Chapter 1905: Raise soldiers for a thousand days, use them for a moment
After leaving the Arena, as expected, we encountered Little Elaine. Using the disguise I gave him, he watched the entire event hidden among the audience seats.
However, Little Elaine’s expression was grim. It was clear he was still dwelling on the rewards and opportunities he had missed. Did he really believe he could defeat any of the Top 32 if he had competed?
“Why are you here? Didn’t I tell you not to be active in places where the Count of Deep Lake City might notice you? He was sitting in the audience just now,” I said, displeased.
“I came precisely for him. I was hoping to find an opportunity to snipe the Count from the audience seats and kill him directly,” Little Elaine replied.
“Are you an idiot? He definitely has protective magic apparatus on him. Even if you bombarded him with cannons, you wouldn’t be able to kill him. You’d only throw your life away,” I scolded him.
This kid must have been stimulated by the Count’s attempt to poison him. Now his mind was solely focused on revenge.
“It’s fine. With Miss Parul’s Phantom Mask and Mr. Jayad’s Disguise Technique, no one can recognize me, and I’ve prepared an escape route. It’s just a pity I can’t change my identity and compete,” Little Elaine said.
“You’re still talking about competing? It would be a miracle if you weren’t exposed and killed. Today, Older Brother Jayad and you used the exact same disguise, yet Albrisque recognized him. This means there are many people who can recognize him. Don’t think there won’t be any problems,” I warned him seriously.
“Wait! Albrisque is that enemy you mentioned earlier, right? The one Mr. Jayad defeated today. Is it okay that he discovered his true identity?” Little Elaine asked in surprise.
We had previously told Little Elaine about those who held grudges against us, advising him to be careful and, if possible, to help us gather intelligence. Therefore, he had a general understanding of Albrisque’s situation.
“It’s fine. I’ve already defeated him. And times have changed. I am now someone who can be a welcomed guest among nobles, and Cando City is no longer under his absolute control. His leverage is completely useless against me,” Jayad said nonchalantly.
He was right. Those high-ranking nobles didn’t care if Jayad had killed a group of a Baron’s private soldiers. What did it matter to them? Other nobles engaged in schemes against each other far more frequently.
Even with Older Brother Jayad’s current strength, if he kept a witch (which he really did) and colluded with a cult (which he absolutely didn’t), it still wouldn’t be an unacceptable matter.
As far as I knew, many noble lords actually colluded with cultists, accepting their bribes to tacitly allow or commission certain cult activities, and even taking the blame for them.
Therefore, even if Albrisque was defeated, he had nowhere to complain. None of the high-ranking nobles would listen to his petty grievances; they would only think he was maliciously slandering his opponent and look down on him even more.
After losing the competition, Albrisque had hastily gone to find Rodrigo. That Jester seemed to still be searching for beautiful women for the Crown Prince and was very busy, unwilling to deal with Albrisque. The two of them appeared to have argued.
Hearing Jayad’s nonchalant tone, Little Elaine was stunned. He was currently hiding his identity and acting furtively, not daring to show himself before the Count of Deep Lake City. When would he be able to dismiss his enemies like rotten fish and shrimp, just like Jayad?
“Mr. Jayad, how can I defeat my enemies as easily as you do?” Little Elaine asked respectfully.
“Patience and forbearance are key. You have no idea how long we endured and hid until we possessed sufficient strength,” I said directly on behalf of Older Brother Jayad.
Of course, what I said might not apply to all situations. Enduring without acting required the foresight of hope, seeing progress in one’s strength, and the possibility of catching up or even surpassing one’s enemy. Patience was merely to buy time.
Because of Older Brother Jayad’s presence, I had never doubted that he would eventually surpass Albrisque. Even when Albrisque’s strength had clearly surpassed Jayad’s during our visit to his territory, I was still certain that my brother would eventually surpass him.
If there was no hope of victory, people would naturally become impatient and agitated. Therefore, I took out a vial of potion and handed it to Little Elaine: “This is a new potion. Drink it, and you will become stronger. Sooner or later, you will be able to kill the Count with your own hands.”
“This… this is the Magic Knight Potion?! Isn’t this the reward for the fourth round of the Knight Competition?!” Little Elaine exclaimed in surprise, looking at the potion. He had been fixated on continuing the competition, his eyes glinting with envy at the sight of this reward.
His talent was not high, and his progress was slow no matter how much he trained. Now, he could only hope to improve through elixirs. The Magic Knight Potion was undoubtedly a shortcut.
“That’s right. Drink it, and your strength will further increase. Although it’s not enough to get revenge yet, at least you’ll be able to resist if you’re recognized,” I said.
“But… there’s only one bottle. I didn’t compete, so if I drink it, Mr. Jayad won’t have it,” Little Elaine said softly.
Little Elaine certainly wanted this potion. However, when he had offered the Undying Medicine in the previous round, we hadn’t accepted it. Now, we were offering him a Magic Knight Potion, and he felt unworthy.
“It’s alright. You promised me back then that you would be driven by me for the sake of revenge. So, it’s time for you to fulfill your promise to me,” I said.
“Ah? What do you need me to do?” Little Elaine’s expression turned serious. He had made a deal with the Witch, and now the Witch was coming to collect her due.
“It’s very simple. Tomorrow, during the Winter Veil Festival banquet, you will request entry as a competitor. The Prince stated today that all Top 32 participants are welcome at the banquet,” I said.
“What? But didn’t you just say I should hide my identity?” Little Elaine asked in shock. This wasn’t what we had agreed upon earlier.
“I meant in front of the Count of Deep Lake City. To him, you’re just presumed dead. To everyone else, at most, they’ll think you forfeited. As long as you don’t appear before the Count of Deep Lake City, there won’t be any problem,” I said.
The noble banquet would undoubtedly be extremely important. The Count of Deep Lake City wouldn’t bring his trusted guards into the Lord of the City’s mansion. So, as long as he didn’t see him, Little Elaine could openly attend the same banquet as him.
Little Elaine hesitated for a moment, then looked up at me: “I understand. So, this bottle of potion is an advance payment for my reward, right? I accept. What exactly do you need me to do?”
“It’s nothing difficult. I want you to help me catch someone cheating in a transaction,” I said with a smile.
