Natural Change #4

 

“Oh, what is that?”

Flora pointed to a corner of the casino with her finger.

One large wall is covered with small, folded notes.

The number of notes is in the thousands, and it is impossible to count them all.

Next to him, a crow was barely able to suppress a yawn, trying to contain its boredom.

“It’s a raffle, so don’t worry about it. If you try, you’ll just get a blank.”

Mitchell waved his hand.

Also known as ‘Garden Pull’.

It’s a simple gamble where you pick one note out of 9999 and aim for the first prize.

And, as Mitchell said, most of the time it’s a dud.

Even second or third place is not easily achieved.

In terms of probability, the probability of getting anything other than a blank is only about 0.002%.

A trick to take even the change from the pockets of customers who have lost a lot of money through gambling.

But this is exactly what I was aiming for.

The reason I came to the casino.

First place prize, “Necklace of Reflection.”

This is the artifact that boasts the best defensive performance in “Nine Stars”.

In a corner of a shabby gambling den on the continent’s border, a treasure of inestimable value lay hidden.

“Mitchell.”

“Hey, why, kid?”

I whispered quietly in Mitchell’s ear.

“If I could look inside the note, wouldn’t I be able to just take the first prize?”

“Hey- if that were possible, everyone would do it⋯ Huh?”

Mitchell’s expression changed.

The superior rune embedded in my gloves, “Thousand-eye Vision.”

The power of that all-seeing clairvoyance was personally experienced by none other than Mitchell himself.

Mitchell narrowed his eyes, as if he sensed what I was about to say.

“⋯Come to think of it, you have that kind of catch technique. If you do it well, it might work. No, it definitely works.”

“But I need your help. I need to scan all those notes with my clairvoyant eyes. If I hesitate too long, they might arouse suspicion.”

“Leave it to me.”

We quickly devised a plan and approached the crow.

“How much does it cost to draw once?”

“It’s a hundred gold.”

“It’s cheaper than I thought. Should we each just pick ten?”

Mitchell and I stood before the notes, exchanging furtive glances.

Flora was allowed to choose as she pleased without any specific instructions.

It’s more natural for him to be left alone.

Because if you force her to act, she’ll be even more awkward.

“I don’t know if anything good will come out of it.”

Mitchell was smirking.

Thanks to Mitchell for stalling for time, I had a chance to look at the note.

‘There’s no time to relax.’

He immediately focused his clairvoyant powers on his eyes.

I looked into the sea of papers stuck densely on the wall.

Bang, bang, bang⋯.

A feast of hundreds and thousands of blanks followed.

The word “fail” is engraved on my retina.

I quickly skimmed through the paper, saving even the time to blink.

‘Just one thing.’

I pulled out a note.

2nd place, “Empire of the Onslaught”.

This is a high-performance leg armor that is granted the intermediate rune “Gurgling Kick.”

It’s a core item for Mitchell as it greatly increases the power of his kick attacks.

‘Next, we need to find the first prize.’

There is no need to sweep up all the prizes.

The other prizes aren’t that valuable, and if they were, they’d be too suspicious.

Frankly, it would be suspicious enough to just pick one first and second place prize.

Greed is a no-no.

“Ahem. How is it, kid?”

Mitchell cleared his throat and looked at me.

It means you found the first prize.

I shook my chin slightly.

“There’s no need to rush, right? Let’s choose carefully.”

Mitchell caught the crow’s attention again.

However, if you take too long, the crows will start to get suspicious.

The magical power to maintain clairvoyance is also slowly decreasing.

I looked over the note again carefully, maintaining my concentration.

And finally.

‘Found it.’

I found the first place prize note stuck in the corner.

Fatally, he hid it behind another note and made it so that it couldn’t be pulled out unless necessary.

“I chose everything.”

The rest were filled in with random blanks, and he gave Mitchell a secret wink.

“Then shall we try it out?”

We opened the notes one by one in front of the crow.

“Wow! That’s amazing, second place! ⋯Huh? Huh? Wait, what’s this?”

The crow’s voice trembled.

The guy was speechless, holding the first place prize note in his hand.

Even if only the second prize was given, the casino would be shocked and surprised, but they even gave out the first prize.

“No… what is this….”

“First place? Then what do you get? A trip or something?”

“They said they’d give us a necklace. That’s good—we’re lucky.”

Mitchell and I giggled and kept in sync.

The crow took out the goods with a blank expression on its face.

But in the meantime.

“Wow! I won too! Third place—so exciting!”

Flora won third place with pure luck, pulling out the “Elixir of Recovery.”

As expected, this kid’s luck is extraordinary.

***

Necklace of Reflection

—Jewelry items

– Increases magic defense when equipped

—A beautiful necklace imbued with the protection of light. When used with precise timing, it can deflect an opponent’s attack.

—Additional option: “Mirror Power”

The Power of the Mirror

“Once a day, you can emit a mirror flash that reflects attacks.”

After enjoying our pre-designed luck to the fullest, we left the casino.

I received the Necklace of Reflection, and Mitchell received the Imperial Leggings of Onslaught.

“Kid, is that really all you need? You’ve practically got both of them with your own strength.”

“I told you it’s okay. I’m too heavy to wear those boots anyway.”

“Then I’ll use it well. Thank you.”

Mitchell patted my shoulder with a big smile on his face.

