There Is No Mercy

Chapter 72

“Uh, no. The investigation’s already wrapped up. They shut down a week ago and disappeared in no time. So chasing after them would be futile. What’s left is the gambling hall.”

As I explained, Aden nodded shortly.

It seemed he didn’t need any more complicated details and was ready to spring into action.

“I’ll call the guards and knights. There aren’t that many gambling halls in Rippleton, so if we do a raid…”

“No, that’s not going to work.”

Aden looked puzzled at my refusal.

He narrowed his brow as if to ask why I was stopping him, and I took a moment to collect my thoughts before slowly saying, “If we poke around, just like the charity organizations, the gambling halls might cut and run too. So we can’t call the knights or guards.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

“We go ourselves.”

“Do you know how to gamble?”

Gambling was a pretty common pastime among nobles, but it was also considered a rather lowbrow culture.

For commoners, playing for money might be exciting, but for nobles with plenty of cash and free time, it was usually just boring.

“Briloxen is pretty good at anything related to money.”

Aden let out a small sigh, still looking at me with suspicion.

He nodded as if to say he understood and stood up to lead the way, so I followed behind him.

“But how much do you have to bet here?”

***

“Did you forget that an important guest is coming today?!”

Aden coldly brushed aside Baran’s desperate plea to not leave.

Since he made it clear that the matter at hand was more important than the guest, Baran could only watch Aden leave, looking at him like a lovesick fool.

Leaving Baran behind, Aden and I headed to the biggest gambling hall in Rippleton.

I pulled the hood of my robe down further as we surveyed the building.

Though Rippleton had rather shabby facilities compared to other places, as Aden said, its gambling facilities were impressive.

“There’s nothing better than gambling to fill the boredom of mercenaries who are out hunting beasts,” he added, gesturing around with his fingers.

Muscular men who looked like they could easily handle themselves were standing guard at the entrance, making the average-sized guys look small.

Their fierce faces seemed to say that anyone causing trouble would have a hard time getting out on their own.

“Let’s go in.”

Aden nodded and moved ahead.

Standing next to him, I matched my steps to his as he curiously glanced around, taking in the sights.

Had he never been to a place like this before? It seemed like a spot any curious kid might want to check out at least once.

It was no gossip that nobles’ kids sometimes caused a scene at gambling halls.

For rich nobles with plenty of time on their hands, gambling was an easy way to kill some time.

“Never seen your face around here before.”

Just as we were about to enter, a man at the door stepped in our way.

I pulled my hood down further to hide my face and looked up at him, revealing his fierce features.

He blocked our path, sizing us up, and furrowed his brow.

“Why are you here?”

“Isn’t there a reason to come to a gambling hall?”

Aden replied casually, making a bored face.

The man took a step closer, looking up at Aden, clearly annoyed by his nonchalant attitude.

…Aden’s taller than I thought.

I always knew he was tall, but even standing in front of a well-built guy, he didn’t seem small at all.

If anything, he looked more solid and grounded than the muscle-bound dude.

The man flinched slightly under Aden’s gaze, which was directed downward at him.

Come to think of it, it seemed like everyone reacted similarly when meeting Aden’s eyes.

Those golden irises must look intimidating, huh?

The man, who had been locked in a stare-off with Aden, eventually backed off, like a scared dog with its tail between its legs.

Aden broke the gaze and turned his attention back to me.

The cold look that had frightened the big guy was nowhere to be found; instead, his eyes sparkled warmly.

“Let’s go in.”

I nodded and stepped forward, and Aden fell in step beside me.

The scene inside the gambling hall wasn’t too different from what I had imagined.

Crowds of people were laughing and shouting, gathered in groups around various gambling games, each focused on their own bets.

I stopped at the entrance, taking a moment to look around, then glanced up at Aden.

“What’s the plan?”

I looked back at the gambling hall while asking, and Aden lowered his gaze as if to say he was unsure.

“It might be better to split up to gather information rather than stick together.”

“It’s risky to wander alone without bodyguards.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

I pointed out the muscular guys stationed around.

With swords in hand, their vigilant eyes scanned the area, ready to jump into action if anything went wrong.

Aden frowned slightly at their intimidating presence.

I rummaged through my clothes, pulling out a pouch of coins and handed it to Aden, then nudged him in the opposite direction.

