Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Rickart, Bori-bori, and Nameless were now no different from a party. Although they didn't make a promise or contract clearly, they seemed to hold hands for now to achieve each other's purpose. No, perhaps they permeated into each other without knowing themselves.

The three headed west. To Ehrenberg. Only, they didn't track the Ehrenberg 5 right away. Because there was a guy to deal with nearby first. For now, they headed there.

Although there was still some time left until the sun set, the party settled down early in a place worth camping out. As if it was a place travelers often used, traces of staying a long time ago were visible.

Rickart cleared cobwebs roughly with his scabbard, and chased away bugs sweeping the floor with his foot. Then lit a fire in the makeshift brazier that was originally there. It was good that there were a few pieces of firewood scattered around.

Sitting down, Rickart unfolded the wanted poster Nameless had. A picture of a guy looking really like dog shit with chubby flesh smiling unpleasantly was drawn.

And below that, simple introduction and characteristics about the criminal, and criminal history were written.

[Haspiel – Called 'One Who Makes Mother Sad'. Boss of a criminal organization called so-called 'Murder Guild'.

Criminal History - Clergyman murder, rape and murder of multiple women, multiple murders, monastery looting, private torture, human trafficking, stolen goods trading.

Main Activity Area – Siegfinger. Might be in other places. Possibility of colluding with other dangerous criminal organizations.

For God and the Empire, 40 gold coins will be paid when capturing the above criminal alive, 10 gold coins when bringing the head.]

"Wow......"

He was a heinous guy enough for admiration to come out of Rickart's mouth unknowingly. Leaving aside Nameless's personal revenge, it was to the extent of wondering how such a bastard existed.

However, the problem was difficulty. Looking at it one way, it seemed more difficult than dealing with the Quintet.

Nevertheless, he didn't think it was impossible. Being difficult and being impossible were completely different concepts, and it was Rickart's theory that any human can be killed.

For now, although vague, several plans came to Rickart's mind. He already knew several ways to deal with the majority with a small number of people, and knew well about weaknesses of guys like this.

A group gathered among criminals was bound to have sloppy organization. First of all, there was no discipline so they weren't systematic, and usually they talked about loyalty or whatever among themselves, but when a decisive situation actually faced them, they betrayed each other like flipping a palm.

There were largely two ways to bring down these guys. Weakening organizational power by alienation, or giving greater fear than their boss.

Rickart thought he had to collect information while investigating around Siegfinger first.

After achieving Nameless's revenge, the big plan was to deal with the Ehrenberg 5 together with him. It wasn't helping him with only goodwill simply.

The ultimate goal was to complete the request so that Academy students could pass the winter safely without starving throughout the winter.

While Rickart was thinking about future plans or strategies, Bori-bori went somewhere and came back to the campsite. He seemed to have brought something covering his two hands gathered, did he catch a bug perhaps?

Bori-bori said to Nameless and Rickart smiling silsil.

"Guess what I brought."

"Did you bring larva snack or something?"

"No. Look carefully."

Bori-bori opened his finely folded hands. On the palm, there was one bright red camellia flower. Because of the snow, moisture formed on it so it looked quite fresh.

"Ta-da! Flowers bloom even in winter!"

Rickart had curiosity for a moment, then became sharply indifferent. Because although he respected Bori-bori's taste, it wasn't his own taste.

But Nameless grabbed the flower deopseok, and put it under the cloth attached to the helmet. And chewed it eujeok eujeok.

"You, you're not supposed to eat that..."

Bori-bori was flustered, but regardless of that, Nameless really swallowed it kkultteok.

It was extremely absurd, but anyway, to have strength to leave on a long journey, they had to eat heartily whether it was flowers or whatever.

They roasted famine relief crops like potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes on fire, and drank grain powder dissolved in melted snow in a bowl. Sliced ham and ate it too, and although it wasn't a feast, they took in nutrition evenly in their own way.

Then Bori-bori ate while getting something on the corner of his mouth sloppily, and Nameless raised his hand seueuk and wiped it. Eng?

Rickart watching from the side felt slightly flustered, or should he say wondered what this is, but on one hand, felt a subtle emotion.

He could feel a lot from one trivial hand gesture. It felt like communicating with a fierce beast who couldn't speak.

The person involved, Bori-bori, wasn't flustered at all, and only smiled his unique sunshine-like smile.

Anyway, after spending a night outside, the three walked toward Siegfinger the next day.

In the middle, they stopped by a village somewhere and borrowed a barn giving potatoes etc. as a price.

While doing so, they asked about Haspiel or his criminal organization Murder Guild in every village. However, people who never left the village in their lifetime showed reactions of hearing it for the first time in their lives.

Then around the time they got closer and closer to Siegfinger, when Rickart asked, a farmer was startled and ran away.

