Before he was crowned king II

"Poker is a game of great skill. The more people there are, the more varied and exciting it is..." Baron Browning smiled, "By the way, I haven't asked you yet—"

"Student of the Magic Imperial Academy." The young man spoke quickly, and turned his head as if he didn't want to talk about it, "Arix, I don't have that much money at the moment, please lend me two hundred queen coins later .”

Erics was a little dazed, thinking he was hallucinating.He didn't know when the always stable Sean suddenly became so interested in playing poker?

This is a gamble and a scam.

Although Baron Browning's trap was very cunning, it stands to reason that Sean must have seen it.

"Let's get started." Sean glanced at the onlookers, "Master Baron, don't your friends come to the table together?" He tossed and held the yellow chips, "Six people win in a game More."

"Of course, as long as you are willing." Baron Browning looked relaxed, "My friends also like to play cards."

Heh, the young student... is just a poor ghost who can't even afford two hundred gold coins. He is probably a commoner, but he is arrogant and ignorant and wants to take all of them's bargaining chips.

Baron Browning smiled secretly and shook his head. He has seen too many young people who love to dream and have no brains, and regard playing poker as pure luck in casinos.

Basically, all of them are young and arrogant but have no skills at all, and they can often lose their fortunes in less than a few dozen moves.

Since he wanted to send the gold coins so quickly, he must accept them generously.Baron Browning nodded to those few people and signaled them to sit down and join the game.

As a result, no one had two hole cards, and the six-player poker match began under the watchful eyes of everyone.

"I... discard the cards." Someone raised his hand tremblingly.

About three to ten minutes later, four players, including Erics, had lost all their chips, folded and left the table. At present, only Sean and Baron Browning are left to continue the game.

"Raising..." Sean said lightly.

"Raise?" Browning's pupils dilated in shock. The previous round of betting was over, and the commoner student sitting opposite him actually wanted to raise again.

Is he crazy?Anyone who is professional knows that this is a misconception.

Some of the spectators around sighed, some clenched their hands, and everyone was sweating for this young student who didn't play cards according to common sense.

"The draw..." Brownie said.

"Up cards..." Sean continued.

Sean's expression didn't change much, and Baron Browning's expression remained calm and relaxed. No one expressed his thoughts on his face. It seemed that both of them had strong confidence to become the ultimate winner of the game.

But the facts don't match what you see.Everyone's eyes were fixed on the direction of the situation on the gaming table, and no one noticed Baron Browning's trembling legs under the table belly.

It was the first time I was so nervous and anxious.

Browning considered himself to be an experienced old gambler, and he had contacted nine hundred if not a thousand master players.

Playing poker is entertainment for others, but for Browning it is the only life left.

Many people can't understand his obsession with poker, let alone the feeling that he has inherited a huge inheritance, but still likes to win money with poker.

Because he's only good at poker.

Although he is a descendant of a hero, Browning is born ignorant and does not like horseback riding, swordsmanship, or magic.

Apart from their surnames, the only thing he has in common with his great grandfather, Knight Valado, is that they both shed crazy blood.It's just that his grandfather was crazy on the battlefield, and he was crazy in the casino.

Now Browning is more restless than ever before. He is not worried about winning or losing, but the commoner students sitting across from him are really unfathomable. During the game, they often make some seemingly poor decisions. to confuse him.

Mindset is crucial to playing poker.Many people think that playing cards depends on luck, but in fact, veterans like Browning know that playing cards depends on analysis and decision-making to increase the possibility of winning. Language, expression, hand, small movements... These appearances can all be analyzed.

Just like the extra raise just now, if the opponent has no position advantage and the hand is weak, this situation will not happen, because psychologically the decision maker will not want the pot to become bigger.

So according to experience, he should slow down and look for opportunities to use the high cards in his hand to make the opponent fold.

However, Browning is not going to do this this time!A natural gambler's instincts told him that youth raises were a fraud.

This lowly commoner wants to fish.

"Raising..." Sean remained expressionless.

"Raise..." Browning gritted his teeth and pushed half of the chips.

"Raising..." Sean continued.

"Double!" The other half of the chips also fell.Someone took a deep breath, and just said a game of [-] games, and the pot was already as high as [-] gold coins without knowing it.

Browning kept playing with the chips on the table, clearly feeling his blood start to boil.

He was paying attention to the cards, and the flower cards were already gone.So he dared to bet, bet on his intuition, and bet that his hand range was stronger than the opponent's!

Time seemed to be suspended at this moment, and everyone was waiting for the final result.

"A? A."

Sean's voice was like a bucket of ice water mercilessly poured over Browning's head.

"How come..." Browning's eyes widened, and he looked down at the two tens in his hand.

"The only losers in the game are gamblers." Sean slowly leaned back in his chair, "It seems that I won the [-] gold coins, Lord Baron."

After a few seconds of silence, applause gradually erupted from the inside to the outside of the hall, and there was a lot of discussion in the crowd, mixed with complaints of dissatisfaction due to losing money.

"Who said Browning was good at poker? It really cost me money."

"Heh, I lost to a student."

"Sure enough, those who come from outside the wall are not good, even the level of playing cards is very low."

"You—" Baron Browning's flushed face gradually turned pale. He stood up, and the whites of his eyes were already bloodshot.He stared at Sean, and suddenly stretched out his arms and rushed forward.

Sean sat still, because someone moved much faster than him.

The round chips rolled to the ground with a clatter, and almost no one saw what happened. Alex had already subdued Baron Browning.

