Chapter 374
Chapter Title: The Shadow Casino
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Step, step—
The group, now properly dressed, stood at the top of the stairs leading into the underground casino, Shadow.
Whir—!
Watching the stairs automatically descend, powered by mana stones, Chelsea hummed and muttered to herself.
“They must be rolling in money, making the entrance stairs like this.”
“You can say that again. Look at the ceiling.”
Karl craned his neck to look up at the ceiling, clicking his tongue in amazement.
The ceiling, gleaming as if coated in gold, was studded with what looked like expensive jewels, twinkling like stars.
Among the gems, brightly lit mana stone lamps caught the eye.
“It’s so blatant about its wealth that it almost looks vulgar.”
“I agree.”
Juen nodded in agreement with Betty’s remark.
“Leo, what are you thinking about so hard?”
Chloe asked Leo, who stood at the front, lost in thought.
“I was thinking about this underground casino.”
To be precise, he was thinking about Rodia’s treasure vault, located beneath this very place.
According to Lariel, a labyrinth lay on the path to Rodia’s vault.
‘She said this casino was built on top of that labyrinth.’
When Leo had asked what was inside the vault, Lariel had shaken her head.
‘I don’t know exactly what Rodia left there, either. I only know that, like Seirun’s Kometes, it was a reward obtained from the World of Heroes.’
Leo thought of Kometes, which lay dormant in his subspace.
The most powerful magic staff in existence, imbued with the magic of both Luna and Seirun.
As it was an item left behind by Rodia, the leader of the Heroes of the Beginning, it might be an artifact on par with Kometes.
‘In any case, I need to pass through this casino to get to the labyrinth.’
Thud—!
Step, step, step—
The stairs came to a halt.
Leo’s group walked down the corridor.
Unlike the lavish entrance, there wasn’t a single mana stone lamp in sight; only a door at the end of the hall from which light was leaking.
“Welcome to Shadow.”
“Welcome.”
The men guarding the door greeted the group and opened it.
Fwoosh—!
The bright light made everyone squint slightly.
And the scene that unfolded inside left them all speechless.
The interior beyond the door was reminiscent of a grand socialite’s lobby.
Beautiful melodies played by an orchestra flowed from the hall beyond the lobby, and impeccably dressed waiters moved with graceful steps.
“The atmosphere is different from what I expected.”
Chloe tilted her head.
Having been tense at the thought of an illegal casino, they all felt a wave of anticlimax.
Leo approached the lobby counter.
“Good evening, esteemed guests.”
A woman in a suit standing at the counter bowed with a friendly smile.
“If you have something to prove your identity, would you please place it on the counter?”
At the staff member’s words, the group took out their Lumerne student IDs.
The staff member took the IDs and examined them carefully.
Then, she reached under the desk and placed nine small boxes on the counter.
“In order, these belong to Luke, Austin, Betty, Juen, Iliana, Karl, Chelsea, Chloe, and Leo.”
Placing each student ID on top of its corresponding box, the staff member smiled brightly.
The group picked up the boxes with puzzled expressions, put away their IDs, and opened them.
Click—
“A card?”
“Looks like platinum.”
“Wow, is this a diamond embedded here?”
“The class president’s is a different color. His is black.”
“These are our establishment’s membership cards. All nine of you have been verified as Lumerne students. Luke, Austin, Betty, Juen, and Iliana are Platinum tier, while Karl, Chelsea, and Chloe are Diamond tier.”
At her words, everyone looked intrigued.
“What are the VIP tiers?”
At Austin’s question, the staff member continued with a smile.
“We have Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond tiers.”
Hearing the explanation, Iliana wore a slightly sour expression.
“Question. Why isn’t the class president in any of the tiers? And why am I Platinum while they’re Diamond?”
“Students from the Hero Division are automatically granted Platinum tier. Afterward, we may upgrade you to a higher tier based on your reputation and school performance.”
“Then why is *he* Diamond?”
Iliana pointed at Karl.
“Karl Thomas has a history of conquering the World of the God of Blacksmiths, so we have granted him the Diamond tier.”
“Pfft… Iliana. Among the second-years, you’re the only one at the same level as the first-years.”
“Grr! You—Karl!”
“Ahem! How dare you! A Platinum speaking so rudely to a Diamond!”
“You! Get back here!”
