Death's Chinchiro
They say the greatest pleasure the human brain can feel is gambling. Whether you win money or lose it, the rush and thrill are supposedly the same. That pleasure doesn't just rot your brain—it completely shatters your self-control. Trying to quit gambling through sheer willpower and effort alone is nearly impossible. That's why addicts will keep at it even if it means losing their hands and switching to their feet. Right now, I'm in exactly that state. I'm clearly on the verge of losing the game, yet this uncontrollable excitement is raping my brain. Stay calm. Think while maintaining composure. Calmly count prime numbers. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13… Following the priest's method of reciting primes somehow gives me courage and makes my inner self feel at peace.
Think about it. Is it really a coincidence that I've lost three times in a row? What if Ersebet did something to the dice or used loaded ones? In a world where magic exists, swapping out a die or two wouldn't be difficult. "Lady Ersebet. May I examine the dice for a moment?" "Oh my, are you worried I might have tampered with them?"
No matter how I looked at the dice, they seemed ordinary. There were no signs of tampering or any modifications. Maybe Tirga would have noticed something? I called Tirga over and whispered into her ear. "Tirga, do you see anything strange that elf might have done?" "Hmm… I'm not entirely sure, but something feels off. That elf throws the dice unusually high, yet they land perfectly inside the bowl every time, as if on purpose."
She had a point. Ersebet had been throwing the dice high the entire time, but none of them ever bounced out of the rice bowl. The dice used in the game weren't large or heavy—they were smaller than fingernails and made of very light material. Physically speaking, throwing them that high should have sent them flying out of the bowl. "Can we resume the game now?" "No. This game has been rigged." "Rigged? What do you mean?" "I'll throw the dice once, just like you did, Lady Ersebet."
I threw the dice high, the same way Ersebet had. The small, light dice bounced off the bowl from the recoil and fell under the table. "Doesn't this seem strange? Given the size and weight of these dice, throwing them as high as you did should make them bounce out like this. But somehow, all three dice landed perfectly in the bowl, as if they were fixed." "T-that's…" "You clearly used magic or some kind of trick. Tirga, bring out your hammer."
Ersebet, who had maintained her relaxed demeanor until now, began to stammer in panic. The earthquake in her pupils confirmed it. Among yakuza, if someone cheats at chinchiro, they shove dice into the cheater's eyes and drill twenty-one holes into their torso before dumping the body in a river or sea. No matter how pretty this elf sister is, once she's caught cheating at gambling, I can't just let it slide. At the very least, I need to smash her neck to make it fair. "You dare mess with a sacred gambling table? I hope you're prepared." "How dare you deceive the master! Elf, I'll kill you right now."
There's no need to speak politely to a cheater. Tirga seemed angry too—she grew in size and returned to her original giant form. As she unleashed her power, dark clouds gathered in the once-clear sky, and thunder began to rumble. The prisoners fled at the sight of the giant Tirga, while the elves aimed their bows at us. But I could sense it—these ruthless elves were afraid of Tirga's power. "Ahem, s-so you've caught me. Marquelon, you're right. I was throwing the dice high to manipulate the outcome with wind magic. The reason they didn't bounce out was also because of magic."
"You know what happens when you cheat at a gambling table, don't you?" "Aww, come on, let's end this peacefully, okay? You must want something." "Fine. Consider it payment for your life and hand over an appropriate amount of money. Otherwise, you and every elf around here will be struck dead by lightning." "How about this instead of money? I'll give you one sturdy, rare slave."
It was a tempting offer. I didn't have an inventory system, so I needed a porter anyway. But just one slave didn't feel like enough. As I remained silent, pondering, Ersebet made another suggestion. "If one slave isn't enough, how about this treasure map?" "A treasure map? Hmm…" When Ersebet snapped her fingers, a scroll tied with string appeared along with a magic circle. A treasure map—that was hard to resist. Even in open-world games, hunting for hidden treasures was fun. Who would've thought I'd get to do it in real life? I accepted the offer while pretending I had no choice. "This isn't rigged too, is it?" "I got it from a prisoner, so I don't know about that either." "If you gave me a fake, lightning will strike you, elf. You saw Tirga's power earlier, right?" "Eek!"
The deal was struck. I ordered Tirga to stop, and she returned from her giant form to human size. The pitch-black sky cleared as if nothing had happened, and only then did the elves lower their weapons. Ersebet had one of her subordinates bring over a beastman and introduced her to me. It was a cute and pretty rabbit beastwoman with small rabbit ears. She had a round face, short stature, and light brown hair that looked extremely messy, probably from lack of care. Not just her hair—her face was also dirty and dark, as if she hadn't been allowed to wash or even eat properly. If you turned that cute dwarf bunny into a human, wouldn't she look just like the beastwoman in front of me? Without the ears, I'd believe she was a plain dwarf woman.
