Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Perfect Recall
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“You're still walking around unscathed after causing all that commotion?”
“It's the Kruger family.”
They might just buy out this whole academy if things don't go their way?
Giggling voices watched Gadia pass through the campus grounds.
Debiona, who had piled on with her own barbs, brushed back her brown hair.
“She's always been such a pain.”
Debiona's family, the Chester house, ruled over a small rural estate on the outskirts of the empire.
These days, it was trendy for minor noble houses like theirs to appoint proxies to manage their lands and live off the proceeds in big cities like the imperial capital.
And no place drew more of those types than Rabes, the infamous pleasure capital and metropolis.
The Krugers were the family that dominated Rabes.
They were renowned across the continent for the saying that every single good that moved did so through one of their trading companies at some point.
The richest family on the continent. Sure, they lagged a bit in military might or political clout, but what did that matter?
The noble daughter of such a mighty house. That was Gadia—Rabes's most esteemed lady of the nobility.
“But right now, she's stained with scandal and barely scrubbing it off.”
Humming to herself, Debiona headed off in search of her twin brother, Dmitri.
Gadia had gotten her nose bloodied on her own, so now it was time for her little brother Adelian.
‘He's got a decent face on him too, and with the Kruger name, he'd make a fine husband.’
But right now, that black-haired slave boy tempted her more.
“Get up, you pig!”
Debiona burst into Dmitri's room and kicked his plump rear.
“Argh! Ugh... couldn't wake me nicely?”
Dmitri yanked down his shirt, which had ridden up over his belly, and let out a massive yawn.
“We're gonna win anyway, so we'll get the girl and the guy. What's the rush?”
“That's exactly why we need to hurry!”
Debiona giggled.
“That slave of yours. Adelian's been feeding him well and keeping him around—looks even sturdier now, and he was holding a sword?”
And yet he held back somehow!
She whispered it like a taunt, and Dmitri sighed as if to say, *here we go again*.
“You know, Dad really ought to see you like this.”
*He only ever scolds me, calling me the wastrel,* Dmitri grumbled as he started pulling on his clothes.
“That's why you gotta live smart and plan ahead, like me, you pig. You are confident we're gonna win, right?”
“Of course. Don't you know what my trait is?”
Dmitri puffed up, stroking his thick, folded chins, and Debiona smacked the flab with her palm.
“I know it well. You've got Memory B.”
Adelian probably had no clue what Dmitri's signature trait even was.
That's why he'd jumped right into a game of matching cards, like some amateur gamble.
Dice were a matter of luck, sure—but that only held for total newbies.
With dice, you could angle the cup just so, tilt it a certain way to favor one face down, and statistically nudge the odds—even if just a bit.
Dmitri memorized all of it with the power of Memory (B).
And card games? With over 300 cards, once you counted them all, Dmitri had the edge, naturally.
“You'd better not go easy on that guy. He might break before we even get to the fun.”
Debiona tossed back her hair and laughed breezily at Dmitri's words.
“Naturally.”
* * *
“That's nasty.”
I shrugged at Rachel's grumbling.
“Showmanship's supposed to be like that.”
Long robes that draped from fingertips to toes.
I'd dressed Luna, Cain, Zero, and Rachel in them, hoods pulled all the way down.
Now only their lips or chins peeked out.
“You gotta package the goods nice and tight.”
“Oh, so I'm merchandise now?!”
I let Rachel's screech go in one ear and out the other.
They were all beauties, after all—it'd just draw unwanted stares.
Flashbangs work best in the dark for maximum effect, right? Same principle: hide the eye candy, then reveal it for impact.
Plus, if we played without robes and they later whined about being dazzled and demanded a rematch, I didn't want any excuses.
“No need to attract extra eyes and ears on the way there, yeah?”
―You're absolutely right, Administrator.
The casino from that earlier ruckus was lending us a room for the games.
“And hey, matching outfits build team spirit.”
“It looks so drab!”
“You never cared about clothes before...”
Rachel clammed up at Luna's jab.
“I'm used to it, thanks to Senior Cain.”
“No badge?”
Cain spoke up, clearly irked by the flapping fabric against his skin. I pulled on my hood as I answered.
“Casino bans those artifacts.”
If magic won't hide it, do it the old-fashioned way.
“Thought you'd chicken out, Adelian.”
“Come on in, Adelian.”
We stepped into the casino, and an employee who'd been waiting ushered us straight to the room.
The door swung open to reveal a massive gambling table—and Dmitri and Debiona.
“What's with the getup? Your slaves' funeral?”
“As if. I just don't wanna let you peek at my darlings before you've even lost.”
“Aww, can't I have a preview to whet my appetite?”
“Nope. No peeking, Debiona. Cain, hood stays on.”
I teased as I sauntered over to the server standing like furniture with a tray and snagged a glass.
“You little shit, Adelian. Just you wait—you'll be bawling to get 'em back later.”
“You betting with your mouth? That tongue of yours is way too long. So, what's the first game?”
Dmitri snorted and grinned as I sipped my drink.
