Chapter 73: The Pinnacle of Side Quests in the Novel World, Part 2

“You kid, you look pretty clean, so your pockets are probably clean too. How many chips do you have?” the scruffy man sneered, clearly looking down on Draxel.

“Are you doubting me? How many chips do you have, you dirty, smelly old man?” Draxel’s attitude turned sour.

The scruffy man stood up and pulled out several heavy bags of coins from his coat, boasting, “Hah, I’ve got 26,000 denars.”

‘Wow! Never judge a book by its cover. This guy must have extorted this money from the prisoners.’

Draxel remembered what the system said yesterday, feeling that if he gambled with this guy, he might lose everything.

But this Captain Borcha was a talent. Draxel knew the name Borcha from the original Mount & Blade world. Borcha was skilled in scouting, looting, tracking, and riding. More importantly, he had a good relationship with Merchant Marnid. If they joined forces, they could achieve great things.

Draxel was eager to recruit him. As a prison warden, Borcha would definitely have a knack for managing prisoners and could help handle hostages effectively.

Seeing Draxel lost in thought, Captain Borcha impatiently said, “I knew you were broke. Get lost and stop wasting my time.”

Draxel snapped back to reality and replied, “Ahem, just so happens I also have 26,000 denars.”

He then pulled out several heavy bags of coins himself.

This was the highest-stakes game ever seen at the Yanzi-Ronnie Casino, with over 50,000 denars on the table.

“Well, look at that, you’ve got some money after all! Great, looks like I’ll be going home with over 50,000 denars today, haha!” Borcha laughed arrogantly.

“Hehe, the game’s not over yet. Tell me, how do you want to play? I, Draxel, will play to the end.”

“What, you’re Draxel!? Oh… Count, please forgive my earlier rudeness.” 

Hearing this, Borcha immediately bowed deeply and apologized.

Borcha had served as a prison warden in the Khergit Khanate’s Dark Castle and Xiko Villages and had heard of Draxel’s reputation many times.

“No problem, I’m a generous Count. Looks like I have some fame. Don’t just stand there, tell me, how do you want to gamble?”

“Well… maybe we should call it off. I don’t feel like gambling today.” 

Borcha was visibly uncomfortable. Winning against the Count would be disastrous, and losing everything was not an option either. Besides, it was Draxel’s casino, filled with his people. Borcha wasn’t naive enough to think he could win here.

Draxel teased, “How about we don’t bet money? Let’s bet on a request. If I win, you do something for me. If I lose, I’ll do something for you. How about it?”

“Well… I’d rather—” Borcha was about to refuse.

Suddenly, Draxel waved his hand, signaling the dealer, and said, “It’s settled then. One round to decide the winner. Deal the cards.”

[System Prompt: Exactly, now’s the time to be forceful. Why be so polite to another man?]

The result was obvious. Draxel had a royal flush in hearts, 10-J-Q-K-A, while Captain Borcha had a pair of sixes and three sevens, leaving him with no choice but to accept defeat.

Having not checked his horoscope before coming out, Captain Borcha cursed his luck, “Uh, you win, Count. What’s your request?”

“The doorman at the casino, he’s pretty skilled. He used to be one of your subordinates, right? You trained him?”

“Yes.”

“He also mentioned you were the head of the prison guard, experienced in managing hostages and prisoners. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then I request you build a high-level soldiers’ training camp and a high-level iron prison for Uxkhal. Seems reasonable, right?”

“Yes… yes.” 

Though he answered affirmatively, Borcha was cursing internally. The workload for this request was enormous.

“How much time and money will you need to build these two facilities?”

“Well… I’ll need a month and 15,000 denars.” Knowing better than to overcharge, Borcha quoted the market rate to avoid potential repercussions.

Draxel, feeling wealthy, casually replied, “What’s your monthly wage?”

“About 500 denars.”

“Great, here’s 16,000 denars. The extra 1,000 is for your wages. I’m a fair and generous man, so I expect you to do a good job.”

Before Borcha could refuse, Draxel shoved the coins into his hands.

[System Prompt: You have 10,000 denars remaining. Damn, you’re spending money like water. 500 denars tip for a guy?]

The sudden generosity left Borcha stunned, developing a newfound respect and fondness for Draxel. Truly a generous Count!

[System Prompt: Your friendliness with Warden Borcha has increased by +5. Current friendliness: 55.]

[Current Character Status: Warden Borcha, Level 17, Strength 13, Agility 26, Intelligence 25, Charisma 12.]

[Skills: “Trainer 2,” “Prisoner Management 2,” “Riding 5.”]

Seeing these stats, Draxel felt satisfied. Borcha’s attributes weren’t extraordinary, but “Trainer 2” and “Prisoner Management 2” were exactly what Draxel needed!

‘No matter what, I’ve got to find a way to keep him on my team. This side quest turned out pretty decent, no shady stuff involved.’

With this thought, Draxel had another idea. 

He turned to Borcha and said, “From today until you finish the construction, you can stay in my lord’s hall. If you need any assistance, talk to my minister, Merchant Marnid. He can provide everything you need—except women.”

Draxel added the last part, suspecting that Borcha might have a fondness for women.

“Thank you, noble Count. I will do my best.”

Afterward, Draxel introduced Borcha to Marnid. The merchant and the warden hit it off right away, chatting pleasantly.