Chapter 57
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Merchant's Secret
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The Dark Magic House was the Duchy of Baron.
The castle's name was also Baron Castle.
As befitting a castle ruled by the Dark Magic House, it was enormous.
‘To prepare to ruin Marquis Langham's plan, I first need money.’
Chris crossed his arms.
Not just any money, but a colossal sum was needed.
‘Well, it doesn't matter. I can just get the money from someone else.’
There were plenty of rich people in the world, so all he had to do was empty their pockets.
First, he decided to start by seriously having some fun.
Baron Castle was also well-developed in its pleasures.
“Bring me wine!”
“B-But?”
“Hah! Do you not know who I am? I am Christian van Baron, of the Dark Magic House's bloodline! The one who will soon be the Young Lord! Can you not bring me wine at once?”
Chris diligently played the part of a scoundrel.
It surprisingly suited him.
‘If I'm going to play, I might as well do it properly.’
He didn't particularly feel the gaze of anyone tailing him.
But Baron Castle was the stronghold of the Dark Magic House. If he made even the slightest suspicious move, it would be immediately reported to Marquis Langham.
‘I have to carouse and revel so no one will suspect a thing.’
In truth, that was half an excuse.
He just wanted to have fun.
‘When else can I play if not now? My fate has been nothing but training, training! What I wanted was the life of a rich, jobless noble! I want to play!’
He played to his heart's content.
Except for the alcohol.
As expected of the Majin, they were rigid when it came to alcohol.
Even when he threatened them using the authority of the Dark Magic House, they absolutely refused to serve him any. He had no idea how the previous 'Christian' had managed to get his hands on drinks.
He had no choice but to play around with a ginger ale in hand.
‘Damn it, I hate ginger ale! I'm sick of ginger juice!’
Alcohol aside, he played like a true scoundrel.
He had so much fun that he started hearing whispers.
“A scoundrel, as expected.”
“Didn't they say he'd changed? I heard he absorbed a tremendous amount of Sacred Black during the ceremony.”
“Who knows. I thought he'd changed, but he's the same. I guess a scoundrel's nature doesn't just disappear.”
The sound of tongues clicking in disapproval came from all around.
Chris faintly raised the corners of his mouth and focused even more on his revelry.
‘A chance to play this extravagantly doesn't come easily!’
His favorite was, of course, card games.
He was completely immersed in the game.
“That young master lost again!”
“Shouldn't someone stop him?!”
Chris shouted with even more excitement.
“Another 10,000 Rupee!”
The manager of the gambling hall looked troubled.
“Young Master, you're already 100,000 Rupee in debt. Perhaps it's time to stop?”
“Hey! Don't you know who I am? I'm Chris. Chris, who will become the Young Lord of the Dark Magic House! And you're making a fuss over a mere 100,000 Rupee?! Another 10,000 Rupee!”
He quickly lost another 10,000 Rupee.
This repeated several more times.
Chris's debt to the gambling hall exceeded 200,000 Rupee.
The atmosphere in the gambling hall grew increasingly icy.
“That… shouldn't someone really stop him now?”
“…I think so.”
“Don't those bastards have any sense? Why do they keep winning? Are they trying to get themselves hurt?”
No matter how much of a scoundrel he was, he was still of the Dark Magic House's bloodline, masters of Baron Castle.
But to fleece him of 200,000 Rupee in one sitting?
This had crossed the line.
However, the one who was truly most anxious was the gambling hall's manager.
‘What are you doing? Why do you keep winning?!’
The manager shot a death glare at the dealer.
It was customary to lose a moderate amount when a Majin from the Dark Magic House came to play.
But they were fleecing him for all he was worth, so it was impossible not to turn pale.
‘Do you want to get your neck wrung?’
But the dealer, also pale, sent a signal back.
[I-It's strange. I don't want to win, but the hands keep coming out weird.]
Card games are games of probability.
Therefore, unless one was cheating, it was impossible for one side to win continuously like this.
But who would be crazy enough to cheat a figure from the Dark Magic House?
Above all, this 'Rudolph' gambling hall was directly operated by the Rudolph Merchant Guild, a massive guild from the Magitech Empire, and they never cheated their customers.
The problem was that more and more people were starting to get suspicious.
“What, are they actually cheating?”
“Huh, a five-card sequence? Is it even possible to get a hand like that? The odds of that hand are 1 in 170,000.”
“Just before, it was an eight-card odd-even sequence, wasn't it? For those rare hands to appear twice in a row? The odds of those two hands appearing back-to-back are 1 in 800 million, right?”
Chris lost another 20,000 Rupee.
Chris, who had been all worked up, tilted his head and then,
“Something's strange. Why are the hands like this?”
The moment he said that one line, the gambling hall's manager scrambled to his knees.
“I-It's a misunderstanding!!”
“We absolutely did not cheat!”
Everyone in the gambling hall turned pale and bowed their heads.
“Then, why? Are you saying I lost like this because I'm an idiot?”
“N-Not at all! I don't know how it happened, but we are sorry! Please, quell your anger!”
The managers of the gambling hall begged for forgiveness without even knowing what they had done wrong.
‘Hmm, I feel a little bad.’
Chris thought to himself.
There was only one reason for such a strange result.
Chris was the one who cheated.
To make himself lose.
Why?
To frame them.
‘Well, those employees did nothing wrong, but the Rudolph Merchant Guild has many sins.’
It was a famous merchant guild.
Famous enough that he'd shouted 'Jackpot!' upon seeing the name.
He had a deep connection with them in his previous life.
“W-We will consider the debt the Young Master has incurred to be null and void! No, we will also offer you compensation!”
