Side Chapter Special (SC 9&10)

I said I was going to post 2 side chapters.

One was going to enter the weekly releases, and the other would be posted as a bonus apart from the 3 weekly chapters.

So I decided to simply... Fuse the 2 together.

This is something that happened in the middle of the time skip, so be aware of that.

Hopefully, you'll like it.

Peace.

This chapter does have a name, it is:

>Have you ever heard of...<

PS: This chapter is almost 7K words long.

Can I get some Power stones?

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'2 hours after the sunset, workers, adventurers, and even the Gods all-around Orario stopped what they were doing in preparation for their favorite activity…'

'Sleep… And drinking, at least for most.'

/Gulp!/

'Of course, Silver was no different, having just returned from yet another physically intense day hunting monsters who knows how deep under the ground.'

'Today he wanted a little bit of peace, so he sat a bit far from his usual spot, a seat in front of the counter, right in the middle of the shop.'

'This time, he sat far in the corner, next to the entrance of the Kitchen, he could faintly hear the whispers of the girls inside and the aroma of the food being cooked within.'

'Of course, if he focused, he would be able to hear and feel everything, but why bother?'

'He ate and drank away, recovering his energy so that tomorrow he could rise for yet another challenge…'

'Cut and be cut, rinse and repeat.'

'Normally, he would enjoy his time here alone or with his trusty partner, the forever Virgin Elf.'

'But today he wasn't alone.'

'Whenever he came here, there would always be one person to annoy him…'

...

/Chatter!/

/Chatter!/

"... And that's how I've been thinking about making money." Silver replied as he took a sip of his drink, ending his story

'It wasn't anything alcoholic though.'

'Ever since his night tasting drinks with Loiju, both of them felt strange whenever they saw a bottle of alcohol.'

'One felt aversion, the other straight out felt nausea.'

'But that would disappear as time went on as compared to the day after they went on that little adventure, Loiju could at least stand after smelling beer.'

'To his story, his partner said:'

"Still… I don't understand why you need so much money, nya." Chloe replied as her tail moved from one side to the other

'The thieving black cat, always with her smug smile plastered on her face, her tail swinging in the air playfully as she thought of ways to slack off.'

/Grab.../

'Calmly grabbing his fork to take a bite of his food, Silver continued:'

"As I was saying…"

/Bla bla bla.../

...

"..."

'Mama Mia looked at her talking with Silver in displeasure, but she ended up tsking away, turning her gaze to the side as she ignored them.'

'It was a promise after all.'

'Not too long ago, she agreed that Chloe had 10 minutes to clean the mountain of dishes in the kitchen and that she could rest for the remainder of the time if she were to clean it faster than that.'

'So Silver, after being paid a handsome fee of a free drink, paid by his cat friend, cleaned everything by snapping his fingers…'

'And now there she was lazing away with him while the others had to work overtime to keep up with the demand...'

'The problem wasn't she lazing away after doing a good job, but mostly doing it in the open in front of the other girls...'

'She could already imagine some of their complaints, especially coming from a certain brown haired girl whose fist was a tad too hard.'

"Humph."

Damn kid.

'Sometimes, it made her want to recruit him, but she more than anyone else knew just how much trouble that would be.'

'And in any case, that wasn't the style of her Pub, there was no space for a boy.'

'He would have to remain on the other side of the counter.'

'So for now, she'll have to bear with having one of her workers flirt away on the side.'

…

"And that is why, I have a debt to pay."

"Do you spend that much Money? You always gave me that responsible look type of guy, Nya." She asked as she rested her head on her hands

"You would be surprised..."

'He raised his hand, counting...'

"The house, equipment for me and the others, items, potions… And a few more things here and there..."

'Silver opened his hands wide.'

"It adds up to a ton…"

/Chomp…/

If I didn't have to spend money on those, then perhaps at this point in time, I would've at least accumulated half of my debt.

Not including the money I got from slowly selling Ishtar's things.

"Hm… Managing a Familia sure is tiring."

"It sure is... But luckily, I do have a good Vice Captain."

"Hm..."

'Chloe smiled cheekily, and the moment she did so, the other waitresses around her that noticed her expression frowned.'

'It was too obvious, they knew exactly what she was going to say…'

"Have you ever tried the holy art of gambling?"

"Gambling?"

"Yes, nya."

/Thud!/

'She drank all of her water at once, putting a small block of wood inside the cup and then putting the cup on the counter upside down.'

"Let's gamble."

'She was so serious about this she didn't even say the Cat people iconic accent...'

"..."

'Mama Mia looked away as she shook her head.'

"What do you want to gamble on?" Silver asked, interested

What is she going to do with one cup?

