CH 182

The next day.

It is a rare case where we decided to move separately here.

“I want to take this opportunity to arrange the things around me.” (Mitsuki)

Mitsuki said such a dangerous thing and headed to the dojo early in the morning.

Next is Maki.

“Hnn, I will get scolded by Father if I go back like this so…ah, right!” (Maki)

She was monologuing that and then grabbed Ringo for some reason.

“…N-No. Souma and I have—” (Ringo)

“Now then, let’s go back!” (Maki)

She grabbed Ringo just like that and left for the castle.

I saw off Ringo who was being dragged away and Sazan spoke to me in wonder.

“Is it okay to leave that be?” (Sazan)

“It is okay… It would be better for Ringo to create more acquaintances.” (Souma)

—Because I am going to be leaving soon after all.

I swallowed my internal whisper, but even with that, I continued watching the path where Ringo was taken away, and Sazan mumbled something from behind.

“If you are going to make a face like that, you should stay here forever…” (Sazan)

“Sazan?” (Souma)

I looked back in wonder and Sazan shook his head in a bad mood.

“It is nothing…The only ones left to move out are us.” (Sazan)

Two remaining. Leila and Ina will be staying at the mansion, and Ina will be helping out Leila as she learns how to cook.

Actually, Ina seemed like she wanted to come with us, but when she heard about the details of the trials: ‘Wuuh, Mother told me that gambling is the one thing I shouldn’t do’. And so, she withdrew from participating.

Those two have currently come all the way to the entrance of the residence to see us off.

They must have felt we will be leaving now, Ina came over.

“Ah, you two are going? Do your best, okay?!” (Ina)

That worryless energetic voice made me feel cheerful too.

That brightness must have brought a miracle, an unbelievable thing happened.

“…Do your best too.” (Sazan)

That Sazan of all people responded with words of encouragement.

He must have been embarrassed saying that straight to her face, he lowered his gaze down a bit, but this could be considered a big growth.

“S-Sazan-san?” (Ina)

Ina probably didn’t expect Sazan to respond like that, her mouth was wide open.

Sazan must be getting shy here, he spoke with a curt attitude.

“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t like getting all chummy with others, and I don’t think of you as a comrade.

I simply understand the feeling of the needy ones.” (Sazan)

“I-I see. Thank you?” (Ina)

He was acting all condescending here all naturally, but maybe he was deeply impressed by Ina doing her best trying to learn house chores.

I don’t really get it, but I feel like 2 loners getting along is a good thing.

By the way, Sazan was opening up his heart to Ina a bit…

“S-Souma, are you really going? G-Gambling is dangerous, you know?” (Leila)

But was completely ignoring Leila who was at the side.

Not only that, he was glaring at Leila, who was clinging onto my arm as if pushing her chest on me.

“Y-You see, if you want to, Souma, I can earn your share too with everything I have! That’s why you can just stay in the house forever at my side…” (Leila)

Well, Leila doesn’t see anyone aside from me, so you could say that goes both ways.

Anyways, I only have a bad feeling about staying here.

I decided to wrap this up at once and depart.

“Well then, protect this place while we are out, okay? I am sorry, but you are the only one I can rely on, Leila! I can count on you, right?” (Souma)

“I-I am the only one you can rely on… O-Okay, I will do my best!” (Leila)

Leila showed motivation while tightening her fist in front of her chest and…

“S-Souma-san?! I will also…I will also be staying at home, you know?!” (Ina)

I turned my back to Ina, who doesn’t look too reliable, and we exited the residence.

“Good grief, why do I have to go with just you…” (Sazan)

Sazan was muttering complaints, but it seems like he intends to follow.

I once again explain the details of the trials that I left vague yesterday to Sazan who is following from behind somewhat obediently.

“The trials are: Odds and Evens, Poker, and Horse Racing.

Putting it super simply, you have to win big in those 3 and you get a medal.” (Souma)

The ingenious part of Morrigan Sprite is the fact that the condition to obtain the medal is something like ‘once you have obtained more than a certain amount in one go at horse racing’.

With this condition, you won’t be able to obtain the medal by winning little by little, and most of all, no matter if it is a small sum, you still have a chance of getting the medal by winning big.

If you put a hand on this with light feelings, it isn’t hard to imagine this has created many mages who wouldn’t stop betting even when low in cash.

This is what I thought when watching the guild event in the game days, but the mages in this world are obstinate and hate losing.

Even if they look down on gambling normally, the moment they put a hand on it once, it is the end. You could even say they have a lot of traits that would drop them into the downward spiral.

This is in the end lore created by Nekomimi Neko.

It is not like I thought too deeply about it, but I really think Morrigan pulled a sly move there.

“I see. Wait, it really has nothing to do with magic!” (Sazan)

When I explained the system around it, Sazan visibly exploded.

But I think he is definitely the type that would destroy himself in gambling.

The type that doesn’t know when to stop.

Even so, it is true that I tried to deceive him, so I apologize to him.

“My bad. I wanted you to help out no matter what.” (Souma)

“…Fine.” (Sazan)

Sazan accepted my apology unexpectedly easily.

