Chapter 14…
“So remember — we just came here by chance, heard some rumors about the gambling den, and decided to check it out for fun. Got it?”
The gambling den was located right next to the Killiet Territory.
Erios listened to me ramble beside him, clearly not quite understanding what I was getting at.
“You didn’t have to come too, you know. It’s dangerous.”
That’s my line.
“Look at yourself — you look like some highborn noble. One glance and people will think you could kill a man if he annoys you.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“I’m telling you, if you go with me, people will be less on edge.”
Erios still looked unconvinced.
Even when he stayed silent, his sharp, predatory gaze burned like that of a butcher.
The air around him was calm, but the killing intent leaking from him said otherwise.
It was ironic — peaceful atmosphere, murderous eyes.
“If you walk into a gambling den looking like that, people will scatter. Forget about gathering information — they’ll run for their lives.”
So, I chose to play the role of a newly rich fool.
“If I can’t avoid standing out, I might as well become a tempting prey.”
Erios wasn’t the same as before.
Ever since he started doubting the butler, that mischievous glint in his eyes had completely disappeared.
He wasn’t exactly a fun person to begin with, but now he was downright gloomy.
“Okay, remember what I said? You just have to agree with me most of the time.”
“Alright.”
He looked reluctant, dragging his feet, but eventually nodded.
Our little act began the moment we stepped into the gambling den.
“I still don’t get it. How could you lose that much money?”
“I didn’t want to.”
“Gambling’s a game of probability, right? Unless you’re the unluckiest soul alive, there’s no way you could lose every single time!”
Roughly speaking, my role was to scold a companion from another territory who had lost a lot of money.
Erios, in turn, was supposed to be sulking over his losses.
“Try it yourself before you talk.”
“Oh, please! What if I win, huh?”
“That won’t happen.”
“Why not?! You always look down on me!”
I practically shouted — louder than I ever had in my life — loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
It felt weird to raise my voice like that.
‘I’m usually the one who crushes others with facts, not emotions…’
For a split second, I almost broke character, remembering how I’d made Artea cry not long ago by arguing her into a corner.
I quickly fixed my expression.
‘Other than Erios, there’s hardly anyone I’ve had this much verbal back-and-forth with.’
Still, maybe because my partner was Erios, it wasn’t so bad.
We hadn’t planned specific lines, only the situation, yet he was keeping up with me surprisingly well — considering he only agreed right before we walked in.
“I never looked down on you.”
“Liar! You always—!”
We hadn’t been acting for long when a man finally took the bait.
“Now, now, don’t fight! You two lovers or something? Looks like the boyfriend lost big, huh?”
He hadn’t said boyfriend explicitly, but that’s what he implied.
Guess young men and women together always look more like lovers than siblings or friends.
Not that Erios and I look anything alike — or act affectionate in any way.
Whatever people thought, I didn’t care.
As if we looked cozy enough for that kind of misunderstanding.
“Don’t even mention it. He won’t even tell me how much he lost!”
“Maybe you have the knack for it, miss. Care to give it a try?”
A middle-aged man with a good-natured smile made the offer.
Erios put a hand on my shoulder, as if to stop me.
“Hmph! That’s exactly why I came!”
I brushed off his hand and sat down in front of the man.
“Haha, what spirit! I like that.”
“You’d better be ready to apologize when I win.”
I tilted my chin up with a playful snort.
A flicker of surprise passed through Erios’s eyes before it disappeared.
Reasonable — that expression was one I’d never made before.
‘I’m copying Artea.’
She often made that exact face in front of me.
“But mister, shouldn’t the stakes be equal? I got a lot of allowance money this time.”
“You’re going to spend it all? You’re a beginner — start small.”
“Don’t stop me! I’ll win back all the money you lost too.”
The game of choice: Hold’em.
When I casually showed a few gold coins I’d brought, even the idlers at the edge of the room came over to watch.
Soon, the game began.
<3, 4 Two Pair>
<7, 6, 5, 4, 3 Straight>
“Oh my, beginner’s luck?”
At first, I lost some and won some.
I didn’t mind — it was better to just let things flow naturally.
“Oh wow, my hand wasn’t even good, but I still won by forfeit!”
A loud beginner draws attention — and soon, every eye in the gambling den was on me.
They say the hardest thing in gambling is catching a sucker.
Immersed in the role, I gradually raised the stakes.
What began as pocket change had now grown into the equivalent of a commoner’s monthly income.
‘They probably think they’ve caught a big fish by now.’
The more I “lost,” the more greedy and murky the onlookers’ eyes became.
Men with dangerous auras began to gather around me.
Pretending not to notice, I raised my voice toward Erios.
“See? I told you — I’m nothing like you! I won!”
“Think you can keep that up?”
“Better than you, that’s for sure!”
Now that I’d fully drawn attention, they’d be planning to fleece me dry.
But the atmosphere had shifted for me too.
Flip!
The cards turned, and murmurs spread.
<A, K, Q, 6, 4 Flush>
<3, J Full House>
I kept sweeping up the winnings with an impressive streak.
“I’ll fold this round.”
“Oh…?”
“Bad hand?”
If things looked uncertain, I folded quickly.
Right now, I was using clairvoyance magic — I could see my opponents’ hands.
It was practically impossible for me to lose, even if I tried.
‘A game that’s all about cards? Then this is easy.’
Of course, using magic like this was against every rule.
At the Mage Tower, they taught us to treat magic with reverence — no spells or gestures without purpose.
‘But tell me not to do something, and I’ll only want to do it more.’
Honestly, using magic in gambling made me feel more focused than ever.
‘Maybe this is why I started dabbling in those taboo artifacts back at the Tower…’
No one suspected a thing.
After all, ordinary magicians couldn’t do something like this.
But me? I could.
“Miss, looks like you’ve made quite a bit.”
“Eh, so-so.”
“Won’t you give us a chance to win it back? Don’t tell me you’re running away now that it’s getting scary?”
‘Anything beyond this stake is definitely illegal…’
Feigning ignorance, I tilted my head.
“Today’s my lucky day anyway!”
And then — just as planned — I lost big on purpose once the stakes rose.
I raised my voice dramatically, letting everyone hear my frustration.
“What?! I had a flush! How do you beat that with four-of-a-kind?!”
“Hahaha, looks like someone’s a bit too worked up.”
“Let’s all take it easy, huh?”
Seeing me lose, others were itching to join in and take a bite out of me.
But after a few more rounds, only a handful could afford to stay at the table.
Then, one man approached me.
“Miss, interested in a jeweled bracelet?”
“A bracelet?”
“I don’t have any cash, but I’ve got this piece of jewelry…”
In short, he wanted to play but was out of money —
and he wanted me to buy his jewel so he could keep gambling.
“I heard you’ve got money to spare. But still, losing that much must sting, right? With your level of stakes, you won’t find many opponents left.”
With those words, he took something out — a bracelet engraved with initials.
Tap.
Under the table, Erios lightly hit my hand.
‘Those initials… are they Artea’s?’
