Chapter 166
Cards were placed in three spots in front of Lord Demon. Three games were running simultaneously.
"17, 14, 9."
Light hand gestures continued without conversation. Cards were added or stopped, and chips went back and forth depending on the results.
While dozens of rounds were played at other tables, hundreds of rounds quickly followed here.
Due to the Blackjack rules, the number of chips exchanged in a single game wasn't large. Because of this, a massive amount of money didn't pile up, but enough accumulated to cover the cost of a meal for a certain someone who ate magic stones worth their weight in gold.
"What? Why isn't he losing money? Isn't it normal to lose money in a gambling den? How is he doing that? Is it some kind of trick only a Traitor of the Demon Realm can pull off?"
Nathaniel, whose hobby was losing money, went wide-eyed.
"Pu! Pu! Pu!"
Pastel put on a smart expression.
"Nathaniel, you don't even know that? That's card counting! He's memorizing all the cards as they're revealed and calculating the probabilities! Smart people like Lord Demon and me don't lose money!"
Wow! I think I just said something totally smart! Once Lord Demon's game is over, I think I can bet my entire fortune on a game of poker! If I win just one round, my wealth will double!
"What are you talking about?"
Nathaniel was dumbfounded.
"They're rotating through six decks of cards, and they reshuffle the cards after every round, so how can he be card counting? Besides, I don't know much about it, but there's some difficult magic placed on them too."
Ugh.
What is it, what is it.
Tilting her head, Pastel trotted over next to Lord Demon.
"Lord Demon, how are you earning money?"
Whisper, whisper.
If he shared the secret, Pastel felt like she could become the richest person in the world!
She might even be able to restore Lord Demon's position, which had been pushed down the priority list thanks to the Fairy!
"Stay. I'm not earning. I'm just holding out with luck. Blackjack doesn't have a high risk of losing per round, so if luck holds out, the chips just circulate. Since the goal is to meet the VIP usage fee anyway, it's a good thing."
Huh? It doesn't seem like that? No matter how you look at it, he's winning little by little? Is it enough to buy a meal for Pastel, who only accepts expensive dining out?
Lord Demon looked back at Nathaniel.
"How much is the VIP standard amount? I think this should be enough."
"Well. Since the money keeps circulating, I'm not sure."
"A guy with such a frail body is of no help from start to finish."
"Excuse me?"
"Dealer, what is my current usage fee at?"
The Dealer, who had been keeping an observation on Lord Demon and wondering if this was even possible, went back over the rounds and quickly calculated it.
"You will meet the requirement if you play at most twenty more rounds. Are you trying to get VIP entry?"
"That is correct."
"There have been people whose goal was entry access rather than the game itself. In that case, I will speed things up a bit."
"I appreciate it."
Hearing the reason, the Dealer stopped observing for tricks and increased the pace of the game.
As the game progressed afterward, the chips Lord Demon held gradually decreased, and by the twentieth round, they returned exactly to the original amount he had brought.
Eue?
"Has my luck run out?"
Lord Demon, having finished exactly twenty rounds, spoke apathetically.
Eue?
The Dealer smiled warmly.
"That is a shame. Still, it seems you have met the standard amount."
"That is fortunate. I will end it here."
Lord Demon dusted off his hands and stepped away.
Pastel's eyes went round as she looked at the chips that had ended up breaking even.
Whoa?!
"If you had stopped earlier, you would have won money!"
She grabbed her head and shook it. Her pigtails fluttered, smacking the demon with a slap-slap.
"Do not sound like a gambling addict. From the start, it is probabilistically designed for the participants to lose. There is nothing more wasteful than betting your life on designed probabilities."
"No, it's not! No, it's not! Lord Demon, you were doing totally great until just now! The stakes were small, so the amount didn't pile up easily, but you completely dominated the game! If you do this all day, you could become rich!"
Rich! Rich!
Lord Demon is rich!
I'm a rich person freeloading off him!
Double the rich!
"You are talking nonsense about doing this all day."
Lord Demon let out a deep sigh.
Pastel whipped around to look at Nathaniel.
"Nathaniel, you saw it too, right?! That super-super ultra skill! No matter how you look at it, it was pure skill, right?!"
Nathaniel twitched his eyebrows in deep thought.
"I guess? I've been in and out of here countless times, but I've never seen anything like this. Plus, wasn't there a vibe like he was colluding with the dealer at the end?"
