Chapter 173: Poker Night

The festival was quite amazing. At first, I planned it just because I can't sleep and it was still bright. But then, everyone is enjoying the moment.

Some people are trying to take their minds off the deceased ones and their losses. Some are celebrating their victory.

Children are here just to enjoy the festival and grabbed the free foods in the stands. While adults who know more, decided to forget everything for now and enjoy the festival.

As for me, I'm wearing my clown costume tonight. Walking around the square and make everyone laugh.

Some people are causing problem, but I'm stronger than them. Then I told the guards to throw them to the prison.

Everyone loves entertainment. And seeing a talented clown in the crowd makes them happier. I played some tricks that I can do alone, pranked some people, and teaching easy card tricks to those who wants to learn it.

I can do it since I have much higher physical capabilities than most people, but I need to slow down to teach them those tricks. Everyone is interested in learning it.

And not just food stands, there are also stands for attractions where people can play for. It was quickly made thanks to the cooperation of all the earth mages. Everyone is enjoying the whole festival.

But in the end, the festival doesn't last long. Everyone is too tired to continue. So, we stopped it as soon as more people returned home and clean up the rest along with the guards.

The festival was quickly prepared, and it was also quickly ended. Although there are still some people in the square, since there are too few people left, we just told them the festival is over.

The girls are all returning to the hotel. They feel their fatigues returned after enjoying the festival. I think they will be oversleeping until late tomorrow. They deserved a good rest.

As for when we should tell people about the governor's involvement, the plan is for us to do it tomorrow, but I'll leave it to Shirley and the others. My role is just reading the script by using the governor's voice. Voice Acting is what Victoria called it.

The plan was to have a festival so I can get more tired and sleep well, but I'm still not sleepy after all this time. I guess I'm still too excited.

There are also no other people with HGB in their mouth attending the festival. I guess everyone is dead then.

Although the girls are all resting already, Victoria is still with me since she doesn't need sleep. There are three other people with us. Kron, Hill, and Oleg. And I'm still wearing my clown outfit.

"Hill. You're not guarding the prisoners?" I asked.

"No. It was so cruel of you to tie them up like that. I can't bear to look at them anymore so I let my people take shift in guarding. Instead of asking about the prisoner, how about you introduce us to this fine man over here?" Hill looked at Oleg.

Oleg is the only one here who still doesn't know what's happening yet. He just knew that the governor is responsible for the stampede.

"Right. I guess I'm the newcomer here. My name is Oleg. The captain of Melk city guards." Oleg introduced himself to Kron and Hill.

"Oh! What a surprise! We have the same position! I'm the captain of Mellian city guards. Nice to meet you. Are you single?"

"Whoa. What is it, Hill? You're planning to introduce him to some girls?" Kron asked Hill curiously.

Meanwhile, all four of us are looking at him like a strange creature.

"What is it?" Kron is confused to see all of us looking at him like this.

"Sometimes, it's nice to be naïve." I said.

"Well, dear Kron here might not be totally wrong." Hill said.

"Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I'm taken. I'm a happily married man to an amazing lady.

"Hmm… so you're married already, huh? What a shame." Hill pretended to be disappointed.

"Then why don't you find me some girls? I'd like that." Kron naively said.

Does he really never notice how Hill is actively approaching him? Hill has a saddened expression now. And it's real. Not a pretension.

"Maybe I will, Kron. Maybe I will…"

"Since you're the captain of the guards here, does that mean you know me?" This time, Kron asked Oleg.

"I know. You are quite popular among the people in this city after all." Oleg replied.

"I guess I don't need to introduce myself then."

"And I think I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Roy. And this is my slime, Victoria." I introduced myself and Victoria to Oleg.

"Are you the female version of the living armor?" Oleg asked Victoria.

"I am. And the male version is just me transforming myself into an armor being worn by Roy. Nice to meet you." Victoria said.

"Introduction is nice and all, but don't you all need some sleep?" I asked everyone here other than Victoria.

