“We should get going soon. I want to reach our destination before it gets crowded.”
“Yes, yes, as you wish, young master.”
With Lucia nodding and smiling, Kurtz and her left the room.
As the two walked side by side, Lucia leaned over to peer at Kurtz’s face.
“So young master, what are we doing today?”
“For starters, we need to earn some money. The funds Lucia prepared for emergencies won’t last long, and will be depleted in a few days with lodging and meal expenses.”
The existence of money is tied to all matters.
It flies away just for daily living, is consumed to maintain the appearance of a noble’s son, and a tremendous amount is needed when considering the purchase of necessary tools for future activities or hiring people.
And money is also a status second only to power.
Even if a family’s history is shallow, simply possessing a large amount of money can gain credibility and popularity, allowing connections to be made with those one normally could not converse with.
However, for Kurtz and his group to obtain a large sum of money is nearly impossible.
As a foothold for that–
“Lucia, how much money do we have left?”
“Well, converting to the Imperial Gald, around a million. Enough for about a month’s living at the same standard as a baronet, I’d say.”
“I understand, we’ll use up all of that.”
“Don’t say such unsettling things so suddenly, young master.”
“We’re just borrowing it. I’ll return more than double.”
“Our young master is starting to sound like a deadbeat…”
“Look, we’re almost there, please cooperate.”
“We’re almost…there?”
As Kurtz informed her, Lucia trailed off upon seeing the place that came into view.
It was the entertainment district in the central district of the Imperial Capital.
Up ahead was a sign that read “Dragon Racing Grounds.”
“Our young master has really become a true deadbeat…”
“You’ve really become quite brazen.”
“Oh? You’re really planning to bet our entire funds?”
“Of course.”
“Well, if it’s for work or dealing with the young master I can understand, but if some strange man told me to go earn money by selling my body, I’d run away!”
“What good would earning a meager amount by those means do? I have winning odds, that’s why I’m saying this.”
Kurtz had deliberately taken on the guise of “a noble’s son” and created this situation with the servant Lucia by his side, partly to gain entry to the Dragon Racing Grounds in the entertainment district.
It’s no exaggeration to say the entertainment district was a place prepared for idle nobles – commoners or paupers without money would be driven out by the patrolling imperial guards if they tried to enter.
However, the criteria for judgement was simply “looking impoverished,” so as long as one’s appearance was proper, not even showing one’s peerage was necessary to avoid the guards addressing them.
Horse racing has long been enjoyed as entertainment by nobles, and the derivative “dragon racing” is highly popular among them.
The spectacle of dragons more flamboyant in appearance than horses competing, coupled with its newness compared to other entertainments due to its relatively recent history, once drew nobles chasing novelties and wealthy investors in droves, turning it into a major event with staggering sums of money involved.
Ordinarily, whether one could gain immense wealth there depended on the luck of the draw, but–
“–You haven’t forgotten where I came from, have you?”
With a smile, Kurtz lightly tapped his head with his fingertip.
“The race today also happened in my previous life, and I remember the order of all the finishers.”
“…So you know which dragon will definitely win?”
“Exactly. And the race today became a huge topic in the capital.”
As he spoke, Kurtz knocked on his head, recalling his previous memories.
“A certain noble poured everything into dragon racing and breeding, raising what was called the ‘ultimate masterpiece’ dragon. It went on to win first place in every subsequent race it entered, living up to its lofty name. For this milestone of the dragon’s one-year debut, the vast majority bet heavily on it.”
“So that dragon’s going to come in first again this time?”
“No, it’ll finish dead last in this race.”
“…Seriously?”
“The reason that dragon was abnormally strong was due to excessive training and performance-enhancing drugs. After nearly a year of that harsh regimen, the dragon had already reached its limit. But they still forced it to race using more enhancers, resulting in a blood vessel bursting in its head mid-race, causing it to collapse.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
Moreover, the accident didn’t end there.
The dragons in second and third place were also caught up in the incident, and the trailing dragons became frightened and stopped running.
“Then by ill fate, the most unpopular and longest-shot dragon was also entered in this race. Having finished dead last in most of its previous races, driving the odds constantly higher due to its poor performance, it was mockingly nicknamed the ‘Uncrowned Dragon King’ in the industry.”
However, the accident caused a major upset.
“Running at the very back meant it avoided the accident completely. And thanks to its innate easygoing temperament preventing it from panicking over the situation, it just kept running, allowing the ‘Uncrowned Dragon King’ to finally claim its first victory.”
As a result, many nobles lost massive fortunes, causing such an uproar demanding the race be nullified that it nearly devolved into a riot.
The unsightly behavior of the nobles must have been a gratifying spectacle for the commoners and paupers, as the details were widely circulated as extra editions throughout the capital.
“Incidentally, with no one betting on the ‘Uncrowned Dragon King’ due to its constant losses, the operating guild had set odds beyond their expected limits. Betting 500,000 Galds on it would hit the absolute maximum payout they can offer.”
“…And how much is that?”
“500 million Galds.”
“Wha–!?”
Upon hearing the potential payout, Lucia’s eyes went wide as she fell speechless.
500 million Galds was a sum approaching the annual income of higher nobles like marquises or earl marchers.
That immense fortune could make obtaining a peerage and territory possible.
However, Lucia furrowed her brow with worry.
“That may have been the case in the future you came from, but…since I was saved by you this time young master, isn’t it possible the future has changed?”
“It’s true the future can change. But fundamentally, the ‘past’ is an established phenomenon, and the conditions that determine how the future changes are affected by the repercussions of those past events.”
“Young master, can you explain it a bit more simply for me?”
“What I know of the past will occur again, and that past isn’t easily changed.”
Adding clarification, Kurtz raised a finger.
“Time is like a great river – its flow and the river’s shape don’t change from minor causes. Helping a single person like you isn’t enough to alter the future.”
“I see…so changing the outcome of a major historical event would change the subsequent future?”
“You can think of it that way. The conditions for changes are complex to explain right now, but I’ve at least made plans taking those conditions into account. So even if the future does change, I have multiple contingencies ready. You can be confident the events I described will basically occur and I can definitely handle them.”
“Mmhmm. It sounds complicated, so I’ll just accept that the young master is wise and amazing.”
“Don’t nod along giving flippant responses while patting my head.”
Heaving a sigh, Kurtz brushed away Lucia’s hand trying to ruffle his hair.
“That’s why I need you to buy the dragon racing tickets I specified.”
“But wouldn’t it seem strange for just a child and servant to enter the dragon racing grounds? There are probably imperial guards patrolling nearby and inside too.”
“I’ll handle making our entry look natural from here on.”
Saying so, Kurtz took a deep breath near the grounds’ entrance before–
“–Wowww! Look Lucia! They have dragons racing!!”
Breaking into a bright smile, Kurtz raised his voice in a high, childlike tone.
“Hey hey! Let’s go take a quick look!”
“Well, you’re still a child young master, so I don’t think we’ll be allowed in?”
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