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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The Shining Moment
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In life, everyone inevitably has a moment when they shine.
Will you endure and wait for that time, or give up and choose another path?
In most cases, you can't immediately tell whether those who made the right choice or the wrong one were justified.
However, very occasionally, there are times when you can tell right away.
Just like right now.
Chrrrrrrrr!!
Finally, the patterns embossed on the machine slowly came to a stop.
Eagle, eagle, eagle.
Three eagles. A solid mid-tier jackpot.
'Well, it's a win anyway, so I get another retry chance.'
"My god, that kid hit it again!!"
"What am I even seeing right now? How many tries has that kid had already?"
"Uh, well... I think it's been at least five."
"Five? I've been watching since earlier, and it's gotta be at least ten jackpots! What the hell? Why does only that kid keep hitting?"
"Does this even make sense? Is the machine rigged?"
After I'd hit several jackpots with explosive fanfare, murmurs began to ripple through the crowd watching me.
'Alright, it's about time they call me over. I wonder when it'll happen.'
I pretended not to hear anything as I gathered the chips the slot had spat out and had the counter hold them for me.
The atmosphere was shifting.
In the casino, more and more people were starting to suspect that I was in cahoots with the house, sweeping the tables.
It was only natural. I would suspect the same. In a game where jackpots were rare, some kid had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was claiming every single one solo. No wonder they were suspicious.
And Hans was no different.
From his perspective, this was enough to make him jump out of his skin.
Which meant he wouldn't just sit back and watch. Sure enough, as I was crediting my chips at the counter, a guard approached cautiously and whispered to me.
"Um, sir. If it's alright with you, would you come with me?"
"What's this about?"
"Our casino manager would like to see you for a moment. We'll escort you with the utmost respect, so could you spare just a bit of your time?"
"Hey, guard."
"Yes, sir?"
"When was the most glorious moment of your life as a guard?"
"...Pardon?"
"Right now."
With that, I turned my back on the guard and headed toward the machine.
The pot still wasn't big enough. With just this much, I couldn't draw out that precious item from Hans.
I needed to build the stakes higher. Absolutely not because I wanted revenge for the money I'd lost in the past. Absolutely not.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I followed the guard only after hitting three more jackpots, when the guard was on the verge of tears and the casino's atmosphere was turning downright hostile.
From that moment on, the guard treated me with extreme deference, leading me to the fifth-floor office.
Knock knock knock.
"Manager, I've brought the guest."
"Come in."
As I opened the door and entered, a middle-aged gentleman with a rat-tail mustache was frantically scribbling approvals on a stack of documents.
Hans didn't even glance at the guard, who bowed politely and backed out of the office quietly.
Scratch, scratch.
In the silence, the only sound was Hans's pen scratching away busily.
Scratch, scratch. Drip.
Finally, after signing the last page.
Hans set down his pen and stood to face me.
"Hahaha, I asked you to be brought here and then kept you waiting. I had some urgent matters that needed approving right away, so I apologize for the delay. Please, have a seat."
He gestured for me to sit, then personally brewed some tea and placed it politely before me.
"This is tea made from barley grown in the Philador Kingdom's breadbasket region. It's what the lowly folk drink, so I'm not sure if it suits a noble guest's palate."
A noble guest, huh. So he knew exactly who I was.
"As long as it quenches my thirst, it's all the same. But why did you call me here separately?"
"Hahaha, you're an impatient one. I heard that our esteemed Third Young Master, a VIP of our casino, was putting on quite the show today. I wanted to congratulate you and make a few requests regarding the machines, so I took the liberty of asking for your valuable time."
In other words: 'The black sheep who used to bring us all his money has suddenly gone berserk. Quit the slots while we're being nice.'
"Is doing well at gambling in a casino such a big deal that we need a private chat? Jeez, if I win just twice more, you might as well take my head as payment."
Clink!
My half-hearted response made Hans set down his cup, straighten up, and speak.
"Third Young Master! This is no small matter. If I may be so bold, with you so blatantly hitting jackpots one after another, people are starting to doubt the casino's integrity in droves. If word gets out that you're a 'key figure' from the family, it could shake one of the major revenue streams in the Benten territory."
'Stop now, or I'll expose you. You won't like that either,' he threatened rather stylishly.
Of course, it was a threat that wouldn't faze me in the slightest.
"I wonder, Manager. Are you really worried about the casino the family built?"
"Pardon?"
"What you're really worried about is your own position, isn't it?"
"What do you...?"
"Come on, Manager. Let's be frank here."
He clearly hadn't expected a kid like me to come at him so directly. Seizing the moment he was at a loss for words, I took a sip of tea and continued. Mmm, fragrant.
I formed a circle with my thumb and index finger, waving my hand at Hans as I asked,
"As you said, I'm a 'noble guest' and 'key figure' of the family. Why do you think I'd come to the casino and cause such a blatant scene?"
Flutter flutter.
As my rough gesture continued, Hans's eyes shook uneasily. He was feigning composure, but I could see right through his facade. That's why it's so easy to shake down guys with dirty secrets.
"You were appointed manager of this casino when I was ten, right? I know the usual term is up to two years max... So why are you still clinging to the position five years later? Hmm, intriguing."
Drip drip.
Sweat was beading on Hans's forehead—one drop, two. His mouth said no, but his body was honest.
"Enough."
Hans cut me off, staring at me blankly. Disrespectfully, there was no reverence for a direct family member in his expression.
"Fine, Third Young Master. You win."
Hans waved his hands to silence me and admitted defeat.
"I heard you lacked talent compared to the Eldest Son or the Young Lady, but it seems the rumors were wrong—you're full of cunning foxes in your belly."
