༺ Warm Southern Territory (1) ༻
Over a hundred carriages gathered at the same resort was an impressive sight, but what was even more impressive was the fact that a single resort could accommodate all those carriages and still have room to spare. Now that was some serious planning. I now understood why they’d destroyed the Kraken’s habitat as soon as they’d found it.
‘The school trip’s destination will be Boyar from now on.’
Marghetta said that she thought that Boyar would probably continue to be the destination, but rather than a probability, it was a certainty.
Creating something this grand and then ending it as a one-time event would be impossible even for someone who’s just out to make money.
Either way, the place was certainly fancy. However, I wasn’t sure for how long I’d be able to stay here.
‘I wonder if life on the ship will be bearable.’
I had the mission of sending the baby Kraken to see his parents since living alone in this harsh world would be hard. And to complete that mission, a maritime game of that was inevitable. Until I caught it, I wouldn’t be able to set foot on land or the resort.
Still, I should subdue it if a Kraken was lurking near the resort. Neglecting it and having it emerge while the students were swimming at the beach would be disastrous.
“Oppa! Let’s go in!”
“Okay, I’m coming.”
Louise, who was walking along with the carriage members to the resort, waved at me since I was lagging behind. I had a room assigned to me, so I had to quickly unpack my things and go to the casino.
Heading to the casino right after arriving at the resort. Without the context, I probably looked like a total degenerate. Anyway, it was about time to deposit money into the Royal ATM, so I would have to play some games.
‘I really am a degenerate.’
The first thing I did after arriving at the resort was to gamble. How sad.
I had an individual room separate from the students. I don’t know when I’ll be able to use it, but it was quite spacious and luxurious for a single room.
“My room isn’t far away from yours, Carl. Just so you know.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
Marghetta told me where her room was while showing me my room. It’s a bit unsettling to imagine what she’s expecting by sharing this information, but I acknowledged it for now. I told her I’d come to visit when I had time, so she hopefully wouldn’t come to my room first.
The guards greeted me as I entered the casino after unpacking, as if they’d been waiting for me. If I was a bit late, it seems like they would’ve kidnapped me.
“Welcome. His Grace has been waiting for you.”
“Already? I’m late, then.”
“He’s been inside the casino since early morning because he had some business here, so please don’t worry.”
I wondered what business a Duke could have inside a casino, but I decided not to think about it.
Maybe he was depositing something into the ATM in exchange for securing construction projects from the Emperor. To deposit all that, he would need to work hard from morning.
With the guidance of a guard, I made my way through the casino and towards the VIP room. It was a chaotic mix of madness, excitement, and screams. I could never get used to the atmosphere here no matter how many times I visit.
“He’s inside. Please enjoy.”
“Thanks. Good job.”
As soon as we arrived, I received the impression that these guards had received thorough training since he left without even looking back. Considering that they were guards for a place where large sums of gold coins flowed in and out, it’s better if their training was impeccable.
Knock, knock.
“Your Grace, it’s the Prosecutor’s Executive Manager.”
“Are you here? Come in.”
I opened the door after the Gold Duke gave me his permission. Inside, there were three people seated, along with a dealer. The Gold Duke with graying hair was smoking a cigar, and the Boyar Duchy’s Head Magician fiddled with his cards, his staff laid aside.
‘Who is he?’
The last person was someone I hadn’t seen before. Judging by the atmosphere, he seemed to be involved with the Kraken’s extermination.
“Welcome. Please have a seat.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The dealer gave me some cards as soon as I sat down. Upon checking them, they were probably the worst possible cards.
“How much is the bet?”
“One great silver coin.”
“Understood.”
I was planning to deposit today, but I couldn’t help but grind my teeth at the greedy Gold Duke who took a great silver coin, which was worth 100 silver coins. Couldn’t we start small with one silver coin?
With a heavy heart, I laid 50 great silver coins on the table and immediately placed one as my bet. 50 great silver coins… It was the equivalent of 5 gold coins… Today’s bleeding was quite bad.
“Ah, now that I think about it. You haven’t formally met yet.”
After checking the great silver coins on the table which served as chips, the Gold Duke opened his mouth.
“He’s the 2nd fleet’s commander. But lately, he’s been busier than anyone.”
If he was the one who’d been wandering around with a team of magicians to find the location of the Kraken, then it made sense for him to be on this table. As I greeted him with a nod, the 2nd fleet’s commander responded with a smile.
“Since you’ll be working together for a while, you should get to know each other. People get to know each other by playing rounds of cards.”