(Dark uncanny Mr incredible)

"Nyahaha… It's simple."

'Her tail moved from left to right like waves in the sea...'

"You bet on the block being inside the cup or not, and I'll bet on the contrary."

"The winner takes it all!"

"Oh? Is this a test of speed?"

"Who knows? Nya!"

"... Heh."

'Silver chuckled.'

"Fine, then what about the rest?"

"Now we're talking!"

'Chloe smiled from one corner to the other, it was a sweet smile, one a bit more honest as compared to her usual smug smile.'

"You'll clean all of the dishes, but this time, without using… 'That', whatever that was."

"You mean that Bubble bath?"

"Uhum!"

"So my defeat equals free labor… Alright then…"

"Just saying kid, no free food." Mia intervened on the side as she cleaned a few cups

'But SIlver merely smiled awkwardly.'

"I already ate 2 large-sized spaghetti, if I order more food I'll die."

Honestly, I can eat more but it's such a shore to process it all, I eat food for pleasure and I have no intention of giving myself trouble...

"Just saying."

'And then she returned to cleaning the cups, and once she was done, she started to mix some drinks for the customers.'

"Thought of anything?" She asked with a teasing smile

'Silver raised his head, his pensive gaze washing away, being replaced with a determined expression.'

"I did… You give me no other choice…" He said as his expression became somber...

"! J-Just saying, but I won't do anything strange!" She said as she raised an eyebrow, her tail twisting in the air

"I didn't even say anything."

'But he then stopped, grabbing a piece of paper from his pocket and writing on it with his finger.'

'Chloe didn't even ask how he wrote that, honestly, that was the least impressive of his abilities...'

"Here. I want you to say, thank you Meowster again."

"..."

"That's a good one." Mia replied as she mixed the drinks on the side

"..."

She's still listening? Go back to work...

'But Silver just kept silent, waiting for her reply.'

"Heh… This isn't… The craziest gamble I've ever done…" Chloe replied with slightly flushed cheeks as the corners of her lips twitched

Damn! He wants to humiliate me again!

"F-Fine! Say it! What will you be betting on?!"

'Silver smiled like a devil.'

"I'll bet on there being nothing inside the cup."

"?!"

"..."

/Gasps!/

'Not only Chloe, but everyone around them also gasped, this included the adventurers drinking on the tables on the side.'

'They were a bit far, but they were close enough to hear Chloe's exclamations.'

'And this made Silver frown.'

Why is everyone paying attention to this? Go mind your business!

"NYAHAHA! So be it! Don't regret it later!" She said with a happy expression

'Thinking she had won, she grabbed the cup with a flushed face.'

"Here it comes baby!"

'Her eyes glimmering, she pulled...'

/Pull up!/

"..."

"..."

/GASPS!/

"NYA?!?!"

'There was nothing inside the cup!'

'While she went over 10 stages of grief in a single second, Silver's expression changed as he started to act a little:'

"Ha… Hahaha… It seems…"

'Like a villain, Silver turned to face Chloe, as if her movements were all within his plans.'

"I won…"

/THUD!/

"IT DOESN'T COUNT!"

'Chloe smashed her hands on the counter, interrupting Silver and making Mia annoyed.'

"..."

"You cheated!"

I never took the block from inside the cup!

This was merely supposed to be a trick!

If he chose the first option, he would lose, if he chose the second option I…

I would be the one to cheat!

How did he outsmart me?!

'As she exclaimed that, Silver merely shrugged.'

"I don't understand, did I hear a Meowster?"

"Urg?!... Humph!"

"This one doesn't count, you circumvented the rules, I'll leave…"

'But as she turned back, Silver said with a dark expression.'

"Bok… Bok bok…"

"Hah? What are you saying?" She asked with a frown

"Hm? Me? Nothing… The only thing I hear is…"

"The sounds of a chicken leaving."

"?!"

/Gasps!/

'The adventurers on the side almost dropped their food, some gulping down as they saw the cat girl's tail stiffen...'

'This time, Chloe's expression reddened completely, but not in embarrassment, but in anger.'

"You… Sure have balls!"

"Made of Orichalcum, they are unbreakable." Silver said with a smile

"... HA! FINE! I'LL PLAY YOUR GAME!"

I'll make you pay in the future!!

Mark my words as I am...

"G-G…"

"Hm? Say it a bit louder…"

"G-Good work…"

"I'm waiting."

"If you say anything more I'll cut your balls."

'Silver shrugged.'

"Good work… Meowster…"

/Silence…/

/PFFT…/

"Who laughed?!" She exclaimed as she looked at the silent crowd

'But everyone, in complete coordination, suddenly went back into minding their own business, as if nothing had happened.'

