Episode 220 – Setup (7)

Setup (7)

When I returned to the Intelligence Agency, it was already morning. As an internal investigator, I sought out Sonnet Revil in the interrogation room.

I spoke to her, her face still dry and peculiar, reminiscent of a squid.

“Ms. Sonnet Revil, you will be released soon.”

“……?”

She jerked her head up. I calmly extended the report to her.

“Evidence was found in a safe at a villa purchased under a false name by Benedict.”

“……Ah.”

Sonya quickly grasped it. She scanned it up and down, breathing heavily.

“However, you won’t be able to return under Lord Derek’s command.”

“……Ha.”

Sonya let out a hollow laugh. She understood the meaning of my words immediately.

“This case will be covered up.”

To save Lord Derek’s face meant not to disclose all of Benedict’s crimes.

The official charge against Benedict would be reduced to a simple ‘abuse of power.’

Of course, the details would spread subtly like a rumor…

“I know.”

Sonya cannot return.

She must be cast out, stripped of everything.

“Yes. Ms. Sonya, you will have to accept this.”

“Benedict?”

She asked about Benedict. I replied softly.

“He will likely never meet anyone ever again.”

“……”

The corners of Sonya’s mouth twisted.

“I’m better off than that bastard, huh.”

“You can consider it as the punishment for daring to frame a side branch.”

“……”

Sonya looked at me. Those dry eyes of hers were now moist.

“Indeed. You believed in me.”

“Of course.”

She smirked and picked up a lighter, burning the report with it.

“It’s a record that will be concealed anyway, and looking at it would only make me angry.”

I nodded at her words.

“However, most of Ms. Sonya’s assets will be seized.”

“……”

Sonya’s expression hardened for a moment.

“30,000 shares of Libra Station, 3% of the Libra Industrial District-”

“Everything I own?”

“Not everything.”

I handed her a bankbook.

“It’s ‘Resource Stellar.’ An energy company you started with Miss Zia.”

“……Yeah. That was a long time ago.”

This was an offer from Zia, extending her hand to her.

An invitation to join her.

“What do you think?”

Sonya asked me for my opinion.

I looked at Sonya.

“I may have nothing left now.”

Her voice was quiet and thin, as if she was exhausted.

I had my concerns, but…

“I will follow your will this time too.”

Before the regression, Sonya’s assistance was crucial to Zia. She played a significant role in Zia securing her power.

There was no reason to take the risk of excluding Sonya.

Moreover, the situation has now changed.

“Because you’re the only one who believed in me.”

Sonya trusted me, and that’s why.

Because she trusts me as much as, if not more than, Zia.

“If I accept this account, it will be because of you, not Zia.”

She can still become the second in command.

“Join me, Ms. Sonnet Revil.”

As my second in command, not Zia’s.

—

[The Glistening Snowman: Aren’t you curious about anything?]

The next morning.

My mana app rang like a morning call.

My mentor seems eager to teach me a lot, but I’m not particularly keen on seeking lessons.

[Yes.]

I checked other chat rooms on the regular messenger.

“……It seems she still hasn’t replied.”

There was no response from Soliette.

She’s probably descending into the underground of the bottle with Jared Arkne.

I hope they enjoy their ‘adventure.’ Even if their bodies and minds are weary, they’ll be building memories with someone precious.

[The Glistening Snowman: Hmph~ Do as you please. But if you don’t give me a satisfaction score of 100, I’ll come and kill you.]

“……”

That’s brutal.

Anyway, there are grades for this cultural class too.

[Yes. I’ll do that. But you have to give me 100 points too.]

[The Glistening Snowman: Why should I?]

“Oh, I see.”

[Then let’s both give each other 0 points.]

[The Glistening Snowman: What? Are you crazy?]

[I won’t reply anymore.]

I turned off the alarm immediately.

This morning’s lecture is on knight studies… but it’s all theory.

Before going into actual combat, it’s about learning the patterns to counter different types of magical beasts.

The theory is easy for me but also annoying at the same time.

“Shion~~~”

As soon as I stepped outside the dormitory, I heard a long call waiting for me.

It was Layla.

She ran up to me like a retriever and tapped her bracelet against mine.

“Awesome! Let’s have another great day today!”

“Sure. We’ve only got three hours left, so let’s finish quickly.”

“What’s with that attitude, Shion? It’s so dismissive.”

Layla narrowed her eyes. -.-

“What’s today’s lecture about, Shion?”

“Knight studies.”

“Oh, then I should sit in on that too. Shion, you should sit in on mine as well. That way, we’ll fill up the hours for this week, right? Let’s get it done and go eat. You know? Having a meal together is also great for teaming up and boosting morale…”

Layla chattered away with a bright face about today’s schedule.

