Kenzo caught the white card mid air as Nuala returned it to him. Placing it quickly inside his pocket, the male grabbed all of his stuff before getting ready to get out. By this moment, he began wondering if the boss’s goons had actually taken the excuse of chasing the purple haired girl to quit the gang for good. It was actually a tad pitiful that all of them had been so concentrated on finding the culprit behind his death that no one remembered to actually take care his corpse. Slowly, blood had begun flowing out of his neck as a puddle of red mixed with the water and mud of the recently rained Astera. Truly a sad sight, and yet, a fitting end for one like him. A life of murder and crime would normally be met by the lowest of deaths. Kenzo simply hoped he would one day be able to avoid such an end but didn’t hold his hopes up. He had lived the life he had chosen; looking at the corpse by the road, he was reminded of the harsh reality. Either way, he spared no compassion for the man on the ground. Noticing he held a golden ring on his finger, Kenzo came closer to inspect it.
As surprising as it was that not a single thug had returned, the mercenary was more intrigued by the fact the inn owners seemed to be used to this kind of stuff. Considering the little fuzz they made, it was obvious they had seen worse. Of course, money always helped. As Nuala handed them a purse of jewels, Kenzo decided to take the boss’s golden ring from him; he was sure he had seen its engraved seal somewhere before, but it eluded him where. Without second thoughts, the male decided to keep it for later inspection. This was something that didn’t sit well with most people, but he didn’t care. For a mercenary like him, looting the defeated was a right of the living. With everything out of the way, it seemed the pair was ready for their investigation. As Nuala’s new ponytail swung from side to side, Kenzo answered at her question while he began to follow her. He was lucky she was familiar to the place and was willing to lead. Trailing behind her, he spoke with a relaxed tone.
”Hah. From what I remember, you said I reeked of bad luck back then. Maybe I passed it off to you that night?” Kenzo placed both of his hands on the back of his head as they made their way through the streets. The rain had stopped some time ago, changing the weather into what the mercenary considered to be the perfect point. Cool but not cold, fresh but not humid. One of the few joys of his life was staring at the stars; as he looked up while they walked, he noticed that the one that night was particularly beautiful. Taking a small pause, he continued with his previous line of thought.
”Truth be told, I’m done with things like luck and fate. I believe this river is one we should find how to cross when we get there.” Kenzo had never been reckless or anything of the sort, but he knew all far too well the dangers of overthinking about things out of his control. Furthermore, considering the combined strength of the current party, they’d be forgiven on taking a risk or two. Yet, it would seem Nuala was all too aware of this too. As she made her question, he simply smiled with a playful tone.
”Guess we’ll find out, right?” From what he’d gathered so far, Nuala remembered the warrior too much of his previous self. Always on an edge, rolling eyes at every hint of disorder or impulsiveness. For years Kenzo had lived a life of keeping his guard up and tackling every situation with methodical seriousness. After joining Advent World though, he had learned he was missing on much. If there was something that Noel had taught him, it was that taking everything seriously was a waste. Tonight, he hoped he could show Nuala the thrill of a bit of improvisation.
Eventually, the two people made it to the gryphon casino. A masterfully crafted statue of the creature signaled the arrival for both Kenzo and Nuala. However, this didn’t catch the swordsman’s attention in the least. The male had expected most people to be nicely dressed up with tuxedos and elegant dresses. Oddly, it would seem they would be a minority. One after the other, groups of heavily armed people entered the place as they followed eccentric figures that could be no other than mafia leaders. It didn’t take long for Kenzo to notice that there was some sort of criminal summit taking place that night. Taking a look at Nuala, the man shrugged in surprise.
”I think we’ll blend right in with these people.” Even after his tacky speech, the male’s luck couldn’t have been better. Criminal groups from all over the country had reunited to the annual mafia summit. Astera had been a forgotten town for far too long, perfect for them to operate undisturbed. Now that Phoenix Feather ruled the port, it would seem this would be the last time they would be able to reunite here. Luckily for the duo, this meant none of their weapons stood out as they walked across the sidewalk to the entrance.
The tricky part now, was entering the place. Considering the occasion, it was naturally reinforced to the last corner with security covering every spot. Kenzo had quickly began assessing their possibilities when he found that his luck had yet to end. A tall, elegant looking man hurriedly approached the two of them as he waved his hand.
”Aaaaha!! Mr. de Lena!! I’m so glad I was able to recognize you. I’m Jaime Sina, owner of the place. Please be welcome to the Gryphon Casino! I hope you and Miss…” The male made a small pause as he asked for Nuala’s name. Turning his head around, Kenzo looked at Nuala as he let her introduce her new persona. Once she had given a name, the male continued.
… have a great time tonight. Please, follow me this way.” Leading the two of them to the main entrance, security opened a path between the endless line of people waiting to get inside. As stares of envy and hate hit them like stakes, Kenzo wondered what the hell was going on. Trying to play it cool, he hoped his next question would not mean doom for both of them.
”Hmm.. thank you for everything Mr. Sina, but I’m curious. How did you recognize me?”Stopping on his tracks, the older male looked at Kenzo as if he had spit out the harshest of insults. For the brief moment of silence that followed, the warrior panicked on the inside, thinking they had been discovered.
”Surely you jest Signore! I would recognize Croccifixio de Lena’s ring wherever I saw it!” The man eventually answered as he pointed at Kenzo’s right hand. For a lack of a better place to store it, the warrior had decided to place the ring he had taken from the dead body on his hand for safe keeping. Looking back now, he was glad he had done so.
”Either way, we still have time left before the main event. However, we have a special dynamic for our guests tonight. There are five different tiers of roulette tables tonight with different minimum bets. In order to see in which group the two of you will be gambling, please take a chip out of this box. Depending on the number it has, you shall be escorted to your area” Passing a covered box to Nuala, he motioned at her to take out a chip from the hole at the top. Before she did so though, the male finished with his speech with a laugh.
”We know it’s chump change for people like you, but we hope it shall prove to be somewhat exciting either way”Kenzo simply looked at Nuala with a smirk on his face. He still had the million jewels he was paid with him, but he didn’t know how much she had. Depending on which number Nuala drew, their plan could go smooth or perhaps end in disaster. It now all rested on her hands.
OOC: Roll a dice and let's see what you get!~
- 1:20 -> 100 J Minimum Bid
- 21:40 -> 1,000 J Minimum Bid
- 41:60 -> 10,000 J Minimum Bid
- 61:80 -> 100,000 J Minimum Bid
- 81:100 -> 1,000,000 J Minimum Bid