Chapter 41: The Price of a Lost Bet

“You… you… what exactly are you… a monster?”

Allyrose’s relentless advance had, for once, thoroughly unnerved Arius.

He collapsed onto the ground, disbelief etched across his face, then gazed fearfully at Allyrose’s delicate features.

After a long moment, his voice trembled as he spoke again.

“How… how exactly… did you do that?”

“Oh? Didn’t I tell you? It’s because I’m a Level 100 Saint Light user!”

“Surely, a Level 100 expert can handle a Calamity-grade demon beast, can’t they? Your Highness, you aren’t still doubting me, are you?”

“No way! Does instantly killing a Calamity-grade demon beast with a single sword strike not prove my strength?”

The black-haired girl tilted her head, then narrowed her eyes, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

“But, you haven’t forgotten the bet between us, have you? After all, it only happened yesterday. I imagine that as the kingdom’s smartest prince, Your Highness’s memory isn’t quite that poor, is it?”

“Or perhaps… Prince Arius, you simply wish to renege on the bet?”

“I…”

Arius was utterly choked by the girl’s interrogation. He gasped.

There was no escaping it. As a noble, one’s reputation was paramount. Undeniably, he had lost the bet, even though he had never once considered the possibility of defeat.

However, if he were to show any sign of being a sore loser, or outright refuse to honor the bet, then…

To lose face so spectacularly in front of so many students, especially Vivian’s classmates, was something Arius simply could not afford.

So…

Before Arius could finish his thoughts, Allyrose looked up, adding fuel to the fire. The girl waved her hand, then skipped toward the students, who were whispering amongst themselves, and called out.

“Hey, everyone, come and bear witness! After the Saint Light test yesterday, Prince Arius sought me out, questioning if my Saint Light level was fake, and challenged me to a bet!”

“The bet was whether I could at least defeat an Epic-grade demon beast. If I lost, I’d be expelled on the spot. If Prince Arius lost, then… he would give me five million Dinars and publicly apologize to me!”

After announcing the terms from yesterday, Allyrose silently turned her head, tilted it at Arius, then glanced at the gloomy-faced Vivian beside her, and chuckled softly.

“Sister Vivian~ Don’t you think Prince Arius should fulfill his promise now? Well… for the public apology, I’ll save His Highness some face. Just a ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have doubted you’ in front of our classmates will do.”

“However… the five million Dinars must be handed over to me, every single coin!”

He gasped. This… this…

Arius felt a surge of exasperation. Yet, in front of so many people, everyone had their own considerations.

Although admitting defeat to this girl was humiliating, if this matter reached his father’s ears and he was seen as unable to accept a loss…

Ah… damn, damn it!

After raging inwardly, Arius slowly rose to his feet moments later. Then, with a terribly grim expression, he sighed at Allyrose and reluctantly whispered.

“I… I’m sorry, Allyrose, I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have doubted you… *cough*.”

*Pfft.*

Listening to the man’s final words, which sounded like a glob of phlegm stuck in his throat, Allyrose almost couldn’t maintain her composure. *My, the effect was absolutely explosive!*.

Allyrose could clearly sense that her classmates were now looking at Arius and Vivian with extremely peculiar gazes.

Considering the previous Saint Light test incident, the black-haired girl’s lips curved into a slight smile. She had a premonition that, in terms of public opinion at school, she was gradually turning the tables.

However, Allyrose felt that other people’s words could wait for now. At this moment, the most important thing was still…

“Merely apologizing isn’t enough, you know. After all, if I had lost, I would have been expelled. Your Highness, where’s the five million? The five million~ Five million~!”

*Click…*

Watching Allyrose babble about five million like a broken record, Arius clenched his jaw, feeling even more frustrated.

There was nothing he could do. At this moment, Arius was already regretting why he had proposed such an outrageous bet in the first place. He truly had never imagined a day when he would lose.

Damn it!

If he had known this would happen, he would have named a smaller sum. Five million… that was truly a significant amount, not to mention having to pay it all at once.

Even as the kingdom’s second prince, this sum still pained Arius, especially since his royal father had always taught his children to be frugal. This…

Ahhhh—!

Helpless, after a long moment, Arius, despite wearing a mask of agony, still managed to scrounge through his pockets to preserve the royal family’s dignity. Moments later, he gritted his teeth and pulled out a bank exchange note, handing it all over to Allyrose.

“Exactly five million! Oh, yay, thank you so much! Hehe, thanks, boss! You’re so generous, boss!”

Having received the money, the black-haired girl proudly praised Arius. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she turned to Vivian and took a hundred-Dinar note from the stack of gold bills Arius had just given her, extending it towards Vivian.

Allyrose then smiled gently, tilted her head, and said,

“Oh, that’s right, I almost forgot! Sister Vivian, Brother Jason kept telling me to apologize to you. So… please accept this hundred Dinars as a token of my apology. I’m sorry, sometimes I can be a bit too ostentatious. I hope you don’t mind!”

He gasped. This…

Jason, who was standing nearby, immediately grew anxious. Who apologizes like that?

But in the current situation…

The Hero looked left at the innocently bewildered Allyrose and right at the gloomy Vivian, and instantly felt… it would be best to play dead for now.

The atmosphere became awkward. After a long, long time, Vivian finally took a deep breath, then looked up, offering a professional smile as she pushed away Allyrose’s small hand.

“No need, Sister Allyrose. I appreciate your sentiment. Besides, you have nothing to apologize to me for, haha! Brother Jason was overthinking; I never asked him to find you. It’s getting late, and I want to return to the capital to treat my injuries and rest… Let’s go—!”

As she finished speaking, Vivian turned, fixed a sharp gaze on Tok and Jason, then snapped at them. Once again, she strode away hastily, heading home ahead of everyone else.