Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Grasping and Shaking the Weakness
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Dark reddish-brown hair and a towering height that looked down on everyone else stood out.
'Is that him?'
To confirm, I needed to take a closer look.
Pretending my goal was to exchange chips, I slowly approached him. While rummaging through my pocket as if checking for something, I glanced at him furtively.
Even in a black jacket, his sturdy build didn't look the least bit frail. Broad shoulders tapered down to thick, bulging muscles.
Decisively, there was even the mole next to his lips peeking out from under the mask.
"Here you are."
The exchange dealer handed over the chips.
The man's large, rough hand swept up all the chips in one go. The back of his hand, studded with bluish calluses, exuded a stern aura.
"Thanks."
He turned immediately and headed to another table. I watched his back and smiled with satisfaction.
'Found him.'
Faster than expected. I'd braced myself to come and go for at least three days.
It was possible because I knew his exact appearance.
Liam Schmidt. A knight in the border guard of Ovest Territory.
I planned to take him as my swordsmanship instructor. Of course, his opinion wasn't part of that plan.
'Wonder what face he'll make.'
Just thinking about facing Liam made my heart race. A pleasant anticipation bubbled up inside me.
Giggling to myself, I headed toward the table where he sat. Pretending to watch the game at another table, I stole glances at his from time to time.
The game he was playing now was poker. His win rate wasn't high.
I could sense impatience in the way he tapped the table. His eyes, visible through the gap in the mask, were bloodshot.
'The salary of a knight in Ovest Territory's Knight Order isn't generous.'
But it was enough for him to live on alone. Yet he wandered the floors of this gambling den.
Because he was already deeply mired in the swamp of gambling.
A sharp smile crossed my lips.
'All I have to do is pull him out of that swamp.'
The moment Liam suddenly lifted his face,
"......"
I calmly turned my head and pretended to look at the table.
'As expected, a knight's instincts can't be ignored.'
To avoid getting caught by him, I'd have to throw my gaze elsewhere sporadically.
A little later, after losing some money, Liam stood up from the table. He looked around here and there, scanning for another game worth playing.
I watched him and prayed.
'Go there, please go there.'
As if he'd heard my wish, Liam headed to the table I wanted.
'Now I can get close.'
I crept toward the table where he'd taken a seat. Thanks to him, it was full, so I'd have to wait a bit to join the game.
"I'll stand."
The game he chose was blackjack. A game where you win by making the sum of your cards total twenty-one.
The basic rules were simple. But since you had to predict your next move based on the cards already revealed, it demanded considerable mental agility.
'Not an easy game for Liam, who's swung a sword his whole life.'
As expected, he struggled. He won a little at first, but as more people joined, he started losing consecutively.
"......"
I meticulously observed the changing pile of his chips. Roughly calculating, it seemed he'd lost even more than at the previous table.
Time passed, and eventually, his chips ran out.
His jaw clenched under the mask. I couldn't see his whole face, but I could tell he was deeply disheartened.
Scrape.
Finally, Liam stood from his seat. But lingering reluctance kept him hovering around the table.
'Right, can't leave just yet.'
Wearing a relaxed smile, I waited for a seat to open.
"I'm done here."
Just then, the person sitting directly across from him stood up. I sat down immediately, as if I'd been waiting.
"Do you need a rules explanation?"
The dealer asked to confirm, since there were many new players. Everyone, including me, shook their heads.
"No need."
"Just start."
"Understood. Then, please take your cards."
After receiving my cards, I glanced over, and Liam was staring at the table with his mouth set in a straight line.
I directed a smile toward his profile.
Watch closely from now on. I'll show you how the game is really played.
"Let's begin."
I tapped the table with my finger.
❖ ❖ ❖
"Blackjack."
My single word drew exclamations from those around me.
"Won again, again."
"What kind of luck is this?"
"Never seen such an unbelievable win rate."
People whispered and glanced at me furtively.
"What the hell? How's this working?"
"No idea. Every hand he gets is twenty-one."
"Can't stand seeing the dealer win. How does he do it?"
I hummed inwardly.
'Even if you knew, you couldn't pull it off.'
No merchant stays in business at a loss. So casinos operate ensuring a certain win rate.
Games fundamentally set against the players. Outcomes decided purely by probability and luck.
But among them, blackjack is exceptionally special.
'The only game where current cards influence the next ones.'
