* * *
Golden Bell suggested offering wine or champagne to everyone in the VIP room of the gambling hall.
It was usually a celebratory event, done when someone had a big win and felt good.
“Yes, that’s correct,” Zen said with a nod.
He then subtly gestured with his eyes toward the people who had just entered the room behind Naisen.
“They are a couple who lead a large trading company. They recently returned from traveling abroad and arrived in the southern region this week.”
Naisen turned his head to look at them.
A man and a woman, carrying large bags, were being escorted by the staff into the gambling hall.
“Rumor has it that they’ve lost enough gold coins in the gambling hall to fill at least three crates of apples.”
“Really?” Naisen asked.
Zen’s voice lowered as he leaned in with more information.
“They’re known for spending big and living large. In fact, Erald was able to ring the Golden Bell twice thanks to a huge win from competing against them.”
Naisen smirked slightly at this.
“Erald was never that skilled, but to think he could win enough to ring the Golden Bell? That means the stakes must have been massive.”
In that case…
“I suppose I should join them at the table.”
Zen, who had been playing against Naisen, rang the bell to call a security officer.
After a brief exchange, arrangements were made for Naisen to sit at the same table as the trading company couple.
“Hello,” the couple greeted warmly.
Naisen gave a slight nod in response. “Hello.”
As they exchanged greetings, Naisen sized up the couple.
Their clothing, fitted perfectly to their bodies, had a silky sheen, as if blended with fine silk.
The woman wore a large, stunning emerald necklace around her neck.
The deep, clear green of the gemstone shone brilliantly, catching the eye.
Her earrings dangled and swayed with every tilt of her head, the ends adorned with blue diamonds.
As the soft lighting of the VIP room interacted with the gems, a mesmerizing array of colors shimmered, drawing attention.
Her hands were covered in rings, with multiple slender bands adorning each finger.
The man pulled out a pocket watch to check the time, and even the numbers on the watch’s face were encrusted with diamonds.
“They truly seem like they have more money than they know what to do with,” Naisen thought, gazing at them with a warm smile.
The woman, who was linked arm-in-arm with the man, seemed to marvel at everything around her, clearly enjoying herself.
“I hope this isn’t too personal, but are you two married?” Naisen asked.
The man tucked his watch back into his coat and responded, “Haha, yes. I run a small trading company, and since we often travel across the seas, whenever we have some free time, we enjoy a bit of leisure together.”
“A small trading company, you say?” Naisen thought. From what he could see, they had more than enough wealth.
“You two seem very close. It’s nice to see,” Naisen remarked.
“Haha, thank you. My wife has had to endure a lot because of me, so I try to make it up to her by taking her along whenever I get a chance.”
“I see,” Naisen replied, glancing down at the bag placed under the man’s legs.
The soft leather surface bulged with its contents.
“Could that be filled with gold coins?” he wondered.
They had already exchanged a considerable amount of gold coins for chips.
The couple placed the basket of chips they had exchanged on the table, and it was quite a large amount.
Zen, noticing the moment, smiled lightly and introduced himself. “Greetings, I’m Zen from the Lucky Flower Shop. It’s a pleasure to meet you both today.”
As he placed the cards on the table, Zen asked, “How would you like to play? If you haven’t decided yet, we can flip a coin to determine the game.”
“I’d prefer something simple,” the woman said casually, her attention still focused on Zen.
Zen chuckled softly.
“In that case, I’d recommend the ‘Draw the Highest Number’ game.”
“Oh, I know that one! We played it yesterday!” the woman exclaimed.
“Does that sound good to everyone else?” Zen asked. “If you all agree, we can proceed with that game. If not, we can choose another, or I can flip a coin to help decide.”
The “Draw the Highest Number” game involved cards numbered from 1 to 21.
Each player starts by receiving five cards.
Afterward, players can decide whether to take more cards.
If they choose to draw, they receive two additional cards but must discard one.