'She looked to the side, seeing the other waitresses smiling and looking at her smugly.'

'They were making fun of her!'

'And this made her annoyed!'

"You won this time… WAIT!"

'She suddenly turned to Silver, grabbing his collar.'

"You didn't record it like last time, did you?!"

"Me? I would never do that though?"

Tsk, she noticed?

"You… If I ever hear that again… You won't…"

/THUD/

"10 minutes are up, so stop causing a fuss and GET TO WORK!" Mama Mia said with an angry expression as she looked at Chloe

'There was no room for discussion, her words were final.'

"Urrrg… You'll see!" She said as she turned around

"I'll be waiting."

'Once she entered the kitchen, Mama Mia looked at him, amused.'

"You cheated didn't you?"

"Wasn't I just supposed to be faster?"

"You want me to believe that you were faster than her?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow

"Looks can be deceiving."

"Just like your hands! HAHA!"

This brat... Sigh...

He sure causes trouble for me.

'Mia laughed for a moment, but she quickly returned to her serious persona as if a switch had been flipped.'

"Anyway, are you going to order something else?"

"Nah, that was enough for now…"

I ate too much, I was supposed to leave already, but I stayed to talk...

"Huh?"

'Suddenly, Silver's vision was blocked by a pair of slender hands.'

"Who?"

Chloe just left...

I didn't hear anything... How's this possible?

Now that I think about it...

Damn... I was too occupied and relaxed.

Mistakes...

"..."

'Although everything was black, Silver was ready to use his abilities when Mama Mia said:'

"Hm?... Sigh... Fine."

"Hey kid, pay attention." She said as she turned her head to Silver

"I'm always paying attention."

Even her?

Strange, Mia isn't the type to play games...

She's the type to remain silent and turn a blind eye, letting her workers play around, and then tell everyone to clean things after they were done.

"Doesn't seem like it, seeing that you allowed someone to sneak up on you."

"... Damn. Can't even relax in a bar…" Silver complained

"Enough talk… Let's gamble."

"Me and you?" He asked

"No no no, you and the person behind."

"Oh?"

Interesting.

"But no cheating."

"What would you take as cheating?"

Indeed...

"Don't make me repeat myself kid, I have things to do."

"..."

So no Plasmids?

Well, it's easy anyway, I already know the answer.

Don't underestimate my focused senses!

"You have 3 tries, guess who it is behind you."

"3?"

"Alright, but what's on game?"

"That's to be determined later." She said bluntly

"Huh?..."

"What is it? Too chicken?" Chloe said from far away

"Go back to work!" Mia exclaimed, annoyed

"~Nya...~"

"Fine, I accept…"

"Great, think for a moment and…"

"May."

'His immediate answer surprised Mia.'

"Oh? Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Then you're down a life." She said with a smile

"What?" Silver said with a frown

"I told you to think, yet you replied immediately, that's what you get for not listening."

'She stopped for a moment as if thinking…'

"But I'm a bit curious…"

"Why did you say May?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Was it supposed to be?"

"Well..."

"May usually work in the kitchen making sweets."

"She rarely works as a waiter, mostly because she can be more clumsy than Anya, which in itself is impressive, that was what I based myself in."

In the first place, it is impossible for a big establishment such as the Hostess of Fertility to have only a handful of workers.

Of course, these very few could be said to be the poster girl... But realistically, there are at least thrice as many girls working here.

Sometimes they work as waiters, but most of the time they remain in the kitchen.

And I've met most of them, although my relationship with them isn't as strong…

I can say that at the very least I won't be kicked in the nuts if I were to appear in the middle of the night…

"As for the rest..."

"First, her hands, there is flour in them, a little bit."

"Oh? You could tell that?" Mia asked, amused

"Not only that, but she also smells of strawberries."

"Strawberries?" She asked with a half smile

"Her hands are also soft, very soft, she isn't an adventurer, or at least, never held anything heavy in her life."

"Uhum... And?"

"By the size of her hands, and the way she puts her hands on my face, I can tell she is a Demi-Cat as they often try to not hurt themselves and others due to their sharp nails."

"Lastly, I can hear the sounds of a tail swaying in the wind behind me."

"!"

'The hands that were on his face trembled a little.'

'And the tail came to a sudden halt.'

"Ho… Kid, you sure know how to talk…"

He's way too observant.

"I just pay attention to how people present themselves to me."

"You talk as if that was simple, don't tell me you memorized everyone's scent?"

'But she then stopped…'

It can't be…

"That is difficult to say, I'm not a dog, even some Chientropes might find that hard..."