"Hiss, let me go! Let go..." Baron Browning bent over in embarrassment, the left half of his face was pressed hard against the cold gaming table, his body writhed wildly like an earthworm that had been removed from the soil, but No matter how hard he resisted, he couldn't straighten his back.

"Baron Browning, please don't move around. You are trying to attack my invited guests. As the owner of the Rose Manor, I must seriously warn you." A cold voice came from above.

"I am the descendant of a heroic knight! Viscount Alex, what right do you have to humiliate me for a commoner!"

Baron Browning yelled with all his strength, "I'm going to report you to the Queen!"

"The descendants of heroic knights... In your opinion, civilians can be harmed at will?"

Erics' face sank, and he unconsciously increased the strength in his hands. Browning's spine made a crisp sound, "If you think the Queen will agree with this view that violates chivalry, then go and report me boldly." .

But Baron Browning, you are no longer welcome at today's banquet, and your friends, please leave immediately. "

After the pressure behind him was released, Browning stood up abruptly, ready to slam his fist at Erics.

A silver table knife stopped within an inch of the tip of his nose.

"My lord Viscount said that I hope you and your friends will leave." If you ignore those murderous eyes, the old butler's demeanor can be regarded as polite, "My lord baron, you'd better do this obediently."

Browning stared at the tip of the knife, swallowed his saliva and walked several steps towards the entrance of the hall. When he reached the safe area, he pointed at Erics and said harshly: "I will definitely report you to the Queen!"

"You can do whatever you want, I don't care."

"Hmph, you will be punished heavily. I swear you will definitely pay for what happened today!" After speaking, Browning left in embarrassment with his other four friends.

"I'm terribly sorry, everyone. Let's continue with the dinner—"

Erics let out a slight breath and let go of his clenched fist.He turned around, smiled again to appease the other guests, and then played a melodious piano piece himself, bringing the banquet back to normal order.

Sean leaned against the patterned front of the hall, watching the young man calmly deal with the mess left by Baron Browning.

No matter how you look at it, Alex's growth is visible to the naked eye, including his studies, his conduct in the world, and even playing the piano.

I didn't know anything before, but now I can do it well.

"It's getting more and more similar." The old butler Thomas, who was looking in the same direction as him, sighed with emotion.

"like what?"

"Arix looks more and more like you." Thomas said with a little relief on his face.

Sean was silent for a long time, then lowered his head and smiled.In fact, Thomas' words were a bit sensational, and there was nothing funny at all, but he suddenly remembered a long-ago event.

No one knew that when he first entered this manor, the "Arix" that Mrs. Mary called was once the object of envy in his heart that he needed to look up to.

And those carefully polished "elegant expressions" in his words and deeds are slowly mastered by imitating the "Alex" in his imagination.

How interesting, what kind of cycle of numerology is this.He once tried hard to become "Arix" in order to get a word of recognition, but now someone tells him that Arix is ​​more and more like him...

So what was "Xion" supposed to be like?

He could no longer imagine it himself.

"Sorry, Sean." The banquet came to an end, and Erics came over, "How are you? What happened to Baron Browning just now... there should be no injuries or anything like that."

"No, I'm fine, he didn't hurt me."

"Great..." Alex seemed relieved, "It would be bad if you got hurt."

"Sorry..." Sean began.

"Well...why do you have to apologize?"

"I angered Browning, your banquet..." A hand suddenly rested on Sean's shoulder.

"Don't say that, Sean, you helped me." Alex turned his head and said softly, "We are friends, and you are much more important than Baron Browning and this banquet. Besides, the poker game you just played Winning is awesome, I'm just as dumbfounded as everyone else."

Shane didn't speak.

"I've been wanting to have a chance just now, can you teach me a few tricks?"

"I won't teach you."

"Why?" Alex was dumbfounded.

"It takes brains," Sheen said.

"This is too hurtful, you still praised me as a genius this afternoon..." Alex complained in a low voice.

"At least the ability to memorize four suits of cards accurately is required. If you can do it, I can teach you how to never lose in poker."

"Four decks of cards... well, then I'd better give up." Erics raised his hands and resolutely surrendered.

Shane smiled silently.

"It's getting late, I'm going back to school first, I still have class tomorrow." Sean glanced at the hands on the clock.

"Wait a little longer, the banquet will end soon." Seeing that Sean was about to leave, Erics was anxious to persuade him to stay.

"What? Do you have anything else to do?" Sean was a little puzzled.

"What's the matter..." Alex rolled his throat, "Because, because I have something very important to tell you."

"You can say it now."

"It's... not very convenient here." Erics hesitated.

"Alex, are you hiding something from me?" Sean stared at Alex's face.

"No, no." Erics held his hands, showing a little pleading look, "I really have something important to say, I must say it today. Please, Sean, wait patiently for a while, wait The party is over."

Sean frowned, not knowing why Erics kept him in this way.

In the dark sycamore grove, soft moonlight poured through the gaps, and the silvery white light shone on Sean's side face.

Sean was alone in the garden.Toms went to help meet the guests and clean up the mess of the dinner, while Erics begged him to wait here for a while.

"The time has passed." The time he had left for himself to attend the Alex banquet was three hours, and now it would be four and a half hours in another quarter of an hour.

If there are no special circumstances, Sean will lie in bed at eleven o'clock in the evening, so that he can wake up on time at four o'clock in the morning the next day.

Tomorrow is Friday, not a rest day, and he still has a full day of classes and other arrangements.

So he didn't intend to waste any more time, waiting for Alex.

Sean was going back to the hall first, and then hired a carriage to go back to school.He turned around, but stopped after taking a few steps.

A person appeared from the dark tree shadows.

A man in an iron mask.