Ch.28I Want to Hear Your Story (2)

When Olivia regained consciousness, the first thing she did was check Kiel’s status window.

[Kiel Rothschild]

– Level: 83

– Class: Sword Master

– Affection: -100(+7)

– Titles: Regressor, Duke, Wandering Swordsman

Her plan was shattered. She had intended to slowly gaslight him and implant the memory that “Olivia was actually a victim of manipulation too,” but it had completely failed…

“Huh?”

Olivia’s eyes widened.

What, what is that?

The number 7 was glowing brilliantly in the affection window. Her trembling eyes revealed just how shocked she was.

“I-I’m right! I was right all along!”

Olivia raised both hands in a victory pose.

This proved that memories from the past could influence the present.

Indeed, people shouldn’t fight cowardly with facts, but honorably with propaganda and fabrication. What a beautiful result!

‘…But why is it displayed as -100(+7) instead of just -93?’

Feeling something odd, Olivia stopped in her tracks.

Affection should be either positive or negative. It’s impossible to have both states simultaneously. At least, that’s what Olivia knew.

So why was this damn affection score separated instead of combined?

‘Kiel affection detailed information. Just the last two entries.’

[Year 987: -100]

[Year 992: +7]

[Warning! Affection gained using ‘clues’ will not be applied until reaching that time period!]

[(+7) affection will be properly applied in 992, five years from now!]

Olivia looked up at the sky with a pleasant smile.

…These fucking bastards must be insane.

They expect her to endure five whole years like this?

*****

“…They’re coming.”

Ro, who was fiddling with a telescope artifact at the lair entrance, widened his eyes.

An ominous aura could be felt from far away.

“They’re coming! Th-they’re comiiiing! Five hundred meters away!”

“Th-they’re coming? Now?”

Jayna, who had been playing with trump cards, looked at her hand with a panicked expression. Four aces shining brilliantly. Four of a kind.

‘I-I have to die with this hand?’

If it had been a full house, maybe, but dying with four aces would be idiotic.

Jayna spoke in a subtle voice.

“At five hundred meters, we should be able to finish this round just barely. What do you all think?”

“…Your hand must be quite good.”

“Think whatever you want. What about you, Glacia?”

Glacia was sitting to Jayna’s left. Having injured her mouth that morning, she couldn’t speak properly.

“Hehehehehe. You’re an interesting woman. I call too.”

They could roughly understand what she was saying.

“Okay. Glacia calls. What about you, Aramis?”

“…Raise. Two more bottles.”

“…”

“Die if you’re scared.”

Aramis said with a sinister smile. Jayna seriously covered her mouth with her hand. It was to hide her twitching lips.

‘Idiot. You’re raising with that? You’re dead.’

Jayna cleared her throat and pretended to be flustered.

“T-two bottles?”

“That’s right. Two bottles.”

“Hmm… you’re coming in strong.”

Their betting currency wasn’t money. In a cave where everything except freedom was available, money was just metal scraps.

The stakes were usually rights. The right to use artifacts borrowed from Olivia first, the right to read grimoires first.

But today’s stakes were empty potion bottles.

Anyone wondering why such trash would be valuable would understand after watching cave life for just one day.

– Ten bottles per person per day. That’s your quota.

Translated from Olivia-speak, it meant roll until you collapse ten times a day. The part about dying if you failed was implied.

The bottles containing what Jayna called the Strawberry Potion of the Underworld were enchanted to not break even when smashed against stone floors.

The more cruel aspect was that they were designed to only open when one was completely exhausted after depleting all their mana.

In other words, each empty bottle meant one fewer time they had to collapse from exhaustion.

‘I absolutely must have those!’

Fire blazed in Jayna’s eyes.

The basic bet was one bottle, another was added midway, and now with Aramis’s raise of two more bottles, the total was four.

A pot worth eight collapses.

“Call!”

“I call too!”

Jayna and Glacia slapped the ground and stood up.

“Ro! How long until Master arrives?”

“Three hundred meters left!”

There was enough time. Enough to flip a few cards, that is.

They would need to clean up discreetly afterward, but that wasn’t their concern right now.

Jayna gave Aramis a meaningful look.

“…You want me to open first?”

“You raised, so you should go first.”

“Glacia agrees.”

“…”

Under the joint pressure from Jayna and Glacia, Aramis clicked his tongue and flipped his cards. The next moment, Jayna burst into laughter.

