Five gamblers knelt before me.
"If you were true gamblers, you would gracefully accept the outcome of a duel. But you are con artists."
Sitting on a chair in front of them, I waved the notarized magic contract in my hand.
"Some forceful restrictions are necessary, I suppose."
"..."
"So, now your lives belong to me."
The reactions of the five gamblers varied.
Some hung their heads in defeat, some trembled in shock, and others welled up with tears.
Violet bit her lip, unable to hide her frustration.
Only the girl - Scarlet - looked at me squarely.
I gestured towards them.
"So, let’s hear it. Why did you dare try to fleece a prince? You must have been really desperate for money."
"To survive."
Quick to grasp the situation, recognizing that obeying me was the wisest course in their current predicament, Scarlet readily answered.
"To get on ‘The Last Ark’."
"The Last Ark?"
I frowned. What was that?
"Ever since the end of the Imperial Succession War, rumors have been rampant. The world is coming to an end soon. And the only ones who can survive this apocalypse are the citizens of New Terra in the Imperial Capital."
Scarlet continued with a clear voice.
"It’s said that Prince Fernandez will only take the citizens of New Terra with him, on a ship to the new world - ‘The Ark’."
"..."
"Central Continent is already in chaos. But after the Succession War, New Terra's gates were firmly shut, and the paths inside are very limited. And to use those limited paths, one needs a fortune."
I chuckled cynically.
"You believed such an outlandish rumor and tried to enter the Imperial Capital, paying a fortune?"
"New Terra in the Imperial Capital is the center of the world. 30% of the world's economy is concentrated in that city. When it suddenly closed its doors ‘in preparation for an external invasion,’ global logistics and industries halted. At the same time, ominous signs are appearing around the world."
Scarlet shrugged.
"People are scared. Everyone wants to escape to a safe place. What good is a fortune if you're dead?"
So, to put it in terms of Earth.
Amidst wars, famines, plagues, and rumors of impending global doom, New York (or Washington) suddenly goes into lockdown, and rumors spread that the U.S. President will only take New York citizens on a spaceship.
Panicked people, before it's too late, spend all their wealth to get inside New York... Something like that?
'It's like a plot out of a disaster movie.'
Well, everyday in Crossroad is like a disaster movie.
"So, you needed quick cash to enter New Terra, and in searching for a big score, you recklessly challenged me?"
"...In short, yes, that's right."
I clicked my tongue and crossed my legs leisurely.
"Ever heard of 'Bai Piao'?"
"...?"
"Where I used to live, there was a custom of giving back a little money to those who lost in gambling. It’s called 'Bai Piao.'"
I opened a box and handed out a gold bar to each of the five gamblers.
"You bet your lives in this game and lost spectacularly, so you deserve a 'Bai Piao.' Here."
The gamblers, bewildered, still accepted it meekly.
Naturally, all these scoundrels had the 'Gold Mine' attribute. They had no reason to refuse gold.
"I only wanted to own your lives, not to kill you. In other words... I orchestrated this battle to use you as my subordinates."
The gamblers, who had been deathly pale at the notion of being killed, slowly relaxed their faces. I chuckled softly.
"And I'm not so poor that I would use subordinates without pay. That gold bar belongs to you."
The gold bar swiftly disappeared into the bosom of the five gamblers. I nodded my head.
"If you work properly under me, earning a fortune enough to enter New Terra will be no big deal. However."
My voice turned slightly ominous.
"...there's no need for that. Stuff like an ark is just nonsense."
I'm slowly beginning to see what Fernandez's plan is all about.
I curled my lips into a smile, determined to put a stop to such a crazy plan.
"You, let's work on a few things together."
I gestured to the gamblers.
"I'm going to have a showdown with Fernandez soon."
"...?!"
"I'm going to punch that parasitic brother of mine right in the face and put a hole in whatever ark he's got. I'll take back the Imperial Capital too. You'll need to join me in this."
The gamblers gaped in astonishment.
Well, this might be too big a story for these guys.
But what can I do? Our contract is already over.
"Of course, your lives are already mine, but I'd prefer if you would willingly and earnestly participate in my cause."
I lightly kicked the gold bar box placed beside me.
"I won't treat you poorly. I promise."
"Lord Fernandez, who seized the Imperial Capital, and Lord Ash, who took over this small southern city."
Scarlet shook her head slightly.
"To speak frankly, it seems like an unequal fight."
"That's why the odds are so high."
If Fernandez and I were to clash, most people would guess Fernandez would win.
But what's the fun in the world if things always go as expected?
The thrill is when the underdog wins, and the odds are upset.
"Isn't the life of you gamblers, these flies living for a stroke of fortune, just that?"
Slowly rising from my seat, I walked steadfastly towards the gamblers.
"Not just risking your life to sneak into the back alleys of the Imperial Capital, but as a gambler, shouldn't you bet on something as big as the world's hegemony?"
The gamblers, swallowing their saliva nervously, looked up at me as I spoke briefly.
"Bet on me."
"On what aspect of Your Highness?"
"There are many reasons, but there's one that should resonate with you."
I grinned.
"You've all had a match with me, right? How was it?"
