Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Simply possessing a large amount of chips can mislead those around you and become a symbol that attracts envy and attention.

If a casino operator repeatedly uses winning chips to purchase expensive food and services, they cannot afford to ignore it. Even with winning chips, paying customers are that important to large casinos.

(The immediate goal... is to walk through that door.)

Ryu already knew what was going on.

It is located at the other end of several gaming tables, deep inside the hall.

There is a heavy oak door that is tightly closed and only certain guests are allowed to enter or exit.

Two burly guards stood on either side of the wooden door, standing there like gatekeepers.

In other words, this is a VIP room.

It is a special space set up in many large casinos, specifically to entertain VIPs and allow them to gamble with higher stakes.

"By the way, Ryu, how much money do you have on hand right now? I've been trying to bring as much as I can..."

"That's about a million falies. Compared to the guests around, that's nothing. If I had more money on hand, I could achieve my goal much more easily..."

Adding her accumulated savings and the funds she secured during work breaks—through selling items and other means—she could only manage a million Fali. Next, she had to multiply that money several times over. Even though this was a gambling paradise where one could become rich overnight, for Seele, an ordinary person, this was simply a pipe dream. If Ryu were to speak her mind, her feeling would be—the situation was perilous.

Even so, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it. Ryu considered her last resort, which was to force her way in, and headed towards one of the gambling tables in order to exchange the cash for gambling chips.

At this moment──

"Wow, you won again! You're on a really good streak today, Guild Master!"

"Hahahaha!! It's alright, I guess Lady Luck appreciated my usual efforts and blessed me! After all, I've been working tirelessly for Orario from morning till night!"

The burst of laughter came from a corner of the hall.

"Ah, I remember that elf."

"...He is Loiman Madil, the current guild master."

Faced with this compatriot who laughed loudly without any class and whose body was so obese as to be almost pathetic, Liu couldn't help but frown deeply.

Guild Master Loiman Madil is the de facto supreme authority in the guild.

Addicted to power and money, and degenerating into a bloated and obese man, his appearance was far removed from the handsome and refined features of the average elf as perceived by the general public. His fellow elves living in Orario, without any hesitation, nicknamed him "the guild's pig."

As rumored, Lloydman led a dissolute life in the bustling city. The sight of his belly jiggling with every laugh, even though it was the end for a ruler, was unbearable for Ryu, a fellow elf. Ryu glanced at Lloydman and his entourage before walking off in the opposite direction.

"Although this is a large casino that ordinary people are not allowed to enter, it is still possible to run into acquaintances like the guild master. In order to prevent the countess and countess (us) from being exposed, we must be as vigilant as possible—"

When Ryu gave these words of advice to Seele walking beside her—

"—Please, please wait a minute!! I'm not going to gamble anymore! Please let me go, okay?!"

A boy's plea for mercy reached Ryu and the others' ears.

"…………"

Faced with this extremely familiar voice, Ryu and Seele looked at each other in bewilderment.

Then they slowly turned around together... and the person who came into view was a human boy with a full head of white hair.

The boy was dressed in a tailcoat of a lower grade than Liu's, seemingly a hastily prepared formal outfit. His snow-white hair swayed like rabbit ears, and his terrified profile, as if on the verge of tears, perfectly matched his mental age.

After clearly seeing the boy who was obviously out of place with the others, Ryu and Hiyori exchanged glances again and nodded to each other.

So they approached the boy who was yelling at someone from behind.

"Just tell them I haven't finished preparing to move into my new home (base camp) yet!! The main thing is, if the gods or anyone else finds out I've come to a place like this, I, I—!?"

"...Mr. Craney."

When the boy heard Ryu calling from behind, he jumped up in fright.

His whole body trembled violently.

Then he—Bell Crane—slowly turned his head with stiff movements, and upon seeing Ryu and the others, his deep red eyes widened in shock.

"Ryu, Ryu-chan—uh!?"

"Please avoid shouting our names."

Ryu quickly extended his index finger and pressed it against Bell's lips, which were about to shout.

Faced with Ryu's whispered words, Bell was initially stunned and bewildered, then suddenly blushed and nodded vigorously to indicate that she understood. Ryu withdrew her index finger from Bell's lips and took a step back.

"...Um, you must be Miss Ryu? And Miss Seele too..."

"Hello, Mr. Bell, what a coincidence to meet you here, I'm so surprised."

