Luck Is Enough When Gambling(2)

The next day, the second day of observation classes proceeded without much commotion, unlike the first day.

This was partly because I only had hand-to-hand combat class and cooking during lunchtime on the second day, but also because Rimia no longer caused a fuss, perhaps having resigned herself since Kama’s class yesterday.

Rather, she even came to ask me for archery lessons last night, requesting to meet on the third day when all observation classes would be over, so she might not have even thought of causing a fuss.

Anyway, the day’s schedule was quickly wrapped up.

Since it was possible to leave after the day’s classes were over at Lua Academy, except for occasional professor duties, I finished serving lunch and immediately returned to the temple with Myu, Isolde, and Morgan.

Although the day at the academy was over, there were still things to do during the rest of today.

Therefore, now that we’ve returned to the temple, I was preparing to go out again.

“Then Myu and Isolde, you two stay here. There’s no point in crowding around in the entertainment district, it’ll only draw attention.”

“Wouldn’t we draw attention just by walking around with our looks anyway?”

“Up to three people, we can suppress our presence and wear masks, so it’ll be fine. But with five people, we’d be noticeable no matter what we do.”

Inside the temple, still filled with a solemn atmosphere. Amidst the busy priests and clergy moving around, I said this with Libby and Morgan beside me, and Myu and Isolde in front of me.

The place I’m about to go to is the entertainment district of the Phara Kingdom, far from the temple street.

The reason was, of course, because of Libby’s request yesterday to take her to the entertainment district.

Of course, it was still only 2 PM, making it difficult to fully enjoy the entertainment district, but that’s precisely why I’m taking Libby now.

‘At least it’s daytime, so we shouldn’t get caught up in anything too strange…’

Even though the Phara Kingdom has good public safety, it doesn’t extend to the entertainment district filled with all kinds of brothels, illegal trading posts, and hideouts of small criminal groups.

In cases of major incidents, reports would go up to higher-ups and knights would come down in force, but usually, they tended to turn a blind eye to most things.

This is because focusing too much attention on such places would be tiresome, and in most cases when incidents occurred, it was often the individual’s own responsibility, so they didn’t want to get unnecessarily involved and only provided minimal security.

However, what’s important now is not this, but that the morning of the entertainment district starts at night for us.

Because there are many places doing things that could land you in jail if caught, the morning of the entertainment district started from night, and especially because the main spenders, the nobles, only had time at night, this character was even more pronounced.

In other words, this means that most places except casinos are closed right now in broad daylight.

At best, the only other places open would be those that aren’t so disorderly or are diligent businesses, and Libby said she would be satisfied even with a small sample size, so the decision to go to the entertainment district was readily made.

And for this, I was now planning to head to the entertainment district with just the three of us, leaving Myu and Isolde at the temple.

We’ll wear masks and suppress our presence, trying not to stand out in various ways, but if five people gather, no matter how much we suppress our presence, we’d inevitably stand out in the leisurely entertainment district.

Therefore, Myu and Isolde didn’t express any particular complaints about this decision and just nodded, and I also looked down at my body, which was in Yujia’s form rather than my usual Aria appearance.

“It’s been a while since I’ve walked around in this body…”

I chose Yujia’s body because Aria’s face had long since become famous through word of mouth to the point where there was no one in the Phara Kingdom who didn’t know her.

Although people might not know Aria’s exact face, there’s probably no one else in this world who walks around with reddish hair and two swords, so it was an unavoidable choice.

I didn’t often go out in Yujia’s body because the hair color stood out so much, but it should be fine today since we’ll be wearing masks and moving quietly.

Thinking this, I handed butterfly masks that I had received in advance from the casino, through a request to a priest, to Libby and Morgan behind me.

“Here, wear these in advance. Myu will send us with teleportation magic.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“I don’t really like masks because they narrow the field of vision…”

Libby took the mask and put it on without a word, while Morgan grumbled but still put on the mask with a click.

And I also put on the remaining mask in my hand and turned to look at the two.

“As expected, it suits you well as the base.”

“It really suits you too, Mother.”

“Hmph, of course it does.”

They say beauty is a thug, and the sight of blonde-haired and white-haired women wearing butterfly masks was impressive in itself.

Moreover, with Libby holding the library book to her chest and Morgan carrying three magic swords, the mystery of the two hidden behind masks was further emphasized.

Satisfied with their appearance, I smiled and spoke to Myu, who had already taken out her staff.

“Myu, then please send us to the entertainment district near the casino.”