“I see. Thank you for your consideration, Your Grace.”
In gambling, relationships normally tend to turn hostile as the game goes on. However, those that were present here weren’t here for the money. It seemed like we’d been summoned to discuss a strategy.
“The creature’s range of activity is expanding.”
While swiftly going through the game, the Gold Duke commented. An increase in the range of activity was bad news, especially for a creature that was already unpredictable.
“Moreover, the time it spends above the water has been decreasing. It seems like it’s learned how to endure underwater.”
“I’m surprised. Krakens usually can’t resist the urge to attack humans on sight.”
“It must have been a big shock for it. The problem was that we couldn’t finish it in one go.”
Marine creatures often waited for you to come to them, but the Kraken typically leaped above the surface and attacked ships and humans before disappearing. But such Kraken had learned to increase its range of movement and endure underwater?
‘How smart.”
It seemed as clever as the bear I’d seen inside the dungeon. Or was it a different creature? Maybe it was a creature with a similar name.
“Hitting the Kraken effectively was already a challenge, and it’s gotten even harder.”
I nodded in agreement. The Gold Duke’s magicians probably had enough firepower to take down a Kraken. The issue was spotting it. As the Gold Duke said, it wasn’t coming out of the water. Even if we managed to find it and coax it to the surface, there wouldn’t be enough time to deal damage because it quickly submerged itself again.
That’s why the Gold Duke entrusted me with the task of subduing the Kraken. It was because I could deliver a fatal blow to the Kraken in a short span of time. Of course, there were others as capable as me, but it turned out convenient since I was already on my way here.
“You have no idea how relieved I was to hear that you were coming. I’m glad to know that the citizens won’t get harmed.”
The Gold Duke chuckled while saying that. Although he might look like a benevolent lord, his ruthlessness when it came to business was unmatched. Was this his way of saying that he had enough of the chat and it was time for me to pay up and leave? What a bastard.
“The love and care Your Grace has for the citizens is truly admirable that I can almost feel how happy they are.”
I went all in with the remaining great silver coins with a smile. After all, the fact that the Gold Duke was doing this for the people wasn’t a lie.
However, it wasn’t because he cared for each individual but because of the losses incurred when a citizen dies and he had to give compensation money to the deceased’s family.
But it was true that only 1% of the lords thought about compensating the deceased’s family.
I lost all fifty gold coins in an instant and left the VIP room. All I got were terrible hands. Damn it, can’t I win just once?
‘Tomorrow lunch…’
They asked me to rest well and go to the port at lunch tomorrow since the Kraken’s extermination would start then. Woah, so I would at least get a day’s sleep at the resort.
As I was about to leave the casino with a strange feeling of fortune amidst misfortune, a familiar figure caught my eye.
‘What the hell is this?’
Although my head could recognize the figure, my heart couldn’t accept it. Was it okay for him to be here?
I carefully walked toward the striking white-haired man who was standing among the crowd gathered around the roulette table.
The closer I got, the more certain I was that it was him.
“Tannian.”
“Ah, brother?”
Why are you here?
“How unexpected. I didn’t think I’d see you here.”
“…”
Why are you saying what I wanted to say?
I might have teased him about whether a priest should be gambling if he were a normal priest, but he wasn’t just a priest. He was the next Saint, so I had to be careful with my words. A slight slip and I could end up offending the Holy Kingdom and get excommunicated.
But seriously, why are you here?
“Ah, rather than me, I’m sure brother’s more curious.”
Noticing my questioning gaze, Tannian replied with a smile. But did he really have to address me as ‘brother’ here? It feels a bit off inside a casino.
“Our God has told us not to turn our gaze away no matter how dark the place is. As a servant of God, I shouldn’t just choose comfortable places to hang around.”
Tannian said that while clasping his hands together. He truly looked like a Saint, except for the backdrop being a roulette.
“Even in places where all sorts of lust and desires converge, there’s the right to receive the teachings and mercy of God. There’s no place in this world that doesn’t deserve it.”
“I see.”
In short, casinos were places where people gathered. People had the right to follow Enen’s will, so there was no problem with him being here.
Well, if he said so, it was probably right… If I get too involved, I’ll just end up getting tired for no reason…
Suddenly, shouts and screams erupted from the roulette table. Both Tannian and I turned our gazes toward it.
“Ah, it didn’t work.”
“…”
I closed my eyes after hearing the disappointed words of Tannian.
This bastard wasn’t just watching; he’d also bet money.
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