Professional League
Before the next round of matches began, Freyr smiled and made a suggestion:
"Just watching others play is pretty boring... why don't we bet on it?"
Betting?
This proposal instantly garnered overwhelming support from most of the soldiers!
In the barracks, there wasn't much entertainment. During their occasional breaks, soldiers typically just went to the nearby town to drink or spent their pay on the local prostitutes.
Another popular pastime was, of course, gambling!
Master Freyr's football game had already made everyone happy... and now this fun game could be used for betting!
Many officers' eyes lit up! Even those who were initially downcast after being eliminated in the first round couldn't help but smile!
This Master Freyr... he really knew how to entertain soldiers!
The cheers from the crowd made Andrew, who was planning to intervene, hesitate. He glanced at Freyr, sighed, and said nothing.
After all, it wasn't a big deal... and they were in a rest period, so letting the soldiers gamble a bit was fine.
When it came to betting, Freyr had many ideas!
Simple bets on win or lose? That's nothing!
Freyr quickly laid out his plan!
Simple wins and losses! Then more detailed bets on the number of goals, who scored, how many goals, and at what time!
There were even bets on whether someone would get sent off... if there would be a penalty, and so on!
There were also complex odds... one-to-many, many-to-one...
These intricate numerical games were beyond the soldiers and officers. After Freyr briefly explained, everyone thought it was fun and interesting, and quickly went to get their money.
Freyr, meanwhile, was very pleased.
With a background in comprehensive mathematical education from his previous life, such number games were easily within his grasp. Here, few people understood even basic arithmetic.
Freyr could calculate and balance the numbers, set limits on bets, and list the odds... no matter who won or lost in the end...
As the bookmaker, Freyr would always make a profit!
It's worth mentioning that the Russell family's private troops were fairly well-paid! Most soldiers had a few gold coins to spare, and the officers had even more, easily throwing out three to five gold coins.
Even better, Freyr caught them at a perfect time! The army had just been paid after the spring drills!
These soldiers didn't know much about betting on football. They mostly bet based on personal preferences: who they got along with or who they disliked.
By the end of the afternoon, the second round of matches was over.
The busiest people were the clerks in the barracks, swiftly calculating bets and payouts.
Freyr, seeing the results, was all smiles.
After the second round and ten matches, most soldiers had lost their bets, while a few lucky ones won some money. The net gain for Freyr... six gold coins!
The biggest losers were the wealthier officers.
Freyr was very satisfied with this outcome!
There was a small twist during the last match he watched. It was a close game that ended in a draw, which was unexpected for Freyr... after all, football is unpredictable! Even with predictions, he couldn't be entirely accurate. If the game ended differently than Freyr expected, he would have earned much less.
Fortunately, someone saved Freyr's day!
Freyr's predicted winning team got a free kick near the end. A cavalry soldier stepped up and made a beautiful curved shot! Directly into the goal!
After the match, Freyr personally summoned the hero who scored... he had saved Freyr's wallet!
The young man was a handsome, blond cavalryman under Andrew, strong and spirited.
"What's your name?" Freyr asked.
"Honored sir, my name is David... full name, David Beckham!" The young man was a bit shy and nervous.
Freyr: "…%￥…%%…%…%"
...
Patting his money pouch, Freyr ended the day's matches. After the second round, only ten teams remained. These ten teams received heroic cheers, with every player tired but brimming with high spirits and fighting morale. If the sun hadn't been setting, these lads could have played a few more matches without issue.
But now, with only ten teams left... how to proceed with the matches?
If they continued with single-elimination, ten teams would leave five! With an odd number of teams, one would have no opponent!
Freyr, with his premeditated plan, smiled slyly!
"There's a way! Since knockout format doesn't work... let's use a league format!"
League format?
Freyr quickly explained the league system, where each team plays against all others! Winning earns three points, drawing earns one, losing gets none!
After all the matches, the team with the most points wins the championship.
Freyr's devious plan was simple...
More matches meant more betting!
...
"I must say... you're really devious," Natalie said, her eyes complex as she looked at Freyr that evening on the third-floor terrace. "How did you come up with this?"
Freyr shook his head. "That, I can't tell."
"Don't think I didn't notice," Natalie glared at Freyr. "I calculated those odds myself several times! I found that no matter what, you as the bookmaker have a high chance of winning... how did you calculate it? These odds, the bookmaker rules, all so complex, did you come up with them all?"