The Heavenly Demon Pays It Back (1)
The light in Enry's eyes as he spoke of the casino was clearer than it had ever been. When he trained with me, those eyes would narrow into slits like a flounder. During intense battles, they would curve with unmistakable delight. But now they sparkled like a puppy waiting for a walk. Come to think of it, there are quite a few similarities between a dog and Enry. Namely, that he needs a leash. Leave him alone and there's no telling where he'll dash off to.
"So you want to go gambling?"
"...Is that not allowed?"
I pulled out my long pipe from within my robes, lifted my mask slightly, and placed it between my lips. Does this fellow have no capacity for learning whatsoever? No matter that it's a different game, after borrowing someone else's money and blowing it all in one go last time, he's already saying he wants to try again? Now that I think about it, Enry really does learn slowly. While others pick up three things, he only masters one. Though once he does learn something, he uses it quite well.
Sigh. Fine. Enry. All of this is my fault. I should have swiftly punished you so that such foolish thoughts would never cross your mind. The sin of postponing it in the name of thorough preparation is great indeed.
When I let out an obvious sigh, Enry kept sneaking glances at me. Yet he didn't call it a joke, which meant he truly wanted to visit the casino.
"Didn't I tell you to enjoy yourself with that money?"
"Well... Miss Hwaryeong said the same thing! That it was just pocket change! So I thought if I could grow it a bit, we could go somewhere even better."
"And you think you can grow it?"
"Of course! This time I'll show you my true skills! Even though I got heavily trolled last time, I'll prove that without the trolls I'm an entirely different person!"
Enry puffed out his chest with boundless confidence as he spoke, but I didn't believe him one bit. I'd seen that same cocky attitude before and remembered exactly how it had ended. It was a shame he wore that mask. If not, I would have cursed him out with my eyes.
"What exactly happens in a casino?"
Baru spoke in a low voice while I pondered how to scold this child who had become addicted to gambling.
"You don't know?"
"I do not. Have you forgotten that I lived shut away in the mountains?"
Ah, that's right. Until she met me, Baru had never left the mountain. Even after that, while she wandered around eating various foods, if you asked whether she'd truly enjoyed proper entertainment, it was ambiguous. So it was only natural that Baru wouldn't know about such things. Seeing the interest sparkling in her eyes even in her fox form, my mind changed.
That's right. Since I'd already finished everything I needed to do today, taking a little break wouldn't be so bad.
"Very well. Enry. Let us go to the casino."
"Isn't this discrimination?! When I said it, you wouldn't even pretend to listen! But the moment Lady Baru says one word, you immediately change your attitude? Does that make any sense?!"
"Think about your usual behavior. Your behavior."
Enry cried out as if wronged, but I didn't budge an inch. It was only natural that the answer to a curious child's request to visit once out of interest would differ from that of an addict who couldn't escape the place. When I gave that answer, Enry couldn't even bring himself to argue back. Even he must have felt a pang of conscience.
Following the viewers' directions, I arrived at the casino and stopped in my tracks upon seeing the magnificent building. What is this? Why is the casino building so enormous? The flashy exterior, the number of floors, even the staff members wearing proper uniforms—something feels wrong here.
"Is this really the right place?"
Had we come to the wrong building? The casino I remembered was nothing like this. Even in the past Murim, gambling was something that belonged more in the shadows than in the light. As such, the facilities were poor, and both the patrons and workers were nothing but suspicious characters. But this place was different. The elegant building that seemed frequented by those with fame and wealth didn't suit the word "casino" at all.
From what the viewers were saying, this seemed to be something like a holy land for gamblers within Hwaryong Muin. Among the many casinos, it was the most moderate and had the cleanest facilities, so those who wanted to enjoy gambling would come here to throw dice. Since so many people visited, the profits generated here must have been enormous, which in turn improved the facilities even further.
Compared to the overwhelmingly flashy exterior, the interior possessed both neatness and splendor at once.
"Hoh. So this is the atmosphere."
"Whoaaaa! The facilities are amazing! There are so many people! So many different kinds of gambling! This looks fun!"
It seemed the other two had similar impressions after seeing the casino. Baru was looking around as if appraising the place, while Enry's eyes were sparkling as if he wanted to dash right in.
"There. Hwaryeong!"
"You want to go gamble, right? Go ahead. But make sure you handle it with the money you have. Don't even think about borrowing from me again to win it back and pay me. Not unless you want to pile new karma on top of the old karma you still haven't resolved."
"Ha. You don't have to worry about that?! I'm going to win and come back today!"
