Book 1 Chapter 375
375.
“We came to gather information, but what should we do now?”
At Chloe’s question, the group’s gaze naturally turned to Kyle.
Chloe, Chelsea, and Iliana, who had been close friends with Kyle since freshman year, had strong trust in Kyle’s information-gathering abilities.
And the freshmen, too, had heard Kyle’s name often.
It wasn't because their mentors were close to Kyle.
In the early days of admission, Kyle was the weakest and had the lowest grades among the sophomores, so freshmen didn’t pay much attention to him.
But now, among the freshmen, the name Kyle Thomas was mentioned most frequently, next only to the department tops, including Leo.
The reason was simple.
It was because of what the sophomore mentors said: “If you need information, find Kyle Thomas.”
Today’s freshmen are different from the seniors.
Rumerin is a survival system where those without qualifications must leave the school.
However, freshmen were given a grace period of one semester.
But even so, Rumerin’s competitive system remains unchanged.
They must achieve good grades and make a good impression on the professors of their respective departments.
Only then can they receive a little more guidance than others, and only then will their chances of survival after the first semester increase.
Rumerin’s grading is complex.
There is an absolute evaluation, but there is also a relative evaluation.
It’s natural that to make a good impression, one must proceed with classes in a way that matches the professor’s style.
Furthermore, if one can predict the scope of written exam questions or know practical exams and assignments in advance, it would be a great help.
In that regard, Kyle’s information can be said to be very useful, and Kyle has proven his information-gathering ability since freshman year.
With his unique sociability, he has gotten to know not only students and seniors but also associate professors, and he is especially close with the staff working at Rumerin.
He had already established his own information network from the early days of freshman year.
It wasn’t for nothing that Abard, the dormitory leader of Noble, and Duran chose Kyle first during the dormitory selection.
Especially since Duran, who doesn't even look at those without ability, acknowledged Kyle despite his lack of combat ability, one could understand his competence.
For such reasons, in the realm of intelligence gathering, Kyle was the most trustworthy.
As the entire group focused on him, Kyle wore a displeased expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You should take command here, Senior.”
Joo-en was very welcoming of this situation where Kyle, their mentor, could become the leader.
Looking at his junior’s sparkling eyes, Kyle said indifferently.
“Is there anything to command?”
“Pardon?”
“If this were a labyrinth or a situation where an anomaly occurred due to a hero dungeon, I would do something.”
Kyle glanced around the casino.
“This is a casino full of ordinary people. Of course, according to Leo, there seems to be something in the basement.”
Kyle shook his head.
“To go down there, we need to collect 100 million points.”
“Then do we have to wait until that event starts?”
At Betty’s question, Kyle grinned.
“That’s not it. If we know the event details in advance, can’t we devise a strategy? Customers who frequent this casino would know what kind of event it is. So, we get information from them.”
“How do we get close to them?”
“Wouldn’t we get close if we play games together?”
Kyle shrugged at Chelsea’s question.
“Aren’t these points not supposed to be wasted carelessly?”
“As long as the target amount is 100 million points… won’t our tens of thousands of points be almost meaningless?”
Chloe said as Iliana tapped the VIP card tucked into her pocket.
“Chloe’s right. Well, we shouldn’t spend it all. But participating in games is necessary for information gathering. Plus, we also need information about the Azonia students.”
As Kyle said, the Azonia students who entered Uargela disappeared after this place.
“Finding out where the Azonia students went will be a great help in exploring the hero dungeon.”
Dong nodded at Kyle’s words.
“Well, as Leo said, enjoying ourselves isn’t a bad idea either. Let’s split up and gather information.”
“The class president already went deep into the casino alone, so let’s move too. Let’s go! Austin!”
Iliana took the lead and walked ahead.
“Luke.”
“Yes, Senior Chloe.”
“You come with us.”
“Yes.”
Chloe entered the casino with her mentees, Betty and Luke.
“Shall we go too?”
At Chelsea’s words, Kyle put his hands in his pockets and followed behind them.
