Starting Today I'll Work As A City Lord

It was after a month since Lucas had introduced boxing, and in that short time, the sport had captivated many people. People like Bryan, Joe, and Ryan had become regulars in the ring, sparring whenever they could. Of course, Bryan and Joe were the types who lost every match, yet they never gave up, coming back for more after each defeat.

Eventually, they even started training their own boxers to spar in the ring. This seemingly intense sport became wildly popular, and crowds frequently gathered around the ring to watch. Perhaps there was a bit of a violent streak in everyone, normally held in check but excited by this new form of competition.

"Young Master, the boxing match is about to start," Nicole reminded him gently. "Everyone's waiting for your opening speech."

Lucas snapped out of his thoughts, stood up slowly, and addressed the crowd below, raising his voice, "Today marks the start of the boxing competition, with a total of eighteen participants."

"I won't go over the rules again, as everyone has learned them over the past few days. Now, I'll announce the prizes."

"The first-place winner will receive a gold coin and a trophy.

The second-place winner will receive ten silver coins.

The third-place winner will receive one hundred copper coins."

Seeing the eager faces and the quickened breaths of the crowd, Lucas's smile widened slightly. He spoke softly, "The boxing tournament will be held four times a year, once every quarter."

The crowd's eyes widened in astonishment. The prize, especially the gold coin for first place, left many people stunned, particularly those who hadn't signed up to compete and were now full of regret. A single gold coin was enough to support a common family for several years.

Many immediately resolved to enter the next quarterly tournament, and it was easy to foresee how fierce the competition would be next time.

"Let the matches begin!" Lucas announced loudly before settling back into his chair.

Other details were in capable hands, like Aiden, who would serve as referee. Recently, Aiden had taken a liking to boxing himself and even requested a few pairs of gloves from Lucas to spar with Tony at home.

"City Lord, which contestant do you favor?" Joe, sitting on a tier below the high platform, tilted his head and asked, "I'm thinking of placing a bet myself!"

The high platform was set up in a two-tier arrangement. Lucas sat at the very top, while Bryan, Max, Ryan, and others of some standing occupied the lower tier.

"I'm not sure yet. It's only the beginning, so betting will come down to your luck." Lucas replied calmly.

The betting Lucas mentioned was part of a gambling scheme he had set up. For instance, before the matches even started, participants could predict who would take first place. If they guessed correctly, the payout was dependent on the participant.

There were also bets on the order of the top three finishers, which offered an astounding payout of eighty to one. Additionally, one could bet on who would be the first eliminated, which had its own enticing odds.

In total, there were dozens of different betting options, with the most impressive being the bet on the exact order of the top eighteen contestants. If someone guessed that correctly, Lucas would pay out a staggering one hundred one gold coins.

This betting announcement left everyone in shock. Many were eager to try their luck, as the minimum bet was just a steel coin. Numerous hopeful commoners placed their bets, thinking that maybe, just maybe, they would strike it lucky.

Many people understood that guessing the exact order of the top eighteen finishers was nearly impossible; the odds of doing so correctly might be one in a hundred years.

Thus, they opted to bet on just the top three contestants, without specifying their order. While the payout was lower than that for predicting the full sequence, it still generated plenty of excitement among the crowd.

Gary, carrying a box, was there to collect bets. He was frequently called upon to take wagers. The box served not only to hold coins but also to keep track of the betting slips.

The betting receipts were a new innovation from the research department, created at Lucas's request. They had developed a special carbon paper, which involved soaking a specific type of paper in ink for several days and then letting it dry. When placed between two sheets of paper, writing on the top sheet with a quill would leave an impression on the bottom sheet due to the pressure from the quill.

The bottom sheet, which captured the written record, would be given to the bettor, while the top sheet would be kept as proof for comparison during the prize redemption process.

"Over here!" Joe called out, waving his hand.

"Coming!" Gary approached Joe, holding the wooden box. He first bowed to Lucas.

"I want to bet on the top three, but not in order: Contestants 7, 10, and 17! My wager is one silver coin." Joe said, pulling a silver coin from his pocket and handing it to Gary, which was the maximum bet allowed.

Lucas didn't want the commoners to become too absorbed in gambling, so he implemented several restrictions, such as limits on bet amounts and the rule that each person could only place one bet.

"Alright, please wait a moment." Gary said, pulling out a notepad from the box. This notepad was a replica created by the research department, based on Lucas's design.

Gary flipped to the latest page, carefully took out a sheet of the dark carbon paper from a small box, and inserted it between two sheets of plain paper. He then began to write quickly.

Once he finished, Gary retrieved another small box from the larger one and opened it to reveal a bright red substance inside. This was another innovation from the research department, made by soaking cork in a red plant's juice, creating a seal stamp.

Gary presented the seal to Joe and said, "Sir, please place your thumbprint here."

"Sure!" Joe was familiar with contracts and how some nobles would even cut their thumbs to use blood for sealing. He pressed his thumb into the red seal, then stamped both sheets of the receipt with his thumbprint.

"Krrrr…"

Gary tore off the receipt from under the carbon paper and handed it to Joe, saying, "Please keep this receipt safe. You can use it to claim your prize if you win."

"Coming!" Gary noticed someone calling for him and quickly walked away.

He had been called in by Deputy Chief Aiden to help out today, and he heard that he would receive a reward of three hundred copper coins after the competition concluded.

"Uh…" Joe looked at the receipt in his hand, realizing that it was not the same one he had just filled out. He lowered his gaze and his eyes widened in shock. "Huh? How is this possible?"

The receipt he held looked identical to the one Gary had just written, although some parts were a bit blurred, it was still distinguishable.

"Um, City Lord, what is this?" Joe asked, lifting the receipt as he sought clarification. He felt that this was the most astonishing part of the whole betting process.

He thought to himself that if such a miraculous item existed, doing business with others would be worry-free—no more fears of being cheated.

"Oh, that's the latest carbon paper." Lucas replied calmly.

He had slightly underestimated the researchers in the department. He hadn't expected that just a few days after proposing the idea, they would produce the carbon paper so quickly. While it might smudge and wasn't very durable, it was more than sufficient for current needs.

"City Lord, when will it be available for purchase in the marketplace?" Joe asked nervously.

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