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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Jackpot!
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Jackpot!
Casino Hudson.
The Golden City of Arcana has another name: the City of Revelry.
And this place is one of the three major casinos operated by Hudson, the landlord of Arcana.
Its grandeur and splendor tempt people day and night without distinction.
The advantage of Casino Hudson is that even "outer city dwellers" can enter without any special procedures.
They don't check identities—what's needed for entry is solely "money."
Moreover, as the pinnacle of Arcana's entertainment, many people visit Hudson while hiding their identities.
"This deed is only worth 8,000 gold? What nonsense is that? It's trading at over 15,000 gold even now!"
At the entrance desk that sorts entrants.
A man bellowed, and the small bespectacled figure inside the desk shook his head.
"The actual trading price around that area in District 5 is 7,800 gold. 8,000 gold seems generous, but you need to fill the remaining 2,000 gold for entry."
"Even so, how...!"
"Guards."
In an instant, the burly guards around subdued the man.
"W-What? I'm a customer!"
"No 10,000 gold entry deposit, no customer."
"Urk!"
The guards picked up the man and tossed him into the air. He flew several meters before crashing to the ground and tumbling.
Onlookers covered their mouths and snickered at the sight.
"Tsk tsk, a beggar's trying to overstep."
"Ugh, what a disgrace."
"District 5? Isn't that a rat hole? Smells like rot from here!"
City elites in beautiful dresses, stylish tuxedos or suits, or golden turbans symbolizing great wealth.
They wrinkled their noses at the shabby man's attempt to enter.
They mocked and sneered.
This was Arcana. A place where only "money" came first.
But my gaze was fixed not on them, but on the guards.
The guards weren't ordinary.
[Lv. 6]
Great warriors or knight-level powerhouses.
By lore, they were all actual regular knights of Arcana City.
It might seem odd for honorable knights to stand guard at a mere casino, but in this game, each "major city" was its own kingdom.
Thus, rules and customs differed entirely from city to city.
Arcana had its own code of law.
"Welcome."
And crucially, I was next after the flying man.
Isabella and I could end up flying by the guards' hands just like him.
"Entry to the casino requires a 10,000 gold deposit. Naturally, we take collateral."
The manager inside the glass wall smiled amiably.
A 10,000 gold deposit. But my cash on hand was under 300 gold.
'I spent 50 gold washing up and buying clothes.'
Exactly 250 gold left.
Can't enter a casino covered in blood, after all.
Cash was woefully short, so collateral it was.
'Even entry deposits are tiered by level.'
I had plenty for collateral.
As Isabella said, handing over the pumpkin dagger would fetch at least 30,000 gold.
Managers possessed high-grade appraisal skills to verify all items' "value."
You needed 10,000 gold or equivalent collateral for bare-minimum entry, and tiers varied by collateral amount.
Collateral wasn't treated as game money, traditionally.
It merely gauged the entrant's "level." It distinguished those who could casually hand over massive valuables from those who couldn't.
"Sir? Nothing?"
The guards took a step closer.
"Move it if you got nothing!"
"Can't you see the line? Let us in!"
"Ugh, beggars wasting our time."
Those in line exploded in anger.
Two consecutive time-wasters had the impatient crowd—dying to spin slots a second sooner—raising a clamor.
The manager's eyes scanned me up and down.
'Cheap everyday clothes bought for 13 gold at the market from low-grade materials. No valuables otherwise. The woman with him is pretty enough, but nothing special.'
The manager sighed inwardly.
Seemed like an unusual number of unqualified guests today.
People better suited to street-side blanket gambling than a casino.
Too many unqualified visitors tarnished the casino's reputation. Hudson was the most lenient of the big three, but even so.
'I need to make an example.'
They'd seen the guy ahead get tossed, yet persisted. Malcontents.
Time to punish harder.
A near-death beating in some alley, and they'd never return.
"Guards..."
"This will do."
Just as the guards lunged, the man casually pulled an item from his breast pocket.
The manager tilted his head upon seeing it.
'What is this?'
Couldn't place it. He activated his "Appraisal" skill.
The manager's eyes bulged.
"...We'll escort you to the VIP room. We sincerely welcome you to Casino Hudson."
The manager and poised guards clasped hands politely.
"We'll guide you through the VIP entrance."
