A Noble’s Trap

"The King wants me to lead this city. I suppose he has understood my stance on the war against Wei's infantry and my interests regarding the situation," Jun said as he walked through the city in a white robe.

The people around him stared curiously. It wasn't common to see someone dressed in white from head to toe, and Jun was one of those rare figures.

When Kyou Kai mentioned that white symbolized purity, Jun started dressing the same way as her, since it had been a gift.

"You'll need to carry me, Trevor. I don't want to get dirty with mud." Jun didn't wait for a response and climbed onto the back of his muscular bodyguard.

"I feel like a mule..."

Jun smiled slightly, settled comfortably on Trevor's back, and said, "Now that you mention it, we should train ravens. They're great for sending messages back and forth."

"Is that what you think?" Trevor asked, resigned to carrying Jun, who was more thoughtful than he appeared.

"I don't think much. Thinking about any nonsense helps with my rehabilitation."

"Is that some sort of sutra?" Trevor was always interested in any training methods Jun used.

But at that moment, a young man with a somewhat peculiar expression approached Jun, who had a few black jewels on his white robe, and asked, "Are you looking for a place to rest and gamble?"

"Are you talking to me?" Jun, still on Trevor's back, looked down at the stranger.

"Of course, my lord! Just from seeing you, I can tell you have a divine gift for winning large amounts of money while enjoying the company of beautiful women!" shouted the man, who stood next to Gilgamesh's horse.

"Don't you know that my gambling skills surpass anyone in this world? Don't be foolish and get out of my way. I don't like taking your little friends' possessions," Jun replied, sounding somewhat disinterested. He knew that by showing arrogance, the man would think he was just another idiotic noble with lots of money.

Jun knew Rugal was somewhat involved with this mafia, but he planned to take advantage of the situation to gain more money, time, and resources by crushing them.

"Your gambling skills have no rival in this world." The man's round eyes widened in shock, eventually filling with tears of surprise. Such a claim wasn't something you'd hear from a foreigner who had just arrived in the city; it was the kind of arrogant remark only a common noble would make.

A foolish noble with lots of money.

Trevor, standing next to Jun, was anxious. If it weren't for the fact that he was being treated worse than a slave right now, he would've pointed out that Jun had no gambling skills since he always lost at dice.

"My name is Chung. Everyone calls me Jah, but that's only my mother's friends—she's dead now. I buried her myself in the Wei desert. Of course, you can call me Chung, properly aligned and said together, so there's no misunderstanding," Chung said, thinking to himself, 'If this foolish young man doesn't know how to gamble and ends up broke, he might come looking for me to cut my throat. So, I'll just drop him off at the gambling house and disappear like I always do.'

"How much money are we talking about per game? A thousand coins per game, or more?" Jun asked, narrowing his eyes. If the game were fun, he might spend some time gambling while deciding how to deal with those running the business.

"How could the bets be less than a thousand coins? Of course, it's more; people sometimes bet thousands of coins." Naturally, Jun was talking about the largest currency in the kingdom—gold coins—while Chung referred to bronze coins, worth 999 times less than gold. This misunderstanding could escalate quickly.

Jun raised his eyebrows in surprise, touched his chest, and felt the small coin pouch he carried, as coins were too much of a hassle. Normally, he carried a few hundred gold coins.

It was excessive, but necessary. After all, he was a noble now, and with all his successful businesses, he needed to carry some money around.

"Then lead the way. Winning a few thousand coins might be beneficial for me."

"Follow me, this way." Chung was surprised but kept walking, unsure of what had just happened. Had he really just convinced someone to follow him to the gambling house?

Jun laughed as he continued to ride on Trevor, who was eager to gamble, and said, "If I win a few coins, I'll reward you accordingly."

Chung smirked secretly, but just as they were about to turn a corner, he noticed a group of men dressed in black behind Jun, all looking very muscular. "Are those your guards, my lord?"

"Haha, I'm just taking care of my donkey," Jun said while glancing at the shadows that had joined their group.

What a drama. He would have preferred not to show off a guard of soldiers, as it might raise more suspicion. But now that he thought about it, this situation might not be a bad idea.

What noble with money doesn't have guards?

"My god, what kind of person is he?" Chung, though frightened, had no choice but to lead the wealthy newcomer to the auction house.

They walked to a street next to the main one Jun had entered. This street was considered the most extravagant in the city, bustling with activity and filled with people passing back and forth in waves.

Naturally, Jun didn't hesitate to enter the area while still riding Trevor, and after jumping off, he walked forward, gazing curiously at the various stalls around him. Chung, however, worried that his prized client might slip away in a distraction, stayed close to him.

After leaving the bustling street, they reached a large restaurant located not far to the north, known as "Happy Meat Restaurant." It was one of many businesses owned by the lord of the city—in other words, Jun—but behind that restaurant was the gambling house Chung was leading him to.

It was supposedly a secret gambling den where no law could stop them from betting, not even their souls, or so Jun had heard. Knowing this, he couldn't resist visiting this training ground after such a boring journey. At least he could unwind a bit before meeting the King.

"My lord, do you think I should gamble?" Trevor's eyes sparkled with excitement. Jun could swear that if he could draw him now, he'd show the symbol of a coin in his eyes.

"Can I?"

Jun nodded slightly and said, "I want you to ruin them."

"Yes, sir."