Duwei had largely entrusted the business of illegal gambling to Marde. He had no choice—though he enjoyed a leisurely life, he was under strict house arrest and was unable to leave the castle to oversee his gambling operations.
Marde, once a humble groom, had experienced a complete reversal of fortune! Originally a mere "steward" who had been sent to the Rollin family estate along with the fallen young master, everyone knew he had been nothing more than a former stableman. The head of the household servants was the old butler, and though Marde had assumed the title of steward, he had always been a figurehead with no real authority.
But that had all changed! Now, he was Duwei's chief steward, in charge of all gambling operations across the Rollin Plain and half of the Cotter Province!
Whenever Marde stepped outside, the owners of major casinos would eagerly send their representatives to greet him with the utmost respect. Wherever he went, a crowd of gambling industry figures followed, all hoping that Marde might, in a moment of goodwill, share some inside information, allowing them to profit and share in the spoils.
Under Duwei's direction, Marde had, almost casually, leaked the odds of several football matches, leading the peripheral gambling houses to a modest profit.
Duwei, well-versed in the ways of people, understood the dynamics at play. While the so-called monopoly was officially his, in reality, many followed the trend in secret.
Even in his past life, underground gambling syndicates had never been entirely eradicated.
Duwei had no intention of allowing the label of "pushing the vice of gambling and corruption on the Rollin Plain" to be pinned on him. If he couldn't stop it, he would guide it instead!
With a sudden inspiration, Duwei slapped his forehead and made a decision: from this day forward, all gambling activities in surrounding cities would be suspended. He was going to reform the system!
It could be said, "The young master speaks, and Marde runs till his legs break."
Duwei patiently conducted a three-day crash course for Marde, who, despite his limited understanding, was bombarded with a wealth of new information.
As for what Marde didn't fully grasp, he would have to figure it out on the road.
First, Duwei had emphasized: from now on, never mention the word "gambling"! Duwei had come up with a new concept—one that would involve the public sale of something called... football lottery tickets! Though it was essentially the same as betting on match outcomes, the form was a bit more sophisticated.
"We are no longer a gambling den taking bets! We are a legitimate shop selling products! And our product shall be called... football lottery tickets!" Duwei spoke these words with utmost seriousness, almost reverentially. After a pause, he added, "And from now on, we do not gamble! We engage in... legal betting!"
As for the issue of legality, Duwei had devised the simplest solution: a percentage of the earnings—10%—would be donated to the local governing authorities!
And so, whether Marde fully understood or not, he could only gather his servants, board his carriage, and begin traveling between the towns of the Rollin Plain to set up this new football lottery business.
Before leaving, Marde couldn't resist asking one more question: "Young master, since we're opening a shop, shouldn't it have a name?"
"Football Lottery Center!" Duwei responded decisively.
Thus, Marde's official title would soon expand to include: Director of the Football Lottery Center!
The second task Duwei assigned to Marde was even grander: a major overhaul of the current "league" structure!
Up until now, the teams and players had been drawn exclusively from the castle's thousand-strong guard. However, the soldiers' training period was nearly over.
If these soldiers continued to squander their time playing football instead of training, Duwei feared the old butler would report his neglect to the Imperial Capital.
Therefore... Duwei decided to establish a true league!
From now on, only one team would remain from the castle's guard. Duwei instructed Marde to visit various cities, where he would form new teams! Football had become wildly popular across the Rollin Plain, and gathering a few dozen decent players in any given town would not be difficult.
Soon, each city would have its own team, and the matches would follow a league format... a prospect that greatly excited Marde!
Duwei's calculations revealed that this league could be extremely profitable. Players from this era would not demand exorbitant signing fees or salaries. Most players would be farmers, artisans, blacksmiths, miners, and even barbers. A small reward of one or two gold coins a month would be enough to motivate them to run energetically across the field.
Meanwhile, the football lottery's anticipated profits would easily cover these modest wages.
Yet Duwei had not abandoned his quest for maximum profit... He even sent Marde to approach the largest leather merchant in a nearby city—one who had long supplied the Rollin family with leather goods.
Duwei promised that, in the future, all local players would wear uniforms emblazoned with the merchant's shop name during league matches.
Given the immense popularity of football and the crowds that filled the town squares during each match, the merchant generously agreed to pay Duwei five hundred gold coins for the exclusive naming rights for the coming year.
Thus, the town's team became known as the "Rollin Plain Emerald Town Old Kroler Leather Goods Football Team"!
In front of Marde, Duwei had successfully sold the naming rights for the first team. Marde's next task was to sell naming rights for all twelve league teams to wealthy local merchants.
Through all of this, Marde could hardly contain his admiration for his young master, who had raised him since childhood.
Who says our young master is a fool?
Have you ever seen a fool who can earn tens of thousands of gold coins with a few words?
Marde ran tirelessly across the Rollin Plain, traveling from south to north, east to west, visiting over a dozen towns. Eventually, the twelve teams were established, and all their naming rights had been sold.
