CHAPTER 412: THE WINNER’S BOX

The group ate in the Inn they were staying at. To celebrate their win, Sterling had splurged and ordered all kinds of stuff.

Hex knew some dishes, others he had heard about, and some he never even knew existed. Elated by the prospective meeting in two days, he tasted everything. The fish and shrimp dishes were his favorite.

There was a great variety of such food with different flavors and spices. To shell or not, that was the only point that irked him. It didn’t help that the first person he asked for help was Gronke. The Warlord just ate everything as they were served.

It was only when Hestia and Quid heard the crunching sound of the crab’s leg he was munching on, did he receive proper guidance. When he took the first bite of the juice white meat without the hard shell, he realized how delightful seafood could be.

’Once this was a dream. To be able to travel and eat seafood,’ Hex lamented, remembering the good old days when he believed completing missions and eating luxurious food would be the best thing he could achieve. ’Why am I born at the end of the Ages? Why couldn’t I be born in the middle of an Age?’

It was wishful thinking. He knew that. There was no regret. Just some moments where he remembered dreaming of becoming a big shot, earning respect, and living like the high-class of Grindeston.

Compared, he had surpassed the level of power and prestige he once dreamt of having. That was just life, he supposed. At least, this proved he was a living being, like everyone else and not just a tool created for the Divine Lord.

...

"Listen up, everyone."

Sterling pushed himself on his feet as he clinked on the glass, trying to get everyone’s attention. It wasn’t easy. People were lying lazily. Hex too. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this filled. The feeling of his stomach being stretched to its limit was uncomfortable yet satisfying.

After shouting and calling out, Sterling finally continued.

"We have won round one," he started, getting a few weak cheers from his crowd. "Yeah. Enough. Anyway, we have won. From this point on, there will be knock-out rounds until a final team survives till the end. Enjoy this while you can."

Any reaction he had expected to receive, didn’t come. People stared sleepily at him. Hex grinned. The charm of the silver bastard didn’t win over a good dinner. Sterling realized it too. Defeated, he motioned Miss Wrixia to come to the front.

"Miss Jana here has our reward. I will let her explain the content of the box."

The girl was a pleasant person to be around. She was easy to talk to and her charms had won over the group. Even the women called her sister Jana by now.

She placed the box on the table. It wasn’t large but not small either. The golden box stirred more life into the group. They sat upright, albeit with some difficulty.

"Thank you, Sir Sterling," Jana said, her sound reminding Hex of the morning breeze between the blossoming mountain flowers. "Let me start by saying that there isn’t one reward inside the box. There are many."

If the people were curious before, they were excited now. They assumed there was just one thing and that would go to Sterling. For most, winning the first round gave them assurance about their future and opportunity to earn through the betting rounds.

Hex was sure Sterling had made a killing through the first round. The exact number was still unknown but once he received his share, it would be easy to calculate backward.

Like everyone else, he too was interested in the content.

Jana had finished opening the box and instead of spilling everything on the table, she opted to pull the contents of the box out one by one. Someone whispered something about her being a tease.

"The first thing inside is....a coupon," she said as she raised the small card in her hand. "This is sponsored by the Mauve’s Tools and Equipment, giving a discount of forty percent when the group purchases every equipment they need in their shop. There is a note from the owner attached too. If the group agrees to display their shop’s name on their robes during the subsequent rounds, they can increase the discount by five percent each round. You know what that means? If you guys reach the finals, you can get discounts up to eighty percent."

That sounded indeed exciting. And that was just the first thing out of the box. Jana was already pulling a second card out.

"This isn’t a coupon. This is a letter providing a select group of three access to the library inside the Council."

Most people just clapped. They didn’t need it. But Hex stared greedily at the letter in her hand. This was what he came for.

"You are one of the three," Sterling laughed opposite him. Thankfully he remembered why Hex had come to Wrixia in the first place.

The third time was received with much more appreciation from the male portion of the group. It was a special pass into one of the top bars of the nation. A bar that provided companionship during the drinking session.

Based on the animated talk around the table, you could request anything from those people. Gender, status, and personal quirks didn’t matter. The women frowned but before they could snap at the men, they learned that the place didn’t limit women from visiting. This, lessened their displeasure.

The fourth item was for the leader. It was a medal to collect. According to Jana they were rare and lent a lot of credibility to merchants in certain groups, especially among older rich folk who liked to collect stuff. Hex didn’t care for it.

The fifth and last prize inside the box took everyone’s breath away. It was a golden egg.

"The Golden Goose of myths lays them once a century. They are pure gold and have a small chance of hatching."