Chapter 190: Operation Compass Snatch (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 190: Operation Compass Snatch (2)
It wasn't uncommon for young nobles and warriors to idolize the strength and culture of the White Wolf Tribe.
Usually, they were idiots. Enchanted by the tribe’s white fur, blue eyes, and powerful physiques, they would approach recklessly, only to end up as a single meal. That was the typical fate for people like them.
The White Wolf Tribe despised humans. To them, most were nothing more than inferior beings, toys, or snacks.
“It’s been my dream to talk to a member of the White Wolf Tribe! Wow, your fur is magnificent. May I touch it just once?”
As Jin spoke, his eyes sparkling with feigned wonder, the White Wolf warriors’ expressions crumpled in disgust.
Is he just an idiot? I was sure I smelled something dangerous, enough to make my fur stand on end…
The White Wolves stared down at Jin, who stood there with a goofy grin, for a long moment.
“Get your hand away.”
“Ah, my apologies. I was disrespectful. Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about? Feel free to ask me anything.”
“Hmph, never mind. I must have been mistaken.”
“Pardon? Mistaken about what?”
“None of your business.”
As the White Wolves returned to their seats, Jin maintained an awkward smile. The women who had been throwing him flirtatious glances now looked at him with pity.
Phew, that was almost exhausting before the operation even started. I’ll have to suppress the energy of the Pluto Tribe more thoroughly from now on.
He breathed an inward sigh of relief.
I have to kill every single beastman from Kinzelo during this mission.
If left alive, they would surely return to Kinzelo and blabber about a ‘guy with a dangerous aura.’
It was fine if his disguised appearance became known, but if rumors about the unique energy of the Pluto Tribe started circulating, he could be tracked down anywhere.
Jin spent two hours at the odd-even and dice tables, observing his enemies. Fortunately, the White Night was nowhere to be seen, and no one seemed suspicious of him.
Time to head over to my comrades.
The marble game table where his companions were gathered was surrounded by a crowd of spectators. Alisa was hidden among the throng, while Casimir and Enya were placing bets with anxious faces.
Everyone’s disguise looks good.
Even Alisa, whose large stature had been a concern, looked perfect. Along with a human-skin mask, she wore a mustache and was dressed as a man.
“Oh my, thinking of me already? I knew you’d come, Young Master.”
Siris naturally draped her arm around Jin’s shoulder and showed him her palm. Words were written on it.
(The item will be exchanged at the central card table on the 2nd floor.)
“Now, Young Master, tell me your name. Come to think of it, I’m the only one who introduced myself.”
As Zelia—no, Siris—pressed close, Jin had to admit she was a remarkably good actress. She was perfectly portraying a profligate young lady obsessed with gambling and pleasure, yet one who was by no means an easy target.
Jin was no slouch at acting himself.
He dipped his fingers into the condensation on his glass and took Siris’s hand. Then, he gently rubbed her palm, erasing the writing.
“It’s Barmul, My Lady.”
Clack! Clack!
On the round board, Casimir and Enya’s marbles collided.
Pretending to explain the game, Siris began to outline the detailed plan the team had arranged beforehand.
“First, two marbles go up on the board.”
“Like you and me right now?”
“Exactly.”
It meant that only two people would head to the second floor first: Jin and Siris.
“Then, once the marbles start rolling, the dealer’s obstacles appear. There are so many variables. Some obstacles you have to dodge, and some you have to bring in a larger marble to smash. I personally prefer smashing them.”
“I think I’d prefer that as well.”
This meant that when they seized the compass, the two of them would kill any enemies blocking their path.
“You have to choose carefully between the marble that smashes obstacles and the one that runs for the finish line. Even if you use up almost all your marbles breaking obstacles, as long as one remains, it can sprint to the end alone.”
As Siris spoke, her gaze drifted subtly toward Enya.
It meant Enya was the most suitable person to take the compass and flee at the end. The team had concluded that she would draw the least suspicion under any circumstances.
Enya was the complete opposite of Siris. Unlike Siris, who had swept the stakes and flaunted her peerless beauty since entering the casino, Enya was a literal nobody. She had been playing the part of a typical loser, always betting small amounts with a nervous face. No one looked more pathetic.
“Is that enough of an explanation?”
“Is there anything in particular I should watch out for?”
“You can’t hesitate or falter just because too many of the marbles used for clearing obstacles break. If you miss your chance, it’s over. That’s why amateurs always lose.”
It meant that if a comrade was injured or killed, they must not succumb to sentimentality, or the mission would fail. Jin met Siris’s eyes with a calm expression.
“That’s good advice. I feel like I could become an expert in no time.”
In this manner, Jin discussed the operation with Siris until around ten o’clock. He repeatedly lost money to her, making sure to show signs of irritation.
“Ha! My Lady, are you some kind of Goddess of Marbles? How can I not win a single round!”
The onlookers clicked their tongues.
He hadn't just thrown in a few pennies. The money Jin had lost to Siris already exceeded a thousand gold coins. A wealthy sucker who could blow a thousand gold in just a couple of hours was a rare sight, even in this gambling den.
“Well, it seems you simply have no talent for marbles, Young Master. Didn't I tell you to give it up and just go grab a drink?”
“Hmph! You win all that by yourself and then suggest we get drinks?”
