SWNOVELXO Chapter 93
TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 93
Inside the dark casino.
In the dimly lit casino filled with cigarette smoke, a middle-aged man swallowed dryly.
‘Four of a Kind…!’
Two years into his gambling career.
For the first time ever, he held the Golden Hand in his grasp. Four nines. A hand considered invincible in poker. Fully aware that such an opportunity might never come again, the man clenched his teeth to suppress the smile creeping onto his lips.
‘Don’t fold, just stay in… all of you.’
The man looked at the three men seated around the round table.
A white-bearded old man.
An old man who didn’t look like he belonged in a place like this, and a blond guy he often saw at the casino. He couldn’t recall his name, but he was a professional gambler like himself.
And finally, one more person.
“Ah… uh…”
A red-haired youth.
The young man, who had already lost enough money to buy a house on the outskirts, was the perfect push-over the middle-aged man had been eyeing.
He must have become a parvenu at a young age.
He didn’t fit into this ruthless world of schemes and tricks. His inability to control his expressions and his tendency to join the next game to recover even the smallest loss made it obvious he was an easy target.
As the betting continued, the pot grew larger, just as the man had hoped. The stakes had reached an amount he had never seen before, and his lips began to tremble with excitement.
‘Good… this is perfect!!!’
It seemed the blond guy also had a good hand this time, but unfortunately for him, the Goddess of Victory was on the middle-aged man’s side.
If he won this round, he could pay off all his overdue loans and finally silence his wife, who constantly nagged him for being obsessed with gambling. On top of that, he could even return the daughter’s tuition he had secretly taken for gambling, finally becoming a proud father.
Hoping that gambling would be seen as a profession rather than a pastime, the man declared in a firm voice.
“All-in.”
The old man, who didn’t seem interested in money, chuckled and pushed his chips forward as he spoke.
“I’m all-in too.”
The blond guy followed suit.
“I’m all-in!”
The man turned to the pale-faced young man and asked.
“What about you? All-in or fold?”
“Uh… no… I mean…”
Seeing the flustered expression on the young man’s face, a faint sense of guilt arose. But in this world, sympathy was a luxury one couldn’t afford. Hoping this would serve as a valuable lesson for the youth, the man offered some advice.
“Just fold, won’t you? If you lose any more, you won’t be able to go home.”
“Ah… but still…!”
The young man swallowed hard, then pushed his chips forward and spoke in a trembling voice.
“All-in!”
The man thought to himself.
‘Idiot. Even when given a chance, he doesn’t take it.’
As one by one, the cards were revealed.
A smile began to bloom on the man’s lips.
“Oh, how unfortunate for you all. Four of a Kind, nines.”
‘That was close. But I have the Nine Four of a Kind…!’
The old man brushed his hands off and said.
“Jacks, one pair.”
With victory assured, the man let out the grin he had been holding back and reached out to scoop up the chips.
“Oh, how unfortunate for you all! Ah… it was so hard to hold back. I was worried you’d all fold. I’ve got the Nine Four of a Kind! Hahaha!”
The man, grinning with joy at the thrilling sensation of victory, felt a surge of euphoria at the thought of the mountain of chips becoming his. But then, a cold voice shattered the moment.
“Aren’t you going to look at my hand?”
“What?”
“My hand. You should check it.”
The red-haired youth spoke in a cold voice. His youthful, pale expression from earlier was gone, replaced with a stoic demeanor.
Tap. With a light gesture, he laid his cards on the table. The man’s body froze as if turned to ice.
“Royal Flush.”
“What? No… this can’t be.”
The young man’s face remained utterly expressionless as he revealed the best hand in poker. There was no joy or thrill in his expression, as if he were merely showing something obvious. The man’s eyes began to tremble violently.
“No… it can’t be…”
The young man leaned in slightly and whispered to him.
“See? You should’ve just folded.”
[Limit Break tests your ‘Luck.’]
“Better luck next time.”
[Gwen Villian]
[Job: Gambler]
[Favorability: 100 > -50]
[Favorite Topics: Four of a Kind. Life-Changing Wins. My Hand is Nine Four of a Kind. Daddy’s Coming!]
[Disliked Topics: Honey, I’m Sorry. I Love You, Daughter. Don’t Call Me a Gambler. Ruined Life.]
The young man placed the most expensive chip into the man’s hand and said.
“Fold. It’s the best thing you can do for your family.”
The man stared at the young man with hollow eyes and asked.
“You… what’s your name?”
“Call me the Maw of Hamel.”
“The Maw…”
Thus began the legend of the Empire’s greatest gambler, ‘The Maw.’
*
On the way to the store with a large sum of money.
I walked toward the store where the Young Lady was, wearing a bright smile.
Thinking about how her sullen expression would brighten, a smile naturally spread across my face.
“Still… I didn’t expect to see the Tower Master here.”
The white-bearded old man.
The Tower Master of the Empire’s Magic Tower.
I never imagined one of the Empire’s five Archmages would be here.
Given his free-spirited nature, it wasn’t strange for him to be anywhere, but meeting him in a casino was unexpected.
‘Did he come to see Ruin?’
No.
I nodded as I recalled a recent episode.
Hans.
He must have made the rare trip to find his fallen disciple.
Shivering from the eerie encounter, I walked down the street.
-Plop.
Something wet and sticky landed on the top of my head. It was too heavy to be rain and too unpleasant to be snow.
Muttering curses in my mind, I touched my head, and upon seeing the white substance on my hand, I let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh… is this the penalty?”
What had landed on my head was pigeon droppings. It didn’t smell too bad, but bird droppings were a symbol of bad luck.
I stood still, quietly accepting the misfortune that had come my way.
After all, I had expected it.
Limit Break.
A skill that pushed the user’s abilities to their limits, but its penalties were absolute.
