Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: A Golden Opportunity
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I didn't know what was keeping Mayches from coming out to greet me, but this was a golden chance for me.
I'd been worried that it'd be hard to find the right moment to bring it up if Mayches was around, but things were working out perfectly.
"This is a little gift for all of you."
So let's wrap this up quick before he gets back!
"......"
Unlike his other friends who were already seated, Daluh pulled out his chair a bit slowly, looking somehow crestfallen.
"To think I'd fall for it so quickly......"
Daluh muttered something, but his voice wasn't loud, so it seemed like he was just talking to himself.
On the neat table covered with a white tablecloth, the leather pouch I'd brought was the only thing asserting its presence.
"It's nothing special, but I hope you all like it."
I scanned Mayches' friends with a determined expression.
...As I scanned them, for some reason, they were busy exchanging meaningful glances with each other instead of paying attention to me, and instead, my eyes locked with the densely packed crowd inside the cafeteria one by one.
What the—? Was this a dream?!
I blinked in confusion, rolling my eyes around, but the people acted like they'd never made eye contact with me in the first place and turned their heads back all at once, resuming their casual conversations with relaxed expressions.
"Hehe, my neck was just stiff for a moment."
"Neck exercises are important......"
I had no idea what was going on, but it made me feel a bit uneasy about proceeding.
I whispered softly to Mayches' friends.
"Is there maybe a way we can talk a little more privately?"
Bamper shook his head firmly.
"We could close the dome on each table, but we try not to use it unless we have to. If we hide something, people get anxious."
Of all the—! It was such a perfectly reasonable refusal from the heir to a nation's leadership.
With reasoning like that, I couldn't possibly press him further.
Tok, todo-dok...... Amid the faint white noise starting up again, I decided not to hesitate any longer and just go for it.
"In that case, I'll just bring it out."
"Wait, we don't usually accept personal gifts like—"
Yan, who had been speaking especially stiffly, suddenly locked eyes with the puppy on the roulette game I was pulling out.
Yan's mouth snapped shut.
What was so wrong with a personal gift? Was it okay, or not?
Watching Yan's reaction, I... slowly... pulled out the half-emerged roulette game... with agonizing slowness.
If it wasn't okay, stop me now—that was the message.
"......"
But Yan just looked confused, showing no sign of stopping me.
I relaxed and fully placed the roulette game on the table with a thud.
"This is called 'Puppy Tickler.'"
To be precise, it was a modified version of a pirate roulette game where stabbing a knife randomly made pirates pop out.
Thing is... making people pop out by stabbing with a knife might trigger the wrong instincts of Calipan, the strongest and worst swordsman in the original story...... After much deliberation, I'd tried wrapping it in a healing Jenga-like shell.
But no matter how you packaged it, this was fundamentally a roulette game.
"If you stick in the puppy grass like this......"
Pop!
"A puppy pops out at random like this. Whoever makes the puppy pop loses."
As I demonstrated by inserting the puppy grass, a sparkling interest (toned down) leaked into the eyes of Mayches' friends.
Their better-than-expected reaction made me smile bitterly. Yeah, I knew this game would be right up your alley—just one of you needs to bite.
Sure enough, Daluh slowly stroked the puppy doll and said,
"We could really use something like this. We have to decide who's doing the Seasonal Encouragement Speech this spring."
Seasonal Encouragement Speech? The words somehow sounded familiar.
Where had I heard that before? As I racked my brain,
Yan, who had been quietly staring at the puppy, suddenly said firmly,
"Hey, close the dome."
Huh? But earlier you said you weren't going to......
But while I was baffled, everyone else seemed to get it right away.
Click—
Bamper swiftly pressed the blue sapphire embedded on the side of the table. Then,
Whirr—
A translucent white barrier, carved like crystal, began enveloping our table within a one-meter radius.
Wh-what—?!
Confused voices erupted from outside the Crystal Dome.
I stared blankly at Bamper. 'If we hide something, people get anxious,' you said?
While I was flustered by the breathless turn of events, Calipan solemnly lifted the model puppy grass.