"I thought as much…"

"But I did memorize some things."

"..."

"Let's start with that petty loser..."

/CRACK!/

'Something fell on the kitchen, making Mama Mia's expression to twitch.'

"Chloe said she liked Hermin, so she often uses a shampoo based on that."

"It's not hard to notice when she flashes her hair around."

"..."

"Anya is a bit more straightforward."

"To keep her hair fluffy, she uses a special hair conditioner, I still remember, wasn't she upset with Chloe because she hid it away or something?"

"Y-You still remember that NYA?!" Anya exclaimed on the side

"I'm still upset... Nya..."

'Obviously, Silver had already noticed her presence, he didn't need to use his Plasmids for that.'

"Lunoire is pretty easy, she complained to me about her shampoo one day, so I recommended the one My Goddess uses, that's pretty simple to tell, she's over there." Silver said as he pointed exactly at where she was

"That's pretty good." Lunoire said with a nod

"Don't agree with him..." One of the waitresses said on the side

"Albeit I do agree."

"As for Syr... She is very odd as she doesn't seem to have any sort of product on her."

"Of course, basing myself off smell is only a way, I'm not actively trying to do so either..."

"But I do know she grows Illias on her home, so her clothes have a strong smell of those."

Actually, Syr rarely talks about herself, so there isn't much else to talk.

Her taste for flowers is one of the few things everyone knows about her.

"Pervert." Lunoire said on the side

"Let's not start this talk..."

/Chuckles/

"..."

'He didn't hear any sounds, but he did hear a girl sniffing her own hair for a moment.'

"Syr also tends to hum in a low tone whenever, so it's pretty simple to tell where she is."

"As for Ryuu…"

"Alright kid… I'll have to stop you there."

"Oh? Fine by me."

"Then, your answer?"

"... Can I ask one question of my own?"

"Go for it."

"Does she work here?"

"... Going for the killer one right from the start?"

Did he notice it?

"No, she doesn't."

"This complicates things." Silver said in a deeper tone

Who would do this to me though?

I feel abused…

"I don't understand…" Silver said with a headache

After everything I said, how is it possible that it isn't May?

Same feel, same actions...

As if it was her clone.

"May's older sister?" He muttered, questioning his own answer

"... Not quite… Why are you so obsessed with her?"

"I don't believe it can be anyone else."

"Then… Your last chance."

"May's younger sister."

I'm doubling down on my bet... Like a true gambler.

"You… Fine, you win."

"I do?"

"Cough… Obviously, everything was according to my predictions."

'As he said that, the girl that was blocking his face removed her hands, allowing him to see the world again.'

'The first thing that came into his eyes was Mia, she was shaking her head with a tired and humpy look, causing him great confusion.'

'He soon turned around to see the face of his assailant…'

"May?"

"N-N-N-...~no~..." The girl replied, flustered

"It's her younger twin sister, Nya!" Anya said with great excitement

"Oh!"

I didn't know she had one…

I know very little about the people that work here.

They only have one thing in common.

They have a sad and usually dark past… They are also usually pretty strong. At least above Level 3.

Dark and depressed Girls that have nowhere else to go, Mama Mia tends to take care of them and shape them into humans again.

Not that I ever dug deeper than this…

'While he thought of that, he turned to face the others…'

'Anya seemed the same, no reactions as always, she seemed too airheaded to understand...'

'She was quickly told to go back to work by Mia, her ears falling to the side dejectedly.'

'He also saw Ryuu in the back, handing someone some drinks, but for a moment, he saw her taking a glance at him.'

'He was quick to wave at her, but she turned her face coldly.'

'In confusion, he turned to the side, seeing a scary sight.'

"You sure have a good memory." Syr said with a 'warm' smile

'So he replied casually:'

"Thanks, I often pay attention to these things…"

Some of the girls back in the Manor said I was a great listener.

I asked Hestia once and she doubled down on that, saying I was very good at talking... Albeit she isn't exactly the best target to receive such a compliment from.

I'm proud of this accomplishment regardless.

'Listening to girls was something he had to learn, it was forced into his blood.'

'All due to the girls that raised him…'

"Good for you." She replied with a smile

"Uh… Is something wrong?" He quickly asked, seeing her expression

'She wasn't different, her words and tone were normal...'

'But it was the way she used those words that made him think...'

"Nothing is wrong."

"Then…"

Something is definitely wrong.

"Did I…"

"Forget it."

'Syr walked to the side, pulling May's younger Twin with her.'

'The girl seemed very confused, and overall, she was exactly like her older sister.'

'Syr pulled her towards the kitchen, but before she could do so, Silver asked:'

"What about my reward?"

