Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Our Casino's Open for Business - 3
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Colonzo's face twisted as if he'd just chewed on shit after checking the results.
The leisure from moments ago was gone, replaced by thick veins bulging on his forehead.
As the murmurs from the crowd grew louder, he finally lost his temper and started screaming.
"This is bullshit! It's all a scam! We've been cheated!"
"Put up some evidence before you start grabbing innocent people. All I did was shuffle the deck you gave me once and toss my hand on the table the second I saw it. So when exactly did I cheat?"
Pointing out that there hadn't even been a chance to pull any tricks, Colonzo grimaced and scanned the room.
His desperate glance at the dealer screamed of an attempt to rope him in as an accomplice, so I nipped it in the bud.
"Don't forget, it was you—the boss—who suggested asking a customer to deal in the first place."
"Damn it...!"
There wasn't a shred of solid proof that I'd cheated.
Which made perfect sense. I hadn't cheated, after all.
I'd just had luck bordering on the fraudulent.
"Just admit you can't stomach the loss."
"Shut your mouth! Don't think you can scam me in my own place and walk out in one piece!"
"Funny. After that last hand, this place is mine now."
"Yeah? Let's see if a corpse can hold the deed! Lock the doors!"
Unable to accept the outcome, Colonzo had decided to go all in on force.
He ordered his staff to bar the casino doors and summoned armed guards to surround me and Maribel.
Erasing the bet over money and the establishment entirely, no doubt.
It was despicably sleazy.
"Heinz, sir, I'll clear a path for us."
"No need. You don't have to step up for this."
"Pardon?"
"Just watch."
Maribel had been ready to carve an escape route and get me to safety.
Her loyalty was touching, but I was confident I could handle this on my own.
Struggling with something this minor would've been embarrassing.
"You sure you wanna play it like this? You know who I am."
"I don't give a damn! Losing this place leaves me with no future anyway! I'll shut you up by killing you if I have to!"
"With all these witnesses? Good luck silencing them."
"You think gambling addicts have any loyalty? Give 'em cash, and they'll roll over like dogs!"
"Fair point."
Leaning back in my chair, I snorted and crossed my legs.
Behind me towered a mountain of gold from my winnings, so I scooped up a handful of coins.
Then I tossed them high, letting them rain down over the gamblers' heads.
Their eyes lit up unnaturally at the sight of gold falling from the sky.
GREedy stares claiming the coins on the floor as their own.
True to form for money's undead slaves.
"You pathetic dreamless husks! I'll give one of you a chance that won't come twice—listen up! The last one standing after you kill each other gets the whole pile of gold and the casino!"
"Y-You're insane! No one's falling for that nonsense...!"
"Why not? You think Heinz Altesia, the empire's richest man, would skimp on pocket change like this?"
Realizing I meant it, Colonzo's face drained to ashen.
Normally, even offering money wouldn't make people eager to murder.
But a casino was packed with money-crazed killers-for-hire.
Colonzo knew they'd commit crimes without hesitation if the opportunity arose, which was why sweat poured down his face.
"Oh, and the staff's included! Follow the boss or grab your shot at instant riches—your call."
"Fuck! What are you waiting for? Kill that bastard now...!"
Before Colonzo could finish barking his order.
A subordinate right behind him hefted a heavy liquor bottle and smashed it mercilessly into the back of his head.
Crash!
The bottle shattered with a sharp crack that echoed through the casino.
That crisp sound was the signal for pandemonium.
"Guh! W-Why me...!"
"Sick of you, you old prick! Working under you ends here!"
Unfortunately for Colonzo, he wasn't the type to look after his underlings.
I'd suspected as much from his whiny attitude, but I didn't expect a headshot right off the bat.
That bold move sparked the hesitant onlookers into action.
"You! Perfect timing! You palmed cards earlier, didn't you?"
"So what? Isn't it the loser's fault?"
"Then die!"
Personal grudges, long suppressed, ignited with greed's fuel, and the flames spread like wildfire.
The casino devolved into hell, tangled in money, revenge, and raw survival instinct.
No bosses or customers—just indiscriminate slaughter. The madness wouldn't stop until one remained.
I watched the bloody chaos unfold leisurely from a safe step away.
Occasional berserkers charged me, only to crumple lifeless under Maribel's blade.
