Alek Aundra
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CH 134 - One Bottle of Beer on the Wall (Part 4)
🕑 Added 2023-09-09 17:59:35 +0000 UTC// Author's Note:
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ヾ٩( ๑╹ ꇴ╹)۶◞ • *✰
Everyone has their vices. Some drink, some shop, some fight, some eat until they are stuffed silly, and some… gamble.
My eyes swept over the entertainment arena before us, giving us a three-hour break before the next auction for artifacts began. The Gilded Siren had partnered with the Spiders Syndicate to set up the luxurious expanse of card tables and games. Much of the setup reminded you of the typical Adovororian Summer Festival Games, with dart tossing, ring throwing, and even a dunk tank.
However, there was an apparent distinction between the activities laid out here and the humble festivities of ordinary folk. Here, amidst the extravagance of the Spiders Syndicate's partnership with the Siren, every activity exuded luxury and indulgence.
TSH-ING!
I turned toward the sound. The dart-tossing game, for example, here was unlike anything at the common folk's festivals. Instead of crude wooden boards, gilded targets were embedded with precious gems. Participants aimed not at apples or painted symbols but at delicate crystal figurines that would shatter into a million dazzling pieces when stuck. And winning a round didn't result in a basic wooden toy but earned the player entry into exclusive gatherings.
Of course, the room's highlight was the gaming tables, having been brought in from the Gilded Siren, given the mermaid carving on their sides. I suspected that a number of individuals came solely to this event just for a chance to gamble against other prominent figures across the continent.
"I'll see your fifty Phoenix eyes and raise you... my summer estate in the Lellei countryside," a woman's voice sounded to my right.
"My dear, you always know how to make a game thrilling. Very well, I accept your challenge. May the fates favor the boldest of us."
Chips against chips sounded, being casually tossed about at these tables. The stakes were exorbitant, with bets that could match a commoner's yearly earnings in a single hand. The thrill of the game was not just in the chance of winning, but it was an unabashed display of affluence. Everyone was posturing and flexing their wealth while, in actuality, just lining the pockets of the Gilded Siren and Spiders Syndicate.
Gambling is how the genius poison maker, Kathy, found herself so indebted to the Gilded Siren that Kleave had to fight The Ogre at impossible odds just to clear her debts. And it was her gambling addiction that eventually led to her death in my first life.
She paid with her life, while others, like Lord Blanch, sold out our kingdom. He effectively reduced our mage squad's ability to fight the eventual Kobar Empire's invasion by having magic stones belonging to The Order sold off to cover his debt.
I had my own vices, but gambling was never one of them. I had Jasper to thank for that. From an early age, he showed me the sort of deep grave one could dig themselves into if they attempted to test their luck against him. It dried out any appetite for the activity.
However, to my great fortune, most people were so addicted to the thrill and possibility of winning that they flew straight toward Jasper's enticing traps. He had a magnetic sort of energy that swept you in. And it extended beyond the loss to him; had it not, his neck would have been sliced a hundred times over to avoid having to be in a crushing debt to him.
Jasper's trick was that after winning an eye-watering gamble, he would always extend his hand and, with a smile, propose that instead of having to pay him the extraordinary sum, they instead owe him a small favor in the future.
Of course, the favor was never small. And it was always paid, without even requiring a promise tattoo. Another's small favor would arrive and ensure it was paid, in the rare case that promises fell through.
"My sponsor has arrived," Jasper exclaimed with a smile.
I sat beside him and motioned for the Gilded Siren attendant behind me to set down the tray of chips on the table.
"Ah, Lady Shuzen did say you were good for it. But I see you had #780 as your backer," said the man wearing a white mask and a bright orange turban. He smiled at me. "You were one of two competitors to my father in the bid for that last mage."
"Indeed," I replied. "Unfortunately, the bidding went beyond my comfort."
The young man laughed and accepted the cards shuffled about. His many colorful rings flashed as the light hit the stones.
"You and that other woman could have bid much higher, and my father still wouldn't have budged. When he sets his eyes on something, he will have it, no matter what," he said. "Money isn't a problem."
His entourage, standing behind him, laughed alongside him. Lady Shuzen, the one I had met earlier and who helped arrange Jasper sitting at Elian's table, was one of them. Her feathered mask and glittering gown stood out against the crowd.
Our target to get Fin and Leona back was Elian Vikzhou, son of Lord Vikzhou. He had a similar aura to that of Anastasia Genuiver. He had the mannerisms of a spoiled and wealthy heir, who played around all day with their seemingly bottomless parents' fortune. Much like Anastasia, he was constantly surrounded by a group of similarly aged young ladies and gentlemen, hailing from wealthy but less powerful families.
