The next day after they agreed to investigate the matter and annihilate all the robed figures if they were related to the incident, Zich and his companions toured around the city. It was as if the meeting from the previous day had never happened. After watching the current, most popular theatrical play in the city and dining at a nice restaurant, they were now entertaining themselves at the casino.
“…Is it all right for us to do this?” Lyla asked hesitantly.
Instead of her usual, comfortable traveling clothes, she was wearing a light dress now. Since the casino was a luxurious place, she had to wear a fitting outfit. Her dress wasn’t anything amazing though. Although it was pricey, it was definitely lacking in comparison to what everyone else wore. However, Lyla had the biggest asset to fashion, which was her face. She usually attracted people’s attention no matter what she wore; so, when she dressed up even a little bit, she captured the eyes of everyone around her. After all, Zich had affirmed that Lyla was the greatest beauty he had ever seen. He couldn’t even count the number of people who had tried to approach her so far. Yet, she rejected each of their advances firmly.
“Hm? What did you say?” While pushing his chips onto the table, Zich turned his head. Anyone could tell that he had failed to hear her because he was too immersed in gambling. Likewise, Zich wore a formal outfit. His clean-cut suit stuck close to his body, and his usually messy hair was smoothened neatly. His aristocratic appearance, which was usually offset by his shifty behavior and tone, was much more noticeable now. Even though it didn’t seem like it, Zich was the eldest son from a high noble background after all. Furthermore, although it wasn’t to the point, he didn’t look human like Lyla—he was clearly a handsome fellow. It was to the level that he could block many of the men’s advances aiming for Lyla.
“I asked, is it alright for us to do this?” Lyla asked again.
“Are you concerned about the investigation?”
“What else is there to be concerned about?”
Zich checked the card in front of him and scowled.
“Damn it!” He threw the card and got up from his seat. All the chips he had betted went to the casino’s side. Then, Zich continued, “Okay, you asked about the investigation, right?”
“I’m warning you. Don’t make me repeat myself one more time.”
“Okay, okay.” Zich raised both of his hands like he was giving up.
“I am going to investigate, but there’s no need for us to hurry. I mean, there’s nothing for us to do right now.” They were still at a stage where they simply suspected that the robed figures might be in the area.
“We came to this city to tour the area anyway. Our guys have been looking forward to this. Isn’t it fine to cool our heads for a couple of days? Above all, aren’t you the one who suggested for us to come here?”
“That’s true.”
“Also, I’m not just wandering around thoughtlessly. I’m carving the locations of this city into my mind and looking around to see if there’s anyone suspicious. I’m not just playing around.”
“…Aren’t you getting too into gambling for that to be the case?”
“No, I’m losing right now by the slightest margin. I just need the last, final bit of luck. How could I quit here when I’m about to get back my money’s worth?”
Lyla sighed and clutched her head to see if she was having a headache. It was the same feeling a girl would get about her boyfriend’s childish actions.
“Anyways, you used up all the money we decided on, right?”
“Yeah, this is my last time.”
Although Lyla worried that Zich might insist on continuing, he coolly turned back from the gambling board. There was no way Zich, whose mind was resilient as his mastery in mana and swordsmanship, would fall into a gambling addiction. Like he said, the casino was simply a place for him to have momentary fun.
“Aren’t you going to have your shot?”
“No, I don’t want to.”
“Okay, then let’s look for the other guys.” Zich had given Hans, Snoc, and Elena some money so that they could play their hearts out.
The two walked shoulder to shoulder and began chatting.
“By the way, why are you weak at gambling? Did you not use your abilities?”
“They have many devices to check for tricks. Of course, with my skills, I can easily bypass them. But what’s the point in gambling then? Gambling is all about just relying on your luck.”
“I can’t understand you.”
They passed through the web of wandering people to look for the rest of their party. Then, they heard a commotion near one of the tables and turned towards the direction.
“It’s Elena and Snoc!”
Besides Lyla, Elena felt most comfortable with Snoc. They had gotten close during the time she borrowed mana from Nowem. When she parted ways with Lyla, she tended to move around with Snoc. Thus, it was not surprising that they were together. The real surprising part was the mountain of coins in front of them.
“Did those guys earn that much?”
“It seems so.”
Even Elena and Snoc looked like they didn’t know what to do with the pile of coins in front of them.
“Did they use their ability or some kind of trick?”
“Don’t underestimate the casino so much. It’s only possible for someone like me to trick them. Those guys have no chance.”
“Then did they really achieve that much just by luck?”
“It must be beginner’s luck.”
At that moment, they heard cheering from another table. Their heads turned naturally, and they walked in the direction of the noise.
“Is it Hans?”
“Yeah, it’s him.”
Likewise, there was also a mountain of coins in front of Hans. It seemed like he was playing alone.
“It seems like he earned quite a bit too.”
“Yeah.”
Lyla tapped Zich’s elbows and asked, “Doesn’t that mean that you’re the only one who lost money?”
“Um…”
Unlike before, Zich’s eyebrows were drooping slightly. Seeing his expression, Lyla stifled her laughter.
