Even an emperor couldn’t use the taxes of the empire’s citizens for personal matters. Therefore, to take care of personal affairs, the emperor had to use his private wealth.
This was also true for Ruth. He must have used his personal wealth, not the royal treasury, for the expenses of this outing. That’s why it would be limited.
And listening to Ruth, it seemed he had spent about half of the budget he had prepared on the token he gave to me.
I must not use it carelessly.
I firmly resolved to myself and nodded.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good. Then… How about we meet here again around 9 o’clock?”
Following Ruth’s glance at the wall clock to check the time, it was already almost 8 o’clock.
“About an hour seems fine.”
“Understood. Then, have a good time until then, madam.”
“Ruth, have fun too…”
“?”
“Don’t get hurt, Ruth.”
Unlike me, Ruth had the task of finding Duke Dright’s space. Therefore, it was impossible for him to have a good time.
Sighing at the realization I had come to belatedly, I tried my best to hide any awkwardness and finished my sentence, easing Ruth’s expression.
“I will do that.”
“It’s a promise.”
“Yes, I’ve promised.”
Perhaps it was the unwavering voice in his brief reply, or even though we didn’t pinky swear, it felt like a promise trustworthy enough.
Since I can’t heal wounds with my abilities, the least I can hope for is to avoid getting hurt. Of course, if you don’t get hurt, there won’t be a need to use my power.
While I was thinking this, Ruth, who glanced at the wall clock again, spoke.
“Then, I will go first. You should walk around a bit later.”
“Got it.”
“Well then, goodbye for now.”
I nodded my goodbye and watched Ruth disappear into the crowd, not of my own volition but as if drawn by an invisible force.
The sense of distance began to return only after his familiar black hair, as noticeable as platinum blonde, completely vanished from my sight.
***
As Ruth and I had agreed, it was only after he left and some time had passed that I slowly began to wander around. I looked around here and there, watching people gamble and even trying the sweet drinks offered by the waiters.
My steps gradually came to a halt when I reached a group noticeably larger than the others. Specifically, it was the lively chatter coming from that direction that caught my attention.
“Damn. I’m going to surrender!”
“If you surrender, you’ll only get half of your bet back. Do you still want to proceed?”
“Yes! What is this, if I hit, I burst, and if I stay, it pushes! Rather than keep betting and looking at your face, I’d rather not play at all.”
“Choosing to stay doesn’t always result in a push if it’s a tough hand, sir.”
“Do I look like I don’t know that much? It’s just because you’re the dealer! How come there are no winning hands for players when you’re around!”
Burst? Stay?
I couldn’t hold back my curiosity about these new terms I was encountering for the first time and started peering around the gathered crowd.
However, due to the sheer size of the men forming a barrier, no matter how much I stood on my tiptoes, I couldn’t see over their shoulders.
What do I do if I’m curious?
In the end, as circumstances didn’t allow me to see for myself, I gave up on the idea. After pondering for a moment, I gently touched the shoulder of one of the men standing nearby. Then, he turned to glare at me, his eyes narrowed sharply. My shoulders flinched as I made eye contact with the man of fierce appearance. The man, who seemed to be about forty with dark, thick black hair and blue eyes, had a long scar stretching from the left brow down to near his right ear under the mask, which made his appearance even more intimidating. I held back a hiccup that threatened to escape as I faced the man, whose eyes seemed to ask why I called him, and I posed my question.
“Is, is something the matter?”
“You can’t tell? Another fool has been defeated by ‘that Kartan.'”
“‘That Kartan’?”
Realizing I didn’t understand the reference to ‘that Kartan,’ the man burst into laughter.
“Ah, I thought you looked unfamiliar. It appears you don’t know Kartan, which probably means it’s your first time in Lorante.”
“Yes, I came here for the first time today with my husband. So, who exactly is this Kartan?”
“He’s quite a famous dealer here, mainly running Black Jack games. So far, not a single player has beaten him.”
The term ‘dealer’ likely refers to someone who conducts gambling games, and Black Jack seems to be the name of the gambling game that Kartan, the dealer, is running.
I interpreted the man’s words based on what I had learned about gambling from Ian before. While I was doing this, the man continued talking excitedly.