“By the way, isn’t this casino illegal?”
Joo-en pouted her lips.
“Then aren’t the dealers using tricks?”
“Probably not?”
Kyle shook his head.
“Even if it’s illegal, it’s impossible to build a casino of this scale solely through illicit means. It requires trust to be possible.”
“That’s funny. To talk about trust even in a place like this.”
Joo-en curled up the corners of her mouth.
Meanwhile.
Iliana stood with her arms crossed, staring intently at the spinning roulette wheel.
“How do you do this?”
“You don’t know?”
“Of course not. How would a graceful lady like me know such a thing?”
“I somehow thought you, Senior Iliana, would have done a lot of these things.”
“What exactly do you think I am?”
Iliana squinted her eyes.
Then, she approached a nearby exchange office and converted her points into chips.
“Let’s just try it first.”
*Clack- clack- clack-*
Iliana, carrying a stack of chips, stood before the roulette table.
“A lovely young lady has arrived. This is not a place for a young girl like you.”
A middle-aged man, who appeared to be a noble, said, puffing on a cigarette.
Iliana smiled sweetly at the middle-aged man and said.
“Excuse me, sir, can you tell me how to play this game?”
“It’s not difficult. You can simply bet on black or red. You can also bet on specific sections. Or you can bet on a single number. You just place your chips where you want to bet.”
At his words, Iliana exclaimed, “Oho- oho-” and placed a chip on the betting area next to the giant roulette wheel.
“Since the class president’s eye color is red, I’ll bet here!”
A moment later, the ball, which had spun splendidly on the roulette wheel, landed in the red slot.
“Oho, oho. So this is how it works.”
“The little lady isn’t unlucky. Well, it’s easy to get it right.”
The middle-aged man chuckled and looked at Iliana.
But he had no doubt that this clear and pure face would soon turn into a face gleaming with despair and desire.
Because a casino is such a place.
‘Watching such a pure girl become corrupted is also one of the charms of this place.’
Other customers, besides the middle-aged man, also seemed to feel the same, looking at Iliana with lewd eyes.
However…
“Since the class president and I were in Class 5, I’ll bet between 1 and 18.”
Victory.
“Since the class president is 16 years old, I’ll bet between 13 and 24!”
Victory.
“The class president is…”
Victory.
It’s a simple rule, basically betting on black or red, but the roulette wheel has a high house edge.
Yet, even as Iliana lowered the probability and increased the payout, her winning streak continued.
“The class president is…”
‘Who exactly is that class president?!’
Everyone swallowed dryly at the mention of the "class president" repeatedly from Iliana's lips.
The surrounding customers, who had been expecting Iliana's tearful face, began to murmur.
“Who, who is that girl?”
“What is that ‘class president’ thing anyway?”
“No way. She’ll lose it all soon and cry, won’t she?”
“The class president is number one, so I’ll bet on 1!”
Finally, Iliana reached for the highest payout in roulette: betting on a specific number.
Everyone around her scoffed.
The probability is 1\/36.
If successful, she could earn 36 times the profit, but it should be considered impossible.
Especially since this girl has been winning continuously, hasn’t she?
Before they knew it, Iliana was the only one playing on this roulette wheel.
While everyone was anticipating Iliana’s distorted face.
*Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-*
The roulette wheel began to spin.
*Tap-tap-tap-tap-*
“The player has won.”
*Clatter-clatter-clatter-!*
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, the roulette ball landed in slot number 1, and Iliana achieved an enormous victory in an instant.
“I’ll earn 100 million in no time?!”
Iliana smiled brightly, and the gaping-mouthed casino customers said to Iliana.
“The, the goddess of fortune!”
“She must be the goddess of fortune!”
“Goddess! Where next? Please bestow your grace upon us!”
As long as one frequents a casino, one is bound to squander enormous sums of money there.
Even for nobles, money has its limits.
Like most gambling addicts, everyone here seeks to make a fortune in the casino.
And they approach gambling by creating all sorts of baseless superstitions.
