Chapter 78: The Wager 1

“Kent, I really think you should reconsider this bet. If you lose...”

Kobi had arrived together with City Lord Hel.

After Darkya appeared, Hel had quietly taken his leave, while Kobi remained nearby and watched the exchange between her and Kent.

The moment Darkya walked away, Kobi’s thick little legs carried him straight over to Kent. He leaned closer and lowered his voice, clearly intending to talk some sense into him.

Kent cut him off before he could finish.

“Kobi, I’m not the one who wants to bet. She is.”

He shrugged.

“And think about it. Even if I lose, what exactly do I stand to lose?”

Kobi froze for a moment.

Then realization dawned on him.

A huge grin split across his face.

“Heh, so that’s what this is about. I was wondering why someone as stingy as you would suddenly be willing to gamble.”

His grin became increasingly wicked.

“So the problem is that you can’t actually do anything about Darkya, huh?”

Kobi slapped Kent on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, brother. I understand your suffering perfectly.”

He gave Kent an exaggerated look of sympathy.

“So close you can see her, but you still can’t touch her! Hahaha!”

Before he had even finished laughing, Kobi sprang backward.

Kent’s kick sliced through empty air.

“Get lost!”

Kent glared at him.

“What kind of nonsense is going through that head of yours?”

Kobi laughed for quite a while before finally calming down.

“Come on.”

He stepped forward and tugged at Kent.

“The First Elder of the dark elves is here. He’s probably come because of that honorary elder matter.”

Kent still had little interest in going.

As far as he could tell, becoming an honorary elder did not seem particularly impressive.

“Kobi, tell me something.”

Kent looked at him.

“What’s so great about being an honorary elder anyway? Why make such a fuss over it?”

Kobi nearly choked from frustration.

“You... you really have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He stared at Kent as though looking at an idiot.

“Do you know how long it’s been since the dark elves appointed an honorary elder from another race?”

“Ten thousand years.”

“And you’re asking me what the benefits are?”

Kobi threw up his hands.

“Fine. I’ll give you just one.”

“Once you become an honorary elder of the dark elf race, you’re allowed to marry a dark elf.”

He leaned closer.

“Do you have any idea how many people would go insane over that alone?”

“And that’s not even mentioning the monthly stipend every elder receives.”

Kobi shook his head helplessly.

“Yet here you are complaining that it’s troublesome.”

“Kobi, that way of thinking is completely wrong.”

Kent shook his head.

“Yes, dark elves are beautiful. I’ll give you that.”

“But it’s not very realistic for me.”

He spread his hands.

“How long can a dark elf live? And how long can a human live?”

“That’s basic common sense.”

Then Kent added casually,

“Besides, I already have a woman back on the surface.”

“She might not be quite as beautiful as a dark elf, but among humans, she’s definitely considered very attractive.”

Kent had no intention of denying that dark elves were beautiful.

Naturally, a few inappropriate fantasies had crossed his mind before.

But fantasies were fantasies.

He had never seriously intended to pursue one.

Kobi rolled his eyes.

He wanted to argue, but after thinking about it, he realized Kent’s reasoning was not entirely wrong.

For once, he could not immediately think of anything to say.

“Still...”

Kent rubbed his chin.

“That monthly stipend does sound pretty good.”

He continued walking while muttering to himself.

“Come to think of it, I forgot to ask last time.”

“What rights does an honorary elder actually have?”

“And what obligations come with the position?”

“If the deal isn’t worth it, I really might refuse.”

Kent snorted.

“I refuse to believe that thirty percent of the fruit produced by the Bread Trees isn’t enough to trade for something worthwhile.”

The more he thought about it, though, the more he felt that the title of honorary elder might actually be useful.

At the very least, it would provide him with another layer of protection in the subterranean world.

Kobi walked beside him, listening to Kent calculate every possible benefit.

All he could do was shake his head.

“This junior greets the honored elders.”

The moment Kent entered the City Lord’s residence, he saw the same group of elders he had met before.

To be perfectly honest, all the dark elves looked more or less alike to him.

He could just barely distinguish Hel and Darkya.

As for the other elders...

Kent genuinely had no idea which was which.

To him, the situation was rather like a Westerner trying to distinguish between unfamiliar East Asian faces.

At first glance, everyone seemed to share the same black hair, dark eyes, and similar features.

Whether someone was Chinese, Korean, or Japanese might be difficult for an outsider to tell.

Yet to someone from East Asia, the differences could often be obvious at a glance.

It was much the same for Kent.

To dark elves, each elder probably looked completely distinct.

To him, however, they all looked frustratingly similar.

“You’re Kent?”

One of the dark elves spoke at last.

His voice carried an unmistakable weight of authority.

“That is the First Elder,” Hel quietly explained.

Kent glanced at Hel, then looked back at the dark elf before him.

No wonder.

There was something about the man that immediately gave off the feeling of someone who had occupied a position of power for far too long.

Kent could sense it at a glance.

What he did not like, however, was the First Elder’s tone.

It sounded stiff.

Formal.

Almost as though he were dealing with Kent purely as a matter of procedure.

The moment Kent learned that this was the First Elder, his mood soured even further.

It was not as though he had begged to become some honorary elder.

They were the ones who wanted to use that title in exchange for thirty percent of his share of the Bread Trees.