“Are you telling me to take a few coins and get lost?”
“Th-That is absolutely not what we meant!!”
“Bring me the person in charge.”
“…Pardon?”
Chris raised the corners of his mouth into a cold smile.
“You didn't commit such a grave error and think you could just gloss it over, did you? I will hold your superior directly responsible.”
***
He was guided to the top-floor VVIP room of the hotel connected to the gambling hall.
“P-Please wait just a moment, the branch manager will be here shortly.”
“It would be best if he isn't late. My patience isn't very deep.”
“W-We'll keep that in mind!”
The gambling hall's manager hastily disappeared.
Chris sat on the plush, high-end sofa, crossing his legs.
“Just like the Rudolph Merchant Guild. Everything is top-notch.”
Chris grinned.
“They won't even notice if I fleece them.”
Isn't that too harsh?
Not at all.
In his previous life, he had a deep connection with the Rudolph Merchant Guild.
Mostly in a bad way.
‘I suffered quite a bit at the hands of their guild master.’
Chris furrowed his brow slightly.
She was a remarkable merchant.
To the extent that Chris had been backstabbed several times.
‘Of course, I did pay her back several times over later on.’
In fact, it wasn't just paying her back; he'd turned her into a complete pushover.
She basically became his personal moneybag.
- How long are you going to keep ripping me off, you bastard!!
- Until the world ends?
The guild master's shouting voice seemed to echo in his ears.
He had indeed fleeced her until the world ended, but Chris still hadn't let go of his past grudges.
He was petty. If he was backstabbed once, he would never forget it.
‘Meeting like this again must be fate. I'll have to make her my pushover again.’
It was perfect timing, as he was just feeling the need for a personal moneybag anyway.
‘First, a drink.’
He poured a drink from an elegant glass bottle into a glass.
Everyone had been so rigid that he was craving a drink, so he hastily took a sip, but…
‘…Damn it, it was ginger ale. These bastards.’
They had brought him ginger ale because he was a minor!
Just as he scowled, the door opened.
A remarkably handsome young man appeared.
“It is an honor to meet the renowned Young Master Christian van Baron Cazar of the Dark Magic House. I am Rubid, the Master of the Rudolph Merchant Guild.”
For a moment, Chris looked slightly surprised.
Was it because the guild master had appeared unexpectedly?
No, that wasn't the reason.
‘Look at this.’
The owner of the Rudolph Merchant Guild he knew was a woman.
But the person who appeared now was a man.
How could this be?
‘Interesting.’
Already knowing the guild master's 'secret', Christian smiled faintly.
He took in the features of Rubid, the man who had introduced himself as the guild master.
Dark brown hair, blue eyes.
A likable, bright impression.
His facial lines were delicate, giving him a strongly androgynous feel. At a glance, he could even pass for a woman.
With an interested expression, he downed the ginger ale in his glass.
“So, you've heard the story?”
“Yes, and frankly, I don't understand what happened. A rigged card game against the Young Master... It's baffling.”
“So, you're saying it's not your fault?”
“Yes, absolutely not. However, since a distinguished person's mood has been soured, I suppose we cannot say we are entirely without responsibility.”
Guild Master Rubid offered an envelope.
“As a token of our apology, we will nullify all the debts the Young Master incurred at the gambling hall. In addition, please accept this humble gift.”
Opening the envelope revealed the Rudolph crest.
“If there is anything you desire, please tell our guild. We will procure any item for you at cost.”
The Rudolph Merchant Guild also operated an auction house.
Thus, they could easily obtain all sorts of rare items.
“Hmm, may I tell you what I need right now?”
“Please, speak.”
“Ruina.”
“…Pardon?”
“Bring me the woman named Ruina.”
For an instant, a crack appeared in the guild master's expression.
As if it were a lie, the guild master smiled again.
“What might you mean by that?”
“You should know who the woman named Ruina is, shouldn't you?”
“Well… I do. Isn't she a famous merchant from the Alliance?”
Gypsy Ruina.
She was one of the top magnates in the Alliance, running the 'Deer Merchant Guild'.
“Even for our guild, bringing the master of an Alliance guild is…”
“Is it really impossible?”
Chris asked, staring intently.
While looking at the guild master's face.
More precisely, while looking at the delicate, androgynous facial lines that could pass for a woman's.
“I think it should be possible.”
“!!”
Did he sense something in Chris's tone?
Rubid's face hardened.
Taking a hesitant step back, Rubid gave an awkward smile.
“I-I'm not sure… what you mean.”
“You don't know? Then perhaps you'll understand if I call you not by Rubid, but by another name?”
Chris said in a deep voice.
“Guild Master Ruina.”
“!!”
“Quite the disguise. The power of a holy artifact?”
That was right.
The person before him was both Rubid and Ruina.
To be precise, she was a woman disguised as a man, living a double life.
On the Demonic Path's side, as the master of the Rudolph Merchant Guild.
On the Alliance's side, as the master of the Deer Merchant Guild.
For a moment, Rubid's—no, Ruina's—expression shifted through a spectrum of colors.
Realizing Chris knew everything, paleness, shock, and a sense of crisis flashed across her face, finally culminating in killing intent.
Just as Ruina's hand moved toward her breast, perhaps to kill him and silence him,
“Pull that out and you die.”
“!!”
“If you don't believe me, feel free to take the gamble.”
In that instant, a look of frantic deliberation crossed Ruina's face.
She bit her lip hard as she looked at Chris's face, and in the end…
“…How did you know?”
She raised the white flag.
*Paaat!*
With an afterimage like static, her appearance changed.