Chapter 42 - A Pointless Game
Who would want to challenge me? Maybe they’re just curious about the brash girl causing a stir. I immediately agreed to the manager’s message and headed to the table.
"Thank you for accepting. Let’s enjoy ourselves tonight."
"Let’s skip the formalities. We’re just gamblers here, right?"
"How vulgar."
"Names and titles don’t matter here."
I agreed. They truly didn’t matter. I had no intention of remembering the names of passing acquaintances.
An elderly man, a flamboyant young man, a madam, and a somewhat jaded young woman. They were playing a Texas Hold’em-style card game.
"You’re joining us?"
"If you’re scared, now’s the time to back out."
"Oh dear, will our stakes be okay?"
Hmm, quite confident.
"Let’s get started. You deal, please."
"Sure, let’s see what you’ve got."
Another game without a dealer. Fine by me. I’m confident in my card handling. Let them watch closely.
Of course, I wouldn’t cheat. Not from my side.
I took a new drink and moistened my throat. The manager had thoughtfully provided a new deck. I felt the four pairs of eyes on me as I opened the seal and dealt the cards smoothly.
"Hmm."
"Ha, this is interesting."
"You’re quite skillful."
"...You’re impressive."
I had no intention of losing. With many players, I’d observe their moves first.
My hand was poor, so I watched the game for a round and then folded. The four players became poker-faced, and the game remained cautious. In the end, the madam won a small stack of chips.
They seemed more conservative than I expected. Perhaps they were careful players.
The elderly man was next to deal. His experienced hands dealt the cards without hesitation.
After checking the community cards, the betting began. I had a three of a kind with kings. Not bad. I’d bet and see how it went.
"Raise."
The elderly man raised the stakes, but his expression was unreadable.
"Raise."
The flamboyant young man broke his poker face with a smirk and raised the stakes. Confidence or a bluff? I couldn’t tell.
"Raise."
The madam smiled and raised the stakes.
"Raise."
The young woman raised the stakes further. Was she indifferent to the amount?
With a three of a kind, the risk was too high. The game had just started, and there was no need to rush. I folded.
Winning the game was about the total outcome. It was early, and there was no need to force a risky move.
"...Fold."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I’ll pass this time."
I needed to stay alert. Something was off. I had to remain calm and observe.
We played several more rounds. Their moves became more obvious. They were colluding.
When I played cautiously, they all played cautiously.
When I played aggressively, they all played aggressively.
I needed a strong hand to make a decisive move. Losing everything wasn’t an option. I couldn’t afford to lose in the Marzio Family’s den, but I couldn’t back down either.
So, I played cautiously, even with decent hands. The other guests and staff were present, so they didn’t dare to go too far. I won small amounts and lost others, but I stayed in the game.
This was annoying. The game had lost its excitement. It felt pointless. I wanted to draw a full house, but luck wasn’t on my side.
But they were getting frustrated too. I was more patient than they expected. They were likely more agitated than me.
I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. They were four, but someone would slip up. They’d make mistakes and take unnecessary risks. I just needed to be patient.
Time passed. I was exhausted. I was getting annoyed. I decided to make one final big move and leave.
"Raise." I thought about Frederica, who was probably having her own troubles.
In that moment, the flamboyant young man made his move. I was distracted, but I didn’t miss it. He couldn’t hide his cheating from me.
He was stressed and finally snapped. I pretended not to notice and slowly stood up. The four maintained their poker faces, but the tension was palpable.
They all knew, not just the young man.
"What’s wrong?"
"Going to the bathroom?"
What a rude guy.
I grabbed my makeshift hairpin and pulled it out, letting my dark purple hair flow. The sight of it and the hairpin captured everyone’s attention.
I swiftly threw the hairpin.
"Ah? H-What’s happening?!"
The flamboyant young man had a moment of confusion.
But as he realized what happened, he screamed and thrashed, scattering the chips and cards. What a nuisance.
My hairpin had pierced his arm, pinning it to the table. I aimed for the evidence hidden in his sleeve. A classic move.
I pinned his shoulder and forced his sleeve up, revealing the cards hidden in his sleeve, now pinned to his arm. The evidence was clear for everyone to see.
The table had become the center of attention, drawing the guests and staff.
"What’s this?"
I roughly grabbed his hair, lifting his arm to show the evidence.
"Ow, ow, let go! Stop it!"
"What is this, exactly?"
I kept my tone calm but tightened my grip. I’d keep squeezing until he talked.
The other guests, realizing the cheating, sided with me, loudly condemning the flamboyant young man. The scene was getting chaotic.
Just as I was considering how to handle the situation, the manager and several bodyguards rushed in from a different room.
"Customers, this is a problem. Please calm down."
"I’m calm. Can’t you see what’s happening?"
The bodyguards immediately understood and forcibly removed the flamboyant young man, punishing him.
"You cheating scum! How dare you!"
"Don’t expect to leave alive!"
The tough-looking bodyguards shouted, and the manager approached me.
"We’ll deal with him. We’ve been wronged as well. Will you leave this to us?"
This guy. If the other three went unpunished, it wouldn’t be fair.
No way. Even if the Marzio Family allowed it, I wouldn’t. The four were clearly colluding. The other three were watching, pale and tense. They would have been angry as the victims, but they weren’t.
"...Manager, that’s not an option. I’m the direct victim. I need appropriate compensation. I don’t think a third party can resolve this to my satisfaction. I need to talk to him first. After that, you can do what you want."