—

Weekend. [World Series of Poker: Final Championship] on Sunday.

I arrived at the venue, ‘Bruman Casino Hotel.’

“There’s a lot of people.”

The crowd is huge. However, it’s not as popular as the amount of money at stake would suggest.

Honestly, I was worried if everyone at the university would recognize me when I won the 6th round?

But no one did, except for a few seniors interested in gambling.

“Player Shion Ascal?”

“Ah, yes.”

The staff from the organizing committee approached me.

“We will guide you to the waiting room.”

“Yes.”

They first pointed to the red carpet. There were quite a few reporters and people on both sides of the carpet.

“These are reporters from the Golden Casino.”

The organizers explained.

For reference, the Golden Casino is almost like a state in itself. An autonomous region formed through gambling.

There, I might be a bit famous.

“You may rest.”

The waiting room the staff led me to was extremely luxurious. I sat on the sofa and let out a sigh of relief.

The taste of the air is a little different. The mana concentration is zero.

This casino, including its interior, is entirely a no-mana-zone.

Ding-a-ling── Ding-a-ling──

The telephone in the waiting room rang. I answered the call.

─Hey.

It was Johanna’s voice.

─I heard about the job you did this time. It’s a bit nauseating for me.

“I thought it was a direction beneficial for Libra.”

─Ha! I guess so. I’m not too concerned. It’s actually better for me. Two of Derek’s people got cut off. But more importantly.

Johanna chuckled as if she was some sort of mastermind behind the scenes and asked.

─Are you confident? It starts in an hour.

“I’m reasonably confident. The prize money is 60 million Ren.”

60 million Ren.

It’s a tremendous amount of money, but I won’t be using it.

If I win, I’ll entrust it all to Zia.

It’s an investment without expecting a return.

─Right. If you win, it’s all yours. Normally, a sponsor takes half, but I won’t do that. So win it, for your, no, for Zia’s sake.

“Yes.”

Johanna hung up the phone.

I looked around the room and then pressed my ear against the right wall.

My hearing is as sharp as an animal’s, even in a no mana zone.

…Just do it.

The voice of another participant came from the right. Nothing special was said.

This time, I pressed my ear against the left wall.

…Are you sure?

A woman’s voice asking for confirmation.

…Really? Then there’s nothing you can do about that.

A small man’s laughter mixed into the responding voice.

…Yes. I understand. Let’s devour them.

It sounded like they were plotting something.

I leaned back on the sofa without much thought.

Hold’em is a game where you compete with skill, using the luck you have.

* * *

At the entrance to the poker championship arena.

Outside the six divided entrances, I stood still, waiting for the start.

──We will now begin the final championship of the World Series of Poker.

Just in time, the speaker’s majestic sound echoed from beyond the set.

However, the final table where the actual game would take place was quiet. No people, no furniture, just one table and chairs for the six players to sit on.

The announcer announced the players’ entrance.

──Let’s introduce the players. The winner of round 1, Roho!

Roho. A man wearing sunglasses.

It’s not against the rules. Other players can’t read his eyes, but he also can’t bluff with his eyes.

That’s why I don’t wear sunglasses.

I bluff with my eyes.

─Next, the winner of round 2, Eva!

Eva. A woman with long hair. Quite a seductive appearance.

─The winner of round 3, Gallagher!

Gallagher looked like a homeless man.

Long hair and a lot of beard.

Anyway, the winner of round 4 is Fat Billy, and the winner of round 5 is a girl named Sally, who looks like a middle school student.

Four out of the five are players sponsored by the mafia.

─Lastly, the winner of round 6, Shion!

Finally, me, Shion Ascal.

I strode to the table and sat down, facing the six players with a calm face.

─Your sponsors, as well as numerous tourists and poker fans, are watching on TV from not too far away.

The host said.

─All forms of cheating related to electronic devices are not permitted at this table. Not only is it impossible to bring them in, but they also don’t work in this no-mana-zone.

The chips were distributed. Everyone had the same amount.

The final is a long game, a single round that lasts a day.

A marathon at the table over 24 hours, where the player with the most chips at the end wins.

─Now, let’s begin the final of the World Series of Poker!

……

In the sponsor’s waiting room of the Bruman Casino.

Johanna was watching him. She was somewhat nervous, but the excitement was greater.

Perhaps because it was a scam gambling after a long time.

Or maybe because of the excitement that someone might cheat her again.

The reason Johanna put up scam gambling was nothing else.

She had a hunch that those guys would cheat too.

It’s about striking first to win.

“……Sigh.”