Seeing the rural person running away even though he said he would give precious food in winter as a price, Rickart felt 'Ah, we got close now'.

So he avoided asking around here and there anymore. He found out where the main activity area was, and it was a place called Runenberg. It was a city within the Siegfinger region.

The thief guild there was Haspiel's lackey, and bandits who settled in nearby Mt. Runen were his subordinates.

Usually they went around the city receiving protection from the thief guild, and seemed to go up the mountain and hide for a while if the atmosphere wasn't good.

It seemed they called the thief guild and bandits collectively 'Murder Guild', and the work they mainly did was murder for hire like the name.

But that murder for hire wasn't professional and was crude. If a request was put in, let alone starting, cases of threatening the client and ripping off money and valuables were frequent.

That is, calling the name grandiosely Murder Guild, what they actually did was hooliganism.

He didn't know if he should call it a business, but if they handle work like this, doesn't the business go bankrupt?

"Let's be honest. Adventurer guilds only deal with people with a lot of money or high status when taking dark requests. But people who wish someone to die can be anyone regardless of status. Wouldn't there be a wife who hates her cheating husband and wants to kill him? Who grants those people's wish. If you hate someone to death, rational judgment is impossible. So even though reputation is bad, there are many people going carrying money. It doesn't cease. Eventually, for that unworthy group to go bankrupt, people have to become nice, but making a living is tough, and trusted, loved people are bound to drive a nail into my chest. So even operating like that, they don't go bankrupt."

A merchant organizing luggage in a wagon said. Rickart handed him one silver coin as a price for information.

Perhaps thinking he received quite a big money than expected, the merchant told one more thing.

"Haspiel is a severe gambling addict. If you go to a tavern called 'Mother's Sorrow', you can see him without difficulty. If he is not staying in the mountain."

"Thank you. I'll wish you luck."

Rickart bought cloaks from the merchant, then headed to Runenberg with the party.

For the cloak, he bought a big one so that Nameless could cover his body entirely. Since it wasn't a selling item but an item a huge person among the merchant party used, it smelled a bit, but he just dusted off dust and wore it. Nameless didn't care at all.

Arriving at Runenberg, Rickart didn't enter the city for now, and looked around the outskirts. Indeed, a mountain was visible in that south. A river flowed between the mountain and the city.

Rickart walked around here and there, and arriving at a place worth hiding, he said.

"Let's do this. First, take accommodation in the city, and me and Bori go to the gambling house disguised as guests. Mister stands as our bodyguard. First examine the situation, return to accommodation and make a plan, and on the day of executing the plan, we gather here. How is it?"

Since Bori-bori only learned sword fighting a bit, he was layman in proceeding with this kind of work. So he just nodded coolly.

But Nameless stayed still just whether he didn't like it or whatever.

Rickart knew why he didn't react. Looking back at his fighting style, he could infer easily.

"I know accidental trouble might happen. Mister might not endure and kill him in front of eyes. Doesn't matter. Me and Bori will handle the rear, so Mister please pierce the escape route."

Then Nameless nodded only then.

Whether Rickart or Nameless, there was only difference in style, they were experts in this kind of thing. How well their hands and feet would match could be known by proceeding with work together directly.

And Rickart understood well which method each fit well and distributed roles.

Since Nameless had excellent breakthrough power, and he was a bit more excellent in parrying, although only three people, he divided front and rear.

First making a plan roughly, Rickart, Bori-bori, and Nameless entered Runenberg and took a place in an inn closest to the city gate as possible.

After that, keeping night, they headed to the tavern called 'Mother's Sorrow'. Unexpectedly, the tavern wasn't in a secluded place but in a busy street, and as they showed a money bag full of silver coins to the gatekeeper, he passed them immediately without asking age or whatever status and identity. Because in gambling house, a sucker is served as a king.

Entering inside, it was bright like broad daylight. Thousands of candles were burning, and the head was dizzy with the unique candle smell. But people seemed not to feel such things, their eyes shining with greedy madness.

Rich people with a lot of money and even nobles, and people who came after emptying all fortune were holding tables and gambling, and the business provided high-class liquor and prostitutes.

Gamblers watched what the dealer did with serious expressions, and when result came out, some burst out a huge shout as if the gambling house would break, while conversely some sighed as if the gambling house would collapse.

Completely drunk on uncertain expectation, no one cared about likes of Rickart's party.

Bori-bori's eyes went wide and watched the separate world, and Rickart examined calmly where guard personnel were deployed, where reserve forces would pour out, which retreat path would be safe, etc.

First figuring out the building structure, they took seats where the table was long horizontally. About four people were sitting first, and it was a game where the dealer put two dice in a bowl, overturned it on the table, and guessed odd or even. It was simple.