By any means necessary.
I've knocked these five down.
"As a gambler, I don't think my skills are bad."
"...Exactly as you say."
Scarlet, who had been silent, readily agreed.
"I've met countless gamblers who use all sorts of bizarre methods, but you're the first to beat all of us at once, Your Highness."
"Even if it's flattery, I appreciate it."
I looked each of them over.
"Yes. I am somewhat 'of the same kind' as you. So, I understand what you want."
Of course, though I am a gambler, I'm not a gambler like them.
We're fundamentally different. But I do understand their principles.
"You gamblers actually feel pleasure in the act of taking on risks."
"..."
"And for those like you who have lived their lives on the gambling table, unless it's something as risky as the edge of a cliff, it's hard to even feel alive. Isn't that right?"
That's the essence of gambling.
Always earning a fortune, in truth, doesn't hold much charm. It doesn't become addictive.
The thrill that comes at the end of a life-risking aerial stunt, like having a gun pointed at your temple, when you finally hit the jackpot.
That ecstasy.
Addicted to the thrill of a dramatic turnaround, these people cannot escape this life.
They are the gamblers.
'In short, to put it another way.'
It means that gamblers are a group of perverted psychos addicted to risking their lives.
"You masochistic bastards. I'll provide it for you."
I grinned, showing my teeth.
"The place for you to risk your lives in battle. The biggest gamble in this world."
The biggest risk.
And the biggest return.
I will provide it for you.
"I'll make you play in a game so big, your past fortunes will feel like child's play."
"..."
"If we're going to play the fool anyway..."
Looking down at them, overwhelmed and pale, staring up at me - I finished my statement.
"Why not play for the possession of the world?"
***
Thus, the Gambler's Club was incorporated into my party.
Of course, I don't believe they are sincerely loyal to me right away.
I'll have to train them diligently, alternating between carrot and stick.
But they are useful. Especially in the upcoming battle.
'In the Grand Sorceress White Night Raid, and... in the final showdown with Fernandez.'
This Gambler's Club party will play the role of my joker. They've come at a very opportune time.
The White Night Raid is one thing, but their participation in the fight against Fernandez was crucial.
'Fernandez is a master of illusion.'
And under him is the Aegis Special Forces, a special unit dedicated solely to black ops.
Illusion and black ops.
In other words, Fernandez is optimized for dirty and underhanded tactics.
And my subordinates are weak in dealing with such matters. They are all too honest and sincere.
'At least when the Shadow Squad was around, there was some counteraction...'
But now that the Shadow Squad has practically been annihilated, there was no team to deal with these kinds of things in the shadows.
But now I will train the Gambler's Club in this regard.
In short, my personal covert operatives.
A versatile special unit to handle dirty and messy affairs, rather than direct combat.
That's why I recruited them.
All of them are masters of deception and illusion, and having lived their lives in back alleys, they should be adept at espionage against humans, if not in battles against great monsters.
'Not offensive or defensive power, but utility performance.'
Such a party is also worth keeping. It's good to have a variety of options at hand.
Anyway... with that.
New heroes joined Crossroad while my other comrades were away.
The suspected spy, High Priest Zenis.
The remnants of the 1st Imperial Army led by Metallic, who was under Lark's direct command.
And the Gambler's Club, the gamblers' party.
After a few days, more and more people poured in, and with the magic construction technology salvaged from the Lake Kingdom, a new barracks was quickly built.
At the same time, the completion of the hotel, the core of the tourist city project that started in the first year, was just around the corner.
My messengers, who had gone to various parts of the world, began to return one by one.
Bringing with them the 'Fallen Kings' they had gone to meet.
***
Leaving behind the bustling Crossroad.
Flash!
I teleported through the gate and arrived at the base camp.
Walking calmly through the now familiar darkness, I headed towards a corner of the base camp.
I had visited every day but always in vain.
But for some reason, I had a feeling.
A premonition that today, I would meet them.
And – sure enough.
She was there, whom I hadn't seen in a very long time.
"..."
Her white, intensely bright hair carelessly spilled onto the floor, wrapped in a tattered robe.
Sitting on the cold stone floor, leaning her head against a collapsed stone wall.
Holding an old sword tightly in her arms.
With her eyes tightly closed, as if she were dead.
"..."
I quietly approached her and stood in front. Then I observed her carefully.
An existence that wasn't in the game, but.
An essential companion for the true ending.
The last on my list, the final Fallen King-
"...Nameless."
As I quietly called out, Nameless slowly opened her eyes.
Her turquoise eyes, clear as a lake, gazed at me. I smiled broadly.
"It's been a while."
"Ash..."
She smiled awkwardly. A weak but affectionate voice came from her pale lips.
"Indeed. It really has been a long time."
An NPC merchant of the Lake Kingdom.
The guardian of the Lake Kingdom.
The princess of the Lake Kingdom.
An entity that ultimately became the final boss in the last stage of the game.
Nameless.
To save this world...
...No, not just for such a grand cause.
Simply because she too was within my reach.
That's why I decided to save her as well.
I smiled broadly at her and asked.
"Shall we have a talk?"
--TL Notes--
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