Iliana snapped and lunged at Karl, who was teasing her.
Karl dodged her and continued to provoke her annoyingly.
“Take this!”
Iliana took off the heel she was wearing and threw it.
The heel flew like a boomerang and struck Karl squarely on the temple.
“The reason Leo Flove is not in a VIP tier is because we cannot presume to assign him one. We refer to such individuals as ‘King’.”
“What kind of people receive the King tier?”
Juen asked with a curious look. After a moment’s thought, the staff member smiled brightly.
“The King tier is granted to individuals whose status and prestige are comparable to that of a nation’s monarch.”
Everyone’s jaws dropped, but Chelsea and Chloe nodded as if it made perfect sense.
“Well, he is the Lumerne student council president.”
“His public standing is on par with the head of a renowned hero family or a king.”
As the two of them shrugged, Leo asked a question.
“So, what’s the benefit of having a high rank?”
Leo asked, waving his card. The staff member grinned.
“Each VIP tier has access to specific areas of our establishment. For the King tier, you can assume there are no restricted areas.”
“Is that so? Then can I go to the basement?”
“The basement…? This is the basement.”
“I mean even further underground.”
Leo tapped the floor with the tip of his shoe.
The staff member’s eyes widened for a moment before she smiled again.
“I’m afraid I cannot discuss that matter at my level. I recommend you arrange a meeting with our establishment’s master.”
“How do I arrange a meeting?”
“You can pay a one-time fee of 100 million points, which are used in our establishment.”
“Is it possible to exchange shillings for points?”
“Yes, it is. 1 point is equivalent to 1 shilling.”
“Gah!”
“Gasp?!”
“Then… that’s 10 million golings?!”
It was an astronomical sum.
The fatigue recovery potions Karl sold went for 5 shillings a bottle.
And 1 goling was worth 10 shillings.
Everyone stared in shock.
“Is there another way?”
“You can also earn points by participating in the events held at our establishment.”
“You mean we have to gamble?”
“That is a fine method, but our establishment offers countless other ways to earn points besides gambling. This is… the shadow of the world, after all.”
At her dangerous-looking smile, everyone swallowed hard.
Karl crossed his arms.
“The stipend we received was 2,000 golings per person… so that’s completely out of the question.”
Having said that, Karl glanced over at Chelsea and Juen.
“What are you looking at?”
“Can’t we borrow from our rich young ladies?”
“Do you think 10 million golings is pocket change?”
At Chelsea’s retort, Karl scratched his head.
“Right.”
While everyone was contemplating, the staff member spoke.
“For now, please go inside and enjoy yourselves. As a VIP customer, Platinum tier receives 10,000 points, Diamond tier receives 20,000 points, and King tier receives 50,000 points.”
At her words, everyone’s eyes widened.
“Can we exchange that money and leave with it?”
“Of course.”
Watching the staff member answer so cheerfully, everyone was amazed.
Just by entering this place, they had easily obtained a sum of money that ordinary people could only dream of touching.
“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to ask the other students for help?”
“That’s true, but… I doubt they’d acknowledge it. In this place, the master is the law.”
Betty shook her head at Luke’s suggestion.
“Let’s go inside and think. I haven’t even had breakfast, I’m starving.”
Iliana said, looking at the buffet set up in the hall.
“Yeah, let’s eat first and then think!”
***
The buffet in the hall was laden with all sorts of luxurious food.
Waiters bustled about, offering high-class wine and champagne to the students.
As Iliana reached for a glass, Chloe’s eyes narrowed.
“We’re students. No alcohol.”
“Aw, come on! We’re in a place like this! Don’t be so stingy!”
When Iliana protested, Chloe became even more firm.
“Absolutely not. We’re here on a mission.”
At that, Iliana reluctantly put the wine glass down.
“Juen.”
“Tch, what a goody-two-shoes.”
Juen was about to sneak a glass of champagne but was caught by her classmate, Betty.
Just then, Leo and Karl returned from checking out the casino.
“Wow, this gambling den is really something.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look. There’s no one in the hall.”
Despite the atmosphere that any noble would love, the hall was empty.
“They’re all in the casino, playing games.”
Karl clicked his tongue.
“It looks like they all have pretty high statuses… but their eyes are crazed. You guys, don’t ever show your cards. People are asking to borrow money.”