It was the ability I had gained the moment I opened my eyes in Another World.
Among all the skills I possessed, it was the highest-grade skill and the one that had made me who I was today.
Having exceptional martial arts skills at a young age was also thanks to this ability.
The penalties of Limit Break were absolute.
Testing the limits of luck would result in misfortunes like bird droppings on my head or a day where nothing went right.
Using abilities related to the body would bring severe muscle pain, and using regeneration-related abilities would cause extreme pain. The penalties were harsh, but the rewards were beyond imagination.
‘I’m relieved that today’s misfortune ended with bird droppings, but it still feels unpleasant.’
Leaving behind the devastated gamblers, I was on my way back to the store.
“Haha… You’re quite lucky, young man.”
A white-bearded old man called out to me.
An old man with a kind face.
He was the same old man who had been sitting at the table earlier, and also the Tower Master of the Magic Tower.
I gave him a slight nod as I looked at him.
“I have no intention of returning the money, though.”
The old man widened his eyes in surprise and stared at me. It seemed he hadn’t expected me to bring up the money.
Smiling faintly at the startled Tower Master, I spoke.
“I can at least give you enough for your fare home.”
“Haha…”
The Tower Master stroked his beard and laughed.
“You’re quite an amusing fellow.”
“I know.”
The Tower Master of the Magic Tower.
A man destined to be killed by his disciple, Hans. Though it was far in the future, it was still a future that might not come to pass.
Tirbing is in my hands, and I intend to prevent his death.
I bowed my head and wished the Tower Master well.
“Then, I’ll go buy something delicious with your money.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Yes.”
“Hahaha… You’re an entertaining young man.”
*
At that moment.
A cold atmosphere filled the store.
“What?”
A plump female student was looking down on Olivia with disdain, while Olivia stared back at her with eyes full of killing intent.
Despite the unfavorable odds of one against three, Olivia stood her ground, silently and fearlessly watching them.
“Shut up.”
“Pfft…!”
The plump female student laughed as she glanced at her friend.
“What did she just say? This kid?”
“I don’t know. She told me to shut up.”
“Pfft.”
The mocking laughter of “Puhaha” echoed throughout the store. Even amidst the jeers of the students, who were laughing and joking as if their sides would split, Olivia quietly and steadily tightened the noose around her prey.
The plump female student took a step closer to Olivia and spoke.
“Hey. Say that again.”
“…”
“Say it again. Are you threatening to kill me? Puhaha, do you still think you’re the same Olivia as before?”
“…”
“With just one word, you should be saying, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ You’re not in a position to act tough right now. Get your head straight.”
“…”
Olivia let out a deep sigh and spoke to the student in front of her.
“You look like an orc with a head smashed by a triangle ruler, yet you keep yapping away.”
Olivia picked her ear as she looked at them.
Despite Olivia’s warning, they only reacted with stronger resistance.
“What?”
Olivia smirked slightly and said.
“Am I wrong?”
Olivia’s main weapon was her words.
And.
-Vroom…!
A reliable weapon was protecting Olivia.
*
The store was in chaos.
“…?”
Holding a money pouch, I stared blankly at the young lady standing in the middle of the store.
“Did a monster do this?”
“No.”
“Uh… Then did a meteor fall from the sky?”
The young lady shook her head gloomily and replied.
“No…”
Seeing the young lady shrinking with a voice that seemed to crawl into the ground, I felt an ominous premonition.
In a trembling voice, I asked the young lady.
The store was in chaos.
The clerk’s bewildered eyes.
And the trembling gazes of the female students looking at the young lady.
“Sigh… Young lady.”
“Yes…”
At my heavy sigh, the young lady’s head drooped even lower.
I spoke with certainty.
“It must have been a robbery.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry. Just think of the stolen money as a donation.”
I checked the young lady carefully to see if she was hurt.
“Your fingers are intact…”
“Your face is… pretty.”
“Hehe…”
“I’m glad you’re not hurt.”
“Thank you.”
The young lady smiled bashfully but couldn’t lift her head. With an awkward smile, she spoke to me in a sullen voice.
“Well…”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“It’s not that… I fought with them.”
“What?”
At my startled voice, the young lady flinched.
“You fought?”
“Yes.”
“With them?”
I looked at the female students sprawled on the floor and asked.
The female students were blackened and bruised, their appearances utterly miserable. I patted the young lady’s head and said.
“So, are you hurt anywhere?”
“What?”
The young lady looked up at me with startled eyes. I could see the emotion of guilt reflected in her tear-streaked face.
“Aren’t you going to scold me?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you must have had a reason to fight. Isn’t that right? I believe my personality patch is perfect.”
“Personality patch?”
“It’s a thing.”
The Young Lady nodded and bit her lips firmly.
“There’s so much to compensate for.”
“I have more money.”
“Ricardo told me not to hit anyone, but I rammed into them.”
“Just be careful next time.”
“And…”
In a gloomy voice, the Young Lady confessed her mistakes. She hit someone with Fairy Unit 1. She murmured that she hurt them with harsh words.
I pinched the Young Lady’s cheek and asked in a gentle voice.
“So, were they not hurt?”
“Mhm…”
Seeing the Young Lady lower her head in dejection, I gave a small smile and said.
“Then it’s fine.”
The Young Lady hung her head in dismay.
“I cursed at them.”
“What did you say?”
“Beep───!”
“Oh…”
I stretched the Young Lady’s cheek and said.
“At least you didn’t make a savage insult, right?”
“Their parents are precious, after all.”
“Well done. I think that’s good enough.”
I know the Young Lady’s personality well.
That she is kind.
And that she has a terrible temper.
So.
I think this was a decent effort.
I handed the bundle of money I earned today to the clerk and said.
“I’ll pay the remaining amount later.”