The Heavenly Demon Goes Out to Play (2)
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. I’m an alchemist, not a pet groomer.”
The alchemist let out a long sigh the moment I dragged him out of his quarters and showed him Wolfie’s ruined fur. He looked thoroughly displeased at being treated this way. Still, whatever thoughts he had about the situation had nothing to do with me.
“Enough pointless chatter. Just answer the question. Can you restore Wolfie’s fur?”
“It’s not impossible.”
“Then tell me what you need. I’ll procure anything.”
At most it would involve hunting down some random materials scattered around the area. Running a few errands would be a small price to pay if it fixed Wolfie’s coat. I had been prepared to work for it, but the alchemist shook his head.
“No need. I still have materials left over from last time.”
It seemed he felt that crafting the pipe for me last time hadn’t been a fair trade, so he was willing to handle this one for free as well. Personally, I considered the previous matter settled and this a separate issue, but since he insisted, there was no reason to refuse. I kept my mouth shut.
“It’ll take some time, so go entertain yourself somewhere else. Leave the wolf here.”
When he had first seen Wolfie, the alchemist had worn an expression of pure disgust. Now, however, even he seemed to acknowledge that Wolfie was an adorable wolf. It was only natural. The big guy was nothing but a gentle giant.
“Of course they’re different. The wolf you all know and the Wolfie who stays by my side are two entirely different creatures.”
It was simply a matter of individuality. Even among humans there were vast differences; why should beasts be any exception? I ordered the exceptionally well-behaved Wolfie to stay put and made my way toward the gambling hall.
“I’m sorry. Could you please come back later?”
After the massive win I’d scored at the dice tables last time, I assumed they would have prepared some new tricks. Instead, I received a polite but firm request to leave. Watching the gambler sweat bullets while admitting he had no confidence in beating me, my hand instinctively drifted toward the pipe tucked inside my robe.
Sigh. How disappointing. I had expected him to stake his pride and make a desperate effort, seeing how he appeared to have devoted his life to gambling. Yet the only thing waiting at the end of that road was surrender. Watching his troubled face killed any desire I had to gamble, so I headed elsewhere.
Let me see. There were several different forms of gambling here, weren’t there?
“My dear viewers. What is the most popular game in this place?”
“Dog racing, you say.”
How interesting. Were tiny puppies scampering and racing along? It was a scene I very much wanted to witness. Completely enchanted by the word “puppies,” I ignored every other suggestion and headed straight for the dog racing venue.
“Run! I bet everything on number one!”
“Four! Four! Four!”
“Number three! You can do ittttt!”
Unlike the dice gambling hall, this place was packed with people. Hmm. Seeing this kind of heat truly made it feel like a proper gambling den. I slipped through the feverish crowd and approached the area where the dogs were kept.
A place full of small, adorable pups. I imagined them waddling along the track, some tumbling over and bumping their noses, others getting lost and wandering in circles, some scratching at walls trying to climb over them, and a few boldly carving their own path while ignoring everyone else.
Ah, just thinking about it was sublime. Eager to witness this miraculous scene, I stepped forward—only to be met with a sight far removed from my imagination.
“Huh?”
“Why are they like this?”
“They’re all trembling.”
“Ah! Number one! What’s wrong?! I really put all my money on you!?”
Not everything was different. The long stretch of track and the presence of cute puppies were the same. But one crucial detail had changed. What I had expected was a lively, chaotic, and utterly adorable display of puppies. What lay before me now was the complete opposite—puppies frozen in terror, shivering uncontrollably.
“Does Wolfie’s presence reach even here?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I pretended not to understand, but of course I knew the truth. The puppies had become terrified the moment I appeared. Sigh. How heartbreaking. No one loves soft, adorable things more than I do, yet why do these creatures fear me so? What exactly have I done wrong? If I have any sin at all, it is simply the crime of loving them too much!
It was unfair and tragic, but what could I do? This was reality. If I stayed any longer, it would only torment the puppies further. Understanding this, I quietly withdrew from the venue.
Hoo. I wanted to stroke Wolfie’s fur to soothe my heart, but it would take time for his coat to be fully restored. I suppose I would relieve my frustration with some other form of gambling.
Right. They said roulette was the most popular, didn’t they? Let me try my hand at this roulette game.