"Hmm?"

'Syr turned to face him with her "warm" smile.'

"... Forget it." He said as he turned to look at his drink

'She then beamed him a very large smile, disappearing inside the kitchen.'

"Despite everything, I still find it difficult to understand you all." Silver said as he looked at Mia

"..."

'But Mia said nothing.'

...

'Seeing that everything had somewhat returned to normal, Silver paid her up and thanked her for the food while also apologizing for the trouble he caused.'

'He was, after all, a very formal person, he didn't force himself for it, it just came naturally.'

(A person who opens the door for you, but forces himself to do so, is such a person still Kind? Or gentlemanly?)

'Mia just scoffed in her half-rude way as per normal, but like every other time, she told him to come back one these days with her rough smile.'

'With a stuffed belly and a new recording, Silver walked down the street with the moon hung high.'

'But not without a few eyes on his back…'

…

/Later that day on the Guild.../

'After eating his fill, Silver couldn't stop himself from visiting this friend of his, he had to try something out…'

'And to that, he would bring him!'

'Don't worry about the others back in the Manor, they would be fine... For the most part.'

"So…"

"No."

"I didn't even finish." Silver replied awkwardly

"By your look and the time, I'm sure you'll drag me into trouble… Again."

'Loiju was clearly talking about last time where he stayed in bed for an entire day after drinking some of the strongest drinks in this city.'

"It has nothing to do with drinking!"

Only if you want to...

"That concerns me even more, what else could you want from me if not that?"

I fear the unknown more than those drinks.

"It'll be fun my friend, now, get your ass up that chair."

"..."

'Loiju started to ignore him, writing on his paper.'

"And we can even make some money."

/Scratch.../

'He lost his focus, making a long line on the paper, ruining it.'

'Still, he didn't look at Silver, calmly just grabbing another paper.'

"..."

"I'll pay for everything, and I can promise you it'll end within this night!"

"..."

'Loiju was wavering…'

"If you don't like it we can go away no problem."

"Let's go, in and out, 20 minute adventure."

"Urg… Tell me what is it."

"Heh, I knew you were going to listen." Silver said with a smile

"I'm already regretting it."

'Loiju sorted his papers and checked the time on the clock hanging on the wall.'

"Give me 5 minutes to sort things on my end, as it seems we won't be back anytime soon."

If I don't go today, he'll likely come back tomorrow...

I better go so next time, I'll have an excuse to not go.

"Take your time." Silver replied with an innocent smile

"..."

…

/Later…/

"I knew it… I fucking knew it." Loiju blurted out as he looked at the massive red gates in front of him

This guy...

"I told you many times before… I don't gamble anymore!"

"Don't worry, we won't be gambling." He replied as he checked his clothes

"We won't? So why did you bring me to the red light district?!"

He wouldn't come here for that... He said it many times...

And if it is for that, I'll leave with great disappointment.

Still... I should've known from the moment he had me put on this Tuxedo…

"We came here to win." Silver said as he put a pair of dark glasses on his face

"..."

Son of a bitch…

'Right now, both Silver and Loiju were elegantly fashioned.'

'With Silver's help, Loiju now looked like a proper Elf, his beauty was clear to all to see.'

'His dark circles were gone, his golden hair shone down onto his shoulders, and his eyebrows and eyelids were perfectly done…'

'If it wasn't for his twisted expression, he could easily pass as someone Noble.'

'The same went for Silver, albeit he was much more relaxed than the former.'

'His hair was neatly sleeked down, and brushed to the back.'

(Honestly, this was the best that came to my mind)

'In the end, Loiju grabbed the pair of dark glasses from Silver's hand, following him into the pleasure corner of Orario…'

…

'The two then started their journey, going from place to place, looking for a proper casino to start their adventurers.'

'There were many Casinos in Orario, owned by many people worldwide.'

'Some were private, requiring you to have an invitation, others were open to the public…'

'Some shadier than others… Some of higher class than others.'

'But in here, the concept of law was already a bit murky, to begin with, albeit, flaunt your crimes and you'll be the first one to be disciplined by the Ganesha Familia.'

'Due to their neutrality, the Ganesha Familia was given the sensitive task of taking care of the protection of these places, in order to make sure there wouldn't be any sort of international dispute ever happened.'

'Better put, the Ganesha Familia is in charge of dealing with international affairs in the name of the Guild.'

'Of course, if the need came to be, the Loki Familia would sometimes also represent the Guild, not as much as the Freya Familia... For obvious reasons.'

'After all, the only reason why the Guild allowed these outside powers to settle in Orario was due to the pressure of the Gods who wanted something interesting to do.'