“You handle that side. I’ll take this one. Let’s meet back here in exactly two hours, okay?”

After waving him off with a smile, I turned toward the table where four people were playing cards.

They all seemed bored, fiddling with their cards, glancing at me briefly when I approached, but quickly lost interest.

I sat down at the empty chair, and the dealer turned to me.

“The minimum bet at this table is one silver coin. If you’d like to join, please tell me how much you want to exchange.”

The neatly dressed dealer displayed a handful of colorful chips on his palm.

How much should I wager?

I looked around, checking how many chips the other players had, then took out two coins from my pocket and slid them across the table.

The sound of coins sliding made everyone turn to look.

The dealer’s eyes lit up when he saw the shining gold coins and handed me a decent amount of chips with a smile.

“Well then, good luck to you.”

He laid the cards in front of me.
The servants passing in front of the reception room, they cast quick glances at the tightly closed door.

***

Just two hours ago, the mansion had been thrown into chaos by an unexpected guest arriving early in the morning.

Rudwin, who had been taking care of the remaining tasks while Sierra was away on business, had to head to the reception room.

“It’s been a while, Count Briloxen.”

A man dressed in luxurious clothing made from the finest fabric from the Carcent region elegantly crossed his legs.

His hand, holding a teacup, exuded grace, and the watch peeking out whenever he moved his hand was adorned with gold and jewels.

“Have you been well?”

Rudwin welcomed the Duke of Bozbourne, Gilard, who was showing off his wealth in front of him.

Rudwin rolled his eyes at the unannounced visit and leaned back in his chair.

“What brings you here, Your Grace?”

“You’re the same as ever, always so stiff and inflexible. We haven’t even had a cup of tea yet, and you’re going straight to the point.”

“I just thought you must have something urgent to discuss since you came without any notice.”

“Not at all. There’s nothing urgent.”

The Duke of Bozbourne chuckled softly and tilted his teacup.

As Gilard said, the Bozbourne family didn’t have urgent matters.

A family that played above the imperial family; the will of Bozbourne was essentially the will of the empire itself.

They didn’t need to align their schedules with anyone.

“I just thought of you since it’s been a while since we last met.”

Gilard raised the corners of his mouth slightly, tilting his head as if to say, “Isn’t that right?”

Rudwin ignored his words, instead focusing on the untouched teacup in front of him.

Was he planning to draw out the conversation until that cup got cold?

When Rudwin raised his eyes again, Gilard lifted his teacup as if to say, “You should drink too.”

“Did you come for the engagement party?”

His calm and refined voice held a sharp edge that cut deep.

Gilard’s hand, which had been tilting the teacup, paused for a moment before his gaze lifted.

Gilard met Rudwin’s unwavering stare.

‘That cocky look is still the same.’

From Gilard’s perspective, Briloxen was a rather insignificant rural noble family.

They might have a bit of money, but they had no real connections in politics.

Bozbourne dealt with Briloxen mainly because of the Gray Mountains they owned and their geographical proximity.

To Gilard, Briloxen was merely a wealthy merchant.

“You’ve always preferred to speak plainly, Your Grace. There’s no need to beat around the bush.”

“Is that so?”

Eventually, Gilard raised his hands, giving in to Rudwin’s straightforward attitude.

Having no more room to dodge the topic, Gilard set down his teacup, intertwined his fingers on his crossed legs, and leaned forward.

“Let’s get to the main point. As you said, I’m indeed here because of the engagement. You know how important this engagement is. So, I have a favor to ask of you.”

Rudwin stared intently at Gilard, who had changed his expression to a serious one.

What kind of request was going to come out of his mouth?

Was he going to ask for money? Or perhaps some kind of support?

He anticipated an unwelcome proposal.

“It’s nothing difficult. You might have heard some rumors from afar; rumors can be quite silly, right? It’s funny how, regardless of the truth, gossip can spread and become accepted as truth, causing a lot of embarrassment. So, here’s what I’m saying…”

Gilard trailed off, wearing an ambiguous expression.

Rudwin narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering what he was getting at.

After a brief pause, Gilard’s lips parted, and a soft voice emerged.

“Don’t send your daughter, Sierra, to the engagement party.”