As for the odd names like "XX Jewelry Store Team" or "XX Weapon Shop Team," Duwei paid them no mind... He was simply pleased with the thousands of gold coins Marde brought back. The twelve teams earned a total of five thousand gold coins.
"This is only the first year, my dear Marde. Once our league takes off, you won't have to travel anymore. Merchants will come in droves, offering you gold by the barrel! At that point, a few thousand gold coins might not even be enough to buy the naming rights to a single team!" Duwei, moved by Marde's devotion, decided to reward his loyal servant even further.
"My dear Marde... would you be interested in becoming the first president of the Rollin Plain Football Association?"
Thus, in addition to his titles of "Chief Steward" and "Football Lottery Center Director," Marde would also soon bear a title that sounded rather mystical: President of the Football Association!
Although Marde did not fully understand what the position of "Football Association President" entailed, he was deeply touched by his master's trust and accepted the offer gladly.
Duwei, clearly in good spirits, was pleased. After all, the five thousand gold coins Marde had returned with would be enough to alleviate some of his pressing needs.The football league had yet to commence, and the profits from the football lottery were still a distant dream. The five thousand gold coins from the naming rights seemed to be Duwei's only liquid capital at this moment.
D*mn Solskjaer... that fool had burned through thousands of gold coins again, yet there was no progress to speak of.
With the few thousand gold coins Marde had brought back, Duwei could finally breathe a sigh of relief. In high spirits, he decided to show Marde, now the president of the Football Association, his latest invention.
At the special fireworks workshop behind the castle, Marde once again gazed at his master with awe...
Though he had no idea what Duwei was about to unveil.
Before them stood what appeared to be a colossal wicker basket.
Yes, indeed, it was a gigantic basket. Large enough for three or four people to stand inside, the sides were high enough to reach waist level, making it feel as though one were seated in an open carriage.
And above it... hovered a massive, spherical object, a giant balloon, crafted from dozens of cowhides, gently floating above the basket!
Yes, that was it—a giant balloon!
A furnace below was diligently heating the air inside the balloon, fueling its ascent.
The flames burned bright, and Duwei, applying a touch of his newly learned fire magic, enhanced the burn with an additive concocted by Solskjaer to intensify the flame's effect.
"This, my dear Marde, is called a hot air balloon!" Duwei said, beaming with pride.
It was the culmination of a month's hard work! Though nearly fifty sheets of premium cowhide had been sacrificed in the process—bought cheaply from the leather merchant who had initially purchased the naming rights for the team.
Ignoring Marde's confused expression, Duwei proudly introduced his new invention.
The former groom, now Chief Steward, Football Lottery Center Director, and President of the Football Association, Marde, felt as though he were on the verge of fainting. Staring at his master, he stammered, "Master... are you saying that this thing... it can fly? You mean... 'fly'? I'm not hearing things, am I?"
"You're not hearing things, my dear Marde!" Duwei laughed. "So, I bestow upon you an honor! Come, let us be the first to experience its maiden flight! This is a historic moment! You shall be the first human, unaided by magic or magical creatures, to soar into the sky!"
What followed felt like a dream to old Marde!
Duwei drew a knife and severed the ropes tying the basket, and the immense buoyancy of the hot air balloon gently lifted both the basket and its passengers—Duwei and Marde—into the air.
As the basket slowly left the ground and climbed higher, everyone below held their breath, too stunned to make a sound, their eyes wide, mouths agape, gazing upward at the rising Duwei and Marde...
Some even forgot to wipe away the saliva trickling down their chins!
For those living in an era without any flying machines, this spectacle was nothing short of... awe-inspiring!
When the hot air balloon finally reached a height near the castle's rooftop, the craftsmen below erupted in jubilant cheers! They all fell to their knees, praising the mighty gods with reverent voices...
Meanwhile, compared to the elated crowd, Marde felt as though his legs could no longer support him!
For the first time in his life, "flying" had left him trembling uncontrollably. His face had gone pale, his eyes were as wide as saucers, his teeth chattering, and his hands clung desperately to the edge of the basket...
"So, what do you think, my dear Marde?" Duwei asked, gazing down at the landscape. From this height, the surrounding scenery—the distant mountains, the nearby forests—spread out in full view!
"Isn't this moment unforgettable..." Duwei said, lost in the beauty of it all.
"Master..." Marde swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "I... I don't even know how to describe this... it's... it's simply too incredible... But... I must ask... now that we've flown so high... how are we supposed to land?"
"..." At this, Duwei's expression shifted. He fixed Marde with a serious look, his face turning awkward. "Cursed luck... I know how to make it fly, but I have no idea how to land it."
Marde: "Master... you are truly the most brilliant person I've ever met... %※%&#×;※..."
Duwei: "Marde! You've spit on me!"
Below, the crowd, still overwhelmed with excitement, began to exchange bewildered glances. "When will the young master and the others come down? It's almost time for dinner, isn't it?"
As the hot air balloon drifted higher and farther into the sunset, bathed in the golden glow of twilight...
What a wonderful world this is! Is it not?