless of the reason, it was time she admitted defeat.
...
Madeline let out another sigh before standing up from her seat.
"Bob, stand down."
The magical carriage immediately ceased its attacks, halting mid motion. The various magical attacks that had been shooting out from the items and flying toward Thorwyn stopped.
Thorwyn, who had been weaving through the relentless barrage, landed lightly on his feet, his ears twitching in confusion.
But when he saw the floating magic items around the carriage retract one by one, pulled back inside the carriage, he realized he had won.
"Awoooo!" (I won!)
With a triumphant bark, Thorwyn hopped into the air and his tail wagged excitedly.
Sol chuckled at his reaction and started making his way over, his expression amused. Not far behind him, Madeline and Chloe followed.
"Congratulations, Thorwyn." Sol said as he approached, giving the wolf a pat on the head. "Looks like you get to keep your fur after all."
Thorwyn let out a proud huff, puffing out his chest.
Meanwhile, Chloe ran past them, heading straight for Bob. She placed her hands against the carriage's side, her brows furrowed with worry.
"Bob? Bob, are you okay?" she asked anxiously.
Madeline, watching her daughter fret over the magical construct, reassured her with a calm smile. "Don't worry, Bob is fine. He wasn't actually damaged, only a few shields were broken."
Chloe blinked up at her before sighing in relief. "That's good..." She then turned and pouted at Sol and Thorwyn. "But I still wanted Bob to win!"
Thorwyn let out a smug snort.
"Huff! (Too bad! I like my fur!)"
...
A little while later, the group reconvened at the mansion's entrance.
Madeline folded her arms and regarded Sol with a measured look.
"A deal is a deal." She said, her tone composed. "And I am a businesswoman of my word."
She reached into her coat and retrieved a small ornate box, opening it to reveal a single, yellow marble, the Mimic Eye of Learning.
Without hesitation, she handed it over to Sol.
"And as for you," she turned to Thorwyn, presenting the Storm Champion's Embrace. It appeared slightly different from before, now slightly modified with a strap made of the similar looking material as the item to fit around his neck while not ruining its design.
Thorwyn's eyes widened slightly as he let Sol fasten it around his neck.
Both he and Sol were pleased to receive the promised rewards, and Sol gave her a nod of appreciation.
"Thanks, Madeline," he said sincerely. "And... sorry for making you take such a heavy loss."
While it was a bet and she was caught using her law technique, Sol did have a little guilt in basically running away with a legendary item for free.
Madeline waved off his concern. "It's of little matter. I can only blame myself for underestimating the situation." Then, after a brief pause, she gave him a knowing smile. "Though, if you really feel bad, there is something you can do to make it up to me."
Sol raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
She pulled out a sleek, platinum colored card and handed it to him.
The card bore an intricate design, a logo of a pyramid roof supported by two pillars, with a coin at its center. Beneath it, engraved were the words Rondine Emporium.
Madeline's eyes gleamed as she spoke. "If you ever have anything you wish to sell or buy, I hope you'll come to my family's business first."
Sol turned the card over in his hands before looking back at her. "The Rondine Emporium?"
She mentioned it earlier but he had never heard of it before today. What he had seen today showed him some of the wealth her business had but he didn't know how far it extended.
She nodded. "We currently only have one branch store here in Kerman City, but we're actively expanding further into the kingdom—and even into Frostaxe Clan territory now that I hear the roads aren't being blocked anymore. That said, we already have a strong presence across the Holy Kingdom of Delvania and the Sapphire Scales Alliance."
She smirked. "If you ever find yourself in any major city in those nations, show them this card. My family's businesses will do everything in their power to fulfill your needs."
Sol studied the card for a moment, then exhaled. He was hesitant at first, but given their plans to travel to the Sapphire Scales Alliance, he knew this could be of great help.
He finally nodded. "Alright, I'll keep it in mind."
Madeline's smirk widened. "Good."
Chloe, standing nearby, suddenly waved enthusiastically. "Come buy from me again, okay? Next time, I'll sell you something even better!"
Sol chuckled at her confidence. "I'll see if I get the chance."
With that, he and Thorwyn said their final goodbyes and stepped out of the mansion.