Aramis’s hand was garbage.

‘Hehehe, what kind of pointless bluff was that?’

Even if it wasn’t a bluff, it couldn’t beat four of a kind. What? Straight flush and royal flush would win?

Unless the world was unfair, those were impossible.

The probability of Olivia becoming kind was higher.

‘Ah, no. Come to think of it, that’s impossible.’

That person wouldn’t change even if she died and came back ten times.

She called herself a mage but acted like a witch. These days she even wore witch clothes, apparently too bothered to explain to others that she was a mage.

If only her personality were good, she would truly be the continent’s greatest master.

But that personality ruined everything.

Jayna threw down her cards.

Thud.

“There, four aces. I won, right?”

“…Damn.”

Jayna grinned at the sighing Aramis and reached for the empty bottles in the center.

“Anyway, I’ll take these…”

“Wait.”

Glacia widened her eyes and grabbed Jayna’s arm.

“I haven’t shown my cards yet.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Glacia was still burning with fighting spirit even after seeing Jayna’s hand. Her swollen lips looked quite ridiculous, but no one was brave enough to laugh openly in a dragon’s face.

“I’ll show them.”

Jayna gasped at her confidence.

‘…Could she really have a straight flush?’

But even after waiting for a while, Glacia didn’t flip her cards.

10 seconds.

20 seconds.

Unable to wait any longer, Jayna spoke.

“Um… Glacia?”

“…Yes?”

“When are you planning to show your cards…”

“…”

Jayna frowned.

Is she stalling for time?

No, she’s a dragon, she wouldn’t do that for just four empty bottles…

“Glacia?”

“Y-you! Human on watch! How much time until your master arrives?”

“About two hundred meters left… Huh? Gone? She’s gone?”

Ro rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

Olivia, who should have been halfway up the mountain range, was suddenly at the 50-meter mark.

She must have used Blink, finding it too bothersome to walk.

“Emergency! Emergencyyy!”

After confirming Olivia’s rapid approach, Ro dashed into the lair.

“Fold the game now! Fold it!”

“D-damn! Show your cards quickly!”

“Hehe, I can’t! Unless you say this round is void, we’ll all die here!”

Glacia froze the cards in her hand.

“Now what will you do, human? It seems your friend thinks the same as I do.”

“Jayna. I pray you make the right decision.”

Aramis curled up the corners of his mouth.

“If you just concede once, two people can be happy.”

“Would you do that if you were me?”

“Well then, we’ll all die together. You know what will happen if she finds out we’ve been gambling instead of training, don’t you?”

“Y-you crazy… ugh…”

Jayna grabbed the back of her neck. Then, shaking her head frantically as if going mad, she shouted:

“Fine! Do whatever you want! Take it all! See if I ever play this game again!”

“Hehehehe, it was a good deal.”

After collecting their share of empty bottles, the disciples hid the cards and scattered in all directions.

The gambling den transformed into a training ground in an instant.

The disciples pretended to practice magic while stealthily monitoring the entrance.

Shortly after, Olivia suddenly appeared out of thin air.

“Hehehe. You’ve arrived.”

Glacia approached, rubbing her palms together obsequiously. Seeing her, Olivia smiled contentedly and said:

“Have you all been practicing diligently?”

“Yes!”

“Really?”

“Yes! We practiced very hard!”

Olivia pulled something from the bookshelf and tossed it.

It was a crystal ball with recording capabilities.

Only then did the disciples realize they were screwed and froze in place.

“You said you practiced diligently, right?”

“…”

“Now, what will we hear when I activate this?”

“…”

Olivia infused mana into the crystal ball.

[Caaaaaaall!]

[I’ll call too!]

[Fold the game! Fold…]

Click.

Suddenly, a familiar staff appeared in Olivia’s right hand.

“While your master is running around trying to save the world, what? Gambling? GAMBLING?”

“I was just keeping watch…”

BOOM!

Ro, who was trying to make excuses, lost consciousness and fainted. A large bump had formed on his head.

What? Just keeping watch?

He should have been practicing instead of watching.

The sound of gulping echoed throughout the room.

“This master will not accept excuses from incompetent disciples.”

Hmm, it seems she had been teaching too leniently.

“Don’t even think about sleeping for the next week.”

If you get sleepy, drink potions and endure through sheer willpower.