Chapter 39

As a playboy, my status was terrible, with everything being below that of a commoner except for a high luck value.

This morning, when I checked my skills, they were also strange.

…………………………………

Flutist [Playboy Lv5]

Can play a magic flute.

Can whistle well.

…………………………………

When I tried whistling, sure enough, I could clearly distinguish the strength and pitch of the notes.

By the way, a magic flute is a type of magical item that can boost allies' stats or decrease enemies' stats when played.

When I moved the skill to a different slot using Skill Management, it moved to the equipment skill slot, so it seems I can equip the magic flute.

I'll keep the reason why my Playboy level increased a secret for now. The reason for the low level increase will also be kept a secret.

After finishing breakfast, we decided to head for the dungeon.

However, a big problem arose.

According to Haru's sense of smell, Oregairu had headed east on the main street, in the direction of the dungeon.

So, if we go east now, there's a possibility we'll run into that chubby noble.

Of course, the town is large, and if we take back alleys, the chances of encountering him will be low, but we want to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Therefore, we decided to head to the shops first.

This dungeon is a 25-story dungeon without a transfer array, and it takes about 5 hours round trip to explore.

I have some preserved food in my item bag, but I want to buy what I want to eat today.

After walking for a while, we arrived in front of the slave merchant's building.

There, Quins was standing with a pipe in her mouth, sweeping with a broom.

"Good morning, Quins."

"Huh? Oh, it's you from yesterday. So, are you thinking of buying a second slave?"

"No, I just happened to pass by... By the way, is Carol doing well?"

I asked this, remembering how she had said she wanted to die yesterday.

I didn't intend to do anything about it, and it would probably be meddling for Carol.

"That girl has been working since this morning. She's actually quite popular, especially among high-level adventurers who hunt monsters around the town."

Indeed, with her ability to attract monsters, she would be popular among skilled adventurers.

However, I know the fate of those who misjudge their own abilities.

"If you want to work with her, you should make a reservation now. Though, I don't recommend buying her."

"Is it all because of her abilities?"

"Yes. At night, she can't stay in a room where air leaks out. If you seal her in a box, she'll suffocate. She needs a large room, which most inns don't have. Also, she can't enter the dungeon in the town. If her pheromones spread through the dungeon and reach outside the town, it would attract monsters to the town, which would be disastrous."

Indeed, the dungeon is on the outskirts of the town, so the risk of attracting monsters is high.

The suffering of a girl with unwanted powers must be beyond my imagination.

While thinking about Carol, Quins blew smoke in my face, and I choked.

"What's wrong, looking so gloomy? It's not your fault. Rather, I'm grateful to you for bringing Carol here safely. So, where are you heading now? Not to the casino in the middle of the day, right? The law has made it impossible to exchange for cash, so I have no intention of going."

"Huh? If you can't exchange for cash, what do you do?"

"Exchange for items. Some people who really want cash are getting high-value items like gold or gems and exchanging them for cash, but they still have to pay a middleman fee. I don't recommend it."

...It's just like a casino in a game.

"Also, to participate in gambling, you need to buy medals, and 25% of the medal price is tax."

"25% is tax?"

"Yes. Everyone knows this, but it means you start 25% in the hole before you even begin. Still, it's a state-run casino, so it's not as bad as the underground guilds in other towns."

Quins continued to chat while cleaning.

She seemed to be observing the town as well as talking to me.

Feeling like I was intruding, I thanked her and left.

I started walking again.

"Hey, Haru, I want to go to the casino. Is that okay?"

"Casino? As Quins said, it's not recommended... Oh, I see."

"Yeah, something like that."

"...But, are you sure it's a good idea?"

Haru asked again.

My goal isn't to enjoy the casino but to pay taxes and raise my commoner level.

Her reconfirmation suggests she sees through my intentions.

Regarding Carol's redemption.

"Carol might not be happy, but she is needed by many people."

"...I see."

"Anyway, what's the casino like? Probably dice, right?"

I'm not sure which is even and which is odd.

"Mainly card and roulette games, but recently, a machine called a slot machine has become popular."

"...There are slot machines too?"

