Chapter 793: A Challenge and a Big Bet (2)
"You..." Cedric gritted his teeth in anger.
He didn’t know why, but ever since childhood, he had always lost arguments to Nolan.
And yet, he was considered the smartest prince in the entire empire—a fact universally acknowledged.
"Why? Still can’t accept it?" Nolan chuckled meaningfully. "Well..."
He shrugged and sneered. "I understand. After all, you’ve been a coward since you were a kid. You only act when you’re certain of victory. Am I wrong?"
All eyes in the arena were fixed on Cedric.
Feeling their gazes, his face turned pale. He knew he was cornered.
If he refused, he would be seen as a coward in everyone’s eyes. That alone could jeopardize his position as a candidate for the throne.
Even the nobles who had yet to declare their support would hesitate to side with someone who seemed afraid to make a decision.
But if he accepted, there was a chance he would fall into Nolan’s trap. That man was, after all, cunning.
"Just accept it, Your Highness."
A calm female voice sounded beside him.
Cedric flinched and turned toward the source. Margaretta was looking at him with complete confidence.
"I’m sure you’ll win."
Those words were like water extinguishing the flames of doubt within him. If Margaretta said so, then it must be true.
He regained his composure, then stood and declared loudly, "Enough talk—I accept your challenge!"
"Wooaaah!"
The entire arena erupted in commotion. At the same time, the spectators’ excitement surged.
A wagered duel between two princes was rare—no, it was unprecedented in this era.
They all wanted to know... who would emerge victorious, and who would lose everything?
Nolan smiled faintly. Clapping his hands, he praised, "Just as expected of you, second brother—you really are impressive."
Cedric remained unfazed by the praise. He pulled back the right side of his cloak and asked indifferently, "State the rules."
Nolan nodded and looked around at everyone present without a trace of fear.
"Everyone here will serve as witnesses to this wager. Don’t worry—this bet is only between Cedric and me. It won’t involve any of you, nor will it affect the bets you’ve already placed on this match."
His words brought a collective sigh of relief. It wasn’t without reason that they feared a situation where Nolan and Cedric’s stakes interfered with the others.
Because so many people were participating, including the nobles, the payout from the bet wasn’t particularly large—likely only five to seven times the stake.
But Nolan and Cedric were princes. The amount they wagered would be substantial, and it would likely reduce the share of the overall winnings.
Nolan then turned his gaze back to Cedric and continued, "We’ll use the same rules. First: who will win. Second: how many times Evalyn will be struck by Nathan. And third: how many injuries both Evalyn and Nathan will sustain. What do you think?"
Cedric looked at him calmly. He had expected Nolan to propose something strange or unreasonable—but he was wrong. The terms were simple. Too simple, in fact. It was even obvious who would win.
A faint smile unconsciously formed on his lips.
"I understand. Come on, you place your bet first. I’ll follow."
Nolan nodded, his gaze occasionally flickering toward the noble family heads beside him.
They were all startled, then quickly realized what he meant. The "order" Nolan referred to must be the bet he was about to make with Cedric.
They hurriedly picked up their forms and pens, ready to record whatever Nolan said.
"The first bet is simple. I’m choosing Evalyn. My wager is thirty million Sharn."
At that moment, everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
"Thirty million Sharn!? Damn it! Prince Nolan is completely insane!" a young nobleman blurted out.
The others echoed his reaction, and the arena quickly descended into chaos.
"Everyone, calm down!" the man in the center of the arena immediately stepped in. "Let Prince Nolan and Prince Cedric proceed with their wager."
Everyone reluctantly fell silent, though it was clear they were still unsettled.
"Thirty million Sharn..." Evalyn murmured, staring at Nolan in the VIP seats in disbelief. "That man really is insane."
Yet she didn’t doubt his financial strength. Nolan always did as he pleased. If he dared to stake such an enormous sum, it meant he was confident.
At the same time, she felt a strange warmth in her chest. Nolan trusted her enough to risk that much money on her behalf.
"Thirty million Sharn?" Luke, Tessia, and the noble family heads in Elina’s camp were stunned.
"Your Highness, you—"
One of the noble family heads was about to warn him not to be reckless, but Luke raised a hand to stop him.
"Don’t. Let him do what he wants."
"But—"
"Don’t worry. I trust him," Luke said calmly, his tone steady with confidence.
He had watched Nolan grow up with his own eyes. Even though the world saw him as foolish and useless, Luke knew Nolan was nothing like that.
The noble family heads fell silent. In the end, they chose to trust Luke—and Nolan.
"Thirty million Sharn?" Cedric froze. The corner of his eye twitched. "Are you certain?"
"I am." Nolan nodded casually. "Why? You’re the one who isn’t sure, aren’t you?"
Cedric quickly regained his composure and sneered. "Too confident. Fine, I accept. Since you’re so eager, I’ll play along. Thirty million Sharn—I agree!"
Once those words left his mouth, everyone took a sharp breath and stared at the two princes in disbelief.
In their entire lives, none of them had ever witnessed a bet of this scale. This was unprecedented.
"Good." Nolan smiled faintly. "For the second category, I’m betting forty million Sharn. Evalyn won’t be hit even once by Nathan Asbourne."
His overwhelming confidence left the crowd in stunned silence.
"Pfft." Cedric let out a quiet laugh. "Idiot... you really are an idiot. But that’s fine. If you want to hand me free money, I won’t refuse. I’ll match it—forty million Sharn. Evalyn Lionheart will take twenty hits."
Nolan simply smiled and continued, "Third category. I bet Nathan Asbourne will have twenty bruises across his neck, arms, legs, and abdomen. Fifty million Sharn."
"Hiss... Fifty million Sharn! The total wager is now one hundred and twenty million Sharn!"
Everyone drew a sharp breath and exchanged stunned glances.
It had to be said—Nolan was completely insane.
Back then, they had considered him a worthless, good-for-nothing prince. But they were wrong—he was simply crazy and unpredictable.
"Tch!" Cedric clicked his tongue, doubt beginning to creep into his mind.
He didn’t have that much capital.
"Don’t worry, Your Highness. I will support you."
Duke Ashvale’s calm voice cleared Cedric’s mind.
He took a deep breath and declared, "Fifty million Sharn! Evalyn Lionheart will sustain forty bruises!"
With those words, the largest wager in the empire’s history was set in motion.
