Gambling Venue (1)
Before I regressed, Void had evaded capture for quite some time, slipping through the tracking networks. The reason was surprisingly simple.
Because he appeared as a ‘child.’
The least suspected and most protected entity in human society.
I looked down at the child sprawled on the ground. Void was already dead. I had killed him.
But I had learned something new.
That ‘Raquel Dra’ was the reason for the acceleration of his activities.
This being, childlike in thought as well as appearance, had wanted to join forces with me and had come to me willingly.
For me, it was an easy task.
All I had to do was kill him.
Crackle─ Fizz──!
Magic sparked like electricity. I looked in that direction. Elise was in the midst of reverse-engineering the formula to dismantle the barrier.
Meanwhile, Layla had stopped resisting. She had stiffened up like a fish that had been out of water for too long.
It wasn’t a voluntary stop; she was almost in a state of unconsciousness.
She had exhausted herself trying to break free from captivity by activating her magic body, struggling, screaming, and thrashing about.
I glanced at the wand in my hand.
The efficiency of these magic spells, astonishing even to me, was due not only to the power of my own magic but also to this wand that Akane had given me as a reward.
I had infused the wand with 「Perion」.’
Its performance had been upgraded.
Crackle— Fizz——.
Just then, the sparking stopped. I looked at Elise. A chunk of mana had formed in the center of the foreign formula.
The reverse-engineering was almost complete.
I spoke to her.
─Activate it.
Elise glared at me. Her gaze was somewhat venomous.
“…Void is still alive. We don’t know what will happen if the barrier is dismantled.”
─No. Void is dead.
“…?”
Elise furrowed her brow. I added another line.
─I killed him.
“…”
Elise looked somewhat perplexed but then looked back at the fallen Void.
“There was no need to kill even a child.”
Void was human. Not a monster. He was just like a child. No matter what kind of examination was done, autopsy or otherwise, he would be measured as a 10-year-old child.
His mysterious identity had caused much debate in the academic world.
Some said it was Void’s 「Spectrum」, while others claimed that Void itself was an extraterrestrial life form that had learned from humans.
I extended a finger towards the corpse of Void.
─That’s Void.
“…”
Elise still seemed skeptical.
She simply connected her magic to the reverse-engineering formula. A large chunk of mana coalesced at the center of the formula, writhing like a living creature.
Suddenly, Elise glared in my direction.
Her gaze was laced with murderous intent.
At that moment, I formed 「Premium Protection」.
Magic flowed from the tip of my wand, wrapping around my entire body,
Kwaaaa───!
The formula exploded.
Void’s foreign formula was engulfed in flames, but there was still one more step remaining. Elise had set up an offensive formula artificially. It lashed out sharply like a laser.
Chang──!
It sounded like metals clashing against each other.
My 「Protection」 blocked it cleanly. Elise’s expression was painted with shock.
Soon, the dark outside the window opened up to a blinding white.
──Stop! Do not move a step, survivors inside! Stay right where you are!
Outside, where the barrier had been dismantled, the army was indeed full. I quietly stepped back, blending into the darkness.
* * *
Situation concluded.
The infection formula was successfully dismantled by Elise, and the whereabouts of the terrorist Void remained unknown.
The army had killed all the infected, and those who were infected but still within the golden time were taken care of by Elise.
She had postponed her own surgery to the last, helping other infected individuals by using ‘magnetism’ to attract and remove the parasitic larvae.
27 lives were saved that way.
As Raquel Dra had said, there was no way to save those who had completely mutated into infected beings, but those from whom the parasitic larvae were removed survived intact.
[…Furthermore, discussions are still ongoing as to whether ‘Raquel Dra,’ who was witnessed on the scene, is an accomplice or the mastermind.]
Elise was the last to undergo surgery. When she woke up, a day had already passed.
[The confusion is growing as overlapping testimonies claim that ‘Raquel Dra’ saved him and his daughter…]
Staring blankly at the TV news, all she did was blink.
She had no idea how time had passed recently.
Elise looked at her smartphone.
◆Notice from the Department of Magic
This is the student council of the National University’s Department of Magic. We extend our deepest condolences to those involved in the Silonti Tower incident and are relieved to hear of your safety.
All lectures at the National University are canceled for this week, so please rest comfortably…
Fortunately, all lectures at the National University had been suspended. Twenty-one students from the university had been trapped in this tower.
Dding-
Another message arrived.
It was a text from her father, asking her to come by.
“…Ugh.”
Elise got up. She immediately went down to the main hall of the hospital.
At the same time.
Pabat── Pabababat──!
An overwhelming number of flashes went off. It was almost blinding.
Elise frowned. There were a considerable number of journalists.
How on earth did they get into the hospital? They each threw questions in voices close to incomprehensible screams.
─What happened to you-
─Saving people-
─The hero who performed reverse calculation-
Elise was about to sigh but stopped herself.
She stared blankly at something.
It was a strange sight.
