Lucian and Natty, the two of them continued their steps leaving the western district and heading towards the casino that the beggar had mentioned earlier. Natty followed Lucian closely behind, occasionally glancing around anxiously as she gripped the apron tightly in front of her body.
They walked through the narrow alleys, heading towards the busier streets. Soon, they arrived in front of a magnificent building with an old wooden sign that read jackpot, it was a very clear sign that it was a casino.
"Young Master... this..." Natty said, her legs trembling as she looked at the entrance of the building, in front of her were two tall people wearing black uniforms that looked.
Around the door, people in fancy dress could be seen going in and out of it. The atmosphere was so crowded and full of energy that it made Natty feel quite depressed. She could hear the sounds of laughter, whispers, and the echoing music coming from inside the building.
Meanwhile, Lucian smiled slightly as this time his eyebrows were raised, he folded his arms in front of his chest. "Here," he muttered.
Natty stared at the building anxiously, occasionally looking at Lucian in turn after staring at the building. "If you're scared, you can wait outside."
Natty was silent for a moment after hearing that from Lucian, she bit her lower lip and looked doubtful, but finally she shook her head. "No Young Master, I'm coming."
Lucian just smiled broadly at Natty's words, then nodded briefly. The two of them walked towards the big door of the casino that was guarded by two tall men. The guards stared intently at them, scrutinizing every movement and expression.
"What's the code?" asked one of the guards, his voice sounding so heavy. He looked at Lucian with suspicion.
Lucian remained calm, his expression flat. He took out a small card from his pocket and read the code, "Spend everything you have in one night." he said.
The guard was silent for a moment, they looked at each other then nodded. "Alright, for two, right?" He said, gesturing to the fellow next to him, then nodded slowly, opening the door for Lucian and Natty to show that he had let them in.
"Have fun." He said, as the large door opened slowly to reveal the inside of the casino building.
After passing through the door, Natty's eyes widened slightly. The atmosphere inside the casino was much more crowded and exciting than she had imagined. Crystal chandeliers glittered, loud and boisterous music echoed throughout the room, mixed with laughter and thunderous whispers from the gambling tables.
Natty felt like she had entered a different world, she gripped Lucissn's arm tighter, seeking refuge behind her master's figure.
"Damn... this is really a casino. Who would have thought there would be an information guild here?" Lucian said, surveying his surroundings calmly. He seemed to be used to this kind of lively and energetic atmosphere.
"It really is the perfect camouflage," she continued, her voice almost a whisper so as not to be heard by those around her. He smiled faintly, a smile that had a lot of meaning.
Suddenly, a man in a black suit, approached them with quiet steps, "Welcome, sir. May I help you?" He said, his voice sounding smooth and polite.
"Ah... that..." Lucian started to speak, he was about to explain the purpose of coming to the casino, but his words were interrupted by a middle-aged man sitting at a casino table near them. The man looked so drunk, his face was flushed. He spoke in a loud voice that caused the attention of the people in the room to be drawn to him.
"Hey, young man! This isn't a playground for kids like you!" The man said as he pointed at Lucian with trembling fingers. "Go back to the arms of your mom and dad, or your money will be wasted here, hahahahah....!!!!" He continued in such a loud voice, he staggered, almost falling out of his chair. Some of the people around him laughed, while others just shook their heads.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to play around for a bit," Lucian thought.
He raised his eyebrows at the man's words, then walked over to his table and sat down in front of him while placing her hands on the casino table, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface.
"Yes, of course. I've been wanting to have some fun," he said in a voice that sounded so confident, he crossed his legs then rested his head in his palms before continuing, "Want to play with this young man, old man?" he said, leaning closer to the man.
The old man paused for a moment, then burst out laughing at Lucian's response, "Hey, young man..." He deliberately left his words hanging with a grin.
"You're quite arrogant! Even though you're wearing that robe, I feel like you're a young master from a noble family. You even brought a maid beside you." He grinned infuriatingly while looking at Natty. "I guess luck is on my side this time!" She said as she pointed at the pile of chips in front of her then laughed again.
"If I win, don't cry in this old man's arms, okay?" He continued in a teasing-sounding voice, before adding with a sardonic grin, "Because this old man hates snot-nosed kids whose lives are so easy and luxurious like yours."