"Your father beat him once already; you had better win against his partner!" a young woman in a glittering red mask beside him giggled.
"You think I can't win?" Elian's tone of voice shifted. It was as if a blade slid through the air.
"No–of course not," the woman backed up nervously.
Of course, there was one distinction between Anastasia and Elian. Elian was prone to extreme mood swings. And he had an absolute need to feel like he was always in control of the situation, always fulfilled on his promises, and that he was right. Given his background and wealth, this wasn't hard to achieve.
"And besides, would it matter if I lose a couple hundred Phoenix eyes?" Elian asked the woman in the red mask. "I can spare that much change, can't I?"
The others in his entourage exchanged nervous looks.
"Of course," the young woman said, her voice wavering. "What's a few hundred Phoenix eyes to someone of your means?"
"Right!" A large smile extended over Elian's face. And his eyes widened at the realization of something.
He turned to Jasper and me.
"Say, the great part about the setup here is that there's no bounds on what can or cannot be gambled off. Isn't that right?" he asked the dealer who managed this VIP table.
I could hear a sigh of relief from his entourage now that the focus had shifted away from them.
According to what Lady Shuzen had told us about the young man she followed, his temper had once resulted in one of the entourage members having to jump off a three-story building to quelch his anger. He did so on Elian's order. Miraculously, the individual survived and currently stood among Elian's crowd. One would have thought he'd have had enough, but according to Lady Shuzen, being within Elian's domain was simply too lucrative that everyone bore through the bouts of madness.
"Of course," the dealer replied in a perfect customer service voice. "Given your position, I can oversee almost any game you wish to partake in."
"Wonderful," Elian smiled at us. "Say, what do you say to a more exciting wager than boring old money?"
"Of course," Jasper returned the smile.
I simply nodded, but internally, I was ecstatic that events were playing faster than we had initially anticipated. Before getting to this point, I had expected several rounds of regular gambling.
"Here, take this tray away—you lot can go gamble it off instead," Elian said and waved toward a stack of chips that was probably worth between three and five hundred Phoenix eyes.
The entourage was quick to accept his gift and hurried away. The young woman in the red mask was the quickest to escape.
"You're not going with them?" Elian asked Lady Shuzen. "You enjoy gambling more than any of them combined."
She was the lone one of his entourage that remained by his side.
"No, I think the entertainment beside you would be far more enjoyable than any of the gambles I could engage on this floor," she replied.
"HA!" Elain roared with laughter. "Lady Shuzen, this is why you're my favorite friend. You understand me best."
It was ironic. Elian Vikzhou had no friends. He only had followers who followed him because it was lucrative to do so. Lady Shuzen, having lost a great fortune to Jasper two years ago, was simply now paying back on her long-standing debt by selling out Elian Vikzhou and ensuring he was to be swallowed up by the likes of Jasper.
"What game shall we play?" the dealer attending the game table asked. She had a black mask on that covered her face entirely. "Cards? Die? Or something else?
"Cards are fine," Elian replied. "A quick game of Fool will do. First to pull the Fool loses."
Jasper nodded in agreement.
"Now, as for the bet…" Elian pulled out a silver dagger from his pocket, which I could tell served more than just a mere decoration. He struck it down on the table beside his hand. "Two fingers."
"Whose fingers are we betting?" Jasper asked. His tone of voice didn't exude that he found the situation troublesome.
A wide smile expanded underneath Elian's white mask.
"Making sure of the terms, are we now? No—I understand. It'd be a disappointment if we wagered off the fingers of insignificant attendants," he said.
He swiveled about, grabbed Lady Shuzen's hand, and planted it on the table. Her bright red nails contrasted against the green velvet.
"I bet my favorite friends' fingers. Aren't they pretty?" he asked.
Lady Shuzen's fingers wriggled on the table, but her hand remained on the table, whether his grip was too strong or she lacked the inner strength to pull away.
"Dear Elian, are you being serious?" she asked, her face still smiling.
"Of course, when have I ever not been serious? And don't worry, I promise I won't bet your right hand's fingers," he replied. He turned his attention to Jasper. "Well, given that #780 is the money behind this gamble, I suppose it's your own fingers you'll have to bet per hand. It's only fair. Ha! Per hand!"
Elian laughed at his own poor joke.
"Right, it's only fair," Jasper replied, smiling at Lady Shuzen. "Two fingers per bet."
I saw her stiffen. The real part of her debt to him was about to be paid.
"And I suppose no healing potions, reattachments, or pain ailments of any kind while we play, correct?" Jasper asked.
"HA!" Elian roared. "You, I like you. We're going to have a fun game."
"Dear Elian, would you be so kind as to provide a favor for each of my fingers lost?" Lady Shuzen leaned over his shoulder and asked sweetly.