Despite the countless flashes flickering and many reporters encamped here, the face of someone was too vividly visible to Elise.
It might be because his head was a bit larger than others… but it was much more special than that.
When their eyes met, he softly smiled at her. His name was Shion Ascal.
The person who had saved her through the radio.
The person who had helped her not to die, to stay conscious.
Elise wanted to approach him.
She felt the urge to move closer.
But, the press were everywhere. She couldn’t even take a single step toward him.
The gap was only ten steps wide, but the psychological barrier between them felt insurmountable.
“Elise.”
Someone called her name. She turned around with a start.
Her father, Ken Petra, was there.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
Ken placed his hand on Elise’s shoulder with a natural smile. Pabababat──! The journalists’ cameras flashed.
“…Yes.”
Elise nodded blankly. This photo would probably make the front page tomorrow.
“Would you like to share your story with the reporters?”
Ken looked quite proud of her. It was a face Elise hadn’t seen from her father in a very long time.
“Come on.”
Ken nudged her back.
Elise stood before the reporters.
─Please give us a detailed explanation!
─What happened inside?!
─You’ve achieved a remarkable feat right after becoming the top student of the magic department!
─Magic Tower also wants your testimony!
“…I just improvised according to the situation.”
That was all Elise answered.
─We heard you saved many lives!
“It wasn’t just me. My friend Layla risked her life to protect me, and Sir Rhine took command to prevent more survivors from dying. And…”
Shion Ascal.
She couldn’t bring herself to say his name.
Was it because of her father standing behind her?
Or was it because of the crowd of reporters in front of her?
─You meet the criteria for the Edsilla Congressional Medal…
“It’s an honor, but I don’t desire a medal. I’m just glad that I was able to save people… that’s enough for me.”
Elise cautiously looked back at Shion. He smiled slightly. Elise’s lips quivered into a smile as well.
─We heard you confronted Raquel Dra directly! Do you think this terror was the work of Raquel Dra?!
When a reporter asked about Raquel Dra, Shion turned his back. Elise shook her head as she watched his retreating figure.
“The act of Raquel Dra… it didn’t seem like it.”
─Really?!
─What’s your basis for that?!
“Because Raquel Dra also wanted to get out of there-”
“That’s enough.”
Ken Petra stepped in. He appeared at the moment the topic was about to shift, and the journalists were pushed back. With that one sentence, the journalists receded like the tide.
“……”
Elise looked up at Ken. Ken also quietly looked down at Elise.
Then, suddenly.
“The offspring of a tiger is a tiger itself. Even when cornered on a cliff, it will always survive. That’s instinct.”
He spoke softly and turned his body away. Elise saw a faint smile on his profile.
No matter how proud her father seemed of her achievements today.
“……It wasn’t just me.”
Elise caught him. Ken’s steps halted abruptly.
“If it weren’t for Shion, I would have died. He helped me-”
“Consider it unheard.”
That was the end of it.
Ken left, and Elise was left alone in the main hall of the hospital. She aimlessly looked around and then quickly grabbed her smartphone.
“Oh, right. Layla.”
She called Layla.
Duru─ Duru─
A few rings.
─……Elly, what?
Layla’s voice came through, thoroughly soaked.
“Are you okay?”
─……I’m okyaaay.
Not okay at all.
She must have been crying until now.
* * *
Weekend. As the chaos of the Void terror subsided, I was heading to the World Series of Poker 4th preliminary round.
I used to take the bus before, but today it was a limousine.
“……The treatment’s a bit nicer.”
And it wasn’t just an ordinary limousine. Inside, there were all sorts of snacks, even files for analyzing opponents.
“Take a look.”
The problem was, I was with someone rather formidable.
Beckman.
A Balancer from Johanna’s Libra.
“Do I really need to read this?”
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. Being prepared will help you in the match.”
“……”
Beckman is someone I also know. A real troublesome Lunatic. He has an infinite loyalty to Johanna, but because of that, his brain melts, and in the end, he betrays Johanna and gets killed.
A stalker story of sorts, where he aimed to bring down Johanna and monopolize everything for himself.
“Well, let’s do that.”
I skimmed through the document. The names of the opponents, their habits, their quirks, I put it all into the 「Notepad」.
In the 4th preliminary round, a total of 36 people played six games, and only the top 6 in chips advance to the official round.
“……Have you already finished reading?”
“Yes.”
Beckman pursed his lips. He was a man who couldn’t keep a poker face. No wonder he was discarded.
“May I test you?”
“Do as you like.”
He picked up the analysis file.
“Ben.”
“33 years old. Male. Generally starts with scouting, makes his move in the mid-game, and just maintains his stake in the endgame. His expression doesn’t change. If he has a bad hand, he tends to fold quickly rather than bluff.”
I looked at the 「Notepad」 hanging in the air and spoke.
I was quite familiar with this kind of cheat sheet.
“Jaco.”
“25 years old. Female. She lies low in the early and mid-game and then turns the tables in the endgame…”
I recited all 35 participants, and Beckman nodded, albeit with a dissatisfied expression.
