Everyone at this table is against me…
Her opponent was not just Terry; it was all five present in the game.
More than just making a hand using the shared cards, they were effectively sharing their hole cards, too. That was why she could not read into her opponents’ thoughts. They had no intention in the least of using any strategy or bluffing. Like a mob of monsters attacking an adventurer, they were trying to break her with the brute strength of numbers.
I didn’t notice it, but my anger clouded my vision…
Lyu was forced to admit she rushed in blindly due to her rage. If she were in her normal frame of mind, she would have noticed much faster. However, seeing the terrible treatment Anna was subjected to, on top of the arrogant way Terry and the others objectified the other girls, she had lost her cool and insight.
No, even if I had recognized it when I accepted the bet, it’s still likely I would have lost.
She cursed herself for making such an elementary mistake.
“It looks like you’ve lost quite a lot of your chips. Are you all right over there, Lord Maximilian?”
“…”
She belatedly started to watch her opponents’ movements for signals, but that would not be enough to make a connection. As Lyu maintained her silence, Terry spoke up, enjoying himself.
Anna staggered as he pulled her close with his meaty hand. She did not understand the game, but was on the verge of tears after recognizing that the person who had been so mad on her behalf was in a bad spot. Or perhaps it was because she thought Lyu’s involvement in the current situation was her fault.
“Now that I think about it, I haven’t said what I wanted when I win, have I?”
Snaking his arm around Anna’s waist and stomach, the dwarf spoke up.
“In the event I win, I think I’ll ask you to let me borrow your partner over there—that lovely wife of yours—for a little while.”
Lyu, who had kept a calm composure, finally snapped as he fanned the flames of her rage.
“I’m jealous you were blessed with such a lovely young bride. It’s not fair. I want to enjoy a taste, too, I think. A date with drinks over dinner…just the two of us, you know?”
Terry leered at Syr. As she silently glanced back at him, he gave her a vulgar grin.
I see. This is the baptism.
New members brought back to the VIP room, particularly ones who did not conform or tried to oppose Terry, were soon blackmailed into this game. Using the debt they just incurred, they were forced to accept his demands. Even if their intimate partner was what he requested.
New members were eaten alive. What Mord had said earlier finally became clear. With that understanding, an incontrollable fury was born.
“Impertinent people, those blinded by greed…and those moved by a sense of justice like you…I chew them all up and spit everything out.”
—Should I start now?
Even if she had been railroaded into it, it went against her pride to abandon a game—a match—halfway through. But that paled in comparison to the irrepressible hatred welling up now.
She could not forgive this man motivated by carnal desire, and his accomplices angling for the chance to share in his profits disgusted her. In response to the elf bristling with deadly resolve, the fence of bodyguards readied themselves. Ignoring her concerns and the risks, Lyu was about to start a brawl.
“Dear.”
However, the one next to her reached out her hand and placed it on Lyu’s shoulder. Exhaling, she stopped and looked to her side. Syr smiled, as if she had read what Lyu was planning. She took her time shifting her gaze to Terry and the guests.
“Everyone, it seems my husband is a bit tired. That being the case, do you think you could let me play in his stead?”
Even Lyu was shocked at that proposal.
“Syr—”
“Dear, please. I want to decide my fate with my own hand…I don’t want to have it be your fault that I have to commit to something. Mr. Cervantes, in the event I lose, then I’ll obey your request. So please don’t do anything to my husband.”
“Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…a husband and wife’s love is a truly beautiful thing, isn’t it? Yes, I promise, madam.”
Lyu was unconsciously leaning forward, only held back by Syr’s pleading gaze and words. How did this exchange look to everyone else? An admirable young bride’s devotion, or perhaps sacrificing herself in order to protect her husband?
However, she knew it was neither. Syr’s exaggerated performance as the countess brought Lyu back to her senses. Constructing a delicate smile with perfect technique that she used to subdue her colleagues at the tavern, the girl stood up.
“Mr. Cervantes, do you think you could listen to one more request?”
“What’s that?”
“I’d like to see the person to whom I owe my life. If you could call him into the room?”
A look of disbelief crossed Lyu’s face. She can’t mean…
“The truth is, the person who saved my husband and myself from danger was a certain adventurer who happens to be here tonight…”
“…”
“My husband and I had planned to have dinner together, then grant him a reward tonight. However, in the event I am having drinks with you, I won’t be able to do that. So…I wanted to properly say good-bye.”
As Syr spun a web of nonsense, Lyu contained her urge to look at her in shock, determined to keep quiet and leave this to her. Terry’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as the count and countess put up a brave front—or at least pretending to.
“It’s fine, of course. I’ll grant special permission for him to enter the VIP room.”
“Thank you very much.”
After hearing a description of the adventurer, one of the guards left the room.
A short while passed before the white-haired boy was brought in, a look of utter confusion on his face.
“That white hair…without a doubt, it’s the Little Rookie.”
“Bell Cranell? The one from the War Game the other day?”
As expected, Lyu thought as the other guests whispered.
