Loss.
Loss.
And another loss.
After borrowing the money, Robert lost several rounds in a row. The Mora in his hand dwindled rapidly, while the Treasure Hoarders around him grew more and more excited.
Bet against Blade, and you'll make a fortune!
At some point, no one was betting on the same side as Robert anymore; they were all betting against him.
The dealer's face was visibly darkening.
"I'm done, I'm done! I'm going to lose everything!" Ironhead yelled dramatically. "I never should've lent you money! Are you here to ruin me, kid?" he shouted at Robert, feigning anger.
Robert's eyes were also red. "I want to win too! You think I like losing?" His tone had lost its earlier deference—the perfect picture of a man consumed by his losses. Internally, however, he had to admire Ironhead's skill. The man's control over the coin was impressive, and his act of being a sore loser was equally convincing.
"Hey, Ironhead, can't handle losing?" sneered a few tattooed Treasure Hoarder thugs. "When you were winning, none of us complained. Now that you're losing, you want to quit?"
They weren't about to let him step down. The other Treasure Hoarders joined in, egging him on. Why did they become Treasure Hoarders, stealing and grave-robbing? For Mora! Now that they could win it gambling, they weren't about to let Ironhead off the hook.
Ironhead's face was thunderous. "Then what do you suggest? If this keeps up, I'll lose my burial savings!"
The tattooed Treasure Hoarder laughed. "You can step down... after Blade wins a single round. Can't let the kid lose all night, can we?"
His words sounded reasonable, prompting a wave of laughter from the crowd. Blade winning? Impossible!
"Fine!" Ironhead said, his face cold. "It ends when Blade wins a round. No take-backs." He paused, then added, "Of course, if Blade loses everything first, it also ends. Otherwise, this could go on forever."
Seeing Ironhead's dark expression, the tattooed Treasure Hoarder didn't push further and nodded.
The surrounding Treasure Hoarders cheered. "Ironhead's being generous today!"
Generous? He was practically giving money away.
The game started again. Robert continued to lose. As he lost, he kept an eye on the money box and timed his moves. Losing continuously put pressure on Ironhead too. Even though it was a setup, if the fish got away, it would be a pure loss for the dealer. So, the person running the game would inevitably pick a moment to win it all back.
Robert waited silently for his chance. When the money box was more than half empty, and the number of people betting against him had plateaued, Robert suddenly yelled, "I don't believe it! All or nothing!"
He threw his last few remaining Mora onto 'Tails'.
Instantly, piles of Mora were stacked on 'Heads'. Since it was agreed the game would end when Robert lost everything, this was the last chance to profit. Except for a few cautious individuals, everyone else bet all their remaining Mora.
Ironhead looked at the pile of Mora in front of him. Beneath the grimace of a man who had lost too much, a flicker of triumph passed through his eyes.
"Alright, last round!" He tossed the Mora high, caught it, and slapped it down. He began to slowly reveal it...
"Wait!" Robert suddenly interrupted.
Ironhead started, his heart skipping a beat. Then, remembering his technique was sleight of hand, not outright cheating, he steadied himself. "What is it, Blade?" His tone was unfriendly.
Robert, red-eyed, looked at Scar. "Scar, I have a feeling I'm going to win this one. Lend me a thousand Mora. I'll pay you back after I win it all back."
Scar froze. You've been losing all this time, and now you think you'll turn it around? As a gambler himself, Scar knew exactly how empty those words were. But... Robert had just publicly called himself Scar's junior. If he refused now... The surrounding Treasure Hoarders were already watching with amusement.
Scar's face darkened. He pulled out a slip of paper and tossed it over. "Take it. If you lose, it's coming out of your pay."
"Thank you, Scar!" Robert took the slip and looked at it. It read:
[Blackwing Troupe. Share: One Thousand Mora. Seal: Crow Sigil.]
It was likely an internal promissory note from the Blackwing Troupe.
He slapped the note onto the betting area. "I'm betting it all. That's fine, right, Ironhead? You haven't shown the result yet."
Ironhead's mouth twitched. He looked deeply at Robert, a feeling growing that this red-eyed gambler might not be the sucker he'd thought. "Fine. It's the last round. If you want to lose more, I don't care." Ironhead suppressed his unease, maintaining his grim facade.
"Hahaha! He's throwing you a lifeline, Ironhead! Be nicer to poor Blade!" the surrounding Treasure Hoarders laughed. To them, Robert's last-minute raise was just giving Ironhead more money.
"Enough chatter, Ironhead! Hurry up and show it!" the tattooed Treasure Hoarder from before shouted.
"Keep your pants on!" Ironhead shot back, then slowly lifted his hand...
A polished surface was revealed... Tails!
"Huh? Hahahaha! I won! I won!" Robert jumped up, grabbing Scar's arm. "Scar, I won! I won!"
"Horseshit! How is that possible? Ironhead, you're cheating, you bastard!"
"How could it be?I bet everything!"
"Damn it,Ironhead, you cheated!"
Apart from Robert's cheers, the other Treasure Hoarders erupted in angry shouts.
Ironhead stood up abruptly, his solid frame like a wall. "Who says I'm cheating? When I was losing, none of you said a thing! What, I win one round and suddenly I'm cheating?" He grabbed the tattooed Treasure Hoarder opposite him. "Flower Snake! You're the one who forced me to keep dealing! You tell me, did I cheat?"
The tattooed Treasure Hoarder's tattoo was of a patterned python, hence his nickname, Flower Snake. Struggling in Ironhead's grip, he finally broke free, his face dark. "Don't yell at me! I lose like a man. I never said you cheated." Glowering, he turned and left.
The area quieted for a moment. A few other Treasure Hoarders, faces equally dark, muttered about losing fairly and left.
Ironhead then turned to Robert with a grin. "Good luck, Blade. I owe this one to you. Here, this is your winnings." He pulled out a small box from somewhere and pushed it toward Robert. "Fifteen hundred Mora. The extra is for drinks, on me."
Robert didn't stand on ceremony. He took the box, carefully counted out five hundred Mora, added the promissory note he'd bet, and respectfully presented it to Scar. "Scar, this is your share, for your support."
Scar, his earlier anger at being strong-armed into lending money completely gone, was all smiles now. "Good, good! Hahaha!" Making five hundred Mora for free made him very happy.
The remaining Treasure Hoarders who were still upset watched as Ironhead gathered up the rest of the Mora. Though they wanted to object, since even the vocal Flower Snake had left, they had no grounds to make a scene and could only watch Ironhead take the money.
Scar looked around, then clapped Robert on the shoulder. "Blade, come with me. I'll show you where you'll sleep." Perhaps bonded by Mora, Scar's attitude toward Robert had improved significantly.
"Oh, okay. Thank you, Scar." Robert followed, clutching his small money box.