Chapter 381 – Bare Knuckles.

The crowd in the adventurer guild’s central arena had swelled as the news of Armand’s battle with the Guild Master spread like wildfire. Gold-ranked adventurers, curious onlookers, and even some senior guild officials had gathered to witness the spectacle. The air was charged with excitement and tension as everyone anticipated the clash between Armand, the cocky and newly ascended adventurer, and the Guild Master, a renowned figure known for his strength, wisdom, and bald head.

However, most of them weren’t really that interested in the clash between these two musclemen. No one actually believed that a level one hundred fifty one freshly ascended Tier 3 class holder could defeat a seasoned veteran. What they wanted was to earn some quick money by betting on how long he would last. There were many criteria people were going for, and even a person with a large blackboard appeared to write all of it down.

“I’ll wager one gold coin on him not lasting more than a minute!”

“One gold coin on under a minute!”

Replied the man who was collecting all the bets into a spatial sack. Each better received a token with some text written on it as proof of their wager. After the battle had concluded, they could return this token to claim their winnings if they were successful. However, it was more likely that most of these bettors would end up empty-handed. The individuals responsible for gathering the money would take a fee for their services, so even if a few got exceptionally lucky, they would still receive some compensation from the overall bets.

“I’ll put down two large silvers on his arm getting broken!”

“Two large silvers on a limb breaking!”

It was quite interesting to listen to the people shouting at each other and somehow being able to keep track of everything. When looking at this blackboard, it seemed that Armand was going to get himself slaughtered. People were expecting him to leave bruised and battered, with at least one of his limbs broken.

“It seems as if they want him to get beated… a lot of people bet on his nose being broken …”

Roland commented while standing next to Lobelia, who was just chuckling away at the comment. He wasn’t that informed about Armand’s nightly escapades, but Armand was known for playing around. Some lady adventurers had fallen under his spell, and now that he was about to join the ranks of the platinum adventurers, more of them decided to show up. Some of them were even waving and shouting at him, clearly wanting to get into his good graces.

“That idiot will let this get to his stupid head, I just know it. I sure hope he will be smart about it. I don’t want to become an aunt just yet.”

“An aunt?”

Roland asked, not really following what Lobelia was getting at. While Armand wasn’t the brightest, he had been successful in not producing any offspring. This, however, could also be attributed to the fact that women didn’t see him as good father material.

“Just think about it, Platinum adventurers earn a lot of money! I’m sure some of those vixens will try using those fertility potions.”

“Ah, you’re right, we do have those…”

Roland replied, now understanding Lobelia’s concern about the potential consequences of Armand’s newfound fame and wealth. While there were potions to keep people from producing unwanted offspring, there were others that did the exact opposite. There were ones that could guarantee ones being created. If Armand didn’t watch himself, he could be forced to become a father quite soon.

“I’m feeling bad for those kids already…”

“Speaking about kids, what about you and big sis? Any plans yet?”

“Huh?”

Roland’s face turned a faint tint of white as Lobelia’s question caught him off guard. He had always been the quiet and reserved one, and discussing such personal matters with Lobelia, especially in the midst of the bustling adventurer’s guild, was not something he had anticipated.

“I, uh, well, we haven’t really… discussed it.”

Roland stammered, his gaze darting around as if seeking an escape route from the awkward conversation. Lobelia couldn’t help but giggle at her brother-in-law’s discomfort.

“Come on, Wayland, you can’t avoid this forever. Elodia isn’t getting any younger, you know!”

“I don’t think this is the right time and place for such a conversation, look They will be starting soon…”

Roland scratched the back of his head nervously, skillfully evading the question entirely. However, this didn’t mean that he hadn’t thought about it at all. In this world, people created families much faster, more akin to the earlier stages of humanity’s existence in the world he came from. It wasn’t unusual for someone his age to already have one or two children running around the house.

Given the prevalence of orphans everywhere, Roland assumed that Elodia might not be particularly interested in having children of her own. This assumption led him to avoid bringing up the topic, and with the busy nature of their lives, there wasn’t much time for discussions like these. Perhaps, after the wedding and everything settled down, he thought he might need to have a conversation with her to understand her desires and share his own thoughts on the matter.

There was also another reason why he usually tried to avoid this issue. It involved his father in this world, Wentworth Arden. Even though they weren’t related by blood, Roland considered the man to be an inexcusable bastard. Wentworth had allowed the original Roland to perish by neglecting the strange illness that had afflicted him. Moreover, Wentworth’s multiple wives had only created tension among the numerous sons and sisters. It was something Roland did not want to happen in his own family.

“Well fine but you better give it some thought!”

“We’ll talk about it when the time is right.”

Roland finally conceded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“For now, let’s just focus on Armand’s… predicament.”

“Hah, I hope the guild master won’t hurt him too much…”

Both of them focused on the men inside the ring. They were slowly approaching each other with different expressions on their faces. Armand, as always, seemed quite smug, wearing a large, confident smile as if he genuinely expected to win. The guild master, on the other hand, remained stoic and even somewhat bored with the entire spectacle.

The tension in the arena reached its peak as the two combatants closed the distance between them. Armand’s smug grin and the Guild Master’s bored expression created a stark contrast that didn’t go unnoticed by the spectators. Whispers and hushed conversations rippled through the crowd as they placed their bets and speculated on the outcome of the impending battle.

Armand stepped forward confidently, his fists clenched and his body tense. He had always been a physical powerhouse, and his newfound Frenzied War Monk class only amplified his strength. On the other side of the ring, the Guild Master, with his bald head reflecting the sunlight, remained still, a silent and imposing figure.

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“So, we meet again, old man!”

“Can we move this along, kid? Was this really necessary?”