Karl grimaced, recalling an old nobleman who had begged him for money.
It had been a deeply unsettling experience.
“So, did you find a way to earn points?”
“Yeah.”
Karl crossed his arms.
“What is it?”
“The arena.”
“What?”
“This casino has an arena. The tough guys earn their money there.”
“What? That sounds easy. We’re Lumerne students, after all.”
Iliana said, as if it were a done deal.
“No, not at all.”
“What?”
“The casino arena has a ‘rule.’ Basically, ‘mana usage is forbidden.’ They make you wear mana-restraining cuffs.”
Iliana froze at his words.
“You don’t know your opponent either. You might fight another guest, or maybe a beast or a monster. And people die there quite often.”
At those words, a tense look appeared on everyone’s faces.
“Anything else?”
“There’s also a labyrinth escape relay and chess.”
“For chess, we have Chloe.”
Chelsea looked at Chloe.
She was Lumerne’s chess champion.
“Since this is the underworld, there must be something dangerous involved.”
Leo crossed his arms.
“For now, let’s find out more about this casino. If it’s not feasible, giving up is also an option.”
‘I can always infiltrate on my own later.’
They had come as Lumerne students to investigate a hero dungeon.
And there was no hero dungeon here.
In that case, they could cleanly walk away and head to the suspicious forest of beasts.
For Leo, Rodia’s treasure vault was not an immediate priority.
Everyone nodded at Leo’s words.
“Let’s meet back in the hall in an hour.”
At Leo’s words, Luke raised his hand.
“Senior, what should we do with the points?”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to use them actively if you need to gather information. Or…”
Leo glanced at the casino interior.
“You could try a game.”
“Hey, Leo! You’re telling us to gamble.”
The unexpected suggestion left the students flustered.
Leo chuckled.
“Since we’re here, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a variety of experiences.”
“Wow, that sounds like something a mischievous old man would say.”
Chelsea teased him lightly.
With a smirk, Leo ruffled Chelsea’s hair.
“As a hero, I think learning about the darkness of the world is also a part of our education.”
***
After separating from the group, Leo walked through the casino.
Under the dazzling lights, all sorts of games were in progress.
Cheers and cries of despair erupted from all around.
This place was an abyss where one could glimpse the true nature and essence of humanity.
Step, step—
As he walked, Leo casually lifted his head.
‘I feel like I’m being watched.’
He could feel gazes from the mana stones embedded in the ceiling.
They were probably ‘surveillance’ mana stones.
He could feel eyes watching him through those stones.
Normally, it was almost impossible to sense a gaze through magic.
But Leo’s senses were incomparably sharp.
He continued walking and stopped in front of a certain room.
The black door was adorned with a golden crown emblem.
Beastmen who appeared to be guards blocked his path.
“This area is only for ‘Kings’.”
At their words, Leo took the card from his pocket.
After confirming it, the guards bowed their heads and opened the door.
Stepping into the room, Leo narrowed his eyes.
Silhouettes were faintly visible under the dim lighting.
He didn’t sense many people.
“Welcome, guest.”
Just then, a clear voice came from his side.
‘This voice…’
The voice held a subtle hint of killing intent.
When he turned his head, he saw a girl with a black bunny ear headband bowing.
“I am Rabbit, here to serve you…”
The girl who lifted her head was dressed strangely.
She had eyes the color of a lake.
And pure white hair.
Thanks to that, the black bunny ear headband stood out even more.
But what stood out even more than the headband were the ‘cat ears’ it was resting on.
The girl in the black bunny outfit saw Leo and froze solid.
As the girl gaped like a broken cat, Leo asked her,
“What are you doing here?”
At his question, the girl, Ar, tried to flee without hesitation.
Leo reached out and grabbed her tail.
“I told you not to grab a lady’s tail like that!”
Her fur standing on end, Ar hissed at Leo.
“So, what are you doing here?”
Ar, who had turned herself into a black rabbit, hugged her tail and darted her eyes around before puffing out her chest and declaring,
“I’m working!”
“Why?”
“To pay off a debt!”
“…”
Leo heaved a deep sigh.
There was only one kind of debt to be had in a place like this, but he asked, hoping he was wrong.
“A gambling debt?”
“Yep!”
Looking at the unabashedly proud Ar, Leo muttered to himself.
‘I hope my students aren’t as foolish as her.’