Chapter 9
Chapter 9
“You say I’m excellent?”
“…Isn’t that right?”
I smiled brightly.
Right?
You think I’m excellent too, don’t you?
I think so too!
“Then Cassis, what do you think about taking me to Luwin?”
I can really do well!
You know, I was actually a founding member of a listed startup and I really killed it?
Plus, I have the system!
[Irina has the system too~]
“I’ll do whatever I can to help Luwin’s revival!”
[Irina was successful~]
I raised both hands in a fighting pose, but Cassis just smirked and didn’t seem to be listening seriously.
He elegantly sipped his wine.
“Your Grace?”
“Yes, Lady Seike.”
“You said I’m excellent.”
“You are excellent. But it’s alright. This wine is really delicious. If there’s a chance later, I’d appreciate it if you could supply some to Luwin as well.”
Cassis rejected me with utmost politeness, and I sighed deeply, letting my shoulders droop.
Getting a job is really difficult, isn’t it.
* * *
The festival began, and I visited the neighboring territory for the festival along with Ijin, Roen, and Cassis.
“You can go and enjoy as much as you like. Although it might not be as grand as the capital or other cities, it has its own modest pleasures.”
“You don’t need to worry, my lady. It’s my first time at a southern festival.”
Roen answered with a wink.
“Then are you two going back to prepare for the festival?”
“That’s right. But we’re almost done now, so there’s not much left to do. We’ll probably start enjoying it ourselves in the middle of it.”
At my answer, Roen smiled with a “hmm” face.
He leaned towards me and whispered softly.
“Then I’ll send His Grace to you in the middle of the festival. Please take good care of our lord.”
“Pardon?”
What’s this?
Does he already know that I want to help Cassis?
“Weren’t you interested in His Grace?”
“…I am interested.”
Ah, in that way.
I guess it could look like that.
More than the fact that Cassis is the male lead of this world, the fact that he was the person who helped me in my worst moment.
That’s why I’m so grateful, and because I could endure with the memory of that moment…
That’s why I wanted to be of help to him in the same way.
I turned my head and quietly looked at Cassis’s profile.
Even when I blinked, he was still there in the same upright posture.
“Yes.”
Various emotions surged and then subsided.
“I am a bit interested.”
“Good. I’ll send His Grace to you in the middle of the festival.”
“Thank you.”
I nodded slightly.
When the male lead comes to me later, I’ll have to appeal to him somehow about how useful I am while going around the festival together.
But how can I show more in such a leisurely festival?
Isn’t paying off Seike’s debt with my own power enough to prove my abilities?
* * *
After organizing work for a while, it was midday when the festival was in full swing.
I finally caught my breath and stretched.
“Sis, Grand Duke has arrived.”
“Really?”
“Over there.”
Following Ijin’s finger, I turned my head to see a man with black hair and a pale white face standing there.
He was dressed lightly as if the weather entering early winter wasn’t cold at all.
Standing quietly at the entrance of the bustling village, he seemed both out of place and naturally blending in at the same time.
I left Ijin behind and ran to Cassis.
“Cassis! Did you wait long?”
“No. I just arrived a moment ago.”
“How was the festival?”
“It was enjoyable.”
I’m glad he enjoyed it.
“What was the most fun?”
“…Well. The fact that Seike wine was everywhere?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that this stiff northern man was casually joking.
With his expressionless face, saying such things doesn’t really inspire trust.
I gently tugged at the sleeve near Cassis’s elbow.
He obediently followed my lead.
“What should we do first? You seem to have tried a lot of wine… Shall we start by eating some of the food our chef prepared?”
“Whatever you wish, Irina.”
At Cassis’s answer, I decided to just do as I pleased.
So I took him to a small stall set up by our chef and handed him a freshly baked peach topped with cream cheese from the oven.
I could feel the texture of the nectarine, baked to a golden brown and wrapped in thin paper, on my fingers.
“I really like peaches.”
“Is that so?”
“Let’s eat that and then go for some apple whiskey. I talked briefly with Countess Julias earlier, and she said they were serving Calvados.”
Originally, when I was preparing for the festival, I was thinking I must get a job by showing how capable I am!
But now, I just wanted Cassis to eat lots of delicious things.
We sipped Calvados, an apple whiskey aged for 3 years in oak barrels, served in crude quality ceramic cups, and walked aimlessly along the street where the festival was being held.
As we passed by street portrait artists and peddlers selling simple props, a system window suddenly appeared in front of me.
I discreetly checked the content so that Cassis wouldn’t notice.
[SYSTEM | A sub-quest for the ‘Repayment of Grand Duke Luwin Family’s Debt’ quest, hereafter referred to as the ‘Debt Repayment’ quest, has arrived.]
[SYSTEM | Sub-quests for the ‘Debt Repayment’ quest proceed randomly without separate levels or order.]
[SYSTEM | Please note that it proceeds in a similar way to the tutorial.]
The system seemed to have trouble with the long name and simplified the second quest to ‘Debt Repayment’ quest.
[God of Gambling!
A festival in the village!
Irina Seike says it’s not as good as the capital’s festival, but it seems to have its own attractions.
Look!
See Cassis Luwin’s interesting face…!
There are things that never miss in such festivals, food, alcohol, people, fireworks…
And gambling.
That’s right.
A gambling den approved by the family is open at the entrance of the village.
Let’s join the gambling and make some money!
Don’t forget that the debt repaid is as much as the money earned only by Cassis Luwin participating, not Irina Seike~!
Reward: Debt repayment as much as the money earned
Reward 2: Cassis’s acknowledgment 3]
“Huh.”
