Chapter 48

When we entered the corridor, first, Rocks opened the door on the left.

However, inside, there were only old shelves and wooden boxes lined up, and it was far from being a glamorous place like a casino.

The items displayed on the shelves were indeed various items that looked like inventory.

"Damn, the other side!"

Rocks quickly turned around, returned to the corridor, and opened the door on the opposite side.

"Whoa, who are you!?"

A gruff man's voice could be heard.

Stopping, Rocks peered inside, and there were over ten burly men resting. On the table were drinks and food, and around it were various chairs, including long benches and single seats, with one person sitting in each.

Near the entrance, a man was standing, but he seemed surprised by Rocks and was stepping back while looking at him.

The men made openly unpleasant faces as Rocks looked around the slightly dim room.

"Who are you?"

"What are you here for?"

The men stood up all at once and glared at us.

Intimidated by the clear hostility of the robust adults, Rocks hesitated to speak.

"Is this the Neviss family, correct?"

I moved slightly to the side, letting Rocks and the two guards move back, and stepped forward to confirm.

"Huh?"

"What's this Neviss family you're talking about?"

A mocking laugh arose.

"You have a bad look, but you have good features. Miss, would you like to work here? We pay well. All you have to do is take off your clothes. It's an easy job, even for a fool."

"Hahaha!"

One of them made a crude joke, and everyone laughed again. The atmosphere was unpleasant.

I ignored them and looked around. The walls were made of stone and wood, but the interior was quite elaborate. The lighting was dim, but there were many unlit fixtures on the walls and ceiling.

Moreover, the arrangement of the chairs was too chaotic.

Feeling something was off, I carefully examined the room, and Rocks, with a red face, stepped forward.

"You guys are rude! We are first-rate magicians! If you don't beg for your lives and bow to the ground right now, you'll be burned alive!"

Rocks, with his hair standing on end, threatened them in a manner befitting a noble. It was hard to tell who the villain was.

The men's expressions turned immediately hostile, and the atmosphere became tense.

I silently punched Rocks on the back of the head.

"Ow...!"

Rocks let out an exaggerated cry and groaned while kneeling. The two guards instinctively ran to support him.

"This child was rude. However, as the man you just mentioned confessed, this is indeed the hiding place of the Neviss family. Please answer our questions honestly."

Upon hearing this, the men first looked stunned, then burst into laughter.

"This child!?"

"That man just now? He left from there!"

Laughing, they pointed to the back wall.

When three men standing by the wall moved, a black metal door appeared. It was probably a back door.

"What! That man was plotting against us...!"

One of the guards muttered regretfully.

"No, he's over there. Please rest assured."

I said this and pointed to the back of the room.

The men, once again, turned hostile and glared at me.

---

【The Fleeing Man】

What is this woman?

That was my first impression. She looked younger than the red-haired boy who claimed to be royalty, yet she was clearly in a higher position than Rocks. If the story about the royal family was true, Rocks would be the second or third son of the second or third queen. This woman must be the eldest daughter of the first queen.

However, Rocks' hair was red, while this woman had rare black hair.

What are these two?

I was thinking this when I was suddenly grabbed by the head and had my skull crushed. In that moment, I understood. This woman was some kind of demon. My head, which I tried to shake free, didn't budge at all. The woman's smiling face, as she looked at me, filled me with the greatest fear of my life.

Before I knew it, I had revealed the location of the venue we were using. Normally, I would have led them to a fake warehouse or store, but the fear was so intense that I couldn't even do that.

However, even if they entered the building, they wouldn't reach the casino.

The fake back door led to a fake merchant's shop, and if they forced their way in, they would only be confused.

During this time, the report would reach the casino on the second floor. After that, all we had to do was escape through the back door with the customers. The building had three entrances and exits. The usual back entrance to the casino would be the most suspicious, but the escape back door was different.

I quickly signaled to my comrades, who were pretending to be merchants, and ran to the back of the store from behind the shelves without making a sound.

When I opened the door on the right side of the corridor, everyone frowned at my anxious appearance.

"What's wrong?"

"Did the knights come?"

I waved my hand at the approaching men and moved further back.

"Make a mess! Troublemakers are coming! The casino is closed for today!"

In response, everyone started moving and talking at once.

"What kind of people are they?"

"We had good sales today."

"Hey, hold that."

While making a commotion, they quickly changed the appearance of the room.

"I'm going to report to the boss."

Saying this, I hurried to the back, moved a shelf to the side, and stood in front of a staircase. The stairs, painted entirely black, were indistinguishable from the wall when viewed from a distance.

I climbed the narrow stairs, which could barely accommodate two people side by side, and immediately knocked on the door at the top. After knocking three times, two times, and three times, the door opened immediately.

"What's wrong?"

I told my comrade, who opened the door with a puzzled look, as calmly as possible.

"The royal family, guards, and a woman who looks like a demon are here! We need to escape!"

Upon hearing this, my comrade, still looking puzzled, let me in.

"The boss will decide. Speak directly to him."

"I understand. Is the boss inside?"

"Yes."

Hearing the response, I immediately headed inside.

There were tables for card games and roulette, and around them, people dressed better than the average person were eagerly betting their money.

It was a strange phenomenon; when the entire room was dimly lit and the tables were illuminated, everyone was drawn to the light.

Along the corridors and walls, people with various expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness were trying to escape the light, but their eyes were uniformly fixed on the tables where the light fell.

Most of these people were already lost. Once they were addicted to gambling, they couldn't stop.

The same went for those who were already in debt beyond redemption. At one of the tables, three boys in the uniform of the magic academy were sitting, their eyes bloodshot and cold sweat streaming down their faces.

Indeed, the children of nobles easily produced money.

With many ties, the nobles couldn't consult anyone, and when their debts became overwhelming, they would be deceived by sweet words out of desperation.

I couldn't give up such an easy business.

I moved silently through the room and stood in front of the door leading to the back.

"Boss, I'm sorry to disturb you."

After calling out, I opened the door without waiting for a response.

The moment I stepped into the room, a thick cloud of smoke and a glass filled with liquid flew out, as if drawn by the light from the casino.

I heard the sound of the glass shattering against the corner of the open door while bowing deeply.

"Sorry to interrupt, but it's an emergency! Right now, downstairs...!"

"Shut up, you bastard... Don't open the door without my permission, damn it. Should I re-educate you from the beginning?"

I shuddered at the voice filled with anger but had to report despite the fear.

"Sorry! But it's really an emergency! Please listen to me!"

Saying this, I knelt on the spot and looked at the sofa in the back.

In the dimly lit back of the room, a large woman sat deeply in a red sofa, her eyes gleaming.