It must be nice to have acquired equipment that any fighter would envy.

‘I came here from the beginning with the sole purpose of pursuing this artifact.’

I feel good too.

Because I got a necklace of reflection that can deflect any attack.

To use it properly, you need to read the opponent’s attack timing accurately, so it is quite difficult, but the performance of this necklace is amazing.

Equipment that makes the impossible possible.

As far as I know, you can counter over twenty bosses with just this one necklace.

“By the way, this kid is completely passed out.”

Mitchell said, looking back at Flora, who was being carried on his back.

Flora, who had been sipping fruit wine in the casino, eventually fell into a deep sleep.

The sun was setting.

We walked in silence through the deserted back alleys of Garden.

“thanks.”

Mitchell suddenly opened his mouth.

“Again? I told you that earlier.”

“No, I’m not talking about the armor. I’m talking about the underground sewer.”

Mitchell continued, avoiding my gaze.

It seems like he’s talking about the time he was tricked by a mutant monster and fell into a state of panic.

“I was out of my mind back then. I couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t hear anything… Even looking back now, it’s truly pathetic. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been in big trouble.”

“When times are tough, we all help each other.”

“Yeah. I think you’re the perfect person for the party.”

It felt special that Mitchell, who has a strong sense of pride, acknowledged me first.

I feel like my shoulders are naturally tense.

“Mitchell, can I ask you something?”

“uh.”

“Who was that little child?”

“Um⋯.”

At that time, the mutant monster had transformed into an elf child.

Mitchell was out of his mind when he saw the kid.

It’s been on my mind for a long time, so I wanted to ask you about it.

”⋯.”

Mitchell walked silently without answering.

There was silence for a while.

When I started to regret asking for nothing.

“⋯He’s my younger brother.”

Mitchell opened his mouth heavily.

“He passed away a few years ago. He was sickly since he was little. What a poor thing.”

“It must have been hard.”

“I thought things would be better now that so much time has passed, but that’s not the case. I guess I still have a long way to go.”

Mitchell smiled bitterly.

Not knowing what to say to comfort him, I silently held Mitchell’s hand.

The hand was thick with calluses, but it was still warm.

“Maybe seeing you reminded me of him. I teased and bullied him a lot. You could say he was Little Number 1. You were Little Number 2.”

“I can tell what kind of relationship they had without even looking.”

“Right. Hehe… Miss, talking about old times makes me tear up again. Kid, are you going to forget this story right here and now? I’m a little embarrassed by this atmosphere.”

“okay.”

Mitchell turned his head and looked at the distant sky.

A faint dew sparkled on the side of his face that was briefly visible.

Mitchell rubbed his eyes a few times with one hand, then adjusted his posture so that Flora, who was on his back, would not fall.

“Little one, live a long life. Earn a lot of money and retire early from risky adventures.”

“you also.”

“Of course. That’s why I’m always aiming for a one-hit wonder. If I hit a big one, I’ll quit this life right away. Just know that.”

The beautiful elf chuckled.

There was a sad light in that smile, so I couldn’t help but smile back.

***

Wagner’s accommodations were modest.

Although it wasn’t so fragile that it looked like it would collapse if the wind blew, the thin wooden plank walls and roof didn’t feel stable.

“Do I really have to go in too?”

Mitchell said with a look of blatant disapproval.

“If we leave it alone, it’ll find its way to the bar on its own. Do we really need to call it?”

“Then wait outside.”

“Ha- If you say that again, I’ll sound like a really cold-hearted woman.”

Mitchell grumbled and followed me into the dorm.

When I mentioned Wagner’s name, the innkeeper was delighted, as if it was a good thing.

“Are you that old man’s colleague? I thought something was up. He’s upstairs. Go up quickly.”

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know the details, but the guards came. Did they kill someone somewhere? They look a bit menacing, and I always thought they were going to do something big at some point.”

Mitchell’s eyes met mine.

“⋯Hey, Gomtaeng wouldn’t be that kind of person. Even though he does look suspicious.”

“Hmm. Let’s go up first.”

We hurried our pace and climbed the stairs.

As we entered the floor where Wagner’s room was, a loud voice was heard.

“Don’t resist and follow me quietly.”

“I did nothing wrong.”

“Looking at your behavior, it’s clear you’re part of the gang. Do you still plan on catching him?”

It was a voice I had heard somewhere.

‘This voice⋯.’

A group of men gathered in front of the room came into view.

Wagner wearing a bearskin coat.

And the guards.

I saw a familiar face.

Adjutant of the Captain of the Garden Guard.

I remember getting to know each other as we went back and forth to the guard barracks.

“Estelle, Mitchell!”

Wagner, who recognized us, raised his hand.

The frowning face suddenly brightened.

“What are you doing there?”

Mitchell said in disbelief.

“What, are these guys your colleagues? ⋯Uh, Estelle?”

The adjutant narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah. We’re colleagues. What happened?”

“I heard a report came in saying some vigilantes were causing trouble. But your colleagues are vigilantes?”

The adjutant looked back and forth between Wagner and me, as if he didn’t understand.

There seems to have been some mistake.

Suddenly, the armor Wagner had obtained from his last expedition came to mind.

Armor obtained by killing vigilantes.

“ah.”

On the shoulders of that armor, the symbol of the vigilantes was clearly engraved.