“Let's start with card matching.”
*Called it.*
I swallowed the sip—floral and fruity on the breath—and dragged out a chair, slouching into it. Zero twitched beside me.
“Fine. So, what's your stake?”
At my gesture, Leaf shed her robe and approached slowly. Average height, slender build. Not cold, exactly—more like an inorganic doll's face.
Dmitri eyed her and smirked.
“Time.”
“Deal.”
Classic opener: win the one you're best at to seize momentum.
[Dmitri von Chester—Eldest Son of the Chester Family]
Signature Traits: [Memory (B)] [Greed (C)]
Hidden Traits: [Delusions (C)] [Composition (C)]
*Composition worse than a moldy rock...*
Across the wide table: 20 by 20. 400 cards total, all face-down.
Not your standard palm-sized cards—these were tiny, like Japanese hanafuda tiles.
“These are all brand-new, opened today, with no magical tampering whatsoever—we guarantee it here at the casino. We'll flash the faces for exactly one second.”
The casino dealer picked up a chip and glanced at Dmitri.
“Heads or tails. Your call.”
“You go first, Adelian.”
*Acting all gracious, huh.*
I rocked my chair casually and spoke.
“Tails.”
Habit had me twisting my Kruger ring, but I remembered the glove and settled for another sip instead, a touch wistful.
*Clink—*
The chip flipped into the air, landing on the dealer's hand.
“Heads. First move goes to heads.”
Dmitri rubbed his palms together, grinning wide—clearly pleased.
“I'm a C-rank spirit mage, wielder of wind spirits. We'll flip all cards for one second with spirit power, then play.”
The dealer clapped, and whoosh—20 by 20, 400 hanafuda-sized cards flipped at once.
*Cheating much?*
What showed: four basic designs, just different colors.
Shades so close, off by one or two hues—normal eyes would struggle even hunting by face-up image.
“First pick to Dmitri of heads.”
The cards flipped back in a blink. Dmitri leered.
“Adelian, next time you wanna bet, figure out what your opponent's good at—what traits they've got.”
“Ooh, solid advice.”
He scowled at my nonchalance.
“I'll wipe that smug look right off.”
He reached out, flipping with confidence. Pairs: one, two, three.
Steady hands, unflinching. Designs so alike, two attendants verified. Dmitri racked up 42 pairs.
84 cards.
“Oops, next one's over here.”
He cackled, pulling back. Probably not a real miss—more like toying with us.
Tough enough most folks'd be lucky to snag one pair. Mocking me and Leaf, basically.
*But.*
That was your mistake.
By my estimate, Memory (B) tops out at 60-80 pairs on this complexity.
Even blind, it's 200 pairs—half the deck. No way he clears all 400.
Reason I was cocky trotting out Leaf.
I curved my lips into a smile and murmured.
“Our turn now.”
Leaf's pale hand extended slowly.
―Easy.
Leaf was a golem. Human-like, sure—but not human.
“Oh? Not bad for a girl.”
A commander-class unit, at that.
“Adelian, why slave away for that wastrel? Come to me—I'll hook you up with something nice.”
Impossible to remember every lived moment forever, but stuff she *wanted* to? Perfect recall, short-term.
“What? That's not a match! Huh? It is?!”
Cain had seen her spar with Leaf plenty. Now it paid off.
“This can't be!”
“What the hell?!”
Dmitri shot up, quivering like he might froth. Debiona gaped in disbelief.
Leaf flipped without a hitch—not one miss.
―Shall I keep going, Administrator?
“Should we?”
101 pairs. 202 cards. I smirked at Dmitri.
“Th—this...!”
“We win?”
I yawned hugely on purpose, eyeing him.
“Dmitri, next time you bet, figure out what your opponent's good at—what traits they've got.”
“You bastard!”
*Bang!*
I slammed the table before he could bellow more, twisting into laughter.
“So, time?”
His jowls quivered.
“...Nine p.m.”
“Sweet. Next game. Loosen up—friends don't sulk over one little loss, right?”
I fished a small box from my pocket, grinning.
“Brought you a gift, even.”
I lobbed it across. Dmitri snatched it with a sour face that lit up fast.
“Ooh, pretty.”
“You've still got an eye, Adelian.”
Dmitri and Debiona lifted their dice, tilting them in the light. I grabbed the casino-prepped ones and rolled them in my palm.
“We're above playing for chump stakes.”
Ivory bodies, blue gem dust in the etched pips.
Fancy dice, sure—but trash to me now.
“These are kinda low-rent for us, no? Kills the vibe.”
I rolled the ivory die toward Cain; he pinned it with a fingertip, crumbling it like a cookie.
“Vibe? Vibe... yeah, you're right.”
“What're you saying? These are gorgeous—perfect for a game!”
Even as Debiona fumed, Dmitri couldn't stop fiddling, rattling them in his grip.
“What, you want cheap ivory crap? Total vibe-killer.”
*Greed trait greased the wheels, huh.*
I beckoned; Leaf stepped back, Luna shed her robe and sat beside me.
“Ready for the next game?”