Confused by the atmosphere of the VIP room, Bell swung his head back and forth without rest, as if he had wandered into a foreign world. Why had he been called out? What was Syr thinking? Lyu had no clue.
However, she trusted Syr.
After all, she was so cunning that her colleagues in the bar called her a witch, and she was able to see two moves ahead of a former adventurer like Lyu; she was even acknowledged by deities. Her true essence was determination.
“I’m very sorry, Mr. Cranell. Unfortunately, I have an appointment after this. Please allow me to cancel the meal we had planned.”
“Eh…uh…ummm?”
Bell became increasingly confused. He had been brought to the table without a clue of what was happening, and once he finally reached Syr, she greeted him with a reference to a conversation he did not remember having.
Bell looked around the shadowy VIP room: Terry and the other guests laughing derisively, the imposing bodyguards, Lyu surrounded by them at the table, and countless beautiful women in gowns.
His jaw stiffened, and his gaze returned to Syr, who stood in front of him.
“S-Syr?”
“Please call me Sirène here, Mr. Cranell.”
As she whispered and shifted a little closer, a playful smirk flashed across her face for a split second.
“M-Miss Sirène…are you…busy with something?”
In response to his question, she smiled and put her finger in front of her lips.
“A no-good game.”
“…”
“Is that okay with you, Mr. Cranell? This VIP room is a place that even members of Ganesha Familia may not enter…so no one can come in. Even if something happens, no one can come in here, not even someone as gallant as you.”
Bell’s eyes went wide as Syr seemingly whispered a warning to him. Everyone in the saloon
leaned in to hear their conversation, while Lyu intently observed the state of affairs.
Finally, Syr earnestly said, “I was really glad to be able to see you…Let’s meet again if chance allows.”
“Miss Sir…ène…”
“Finally, would it be okay to shake your hand?”
At her teary-eyed entreaty, he timidly clasped his hand around hers. As if to accept his warmth, Syr grasped his hand tightly.
“Thank you…and farewell.”
Rubbing her eyes, she turned away. Bell was led out of the room with bodyguards on either side of him.
“What’s this? Your wife is a woman of affairs, isn’t she, Lord Maximilian?”
“…”
Lyu did not respond to Terry, who had watched the sorrowful performance from start to finish with a smirk. It was natural her behavior would look like love, since she had indeed given her heart to the boy, though Lyu could not say that.
“Have you finished with your good-byes?”
“Yes.”
Returning to the table, Syr nodded in response to Terry as she sat down. Seeing a resolute look on her face after she wiped her eyes, Terry asked, “Then, I think we should start…Incidentally, do you know the rules of poker, madam?”
“Yes, at the shop…I was invited on occasion by some mischievous maids, and I enjoyed myself without telling the master.”
As Syr promptly corrected herself, Lyu donned a complicated expression. When she mentioned “people from the shop,” she most likely meant Ahnya and Chloe. If they were here, there was no doubt that the pair would object to being turned into maids in her story and loudly complain.
And the master she mentioned was not Lyu, but Mia. It was the tavern staff that had been secretly playing behind the owner’s back, and they had invited Syr to join.
“It’s a little embarrassing, but I’m not very familiar with the more exotic kinds of poker…Would draw poker be okay with you?”
Draw poker was a game where each player was dealt five cards with which to make a hand, and they were allowed to exchange cards once. Among all the different kinds of poker games, it was the most fundamental. The rules of the original bet and each person’s stack of chips would not change, so Syr inherited the shrunken stack that Lyu had left. With no sign of any objections, her request was accepted.
“Also, one more thing.”
Clasping her hands together in front of her chest, Syr added one more request.
“Anyone who folds must pay twice the ante. How does that sound?”
Syr smiled, implying it was a rule she learned from the maids with whom she often played. It could be thought of as a forced bet…However, Terry and the other players were confused at the complete reversal from her previous meek behavior.
“Well…that’s fine.”
Puzzled, they glanced at each other, accepting the request in the end.
Things got a little bit weird, but that didn’t matter.
Glancing aside as the dealer dealt the cards, Terry fixed his gaze directly in front of him, across the table.
The player was Syr, while Lyu was standing behind her. Staying constantly vigilant against anyone who might try to peek at the girl’s cards, she moved closer like a protective man-at-arms. The mysterious elf with the eye patch glanced at Terry.
You haughty elf bastard…I knew at first sight that I couldn’t stomach you. Trying to act the honorable knight, sacrificing himself to save some princess…
Terry shifted his gaze from Lyu to Syr, his sadistic streak instantly rearing its head.
I’ll steal your partner and ruin that cute little face of hers.
The countess is a beauty in a different way than Anna. She may have an unsophisticated face and light makeup, but those breasts are surprisingly ripe, plus her arms and legs look luscious. I haven’t had a chance to play with Anna yet, so it’ll be fun to sample them together.
As rumored, he had performed this baptism in the VIP room countless times. Those foolish enough to oppose him were forced into servitude by the weight of crushing debt while he stole the countless women and items that he had coerced players into wagering as collateral in the game.
