Chapter 57: Casino

Chapter 57: Casino With the arrival of the merchant caravan, the streets of the city were bustling with life. In the main square, colorful tents filled the space, where families strolled with their children, looking at products that could not be found in the Kiran mountains. "Did you hear the news? The casino has opened its doors! This is my chance to double my salary... or even more." "But... didn’t they say it was opening tomorrow? Why did they open today all of a sudden? Something smells fishy... Do you think there’s something behind this?" "Bah! Who cares? The important thing is that it’s open. I’ll finally be able to get rich and buy that noble title I want so much!" All kinds of conversations reached Kael’s ears: from children begging their parents to elderly people haggling with the vendors who had arrived in the caravan. As he walked, he examined the various products. At that moment, something caught his eye: "Zu for sale! They’re rare and exquisite, and you can only find them at my stall in the entire Northern Frontier. I have Moonfire Zu, Ice Sword Zu, and much more." Most of the people passing by were commoners who had no idea what the Zu were, as their education was not very advanced. The others were merchants or knights who used aura and were heading to the corresponding shops. Kael, who was accompanied by Lydia, crouched down in front of the stall where the different Zu were covered by a kind of tubes made of goatskin. "How much is that, Zu?" He pointed to the Moonfire Zu, which was the most visible and had been mentioned by the seller. The seller was an old man in ragged clothes with a tired look and an unkempt beard. He looked more like a bandit than a salesman. "Oh! So you’re interested in Moonfire Zu. It’s rank 9, and it can create a sword with a range of 10 meters. I also have the rank 8 formula, and I can sell them all to you for only 20 mana stones." Kael looked directly into the seller’s eyes. Everything seemed too cheap to him, especially the formula since they weren’t very marketable. With them, you could improve your Zu, which was equivalent to improving your strength. And this old man was selling it for only 20 mana stones? Maybe he needed money or was just stupid. But that had nothing to do with him. "I’ll take it, but I know that formula is real. So I can only give you 10 mana, since I’m taking a risk with that formula," said Kael. "Boy, are you distrusting this old man?" The seller felt offended. Kael simply remained silent. "Fine! I’ll give it to you for 10 mana stones. But remember, there’s no refund." The seller, an old man, took the Zu, which was shaped like a bright orange crescent with scarlet flashes. Then he took out a piece of goatskin on which the rank 8 formula was written. Kael took the two items, and as he held them in his hands, a notification window popped up. Ding! [You have obtained: Moonfire Zu] [You have obtained: Rank 8 Formula "Lotus Moonfire Zu"] Seeing the notification windows, Kael verified that the products were real. Although he knew he could never completely trust what the system said, it was necessary to verify his purchases. Without further ado, he paid the old man the ten mana stones, leaving him with only 35 mana stones to spend. But he had already thought of a way to increase his mana stones. After buying, he continued on his way, heading straight for his destination, which was the casino. Upon arriving, the atmosphere was very different from that of the main square. There were no families to be seen here; most of the people were men, either commoners or nobles, who were desperate to get inside. The casino stood out with its peculiar shape, a colossal wooden throne whose branches stretched toward the sky, casting shadows on the cobblestone street. Each leaf moved slowly in the wind. Kael entered the building. Inside, he could see many women dressed provocatively with trays in their hands carrying alcoholic beverages. "Ten black! Come on, again, luck, don’t leave me!" "An ace! It has to be the ace of hearts, come on!" "How much are you betting this time? Or are you going to hold back?" "All on red. This time it won’t fail, I can feel it in my bones." "Unbelievable! I won with a measly pair of twos!" "Today is not my day... I’ve been losing for three hours, and I’ve lost all hope." The atmosphere is a mixture of euphoria and tension, where every word could be a cry of victory or a sigh of defeat. Phrases are repeated like a ritual: "So close...", "This time for sure", "One last bet". Kael sat silently at one of the tables set up for counting cards. Around him, the red velvet seats filled up one by one, occupied by men with tense faces, bitten nails, and looks that oscillated between greed and fear. The dealer, dressed in an immaculate black uniform, began shuffling the deck with fluid, almost hypnotic movements. His expression was impassive, as if he were an extension of the table itself. "Welcome, gentlemen. You will be playing Blackjack. Bet wisely." The mana stones began to slide across the table. Some bet everything they had; others, just a token of confidence. Kael placed a single mana stone in front of him. He didn’t say a word. The dealer dealt the cards with precision. Kael received a 7 of clubs and a 5 of diamonds. Total: twelve. The man on his right asked for a card. He passed. He cursed under his breath. The next player stood. One more asked and got it right. "Would you like a card?" asked the dealer without looking up. "Yes," Kael replied. He was dealt a nine of hearts. Total: twenty-one. Silence. The other players glanced at him. One frowned. Another snorted. The dealer simply said, "Twenty-one. You win." Kael picked up the stones without emotion and bet again, this time placing two. Another hand. Another win. And another. And another. In less than half an hour, Kael had doubled his initial bet five times. It wasn’t luck. It was statistics, analysis, and memory. But more than that, he watched. Each player had patterns. Some drank when they were nervous. Others drummed their fingers. One even muttered his mother’s name before every bet. The real gamble wasn’t with the cards. It was with the men. Kael looked down at his accumulated mana stones. He didn’t care about them. They were a means to an end. But he knew that to others, the growing pile was a provocation. And that was exactly what he wanted. The mana stones clinked together, attracting attention. One of the waitresses, dressed in a purple corset, passed by him and whispered: "You’re doing very well, young man. Would you like a drink?" "No," he replied without looking at her. The next round came. This time, Kael bet triple. He won again. A murmur ran through the room. Even some players at other tables began to turn their heads toward him. In a casino, standing out too much is just as dangerous as losing everything. Just as the dealer was about to deal the next hand, a shadow loomed over the table. A man dressed in a dark gray uniform, clearly part of the casino security staff, bowed with a smile. "Mr. Kael Medici," he said in a soft but firm voice. "The game master wishes to speak with you. He is waiting for you on the second floor." The other players looked at him as if they had just realized they were playing alongside a king in disguise... or a demon. Kael stood up without saying a word. He left the exact mana stones on the table to continue his future bet, as if he were sure he would return. The waitress looked at him with a mixture of respect and fear. As he followed the guard, the voices around him faded away. They climbed a spiral staircase with a dark red carpet, like dried blood. The second floor was in darkness. A double door awaited him at the end of the hallway. Carved from black wood, it bore symbols that Kael recognized immediately: ancient runes of secrecy and silence. The door opened on its own. And Kael entered.