The player with the highest-numbered card wins. It’s a relatively simple game.
Players also had to place chips whenever they drew more cards.
Out of the 100 cards in the deck, only one card was numbered 21, while the rest were duplicates of numbers between 1 and 20.
“Let’s start slow and see how it goes,” Naisen thought, nodding his head after a brief moment of reflection.
“I’m fine with that,” he said.
“Let’s go with that, then,” the man agreed, and Zen began shuffling the cards.
“Alright, here are the rules for the ‘Draw the Highest Number’ game. First, I’ll deal five cards to each of you. After you’ve looked at your cards, if you don’t want to participate, simply place your cards face down. If you do wish to participate, I’ll deal two additional cards to each player, and we’ll continue from there.”
Zen briefly explained the game’s rules as he shuffled the deck, showing his empty hands.
Naisen sipped his wine, surveying the atmosphere.
He still had plenty of money left from the Duke, so he could take his time and play leisurely.
As the game progressed, a smile never left Naisen’s face. He played against the couple, who worked as a team.
Their skills weren’t even worth discussing.
They seemed to be playing cards with little thought, treating the game as casual entertainment, casually placing chips down as they drew cards.
Naisen sipped his tea, glancing occasionally at the couple.
“They’re not playing to win or make money. They’re just here to kill time,” Naisen mused.
The husband showed no real interest in the game.
Every time he received a high-numbered card, he couldn’t contain his excitement, clenching his fist and trying to suppress a smile.
His facial expressions were so transparent that Naisen could tell what card he had just by looking at him.
Most of the actual gameplay was done by the wife, but she lacked any real sense of timing.
She didn’t know when to hold back or withdraw, constantly placing chips and drawing cards.
Sometimes, she even discarded high-numbered cards by mistake.
“At this rate, they’ll lose everything,” Naisen thought with an inward chuckle.
After winning six out of eight games, Naisen finally relaxed, leaning back in his chair as he sipped his tea.
His pile of chips had grown considerably from defeating the couple.
If he cashed them in, he could recover all the gold coins he had lost over the past few days and then some.
“Today really is my lucky day,” Naisen thought.
“I’ll take one more card!” the wife chirped cheerfully.
Naisen suppressed a laugh.
He already had the card numbered 21 in his hand, so no matter how many cards she drew, she couldn’t beat him.
Though she understood the rules, she seemed to care more about drawing cards than actually winning, enjoying the thrill of placing chips down.
Naisen accepted the cards Zen dealt him and whistled softly in his head.
“Victory is mine again.”
And when he won the tenth game, Naisen rang the Golden Bell.
“The anonymous game participant, today’s victor, has announced that they will be gifting wine and fruit to everyone in the VIP hall. Congratulations to the anonymous winner for their great triumph, and may luck and happiness accompany all of you present here today!”
The clear sound of a bell echoed through the high-ceilinged and spacious hall as Zen’s voice filled the room.
Even though the winner was anonymous, everyone knew who had gifted the hall when Zen rang the bell on his table to deliver the congratulatory message.
As applause rang out and envious gazes focused on the one who rang the golden bell, Nathan felt his chest and shoulders swell with pride.
As he gathered the basket filled with chips he had won that day, Nathan gave a wide smile.
Early the next morning, a report was filed with the security squad of District 1 in the southern region.
The report said that a strange man in an unsightly outfit had collapsed in front of the famed ‘Herins Fountain,’ the pride of District 1.
“Hmph!” The head of the southern security squad scoffed and spun around.
“What? A report came in that some scoundrel is lying naked in front of the fountain first thing in the morning?”
And in front of the Herins Fountain, of all places?!
* * *
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Realmente me rio
Thanks
Thanks
Thanks for the chapter.
I wonder who’s that nude lover was hehe…
?
Thank you for the chapter
thanks
Naisen perhaps?😂
Lmaooooo
Thanks