Naturally arrogant and disrespectful toward people of wealth and prestige, it would only be natural for Terry to be surrounded by enemies. But instead, he used the carrot and stick to control the people around him. He had no mercy for those who opposed him, while those who pledged allegiance received excellent treatment.
The guests who joined the baptism also profited. They reached out a hand of kindness to the new member grieving in defeat. Having someone powerful enough to be invited to the VIP room owe them a favor was valuable, and having experienced it themselves, they could more convincingly win over the new recruit. This web of profitable relationships increased the lackeys he could call on, solidifying Terry’s position as the unassailable absolute authority in the Grand Casino.
Terry believed without a doubt that he was the king of this gambling paradise—perhaps even all of Orario.
The Guild can’t interfere with us. And even if someone tries to come at me with force, I have Faust and the others to take care of it.
The human and catman bodyguards were positioned behind him. He had paid a large sum of money to hire men who were strong, and these two had made a name for themselves with their abilities. These warriors would make even upper-class adventurers shudder. When people would not bend no matter how much he threatened and blackmailed, those two would bury them quietly.
More importantly, they would instantly see through any tricks Lyu or Syr might try in this game. With all the other guests working as accomplices, Terry’s victory was assured.
Bastard, I’ll have you groveling at my feet!
Finally, the dealer finished his task and gathered the ante put in by all the players.
As Terry and his four co-conspirators secretly grinned in anticipation, the game began.
—Immediately after that.
“Wow! Look at this, dear!”
Syr called excitedly as her blue-gray updo bounced.
“Look, four of the same card! That’s four of a kind!”
Terry, the guests, and the on looking bodyguards, waiters, and even Anna and the other mistresses were all stunned as the countess held up her cards, admiring them while she celebrated.
Lyu was stunned, too.
Standing stock-still as she gazed in wonder, she looked down at the cards Syr was holding up.
“…So it is.”
Not at all clear of what was going on, Lyu immediately readjusted her expression and gave a curt reply.
“Hooray!” Syr was still celebrating like an innocent child.
She had very clearly said the phrase “four of a kind.” She had grandly told the table her hand. Terry and the other players were frozen for a few moments before starting to laugh.
It was clearly a bluff.
Total child’s play. Pretending to be an aristocrat who doesn’t know the ways of the world…a novice who doesn’t know the rules of the game.
For the most part, it was clear she would try this kind of bluff. Trying to add pressure with a rule like “anyone who folds must pay twice the ante” was just shallow thinking. In the first place, getting four of a kind without changing any cards was obviously not going to happen.
You think I’ll fall for that? Terry mocked her in his heart as he secretly signaled with his gaze. Catching the guests’ eyes, they exchanged glances. After that, the elderly gentleman animal person waited a second before calling over a waitress.
“Ah, you there. A thirty-year-old Altena wine, please.”
Altena wine, thirty years—meaning his hand was a full house with a high-value three of a kind. This round was the old man’s win for sure. Using the signals they had decided on, Terry and the other guest pretended to fall for Syr’s bluff. The remaining people were just Syr and the animal person.
“It seems it’s become a one-on-one fight
with this wizened man…what shall we do, madam?”
“Well then, I’ll raise.”
“Ho-ho-ho! You seem awfully confident there.” The old gentleman’s lips curved up. He hesitated for a moment, as if thinking about whether to fold before his eyes narrowed. “Very well, then, I shall raise also.”
“Raise.” Without waiting to exchange cards, Syr pushed out more chips.
“…?!”
She raised again, no trace of uncertainty in her smile. The smiling animal person, Terry, and the other guests stopped moving.
Could it possibly be…? The thought clearly showed in the old man’s face before he convinced himself again that it was merely a bluff. His pride wouldn’t let him be run in circles by a little girl’s strategy.
“Ha, ha-ha-ha…Very well, then let’s have the cards decide.”
Anger seeping into his smile, the old animal person matched the number of chips Syr had wagered. Lyu stood by, watching quietly as the hands were shown. The old gentleman had a full house.
Against that, Syr had—
“Four of a kind.”
Just as she had claimed, she laid down four queens.
“?!”
Her opponents were dumbstruck, seeing a hand that beat the animal person’s full house.
“This…T-touché…”
The chips in the pot were pushed over to Syr. The old gentleman gave a smile for appearances while he felt his face burn in humiliation. However, the anger was soon replaced by another emotion.
“This is amazing, dear! Look, they’re all the same suit this time!”
“…!”
Again?!
As Syr started talking about her next hand, the guests’ faces changed color.
They were enraged, thinking, As if that could happen a second time! But also doubtful: Just maybe…They were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Pushed into silence, Terry adopted a wait-and-see approach, folding while he watched the other players exchange signs so that the strongest hand would face off against her.
“Ah, it’s my win again.”
“…!!”
However, it went exactly as she said, and Syr’s flush collected all the chips. At that point, the guests’ hearts lurched. This girl’s luck was strong. They were starting to consider maybe they were being cheated.
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Chronicle: Episode Lyu Page 7
