Chapter 35 – Putting on a new mask and getting free money…
The act of gambling itself isn’t given much emphasis.
The proposition that the once thrilling and exhilarating entertainment was nothing more than a cheap drug to pump adrenaline, a notion I had grasped from a young age through close encounters with teachers, had been embedded in me for a long time.
My mother, who often enjoyed cards, used to say that for the sake of your entertainment, you should be able to invest this much without being considered reckless.
My father used to say that there’s no such thing as someone always blessed with luck, a statement more appropriate for my level of understanding, still unable to grasp even the basics.
But I believe anyone has had such a senseless fantasy at least once.
– What if I were to definitively discover the existence of a gambling method where I always win?
What choice would I have to make?
Suppose the gambling occurs against the backdrop of a friendly match between students,
Where two members of one team participating in the friendly match significantly surpass the level of students by chance,
And due to the asymmetry of information, the team’s strength is drastically underrated,
creating a situation where huge earnings can be made with minimal money.
Above all, if I could avoid starvation with that money…?
How many people could truly resist such temptation?
No one, really.
The grandmaster of mental magic, well-regarded for thoroughly decoding human desires and a pioneer of imperial mainstream economics, Professor Inflation, had this to say:
“Individual desires are a shortcut to the group’s benefit.”
The fact of not having money itself is bearable. It’s not like I was the one who broke the measuring gauge, but well, if we’re talking about responsibility, then I have no complaints about taking my share of the blame.
Erasing the meaningless pay day from the calendar that automatically deducts my salary, or darning socks with holes, none of these bother me much. Even the daily chore of fetching water from the well that nobody bothers to do anymore to save on water bills has become a familiar routine.
There might be room for debate about whether it’s too harsh to bear the consequences of breaking the measuring gauge in class, but I, who was merely a ‘victim,’ could accept the reality that I couldn’t even lodge a complaint. Even if there were times when I cried and stayed up all night saying, “Sob, I hate you, boss. You’re mean,” I could endure it without a problem.
However, being seen every day as a pitiful figure, feeding off Freya’s handouts, was quite a blow to my pride.
Haa, haa, boasting about being the savior, calling me “big brother” or “big sister,” and flattering me a couple of times was bearable, but lately, I couldn’t bring myself to smile in front of Freya.
“Hmm… does it bother you that much? Then buy me later. Is that okay?”
Every time, Freya would smile awkwardly and pat my shoulder, but relying on her warmth and maternal love was no longer something I could bring myself to do.
When I confided in Professor Aegis,
“No matter what, you can’t do that~♩ Tsk~♩”
He chuckled softly and lightly patted my back, and then, thump thump! Thump! Something rumbled as if in agreement.
“If you keep having such naughty thoughts, then I’ll tell Professor Freya on you~♩”
“Professor Aegis…”
“Professor Neperna, you should be a role model for your students, shouldn’t you~ If you get caught gambling in a place like this, disqualified as a teacher, rejected as a person, qualified as a beast! Wow, congratulations! Being good was your only virtue, but if you lose that, what will you have left~♩”
Being good… your only… virtue…
I steadied my dizzy mind and spoke.
“I’m sorry for being a hopeless, irredeemable trash who’s even lost the last advantage… Please incinerate me… I’m sorry…”
“hehehe, I’m just kidding. The director here turns a blind eye to gambling, you know.”
“I’m sorry. Please don’t tease me.”
“But I’m not teasing you. Go and enjoy yourself to your heart’s content, and then come back~♩”
“Um…?”
I couldn’t fathom what was going on.
I thought it was a joke, but Professor Aegis just chuckled instead.
“Oh my, have you had a change of heart?”
“No, it’s just that… I don’t really have any intention to say anything to the students, but this is… a school, isn’t it?”
“Well, our school has a bit of a free-spirited atmosphere~♩ It’s the director’s philosophy that you have to experience loss while you’re young. Oh, right! Even though the gambling is allowed up to 90% of the total assets, please make sure it doesn’t become a problem later~”
“If it’s allowed up to 90%, is there even a point in setting a limit…”
Even freedom has its limits…
“And ta-da! This is the allowance that Professor Aegis is giving you on behalf of your mother~♩”
“Allowance…?”
“Yes! You don’t need to pay it back, and you don’t need to feel sorry for it. Even if you use it for gambling, it won’t prick your conscience. Just think of it as a comfortable, irresponsible pile of banknotes~♩”
Irresponsible…
A pile…
Ah, it’s money.
How much is it?
One bill, two, three…
“Do you want to have the allowance your mom gives you?”
“T-tha… that’s not…”
I can’t live without Professor Aegis…
As if possessed, I approached the bundle of bills.
“Over here~♩ Come this way~”
The bills fluttered between my fingers and then settled beneath the white gown, rising like a grand mountain peak.
For that, climbing a mountain is no problem at all.
