Chapter 51 : Would You Dare to Bet Big?
Chapter 51: Would You Dare to Bet Big?
The banquet hall of Oak Castle was brightly lit.
A long table was covered with white linen, and silver utensils gleamed under the candlelight.
Roast suckling pig, honey-glazed ham, and an assortment of seasonal fruits and vegetables…
All exuded an irresistible aroma.
Old John’s face was flushed with cheer.
He was warmly urging Colin to taste the local specialty wine.
Even Gregor, rarely seen relaxing, raised his glass toward Colin with a toast.
Daniels sat at the lower end of the table, tasting the dishes with composed restraint.
Meanwhile, Siance and several young men from Holy Light Town sat a little farther away, feeling somewhat restrained.
Their eyes sparkled as they gazed at this luxurious scene they had never before witnessed.
“Priest Colin, please try this as well!”
Old John sliced a piece of juicy venison, and personally placed it onto the plate before Colin.
“This was freshly hunted this morning — tender and delicious!”
“The Angel bestowed upon you such wisdom and strength; you must also enjoy good food properly!”
Colin smiled and nodded, lifting his knife and fork.
But suddenly, his motion froze.
His smile stiffened, and his pupils contracted sharply behind the lenses.
With a crisp clink, the silver fork slipped from his hand, landing on the fine bone china plate.
Daniels immediately set down his wine glass, frowning in concern. “Colin, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Colin did not answer immediately.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
A few seconds later, he slowly opened them again — his gaze had turned grave and solemn.
He looked around the table, then spoke in a deep tone to the concerned guests, “The Angel… has just descended with an oracle.”
“What?!”
“The Angel?!”
“An oracle?!”
The entire banquet hall fell into utter silence — one could hear a pin drop.
Old John’s expression froze, and the knife in his hand almost slipped.
Gregor straightened up, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on Colin, their hearts pounding violently.
An oracle from the Angel!
This was no trivial matter!
Old John barely managed to steady himself, squeezing out a nervous smile on his round face as he cautiously asked,
“Priest Colin, would it be possible for you to tell us the content of the Angel’s oracle?”
He was both reverent and filled with anticipation.
Colin rose to his feet, his tone heavy. “Lord John, I’m afraid this matter concerns Oak Town itself.”
“Ah? What’s going on?!” Old John blurted out in shock.
“The Angel revealed—”
“Within Oak Town, traitors have already conspired with the undead outside the city, plotting to coordinate an internal and external uprising!”
He spoke each word clearly, his voice echoing across the hall.
“The enemy plans to assassinate the guards at the South Gate during tomorrow night’s shift change and open the city gates!”
“At the same time, someone will sabotage the energy nodes of the Magic Tower!”
“They will also poison the garrison’s water and food supplies!”
“And even attempt to assassinate the commander of the guard corps — and you, Lord!”
Boom!
The shocking news struck the hall like a thunderclap!
“Cassius!”
“It must be Cassius!!”
Gregor slammed his fist onto the oak table, spilling expensive wine everywhere.
His eyes burned red, veins bulging on his forehead. “That damned traitor! That bastard!”
“He’s finally reached his hand into Oak Town!”
“Cassius wants to turn Oak Town into another Florence!”
“He wants to feed us all to those filthy ghouls!!”
Old John trembled in fury, his rolls of fat quivering, his face turning dark as iron.
There was not a trace left of the jovial, kind host from moments ago.
“That scum of the Morgan family!”
“Selling out humanity and colluding with the undead — he deserves a thousand deaths!”
“Who does he think he is, daring to lay hands on Oak Town?!”
His beard shook as he pointed furiously in the direction of Williams Territory, as if he could march there and wage war that very instant.
Colin looked at the two raging lords and calmly added, “My Lords, please restrain your anger.”
“The Angel’s oracle did not explicitly name Baron Cassius Morgan as the mastermind.”
“It merely revealed the existence of the rebellion — and the specifics of the plan.”
“If not him, then who else?!” Gregor roared.
“Of the nearby towns — Maple Leaf Town’s lord is a young noble from the Auguste family; the lord of White Rock Fort is the grandson of a ducal house!”
“These young nobles have bright futures and powerful lineages.”
“Who but Cassius — that madman — would gamble his entire family’s future by making deals with the undead?!”
“Only him!”
“Only that bastard who betrayed his kin and sold out my Florence would stoop so low!!”
Old John nodded grimly. “Gregor is right.”
“Cassius is a complete lunatic — a gambler!”
“He’s lost all sense for the sake of power!”
“Though the Angel didn’t name him, the signs couldn’t be clearer!”
Old John abruptly stood up, his short frame radiating astonishing authority. “Guards!!”
He was about to order the troops to tighten the city’s defenses, hunt down traitors, and strengthen the protection of the Magic Tower and city gates.
“Lord John, wait!”
Colin spoke just in time, stopping him.
Old John froze, looking at him in confusion. “Priest Colin?”
“The situation is urgent — we must act at once!”
“Do you mean to sit and wait for those traitors and the undead to come knocking at our doors?”
Colin stepped forward, meeting his eyes with calm steadiness. “Lord John, let me ask you something.”
“How many core nodes would need to be destroyed for Oak Town’s magical defense array to completely collapse?”
Old John frowned deeply, thinking for a moment. “At least five!”
“If five of the eight Magic Towers’ cores were destroyed, the array’s energy transmission would completely fail.”
Colin nodded and continued, “Then, if you worked with all your strength, how many destroyed nodes could you repair within ten minutes?”
Old John’s face turned grim. “At most… two!”
“And that would consume a large amount of rare magic crystals and energy — a tremendous cost!”
A faint smile curved Colin’s lips, his eyes gleaming with depth. “Then, Lord John, Lord Gregor…”
“Would you dare to bet big?”