93 – Hukou
First of all, it was the black market. There were a lot of things I didn’t like, so there must be a lot of things that can be used for the crown prince and the owner of the tower.
I took out a catalog with items that will be sold shortly after and looked at it.
As expected, there were many necessary items. A magic tool that erases mana and removes scent, and a medicine that promotes the absorption of medicine.
There seemed to be a lot of other things to buy. There were many things I wanted to give to Shael.
It was worthwhile to take the risk of removing Sael.
But it wasn’t just a satisfied smile.
‘It’s too expensive.’
I took out as much money as I could. But she didn’t have enough money to buy everything she needed on the black market because she spent a lot of money on Shael.
If I had to think about it, the Baslet family’s finances were in jeopardy these days because of the crown prince and the mage lord.
Anyway, the situation was not good. It was to the point where I couldn’t even buy the things I had to buy unconditionally.
There was a place that caught my eye. It was a gambling den right next to the black market.
‘It would be nice if I could earn a little bit.’
The timing was good. Shael took off the ring of control at the banquet hall and said that he would spy on me. And Shael foolishly forgot it.
So you can gamble against any opponent. As soon as I finished my thoughts, I headed to the casino.
‘I think I’ll just have to catch one hogu.’
Most of the people in the black market are wealthy merchants or aristocrats.
If you could find just one aristocrat who didn’t want to lose among them, it would be possible to save enough money to buy everything you need on the black market.
It was time to carefully watch people. I heard someone talking behind me.
“Would you like to float with me?”
It was a woman with a familiar feeling. But it didn’t matter very much.
A bit of magical power can be felt in quite antique clothes. It was clear that it was a noble lady from a noble family.
Therefore, the probability that he had no knowledge of gambling was very high.
“Let’s do that.”
“You better be prepared.”
Things moved quickly. It was poker that led to a confrontation with a woman.
First start. Midway through the game, the woman frowned at her.
‘Is my hand bad?’
For that reason, the expression was too revealing. Feeling suspicious about this, I bet fewer gold coins.
Obviously, it must have been a performance for a proper victory.
“Your victory.”
But oddly enough, the victory was mine. Even after that, the woman showed emotion on her face.
Every time that happened, the situation went as the woman’s expression said.
If the woman frowned, she bet a large gold coin. She bets less gold coins if the corner of the woman’s mouth goes up.
A lot of gold coins were piled up before I knew it. It seemed like they had caught a huge lobster.
“Profit⋯⋯!”
“Do you want to do more?”
“We need to do more!”
“What about this? I don’t want to do more.”
I wish I could have earned this much. She got up from her seat, leaving the woman alone. Excessive greed is not good.
I still didn’t have enough money, but it would be good to find someone else.
And I saw it. Someone was approaching the woman. The smell of her alcohol wafted up to this point.
‘It’s my Hogu.’
I can’t ignore it. She thought, sandwiched between the woman and she the thug. Maybe she could shove more money.
* * *
Shael let out a sigh. She tried to warn her of the dangers of gambling in order to punish her fiancé for going astray.
It was for this reason that Shael went to Eran, who was looking for a gambling partner. Because she had the confidence to overcome Eran perfectly.
However, Shael lost miserably. He thought he wouldn’t be used to things like this, but Ran found out that he was a skilled player.
Actually, it wasn’t at all, but at least in Shael’s opinion, it was.
Later, Shael followed Eran while vowing to punish Eran properly. Now she had to keep an eye on what Eran was up to.
But someone interrupted Shael. She was a man of stout size.
“Look here. It sounds like she lost a lot of money. Wouldn’t it be a loss to stop gambling there?”
Shael silently expressed her refusal. She did, but the man did not back down. She may have gone mad with gambling and alcohol, but with her hand on her axe, she was making a silent threat.
A place of poor quality starting with facilities on the black market where the identity is unknown. She didn’t think anyone would stop the thugs who were fighting her against Shael.
Of course, Sael had no worries at all. Because she had a protective spell applied to Shael now.
As if something had happened, Duke Jespen, who had been chasing after Sael, had cast a tremendous protective spell on Sael and headed somewhere.