With those words, Enry's eyes brightened as he ran deeper into the casino. That fellow would probably enjoy himself for a while before coming back with a long face anyway, so I just needed to pay attention to Baru.
"What would you like to try?"
"For now, let us look around first. I know practically nothing about this thing called a casino."
Baru knew what gambling itself was. Something like a game where people bet money against each other. However, it seemed she hadn't predicted just how much madness permeated the place.
"No way! Isn't this rigged?!"
"Aaaahhhhhh!"
"This time for real! All in! All in!"
Watching them, Baru furrowed her brow. No matter what, she was a divine spirit. From birth, they were beings ordered to protect the mountain, existences closer to nature than to humans. So when faced with humanity's straightforward desires, it was natural for her to feel displeasure rather than interest. But once she tried it, her thoughts would change. In my opinion, Baru, you're simply unaware of this fun. Once you know, your mind will definitely change.
"Is betting money on games really that stimulating?"
"Of course."
The term "striking it rich" is incredibly stimulating. On that path where joy and sorrow are divided by the outcome, the ecstasy of seizing joy with a tiny probability is beyond words. Having earned money by wandering through various casinos myself, I could say it with certainty. It is truly the ultimate stimulation.
Even after hearing my explanation, Baru tilted her head.
"It doesn't look like much."
"You'll understand once you try it. However, when doing it, it's better to think of going to lose money rather than to earn it."
Simply put, it's easier to think of it as paying money to purchase an equivalent amount of entertainment. Don't worry about getting your original stake back. If you start caring about that, you'll end up sinking before you know it.
"Ha. Min-ga. I am a divine spirit. There's no way I would become addicted to something like this."
Though she said it didn't seem like much, Baru asked me to recommend something suitable for her to enjoy since I had brought it up. Hmm. For a beginner to easily enjoy, it would have to be the shell game. That one is the most intuitive, after all.
"The rules are simple. From now on, the employee here will move three cups around randomly. One of them will contain a ball made of cotton, while the others will be empty. If you guess which cup has the ball, you win."
"Hmph. That's what you call gambling? Can't you just watch with your eyes and follow it?"
Of course you can. At the start, they show you which cup the ball goes into, so if you can follow it, you can turn money into more money. But Baru. How many people do you think have that exact same thought? And among them, how many martial artists would be confident in their eyesight? This place is a kind of marketplace. Merchants never do anything that would cause them to lose money.
"What is this?!"
The hand of the person moving the cups was incredibly flashy and fast. To the point where one might worry about becoming mesmerized by it.
Before someone who hadn't learned martial arts, those hand movements that could even deceive most martial artists left them helpless. When the hand movements stopped, Baru stared blankly at the five cups before looking up at me.
"Min-ga?"
"Hmph. If I told you, would that still be gambling?"
There was no need to worry about foul play. If that fellow tried any half-hearted tricks, I would get angry before she did. Baru trembled as she kept looking back and forth between the cups and my eyes, as if hoping for some kind of hint. The sight was incredibly cute, but this was supposed to be entertainment. I'd given her quite a bit of money, so she should bet modestly and experience the joy of gambling.
When I didn't tell her anything, Baru frowned as if feeling betrayed before eventually choosing one cup. Was it beginner's luck? The one Baru picked was correct. After confirming the ball inside the cup, Baru's eyes sparkled as she clenched both fists tightly.
"Hmph! How simple!"
"You're quite skilled. Would you like to try once more?"
"I shall!"
What is this? The one who couldn't understand gamblers when we first arrived now had sparkling eyes. What an easy child. Baru. If I left this one alone now, she would enjoy herself just fine. Should I go see what Enry is up to?
"Hgyaaaaaak!"
The moment I saw Enry clutching his disheveled hair, I could guess his situation. Losing again, Enry? I don't understand why you keep getting obsessed with this place when you lose every single time you gamble.
"Right away! Let's go right away!"
"How much will you bet this time?"
"All of what's left!... Just kidding, half of what's left!"
Let's see. The game he was playing was odd-or-even. It was a bet where the employee held out their hand and you guessed whether the number of stones inside was odd or even. If you eliminated everything else, in a fifty-fifty probability game, it shouldn't be that easy to lose all your money... Huh?
As I watched while thinking, I felt that the movements and inner energy of the casino worker were familiar. He was hiding it fairly well, so he could probably fool most people, but he couldn't fool me. Jijon. Why was one of the Three Venerables of the world working here as a part-time job? And running a rigged gambling game at that?