I unconsciously let out a groan of “Huh!” while reading the quest.
At my sound, Cassis turned his head towards me.
His face was the very picture of expressionless.
Where on earth could you see anything interesting in that look?
Isn’t he just a bit excited from drinking?
I briefly glanced at the glass in his hand and then clicked my tongue at the large and small betting tables visible right next to us.
So it seems the meaning is to join in these betting or gambling tables and try to make money.
“Cassis, are you good at things like that?”
“No.”
“I see.”
And it’s not me who should participate in the game, but Cassis who can’t do this gambling-like thing.
I first led Cassis to a space filled with various probability games.
“But festivals are all about probability games, right?”
“Where is such a…”
“Here. It’s right here.”
Cassis tried to stop me with a slightly flustered face, but I lightly ignored such a reaction and led him to a crowded table.
Looking around quickly, I couldn’t see anything suitable.
“Irina, I really am not good at games.”
“There’s nothing in this world you can’t do. Can’t you even play poker?”
“…That’s a basic skill.”
“See? I told you you can do everything if you try. But there doesn’t seem to be poker here, so let’s go for something easy.”
Let’s leave everything to luck of a draw.
I stopped walking and stood at an entrance where people were gathered.
“With a draw, you just need to draw.”
You can do this, right?
But Cassis crossed his arms with an unwilling face and hummed.
“Is it really necessary to do this?”
“It’s fun!”
It’s a gambling game where you bet money on a number and the person closest to the number drawn wins the money.
Actually, it’s not very fun.
But the sound of money falling is magically implemented, so you can see the money being earned in real-time.
As soon as I saw it, I was reminded of casino slot machines and thought that people living everywhere are all the same.
I emptied my pockets and took out several 1 jurang coins.
“Here, since the south is like my home, I’ll provide the money. Let’s give it a try.”
Cassis received the coins from me with an unsatisfied face and bet on a random number.
And then…
“Cassis.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll return the money I lost later.”
“No, it’s just…”
I paused for a moment and counted the money Cassis had lost.
In the first round, he won 10 jurang with 1 jurang, so I went “Ooh,” but after that, he never won once and lost 137 jurang.
He lost so much that people around clicked their tongues and handed Cassis a sugar candy made by thinly coating fruit with sugar and sticking it on a wooden stick.
Cassis passed it to me, and I nibbled on the sugar candy while watching Cassis lose money.
Even now, after paying off all the debt, 100 jurang is not a small amount of money.
Cassis fiddled with a 5 jurang coin with a truly apologetic face.
This money lost wouldn’t be added to the debt, right?
I quickly checked the system, but fortunately(?) nothing had changed, it was still 99,999,999 jurang.
“Cassis, you don’t usually gamble, right?”
“No. As you can see, I’m not in a situation to gamble.”
I put the 5 jurang coin he slightly held out to me back into his hand.
‘God! System! Can you hear me?’
[Yeah, what is it Irina~.]
‘Help me. How can you ask someone who’s so bad at gambling to repay debt?’
[Irina. It’s better for a man to be bad at gambling.]
‘This is just random, isn’t it? Quickly give me a hint. Where should I bet?’
[…Hmm. Alright.]
I stopped Cassis who was trying to get up, saying this should be enough, and said,
“But wouldn’t it be more fun to win just once… and then go do something else?”
“Haven’t we lost about 130 jurang doing that so far?”
“…Just one more time? Please?”
I took the hand that was holding out the 5 jurang coin to me and turned it back.
Then I stood in front of the numbers to bet on again and called up the system window.
The system window, which hadn’t budged until now, flashed.
[78!]
’78?’
[Yes! In my opinion, 78 is the jackpot!]
“How about betting on number 78?”
“I didn’t know Count Seike liked gambling this much.”
“But I don’t? This is my first time?”
“Really?”
I pointed to number 78 with slightly indignant eyes.
“There’s… a reason. And 78 seems like it would be the jackpot, so hurry.”
Cassis said alright and bet the 5 jurang coin on number 78, and I waited nervously along with Cassis.
Wondering what I would do if I lost my hard-earned money again.
Cassis stood quietly beside me with his arms crossed, shaking his head as if thinking he would lose money this time too, waiting for the result.
The coins bet by various people fell spectacularly with a clinking sound, and finally, with a “pung-!” sound…
“Well… it’s a jackpot.”
“…”
[SYSTEM | Congratulations! It’s a jackpot! 7 jurang!]
[SYSTEM | You bet 5 jurang and won 7 jurang, so you earned a total of 2 jurang!]
You call this a jackpot.
You, foal-like systems.
‘So we spent almost 140 jurang to earn just 2 jurang.’
Whether he knew my feelings or not, Cassis stood beside me and turned my insides out with his monotone voice.
“Wow, we earned as much as 7 jurang.”
“Don’t be sarcastic…”
[…Irina, sorry. We’re not on good terms with the goddess of probability.]
[I thought 78 was the jackpot.]
[…We’ll specially double it for you. Okay? You repay 2 jurang, and we’ll repay 2 jurang. How about that, isn’t it good?]
Oh come on, as if that’s good…
But a quest was a quest, so I completed the quest.
[SYSTEM | Quest Complete]
[SYSTEM | ‘Irina Seike’s’ Job-Seeking Diary (3/13)]
[SYSTEM | You earned 4 jurang from gambling, and now 99,999,995 jurang remains until debt repayment.]
With a clanging sound, the total debt amount in the top right corner of the system window went down by 4 jurang, and now the debt remaining for me was 99,999,995 jurang.
Damn it.
We have a long way to go.