Even if it’s a million mountain peaks, I’ll easily conquer them.
As I took a step closer, the bills moved stealthily.
One more step.
A breath brushed past my ear.
Now, if I just grab that bill… I can finally escape poverty.
Oh, but what is this feeling?
It’s warm. Strangely warm.
Is it the smell of nature? No, this is a mountaintop.
It’s warm like a blanket bathed in sunlight,
and I can almost smell a slightly sweet milk scent…
And then…
“Ah! There you are!”
“… Ah, Freyja…”
“Eugene…? What are you doing there? Playing with Professor Aegis?”
“… Huh? Playing… playing…? Huh? Playing? … Ugh, w-what was I doing just now?”
I was startled as if waking from a dream by Freyja’s bright smile and waving hand in the distance, taking a step back.
What was I doing just now? It feels like I was under hypnosis. Ugh! My head hurts!
Professor Aegis chuckled softly, tongue-in-cheek.
“Ho-ho, you really have a ghostly timing.”
“What?”
“It’s nothing~ Professor Freyja~”
While Freyja was grinning, Professor Aegis discreetly slipped something stiff and broad, along with a bill, into my pocket.
It was certainly a mask.
“Now, put on this mask and let’s go make some bets.”
“A mask…?”
“It’s a newly made mask. I made it as a gift for you, sir~♩”
Sir. I almost lost my temper at that brief word, but I held it back desperately.
There was something more important.
“Are you turning a blind eye to gambling?”
“How can people live on just food~? A little off the beaten path is okay sometimes~”
Professor Aegis, with one eye slightly closed.
… What I thought I heard in a slightly different context was probably just my own misconception.
***
The new mask handed to Professor Aegis was a handmade mask crafted sleekly from walnut wood. It was entirely different in appearance from the masks previously used within the enthusiast circle and was, to my eyes, an intriguing shape. Hmm, quite appealing.
Donning the new mask, I approached the gambling den. The boy taking bets glanced at me briefly, beginning to address me as if I were a stranger, although he was one of my students, by the way.
People in this school evidently possess the unfortunate illness of being unable to recognize others solely by their masks. But at this moment, I am grateful for that.
“Welcome, guest! Where might you be headed? If you seek safety, Professor Fernandez’s team or perhaps Professor Alexander’s. Hmm… Professor Aurora is currently quite popular due to the high success rate and favorable odds!”
“I’ll wager on Professor Eugene’s team… the full amount.”
“Oh, wow! hahahaha! The guest possesses a sense of romance! Ah! It’s a rule that a true player can’t just pass by a 40-fold opportunity! hahahahaha!”
“Hmm.”
“Very well, here you go, sir. Best of luck. May fortune favor you!”
From Noble mtl dot com
A piece of paper marked with an irreplaceable charm spell. The boy smoothly sought out another new guest and departed.
This small note changed my life. Poverty is now a thing of the past.
“hehehe… hehehehe…”
I couldn’t contain my laughter and stood in the same spot for a while, chuckling uncontrollably.
***
Pushing through the crowd mingled with outsiders, I made my way through and into the stands. Shuffling along, I found a place to settle.
Initially, I was completely at a loss about how to locate Professor Aegis and Freya first within this vast space, but oddly enough, it wasn’t that difficult after all.
Intentionally entering the densely packed area, the crowd swirled as if it were a massive organism. It seemed they were right over there.
“Wow… beautiful…”
“Is that Professor Freya…? And the elf next to her…”
Lacking the courage to approach, it was like an unidentified matrix formed within the collective consciousness of those content to just watch from afar. Meanwhile, the individuals in question, blissfully unaware, sat laughing and chatting casually. Approaching the center through that ellipse required significant courage.
… All eyes are on us. It stings. It hurts.
Professor Aegis whispered,
“Did you place a bet?”
“I casually threw it out there.”
“hehehe, well done.”
“Aegis, aren’t you participating?”
“Oh my, I’m not a woman indulging in such pleasures~♩”
“Oh… I apologize.”
“How about it? Did you watch again?”
“I apologize for being a man indulging in pleasure like trash.”
As I lowered my head in melancholy, a chuckle echoed.
“It’s okay~♩ You need a bit of that to savor the taste of being looked after.”
Then, Freya, seated beside me, nudged me and asked,
“Why are you two having so much fun? Are you having a secret conversation?”
“… I just bet my life right now.”
“Life…?”
She furrowed her delicate brows, giving me a scrutinizing look. Aegis, perhaps trying to assist, added,
“Lately, Professor Neferna has been helping Cecilia adapt to her new magic. That’s what I heard.”
“Oh, really? But why is Eugene so confusing about it…”
Freya let out a relieved sigh, smiling wryly.
“I said something again. You thought Professor Aegis lent you money for gambling.”
What the…
“Oh, the match is starting… Ahahahaha…”
It was probably the first time he saw Professor Aegis breaking out in cold sweat.