I was impressed at how quickly she had accepted her fate and sought to gain something in return for her troubles.
However, she did not get the reaction she hoped for.
"You think I'll lose before the cards are even drawn?" Elian asked. His voice tinged with anger. "Don't be ridiculous. You're taking away from the fun. You'll see; I'll win."
His hand extended toward the deck and pulled the first card out.
It was two of clubs.
"I'm sure you'll win one of the rounds, but we're not stopping with just one, are we?" Jasper asked and pulled out the next card.
It was a five of spades.
"Of course not," Elian replied and pulled the next card. "Tsk."
He threw the Fool at the table with annoyance.
A deep air intake sounded from Lady Shuzen, and she quickly thrust her silk handbag into her mouth at the card's sight.
"See, why'd you have to jinx me?" Elian said.
He pulled the silver dagger out of the table and thrust it down onto Lady Shuzen's index and middle fingers. Luckily for her, it was well-sharpened, given how easily it cut through them.
MMMMMMM!
She bit into her handbag, but a loud, muffled shriek could still be heard. Surprisingly, only a handful of people turned to look at the commotion. Too many noises and other attractions distracted everyone on the floor. Or, perhaps, they simply didn't care.
I pulled out a peppermint-scented handkerchief and pressed it to my nose. Fortunately or unfortunately, my sense of smell was in perfect condition.
"You. You have a potion to stop the bleeding, correct?" Elian asked the table's dealer.
"Of course," she replied, pulling out a green vial.
"We're betting fingers, not lives," Elian said. However, he looked to Jasper for confirmation.
"Go ahead," Jasper replied. "I won't count it as healing."
"Pour it," Elian ordered.
The woman tipped the vial over Lady Shuzen's fingers. The green liquid sizzled over her stumps, and the bleeding stopped.
Lady Shuzen released her moistened silk handbag out of her mouth, and her whole body heaved in relief as the shock passed.
"Shuffle the deck. We're going again," Elian said.
"De-dear Elain, please—" Lady Shuzen pleaded. However, her eyes gazed toward Jasper.
"I'll win against him, I promise," Elian replied. His left hand held her wrist in place.
The table's dealer shuffled the deck. An ominous sound of cards moving against one another sounded from her hands.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the deck was placed down on the table.
Jasper was the first to go this time.
It was a queen of hearts.
Elian went next and pulled a king of spades.
The two went back and forth until there was but one card remaining.
"Tsk." Elian didn't even bother flipping the last card over and swung the dagger over Lady Shuzen's ring and pinky.
Her muffled yell sounded through her handbag.
"I guess you couldn't fulfill your promise to Lady Shuzen and win a round," Jasper coaxed.
"She still has one finger. I'll win in the next round," Elian said.
"Yes, but we're betting two fingers, isn't that right?" Jasper asked the dealer.
"Those were the terms," she replied.
Elian grit his teeth. "Fine, one of Lady Shuzen's and one of—" he gazed about the room, but Jasper cut in.
"Yours," Jasper said and then added, "unless you don't think you can win? We can stop now and accept that you couldn't fulfill your promise."
Elian turned to Jasper and smiled. "Fine. Have it your way. What's one measly finger? But my fingers are worth more than yours. I want two more added in of #780 to your two."
"You're changing the terms of the bet, but that's fine with me," I said.
I massaged my hand, recalling how it wasn't that long ago that I didn't have two of my fingers.
"Wonderful," Elian said. He snapped his fingers toward the dealer. "Start the next round."
That was the signal. The dealer pulled out a new set of cards and began shuffling them.
Elian Vikzhou prided himself on always fulfilling his promises. He'd fulfill one, even if it meant rigging a game. I was more surprised that he hadn't done this earlier, but perhaps a few of his friend's fingers weren't worthy enough of cheating and dampening his fun.
However, he was not the sort to ever risk his own neck, or in this case, finger. And that was precisely what Jasper and I were counting on.
Comments
Undead Writer
96 bottles of beer on the wall, 96 bottles of beer!
Undead Writer
Thanks! It’s much clearer now! Great job!
Alek Aundra
I updated the chapter, as there are 3 women mentioned. Feather mask = Lady Shuzen Red mask = the young woman who made Elian angry initially Black mask = dealer
Alek Aundra
🤔Hmmm I’ll review to make sure it’s clear. Thanks for the note, UndeadWriter!
Undead Writer
Thanks for the chapter! Interesting turn of events. However, there was a point or two in this chapter that I became confused on who the lady was. At first I thought she was the lady in pink but then she became someone else? Am I the only one who got confused on the wording of who was who there? Either way, great chapter! Thanks!