I grinned at Hans, showing my gums.
"Aw, thanks for the compliment."
Hans chuckled at my cheeky response and leaned back on the sofa, asking,
"Alright, fine. From your reaction, it seems you caused all this commotion just to see me. You're not here to take my head, so what is it you want?"
Ah, talking to smart guys is so convenient. But.
"Hey, that's so tacky."
Revealing what you want first is amateur hour.
"It's not about 'what you want.' You need to proactively offer 'what you can give.' You're a savvy guy."
At my words, Hans crossed his arms looking troubled, then started proposing "deals" one by one.
"How about the mithril-plated shield that stayed in the room of that Philador black sheep—no, noble—who brought in the pot this month?"
A mithril-plated shield, huh. Not bad. Worth a small mansion. But I didn't put on that show for something like that.
"Nah."
"Then what about the ring artifact from the merchant of the Five Nations Alliance? It can memorize up to three 2-circle spells—a rare..."
Artifacts that let non-mages cast spells are valuable, especially ones that hold three. Could buy a prime estate in the capital.
"Let's do better."
"...How about both?"
"Oof, Hans, your life's worth is pretty cheap. Who knew."
After that, Hans offered all sorts of items, but I stuck to my guns with 'No.' The thing I wanted never came up.
Still, I was surprised for two reasons.
First, his ruthlessness in never offering that item to the end.
Second, the endless parade of valuables.
'This bastard, how much has he been hoarding all this time?'
Regardless of my shock, Hans's forehead finally started to vein up after repeated rejections.
"...If I may, Third Young Master. This is everything I have. Is there something specific you want?"
About now, he'd figure I'd sniffed out his hidden pockets, so I got to the point.
"Wow, Hans. Tougher than I thought. Denying it to the bitter end."
"What do you...?"
"Think about it, Hans. You must've heard the rumors. Even if I took those items now, what would I do with them? Pretty trash."
So, they were utterly useless to me right now. I might note them for later use, though.
"Then what is it you want, Third Young Master?"
"Oh, nothing much."
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.
"Well, you know. My body's kinda frail, right? If you could give me something useful as medicine—like, for example—"
As I trailed off, Hans's eyes shook violently.
Okay, bingo.
You've got it.
"A fully grown mandragora or something? Brewing it into a tonic would be a huge help for a guy like me. Hahaha."
Unlike my relaxed tone,
Hans's face crumpled in a way too pathetic to watch alone.
Rage.
Fluster.
Astoundment.
How do you describe a face mixed with all that?
I couldn't find a better phrase than "Hans's face right now."
After a long silence, Hans forced open his mouth with some evasive nonsense.
"...I have no idea what you're talking about. As you know, mandragora is extremely rare... There's no way such a precious item would be in a mere casino. Must be a misunderstanding."
"Wow, scary."
"...!"
"Oops, my bad. Sorry. That was just in my head."
I straightened from my slouch on the sofa and stared straight at Hans.
"Manager, let's not waste time. You know why I piled up those sky-high chips without cashing them? Why I kept losing right up until the slots were introduced? A capable manager like you can't be clueless."
"...!"
In truth, the losses were real losses, and I'd planned to keep losing.
But to Hans right now, it looked like I'd orchestrated the whole act for this moment.
"...Even so, I can't give what I don't have."
Hah. Still playing dumb?
"You really wanna go all the way? That'd be no fun. I get you're timing it for 'him,' but better than letting it go to waste, right?"
"...!!"
Hans's eyes bulged. For a supposedly competent guy, he couldn't hide his expressions well.
"...Just how much do you know?"
Even as he said it, his face darkened suspiciously.
"Eh, that's my trade secret. Anyway, wouldn't it be wise to get past this crisis now? If you come clean, I won't breathe a word to the family about 'him' or you. Promise."
Hans stared at me, his expression growing ominous.
"...It seems there's a more 'effective' solution than what you've proposed, Third Young Master. Care to hear it?"
Hm. Somehow, I didn't want to.
Unfortunately, regardless of my thoughts, Hans snapped his fingers without waiting for an answer.
Then.
Thud, thud.
Guards entered the office. Not one or two, but enough to form a wall of men.
"Oh ho, is this the 'effective' method the manager mentioned?"
I dropped the polite speech.
"Eliminate the threat entirely. Can't get more 'effective' than that."
"Failure would have big repercussions, you know?"
"For the one running a casino, betting on high odds is second nature."
"Confident?"
"Your reputation precedes you, Third Young Master. Incompetent worm... Oops, sorry. A green kid like you? Our guards can 'handle' that easily. They're capable lads."
"Hm, impressive. A bet worthy of a casino manager."
"Too kind. It was short, but enjoyable. A bit troublesome now, though. Don't worry—'that one' will handle your 'processing.' Rest easy."
Hans turned his back to me as if I were no longer a living person and headed to his desk.
Thwack!
A dull sound came from behind Hans.
"Oops, gentlemen. Even a worthless worm is still direct lineage of the family ruling this land. Please 'process' him gently."
Flutter.
Hans requested a mild "processing" like strangulation from the guards. After all, this was the Third Young Master who'd pissed him off, even briefly. At least a beating before...
Splat!
"...?"
Hans grimaced at the red liquid splattering his documents right after speaking. Hadn't he just ordered a gentle handling seconds ago? Why was blood on his papers already?
As he frowned and turned to chew out the guards, his retinas caught a scene that was a little—no, very different from expected.
It was bloody, gruesome enough you couldn't look straight at it. That part was right.
But the target.
Wasn't the "worm to be processed," but the "processing" guards who were drenched in blood.
That made it a bit different.