“Yes, Mother. I’ll send you right away.”

As soon as the words ended, Myu’s staff was struck down with a thud.

Soon, the bright magical light of the teleportation magic engulfed our view.

---

The librarian, now a homunculus who had obtained the name Liberty, had seen the beginnings and ends of countless humans over a long period of time.

Any human is a blank canvas at birth, coloring their canvas as time passes, and is remembered by people as they embrace their completed canvas at the end.

As everyone lives in different environments with different thoughts, the colors painted on each canvas were diverse, but at least as far as Libby remembered, there were two colors that were used countless times.

Material desire and sexual desire.

Even those who pride themselves on having no desires inevitably pursue money as long as they live in the world, and when money is acquired, they want to indulge in the flesh as a living desire.

This was the essence of living as a social being and the essence as a living being that one cannot help but have once born as a life.

Therefore, Libby, who wanted to learn about human nature, chose the entertainment district where these two aspects are most prominently revealed as her destination.

The origin of material desire where an enormous amount of money circulates in the casino, also known as the gambling den, and the origin of sexual desire where prostitution produces and eliminates lust while making money.

It was truly the best place of exploration for Libby.

“It was moving.”

To be honest, it was moving.

Although Aria had clearly seemed reluctant when she mentioned the entertainment district, she immediately prepared nearly 1 million gold the next day and headed to the entertainment district as soon as the academy ended.

In the process, she even showed consideration by going during daytime hours out of concern for her.

Libby couldn’t help but be moved, as it was enough for her to directly see and hear a few places that were open anyway.

Mother’s love that she had never felt from her former mother, Iriel.

If Libby hadn’t been a homunculus who had lived for tens of thousands of years with dried-up tears, she might have sat down and cried her eyes out right there.

But fortunately, thanks to her dried-up tears, Libby didn’t shed any tears, and she was able to safely arrive at the entertainment district following Yujia and Morgan, wearing a mask and preciously holding the book to her chest.

As the light of the teleportation magic disappeared, the street of the entertainment district unfolded before their eyes.

As Yujia had said, at this time with the sun high in the sky, the entertainment district was very quiet.

It wasn’t completely devoid of people, but there were barely 10 people visible besides Yujia, Morgan, and Libby herself.

Considering that hundreds of people are said to roam just this street every night, one can understand how few this current number is.

However, their relief at the quiet street was short-lived, as all three of them, without anyone taking the lead, held their noses at the disgusting scent carried by the wind.

“The perfume smell is terrible…”

“Ugh…”

“And it’s mixed with various other smells, irritating the stomach…”

A scent that seemed like it would not only stimulate but burst the nerve cells in the nose.

The identity of this scent was none other than the mixed fragrance of perfumes that were moistly dripping down all over the entertainment district.

They say one scent alone might be good, but when nearly a dozen perfume scents are mixed simultaneously, it stings the nose worse than food waste.

As all three of them usually lived without using any perfume at all, the attack of this scent was even stronger for them.

“If this scent continues, we won’t be able to stay in this street for long…”

“Kuhm! That’s right. Then let’s go to the casino first. This is the red-light district, so the perfume scents are stronger here.”

Indeed, somehow there was a full scent of perfume even though it was broad daylight in the entertainment district. Libby nodded in understanding at Yujia’s words and looked around.

Certainly, seeing the shameless signs stimulating lust lined up everywhere, it seemed to be an area belonging to the red-light district within the entertainment district.

“I’d like to collect information here too, but…”

The red-light district, the origin of lust, one of the two main human desires Libby wanted to know about.

So she wanted to explore here, but in the current state of their noses and the air, they wouldn’t be able to properly collect information.

It’s regrettable, but as Yujia said, it would be better to go to the casino first and learn about material desire.

“Haa… It can’t be helped.”

“Let’s go, Libby.”

Libby wasn’t the type to stubbornly insist on her exploratory spirit even in unreasonable situations.

Therefore, Libby followed behind Yujia, who had started to lead the way, and Morgan, who was frowning and holding her nose like Libby, stuck close to her side.

Their destination was the casino located at the end of the entertainment district. It was time to learn about material desire using the money prepared in advance.

Only.

“Hey Ar, do we really have to go to the casino when we’re dressed up like this?”

“It can’t be helped, Pensia. It’s the Demon King’s order.”

“…Really, to be in this state just because of one order from the Demon King…”

The only problem was that two girls dressed up like noble ladies were walking together behind Libby.