Like the Duke of Jespen, who is very worried, the amount of magic power was enough to bring him to his knees even when the owner of the Mage Tower came.
“Now, are you ignoring me? I’ve already lost all my money!”
Shael arrogantly ignored the thug and tried to pursue Eran.
Unlike Shael, who tried to chase Ran, her thugs kept coming. He was reaching out to Shael. Now, if he gets any closer, the protection magic will push him away.
However, the situation where the protective magic circle worked did not happen. The reason was that someone got in between the thug and Shael.
“What happened?”
A trustworthy back was visible along with a pleasant voice. It was Eran’s back. Eran had a tight grip on her arm as the thug tried to reach her hand at Shael.
Even though she was wearing her camouflage horse tool, Ran was giving Shael peace of mind.
“It has nothing to do with you⋯⋯!”
“You might as well just go.”
Ran scattered her flesh. I heard that she has a blood line from a famous swordsmanship family and has recently reached a high level, so she had no choice but to quickly grasp the situation, no matter how drunk she was.
There the thug’s hand twisted to the point of being crushed. Then the thug glared at Eran for a moment and then hurriedly ran away.
Soon Eran looked at Shael. Eran’s gaze seemed to pierce everything.
However, it was Shael who used an excellent camouflage magic tool. There was no way Eran would notice Shael.
Maybe that’s why Shael didn’t like Eran. That she’s trying to save a woman other than herself?
I was annoyed. It’s a shame because she was herself wearing a camouflage horse tool. Had she been another woman, things would have happened to Shael.
A woman who blushes at Ran. Because that was what Sael hated the most in the world.
Shael met Eran’s eyes again. Shael, who felt annoyed just before.
And this time, Shael felt uneasy.
The reason was that there was greed in Eran’s eyes. Eran was staring at Shael as if he wanted something from her.
‘Why?’
What does Eran want from herself? She couldn’t even tell Eran had noticed her cover. Because Duke Jespen’s magic and magic tools were very good.
As soon as she finished her thoughts, Shael kept thinking about her.
Wouldn’t she ask for a contact number? Maybe ask to spend time together.
Normally, she was in a situation where she would have liked it with a cold reply. But she was different now.
In Eran’s eyes, the current Sael was not Sael, but another woman who used a camouflage magic tool.
“Hey.”
Eran, who had been waiting, finally spoke to Shael.
“Yes, yes?”
“Her wrist still tingles. I will have to buy her medicine.”
It was a big deal. Shael unwittingly pulled out her wallet and she was giving him money to buy her medicine.
But there’s no way Eran was hurt by that drunkard?
When that thought passed through Sael’s head, her Sael’s money was already in Eran’s wallet.
Shael tried to put her complaint into her mouth. However, Eran’s mouth opened first.
“I almost had a big problem.”
“⋯⋯?”
“Is there any reward? If possible, a larger amount.”
Reward money? Of course, I didn’t want to give that away. After all, even if Eran wasn’t there, Sael wouldn’t have any problems.
However, Sael opened her wallet just as naturally as before.
At this moment, I felt as if I had become Eran’s exclusive wallet.
Eran took Shael’s money with a satisfied smile. Next, as Ran counted the amount of her money, she sighed and said,
“This is not enough.”
“What?”
You must have heard it wrong. Obviously it will. Shael questioned Eran, doubting her ears.
Eran’s answer that followed was enough to make Shael confused.
“If you give me three times more, I will call you a gambler and give you a little.”
“⋯⋯What?”
As expected, Sael’s wallet was opened this time as well. Because I couldn’t stand Eran’s earnest eyes.
“Then let’s go.”
As if she got everything she needed now, with cold words, she turned around and saw Ran’s back.
It was Eran’s reliable back. She just wanted to slap her on the back now.
At the same time, I felt relieved.
She was worried that she wouldn’t treat other women well than Sael, but ⋯⋯.
Not at all. Eran, who was very nice to Sael, was trash in the world in front of other women.
It’s not just trash, it’s the dog trash of the world.
On the contrary, Sael liked it. The corner of Shael’s mouth, which had been downward in her anxiety, was looking up at the sky.
She also made a promise. She was determined not to entrust Eran with her finances.