The Disappearance of Girls and the Casino

My name is Makarov Slancher.

I am a casino manager, and of course, I am no ordinary person.

I work at the largest casino in the Imperial Capital.

On the surface, this place is just a casino, but behind the scenes… it is far from simple.

When it comes to casino profits, many places like ours have an unspoken rule.

Our staff will disguise themselves as gamblers and, step by step, use cheating techniques to siphon money little by little from the guests’ wallets.

When a guest has lost all their money, we arrange for someone to offer them high-interest loans, gradually devouring everything they have left.

Once they no longer have any value, we use that debt to control them.

They will then appear in every corner of the capital, forming an extremely complex network to deal with emergencies.

So young, yet already gambling instead of learning properly.

Looks like another rich young master looking for excitement.

Heh, heh, heh.

Makarov sized up the chestnut-haired youth.

The boy sitting across the table looked rather nervous.

From the way he kept glancing left and right, it was easy to tell.

The gold-and-red wallpaper and the brown floor around him seemed to be exerting invisible pressure.

The slightly dim lighting, used to set the mood, made this boy—who had never experienced such an atmosphere—feel even more tense.

Right now, my emotions are completely calm.

I even feel like laughing.

That was what Makarov thought inwardly.

But in order to fleece the boy in front of him, he used his terrifying acting skills to play the role of an ordinary gambler.

My name is Ken Belmont, a Gryffindor student.

I am investigating the mysterious disappearance of girls on the streets because of a credit bounty.

More importantly, my friend Ross was gambled away as a chip by my master’s brother, Charlotte.

This is really bad.

Although Charlotte is a grand duke, Ross is also the son of the Grand Duke of the Snow Kingdom.

It was precisely because of this that I followed the clues.

From the information Ross left me, I learned the truth about this casino.

This is a hidden human auction house.

However, this luxurious casino requires gambling funds exceeding ten thousand gold coins to enter the underground casino.

For someone like me, living under my master’s brother’s roof, that is simply impossible.

So I can only try my luck.

The boy slowly took out a heavy pouch from his pocket.

Inside were fifty holy gold coins.

This was the funding that Ken had received from Allen’s brother, Alex.

If used properly, it might be enough to obtain access to the underground auction.

The boy was dressed in an ordinary formal suit.

Inside a pocket near the collar was an exquisite membership card.

To ensure there were no accidents, the casino issued a membership card to every guest.

Based on the magical pattern circuits on the back, it stored the owner’s information, including every gambling record.

Of course, since this was an infiltration, the information on the card was forged.

In elegant gold-stamped letters, it read: Allen Leonardo.

Because Allen’s two brothers handled the card, using the name of a missing person was the safest choice.

The vast hall was dazzlingly luxurious.

Men and women of all kinds—some glamorous, some wealthy—gathered in small groups around deep green gambling tables.

Every face showed a different expression, joy or sorrow.

“I think, Mr. Allen, this is your first time gambling, right.

There’s no need to be nervous.

Let’s begin.”

After a brief appraisal, Makarov decided to get straight to the point and start the game immediately.

He was absolutely certain that this child had never experienced the world.

In no more than five rounds, he could make the entire pouch of coins disappear.

From Makarov’s experience, that large bag seemed to contain forty or fifty gold coins.

A piece of fat meat, practically begging to be eaten.

One holy gold coin equals one hundred gold coins.

If things went smoothly… just once would be enough to obtain a high-level membership.

Ross, hold on for now…

The boy thought to himself.

Perhaps because he was young, he did not understand that the person sitting across from him was the very owner of this casino.

With just cheating techniques alone, all his money could vanish within an hour.

“Ah, okay!”

The boy was a little nervous.

He grabbed the edge of the pouch and poured all the holy gold coins out in one go.

“Fifty holy gold coins in total.

All in, one round!”

At this moment, the boy no longer looked as nervous as before.

Confidence shone through his blue eyes.

Makarov could not help but freeze.

Crazy…

Fifty gold coins would already count as a huge gamble for a normal person.

Converted, that was five thousand gold coins.

For a minor noble, five thousand gold coins represented almost a year’s income.

Makarov called over a nearby attendant and whispered something.

