NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8 - Episode 8: A New Gamble.
Episode 8: A New Gamble
(Return to Frim’s Perspective)
“Isn’t the number of customers decreasing?”
One of the guards, Morga, brought it up. He’s a big guy who doesn’t hesitate to say things that might upset Boss.
“Yeah, that’s true. The continuous rain doesn’t help either.”
“I heard that the guys from Lucatz started a new gambling game.”
“Is that so?”
The atmosphere is tense. It’s not good news, and if Boss suddenly gets angry, what should I do… I could endure Pakis’ serious violence, but I wouldn’t stand a chance against Boss’s thick arms.
I keep counting coins while listening, some decent copper coins among the 243, some dirty ones totaling 1655, and 26 that are questionable… How has Boss been calculating all this by himself until now?
“A gambling game, a gambling game… Can’t Frim come up with something?”
“Huh? M-me?”
“Don’t you have any ideas?”
“Well…”
I’m not sure if Boss will get angry, and I don’t know if it’s okay to say anything. It might be a good opportunity to sell my usefulness… but isn’t it creepy for a young girl to come up with ideas like “a profitable gambling method!”? In this country, there are people who can do a little bit of “magic,” “calculations,” and “cleaning.” But it would be different for a young girl to easily come up with a “profitable gambling method” or something.
“Say whatever you want. Do you have anything?”
“W-well, I’ve never seen the gambling den before…”
“Huh?”
“S-sorry, sorry!”
I bow my head repeatedly and grit my teeth. If I opened my mouth when I was hit, I might cut my tongue. Maybe Boss is giving me a slightly kind treatment because he has evaluated me as “more useful than other subordinates,” but did I fail this time?
“…Well, whatever. Morga, take Frim around for a bit.”
“Yes.”
Morga, with his big body, stood up… Now? Are we going now?
“Um, what about work?”
“At this age, it’s hard to come up with good ideas, so leave it to her.”
“Let’s go, Frim.”
“…Okay.”
Normally, I would only go as far as putting water in the bottles behind the gambling den. But now I’m wearing slightly better clothes than ragged cloths, and I’ve cleaned myself with water baths, so I shouldn’t be kicked out. I don’t know what kind of gambling they’re doing, but… I don’t like gambling.
Several people I know wave at me in the work area. I’ve become somewhat popular since I became a bit of a celebrity for cleaning toilets.
“Don’t wander off.”
“Yes.”
The gambling den was completely different from what I had imagined. In my past life, casinos had guards, elegant interiors, and gentlemanly staff. Slot machines, cards, roulette, and dice were probably the main attractions. There are many other types of gambling. In Japan, everyone knows about horse racing and lotteries. Depending on the country, they might roll balls or race pigs or puppies instead of horses, or make insects or chickens fight… or maybe even humans fight, like they do here? There are people with injuries dressed in shabby clothes being forced to drink alcohol. There are people sleeping everywhere, and they don’t even glance at me. The air is bad. It’s bright because of magic or something, but… it’s noisy… It smells of tobacco, perfume, sweat, and alcohol… It’s so bad I feel like choking. Since the hostesses waved at me, I’ll wave back. Overall, there are well-dressed, wealthy-looking people holding money, alcohol, and what look like betting slips. I don’t know exactly what kind of gambling they’re doing, but some are betting on which way a big top will fall, while others are enjoying card games.
“Drink up! Drink more!”
“Cheers!”
“Darn it, I lost! Next time!!”
“Sir, you’ve had too much to drink.”
“You!!”
“What are you doing!!!”
“Hahaha!!! Oh well!!”
“Bring me some meat!!”
Law and order here is… not good. No, it’s pretty bad. There are people fighting, but everyone around seems to accept it as normal.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
I follow Morga closely. A young girl already stands out, and if I get separated from Morga, the guardian, in a place like this, I might be killed for fun. Morga is a well-known giant, and people won’t mess with him.
When we go downstairs, there’s a frenzy swirling around.
“Huh?!”
The underground was a coliseum.
People were killing each other with weapons, and the dead were being pushed against the walls. There were people with collars… slaves. In an instant, it was clear that they were being forced into exchanges of life, and something nauseating rose from the back of my throat, desperately swallowed. If I made a mistake here, I might end up joining them.
And there were other unsettling reasons. The money I had been counting all this time… had it been earned through their deaths, with people betting on it and enjoying it? The thought filled me with an indescribable sense of disgust, so much so that I felt like, no, I actually vomited right there. The food I had been eating here until now… thinking it was earned through their lives made me even more sick.
No one was paying any attention to me. Blood was even spattered on the floor, and there were dirty bones from food and spilled alcohol.
“Are you okay?”
“T-the smell is overwhelming.”
I quickly try to cover it up. It’s true that this room is dirty, and some of the vomit isn’t mine. That should be a sufficient reason.
“Is that so?”
I quickly get up and look around the entire gambling den. Just seeing the dead bodies is bad enough, but the knowledge in my head tells me to face forward. I’ve always liked history and culture, traveled to various countries, and have many ideas. Even now, there’s a man being stabbed with a sword and dying… I’m sorry, I can only think about it in my heart, but I also understand that there’s nothing I can do, and it really makes me feel sick…
“Let me watch for a while.”
“Yeah, hey, bring some more drinks!”
Without averting my gaze, I continue to watch the people dying. Adults and children, being killed with overwhelming physical differences.
―――I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
In my heart, I apologize for my lack of morals and inability to do anything, and pray for their next lives, whose faces and names I don’t even know.
I feel nauseous, but I have to watch.
I know, even if one person has special knowledge, some things can’t be changed. It’s not often that one person saves another, even in Japan. After all, I’m just a little kid who can use magic. What would happen if I used magic to break open these cages right now? Would everyone be saved? No, that’s impossible. I’d probably be killed by Morga, and the slaves wouldn’t be saved either.
I’m sorry for not being able to help… Amidst the frenzy, I silently observe, gritting my teeth so as not to shed tears.
The lives being lost here cannot be saved. They must be abandoned. But at least, since Boss asked for improvements to the gambling den, maybe I have the knowledge to change this…!
“Darn it, just one more shot.”
“This ain’t even worth betting on.”
“Bring more drinks! Over here!!”
“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!!!”
“Don’t be scared!!”
I… I’m truly the worst.