"Sir?" The blonde concierge smiled brightly at Henry with her pink lips. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Give me a moment." Henry's eyes moved through the contract, struggling with the language.

I can't sign this in good conscience.

He heaved a sigh and wiped the sweat that pulled up at the base of his hairline.

I would have rather cut down everyone downstairs than do this–and I would have if only Luca Frey didn't stop me.

Henry knew how to read and write, but it was on a rudimentary level—the contract before him utilized flowery and elongated language that no one actually utilized in real life.

It probably is intended to be confusing.

However, despite barely comprehending it, he felt like he needed to do his due diligence to the best of his abilities. He was well aware of what a Hanged Man's Bet was, and even without this tiresome contract, that alone made this quite a burden.

A Hanged Man's Bet was a request for credit based on the betting on future winnings. Not only was Luca's instruction to bet on a fight with overwhelming odds but of the expected 390 golden chips he somehow expected to win, he wished to collect a whole 240 golden chips ahead of time—the equivalent of 240 phoenix eyes.

If he loses this bet, he'll owe the casino 720 phoenix eyes.

Henry glanced up at the smiling blonde woman.

Luca won't be able to cover the loss, and the debt will pass on to Micah and the Frey Family—and unless the colossal debt can be somehow paid right away, the interest will balloon into a ridiculous size. It could bring down the entire family.

His eyes returned to the contract and moved to a name on the second to last paragraph: Arcane Financial Solutions. They were the backing financial institution in the case the debt was decided to be unable to be settled with the Gilded Siren.

One would have to be insane to sign a contract that has their name on it.

"Sir, the betting is about to close. Please sign at the bottom with your thumbprint."

"Yes… yes." Henry felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. There was no good option available.

But Luca instructed me to place a Hanged Man's Bet on his behalf, and more importantly, Micah urged me to follow Luca's every order, no matter how insane. And this is absolutely ludicrous.

Henry picked up a cup of tea on the table before him and downed it. The black tea tasted bitter.

Forget it. I haven't been able to understand anything since this morning.

Henry grabbed the golden ink pad and massaged his left thumb over it.

"Ah, you must use your right thumb—"

"Don't worry about it," Henry cut off the concierge and stamped his thumb at the bottom. "I'm not the one signing it. Luca Frey is."

The concierge picked up the contract with a quizzical expression.

"It's a magic contract, is it not?" Henry said. "You can confirm that it is Luca Frey's signature. Besides, you saw him instruct me to sign on his behalf. Surely you don't wish a mere guard to be the one making a Hanged Man's Bet instead of the esteemed young master Luca Frey?"

"Of course." The concierge's expression changed to a smile, and she gave the contract to a young man behind her. "It's a pleasure doing business with you. I wish Luca Frey the best of luck in the upcoming match. However, given the large amount, you'll need to head downstairs to collect your payout; as I understood, the payment is to be used on something else?"

"Yes, thank you." Henry stood up.

Now, I need to go buy that pull-tab artifact on Ebony Alley.

"LADIES AAAAAND GENTLEMEN!" The announcer's voice boomed through the arena, indicating the match was starting. "Welcome to our first tournament of the day! To our right, we have The Ogre of Adovoria!"

However, Henry didn't hear anymore and exited the arena.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"To think the Ogre would lose!"

"It's unprecedented. Everyone lost money on this bet."

"Oh no, I asked the concierge, and two people made money on the fight—Kathy, Kleave's girlfriend, and Luca Frey, Micah Frey's brother. And get this, I heard he didn't even stay and watch the fight."

"Luca? Frey? Isn't that him right there?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

I exited the doors leading to the VVIP and returned to the casino floor. My eyes moved across the various well-dressed people whose gossip flowed from the game tables and bar area. I was acutely aware of the attention I was being given.

The fight has ended. By now, Henry should have gone and bought the artifact from Orla Rex.

My gaze paused on Anastasia Genuiver, who had a pink cocktail in hand and was surrounded by the trio that seemed to follow her everywhere. Her eyes met mine, and she nodded her head toward me, sending a shiver up my spine.

It's not even noon, and she's already getting wasted?

She was Duncan's younger sister, but despite whatever familial affection he had toward her, to me, she was just a drunkard who would eventually drive the Genuiver Duchy to ruin.

"Young master Luca Frey." The same concierge from before appeared before me. "I congratulate you on your winnings. Two hundred forty phoenix eyes have already been provided to your attending guard, and the remaining winnings will be provided to you shortly. In the meantime, may I invite you to one of our VIP tables for a card game? A princess of the Trakecia Kingdom and the high priest serving the youngest Daylan prince are engaging in a high-stakes game."

Look at this woman, trying to get me to part with my easily-earned money.

I looked past her at the tables in the VIP section, elevated on a raised floor above the rest of the casino. It exuded luxury, with plush velvet chairs and tables adorned with golden inlays. Even the laughter and conversation from this area had a distinct timbre—more refined, more calculated. The patrons there were visibly separated from the rest of the casino, their elevated status on display for all to see.

Of course, the true VVIPs, like Saga Duex, meet in the hidden backrooms.