'But letting them have influence all around the city was impossible since it would create a massive leak of information and in the security of the city, so they were all sent here, and it worked.'

'Perfectly.'

'Albeit it would be too much to say it was flawless…'

'Everywhere, no matter where you are, there will always be some people that are simply…'

'Well, better see for yourself…'

'If you are lucky enough to not be their target.'

"This place, it's perfect." Silver said as he pulled his glasses down

[Golden Dream]

"Ah… This place…"

In the end...

"You know this one?"

"Unfortunately I do… Let's leave."

"Why?"

"This place is shadier than its 'golden entrance' indicates."

"They'll let you be for as long as you wish then the moment you make more than expect, they'll start pushing you around, trying to have you lose it all…"

"It happened to a friend of mine once, despite me gambling often in the past, I knew where to stop, and where to go… Most of the time."

Even though I'm lucky to be part of a group that can boast of having a positive gambling score, that was mostly due to me leaving early.

I'm sure these guys became worse over time...

"Hm… I think this place is good."

"What?!"

"Follow me." Silver said as he walked to the side

"Wait!... Where are you going?"

"Heh."

…

'Loiju followed Silver to an alley where he was given a mask, not anything fancy, it merely covered the eyes.'

''It was something rather normal around here.'

"Here, wear it."

"A mask?... Oh? Do you want to hide our identities?"

"Of course I do."

"This won't do much… But fine."

"Who said that would be all?"

"Hm?"

'Loiju felt cold air wash his face, making him tremble…'

'But when he saw Silver grab a mirror from empty space and shove it at him, his expression changed.'

(There was an episode where Silver showed some of his abilities to Loiju)

"WH-WH…"

"Shiuu… Don't speak too loudly."

"Ha! Just what sort of trick did you pull this time?!" He asked as he touched his face

My face!... My ears... Wait? I can still feel them but they...

Aren't there?

"I just changed our appearance a little, it's not actually real and more of a disguise."

'Silver now looked much more muscular, and his shoulders were thick, with a small beard growing on his chin.'

'His skin was a bit darker, not much, his disguise was mostly real, he had changed his body to be like that, and it wasn't pleasant.'

'While Loiju's hair turned brown and his ears became normal-sized, that was pretty much it.'

"From now on… I'm Fambroug, a tall Half Dwarf, and you're Polsh, the Human."

"... Really? A Dwarf?"

This is getting crazier and crazier…

"You would be surprised by how tall Dwarfs can get." Silver said with a smile as he took something else from his inventory

'2 bags.'

"These are?"

"Our funds."

"Of course they are…"

"There's 10 Million Valis in each bag."

"10 Millio… THE FUC..?!"

"I told you to be quiet."

Doesn't matter anyway, I isolated this place since I expected this to happen.

"J-J-Just how much did you say?"

"10 Million for each of us."

"..."

'Loiju was stunned shitless, his hand becoming that much heavier.'

"Inside you'll see many coins, we'll start with the small ones, and convert them into Chips."

'Just follow my lead, and you'll understand…"

'But his next line made Loiju shocked:'

{Isn't that right, partner?}

"?!"

"How did you…?"

"I spoke inside your mind using telepathy."

"You… No!"

'Loiju suddenly understood where this was going.'

"You can't be thinking of…"

'But Silver simply smiled like a demon.'

"From now on, whenever you wish to talk with me, make sure to give me a signal, I'll establish a telepathy link and we'll be able to share thoughts."

"By the Gods…"

Just what did I sign myself to... I need to make a choice...

But why is my heart racing so much?!

'In the end, Loiju followed Silver.'

'He could feel the weight of gold on his hands…'

'And it made his mind go blank.'

…

/A few minutes later…/

"YEAHHH BABYYYYYY!" Loiju exclaimed with fiery passion as he saw the small metallic ball fall on his chosen number

'Obviously, they were playing roulette…'

"It-It's a Split." The beautiful announcer said after checking the number, a bit stunned

"Lucky fucker…"

"Damn, he's loaded now!"

"Give me some of that luck sheesh."

'The spectators were baffled, albeit he had lost a few times, some pretty heavy, this guy's luck just seemed to be getting better as time went on.'

'Why you ask?… A Split meant that… The 200 thousand Valis worth of Chips Loiju had just betted had just magically turned into 3.4 Million Valis!'

"Come to me." Loiju tyrantly proclaimed as he opened his arms, pulling all of the chips into their side of the table

'Once he did that, it meant this round was over.'

"Alright everyone, this rounds over, in a minute I'll start the next round." The beautiful lady said after a small clap to gather everyone's attention

"..."

