Read Novel Full Chapter 791: Betting System
Chapter 791: Betting System
"Welcome, everyone!"
A young man shouted to the crowd gathered around him.
"Today, we’re going to witness the most spectacular match ever! Are you all excited?"
"Wooah! Let the match begin!" the commoners in the crowd shouted enthusiastically.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I already know your answer," the man said with a slight smirk. "But before that, I have an announcement to make."
The crowd immediately quieted down.
"For this match, we’re opening a betting session!"
"A betting session?"
Everyone, including the nobles, was surprised by the announcement.
"That’s right, betting!" The man swept his gaze across the crowd. "You can make a fortune by placing bets on either of the contestants. What do you think? Are you all interested?"
The crowd went quiet, though many were already clenching their fists in excitement.
Betting was something people from all walks of life enjoyed. The chance to win big money lit a spark in their hearts.
"I’m in!" a man shouted.
"Me too! Hurry up and explain how the betting works!" another called out.
The rest quickly joined in.
The idea appealed even to the nobles. Although they were already wealthy, there was no harm in earning some extra profit through betting.
"Uncle, are you serious? A betting session? You’re doing this for your daughter’s match?"
Sitting in the front row, Nolan turned to Luke with a puzzled expression.
Luke smiled sheepishly and quickly explained, "It wasn’t my idea—it was Hector Asbourne’s. He said opening a betting session would increase both families’ profits, regardless of who wins or loses."
Nolan fell silent. Still, there was nothing wrong with the decision. Besides, it wasn’t his place to interfere, so he chose not to say anything further.
"Alright, I’ll explain the rules," the man in the middle of the arena said casually, raising his index finger. "First, the bets will be divided into three categories. The first category is predicting the winner. The payout ratio will depend on the number of people betting on each contestant."
He then raised his middle finger.
"The second category is predicting how many hits Young Lady Evalyn will take."
Everyone raised their eyebrows when they heard that. The category sounded as though it completely underestimated Evalyn as Nathan’s opponent.
It was as if her defeat had already been decided, to the point that an entire category had been created specifically for her.
"What’s the meaning of this, Hector?!"
Luke could no longer hold back and snapped at Hector, the head of the Asbourne family, who was seated not far from him.
Hector was tall and handsome. However, his cold, cynical expression made anyone feel uncomfortable around him.
Nolan glanced at Hector and immediately noticed the striking resemblance between him and Lucas.
Well, Hector was one of Lucas’s descendants, so it was only natural that they looked alike.
"Why are you asking that? Isn’t it obvious?" Hector snorted coldly. "Your daughter is going to lose badly anyway. I was even kind enough to make it a betting category. At least this way, you can earn some money from your daughter’s defeat."
"Hahaha!" Cedric, seated beside him, couldn’t hold back his laughter. "How fascinating, Lord Hector. You truly are a genius!"
He clapped his hands before shooting Luke a mocking glance.
"Just accept reality, Lord Luke. Opportunities like this don’t come around twice, you know?"
"You..." Luke growled angrily, but Nolan quickly stopped him.
"Alright, Uncle. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you. We’ll see who ends up crying later."
He deliberately raised his voice so Hector and Cedric could hear him.
However, the two were so confident in Nathan’s victory that they merely smiled at Nolan’s words.
Luke gradually calmed down, though the anger within him had yet to subside.
His wife, Tessia, gently patted his shoulder, trying to soothe him.
"Third category!" the man in the center of the arena announced loudly. "You can predict how many injuries the contestants will suffer. Since the odds of guessing correctly are extremely low, anyone who gets it exactly right will receive a 100-to-1 payout! That means if you bet 1,000 Sharn, you’ll receive 100,000 Sharn in return!"
The moment those words left his mouth, a commotion broke out among the spectators. Even the nobles looked intrigued.
If they wagered one million Sharn, their winnings would reach one hundred million Sharn.
That was an extraordinary sum, one that exceeded the income of many baron and viscount families over three months.
Even so, they knew the chances of guessing correctly were slim. Therefore, they would have to be careful and avoid placing their bets recklessly.
"I’ll move on to the second rule," the man said. "Ordinary citizens may only place bets of up to ten thousand Sharn. Any amount exceeding that limit will not be accepted."
"What!? Only ten thousand Sharn!? What kind of ridiculous rule is that?" an old man protested loudly.
The others quickly joined in, and soon the entire arena was filled with complaints.
But the man didn’t seem bothered at all.
In the Empire, gambling—including betting—was completely legal.
However, there was one strict rule everyone had to follow: ordinary citizens were only allowed to gamble up to 10,000 Sharn per year.
Any venue that allowed bets exceeding that limit would be shut down by the imperial palace.
The rule had been established to prevent widespread poverty among the common people.
"Alright, everyone, those are the palace’s regulations. If anyone wishes to protest, now is your chance."
A cold voice echoed from the top row.
It was Cedric, the second prince.
The crowd immediately fell silent, and no one dared to voice another complaint.
"And the third rule!" the man continued with a faint smile. "If you lose, your money won’t be returned. So make sure to sign the forms that will be distributed. On those forms, you’ll also need to write down your bets and the amount of money you wish to wager. And remember—commoners are limited to ten thousand Sharn. Any bet exceeding that amount will be considered void."
Soon after, the staff split into groups to distribute forms to both the commoners and the nobles. Anyone wishing to participate in the betting had to write down their name and sign the form.
Otherwise, they would not be allowed to participate.
"Uncle, give me one," Nolan said.
"Huh?" Luke looked at him in surprise. "Do you want to join too, Your Highness?"
The heads of the noble families around him were equally surprised.
"Of course."
Nolan smiled faintly as he accepted the form. He wrote down his name, signed it, and filled in the details of his bet.
A few minutes later, he finished and handed the form back to one of the staff members.
The man glanced at its contents.
Instantly, his eyes widened.
"F-Fifty million Sharn!?"