Then, Iliana, with her immense luck, appeared.
Iliana looked at those flocking around her and praising her, then pondered and said.
“Did some Azonia students come here a while ago?”
At her words, a beastman raised his hand.
“Yes! They were here gathering information about the hero dungeon and hero hunters!”
“Oh ho.”
‘Hero hunters?’
Iliana’s eyes narrowed.
She understood about the hero dungeon. Even Rumerin came to investigate a hero dungeon.
But hero hunters?
Iliana also knew, through Leo and Kyle, that this casino functioned as an information guild.
‘Could it be that hero hunters have appeared in this country?’
If so, they needed to be even more vigilant.
“Then one more thing. I heard there’s an arena here; does anyone know which opponent offers the highest prize money?”
“If you mean the arena… the current champion has the highest payout!”
“Champion?”
“Yes. It’s a rabbit!”
“…”
‘What does it mean for a rabbit to be the champion?’
Iliana’s face changed oddly.
“Goddess! Next bet!”
Just then, someone spoke with an anxious expression.
At his words, Iliana crossed her arms.
‘I’ve run out of things related to the class president.’
Iliana, after pondering, wore a proud expression.
“Number 1. Because I’m the number one Magic Swordsman in our grade.”
“…Isn’t the young master there?”
“Do you see him as a Magic Swordsman?”
Iliana glared at Austin.
“Number 1!”
“It’s number 1!”
The surrounding gamblers began to bet on number 1.
*Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-!*
The roulette wheel spun.
*Tap-tap-tap-tap-*
And the roulette ball rolled into slot 24.
“Aaaahhhk!”
“Wh-what the hell is this?!”
A desperate scream echoed.
“Hmm. As expected, it doesn’t work if it’s not related to the class president.”
“Indeed, if it’s related to Senior Iliana, even the goddess of fortune would run away.”
“Do you want to die?”
While Iliana and Austin were bickering, the staff had already loaded Iliana's enormous winnings onto a cart.
Once the chips were all loaded, Iliana pulled the cart and headed to the exchange office, saying.
“Austin, don’t you know the class president’s three sizes or something?”
“…I don’t.”
“Should I go ask? If I do it right, I think I could actually earn 100 million.”
The customers could only watch with empty eyes as the two walked away, chatting nonchalantly.
***
“Hero Hunter?”
“Yes.”
In a room accessible only to King-tier members, Leo sat in a curtained room, his eyes narrowed.
Ar, sitting cross-legged in front of him, crossed his arms.
“I found hero hunters performing ‘sign language’ as mentioned by Rwalin’s Shadows some time ago. I came here to get information related to that.”
At his words, Leo fell into thought.
Cherna Rwalin.
Chelsea and Abard’s aunt, a mage active as Rwalin’s Shadow.
She, too, was a powerful individual who had buried countless traitors and hero hunters in the shadows.
And during the winter break, even though there was no full moon, she defeated a hero hunter who used sign language and summoned Dorbeman Calles, the student council president of Azonia, and Ar, who had inherited Arion’s sign language ability.
‘At that time, that hero hunter supposedly had a fake Brave, didn’t he?’
It was clearly Arion’s beloved sword, seemingly obtained through the world of heroes.
It was clear that he was using sign language through that sword.
‘Perhaps Tartaros is utilizing Arion’s hero record.’
A murderous intent flashed in Leo’s eyes.
Suddenly, Ar’s tail stood on end.
It was when Ar narrowed his eyes, reacting to Leo’s murderous intent.
*Knock-knock-*
A knock sounded at the entrance.
“I heard that Rumerin’s student council president had arrived, so I came to say hello.”
Leo looked towards the entrance.
And seeing the man there, he cocked his head.
“Who are you?”
“Let me introduce myself. My name is Delean Eberne.”
Delean offered a gentle smile.
“I am a Rumerin graduate. Your senior. I came to propose something to you.”
“What is it?”
“How about we cooperate to conquer the labyrinth in the basement here?”