I… I can't believe this…

'Loiju maintained his serious expression, looking at the table with a serious expression.'

/Tap tap…/

'He tapped twice on the table, this was his signal, it meant he wanted to talk with Silver.'

'Yeah… Where was he?'

...

/On a table nearby.../

"Straight." Silver said as he threw his cards on the table

"! Sigh."

"Damn!"

"This guy's too good, I'm out." One of them said as they got up from the table

'While everyone was too occupied understanding they had just lost a ton of money, Silver pulled the 'pot' of chips to his side of the table.'

'This round was over, and out of the 6 players, 2 had already left, too frustrated to continue...'

"If all sides are ready…"

"I'll be stopping for today." Silver said with a smile as he got up from his seat

"Is that so? Thank you for playing!" The dealer said with a smile

/Tap tap…/

'While he prepared to gather his chips to move elsewhere, he heard Loiju's taps…'

'They were night unherdable due to the background noise of the Casino, but he was expecting them to come, so it was easier to hear them.'

'So he quickly established a mental link.'

{I won!}

{Good job... But let me guess, you want to raise it again?}

{Can I?}

{Sure, don't bet yet, wait for the ball to start spinning}

{But get ready to bet 50% of what you have}

{5-5-50%?!}

T-That's... 2-23 Million...

{Yes, that's going to be the last one of today}

{Oh…}

{You seem disappointed, what happened to the guy that didn't want to play?}

{Hum? My mistake}

'Silver rolled his eyes as he collected his rewards before going to the table where Loiju was.'

…

/SPIN!/

'The ball started to spin! It was time to bet.'

{Go for the 5-number bet}

(I think it's 0-00-1-2-3?)

{Got it!}

'Loiju quickly informed the clerk of his choice.'

'And the people gasped as they saw the mountain of Chips enter the table, they started to consider if they should join in or not...'

/Spin…/

'The ball spun more and more, and it started to slow down…'

'30… 32… 35…'

"?!"

'The ball stopped at 35!'

'He had lost!'

'So close!'

"Shit…"

He lied to me! Again!

'In order to keep this act real, Silver would constantly lie to Loiju, making every bet of his a true... Gamble.'

'He never knew when he was going to win, he just knew he was going to... And somehow, this made things even tenser for him.'

'Would he win now that the bet was against all odds?'

'Or would he lose in this pretty safe bet?'

'He didn't know, he just threw the dices.'

"Haha! It seems his luck finally bit him!"

"Suck it man, everyone loses once… Or twice."

"It happens…" Loiju said dejectedly as he turned to the side, ignoring the other people around him, and telling the announcer he was about to check out

…

'On their way to cash out, Loiju asked Silver:'

{Why did you do that?!}

{Because it was getting a bit too much}

{Too much?}

'The plan was simple.'

'While they got inside together, they went on their ways, each one in a different game.'

'But they would always be near each other.'

'While Silver used his own abilities to gain against his opponents, Loiju would receive his help to bet and keep a consistently rising winning streak.'

'He would gather the attention while Silver would accumulate gains over time…'

'You think this is dirty, but in this place, the rules are subjective.'

'First, they played in the high-value zone, meaning, they were mostly dealing with those that could spend a lot, rich people by birth that didn't mind spending half a million Valis at once.'

'So they wouldn't affect the hard-working people that came here to relax, albeit they should've been somewhere else…'

'Second, this place was a dark casino, albeit the contrary on the surface, it was very clear they used underhanded means to keep their customers 'in line'.'

'Especially since… Silver had already noticed a few guards approaching them from the sides.'

'Not him in particular, but Loiju.'

'His loss was what made them stop a little, but they were still there, they were likely thinking of having him go back to playing…'

'Despite his recent loss, they had still made a lot, albeit a few ten Million Valis was likely pocket change for this Casino.'

'And Silver wouldn't mind draining more of their money, he wasn't afraid in the least.'

…

'After Loiju cashed in, he followed after a while, and the two left with 2 big sacs of money, meeting in an alley outside of the Cassino.'

'It seemed everything had gone well…'

…

/SMACK!/

"Is that all?" Loiju asked as he looked at the piles of beaten-down people in the alley

"Yes it is, there is no one around is."

/Pff!/

'Loiju spat on the fallen guys.'

"..."

"These guys… They sure are terrible!"

Using goons to go after us?!

Those guys… There are even a few Level 2's amongst them!

"Yeah, it pisses me off… Should I just…"

Borrow their things?

"No… Man, don't do anything stupid, let's just go…"

"You don't seem too pleased yourself."

"I certainly would be very pissed off if I were the one on the ground, but thankfully, I had someone to beat them up for me."