The attendant went to the casino’s cashier room, took fifty holy gold coins from the safe, and handed them to Makarov.

Makarov’s hands trembled slightly as he, like Ken, poured out fifty holy gold coins.

“Uh… sir, let’s begin…”

“Alright~”

Begin…

In the dim backstage of the auction, strips of red silk covered birdcage-like objects, as if concealing priceless treasures.

No one knew what lay beneath the silk.

But anyone who passed through this corridor could hear faint sounds of impact.

Inside one of the cages was a blue-haired girl.

She had been given a drug that induced calmness.

At this moment, she could not make a sound.

Her mind was rapidly planning what would happen next.

Everything was ready—only Ken’s crucial step was missing.

With Ken’s luck, he would definitely make it in.

It was as if she were comforting her own unease.

Because… no matter how good Ken’s luck was, if he faced a seasoned cheat…

As the second son of the Snow Kingdom’s Grand Duke, in order to investigate this incident, she had relied on the son of the Wind Kingdom’s Grand Duke and taken such a risk—becoming a chip to enter the underground auction.

It was truly shameful.

Yes, Ross was the second son.

Back at the casino…

Makarov wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The sweat slowly dripped down his shiny brow.

I was the one who cheated first.

So why… when I look at my hand now…

There is a cursive letter printed on it—A.

A few minutes earlier.

The two had already pushed all their chips in over several rounds.

Judging from the previous games, they were evenly matched.

Makarov had a slight lead, and both had good luck.

Now it was time to reveal the crucial final cards.

This was also the best moment to cheat.

From his specially designed sleeve, he took out the prepared card.

From his hat, he pulled out a piece of chocolate—not too big, not too small—and slowly chewed it.

Using this motion, he quietly touched his final card.

“Huh? What’s that?

Can you give me a piece too?!”

The boy suddenly asked, staring curiously at the chocolate in Makarov’s hand.

“Ah, sure, I’ll give you a piece…”

Makarov wiped the sweat from his head.

He thought he had been discovered.

The cards had been switched.

Now it was “Allen’s” turn.

Hmph.

After all, he’s too young.

Too simple.

The boy took the chocolate.

Unlike Makarov, he unwrapped it and put it straight into his mouth, chewing slowly.

He leaned back in his chair, one hand on his cards, staring at Makarov.

The two of them looked at each other like this.

As if by mutual agreement, they flipped their final cards at the same time.

“A?!”

Makarov blurted out in disbelief.

Ken’s card was also revealed—7.

Makarov, who had been slightly ahead, was completely defeated by the crucial first card.

But… I tampered with it…

Why?!

Could it be—right!

When he asked me for chocolate!

Was it because I was nervous and my hand slipped, touching the wrong card?!

The boy stood up and, without hesitation, gathered up the fifty holy gold coins.

Makarov wiped the sweat from his forehead again and said unwillingly,

“Boy… you win…”

Then, as if all his strength had drained away, he collapsed back into the chair, lost in thought.

“Thank you.”

The boy said with a confident smile, extending his right hand for a handshake.

Their hands clasped briefly, shook once with slight force, and then separated.

The boy walked straight to the counter and recorded the information on his membership card.

He deposited fifty holy gold coins into his mana crystal card and carried the other fifty with him.

Then, holding the membership card, he pushed open a hidden small door.

The guard glanced at the membership card, now turned golden, and did not stop him.

Ross… wait for me…

…………………………………………..

It’s been a long time since I updated.

Did everyone think something happened to me~

But no~ hehe~

Anyway, your clever, kind, handsome, smart, cute, bald-headed SH-san is not dead~

It’s already the end of the month.

Before this month ends, there will be around ten thousand words of updates, so stop scolding SH the old thief!

Well… I still have to thank everyone for the support.

Originally, I planned not to update if the rating dropped below 9.

But then I saw the number of ratings jump from 46 to over 130 in an instant.

My heart warmed, so I kept writing.

Actually… there are too many one-star ratings.

Maybe I offended someone.

But anyway, I’ve started volume two~

This volume is set one year after the previous chapter, which means—we’re entering the main storyline!

So~ thank you all for the support!

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(Secretly saying… the group owner cross-dresses… everyone come and watch~)