“Are you really upset about losing a bit of gold? This is a chance to drink until morning with me, Zelia.”
“The money doesn’t matter. But my pride as a gambler won’t allow me to end it like this. I might be bad at marbles, but you won’t beat me at other games!”
“Oh? So you’re confident in other games…?”
Ah!
Groans erupted from the crowd. They could tell another victim had fallen for Zelia’s trap.
“I won't be satisfied until I’ve taken you down a peg.”
“You haven't learned your lesson, have you? Fine. What game shall it be?”
“Cards. You’ll never beat me at cards.”
Siris flashed a wicked, staged smile, and the onlookers looked like they were dying of excitement.
“The card tables are on the second floor. Shall we, Lord Barmul?”
As the two stood up and started walking, the crowd followed in a swarm. They were determined to watch this handsome mark hand over his entire fortune to Siris and end up in tears.
Naturally, most of the people at the marble table flocked to the second-floor card area. However, Alisa, Enya, and Casimir remained behind. They were scheduled to perform a diversionary mission on the first floor.
Jin and Siris took seats next to the central card table where the trade between Zipple and Kinzelo was taking place.
At the central table sat Chukon Tolderer, the representative of Kinzelo, and his counterpart from Zipple. Chukon was recognizable at a glance because he wasn't wearing a mask, but the Zipple representative was disguised.
He looks like he might be a Tower Master, but I don't recognize him.
As the crowd began to bustle around the adjacent table, the two representatives exchanged words. They were supposed to hand over the item mixed with gold coins at ten o’clock, so the sudden influx of people clearly bothered them.
Soon, Kinzelo and Zipple subordinates came up from the first floor to inform their superiors of the situation. They reported that the newcomers appeared to be ordinary gamblers who had brought their rivalry up from the marble table.
Twenty minutes left. Until Zipple places the compass on the card table.
In twenty minutes, once the item appeared, Jin and Siris would launch their surprise attack. The key was for Jin to lose all his money at that exact moment, causing the spectators to disperse.
When the onlookers leave, I’ll blend in with a devastated look on my face, and Siris will pretend to leave first. Then, I’ll follow slowly and detonate a Flash Cannon right over the table where the compass is being exchanged…
Siris would manage the flow of the game to ensure he lost everything in exactly twenty minutes.
However, just as Jin and his comrades had spent six months meticulously planning this operation, their enemies had surely prepared countermeasures for all sorts of variables.
If I can just kill Chukon Tolderer or incapacitate him, getting to the first floor won't be a problem. It’s unlikely the Zipple representative is a mage with higher achievements than Chukon.
The man who appeared to be the Zipple representative didn't look a day over thirty, even accounting for the disguise. As far as Jin knew, there were no mages stronger than Chukon at that age.
Chukon, the Great Mage of Anz.
He was a man who reigned as the absolute ruler of the Anz Great Plains in the Northern Continent. Unlike Kidad Hall, he was someone Zipple had once been desperate to recruit. This was due to his unique defensive magic, for which he was famous as a master of 'Ultimate Defense.' Ultimately, Chukon had joined the Dark Magic Association and now sat across from Zipple at the card table.
“I’ll take two hundred, and raise another two hundred.”
“Call.”
Jin’s chips began to dwindle at a steady pace.
Once the Flash Cannon goes off, Kinzelo and Zipple will inevitably suspect each other first. But they’ll identify friend from foe in an instant and realize Siris and I are the culprits. The confusion will last ten seconds at most.
He had to take out as many enemies as possible within that window.
“Hmm.”
Chukon, who had been watching Jin’s side with sharp eyes, shook his head.
“Getting old makes me worry about the strangest things. I wondered if those two were thieves you’d prepared.”
“Haha, you say the strangest things, Lord Chukon. If we intended to just keep the item, would we go through all this trouble? We could have just not returned it. They are just gamblers who have nothing to do with us.”
“Don't bluff, Kall Zipple. Aren't you going through this charade on this island because you’re being cautious, too? If you returned it officially, Runcandel might catch wind of it. And if you didn't return it at all, we would have leaked information to Runcandel and Viment.”
“Your words are sharp, Lord Chukon.”
“I only say it because you’re shameless enough to break the terms of our alliance and not even offer an apology. I have no idea what your father is plotting.”
“If you get the chance, ask him yourself. Though I don't know if you have the guts to seek out my father.”
“You say the most precious things. It’s time. Bring out the item. I need to verify it.”
Jin and Siris couldn't hear their voices. The crowd was noisy, and there was some distance between them.
However, it didn't hinder the operation.
It’s ten o’clock. Right on time.
The chips were gone. Jin hung his head like a man who had lost his country, and Siris stood up with an ‘I told you so’ expression.
“That’s unfortunate, Young Master. My excitement has cooled. Let’s just forget about that drink.”
Tap, tap. As Siris left the table, the onlookers naturally followed her.
The card table became empty in an instant. Jin, subtly lifting his head, saw a bag of gold coins placed in the middle of the central card table.
It was the bag containing the compass. He watched as Chukon opened it and pulled out a golden compass, slightly larger than a gold coin.
Now!
Jin vaulted onto the table and launched himself toward the central card table.
In his palm, a brilliant white Flash Cannon was swelling, ready to explode at any moment.