* * *
The amount of money that Hans, Snoc, and Elena earned was considerable. Yet, the exhilaration from their success instantly plummeted when they exchanged their coins for real money. They hadn’t realized the coins’ true worth before. Those circular shapes just seemed amazing when they were piled up high, but when they saw the total amount they earned in cash, they were able to clearly perceive how much they actually earned. Even though it was definitely a lot, the money that Zich gave Hans and Snoc to use when necessary was just as much if not more. Elena also felt the same way as Hans and Snoc; she was from a rich family after all.
Lyla saw their expressions and commented, “They don’t look like people who earned a lot of money from a casino.”
“Just let them be. They must have their own standards of feeling satisfied.”
Lyla laughed, “Just like how there’s someone who can’t even meet that standard?” It seemed as if Lyla wanted to pay back Zich for always teasing her. However, Zich also had nothing to retort this time.
“All of you were here.” Someone approached Zich and his companions. It was Evelyn. She was also sightseeing in the city with Zich and his companions. Ricky closely guarded her from behind.
Zich asked, “Lady Rouge, did you have an enjoyable time?”
Evelyn’s reaction was lukewarm. “Maybe. I expected a lot, but nothing was really to my taste.”
“That’s actually better. If you fall into gambling, it would be a very serious matter. It’s also a good method to lose all the money you set aside and come out of the casino.”
“No, I did gain some money. But it wasn’t very fun…”
“…” Zich closed his mouth. Lyla lightly nudged the side of his waist.
* * *
When they got out of the casino, the sky was filled with stars. They all decided to head back to their lodging, and their method of transportation was the carriage. Since Evelyn’s carriage was enormous, all of Zich’s companions could easily fit inside. They conversed about the sights they saw today.
Evelyn started most of the conversations, and people responded to her. However, their conversation never stopped, and the atmosphere inside the carriage was amicable and energetic—until they heard a sudden scream. It seemed to have come from a place far away, since it was very faint. However, it was loud enough for Evelyn, who received no training at all, to hear it as well. A long, weeping scream rang out in the streets. Everyone’s faces in the carriage stiffened.
Bang!
Zich immediately opened the carriage door. “Lyla, Elena—both of you should protect Lady Rouge and return to the lodging. Hans and Snoc—follow me.” Zich jumped out of the carriage. Hans and Snoc also jumped out and followed behind Zich.
Tap!
They fused a large amount of mana into their legs and ran across the city. Zich and Hans ran on top of the roofs and ran as if they were flying. A large figure followed behind them; it was Nowem who had transformed his body into a giant. Nowem’s sharp claws and pointy teeth looked dangerous and frightening. However, if one peered closely, he still had many of the cute characteristics he had when he was small. Snoc rode on Nowem’s back and closely followed behind Zich.
The three of them ran across the city at an extremely fast speed. Their destination was where the scream came from.
‘I can’t hear the scream anymore.’
This was not a good sign. If the scream stopped, it indicated two situations. First, it meant that the reason for the screams had been resolved, or second, the person was not able to scream anymore. Moreover, even Zich could not accurately pinpoint the location with just one scream. Zich spread his senses as far as possible. He hoped that he would find something special as he continued to move.
‘Is this it?’ Zich sensed a presence. There was no movement. ‘The person is not dead.’ It also didn’t seem like they were severely injured.
‘Did they just momentarily lose consciousness?’
Zich decided to first head towards where the presence was, and they arrived in an alleyway. It was not far from the main road. However, a city was a place where the atmosphere could completely change after a few blocks. Zich saw a person collapsed on the ground; it was a woman. Zich flipped over the woman and put his finger next to her nose.
‘Her breathing is normal, and she doesn’t have any noticeable injuries.’
It seemed as if she had received a huge shock and fell unconscious. However, to be on the safe side, Zich fed her some potions and tried to shake her awake. Hans and Snoc landed behind Zich. Nowem immediately returned to his small form and climbed on top of Snoc’s shoulder.
“Uhm..” The woman began to slowly regain consciousness.
“Have you gained your senses?”
The woman, who didn’t come to her senses even with Zich’s question, suddenly opened her eyes wide. She quickly scanned her surroundings, and when she saw Zich, she let out a small scream and crawled backward. Zich didn’t approach her hastily; instead, he took a couple of steps back and increased his distance from her.
He said, “I came here because I heard a scream. Were you perhaps the one who screamed?”
“…Ah!” The wariness in her eyes eased up a little. “Yes, t-that was me.”
“Would it be all right if I ask you what happened?”
“What…hap…?” She began to slowly recall what happened before she fainted and opened her eyes wide. Contrary to how she acted before, she desperately came closer to Zich and clutched his sleeves.
“P-please…!” She shouted desperately, “Fran! Please save my lover!”
* * *
Security guards appeared out of nowhere in a black alleyway. While carrying torchlights, they carefully scanned the alleyway for any clues. It was clear from their movements that they were very intent on not missing even the most minuscule clue. However, much to their disappointment, they were unable to produce any clear results.
Zich, Hans, and Snoc watched the security guards work from a distance. One person from among the security guards began walking towards them—it was Joachim. His stiff and serious expression perfectly reflected his emotions.
Zich asked, “Sir, how is it?”
Joachim replied with great gravity, “It seems like this is another incident of the missing people case that we are chasing after right now.”