“Kyaaaaah! That’s clearly a one! No matter how you look at it, it’s a one! It’s oooone!”
The moment I left the dog racing area and arrived at the roulette tables, I was greeted by the sight of Enri rolling on the floor. Seeing her throw a tantrum like a child in front of countless other gamblers, I unconsciously took a step backward. I closed the door, pinched the bridge of my nose, exhaled a puff of smoke from my pipe, and only then could I speak.
“What exactly did I just witness?”
The viewers’ response that this was simply normal behavior for Enri left me with nothing to say. After living with her, I had seen this exact scene more than once or twice. It was truly strange. In reality she was reliable, yet the moment she put on the VR mask, she seemed to forget the meaning of the word “dignity.”
“Give me back my moneyyyyyy!”
After regaining my composure and opening the door again, Enri was still rolling on the floor. One would think she would grow tired from screaming so loudly, yet her consistency was almost admirable. It was impressive, but she really ought to know when to stop. The other gamblers were already looking at her with pity.
When I approached and tapped her shoulder, Enri jerked her head up.
“What do you want?! If you’re not giving me money then—… Oh. Hwaryeong?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
The moment she saw my face she froze solid. She clearly hadn’t expected me to witness her disgraceful behavior. Her face flushed bright red in an instant. She scrambled to her feet, straightened her clothes, and cleared her throat.
“U-um… when did you get here?!”
“Just now, right when you were rolling under the wheel shouting that it was a one…”
“Hgyaaaaah! That’s—that was! I lost money and couldn’t handle the sudden emotional whiplash, so—!”
Watching Enri insist she had done nothing wrong filled me with pity, so I told her she was right. However, that only seemed to wound her pride further. She let out a strange wail and covered her face with both hands.
“…Anyway, you came to gamble, right?”
“Well, I did come to kill some time and handle a few things.”
“Then you brought money, yes?”
“Roughly a thousand gold.”
“A thousand gold.”
That moment of vulnerability passed quickly. Enri looked up at me with eyes gleaming with greed.
“Hey, Hwaryeong. Could you possibly spare me a hundred gold of that?”
“For free?”
“Master! This Enri-cat would be super super super grateful if Master gave her a hundred gold, nyang!”
Seeing her display such professional-level cuteness that she could have stepped straight out of a maid café game, I clapped and placed some gold coins in her hand. There really was a huge gap between her real self and this persona. She was extremely skilled at playing the fool. Still, after seeing her fresh, innocent side in reality, this version felt somewhat disappointing. The innocent side had been cuter, after all.
“As expected, there’s only Master-nyan!”
“Enough with the cutesy act. Just teach me how to play.”
“Understood-nyan! Master! This roulette game is not difficult at all-nyan! If you listen to my explanation, you’ll learn it easily-nyan!”
“I said enough with the cutesy act.”
Despite my protests, Enri stubbornly continued her “nyan” speech while explaining the rules. As she had claimed, roulette was incredibly simple. You placed your bet on a number before the wheel spun. If the arrow stopped on the number you chose after the wheel slowed to a halt, you won. No matter how sharp my eyesight was, it was meaningless here. You couldn’t bet while the wheel was spinning. What use was predicting the outcome midway?
Of course, there were ways to manipulate it. A gentle breeze could influence the wheel’s movement. But I decided not to do that this time. I had already earned plenty of money, and according to Pipi, there was nowhere left to spend it. Enjoying a proper gamble for once wouldn’t be so bad.
Above all, there was nothing quite like spending money lavishly to relieve stress. For now, I would start with small bets to test the waters. Since I was here to kill time, I couldn’t risk losing everything right at the beginning. The number three caught my eye, so I would bet on that.
“Master! Where did you place your bet-nyan?”
“Ten chips on three.”
“No-nyan. Master. Previously, three and five came out alternately twice-nyan. So this time it should be one or ten! I’m putting thirty on ten-nyan!”
Perhaps because she had gambled here for a long time, Enri seemed to have developed her own statistics. However, Enri. I had wandered through many gambling tables. And do you know what conclusion I reached? Statistics and the like are all illusions.
“NyaAAAAAHH! Why?! Why did it land on three again nyaaaaah!”
Enri screamed as she lost her money once more. By my estimation, she would soon beg me for more funds again.