"Hello..."

"Mr. Crannie, what brings you to a place like this?"

"I... um, how should I put it..."

Bell's mind was still a mess; he hadn't quite grasped the situation and couldn't answer immediately. Suddenly, a rude voice spoke from behind him:

"Hey, [Rookie], what are you doing? I haven't finished speaking yet."

"Mr. Modo..."

Following Bell's gaze, there was a rugged-looking man who was clearly an adventurer, with other companions standing beside him.

Ryu and Seele also remembered this human named Modo. Sometime ago, this adventurer had caused a commotion in the "Abundant Mistress," ultimately being kicked out. He was also the villain who had plotted against Bell on the 18th floor. His clothes were clearly too small and tight, and the wide-open collar made this formal attire, meant to be appropriate for the occasion, utterly unsuitable for him. His physique was far from that of a nobleman or a wealthy man, and even less so than that of an ordinary citizen. Now an adventurer himself, Modo could only be said to have chosen the right profession from the start.

As for the other two human companions, they were equally incompetent.

"We went through a lot of trouble to become members of this big casino, and we brought you here especially to broaden your horizons. You're not allowed to start complaining about wanting to go back right away!"

"Well, I haven't finished preparing for moving into my new place (base camp) yet...!! Plus, I'm penniless right now, I can't even afford to rent clothes...!"

"Don't worry, we'll cover that money for you. After all, it's all thanks to you that we made a fortune in the war game betting! Hahaha! Consider it our way of thanking you, just accept it!"

So that's how it is.

Seeing Modo and the flustered Bell with their arms around each other, Ryu immediately saw through the boy's predicament.

Presumably, Bell was caught red-handed by Modo and his gang, and then forcibly brought here. In other words, either the timid Bell couldn't refuse their invitation, or he was tricked into coming to a place like this.

Compared to how Modo had smiled as he gave the boy an adventurer "baptism" a few days ago, Ryu really didn't know what kind of change had occurred in this person's mindset. However, she couldn't help but show a reproachful look as she looked at the group of delinquent adventurers who had dragged Bell into this kind of "nightlife".

"Oh? Is something the matter? My lord, the way you're glaring at me like that, do you have a problem with me... Hmm? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before..."

"Mo-Modo!?" "She works at that bar!!"

"Huh!? Could it be the 'mistress's'—"

"Please, all three of you, shut up."

"—Ouch!?"

Faced with Modo and his group, who had already realized her identity and were preparing to expose her, Ryu kicked the three of them in the shinbone at a speed that was completely invisible to the other guests.

"...I'm sorry, I went too far."

"Ughhhhhhh...!?"

"Ryu, really! You can't just start getting violent the moment you see them!"

Modo and his group took a hard hit from a Lv.4 low side kick, all of them crouching on their knees in pain. Just as the three of them let out painful howls, attracting curious glances from those around them, Seele spoke up and reprimanded the embarrassed-looking Liu.

Bell, who was left alone to the side, was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.

"...Ryu, Miss Ryu, what are you doing here? By the way, what's with that eye patch...?"

"For certain reasons, we disguised ourselves as nobles to infiltrate this large casino. Without this attire, it would have been impossible to get in here."

"I see? So, Miss Seele is also wearing... a formal dress..."

Ignoring Modo and the others who were still struggling in pain on the ground, Bell finished asking Ryu his question and then turned his gaze to Seele, his voice becoming increasingly soft.

Her bare shoulders and flawless back were exposed, along with the cleavage that was clearly visible.

Bell's deep red eyes remained fixed on Seele, who looked both adorable and alluring in her formal dress.

Seele quickly noticed Bell's flushed gaze, and while feeling shy—but also happy, or perhaps like a little devil—she smiled and gently covered her chest with her hands.

"Hehehe, Mr. Bell, did my tuxedo charm you?"

"Eh, oh, I'm sorry!!"

(illustration)

Bell's cheeks flushed even more—Liuleng suddenly moved closer to Bell from behind and said:

"—Mr. Craney, please don't give Seele those lewd looks."

"Hug, hug, hug, hug, I'm so sorry...!!"

A voice as cold as ice, and blue eyes as sharp as blades.

Upon hearing the warning whispered in his ear, which even carried a hint of murderous intent, the boy immediately turned pale with fright and loudly confessed.