"Let's figure out how to crack this before Mayches gets back."
"Pardon?!"
Even with Mayches' little sister right in front of him, spouting such shameless words, the others showed no sign of outrage like I did.
Their eyes were already gleaming with determination to study cheats.
I was suddenly gripped by an urgent need to warn my blood kin, who had become their common enemy.
Omok, settle it with Omok, Mayches...!
The reserve leader who had closed the dome himself grinned.
"This time, Mayches is definitely doing the encouragement speech. It's not fair that it's always us."
"That's exactly what I've been saying. Do we do it because we want to? He's slipped away like an eel for the past five years."
"He'd whine and run if it was any other lottery, but he can't resist a game made by his little sister. We can't miss this chance."
Tick— tick—
Calipan inserted a few blades of puppy grass, and pop! the puppy sprang up.
Calipan settled the puppy back into the container and nodded.
"I get the feel now. If you put one in, you might figure out where the mechanism is... We just need to dodge it the first time."
"Hey, Jayhan. You should go last. You never get caught in these things."
"Is it about how the mechanism triggers? Then I could just ask my spirits to check. Yan, can you embed a blocking device inside to stop spirit energy from leaking?"
Daluh mimicked Calipan, poking in the puppy grass tick-tick, then said gravely,
"For me, it's prayer, after all......"
As Daluh declared his path of faith, Yan lifted the puppy grass to eye level with an artisan's gaze, scrutinizing it.
His deep eyes seemed to sense its weight, shape, texture, even the air flowing around the sculpture.
Then, as his gaze slowly widened, at some point......
His eyes met mine, filled with deep betrayal beyond the puppy grass.
"Uh... Mayches' little sister......"
I narrowed my eyes at Yan.
Go on, say it.
"Th-this is......"
Only then did the other cheat conspirators seem to notice the presence of Mayches' blood relative who had been sitting at this table the whole time.
I felt it was only right to rise indignantly for Mayches' sake.
If he loses interest in games because of this, are you going to take responsibility? He's at the age where he should be playing games!
Pondering how to deal with these plotters, I calmly opened with,
"...Hmph. From what I heard, it sounds like my brother slacked off for five whole years."
Daluh nodded.
"Yeah. About twenty times."
Whoa, that's more than I thought......
I deflated a bit.
Mayches, you... not just once or twice, but twenty times as a free rider......
From the sound of it, these six had been shouldering what was like a group project every time, while he acted like he didn't know.
I could see why they were so desperate to make Mayches do the seasonal whatever this time.
"Um... that seasonal... thing, whatever it is......"
I started mumbling, when suddenly something clicked in my head.
...Wait a second.
Isn't this actually a good thing?
I'd been worried about my shut-in brother who just went house-academy-house-academy.
Honestly, the recent unfit-for-recommendation verdict made me even more concerned.
What if Mayches is only book-smart but hopeless at social stuff?
I should have known from how he grins ear-to-ear drawing thief cards. Mayches needs some social practice.
And one more thing.
If I let this slide, won't it grease the wheels for a good negotiation along with the bribe—er, gift?
...Having made up my mind, I looked around at Mayches' friends.
"...My brother can't stay cooped up at home forever, so it might be good for him to join events like this and broaden his horizons."
"Ooh......"
"While he's at it, he should learn how to deal with people. Right now, he's too much of a pushover... no, a softie... anyway, he does everything if you nag him enough."
Bamper nodded deeply impressed with ooh..., then raised an eyebrow with o? and tilted his head.
"Specialties: magic, healing arts, drawing lines......"
"Pardon?"
"Ahem, ahem."
Calipan coughed awkwardly, as if choking. Thanks to that, I didn't hear the end of Bamper's words.
But before I could ask what he said, Yan quickly snatched up the puppy grass and shouted,
"No time to waste now."
Swish— swish—
The wobbling puppy grass model in Yan's hand stole everyone's attention.
"Oh! Right, right, let's not miss this chance."
And just like that, they all dove into researching cheats as if on cue.