My eyes swept over the other people in the casino, reminding me of the setup at the Spider Syndicate's auction. The low hum of conversations around me began to take shape. The subtle exchanges, masked by the clinking of glasses and the shuffling of cards, revealed much more than idle chatter.

Lords and ladies, dressed in exquisite attire, were deeply engrossed in their games and conversations. Deals were being struck under the guise of friendly wagers, and alliances were forged over crystal glasses of the finest liquor.

Perhaps only the poor and unprivileged are driven to their destruction in the casino while the rich and powerful flourish.

However, I knew better than anyone that my position as the young master of the Frey Manor was not on the same footing as those in this casino. My family was a merchant family. Yes, we had deep historical roots to Adovoria's crown—far more profound than Micah's engagement to Princess Evelyn, but we were ultimately feared and considered trash by Adovoria's high society.

"Not today. I'm afraid I've had my fill of entertainment and conversation for today," I replied to the concierge.

"Very well, as your guard and attending carriage have already left, would you do us the honor of providing transportation on your behalf?" the concierge suggested.

"That would indeed be welcome," I replied.

I was mentally exhausted from my conversation with Saga Duex and certainly had no plans to walk home and exhaust myself physically as well.

Not that I can even rest. My day is only about to get busier.

I had to save Fin and take care of the experiments The Alchemist created.

***

"Young master Luca, welcome back," Remlend greeted me, opening the carriage door.

"Thank you Remlend. Would you mind taking this up to my study?" I handed him Leona's egg, which I had kept inside one of my pockets this whole time. I was confident it would not break, even without the large crystal box.

"Most certainly," Remlend accepted the egg without questioning why I had just handed him what appeared to be a chicken egg. "I'll place it on your desk."

"And have some tea and food sent over to Micah's study—we'll be leaving soon," I instructed, feeling my stomach grumble.

Unlike in the previous rounds, I managed not only to have no breakfast but also to completely avoid eating any food at the Gilded Siren.

And the upcoming operation cannot be done on an empty stomach.

"Young master Luca, you've returned." Henry addressed me belatedly. He was standing beside Remlend. His expression wasn't good, and he appeared to have aged ten years.

"Henry, please relax. Kleave won against The Ogre," I said, walking toward the Frey Manor's entry. "Did you manage to purchase the Stealthy Pull Tab from Orla Rex?"

"Yes—yes," Henry said, pulling a shabby-looking necklace from his pockets and handing it to me.

I inspected the seemingly unimpressive item, and a familiar description appeared for it.

[ Item: Stealthy Pull Tab ]

[ Description: This unassuming artifact appears as a small, ordinary aluminum pull tab from a soda can, complete with a slightly rusted appearance. However, when worn as a pendant around the neck, it grants the user the power of invisibility upon command. While invisible, the wearer's presence becomes nearly undetectable, and they can move about unseen. ]

[ Note: Keen observers may still detect the wearer's aura. ]

I should test it before giving it to Leona, and I have the perfect opportunity to do so.

I strode into Micah's study, where Ridley, Jarvis, and a third and unfamiliar young woman were already discussing the plans to break out the children and take care of The Alchemist's creations.

"Luca, you're back," Micah greeted me with a smile. "We were just finishing going over the plans."

He gestured towards Julius and Ridley, making the formal introductions despite knowing I was already familiar with them. "And this here is Fleur," he said, introducing the young woman with a pixie haircut. "She is a mage under Ridley's guardianship, specializing in crafting magic."

I nodded in her direction, having a high-level understanding of crafting magic from my studies but never having seen such magic in practice.

Fleur was petite with a delicate frame. Her short hair, a striking shade of platinum blonde, framed her sharp features. Her eyes, a vivid blue, held little humor to them. She wore a simple tunic paired with dark trousers and well-worn boots.

"Now, as for the plans…." Micah quickly summarized the timeline and everyone's roles in the two operations.

Fin's and children's breakout was reasonably straightforward. It had been completed successfully once before, after all. However, some extra care was needed for the tower operated by The Alchemist.

We had to get there ahead of that woman and collect all the incriminating evidence as to who the buyers of her creations were before destroying it all. Micah had a great interest in this operation. As for myself, I had my curiosity piqued by the strange banished snake within The Alchemist's possession: Apophis. This was the one caged creature that would return with us instead of being blasted to ash by Julius.

I recalled the blue screens for the Apophis, full of missing and mysterious details.

[ Curse: Banishment of a #$ Years ]

[ Due to acts that have resulted in serious physical harm and significant property destruction that go against !@#+? 's guidelines, Apophis is cursed to be banished from !@#+? for a duration of a #$ years, as defined by the standard, linear timeline of &^%@. ]

The System never revealed anything for no reason. It even went out of its way to indicate this snake's importance by messing with my Intelligence points to make its point.

I have no idea why the snake mattered, but if the System was so insistent, looking into it further is the correct course of action.

Knock. Knock.

"I have brought tea and food," Remlend's voice sounded.

"You can enter," I called out, thankful to finally eat something at last.

No matter how busy things got, I had no intent to skip meals like Princess Evelyn.