So Kent answered just as stiffly,

“That’s me. What is it?”

“The Council of Elders has unanimously approved your nomination as a candidate for honorary elder.”

The First Elder’s expression was not particularly pleasant either.

“Sign this contract.”

He tossed a rolled piece of beast hide toward Kent.

The First Elder was clearly irritated by Kent’s attitude, but after remembering the share of the Bread Trees that Kent controlled, he forced himself to endure it.

Kent caught the beast-hide scroll.

But instead of opening it, he looked up and asked,

“There’s something I’d like to know first.”

“What exactly do I gain by becoming an honorary elder?”

The elders immediately laughed.

In the end, it was the Third Elder who stepped forward to answer.

“There are many benefits.”

He began counting them off.

“First, you would be permitted to marry into the dark elf race—provided both sides are willing, of course.”

“Second, with the status of an honorary elder, no one in the subterranean realm would dare look down on you.”

“Third, you would gain the right to study certain secret arts of the dark elves.”

“Fourth, you would receive a considerable amount of wealth.”

The Third Elder smiled.

“In short, there are more than enough benefits.”

Kent nodded slowly.

Most of those things did not interest him very much.

But the opportunity to learn the secret arts of the dark elves...

that was genuinely tempting.

Still, Kent had no intention of agreeing before understanding everything clearly.

“And what obligations would I have?”

The First Elder immediately frowned.

“Enough.”

His tone became impatient.

“Do you really think the dark elf race needs a lowly human like you to do anything for us?”

Kent went completely silent.

For a moment, he simply stood there.

Then his expression changed.

Without another word, he turned around and began walking toward the door.

He was furious.

The dark elves were the ones who owed him.

Forget everything else.

What about the Bread Trees?

What about the defense of Muan City?

Kent believed he had already done more than enough for the dark elf race.

Yes, defending Muan City had also been an act of self-preservation.

But what about the hundred thousand or more dark elves who had been living inside the city?

Did they simply not count?

As he continued walking away, Kent spoke without turning back.

“Forget it.”

“I’m not interested in becoming your honorary elder anymore.”

“But from now on, whenever you plan to harvest fruit from the Bread Trees, remember to inform me beforehand.”

His voice turned cold.

“We’ll calculate the shares properly every single time.”

The other elders had not even recovered from their surprise when the First Elder slammed his palm onto the table.

Bang!

“What do you think this place is?”

His furious voice filled the room.

“Somewhere you can enter whenever you wish and leave whenever you please?”

“You show far too little respect for the dark elf race!”

Kent stopped.

Then he slowly turned around.

The anger he had been suppressing immediately erupted.

“I came here because someone invited me!”

His voice rose sharply.

“And you still have the nerve to bring up the dark elf race?”

“How many dark elves did I save during the battle for Muan City?”

“Did I ever demand anything from you for that?”

Kent pointed toward the First Elder.

“Was I the one begging to become an honorary elder?”

“And what about the Bread Trees?”

“If you think you’re so impressive, then go cut them down!”

“Go on!”

“Cut them down!”

Kent’s voice echoed through the hall.

“You think I’m afraid of you?”

“I never expected the dark elves to act one way to my face and another behind my back.”

His expression became openly contemptuous.

“At the end of the day, isn’t this all just because you want to trade some worthless title for my share of the Bread Trees?”

Kent’s furious shout from the doorway immediately drew countless eyes toward the City Lord’s residence.

Before long, several figures slowly made their way inside.

Among them were three dwarves and a gnome.

Kent recognized all four.

The three dwarves were Level Nine experts and members of Muan City’s governing council.

The gnome, meanwhile, was a machinist—and not an ordinary one.

He was a high-ranking machinist responsible for maintaining Muan City’s entire water-supply system. Talents of his caliber were exceedingly rare, which had naturally earned him a place among the city’s leadership as well.

Muan City was, after all, home to several hundred thousand residents.

Dwarves made up the largest portion of the population.

Dark elves came second.

Gnomes were the least numerous.

As for humans, there were almost none.

Cities like this were highly insular. Whether dwarves, dark elves, or gnomes, each race tended to be deeply wary of outsiders.

Muan City itself had come into existence because of the way underground settlements expanded.

As populations grew, food, housing, and other resources inevitably became strained.

Once a city’s population density reached a certain point, the excess population would be separated out.

Groups expelled or relocated from several cities—sometimes only a few, sometimes more than a dozen—would then be gathered together to establish an entirely new settlement.

Muan City had been founded in exactly this manner.

It had existed for only a little over two hundred years.

Compared with the ancient underground cities that had stood for thousands of years, Muan City was still little more than a fledgling settlement.

“You...”

The First Elder stared at Kent, his face shifting from green to purple with rage.

“You’re courting death!”

Kent’s barrage of accusations had left him utterly humiliated.

How many years had it been since anyone had dared speak to him like this?

Within the dark elf race, his status stood beneath only one person.

Above him was the Empress.

Below him were countless others.

He had long since grown accustomed to authority, obedience, and respect.

Yet now, in front of members of Muan City’s ruling council and who knew how many onlookers outside, a mere human had openly challenged him and torn into him without the slightest restraint.

The First Elder’s anger finally erupted.

His expression darkened.

His aura surged.

And in the next instant, he prepared to strike.