"Follow us. Make way, make way!"
The guards' attitudes flipped, moving in perfect sync.
They cleared a path through the blockers.
Like the miracle of Moses parting the sea.
"VIP?"
"W-What...?"
The lined-up crowd gawked blankly as we ascended via the VIP entrance instead of the general one.
*
The casino's top floor.
As we entered the VIPs-only area, Isabella gave me a dubious look.
"...What did you put up as collateral?"
"Fairy Queen's Tear. A talisman."
I answered nonchalantly.
Her doubt only grew.
"Isn't a talisman a tool for refining weapons? But no matter how good, one talisman shouldn't warrant this treatment..."
"Impossible."
Even the finest talisman rarely exceeded 1 million gold in value.
Purely by "value," the Teleport Book might fetch more. Higher demand.
But this was Casino Hudson.
'Hudson. Definitely a player.'
Gamers had flowed into the game as NPCs. I'd mistaken their interference for "game freedom," never suspecting real people.
If they weren't NPCs, then Hudson, this place's owner, was 99% a real-world synchronized human.
'Hudson collects talismans. Of course he'd covet a rare one.'
Hudson was a Merchant.
Lacking combat prowess or talents, he sought strength via talismans.
Some removed weapon equip restrictions or granted talents to the talentless.
Naturally, the Fairy Queen's Tear fit perfectly.
It dropped—if at all—from slaying around 10,000 semi-raid boss "Fairy Queen's Knights."
Plus... it was one Hudson desperately wanted.
'Easiest mark. No one better than Hudson to eliminate variables.'
I was curious. Their stories as NPCs. Hudson's intel.
Among those I suspected, Hudson was most approachable.
But before contact...
"First, time to spin the roulette."
*
Whirrr!
A bead spun atop the massive circular wheel.
Numbers 1 to 50 on the wheel; bet high/low, odd/even, and match where the bead lands. Roulette.
"Go in! Go in!"
"Stop!"
The crowd went wild, eyes glued to the bead.
Ting, ding!
It bounced unpredictably.
Finally, it slotted perfectly into "48."
"Hit again?"
"Who's that guy?"
Eyes converged on one spot.
A mountain of gold piled before one man.
"Started with 250 gold—what's it now?"
"Already 1.32 million gold?"
"No, just bet ten gold bars, so 1.42 million now!"
"Crazy. God of gambling?"
300 coins stamped by the central bank, each worth 100 gold.
20 gold balls worth 1,000 gold each.
127 gold bars worth 10,000 gold each.
Total: 1.32 million gold stacked before him.
Such sums were common in the VIP room for 1 million+ collateral holders, but the issue was starting from just 250 gold.
'As expected of Golden Grace.'
I smiled faintly.
1.32 million was pre-bet.
The 100,000 gold bet succeeded, bringing it to 1.42 million.
A true jackpot.
Golden Grace showed odds for money-at-stake actions. More samples, more accuracy—like this gambling den's vast trials.
Bewilderment crossed the dealer's face.
Not just me—everyone betting with me won.
And not modestly; thousands-fold sweeps.
I'd be on every casino blacklist by tomorrow.
"S-Sir. No more..."
The dealer, facing massive losses, looked woebegone.
Guards gripped my shoulders soon after.
Time to quit after such wins.
Even in the 1 million+ collateral VIP room, these losses were devastating. They'd tried checking for tricks mid-game but found none.
"We'll return your winnings as-is. However, you're now banned from Casino Hudson."
Send him off, no choice.
Guards encircled me.
Lingering risked not just winnings, but life.
Isabella glared around, blade at ready.
"Enough. He's my guest."
A man descending from the upper level spoke to the guards.
They bowed rigidly.
Onlookers buzzed familiarly.
Ignoring it, he approached me directly, extending a hand.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Hudson, owner of this casino. If it wouldn't impose, care for tea?"
...Hudson.
Owner of this casino, and with high odds, a real-world human.
[Lv.9]
First thing catching my eye: Hudson's level above his head.
But as expected, no other distinctions beyond level.
Could he see mine, then? Like me.
Other NPCs couldn't see my level.
Player perk? Or my unique ability? Still uncertain.
If a player perk, would Hudson recognize me as one?
Especially after this commotion. How would he react?
No choice but to clash directly, so even I tensed in this moment.