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

"It's nothing... I just know a girl who looks a lot like her."

Ryu changed his demeanor and decided to confront his opponent in a formal confrontation.

"This is what I heard from an acquaintance: he got involved in gambling under the influence of scoundrels... and as a result, not only was his property taken away, but his most prized daughter was also kidnapped."

"!"

Anna and Terry's expressions changed simultaneously.

"The father who agreed to the bet was undeniably foolish... but after a thorough investigation, I discovered that this appears to have been orchestrated by someone."

"..."

"In order to get this beautiful daughter, this man instigated thugs to do this, and after the matter was over, he pretended nothing had happened and took her as his own... I felt extremely heartbroken after learning about the girl's situation."

Ryu initially only intended to restrain her, but once she started talking, she couldn't stop, and then she realized that she was more annoyed than she had imagined.

Contrary to her literal description, her tone was very forceful, and she focused her gaze on Terry.

"I'm still worried about her... I keep searching for her."

Ryu's implication was that he clearly understood the whole story and everything Anna had gone through.

The previously friendly dwarf, Old Yue, had now removed his mask and was glaring fiercely at Liu. It was a look of ruthlessness no less than that of a villain, a look only someone with such a background could possess.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, the wealthy men at the table appeared flustered, and the quick-witted ones already understood what was happening. Anna, the central figure in the conversation, simply stood there stunned. Only Seele, maintaining her usual smile and silently observing from the sidelines, exuded a unique charm.

Ryu's implication was "I want to bring Anna back," which was essentially a declaration of war.

"...That's quite interesting, Lord Maximilian. By the way, although this has only just been confirmed, I've heard you're the Earl of Philnas, haven't I...?"

"That's right, I'm just a nobleman from the countryside, and an inflexible elf who can't stand idly by when I see wicked or crooked behavior... a stubborn elf by nature."

Ryu met Terina's probing gaze head-on.

Guests at different tables, waiters, and beautiful women all turned to look at the two, drawn by the unusual atmosphere between them. A tense silence filled the VIP room.

"I don't know what you've misunderstood... It seems that Lord Maximilian has set aside his wife and is quite obsessed with my Anna."

When Terry finally spoke, he still maintained his terrifying gaze, and a forced smile appeared on his lips hidden under his beard.

"How about this, let's take a gamble?"

"Let's take a gamble...?"

"That's right, the loser has to unconditionally obey the winner's demands. In this way, the winner gets everything they want, and the game uses only the highest stakes."

Terry snapped his fingers, and a waiter pushed over a cart loaded with the largest amount of the highest-value chips. Even if Ryu added up all the chips he had won in the lobby earlier, the total amount of that magnificent, platinum-like mountain of chips would still be far beyond his reach.

"I'll lend you these chips, otherwise the gambling I'm pursuing won't be possible."

After hearing Terry's speech, which was tantamount to forcing the other party to accept the challenge, Ryu muttered to herself.

(The loser of this gamble will not only have to comply with all of the other party's conditions, but will also be burdened with huge debts... and the other party has no intention of letting me go easily.)

Besides the people who brought the cart, several men surrounded the gambling table where Ryu and Hiel were. Each of them was as strong and muscular as the guards standing outside the VIP room. In addition—

(There is one... no, there are two experts.)

The male humans and cat people standing behind Terry were, even in Ryu's eyes, formidable individuals.

Ryu had never heard of any powerful "Familias" existing in the entertainment city (Santorio Beja). They were probably unaffiliated Familias hired by Terry in secret—or wandering bodyguards who had broken away from their factions. Even if they weren't as strong as the executives of the "Ganesha Familia," as long as they were in charge, the casino owner's private army would be more than enough to handle any conflicts.

Having already gained wealth, status, and prestige, what we truly pursue now... is the tension of life hanging by a thread, am I right?

Terry instructed his bodyguards, dressed in black, to exert pressure while he made these provocative remarks.

Whether it was to teach his adversary a lesson or to use this gamble to resolve Anna's problem, Terry's proposal was quite simple.

"Just win the bet," it's that simple and clear.

(For now... let's accept their proposal.)

