In the next ten minutes, everyone began to pity Kaleb.
Alice lived up to her nickname of fierce beauty as she thrashed her brother in front of everyone.
Jasmine had long since stepped back, her cheeks red and her eyes teary.
She had wanted to show off her boyfriend in front of everyone but was humiliated by his childish behavior in the end. Kaleb had been on his best behavior at first, but he lost his temper when Michael won the competition.
However, that was not even the worst. The way Alice thrashed her brother without caring about their surroundings made Jasmine feel wary about the siblings and felt suddenly uncertain about her future as the daughter-in-law of the family.
Kaleb looked like a pitiful, whiny puppy that had been kicked in the gut.
It reached a point where even Michael couldn't take it anymore. He stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"How about we stop right here? I can just say that he never participated in the bet," Michael said quietly.
Even if it hurt his heart a little to lose that much money, Kaleb was just too whiny. It was not as if Michael would lose the money the others bet, either. Only Kaleb wouldn't have to pay him anymore.
However, Alice could only sigh deeply when she heard what Michael said and turned to her brother with a frown, "Look, even Michael pities you…"
Alice Zenovia lost the strength to keep shouting at her brother and could only shake her head.
To her, it felt like Kaleb had lost a few brain cells. Usually, he was intelligent and composed. He knew what he was supposed to do, and what he should refrain from doing.
So why would he challenge Lords while he had yet to manifest his War Rune? That was plain stupid in her opinion.
In fact, that was not even the problem. The problem was that he threw a fit after losing against a Lord, and calling him a cheater for using his Soultrait, which was totally legitimate.
If that was everything, she would have forgiven him after scolding him publicly, but Kaleb even made a bet, signing a contract in the name of the Zenovia family.
That idiot didn't even hesitate to implicate the Zenovia family and ruin their image!
If their parents and elders were to find out about today's events, and everything Kaleb did in the last half an hour, they would severely punish him. Alice's small lecture in front of his girlfriend and a few dozen people would be nothing compared to the punishment they would give him.
Unfortunately, Kaleb had still not learned a lesson. He was glaring at Michael, knowing that he was pitied. Michael's pitiful gaze hurt him more than his sister's lecture.
In a fit, he retrieved a golden card from his pocket and threw it in front of Michael.
"Take the Golden Bartholomew Membership Card, and stop bothering me, ba–..." He bellowed, only to be slapped on the back of the head when he was about to insult Michael.
Michael pressed his lips together and picked up the golden membership card of Bartholomew. He handed it to Alice, who looked at the membership card in confusion.
"He shouldn't give me his membership card. I have my own," Michael explained calmly while retrieving his own membership card to show them.
Since Kaleb was from the Zenovia family, it was no surprise that he possessed the membership cards of most big companies. It was a mere coincidence that he withdrew the golden Bartholomew membership card.
Alice pulled her brother's hand back, but she couldn't hide her astonishment.
"You have the–..." She asked, only to stop midway. Alice squinted her beautiful eyes and her eyebrows furrowed as if she was seeing him in a new light.
"Did I underestimate him? The background check clearly stated that there is nothing special about his family…'
With that thought, Alice turned back to her brother who had thoroughly disappointed her today
"What exactly did you guys bet? I didn't see it clearly earlier," Alice asked coldly, but Kaleb couldn't get himself to answer.
'This is so awkward…can't we solve this issue somewhere else?' Michael wondered in his head.
However, he sensed that Alice wanted to teach her brother a lesson in front of everyone. Michael was fairly sure that Kaleb didn't think of the lecture as something that intended to help him. On the contrary, Alice's lecture was bound to backfire and have the opposite effect on Kaleb.
Unfortunately, Alice looked at him hopefully when Kaleb didn't answer.
He retrieved Tigerfang with a sigh and handed it over.
"Since he didn't specify the item, he was going to bet in the contract, he will have to hand over an item of equal value, or hard cash of the same value as the Artifact I bet."
Michael did not ask for a specific amount of money or Artifact, but that was mostly because he had no idea how expensive Tigerfang was. Even he was not sure how his brother was able to procure a Tierless Epic Artifact.
Alice didn't think too much about the thin longsword at first. However, when she used one of her Appraisal-type Artifacts, she could only curse her brother for such a costly mistake.
"An Epic Artifact. It is a Weapon Artifact, which increases its value, and it's Tierless… It doesn't have an enchantment, which means that it is a naturally formed Epic-grade Artifact. Its power and enhancement is as powerful as a 3-Star Tier-1 Weapon Artifact, maybe a little bit weaker," She mumbled quietly to herself as she analyzed the weapon.
"Despite its great enhancement, sharpness, and endurance, it can be wielded by a Tierless Lord. This fact alone increases its value manyfold. Mankind has yet to find a Tierless 6-Star Artifact, and even Tierless 5-Star Artifacts are as rare as phoenix feathers… You cannot purchase such an Artifact easily because nobody is willing to sell a life-saving tool to Rookie Lords that easily.
It's an invaluable treasure all big families and clans would purchase for a horrifying price. After all, everyone wants their offspring and disciples to start their journey in the Origin Expanse with the best preparations…"
When Alice finished her appraisal of the weapon, she stared at Michael without uttering a word for a while. Even the biggest families had a tough time finding such a treasure, yet Michael, an ordinary young man, was an owner of a Tierless Epic-grade Weapon Artifact??
How could that be possible?
"How did you obtain this Artifact?" Alice asked, clearly more interested in the answer than her brother's stupid bet.
Michael was also a little confused after listening to Alice's explanation. He knew that Tigerfang was rare and valuable, but it seemed as if Tigerfang was much more valuable than he thought, or Danny had made it look.
"My brother gifted it to me after my War Rune manifested," He answered after a few seconds.
"Your brother? If I remember correctly, he is just a Tier-2 Lor-...Nevermind that… Did he find this Artifact in some ruins, or did he purchase it from the black market?" Alice Zenovia asked quickly, trying to cover up the slip of tongue.
Michael heard her comment but was not surprised. He figured that she had already investigated his family background when she invited him to the Saphirelake Military Academy. It made sense.
However, he couldn't help but frown at her question.
'How am I supposed to know where he got Tigerfang from?!'