Chapter 131.
As we left the casino, we embraced the gifts given to us by the casino management. The gifts’ purpose was to request that we avoid damaging the casino from the incident of setting up Flam in the underground ring. In a word, it was a bribe.
Since they were not aware of this, it was understandable, but still, from the casino’s point of view, they had messed with a civil servant. I have mentioned this before, but under imperial law, civil servants were the Emperor’s servants and his hands and feet.
The casino was already walking a fine line between being legal and illegal. So, with the added fact that they messed with a civil servant, the casino management was at risk of being killed. Literally.
Considering the dignity of the Emperor, it was unclear whether only the management would be killed. In fact, if the adventurer’s guild genuinely decided to cause a ruckus at the casino even before the law came into effect, the casino would be ruined that same day.
The casino was already looked at unfavorably for having retired adventurers and mercenaries in the underground ring, so this situation was a real crisis that could actually lead to the casino’s downfall. For the guy who scammed Flam and put him up in the underground ring, the casino would probably make him pay his just dues before the adventurer’s guild came to take care of it.
After completely leaving the vicinity of the casino, we walked on an entirely empty path. This abnormality was because it was the middle of the night.
"And I think you have a dark side,” Flam said.
I tilted my head. "Ayy, what do you mean ‘dark’? There’s no one as nice as me."
Rosellis looked at me as if that was ridiculous. "Nice? Throwing chips at someone who’s in despair?"
"Of course. How nice of me. It’s good to have some money when your life’s ruined either way."
It was money for the fare to cross into the afterlife. It stung me to see Rosellis looking at me like my character was trash, so I decided to change the topic. "Shall we see what’s in here?”
Flam nodded at my suggestion. "That’s a good idea. The box is too big and uncomfortable to hold, so it would be better to tie it into one bundle."
Flam and I opened the gift boxes on the spot.
"Hey, it’s a civil nuisance if you leave stuff here."
"Oh, come on. It’s nighttime anyways. Not a single person is out walking around."
Various items poured out of the gift boxes.
"There’s a cashmere coat, pure gold ring, high-quality ink and quill, and also a fountain pen.”
When I took out the items in the gift box, Rosellis seemed to grow interested as well and sat down with us, opening the gift box.
"What, they’re all famous brand-name products. Oh! This is a limited edition that I wasn’t able to get. The spring season special edition!” Rosellis shouted excitedly after finding a cute bunny doll.
"...Angelica."
When I mumbled softly, Rosellis blushed and gave a dry cough. "Hum-hum! Who thought it was a good idea to give a toy for little kids as a gift?"
Yet, even while she said this, she looked at the bunny doll lovingly.
"Oh, do you not need it? I think Arwen would like that doll. Can I take it with me?"
Rosellis’s eyes shook when Flam said he would give it to his sister. "You, you said you’re giving it to Arwen?"
Not only her eyes but her voice also trembled.
"That’s right. I don’t think I’ve ever given her such a gift because I’m a man."
When Flam spoke, Rosellis looked at me like she was about to cry. I guess there’s no helping it.
"Flam, rather than that, how about something like this?" I showed Flam a beautifully crafted silver bracelet.
"Hmm, doesn’t it look too expensive for a child to wear?"
"No! This doll is probably more expensive than the bracelet. And kids these days are so clever that they prefer bracelets and necklaces rather than dolls like this." Rosellis tried desperately to protect the doll.
Do you want the doll so badly that you have to do that?
"Then you can just give that necklace and this bracelet together as a gift."
When I pointed to a silver necklace with sapphire embedded in it from Rosellis’s gift box, Rosellis nodded enthusiastically. "That’s right. This necklace goes well with that bracelet. It looks like it was made for Arwen.”
"Hmm, is that so?"
After some consideration, Flam nodded. "Since both of you are saying so, I suppose that’s a better choice."
"Nice!" Bursting with joy, Rosellis blushed and handed the necklace to Flam while I handed over my bracelet as well.
"Thank you, but it’s hard for me just to accept your gifts. You each should pick one of my gifts.”
"No, I’m okay.” Rosellis’s heart had already long been occupied by the doll.
"Then I’ll take two instead." I took a children’s magic wand that was about 30 cm long and a simple alchemy kit. The gifts were really all sorts of random things.
"I was going to buy both of these things, but I’ve been putting it off because I was too lazy."
I’m going to upgrade the children’s magic wand later to be able to beat out any normal magic wands in performance. I’ll say I got it by chance, and use it as Alice’s birthday present. Later on, even after turning 20 years old, she probably won’t be able to find a better magic wand than the one I’ll give her.
Thinking about it, it would be a pretty funny sight to see her use a magic wand made for children. I think it would be okay if I slightly modified the simple alchemy kit and gave it to Yuria. Or I could use it too. I was looking for simple magic tools like this because I would feel bad trying to have a proper workshop in the boarding house, and besides, there wasn’t enough space.