"I've seen the fun part. Time to go."
"Where to, sir?"
"The spot that reeks the most."
It'd take Colonzo ages to regain consciousness after that bottle to the skull.
Maybe he'd never wake up.
We slipped down unguarded halls to Colonzo's private office.
Fitting for a casino boss, he'd decked it out in luxury goods.
Pearls on a pig.
The cult must be flush with cash.
I felt a swell of pride at the real-time meltdown inside the casino.
"Heinz, sir, what now?"
"Spot anything suspicious in here and let me know?"
"Found it!"
Bam!
No sooner had she spoken than Maribel elbowed the wall.
The solid-looking surface crumbled, revealing a small safe.
She'd spotted the oddity at a glance?
I couldn't help but admire Maribel's sharp eyes.
"Good work. Now we just need the safe's code."
"Got it!"
Maribel conjured a blazing flame on her fingertip.
She wedged it into the safe's seam and melted the lock clean off.
Talk about a raw deal for the victim.
No guarantees it wouldn't happen to me, so I made a mental note to beef up security.
"I'll open it first—in case of traps!"
The safe swung wide under Maribel's daring hand, revealing... nothing much.
No gold piles—just three silver ingots on the floor.
Our high hopes dashed, Maribel's lips pursed in disappointment.
"Thought it was treasure. Just junk."
"Too early to be let down. Grab those ingots?"
"Right away!"
The moment she lifted one, Maribel's disappointed eyes went wide.
She turned it over, tapped it lightly with her fingertip to gauge its feel.
Like a kid with a shiny new toy, her eyes sparkled—then she handed it to me, voice bubbling.
"Heinz, sir, this isn't ordinary silver!"
"No?"
"Weight, strength—nothing like silver! Super tough but weirdly light!"
Examining the ingot closely revealed a faint greenish sheen.
A metal that didn't exist in my old world.
Unique to this one, so one with matching traits came to mind.
"This is adamantium."
"Adamantium?! Isn't that super rare?"
A fantasy-world mineral—no need for long explanations.
Lighter and tougher than iron. Rare as hell, hard to buy even for big money.
'Ended up snagging what was meant for the cult's elite knights, huh?'
Valuable enough on its own.
I told Maribel to pack the adamantium, then rummaged Colonzo's desk.
Unlike the hidden safe, evidence of corruption spilled out like it was waiting.
No deep digging required.
"All packed! Selling the adamantium covers the gold we left behind—no losses!"
"Why sell it?"
"Huh? You planning to use it yourself, sir? That's a great idea!"
"I'd just use it as a pot stand. Better off giving it to you or Kizen."
"T-That's too generous! Why not have it made into protective armor? Father would agree!"
"Quiet. When I give you something, just take it! You'll be busting your ass under me from now on—don't regret passing it up later."
"Heinz, sir...!"
Maribel hugged the adamantium sack tight, her lips twitching into a grin.
Showering her with lavish gifts before any big results—she was grateful, naturally.
Even I thought I'd played it smart.
Winning loyalty bit by bit like this? No betrayals in their future.
"Perfect—three ingots for you, Kizen, and Lena each."
"Lena...?"
Focus vanished from Maribel's eyes.
Her sea-blue gaze sank into abyssal depths, evoking primal dread.
A chill ran through me as she shuddered, then closed her eyes.
A soft curve touched her lips, but the smile held no warmth.
"Who's this Lena?"
"An assassin I recruited before you. Not by much, timing-wise."
"A senior, then. Trustworthy enough for adamantium?"
"Bound by an unbreakable contract. As long as I don't break it first, she's solid."
"...I see. Mind sharing what kind?"
It felt less like chat and more like an interrogation.
Still, they'd meet soon, so I shared Lena's name, race, and background.
Didn't want Maribel fumbling and turning red-faced later.
"An elf... An assassin on par with Father. Impressive. Not knowing her name shows how lacking my intel is."
"Bound to happen. Not everyone in the biz knows everyone. Be polite when you meet."
"Of course! She's an elder! Experience matches Father's, but her age... Way older. Can't have a kid like me being rude!"
Maybe it was my imagination, but she kept stressing age.
Lena and Maribel together... Would that even work?
For now, I'd torch the casino and think on it later.