"Well, guess so."

Sleep tight, you won't wake up for some time...

'Silver turned around, putting his hand on Loiju's shoulder, and they vanished just like that, while the beaten-down people remained there sleeping...'

'Those goons wouldn't wake up anytime soon, enough time for them to raise this place asunder!'

'In their first raid, albeit they went slow, learning how to coordinate properly, they still made a whopping 36.1 Million Valis! With most of it coming from Loiju's massive gambles.'

'Silver himself was impressed, just how many rich people were there in the world willing to waste their money away?'

'And the answer was:'

'Plenty.'

'This wasn't even one of the big Cassinos such as the Grand Casino El Dorado Resort...'

'He wanted to go there, but that place was locked away behind a special invite, he had no idea where to get it.'

'Silver had severely underestimated what Orario meant for the rich that lived outside of it.'

'Everyone wanted to have a taste of this place and see for themselves the lives of the people inside this mythical place.'

'Because for them, entering the city wasn't that simple, a Noble from a distant Kingdom would have to use a lot of connections to get inside.'

'Even for the normal folk.'

'The night was long, and the number of Casinos for the play around was bountiful.'

'So after changing their appearances and names one more time, they entered the next Cassino…'

…

/6 hours later…/

"BUWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

'On the alley next to another Cassino, Loiju let himself lose with laughs as he looked at Silver.'

"Y-Y-You sure are hands…"

/WHEEEZE…/

"..."

'While the elf laughed to the point of losing his breath, Silver stared away with a poker face.'

"Damn… Haha… Did you have a good… WHEEEZE… Ti-Time with that old laaaa… WHEEZE?!"

"Sigh…"

This fucking elf I swear…

"Hahaha!"

'Quickly going over what happened…'

'Once again, Silver and Loiju won over and over at a Cassino, but this time, they didn't hold back.'

'They were betting tens of millions in high stake games, losing a few, but mostly winning...'

'This led to the attention of the Cassino owner, and her eventual approach…'

'An extremely ugly and old woman…'

'She first approached Loiju, but quickly changed to Silver.'

'She tried to blackmail him with her twisted words that mixed lies with the truth, and a little flavor of threats.'

'Wanting to have a… Steamy night for the price of leaving the casino alive.'

'And then proceeded to surround them with her goons, of course, this was done properly so as to not spread chaos in the Cassino…'

'Despite this, against all odds, Silver accepted!'

(What?!)

'While Loiju managed to leave with his loot, Silver followed her to her room… Where he obviously did the deed…'

'And by "deed" he meant knocking her and her Level 4 guard unconscious with his abilities before putting the two of them on the bed and leaving alone…'

'That guy would wake up for one hell of a surprise…'

'Of course, Loiju was aware of this, but he couldn't stop laughing…'

"Haa… Haa… I'll treasure this memory forever…"

"Yeah yeah… Keep laughing, it should be happening by now." Silver said without much interest as he rested his back on the wall

"Happening?... What do youuuu, WOW?!"

'Loiju quickly looked at his pants, his expression twisting as his blood drained from his face, literally and figuratively…'

"My Sacred Branch?!"

"Are you sure it's not a twig?"

"Curse you! This isn't the problem right now!"

/SNAP!/

"What are you doing?!"

"Taking a photo of you checking your pants… I'll treasure this moment forever." Silver said with a smile as he stored his camera in the dark space

"YOU! Alright! Very funny…"

"Now help me fix my c*ck! Come on! Wipe out a potion or something!"

"Heh, weren't you happy just a few moments ago?"

'Silver started his monologue...'

"While you were playing around, you didn't even realize your drink had been tapped."

"If it wasn't for me taking your place, you would be having a good time with a certain old lady right now."

'End of monologue.'

"Oh no… By the Sacred tree…"

"Yeah, anyway, I don't want to hear a thank you, instead, drink this, and tell me where your home is, we're leaving."

"I…"

'Loiju said nothing much, drinking the bottle immediately before preceding to explain where he lived…'

'And like that, they vanished once more.'

'An adventure like none before, the 2 thieves ran away with their bounties of gold…'

'And a rod a tad too solid!'

…

.

.

.

Notes

Perhaps I exaggerated a bit in the comedy and it ended up sounding bad...

Oh well, I hope it was fun at the very least.

As always, if you have something you would like to see addressed in this time skip, say it now.

I'll probably post one-two more side chapters before resuming the plot, or more likely, posting it as time goes on.

If you have an idea for them, say it, otherwise, I'll follow what I have in mind.

Thank you for reading.

I'm out.

My biggest disappointment was the punchline at the end, I thought and thought, but that was the best I could think of...