"Right?! Right?! The dealer noticed his opponent was doing something, but didn't know exactly how, and since the amount wasn't particularly large, he seemed to turn a blind eye to it?! And at the end, when Lord Demon lost on purpose, it seemed like he was just letting it slide entirely!"
Oh my, oh my, if only she knew the secret method, Pastel could become rich too...!
A tsking sound rang out.
Lord Demon's red eyes glared at Nathaniel.
It was a gaze looking at a being who was frail in body, weak in mind, lacking in thought, and completely oblivious.
"You are of no help. Instead of standing around talking, go get the VIP pass. You said we didn't have time to spare, so why are you so relaxed? Did you come here to play?"
"Excuse me?"
Bewildered by the unprovoked persecution, Nathaniel went to get the pass. No, he was about to go get it, but then he turned around.
"We have to go together anyway, though...?"
"Then instead of standing around talking, lead the way."
Nathaniel put on an aggrieved expression.
The VIP area had a separate entrance upon entering the deep levels of the gambling den. Guards armed with swords and guns were keeping a strict watch, naturally inducing a sense of tension.
A guard checked their entry.
"Your usage fee has been met. Welcome to being registered as a VIP. By the way, are you planning to enter with that person?"
A hand gesture pointed at Pastel.
"That is correct. I have followed along as an attendant, and the young lady is strictly the representative."
Hehe.
Lord Demon called me a young lady~.
Pastel cupped her flushed cheeks and twisted her body.
Ehehe.
He pretended not to, but he had been thinking of me that way all along! No wonder, no wonder he did all the laundry and cooking for me!
The guard looked troubled.
"In that case, the young lady must also meet the usage fee to be allowed entry. It is calculated per person."
Lord Demon narrowed his brow and looked back at Nathaniel.
"What? What kind of nonsense is that! If the servant met the standard, the master should be allowed entry too!"
Flinching, Nathaniel protested.
"We have also been on guard regarding Governor-General Kraft's recent visit to the capital, so some regulations have changed. The potential for abuse is high, so from now on, proxies are not allowed."
"What kind of crap is that?! A servant is the master's hands and feet, so why distinguish between them!"
"Because those hands and feet could be holding guns and swords. If the young lady wishes to enter, she must meet the requirement separately."
Nathaniel, who had been in confinement for a long time due to his secret agent work and was only just released, was dumbfounded.
Oh.
"Nathaniel, I'm fine! Let's play some games!"
Yahoo~!
A reason had appeared for Lord Demon not to stop her~!
Lord Demon looked displeased.
Nathaniel ruffled his hair.
"We don't have any more time to meet the amount. Well, I guess we could stay up all night."
"Also,"
The guard suddenly spoke up.
"There are further regulations that apply to minors."
"Huh?"
A finger pointed to a notice hanging on the wall.
No Entry for Minors After Midnight.
"The VIP area is an exception, but it applies to the general area without exception, so please keep that in mind. Flaunting your family name will be of no use."
Whoa!
Such a diligent regulation...!
"Why does something like that exist?!"
"Because some council members complained that their children weren't coming home until late at night. Still, the VIP area is an exception, so please take that into consideration."
"Uwaah!"
Pastel trembled, Padeulpadeul.
So mean! So mean!
Minors also have the freedom to stay up all night gambling!
"Huh? If that's the case, we really don't have time to meet the amount? Hey, guard! What kind of crappy regulation is that?! I'm Nathaniel of House Friesli! When someone like me comes, you should adjust things flexibly!"
Nathaniel attempted to wield his authority.
"Is that so. I am already aware, since you are a VIP."
"What?!"
However, when it proved useless, Lord Demon seemed somewhat satisfied.
"Oho, this worked out well. Since it has come to this, it seems only this guy and I need to enter. You go back home."
An attitude that showed he had allowed her entry into the gambling den only with the intention of doing this if things went south anyway.
Uwaah!
I hate it!
I totally hate it!
Pastel wants to stay up all night gambling too!
"Is there some difficult problem over there?"
A gambler leading a group of members came out from the VIP area. He scanned Pastel's party and smirked.
"If you're short on the amount, a few big games should do it, right? Why don't you play with us?"
Huh?
"Big games?"
"I was about to play a round of poker with my group, and one seat happens to be empty."
"Wow! I've played a bit of poker!"
"That's great! Shall we play together?"
The gambler smirked.
"I want to! I want to!"
Such totally nice people!
"Wait, no matter how you look at this, it's a swi—"
"The attendant can stay in the back~! From now on, it's the young lady's time!"
It's a double-your-fortune event!