I rarely liked any magic tool, but this was pretty good. But anyway, it seems my standards have fallen quite a bit. I can’t believe I think this is acceptable.
"Shoot, it’s late. Arwen is probably waiting."
It was already close to midnight. After exchanging seemingly necessary items with each other, we got up. With a happy face, Rosellis headed toward the adventurers’ guild headquarters while hugging the bunny doll, and Flam headed home with his arms full of weapon repairing tools and Arwen’s gifts.
While slowly heading back to the boarding house, I snuck into a back alley, put my things in the pocket space, and headed to the outskirts of the capital. After walking for a long time, I took a watch out from my chest and checked the time.
It’s 12:30 in the morning. I’m screwed; I have night duty tomorrow. I can’t wait to go back to the boarding house and sleep.
There were quite a few things to pack, such as clothes to use while on-duty, toiletries, and spare uniforms. The public-use blanket was a little shady, so I needed to bring a blanket too. Oh, I’m busy. So busy. And so, let’s get rid of the flies following me and then go to bed.
"Didn’t you follow me because you have business with me?" I shouted under a deserted castle, just before the edge of the capital.
No answer. It seemed like an ordinary corpse. There was definitely a presence, though very subtle—two, from what I could feel.
Both of them had excellent hiding skills, but one of them was monstrously skillful to the point where I wasn’t sure if the person was even there. At this level, the person was probably even better than the best stealth user in my hometown, Mac hyung.
At first, I thought the presence was following Rosellis because I felt it starting from the casino. I thought it would be hard for even Rosellis to deal with them, so I tried to sneak into the back alley and wear a mask to help her, but the presence followed me.
"I know you’ve been following me since the casino. I want to go back and sleep soon, so hurry and come on out."
Despite my annoyance, they still did not come out. At times like this, force was necessary. Well, them continuously tailing me was quite shady, so I was going to beat them up first anyways.
"Two shots to start." Two magic bullets shot out from my hand towards where they were hiding.
Only then did two women pop out from the dark. One of the two was the person I played with at the casino who wore the swan mask decorated with white fur. The other person wearing a black butterfly mask was someone I had never seen before.
Were they sent by the casino? I thought they might have been chasing me because I won against the casino’s dealers too much. There were five dealers who had fallen into the abyss in my hands and seven who fell into ruin afterward.
Come to think of it, I felt it when I was playing the card games, but that Swan Mask also had an excellent ability to slip cards out from below. It was possible. She was worse than someone like me who could even take the bottom from fate, but her high level of skill was still praiseworthy.
The Swan Mask glared at me and asked, "How did you know?”
"Know what?" What do I know? I don’t even know why you’re following me. It’s making me feel uncomfortable.
"That we’re following you. How did you know?"
“Ah, that? I knew because of you.” I pointed to Swan Mask.
"Because of me?"
I nodded, digging my ear with my little finger. My ears were itchy as if Swan Mask was cursing me.
"Yep. That Black Butterfly was perfect, but Swan, you were clumsy. If you hide like that, aren’t you basically advertising that you’re there?"
Swan Mask bit her lips in anger. Actually, Swan Mask was highly skilled, but since she was considered an enemy, I tried to provoke a weakness.
But contrary to my expectation, Swan Mask apologized to Butterfly Mask. "I’m sorry. It was because of me.”
I admired Swan Mask’s apology. She was better at controlling her emotions than I thought.
"That’s right, that’s right. I think you do need to apologize. Don’t go anywhere saying you learned stealth skills. I don’t know who taught you, but do you think they can make a living if people find out they taught you?"
When I nodded and agreed with Swan Mask, she stared at me fiercely.
Then Butterfly Mask smiled and said, "I taught her."
"Aigoo, really? Why didn’t you teach her well? Look at that. Well, there’s no law saying that a good player also makes a good teacher."
"Shut up!" Swan Mask roared. Very good. Swan Mask’s weakness was me swearing at Butterfly Mask.
"I~don’t~want~to," I said hatefully.
Swan Mask tried to pull out her sword. However, Butterfly Mask stopped her with a gesture, and Swan Mask stepped back furiously. She had better control over herself than I thought. In this case, the only method available seemed to be shaking the mentality of Butterfly Mask. But how should I do this?
While I was thinking, Butterfly Mask said, “You asked what our business was, right? Then why don’t you stop secretly gathering mana?”
Butterfly Mask’s words made me nervous for a moment. It would have been impossible to know that I was secretly gathering mana without extraordinary senses.
"Who are you?"
Butterfly Mask smiled as I stared at her. "Yeah. It’s not polite to wear a mask like this when we haven’t seen each other in a long time."
Swan Mask was surprised by Butterfly Mask’s words. What do you mean, long time no see? I’ve never known anyone who wore the same perverted mask as the black butterfly mask.
Butterfly Mask casually took off her mask. "Long time no see, Denburg Blade."
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