Starting a fight immediately would be unwise. Furthermore, Anna's current location is too close to Terry and his bodyguards. Moreover, if the enemy were to bring in the Ganesha Familia from the hall for reinforcements, Ryu would be utterly vulnerable.

With Seele also here, accepting the proposal would allow them to observe the situation calmly.

Liu glanced to the side, and Seele immediately nodded in response.

"...Alright, I accept the challenge."

Seeing Ryu nod in agreement, Terry smiled.

Then he looked around at the other guests at the table.

"Everyone, join in! This is the biggest casino (gran casino). It wouldn't be fun if it were just me and Lord Maximilian fighting one-on-one! The victory conditions will all be the same, and I'll grant the winner's wish! But please be gentle and don't say anything scary like 'you want my old life,' hahahahaha!"

Terry opened his arms and presented his proposal, leaving the previously bewildered guests looking at each other in disbelief.

The guests couldn't help but laugh at the casino owner's witty remarks, which showcased his considerable wealth. Whether this truly proved that Terry was seeking the tension of a life hanging by a thread, this gamble that would draw others in was already in full swing of preparation.

"Do you have a specific gambling method in mind? If not, let's settle this with poker."

"That's fine with me."

"So, the condition for winning or losing is the number of chips... The side that loses all of its chips is the loser."

Anger ignited in the elf's sky-blue right eye as he accepted the terms of the match. The dwarf boss, on the other hand, squinted his eyes with pleasure.

Before long, the table was piled high with the highest amount of chips prepared by the restaurant.

The gamble begins under the watchful eyes of the impassive male waiters, the beautiful women whose faces are filled with unease and resignation, and the wavering young girl (Anna).

"Then, I'll bet twenty chips first."

"I'm doubling down."

The gambling method is floppy card poker. The rules are that, in addition to their own hands, all players have a set of common cards that are placed in the center of the table. Players must use these common cards and their own hands to build their hands. Even with a weak hand, players can easily win by bluffing.

(Based on the current situation, there are no signs of cheating.)

Not only Terry, but Ryu was also keeping a close eye on the male dealer's every move. Including the other guests, this former adventurer's eyesight, honed in the dungeons, would not miss the slightest abnormality.

In contrast, the bodyguards around her were also keeping a close watch on her to prevent her from doing anything. In particular, the male humans and male cat people next to Terry were staring at Ryu with sharp eyes.

Besides Ryu and Terry, there were four other players: two humans, a wealthy dwarf, and an old orc gentleman. Ryu and the others remained calm and quiet, with only the peaceful sounds of cards being flipped and chips clinking together.

The highest stacks of chips held by each player are repeatedly exchanged, increasing and decreasing.

At first glance, the battle has already entered close combat—

"Oh dear, this old man won!"

"..."

The old orc gentleman won and took away the chips that Ryu had bet.

Thanks to the strategic skills unique to advanced adventurers, Ryu managed to avoid a crushing defeat, but her chips were steadily dwindling. Compared to her initial amount, she now had only half left, and Ryu was the only one who hadn't won a single round so far.

If you can't see through your opponent's thoughts, you can't achieve the prerequisite of "outwitting" them.

Sitting on the opposite side, with plenty of chips at hand, Terry wore a fearless smile.

As Seele observed the gambling table with a subtle expression beside her, Ryu murmured to herself.

(I was too careless...)

Ryu shifted her right eye to the surroundings, looking at the other guests besides Terry.

Whether it was the old orc gentleman holding a bottle of fine wine to his lips or the wealthy dwarf playing with chips in his hand, they all wore a slight, smirking expression.

(It wasn't just the dealers; I should have realized the connection between the owner and the guests much earlier.)

Terry's relationship with his guests was not simply that of a dealer and a guest.

Rather, they were "accomplices".

As Liu observed, Terry and his group did not cheat at all.

These people simply communicated their card decks to each other through a method that Ryu could not detect.

It could be through gestures, eye contact, hidden lines in conversation, or all of the above. They use secret codes understood only by each other to share information about their respective decks, and then the strongest member of each deck suppresses Ryu when he decides to challenge him.