Then, I might as well add the Hunter and Playboy skills to boost my luck value.

Of course, I won't forget to add the Commoner skill.

The casino was right next to the statue of Trailor.

Its grand architecture, reminiscent of a museum or theater, left me breathless.

The security was tighter than at the town entrance, and once inside, I found a vast gaming facility.

The central area was open, with the second and third floors visible.

"Welcome, sir. Is this your first time here?"

A red-haired woman with a revealing outfit, though not quite a bunny girl, asked.

"Ah... Yes."

"Then, please follow me."

I was led to a counter.

In the casino, all games use special medals.

Medals cost 100 cents for 75 white medals, meaning 1 cent = 1 medal, but 25 medals are taken as tax.

Blue medals are worth 10 white medals, yellow 100, green 1,000, red 10,000, and black 100,000 white medals. So, one black medal is worth 10 gold coins.

The medals are quite luxurious.

Items can be exchanged for as few as one medal.

The second floor and above are VIP areas, accessible only to those with 10 or more black medals, where high-stakes games are played.

"Then, I'll take 400 cents worth."

I handed over four silver coins and received 30 blue medals.

[Ichinojou's level has increased]

Good, my commoner level has increased by 2 to 38.

I'll play today.

...Oh, shoot.

I forgot something important.

"Are those items for prize exchanges?"

I looked at the items on the shelf.

"Yes, they are. Would you like to exchange for something?"

"Then, I'll take a scarf. One blue medal."

"Thank you. Would you like it wrapped?"

"No, it's fine as it is."

I took the red scarf and wrapped it around Haru's neck, hiding her slave collar.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"No, thank you. But, is it okay to receive such an expensive item?"

"What, it's just a medal that will disappear. It's better to have something tangible. Here, Haru, take these blue medals. Let's play together today."

I gave Haru 10 blue medals.

"...Thank you. I'll definitely increase them!"

"...No, don't get too worked up. Let's have fun."

We decided to meet at a specific time and place and play separately at first.

We'd play casually, lose casually, and use the remaining medals to watch a play in the casino's theater.

I headed to the slot machine corner.

I only know poker and blackjack from card games, and even those are just for fun with friends.

I'm not interested in roulette.

I went to the slot machine area and observed people playing.

It seemed that playboys were winning more often than other professions.

Maybe the luck value has a stronger effect on slot machines.

But, even playboys can lose, so it's not absolute.

Slot machines require 1 to 3 medals per play, and the number of medals increases based on the matching symbols.

There are no buttons like in an arcade; you just pull a lever.

They correspond to white, blue, and yellow medals.

Three yellow medals mean 30,000 cents per play. Who would play such a game?

But, there were a few people sitting there, dressed like they had money, though they couldn't enter the VIP area.

I exchanged my blue medals for 10 white medals at the slot machine counter.

I inserted 3 white medals, and three lanes lit up.

I pulled the lever.

I needed three 7s, but of course, it didn't happen. Instead, I got three watermelons.

In just 10 seconds, 3 white medals turned into 100 white medals.

I decided to consider it beginner's luck.

After 20 more spins, I only got one small win, so I think it was just beginner's luck.

Yeah, I just got lucky at first.

However, on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th spins, I hit a streak, and before I knew it, I had over 600 medals.

Tired of the attention, I exchanged the white medals for yellow ones.

I used 3 yellow medals for a big gamble—though it's only 30,000 cents—and decided to exchange the 3 yellow medals for an item.

Spending 30,000 cents on a gamble seems unbelievable to me from my time in Japan.

Miri used millions in stock trading, but she must have a heart of steel.

The slot machine drums spun and stopped.

No 7s appeared.

Instead, the plums matched.

I got 10 yellow medals.

Well, with a luck value of 88, this is about what I expected.

I thought I might get three 7s, but winning over 100,000 cents is worth celebrating.

I wonder how Haru is doing.

There was still plenty of time before our meeting, so Haru hadn't arrived yet.

If Haru were here, I could track her by her scent.

I wandered around the casino, and there was a crowd around the roulette table.

And there, Haru was stacking a large pile of medals.