Ansel was naturally aware of the negative connotations of a casino, but there were also a lot of positives—provided that the practice was regulated well.
For one, it would definitely add to the tourism and economic growth of the territory, and it would provide huge tax revenues.
Ansel swore to donate half of the proceeds to the territory, which was public knowledge. Altera required a lot of capital, and it could use all the sources of funds that it needed.
Most importantly: It was the fastest way to milk rich aborigines!
War happened to need a lot of funds. While he heard Altera was still very rich, it would be a good feeling to know a war barely put a dent in the treasury.
That said, they added strict regulations about this—especially for non-tourists. For one, minors were absolutely forbidden to enter the third floor.
There was also a contribution point requirement for residents (tourists were naturally exempted) as well as a minimum amount in the wallet before entering to ensure that people weren't spending beyond their means.
Of course, the tourists had much less stringent limits. For instance, their spending cap was around 3 times more than the locals.
The Golds didn't know how much more money they'd lose at this time. At this time, Jun was showing them the massive floor space with various tables of differing appearances. Like the Ground floor, this also had a high ceiling of about four to five meters.
The Golds entered in curiosity. Obi's eyebrows rose when he looked at the massive writing on the wall. There were rules and regulations and there—including the minimum requirements for entering—and there was a sentence larger than any other.
'Gambling is for fun only and shall not make people poor'
"Heh…"
There were plenty of tables with different games, and they could see some silver and gold manifested on the table. People seem to be emotional, but mostly having fun. There seemed to be a different atmosphere than below though—it felt to have more stakes, and therefore more thrilling.
They were just amazed by the leisurely lifestyle of the people here. They knew they were preparing for a 'beast tide' and yet they still had some time to relax.
In other territories, at least in villages and weaker towns, only the rich could relax like this while everyone else had to work hard or suffer in case of a difficult war coming.
"Ah! I lost!"
"Hehehhee! 10 gold! I won ten gold! NYAHAHAHAH!"
From this, they realized it was a gambling den—something that existed in some Cities and a handful of high-level Towns. However, the games seemed different. The games they knew were simple guessing games, and it was usually boring—as Otto knew a lot about them as someone who had participated a few times.
More importantly, the regulations here told them that the territory was dedicated to keeping people from falling into bankruptcy.
The group walked over to one of the tables. There were only a few open seats per table so they would have to be separated.
Jun smiled and gave them a quick lesson before they separated. "This is the roulette. Players will bet on where the ball will land. This is completely randomized." The casino swore never to manipulate games, and this was something they planned to uphold for fairness.
The Golds watched as the wheel was spun in one direction, and the ball in the other. Their hearts raised as they chose guesses in their hearts and, as the wheel slowed down, they felt a thrill even when they hadn't bet anything.
"This is Craps," he said. "Players will bet on the outcome of rolls of two dice. Bets can be placed on specific numbers, combinations, or even whether the shooter will win or lose."
Jun continued to show them around, showing them the intense but fun atmosphere around, and they soon got into the mood.
It didn't help that the men and women—called dealers or croupiers—were also very passionate…and showy. Someone was even juggling the ball before throwing it down to the roulette.
"This is the blackjack table. There are a lot of rules and things to learn, so we'll push that for later. Actually, a lot of these games require our card knowledge."
Jun would kindly teach them basics of the cards before heading down, and the Golds separated to play different games.
One of the rules in the casino stated that the maximum amount spent shall not exceed 100 gold a month for residents and 300 gold for tourists.
And the Golds would later be thankful for this limit, otherwise they would've stayed here a lot longer inside than proper.
…
______
At this time, one of the last teams—led by Mao and Chris—heading to Fargo was already nearing their destination. With them were Gaudi and Gauis the gardener. They also had a handful of guards for support, but not many as most of them would be going through the array.
They had been chatting for a bit, some discussing some casual things about their lives, all while keeping alert with their surroundings.
They were assigned to an area southwest of Fargo, primarily to hunt down Fargo guards they would encounter.
It was relatively peaceful for a while. After all, the mobs around were not threatening at all to people of their level. Mao would even whistle a song here and there out of boredom, which would get some wind slaps from Chris telling him to shut up.
This leisurely atmosphere stopped when Chris suddenly raised his hand and made a couple of hand gestures. Immediately, all of them climbed up trees, lowering their presence.
Soon, a group of people—about ten in number—passed by. They seemed a bit strong. The majority was over level 15 and a few of them were even in their level 20s. Lastly, except for maybe one or two of the weaker ones, the rest seemed to be aborigines.
The soldiers and guards looked at each other. What would they be doing in a place like this?
And… they seemed to be heading in the direction they were from!
Mao and Chris looked at each other and made a few more hand gestures. Without further ado, Mao sprinted in the direction they were going much faster than they did, so by the time the men encountered him, it seemed like he was sitting alone on a rock, drinking water from an earthenware bottle.
The men's guards rose immediately, looking at him. Mao looked at them and appeared relieved.
"Hello, friends. I am a little lost," he said, patting his flabby tummy. "May I know where you're going?"
They looked at him up and down. "You seem strong for someone who's lost."
Chris smiled. "Thank you. I'm glad to hear you think so."
The men's guards didn't lower at all. Even if the monsters here were weak, mobs of them could still easily kill people of their level, especially if they were alone!
The leading person, Impo, stepped forward and looked at him. He was a level 21 Swordsman and his instincts was telling him not to underestimate this man.
And as someone who had always liked violence, he immediately lifted his sword to attack him—just deciding to kill him for peace of mind.
However, before he could move close, an arrow went past his cheek. He stepped back, wiping the blood, whipping his head in the direction of the arrow.
His eyes widened, realizing this man had a few more people around him. They also saw some, as some were weak, but most of them were similar in level. They dared not underestimate the enemy.
In particular, that archer seemed a little foreboding—like he really wouldn't miss next time. It'd be fine if he wasn't the target—as that could mean he could get closer to him in time—but unfortunately, that wasn't the case at the moment.
He would never risk his life for a mission.
Mao kept his smile and stood up, looking at them. "Answer the question. Who knows, maybe we're heading in the same direction."
Impo frowned and stared at him. He did not like the tone, but the chances of losses in this fight were too high. He didn't care about most of his team, but he didn't want to get hurt when he wasn't gaining anything.
"We're not here to fight. We're just going to Bright Territory."
Mao looked startled at his answer. "Bright? The one that just fell?"
At this many of the men looked smug, thinking it'd intimidate. "Yes, our territory beat it! With minimal losses on our side."
Instead of pandering to them as they expected though, Mao and the others' eyebrows rose high in interest.
Ohhh?