In other words, minimize losses and wait until you are confident of winning before taking action.

(Every gambler at the table is my enemy...)

The adversaries were not only Terry, but also five guests.

Since you can use shared cards on the field to strengthen your deck, your opponent effectively has five hands.

It's no wonder Ryu couldn't see through their thoughts. From the very beginning, Terry and his group had no intention of "outwitting" each other—not even of bluffing.

They were like hordes of monsters attacking the adventurers, intending to overwhelm Ryu with sheer force.

(What a miscalculation... I actually narrowed my perspective because of my anger.)

Now, Ryu has to admit that she was blinded by anger.

Normally, Ryu would have noticed it long ago. But witnessing the girl's (Anna's) ordeal and Terry and the guests' arrogant attitude of treating those beauties as their possessions caused her to lose her composure for a moment.

No, even if you noticed, the moment Ryu accepted the challenge, his defeat was already obvious.

To make such a basic mistake, Ryu cursed herself inwardly.

"Your chips have decreased significantly. Are you truly alright, Your Excellency Maximilian?"

"..."

Ryu belatedly tried to decipher the code by observing the other person's actions, but this didn't immediately turn the tide. Faced with Ryu's silence, Terry asked in a teasing tone.

The girl (Anna), whose waist was being held by Ty's large hand, appeared quite shaken and almost burst into tears as she watched the game unfold. Unaware of the situation, she felt saddened to see Ryu, who had been angry on her behalf, losing his composure. Perhaps she also felt it was her fault for dragging everyone else into this mess.

"By the way, I haven't said what my requirements would be if I won."

The dwarf boss's hand seemed to transform into a snake, stroking the girl's (Anna's) waist and abdomen through her dress, while he continued to speak.

"If I win, I'll need to borrow your partner... that is, the lady next to me, for a while."

Ryu, who was trying her best to appear calm and composed, showed signs of wavering for the first time at this moment.

The reason is that a more intense fire of anger has ignited in my heart.

"I truly envy you for marrying such a young and beautiful wife, and I'd love to experience that feeling myself. Don't worry, I'll just invite her over for a couple of drinks in the evenings when I have some free time... and it will be just the two of us."

That lecherous gaze drifted toward Xi'er, who was standing next to Liu.

Compared to the beautiful silver-haired girl who glanced back calmly, Terry's face revealed a lewd smile.

So that's what "baptism" is.

Newcomers visiting this VIP room—mostly those not favored by Terry or who are his adversaries—are forced to participate in gambling schemes like the one before them. When they lose, they are pressured into agreeing to any demands, even sacrificing their loved ones or partners, under the pretext of incurring enormous debts.

Modo had once said that newcomers who came here would be exploited, and Ryu finally understood this completely.

At the same time, an indescribable indignation welled up in my heart.

"Whether it's arrogant guys, guys blinded by desire, or guys like you driven by a sense of justice... I've slaughtered them all like fat sheep."

—Now that things have come to this, is resorting to violence the only option?

Even if it was a gamble set up by someone—choosing to give up halfway through the competition—it could be said to violate Ryu's original principles, given her high moral standards. But now she was so angry that she regarded those principles as trivial matters and could no longer control herself.

Ryu couldn't tolerate this man daring to have inappropriate thoughts about her close friend.

She was also disgusted by the supporters who wanted to get a share of the profits.

Upon seeing the elves' murderous aura, all the bodyguards, including humans and cat people, immediately assumed their fighting stances.

Having put aside all the suspense and risks, Ryu is about to unleash a massacre.

"Honey."

However──

The left hand reached out from the side and touched the back of Liu's hand.

Liu stopped in shock and looked to the side, only to find that Seele was still smiling.

Seele's eyes seemed to be stopping Ryu, and she slowly shifted her gaze to Terry and the others.

"Everyone, my husband is a bit tired. May I take his place at the gambling table?"

Faced with this proposal, not only Terry and his group, but even Ryu was taken aback.

"Seele!"

"Darling, please, I want to decide my own future... I don't want you to bear this responsibility. Boss, if we lose, I'm willing to accept your request, and I hope you'll spare my husband then."