"Oh, thank you for the compliment," Lucian replied in a casual tone, as if not touched in the slightest by the old man's insults. He leaned back in his chair haughtily, a sarcastic smile playing at the corners of his lips. "To be honest, I don't like old men like you either, Old Man."
The people around the table were instantly stunned. Some players who had overheard the conversation held their breath, while others held their laughter behind their hands. Tension and anticipation began to thicken in the air. The old man, who initially seemed to think of Lucian as just another arrogant boy, now had his eyes narrowed, a flash of challenge appearing in them. He rubbed his chin slowly, his expression turning more serious.
"Heh, you have a sharp mouth too." He growled lowly, then pointed at Lucian with his chin.
Without saying anything, Lucian took out a few coins from his pocket. There were quite a lot of them in his pocket, enough to attract the attention of the old man. The old man grinned, his eyes twinkling greedily. His rough hands moved slightly forward, as if refraining from immediately scooping up the coins.
"Hey, kid... are you serious?" he said, his tone sounding more excited now. He stared at the pile of gold coins with desire, then glanced at Lucian as if to confirm that the offer was real.
Lucian just smiled slightly, relaxed, as if all this was just a little game to him. "Do you think I'm playing after showing you this? "he replied flatly, his voice dripping with a calmness that made the old man even more provoked.
Natty who was still standing behind Lucian was trembling slightly now, her expression quite worried. "Young Master, are you sure you want to do this?" she whispered in an almost trembling voice, her eyes alternately looking at Lucian and the pile of gold coins on the table.
Lucian only smiled slightly without turning his head, as if he had predicted the worry.
"Take it easy, Natty," he said softly, but his voice sounded full of confidence. "I've prepared something to make this old man lose more than just his money."
Natty paused for a moment, she bit her lower lip again, her worry not gone, but seeing the confidence on Lucian's face made her finally give a small nod, choosing to believe him.
"Alright, let's get started..." The old man grinned widely, his eyes flashing with ambition. He took a quick glance at Natty, then looked back at Lucian with a challenging look. Then called out to the person who had previously spoken to Lucian, "Hey you, please set up the table and the cards. We're going to play big today!" His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
The dealer nodded politely, then swiftly set up the table and chairs. He took out a deck of cards from a wooden box that looked antique and elegant. "Alright, honorable gentlemen," the dealer said in a friendly yet professional voice, as he placed a stack of chips on the table. The chips glittered with different colors, signifying different values. "For betting, instead of money, we use these chips." He pointed at the pile of chips.
"There are three kinds of chips: a pink one worth 10,000 ruphal, a blue one worth 50,000 ruphal, and a gold one worth 100,000 ruphal." He showed each chip while explaining its value. "Of course, the exchange rate of these chips is equivalent to the value of a ruphal. So, 10,000 pink chips are equal to 10,000 ruphals, and so on." She smiled slightly, waiting for further instructions from Lucian and the old man. She watched them in turn, observing the dynamics of the game that was about to begin.
Lucian eyed the pile of chips in front of the old man. Inwardly, he smiled sarcastically. "The value of money in this world is equal to 2x the exchange rate of the rupiah in my original world," he thought, "So, this will be an interesting game." His smile was faint, but his eyes were sharp, calculating. He had already planned his game strategy, and he was confident he would win.
The old man, still drunk, grinned. "Hey young man, why do you look so calm? Are you scared?" He burst out laughing, his voice echoing in the crowded room. "Oh... it's too late to back out now, you snot-nosed brat!" He pointed at Lucian with a trembling finger, his eyes flashing with pride. He felt confident that he would win this game, and that he would make Lucian suffer. He took a sip of his liquor, then laughed again, his voice getting louder and more annoying.
Lucian remained calm, his expression flat. "No, in fact I'm looking forward to our game, Old Man," he said, his voice calm yet firm, showing great confidence. He watched the old man's every move, observing every opening he could exploit to win the game. He didn't show the slightest fear, in fact he seemed to be enjoying the situation. He even seemed a little amused by the drunk old man's behavior.
The dealer, who had been observing the interaction between Lucian and the old man, approached. "So, have the gentlemen decided which game to play?"