Yahoo!
#
Pastel scraped together all her credit and cash assets and sat at the table. Documents listing Demon Realm real estate were converted into chips with a chwak-chwak-chwak.
"You're quite the big spender! We'll match your chips!"
The gambler grinned widely. Then, he exchanged meaningful glances with his group members filling the other seats. It seemed to carry a fiery meaning of matching the young lady's generous chips.
Such totally nice people!
Chips piled up high on the table, and the game began.
One round, two rounds, three rounds, four rounds.
Hmph~!
"Damn it, I fold."
One of the gamblers put down his hand.
"It seems the young lady over there has a good hand again?"
"Nope. I'll place an additional bet!"
More chips were placed. Pastel couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from rising.
She glanced down at her spot with her purple-lensed eyes. She could see the chips had noticeably piled up.
Before she knew it, it was almost 1.5 times the original amount.
The corners of her mouth loosened into a grinning smile.
Her available assets were 1.5 times as large!
Gasp, I think I'm a gambling genius!
I think I'm a total genius!
I think I could even take Lord Demon in as my disciple!
Ppuruppuppu.
"Man! Why isn't anything sticking?!"
Another gambler also folded his hand.
Oh?
If you already drop out, the chips I can eat will decrease.
Pastel put on an anxious expression. She stealthily observed her remaining opponent.
The gambler was frowning at his hand, as if his cards were no good. Then, he slyly looked at Pastel.
"Does it look like a bluff? There's no way your hand can keep being good."
Gasp.
How did he know?
Pastel did some acting, flinching in surprise.
The gambler's eyes sparkled as he smirked.
"Can't just back down. All-in."
All of his chips were pushed to the center of the table.
Gasp.
Pastel's eyes weighed her own chips against the chips piled on the table.
Since they're roughly similar.
If I win this, my available assets will triple...!
Her eyes spun round and round.
"I guessed right! Just fold already!"
The gambler stood up from his seat and tried to take the betting chips.
"Wait!"
Pastel sharply stopped him.
"I'm all-in too!"
She pushed all her chips to the center.
The chips piled up like a mountain.
Heh.
The corners of her mouth loosened into a grinning smile.
Since I'm smart, I'll just win this and leave~!
"Hurry up and reveal your hand!"
Pastel was triumphantly pointing a finger.
The gambler smiled.
Oing.
He exchanged meaningful glances with his other group members, then tossed his hand open.
Pastel carefully checked her opponent's 2 cards. Then, after checking the dealer's 5 cards, she pondered deeply over what hand was formed by combining the two.
Heart A
Heart 2
Heart 3
Heart 4
Heart 5
Oing.
Straight Flush
Probability 0.0014%
Whoa?!
Pastel jumped up.
"Uwaah! This is a scam!"
The gambler smirked.
"I got lucky!"
Nonsense! How could that come out by luck!
This is a scam! A scam!
I got played!
No wonder they kept letting me win at first!
To pull a scam right after I went all-in!
This is a setup! It's definitely a setup!
"There are no reversals in victory or defeat! Hand over the chips!"
"Argh!"
Pastel shook her head wildly. Her pigtails fluttered.
"Mr. dealer! This is a scam! A total scam! Scam, scam!"
"We only mediate; we do not interfere with victory or defeat."
The dealer replied indifferently.
Nonsense!
"How could that come out by luck!"
"We only mediate; we do not interfere with victory or defeat."
Nonsenseee!
This is a real scam...!
"Heuaah!"
When the despairing Pastel didn't reveal her hand, the Dealer reached out.
The cards were flipped over and came into view.
Heart K
Heart J
It is combined with the Dealer's hand.
Heart A
Heart K
Heart Q
Heart J
Heart 10
Oing.
Royal Straight Flush
Probability 0.00015%
Whoa.
But it turns out I was even luckier~!
"What?"
The eyes of the Gambler, who was about to take the chips, popped out.
"How did that come out...!"
Chairs rattled roughly.
"Hey, you Swindler!"
The gambler's group got excited and stood up en masse.
Uwaah!
Pastel trembled, shaking like a leaf.
Pastel was just lucky. That's all...!
"This is invalid! Invalid! Dealer!"
"We only mediate; we do not interfere with victory or defeat."
The dealer replied indifferently.
Pastel trembled, shaking like a leaf.
"There are no reversals in victory or defeat!"
"You should know when to stop, you Swindler...!"
Uwaah!
Why are you doing this to meee!
Such totally bad people!