By inferring the remaining cards excluding those on the table, you can raise your win rate.
But to do that, you have to estimate the cards on the floor and in each player's hand.
That requires memorizing every card and deducing all possible combinations.
Impossible for ordinary people. But......
"How does he keep winning?"
"He must have memorized every card......"
"You think that's possible?"
It is.
It wasn't heavily featured in the original story, but Abel had a special ability.
Perfect recall of anything seen once.
'They called it eidetic memory.'
A truly unique sense. All memories stacked neatly in the brain like photographs.
With a bit of focus, you could retrieve them as vividly as if just seen, etched onto the retina.
That was why I kept winning streak after streak. This was beyond what the dealer could handle.
'How far can I rake it in?'
I calculated the chip values with my eyes. This was probably the biggest haul in the casino today.
But money wasn't my goal.
This amount was pocket change to me. With the original story's knowledge, far greater fortunes awaited in the future.
My goal was elsewhere—specifically, a person.
"......"
I glanced at Liam standing nearby to my left.
He stared blankly around the table in bewilderment. He probably didn't even realize his mouth was slightly agape.
'As expected, he'd watch till the end.'
I smiled with satisfaction.
Many participants I'd already beaten had left after losing their chips. As it repeated, reactions split two ways.
Those hoping to break my streak, and those curious how far my wins would go.
Liam was the latter.
He'd been watching me since my second consecutive win. And as my chip stack grew, so did how often his jaw dropped.
"......Impossible."
I read the mutter from Liam's lip movements. He wouldn't leave this table until I did.
Because something about me piqued his curiosity. And that was exactly what I'd intended.
"Blackjack."
"......"
The dealer's hand trembled as he checked my cards. Pale-faced, he kept glancing toward headquarters.
Dealers are hired to bring profit to the casino. This was the opposite, so he couldn't be at ease.
I silently pitied the dealer before me.
'Tough luck. You've made plenty before, right?'
Watching the atmosphere closely, I decided this was enough and set down my cards.
"I'm done here."
"Ah, yes. Understood."
The dealer responded brightly. His hands shook finely as he began moving the chips—trembling from fear earlier, now mixed with joy.
Propping my chin on one hand, I gazed ahead. All the chips on the table piled up in front of me, rising high in a magnificent sight.
People gawked at my stack, jaws slack, oblivious. Greed overflowed in their eyes peeking from widened sockets.
Meanwhile, a few eyes held a chillier glint.
Pretending not to notice, I stood from my seat.
Clink, clatter......
So many chips that one rolled off the table. It spun on the floor and stopped at someone's feet.
"Ah."
Liam Schmidt. Right in front of him.
Liam picked up the chip and approached me. He held it out between two fingers.
"Here."
"Thanks."
The moment our eyes met, his pupils flinched under the mask. They dilated in disbelief.
He must have realized who I was.
I averted my gaze naturally, feigning ignorance.
'A knight's observation skills are no joke.'
Of course—if he couldn't recognize Abel's distinctive eyes up this close, he'd be the fool.
I walked past him calmly. I felt his stare boring into my back.
The sack of chips felt heavy. Setting it down at the exchange counter made an impressive thud for just chips.
Thump.
The employee's gaze, already on me, wasn't friendly. But soon a business smile covered it.
"I'll exchange them for you."
I tucked the now-bulging pouch into my bosom and climbed the stairs I'd used earlier. Entering the empty room, I removed my mask.
"Whew."
It had been stuffy wearing it so long in the poorly ventilated sealed space.
'Can't do this in summer.'
I rubbed my face a few times, then put the mask back on.
'Normally you'd return it.'
But since I needed it longer, leaving an extra silver coin or so should suffice.
The exit was on the opposite wall from the entrance. Turning the knob revealed an empty alley greeting me.
"Time to go."
Very slowly.
Muttering the last part inwardly, I stepped forward. The exit alley was quiet, no bartender or prostitutes.
I'd cast the bait; now it was time for the first bite.
I slowly counted from one to one hundred in my head.
'......79, 80.'
Just as I exited the alley into the open lot.
"Hey."
A rough voice called from behind.
'He's here.'
I turned toward my first customer on the line.
Rough features and solid builds. Three thugs who might as well have "delinquents" written on their faces approached with heavy steps.
"......"
I scanned their faces coolly.
One of them from the casino earlier. One with greed plastered thickly in his eyes.
"Why'd you call?"