“He really uses despicable tactics. By constantly pushing the player for dozens of rounds, he makes the player raise their bet and then takes it all away.”
“That’s why I’m suspecting Kartan might be scamming us.”
Another man, who had been intently listening to our conversation, suddenly butted in. Whether he was heavily drunk or not, his flushed red face was noticeable.
The man with black hair glanced at him and muttered jokingly, “It’s better to let this guy’s nonsense go in one ear and out the other. He’s been stuck in a delusion of persecution ever since he lost 500 gold coins to Kartan.”
“Ah, why not come over here and take a look?” After adding a few more words, he slightly turned his body.
After showing a small smile of appreciation to the man who understood and considered my situation, I joined the group.
Upon entering the group, I saw the people gathered around a green table and a man with short hair in the center of it.
The man was wearing a provocative white cat mask, and judging by his attire resembling that of other gambling game dealers, he seemed to be ‘that Kartan’.
I called the man with black hair again after observing Kartan, who from his gestures to his way of speaking was just like any other noble.
“I… have another question.”
“What is it?”
“What status do the dealers here hold?”
“Hmm…”
After making a meaningful snort to my question, the man eventually shook his head.
“I’m not sure. They might be the sons of lesser nobility. It’s unlikely that commoners or the poor could properly conduct gambling against nobles.”
“I see. Then, assuming the dealers are nobles, could they possibly manipulate the cards with magic?”
“What?”
According to the man’s story, not a single person has won against ‘that Kartan.’
In gambling, where luck determines most of the wins and losses, it was impossible for only one person to be winning all the time.
Of course, it could be because that person had a good strategy.
However, Kartan, who stood before me now, looked quite young to be considered experienced. At most, he seemed about my age.
And based on my experience, my age was young. Too young to have amassed enough experience for success, and far from wise enough to devise a good strategy.
Because of this reason, I came to think that Kartan might have cheated the casino guests.
Furthermore… I paused my flowing thoughts for a moment and stared at Kartan’s iris hidden behind the cat mask.
Though it was brief, it seemed like the color changed. Just like when Tommy cast a mental spell on Ruth.
While I was intensely looking at Kartan trying to recall that moment, the man suddenly chuckled.
“You are quite naive, madam. Magic cannot be used inside the casino. That means mana suppressors are installed everywhere here.”
“Ah.”
A shallow sigh of realization came out with the man’s explanation. However, the doubts filling my heart remained.
I pointed at a player who was hiding their cards from Kartan and asked, “Then why is everyone hiding their cards?”
“Hmm… Probably because the game is proceeding as Face-Down.” “If it’s Face-Down…”
“It means hiding all cards except the dealer’s first card. This allows for a bit of psychological warfare in a gamble that’s otherwise entirely reliant on luck, potentially turning the tide more in your favor.”
“Can we play blackjack in a different way other than face down?”
“Yes, there’s something called Face-Up. In this case, everyone reveals their cards. But I don’t really recommend it. If you play Face-Up against Kartan, you’re bound to lose without any pushes.”
I found myself unwittingly touching my finger to my lips, deeply lost in thought.
The man mentioned that inhibitors preventing the use of mana were installed everywhere, but there was a loophole in his statement. It didn’t specify exactly who “people” were. Therefore, it was unclear whose mana usage the inhibitors in the casino were blocking.
Moreover, considering the actions of the Count of Dright so far, it was likely that the casino wasn’t operated conscientiously.
It might be a misconception, but trying an experiment wouldn’t be a bad idea.
I made up my mind quickly and approached the man with black hair.
“I’m new to blackjack, so could you tell me some of the terms used in blackjack? And maybe the rules as well, if possible.”
***
After I arrived, two more people faced off against Kartan, but as expected, all ended in Kartan’s victory. As he was organizing the cards after the game, Kartan asked, “Is there another player?”
“Who would play blackjack against you? If there’s anyone brave enough, let them come forward!”
“Right! That guy’s insane, totally insane.”
Cheers poured out from here and there, deepening Kartan’s smile.
After waiting a few seconds and seeing that no one else was coming forward, I felt slightly relieved and then, with a bit of hesitation, cautiously raised my hand.
“…I’d like to play as well.”
(TL/N: Ig they’re gonna the money for lunch as well but goodluck Serbia)
