Aleks’ anger

Hearing the merchant's words, the headmaster said, "Ara. Then can you tell me what it is?" She asked.

Smirking, Merchant Bernard's pupils turned to the side, looking at the headmaster.

"Ufufu. Just a little wager. Don't you think it's more entertaining to have it? Don't worry I'm not a callous person, so the wager will not be in one side's favor only."

This merchant was known for his cunningness, so she could not agree to it right away. But if the wage was something reasonable enough maybe she would reconsider, no? The headmaster thought.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Can you specify the details?"

"Of course. What I mean is if your fighter wins this third match, I will give you a set of my product for free."

"Free you say?"

"That's right for free."

"Hm~" the headmaster fell silent. She knew that there was more to it. "And what if we'll lose?" She asked anyway.

"Fufu. If you'll lose… then you need to buy a set of my products, hehe." Merchant Bernard grinned. "See, it's a fair bet, right?"

The headmaster did not respond immediately but it was written on her face that she was pondering.

That was indeed a good bet and fair. She did not expect it to be as simple as that. Perhaps the merchant was just too confident that he would win.

A full set means one set of new mechs along with its gears. Actually, she already had the plan to buy new high-end mechs this year. But her main choice was the Four-legged variant from the Red Sphere Kingdom. It was the best ground-type mech so far, especially in the mountainous plain or forest.

So, if she agreed to this bet and they'll lose, they would be forced to buy the merchant's variant instead.

The headmaster looked at Merchant Bernard and noticed his grin. As expected, he was up to something. The headmaster could eventually see through his scheme. But it wasn't like he was the only one who had a card up inside his sleeve.

"I see. Although our chance of winning was very slim, thinking that we will get a high-end mech for free if by chance we'll win, I can't let it pass, no?" She said, then she added, "Okay. I agree."

Merchant Bernard smirked even more this time.

Hehehe. Slim ah? More like it's nil, he thought.

"Hehe. As expected of you, Headmaster," said Merchant Bernard. "Alright, it's a deal. I hope the headmaster won't back out of her words", he said.

"Rest assured. I'm not the kind of person who lied to her words."

Inwardly, Merchant Bernard looked very satisfied. Since he didn't disclose yet the price per unit, he was just going to increase the price to 50% or double it later. The headmaster will be forced to buy it because they already made a deal. She wasn't a businessman, so she had a swallow thinking.

Hehe!

Meanwhile,

When Katya arrived at their camp, Aleks with Isaak greeted her.

"Well done, Kat", said Aleks as he approached Katya who had just climbed down from her cockpit and was in the process of taking off her helmet. Her blonde hair fluttered upon successfully taking it off.

"But aren't you so lenient, Kat?" Isaak followed up.

Katya replied with an exasperated sigh. "I didn't do that because I pitied them."

It's just how her master taught her, to show respect to her opponent whenever, especially in a duel like this. Though it was different inside a real battlefield.

"Well, it's Katya after all. Don't mind it. Let me handle the rest. I'll make them regret their mistake", Aleks said with an icy glint in his eyes.

"Haha! Beat them up, Aleks."

Isaak grinned and pumped his fist in the air.

Aleks anger towards the people in this country was so big. He still could not forget that incident a decade ago. His father was one of the elite soldiers that the emperor sent into that war.

His father sacrificed his time with his family for his duty. Just to save an ally county. Because of that, he and his mother had to go out by themselves. However, the maglev car they were riding in collided with a truck. They were caught in an accident.

Thanks to her mother who prioritized his safety over her own. He was saved and suffered only scars. However, his mother, although miraculously alive, has her legs crippled and to this day she still could not walk.

He believed that the accident would not have happened if only his father was there with them at that time.

But he didn't hold a grudge against anyone. It was an accident after all. An accident could happen anytime and anywhere. And it was unexpected. He understood that.

Aleks wasn't mad at his father either. He knew that as a loyal soldier of the empire, his duty was his priority. He also knew that the emperor's decision to send soldiers to aid their allied country was right.

However, the only thing that angered him was, after the war, their soldiers didn't even receive a single recognition or gratitude from the country they saved. If it wasn't for the elite soldiers sent by the emperor, the western alliance would have conquered this country at that time. That was a definite outcome.

This place is not worth a pity! Aleks screamed internally.

"Good luck, Aleks", Katya said, then walked away.

The two young men looked at her.

Arriving at the pile of boxes, she sat down quietly and threw gum into her mouth. While chewing, she sneakily caressed her arm. She did not expect that blocking her opponent's attack caused her arm to become a little numb. Well, she was up against an elite pilot of this country so minor injuries such as this were not impossible to happen.

If only she chose to dodge, this wouldn't have happened.

Looking at Katya, "What's with her?" Isaak asked, wondering about Katya's behavior.

"Might be a little tired. Don't mind it."

As everyone was waiting for the final match to start, they suddenly heard an announcement.

"Everyone! We'll be having a 10-minute break!"

"A 10-minute break?" Cross asked. His voice sounded slightly disappointed. He wanted the match to start already.

"Although it was just a mock battle, they are hoping for at least a single win. So they must rethink their plan. It was also a good option to change the momentum of the match", said the person next to him.

"I see. You're right."

As they were waiting for the match to start, Cross felt something vibrating inside his trouser.

BZZZZ! BZZZZ!

It was his mobile terminal. Probably, someone sent him a message.

At the same time that Cross received a message, in Guren's camp, they had a problem. They could not find their last fighter.

"Garry isn't in the quarter, sir!" Said one of Guren's men.

"What?" Guren looked shocked. Initially, he thought of asking Garry to give up this fight. But Guren went against it. Win or lose, he believed this match was necessary for Garry to grow.