“If it is such a difficult trial, it would obviously take time. Then…” (Sazan)

He was about to say something but stopped midway.

He then asked me a question flustered as if playing it off.

“M-More importantly, where are we going first?” (Sazan)

“Right. Let’s go with the more proper one first: Odds and Evens.

Ah, stop there for a bit.” (Souma)

“Hm?” (Sazan)

Sazan stopped his feet and tilted his head, so I quickly wrapped the rope around him.

“Heh?” (Sazan)

Sazan was tied up and let out a silly voice, so I spoiled him a bit here.

“Actually, we are going to be doing the odds and evens at that…north horse racing stadium.” (Souma)

The north horse racing stadium is the last place the poor people go to.

Because what the challengers bet there is not money.

—The chips of the game are…people.

Yourself, your family, or the safety of your lover.

You make people themselves as chips and go for a big bet.

That’s the north horse racing stadium.

“C-Could it be…” (Sazan)

Sazan began trembling, but it could be.

To be blunt, there’s no need for dark magic affinity in order to obtain the medals.

Bringing Sazan even with that is honestly for the sake of moments like this.

I tapped the shoulder of Sazan whose lips had turned pale, and I smiled in as much of a refreshing way as possible.

“Well, don’t worry. Odds and evens is the same as an omikuji. Just continue drawing wins.” (Souma)

“Noooooooo!! I definitely don’t wannaaaaaa!!” (Sazan)

He wailed a whole ton, but the trial itself ended in just a few minutes.

“I-Impossible! Pinzolo** 20 times in a row?! <When all dices roll 1.>

Impossible! There’s no way 1 would show up when the dices have been weighed a whole ton!

Brat! You must have cheated!!”

This pot is calling the kettle black while I somehow managed to suppress the hoodlums that surrounded us without killing them.

I stuffed the medal and the wins in the bag, carried the tied-up Sazan under my arm, and quickly left the gambling den.

It is kinda late to explain now that it is over, but Odds and Evens is a game where you throw dice, and you have to guess whether the total number will be Odd or Even.

Normally, there will be rules for how to throw the dice or bet, but we are in Nekomimi Neko.

The developers must not have knowledge in that regard either, they were pretty half-baked in that front.

Anyways, I bet 20 times in a row that it would be even, and won 20 times in a row.

I got the medals and the prize money, and now we are here.

I undo the ropes of Sazan after moving a certain distance away, and he groaned with a ‘wuuuh’ and glared at me.

“T-That was scary! I was really scared, you know?!” (Sazan)

“Aaah, yeah yeah. But I won. I told you not to worry, right?” (Souma)

“As if I can not worry! Or more like, what in the world did you do?!” (Sazan)

“What I did, you ask… I told you it is the same as the omikuji. Those dice are set with the same RNG as the omikuji.” (Souma)

The RNG of the omikuji is RNG that won’t change with anything aside from an omikuji.

The RNG is fixed because of the Worst Fortune omikuji, so only 1 will show up on the dice no matter what you do.

With this, two 1’s will always be even, so there’s no way you can lose if you just call even.

There was no chance of losing in this trial from the very beginning.

“B-But if you lost by some sort of miscalculation, what would have happened to me…?” (Sazan)

“I wouldn’t abandon you in a situation like that. I would have kidnapped you and ran away.

See, it turned into a battle, but I managed to get out, right?” (Souma)

“U-Uguh…” (Sazan)

His complaints must have run out, Sazan began to groan again.

Leaving aside if it is safe or not, thinking about it normally, I am completely in the wrong for betting Sazan, but he probably hasn’t thought of that because his mind is in disarray.

This has nothing to do with the matter, but because of the RNG of Odds and Evens being the same as the omikuji, the dice numbers don’t change no matter what, so you can win as many times as you want if you utilize Save and Load.

You would think that’s soft for Nekomimi Neko, but winning easily is a trap in itself.

If you win too much, the scary dudes will attack you like just now, so you will suffer if you just came to the capital and wanted to earn some easy buck.

It really is a nasty game.

“Damn it, got it. And so, where’s the next—ah!” (Sazan)

Sazan was about to ask this and covered his body as if feeling danger coming.

His eyes are completely like those of someone looking at a kidnapper.

Looks like he is pretty on guard here from the incident just now.

“It is not like I will gamble with your body over and over.” (Souma)

“D-Don’t put it in such a weird manner!” (Sazan)

I deal with Sazan who is waving his hands around, and then I put on a serious expression.

The next stage of the battle isn’t a place where you should go with half-baked feelings.

“Listen here, Sazan, we are heading to the casino next.” (Souma)

“Casino… Poker, huh.” (Sazan)

“That’s right. But this is not regular poker.” (Souma)

Many Nekomimi Neko players have challenged that casino without being able to do anything about it.

The poker we are going to be facing now has made Nekomimi Neko players suffer for many years, and there’s still no certain method to win it. An unlawful gamble.

“The worst scam poker where the pay definitely doesn’t match when the bet is increased!!” (Souma)