“Yes. You pass.”
I don’t know who he is to decide pass or fail, but well.
He’s a Balancer after all.
The fact that such a person became a Balancer is evidence that the succession structure is tight, but since he’s going to be kicked out someday, I should be understanding.
* * *
I arrived at the 4th preliminary round venue.
Unlike the 1st to 3rd preliminary rounds, this one was more formal. There were spectator seats on the upper balcony, and the interior shone like a real casino. There were no windows, and no clocks.
The guide spoke first.
“Please take a seat.”
There were six tables. I sat down at the one with my name tag on it.
[Shion Ascal]
“The game will start soon. Don’t be too nervous even if VIPs come in. They are just here to watch.”
I looked around my table. There were quite a few experts. Each had added a touch with ties, ribbons, bow ties, and the colors seemed to indicate their family or clan.
I was wearing a blue tie myself.
“Please get ready. The 4th preliminary round will start soon.”
The dealer appeared at the table. A few people sat in the balcony. I glanced up there and then quickly looked down.
Johanna.
Even with a mask on, the sheer presence she emitted was different.
The eldest daughter of Libra, the very incarnation of money who operates the largest casinos, dozens of department stores, and high-end luxury brands, was ‘personally’ present here…
* * *
4th preliminary round venue.
Johanna, sitting in the VIP seat on the balcony, found the mafia guys next to her quite annoying.
By the way, the mafia and the cartel are a bit different.
While the cartel lives off crimes like drugs, looting, murder, and contract killing in the underworld, the mafia are those who have climbed out of that darkness and into casinos.
Ultimately, their origins are the same.
Therefore, to Johanna, the mafia are both enemies and allies, always coveting each other’s domain and money in a hostile relationship…
“You brought a greenhorn player with you, Johanna.”
A mafia consigliere, an executive, opened his mouth. Johanna smirked.
“There’s such a thing as beginner’s luck.”
“Ha ha. Isn’t that a saying that doesn’t suit a gambler?”
“……”
Johanna watched the table in silence.
Shion Ascal. Out of the 36, he was the only player from Libra.
“If he doesn’t make it to the finals, it’s a loss of 300 million Ren, right?”
The chatty Consigliere Eri next to her was quite talkative. Johanna replied expressionlessly.
“If he makes it to the finals, it’s you guys who will lose 300 million Ren.”
Just then, the fourth preliminary round began.
Truthfully, Johanna didn’t have much expectation.
Even if one could get through the first to third rounds by luck, from the fourth round, it was a battle of the real pros.
Johanna kept her eyes on Shion Ascal’s table number three.
“Well, that aside. Table number three? He’s really out of luck. Got a bad table from the start.”
The male Consigliere Eri raised his eyebrows.
“Jericho, Tommel, Casano, Derian, Pennsyl. Five elites are gathered there.”
And it was indeed the case.
It was clear that the mafia’s trickery was at play. Only masters, who wouldn’t be out of place in the final round, were gathered at Shion Ascal’s table.
“A death group that even Lady Johanna would struggle to break through…”
Johanna wanted to kill this incessantly babbling fool.
If she wins the 300 million Ren, perhaps she should ask for this guy’s head in place of 100 million Ren.
That’s a good idea.
“Lady Johanna. The game is starting now.”
“Be quiet, will you?”
“Ha ha. Yes, well.”
Johanna watched with a listless gaze.
She tried not to expect too much, to avoid disappointment.
“Oh~ He keeps losing. His expression is hard to read, isn’t it?”
Shion Ascal had lost three times in a row at the start. Consigliere Eri chattered like a madman.
Perhaps, this man had come betting his life, hoping that I would get so angry that I’d kill him.
Grinding her teeth and suppressing her murderous intent, at that moment.
[4: Shion Ascal victory.]
[1 million chips acquired]
Shion Ascal won the fourth game. The mafia’s Consigliere Eri forced a smile.
“……Lucky, isn’t he?”
“Hmph.”
Johanna leaned back in her chair.
At first, she too thought it was just good luck.
But……
[5: Shion Ascal victory]
Shion Ascal also won the fifth game.
[6: Shion Ascal victory]
The sixth game was the same.
“……What.”
Consigliere Eri was slightly flustered, and Johanna glanced at him with a mocking smile.
“Seems like quite a bit of luck there.”
He folded quickly in the seventh game, but then won the ninth and tenth games in a row.
He had won five out of the first ten games.
“Hey, say something.”
That’s when the tide turned. Consigliere Eri clamped his mouth shut, and Johanna tapped him while grinning slyly.
“Hey, asshole. Speak up. Can luck be that good for five games?”
“……The beginning can be like that. You know how it is. If you pop the champagne too early in a gambling game-”
[11: Shion Ascal victory]
Consigliere Eri hung his head.
“Ha!”
Johanna also laughed heartily and tilted her head to look into the eyes of the arched Consigliere Eri.
“Say it again. What was that? Huh──?”
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