Four pathways.
Aside from the "Fate Replica" information, about which he knew nothing, the other three had played a significant role in Suya's escape. The Hyena pathway had accelerated his learning of combat skills, the Quack Doctor pathway had enabled him to harm enemies who should have been impossible to damage, and the Noble Phantasm granted by the Liar pathway had saved his life from a Legendary-tier expert.
The three pathways that allowed for advancement each had their own specific upgrade conditions, and their results all pointed towards unique abilities, Mystic Codes, and Noble Phantasms. Suya had originally thought this was his innate cheat as a transmigrator, but now... he wasn't so sure.
At this moment, following the knight who had suddenly appeared before him, claiming to be his subordinate, the two walked for a short while down the tavern street before arriving at a small tavern.
Unlike the large tavern chosen by Lucan, named "Hero's Drink," this was a simple, small tavern. It had no signboard, no welcoming waitstaff, only a straw laid on the ground by the door, indicating that brewed beer was for sale here.
As soon as he pushed open the door, Balin shouted inside:
"Honey, get me your most expensive drink!"
Soon, an old man peered out from behind the counter. Seeing it was Balin, he immediately grumbled and yelled, "Balin, it's you again, damn it! You'd better settle your tab this month."
"Business is getting worse and worse, damn it. What are those people in the royal court thinking? The Greeks are at our doorstep, and instead of preparing for war, they're still messing around with some royal selection... A bunch of princes not doing proper business, just feasting those penniless knights all day, making me lose all my customers."
The old man grumbled incessantly, but despite the complaints, he still pulled a barrel of beer from behind the counter and handed it to Balin.
Balin chuckled, then turned to Suya, holding up his thumb and index finger intertwined. Seeing this gesture, Suya thought the man was making a heart shape at him and was stunned for a moment, then felt a chill. He immediately shook his head repeatedly.
Balin looked speechless. "Money! Money! Isn't this the gesture you taught me for money? Why are you shaking your head?!"
Suya was taken aback. What exactly did the Red Dragon King teach you? And why would it tell you that this gesture means to pay?
He pulled out his wallet and handed over a 10 gold pound note.
The old man, called Honey, glanced at the banknote in Suya's hand and frowned.
"Too much, too much. I can't make change. A barrel of beer is only 65 copper pence."
Balin took the banknote, slapped it on the counter, and pushed it towards Honey. He chuckled, "No need for change, Honey. Just consider it settled for my tab here."
The old man paused, then looked at Balin somewhat reluctantly and asked, "But it's not even that much... Balin, you're not leaving the royal capital too, are you?"
Balin thought for a moment. "Something like that."
Seeing this, Honey pondered, then sighed again.
"It's good to leave now. Going to London would be safer. King Lot, King Nute, King Caradine, King Baglin, King Rhience, and many other kings have formed the Alliance of Eleven Nations there, establishing the London Kings' Defense Line against the Macedonian army."
"And with your skill, you'll definitely find a worthy liege there."
Honey babbled on, and Balin listened very seriously. Only after he finished did Balin point at Suya and burst into laughter at Honey:
"I've already found a worthy king to pledge allegiance to. See, it's this kid right here."
Honey scrutinized Suya for a moment and nodded. However, there were thousands of princes, big and small, in the British kingdoms, so he didn't recognize which country's prince Suya was.
"He does look quite imposing. I just hope he's not like those other princes gathered at the royal court."
Balin soon hoisted the beer barrel and two clay mugs, leading Suya to an empty corner seat in the tavern.
Suya watched as the man scooped ale from the barrel with a clay mug, drinking five cups consecutively before letting out a hearty burp.
"Ah~ I'm alive again!"
"My King, ask whatever you wish."
Suya first processed the information he had just learned from old Honey. After a moment's thought, he pointed at the ale on the table in front of them and asked, "This, how much does it cost?"
Balin gave him an unexpected look. He thought Suya would be eager to ask him about things the other party had once told him.
"This? It's just beer. 5 copper pence a mug."
Suya did a quick calculation. Based on this world's exchange rate of 1 gold pound = 100 silver le = 10,000 copper pence, the 10 gold pounds he had just taken out could buy 20,000 mugs of the most expensive beer in an ordinary tavern like this.
And not long ago, he had won over 1.216 million gold pounds at the Winchester Grand Casino. Moreover, if he wished, he could call upon even more terrifying assets from Gryfflet's merchant guild at any time.
Understanding this, and then comparing it to the power represented by this wealth, Suya's brow furrowed even deeper. His gaze towards Balin became even more inquisitive.
Balin looked at him, smiling nonchalantly as he asked, "It seems you have a lot of money, more than I imagined."
"And now, you're wondering if this transaction is worth it?"
"Exchanging that much money for a promise from me that you don't even know if you can rely on."
"No." Suya shook his head, looking at the other party, "Even if this money isn't used to buy what you call a Divine Armament, but merely to have you serve me, then it is completely worth it."
Knight Balin, judging by his past deeds, was at least an extremely powerful hero, even stronger than the true Sir Ector.
Suya looked at Balin, then took out the ring with the rose crest from his pouch, frowning. "It's just that..."
Balin shook his head, shrugging indifferently as he described:
"It's just that it's too coincidental, too urgent, as if someone is cracking a whip behind fate, forcing fate to chase after you, isn't that right?"
He soon broke into a carefree smile.
"This is the 'Theory of Freedom' from Politics, one of the great magics of that sage, Aristotle."
"Making the noble nobler, and the base baser."
"But everything originates from the self, and all choices made are a reflection of one's true thoughts. Not just you, but even me, everyone in this city, has become a part of this great magic."
Suya's heart jolted. He finally learned the source of the strangeness he had perceived, from others, and even from powerful figures like Balin: "You said... this is magic?"
Balin nodded.
"Great Magic: The Logic of the Human Heart."
"Aristotle is only responsible for asking the questions, and we are responsible for providing the answers."
Suya imagined such a scene: a single person asking a question to three million people across an entire city? He immediately felt a shudder and quickly asked, "What kind of question? What kind of answer?"
Balin recalled the sage's propositions and said, "Aristotle believed that for both rulers and the ruled, one virtue is indispensable: free will."
"When this proposition is confined to the realm of politics,"
"Then, for the royal capital of Winchester, which currently lacks a king, or rather, for all of Britain, the question to be answered is likely—"
"Does this country need a king?"
"And when this option is individualized to each person, for example, for you and me, it becomes—"
"Are you willing to spend all your money to buy a promise from me that I will fulfill?"
Knight Balin looked at Suya, a smile on his face.