Ryu stared at Bell, whose eyes were brimming with tears, for a moment, then let out a sigh.

In fact, it shouldn't matter if the boy is infatuated with Seele... but for some reason, Ryu just wanted to scold him and couldn't just sit by and do nothing.

Was it because she was a morally fastidious elf? Ryu asked herself this question, and believed that there was a hint of evil in Bell's gaze as she looked at Seele, so she convinced herself of this reason.

"By the way, three adventurers, why did you come to this place? It's said to be the largest casino in Orario."

"Hmph, hmph... You've come to the right person, little sister."

Standing next to Ryu and Bell, Seele asked Modo and the others a question out of curiosity.

Modo, who had been huddled on the ground, put on a stiff smile and stood up unsteadily.

"Because we have this gold card! It's a pass that you can only get by spending a lot of money in the big casino area—it's valid at every store!"

The smug Modo handed over a tasteless metal card that gleamed with gold.

They shamelessly explained that with this pass, one could freely enter any large casino.

"Golden City Amusement Park is unlike any other place; it's the largest casino, and today we've finally seen it for ourselves...!"

"Yeah, going from level three (bronze card), level two (silver card) to level one (gold card), it's been quite a long journey... Don't we even realize how much money we spent to qualify...!"

"We're the only third-tier adventurers who possess this card!"

Unlike his companions Scott and Kyle, who explained with tears in their eyes, Mordo made this smug declaration.

In other words, they have gained the approval of the major casino. Just as Liu had explained to Seele earlier, they paid to make themselves VIPs there.

In order to allow Modo and the others to freely patronize the casino, the operators issued them passes—a method that was obviously impossible for Ryu, a wandering adventurer who was also on the blacklist—and Bell was only able to enter the casino thanks to the help of Modo and the others who had a Level 1 pass (gold card).

It's also possible that Bell's achievements in the recent war game led the operators to see him as a promising adventurer, which is why he was granted permission to enter the store.

"This is a privilege reserved for adventurers in Orario... no, for high-ranking adventurers! The more money you spend, the more recognition you gain, and you can even receive VIP services! Even scoundrels like us can find a way into the largest casino (gran casino) as long as we follow the rules!"

Indeed, high-level adventurers who can obtain valuable "magic stones" and monster treasures (dropped items) from "middle level" and below are more trustworthy than ordinary wealthy people, not to mention members from the renowned "Family".

However, this only applies to wealthy conglomerates or adventurers... that is, second- and first-level adventurers. The reason why Modo and his companions, who are third-level adventurers, are able to appear here is probably due to their extravagant spending habits. In fact, they've reached the point where they immediately give away all the rewards they earn from the dungeon each day.

"...Now I completely understand one of the reasons why you're stuck at level three."

"No, you don't need to be so nosy!!"

Ryu gave Modo and the others a look that was enough to wake them up, while secretly thinking that this was a good opportunity.

She looked towards the oak door she had been staring at, and asked in a low voice:

"I'd like to know something about what's behind that door... in the VIP room. Do you know anything about it?"

"Hmm? What? You want to go in there? But that's impossible."

Liu tried to gather information from Modo, who spent all his time in casinos, but the other man just shrugged.

"Look at those people guarding the door. They're not members of the Ganesha Familia, and neither are the people who can open the door and go in. Even members of the Ganesha Familia aren't allowed to approach or enter that VIP room. Those are the rules of the shop. It's a genuine extraterritorial area."

"It means that as long as no one talks about it, no one will know what's going on inside."

"That's right. According to what the VIPs blurted out while drunk, just as rumored, they get to enjoy exorbitant gambling fees... In addition, the casino owner's mistresses are also there. I heard that this lecherous owner is surrounded by beauties and always deliberately flaunts them in front of his guests. Tch, he's clearly not an adventurer, yet he acts so high and mighty."

After listening to Modo's complaints, Ryu became even more convinced.

The only place where one can contact the casino owner who bought the daughter (Anna) and the girl herself is on the other side of that door.

"Also... I heard that newcomers have to undergo a 'baptism' before entering that place? Apparently, they'll be treated like easy prey and fleeced there. The rest can't be said out loud... Since you already know the casino owner is a womanizer, even if I didn't say it aloud, I'm sure you understand, right?"

—I don't know what your reason is for being here, but I advise you not to meddle in other people's business.