Johanna watched with her own unit in the private waiting room. Beckman was there, of course, and so were her secretary and butler.

[First game: Shion wins]

“It’s a good start.”

Johanna clenched her fist.

However, the final was not as easy as the preliminaries or rounds.

[Second game: Eva wins]

[Third game: Roho wins]

[Fourth game: Shion wins……]

It was a close match.

Three hours had passed, and ‘Eva’ had a slight lead in chips.

Shion was in second place.

But three hours is still the early stage.

It’s not over until it’s over.

……

Twelve hours in. At the poker table, I looked at Eva.

Call, raise, fold.

Her voice, saying only those words for twelve hours, somehow felt familiar.

To the right.

The voice of the participant to the right of my waiting room.

‘……Are you sure? Really? Then there’s nothing you can do about that. Yes. I understand. Let’s devour them.’

The woman who was saying that.

I wanted to listen to her voice a little more, but should I speak to her?

“You’re doing well.”

I said to her. She slightly furrowed her brows but soon chuckled and shook her head.

Well, speaking to her seems like bad manners.

“Check.”

Roho checked.

With the five community cards and my hand combined, I have a full house.

There’s no reason for me to lose.

“Raise.”

“…Fold.”

“Fold.”

The rest are out. I swept the chips towards me and looked back at Eva. I asked in a whisper.

“What’s a pretty thing like you called? Full name?”

“…Could you keep it down?”

“Ah. It’s my first time. Is it bad manners to talk?”

“Obviously. You seem quite excited for your first final.”

Eva smiled with her eyes. I smiled back.

Definitely, the voice from the room next to mine.

“There’s something in your eyelashes. Is that a crumb from a potato chip?”

“……”

Eva’s expression hardened. She fiddled with her eyelashes to remove the speck.

……

“What a joker.”

Johanna watched with satisfaction.

It’s the kind of humor allowed for a first-time player at the poker table.

[1st place: Shion Ascal]

The chip leader is Shion Ascal.

But the difference is very slight. Especially since the difference between 1st and 2nd place is just one game.

That’s even better.

In such a precarious game, a moment of ‘cheating’ could be decisive.

Ah, perhaps ‘manipulated luck’ is a better term.

Johanna smiled as she glanced at her watch.

18 hours in.

‘That time’ is approaching soon.

……

I’m the current chip leader at the final table. However, the difference isn’t significant.

The gap could close at any moment with the second place.

That’s why every hand is critical at this moment…

Suddenly.

[♠ 4],[♥ J], [♣ J].

The first three community cards were dealt like this.

In contrast, my cards that could combine with them were──

[♠ J] [◆ J]

It means ‘Four of a Kind’ with Jacks.

With two community cards yet to be revealed, I already have four of a kind.

In Hold’em, four of a kind is almost a guaranteed win.

Especially with Jacks, it’s unbeatable.

But, let’s not rush to go all-in. Anything can happen.

I maintained my composure and bet.

“Call.”

“Call.”

The opponents slowly built up the pot, and as the turn progressed, two more community cards were revealed.

[♠ 4],[♥ J], [♣ J], [♥ 9], [♥ 10]

A nine and ten of hearts were revealed.

In Texas Hold’em, the winner is the person who can make the highest hand by combining these five community cards with their own two hole cards.

My combination is four of a kind with Jacks.

It’s almost as good as a win, but──

“All-in.”

Suddenly, an opponent went all-in.

It was her, ‘Eva’.

A woman with a seductive, slightly decadent beauty. The player from the room next to mine who had that meaningful conversation with someone.

“Fold.”

“Fold.”

The rest of the players folded then and there.

But it doesn’t matter.

I have four of a kind.

Whether you’re a shark or a fish at the poker table, if you’re playing Texas Hold’em and you’ve got a strong hand, you’re supposed to push all your chips in.

I was about to do just that, but then I stopped.

The community cards were [♥ J], [♥ 9], [♥ 10].

They were all the same suit.

All hearts.

If my opponent held [♥ 8], [♥ 7] for instance, making five consecutive cards of the same suit.

That’s a straight flush.

A four of a kind loses to a straight flush.

Of course, the probability of both a four of a kind and a straight flush appearing at the same time is exceedingly low.

But just now…

The slight tremor that Eva showed a moment ago when she pushed all-in.

It was anything but ordinary.

That moment seemed to carry a hint of anticipation, as if she was expecting something, a subtle excitement.

“……”

I silently turned to look at Eva, gripping my cards tightly between my fingers, peering intently into her face.

Eva maintained her composure as if she hadn’t noticed.

“I see.”

I chuckled deeply and folded my hand.

“Fold. I’m out.”

I gave up the four of a kind.