Every round, the dealer put two dice between fingers, showed left and right that there was no abnormality lifting the bowl, and proceeded with the game. Looking from outside, there was really no abnormality.

"Oddddd! Evennnn!"

Whether trying to raise excitement, the dealer put dice into the bowl hwik putting in strange interjections, overturned on the table pak, shook and stopped exactly. The clattering sound was cheerful.

"To liveeee! To dieeee!"

As the dealer shouted, people at the table bet money each. There were no copper coins, all silver coins. It was quite a large sum.

Sound of dice clattering, sound of coins clinking were strangely good to hear.

Rickart watched only the game going first. One round, two rounds, three rounds, four rounds......

Becoming the fifth round, the dealer said.

"Aren't you going to play? If you won't, you have to pay the seat fee."

"I'll play now."

Then the dealer rolled dice again silently. However, Rickart looked at the overturned bowl blankly, then bet all money he had on Even. It was as many as 20 silver coins.

Then everyone including the dealer made surprised expressions. Other tables were noisy, but silence flowed for a while where Rickart was. The dealer lifted the bowl slowly, and it was Even.

"Gasp!"

"Wow!"

"Crazy!"

Eyes of gamblers at the same table went wide. One wonders if this is the taste of gambling, but the protagonist of luck wasn't them. Still, just watching made the chest overwhelmed.

With a seriously hardened expression, the dealer took out money from under the table, combined with money of people who got wrong, and distributed dividends as much as the money bet to people who bet on Even. Rickart's money increased to 42 silver coins. In the blink of an eye.

"R-Ricky. We became rich. What to do."

Excited Bori-bori grabbed Ricky's shoulder and shook wildly.

"Hey, calm down. Wake up."

The problem started from now, Rickart started to guess all correctly as soon as he bet money.

Rickart remembered the sound and guessed the dice number, and with eyes, he distinguished whether the dealer used tricks or not watching his eyes.

So he couldn't be wrong. Of course, it was possible because he had inhuman insight and sensory ability.

But people at the same table didn't care what method Rickart used to guess all, and just followed Rickart and bet all on that side. Then the dealer's money ran out in an instant.

"Wahahahahahaha!"

Laughing sounds bursting with dopamine were heard. Someone grabbed Rickart's head and kissed so Nameless standing behind had to push.

And, silver coins piled up like a mountain in front of Rickart so that it blocked the front view if he didn't stand up.

Becoming this much, attention of people inside the gambling house was focused, and they swarmed to watch.

In the meantime, someone approached the dealer and tapped his arm and said.

"Move aside."

Rickart raised his head and saw the person appeared on the opposite side of the table. It was Haspiel he saw in the wanted poster. Nameless was standing right behind Rickart.

Haspiel grinned with a generous impression. All revealed teeth were gold teeth. Rickart recalled the wanted poster and wondered how they drew so exactly the same.

"Fun. Kid."

"It's boring so I'm getting a bit bored."

"Right, there should be taste of losing too, that is gambling. But, isn't losing money cliché? How about betting something else?"

"Like what?"

"Literally, to live, or to die. Isn't that the true worth of odd-even? If you capture me and take me to the adventurer guild, you will earn big money."

Wanted poster said 40 gold coins when capturing alive. Counting in silver coins, it was as many as 800.

"Roll."

Without hesitating, Rickart said. Then Haspiel excluded other gamblers and entered a one-on-one match with only Rickart.

Before they knew it, all people in the gambling house came and watched, and the gambling house so noisy was quiet as a mouse.

Haspiel threw dice into the bowl hwik and overturned on the table. And unlike the dealer, he didn't shake many times, and moved just once.

Clatter.

Rickart heard that sound and smirked. He expected a bit, but because it was too clumsy a trick.

"When did the dice become 3?"

"Mm?"

"Depending on what I say, one will disappear. And you will win unconditionally. What do they call this?"

"Are you saying I cheated?"

There are several big sins in the world, but the biggest sin in gambling house was so-called cheating. That is, act of using tricks was the biggest sin, and target of punishment. Regardless of status.

Rickart looked at Haspiel quietly, then drew a dagger from his bosom like lightning. And struck the back of Haspiel's hand covering the bowl.

"See and you'll know!"

Thwack!

The dagger pierced Haspiel's hand, split the bowl, and stuck in the table. Eyes of people around became wide hwak. Three blood-stained dice rolled out toreureu.

Haspiel inhaled breath hwak unknowingly. And, the moment he was about to shout loudly, Nameless standing behind flew like a tiger, stepped on the table, and rushed at Haspiel. The drawn axe was already raised high above head.

Shambles. That was the situation Nameless could fight best, and battlefield. Rickart knew that, and when opportunity came, paved the way for Nameless.

Even without speaking, without looking at each other, intentions communicated wonderfully. Like gamblers who matched their sums.

Chapter 37. End.