"You want to talk to the party involved first?"
"If they’re not related to the Marzio Family, I’ll handle it personally. Of course, I have no complaints. If the Marzio Family wants to compensate me, I’d consider it."
The fear of what I might demand and the threat of retaliation were clear. The manager, seeing the other guests’ attention, couldn’t take any risks. The cheating young man wasn’t worth protecting.
The manager seemed to understand and decided to let me handle it.
"...Understood. As long as you both agree, we won’t intervene. However, the final decision will be ours. Please understand."
They had their own reputation to maintain. They’d likely abandon the flamboyant young man or compensate me later. I didn’t care how it played out as long as I wasn’t personally harmed.
"As for us, of course, we’ll be joining. We were all at the same table."
"Use this room. And bring that man."
We were led to a private room, likely for important guests. It was modest but elegant. The flamboyant young man, now beaten by the bodyguards, was thrown in roughly.
The five of us, who had been at the same table, entered the room, and the door was closed.
There might be magic devices for eavesdropping, so I kept it simple.
"First, I won’t listen to any excuses, and I won’t let this slide."
I didn’t specify anyone, but my words were directed at all of them.
"Then, what do you want?"
This was a critical moment. They didn’t want to end up like the flamboyant young man.
The elderly man asked, seemingly calm, while the madam and the young woman maintained their composure, which was impressive.
They were more afraid of the Marzio Family’s reaction than my identity as the Kikyo Society president.
"Let me put it simply: money talks, even in hell."
I probably looked quite ruthless.
"...How much?"
The madam seemed relieved that it could be resolved with money.
I had a clear answer.
"Half."
"Half?"
"Half of the chips you have. That’s all I want. I won’t say anything more, and I won’t ask for anything more. That’s it."
Half of their chips would still be a significant amount. It would be more than the treasure we took from the bandits.
"...Phew. I agree."
"Me too."
"I agree."
They seemed relieved. It was only half of their chips, not their entire wealth. My leniency would prevent any resentment.
I told the injured flamboyant young man to hand over his chips, and I wouldn’t touch him. I’d let him do as he wished.
This wasn’t extortion; it was a fair demand for cheating.
When we left the room, everything seemed normal. The bloodied table had been replaced, and the only evidence was the scattered chips.
I quietly divided the chips with the others, and a large stack accumulated in front of me. I smiled. Even though they likely wouldn’t bet all their chips, the amount would still be painful for them.
I quickly exchanged the chips for credit in my Record. Today’s earnings were substantial.
In total, I got four hundred million from the elderly man, six hundred million from the flamboyant young man, three hundred million from the madam, and two hundred million from the young woman, adding up to about one billion six hundred million Gist.
Wow, this was a dangerous amount. It could end my life on the way back.
"President Yukarinowe, are you leaving?"
"It was a productive evening. I’m off now."
I was escorted out by the manager, who pretended nothing had happened.
"Oh, and my companion is leaving with me."
"Your companion is waiting in the bar."
I didn’t expect Frederica to leave so quickly.
At least I didn’t have to drag her away.
I parted ways with the manager at the entrance to the bar and headed to Frederica.
I found her at the counter, sitting alone and looking dejected.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Frederica. What’s wrong?"
"Yukari! Sob, sniff."
She suddenly hugged me and cried. She was completely different from her usual self when gambling.
"Did you lose again? I’ve told you many times not to overdo it."
"But, but..."
"How much did you lose?"
"...Everything."
I didn’t hear that clearly.
"What? Say it again."
"Everything! I’m completely broke!"
"What? You still had a few million, didn’t you?"
What was she thinking? She really needed to be more careful.
"Sniff."
"Anyway, let’s go home. If you need money, I’ll lend you some. Just try to manage for a while."
I’d praise her for not betting her Kikyo Society coat.
I supported her as we walked out. The sky was already getting light.
Today wasn’t a day off, so we’d be up all night. But I could manage without sleep for a day.
"So, how did it go for you, Yukari? You were invited to the wealthy patrons’ floor, right?"
The cold morning air seemed to help Frederica regain her composure. The coolness was refreshing and cleared her mind.
"Of course, I didn’t lose."
"How much did you win?"
"Hehe, I’ll tell you when we get back."
Frederica managed the Kikyo Society’s finances, so she’d find out eventually.
The outcome was mixed. I didn’t know the relationship between the four cheaters and the Marzio Family, but Frederica had likely lost a significant amount to the Marzio Family. Overall, it was still a net gain. The Kikyo Society’s operational funds were now secure for the foreseeable future.
The key question was whether the Marzio Family had suffered any damage. Depending on that, our approach would change.
If the Marzio Family acted alone, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but if they teamed up with others, it could be more troublesome. We needed to focus on gathering information.
Incidentally, half of tonight’s earnings would go to the Kikyo Society. The tax rate was fifty percent, which could be seen as high or low, depending on the perspective.
Anyone earning money under the Kikyo emblem had to pay their dues, regardless of the reason. Even as the president, I was no exception.
Without proper reporting and payment, sanctions would be enforced. While the specifics weren’t decided yet, they would need to be as the organization grew.
I found it restrictive, but I’d gather everyone’s opinions and proceed step by step.
The only real dissatisfaction was the initial one-on-one game, which was fun, but the end was disappointing.
My initial goal of making money was more than achieved, but it felt a bit incomplete.
Maybe I’ll splurge on something soon to blow off some steam.