That aside, how did she know I liked bunny girls? Bunny girls are incredibly arousing. Getting one for free like this—I feel like I won't be able to calm down. She's not exactly a typical bunny girl since her ears are short and her figure is slim, but… I've got Tirga for the curvy parts, so it's fine. Where there's light, there's shadow. Where there's bread, there needs to be rice for balance in the world. A plain bunny girl is still a bunny girl, and it's its own kind of delicacy. "Rare is one thing, but is she actually sturdy? She looks frail and in bad shape." "Of course! Beastmen have physical abilities that rival dwarves or orcs, despite appearances. Plus, this girl is a rare member of the Kuni clan. Her value is enormous."
"What's the rabbit girl's name?" "...Lati." "So, Lati, do you want to rot and die here in this camp? Or will you work under me?" "I hate it here. If I can get out, I'll do anything!" A bit of life returned to Lati's previously lifeless, dead eyes. It was resolve. A firm determination to live. Regardless of ability or strength, having such a cute companion around wouldn't be so bad. "Alright, Lati. From now on, you're my subordinate." "Subordinate?" "Yeah. If you work hard, I'll pay you well and guarantee food, clothing, shelter, and decent welfare."
I don't know if this world has systems like the four major insurances or welfare, but at least I won't treat her like some shady small business owner. She said she's sturdy, so I'll see how hard she works. First, I need to do something about how filthy she is. Give her a bath and dress her in something clean. What kind of facility is this that they don't even let her shower? "Oh, right. And that collar is annoying, so take it off." Ersebet touched the collar with her finger, and with a soft sound, it split in half and fell to the ground.
The gambling session ended in a mess, but I'd gained a cute porter and a treasure map, so it was as good as a win. Good is good. Now that I'd safely delivered the prisoners to the camp, my job was done. I just wanted to head to the location marked on this treasure map as soon as possible. I'd grown sick of these Nazi elves and didn't want to see them anymore. Aren't there any normal elves around? "Very well, Lady Ersebet. Don't cheat at gambling tables from now on. You might actually end up a cripple." "By the way, that's unexpected. You could've used the cheating as leverage to demand something much greater from me." "I'm sick of elves now."
Of course, I'd considered putting a collar on Ersebet and taking her for a naked walk or making her do naked dogeza. Grabbing the leash and pounding her from behind while slapping her ass would be thrilling. But just as we don't eat anything when we're hungry, sticking your dick into any random hole just because you're horny is extremely dangerous. Especially with a cunning woman like her. After the deal was done, I gave a quick goodbye and headed outside. That's when I ran into Sergeant Richel, who had disappeared earlier. "Marquelon? How did the dice game go?" "Our captain tried to cheat, so I just flipped the table. In exchange, I got this cute beastwoman girl."
"I see. Sorry, I have an urgent report to make to the higher-ups." "It's fine. I'll be going now. I've got other work to take care of." "G-going? Come back to Troopers Castle with me…" "No, it's alright. I'll collect the escort mission reward later when I meet Lady Ranea." I cut Richel off sharply. It was a bit disappointing to part with her, but I'd had enough of Nazi elves. Since I had no intention of settling down anyway, I wanted to work with other races or factions. And pure love is good. A peaceful elf who loves nature would be better than a Nazi elf in a black trench coat and uniform, right? "You are a talent this Silvareich Empire needs. I can't just let you go." "Are you going to block me by force?"
"I'd like to, but I know it's impossible with my strength. And I don't want to point a sword at you, Marquelon. So if you're really leaving…" Richel held out a dagger to me. Then, with a grave expression, she said that if I was going, I should stab her with it. "Lady Richel, do you really want me to stab you with this?" "N-no, but…" "Well, fine. I have both a dick and a knife, and one of them is going to end up inside Lady Richel. Which one would you prefer?" "T-that's obviously…" Her face flushed red as she answered in a barely audible voice, choosing the dick. But life doesn't always go as planned. I have no intention of giving her my dick so easily. Part of me wanted to blast her with lightning to knock her out, but out of old affection, I decided to just leave. "I'll stick my dick in you next time. Stay healthy until then."
I coolly took Tirga and Lati and left the elf sergeant without looking back. When you already have flowers in both hands, why bother picking up one that's already been plucked and left to rot on the ground? I've had my fill. What? I seem like trash? Don't bring up such petty morals in this insane world.