"I have rested as soon as the stampede is over. And I missed the festival because of that!" It was Kron who answered first.

"As for me, I'm used to stampede in Mellian. I'm confident with my stamina. You can ask the prisoners in Mellian about it." Hill proudly said that.

I won't ask anyone about his stamina ever! Is the face that I and Oleg made. As for Victoria, if she has the same body organ as human being, she will be drooling right now. And Kron…

"Whoa! Really?! You must be working really hard to punish those evildoers!"

"…yes! Yes, it was a punishment!" Hill doesn't want to destroy Kron's naivety.

"Kron… are you sure you're 33 years old? Not 13?" I asked.

"Why would I be thirteen years old? And I'm already 34 now. It's been months since last time I told you my age, you know?"

"Yeah, sure… what about you, Oleg? Why are you not home? Don't you have a wife?" I asked Oleg.

"She's having a sleepover with her sister. After she saw me doing fine, I told her that she needs to comfort her sister. My sister-in-law's husband died today after all. But I won't tell her that he's a traitor and I killed him myself."

"You mean he has an explosive inside his mouth?" I asked.

"Yeah. I killed him before I met you. And after you told me about the explosive, I checked inside his mouth and see that he has one. I don't think his wife has one as well, so I sent my wife to comfort her."

"Was she at the festival?" I asked.

"Hmm? Yeah, she was. Why?"

"Then she's really not related to them. At least directly. There's no one at the festival having an explosive device in their mouth. I guess all of them died."

"How did you know?"

"This guy has a see-through vision." Victoria answered instead of me.

"Oh… somehow, everything that happened today, doesn't make me surprised anymore."

…

Somehow, our conversation ended just like that. I'm thinking of talking about another topic, but Victoria come with a helping hand.

"Hey. Why not playing some card games since we're all bored?"

"Sure! I have a deck already in my pocket. What game should we play?"

Everyone agreed to play some cards. We suggested poker since it's what everyone knows.

"Then how about poker with different rules? By the way, Roy, during the duration of the game, you are prohibited to see through any cards in anyone's hand or the deck." Victoria suggested.

"Fine with me. It will be boring if I win easily anyway. What are the rules of the new poker game?" I asked.

"Well, it's called Hold 'em Poker. The rule is…"

Victoria explained about the rule. Instead of each player holding five cards, each of us will hold two cards and keep it until the round end. No change at all. Then the dealer will deal a card one by one on the table until five cards are drawn. With the combination of the cards in hand and in the table, the one with the higher hand win.

"So the chips are important in this game. This is a psychological battle. Interesting." I said.

"Exactly! And I'll be the dealer while you four will play. We'll play a round for a test. Then the real one begun after." Victoria said.

"Where will you find the chips? I don't think we can find one or make one quickly." Kron asked.

"Wait a minute."

Victoria left her seat and go behind the bar. She took a lot of boxes of matches.

"We will use matchsticks instead of chips. Let's start!"

Victoria gave each of us five boxes each. After we learnt the rule, it's time to test it.

Victoria drew two cards to each of us. I received a pair of twos.

The game started and none of us are folding or raised the bet even after Victoria put the fourth card on the table.

"Here's the last one!"

The last card she drew is a 2 of spades. I guess I can win with three of a kind.

"I raise." I put three matchsticks forward.

"I fold."

"Me too."

Kron and Hill both folded their cards.

"I raise."

Oleg choose to raise and bet ten more matchsticks.

I stopped to think for a while.

On the table, there are five cards. From the first one Victoria drew, it was a King of heart, 4 of spade, 5 of clubs, 3 of diamonds, and 2 of spades.

Maybe Oleg has an Ace or a 6 in his hand. Which gave him a straight hand. I guess I should fold.

"I fold."

I gave up. Oleg show us the card and he actually only has 9 of hearts and seven of hearts!

I should have won if I didn't fold!

"AARGH! I would have won! Dammit!"

"Hahaha! I guess I understand how this works. Let's play for real now."

Now everyone already understood how the game works, we played for real this time.