Chapter 180

After Kana disappeared through the academy gates with the silver-armored knights, the air around the copper class felt strangely hollow—like something important had been plucked from it.

Suri clicked her tongue, shoved her hands into her cloak pockets, and turned away. “Well,” she muttered, “Staying here won’t bring her back.”

She grabbed Rin by the wrist. “Come on. I need distraction. Preferably one that involves food or shiny things.”

Boris took one step to follow but was immediately seized—one arm by Toby, the other by Adam.

“Not so fast,” Toby said. “You’re coming with us.”

Boris yelped, “Where are we going? And—Leo? Are you coming with us?”

Leo adjusted the hood of his cloak. “Because Toby said we needed to be discreet. And when someone says things like that, it usually means he’s about to show us something illegal, dangerous, or surprising. I’m curious which one this is.”

“When did you become so close?” Boris said then Andel and Adam held him.

Boris choked. “Why am I—NO—wait—I can’t get arrested right after Kana.”

“You’re not getting arrested,” Toby said, helping on dragging him,“Probably.”

……

The Commoner District neighborhood buzzed with evening life. Lanterns glowed amber behind wooden shutters. Vendors called out from rickety stands. Kids ran, foot partially covered with snow between laundry lines like it was their kingdom.

Toby led them to a plain, old house squeezed between two larger ones. Paint peeling. The door was crooked. Nothing suspicious—until he knocked.

Not ordinary knocking.

A pattern.

Four taps. A pause. Two taps.

Like a code.

A small slit scraped open and a pair of suspicious eyes glared out.

Toby lifted a tiny, rune-etched stone.

“They’re with me.”

A grunt then the door swung open.

Inside was a different world, the moment they stepped through, the plain exterior became a lie.

Noise slammed into them like a wave.

Men and women crowded around makeshift booths, shouting numbers, names, predictions. Gold, silver and copper coins clinked like ceaseless rainfall. Runners darted through the narrow aisles carrying parchment slips in both hands. The walls—previously cheap wood—were reinforced with stone from waist height down, probably to withstand angry gamblers.

A massive board dominated the far wall, filled with names ranked for the annual tournament, each paired with bold numbers—odds.

Leo’s jaw dropped.

Andel froze.

Boris stared like he’d walked into forbidden scripture. Been in the underground district a few times, this shouldn’t be that much different right?

“Welcome,” Toby announced, spinning dramatically with arms spread wide, “to the Annual Tournament Gambling Arena!”

Leo blinked twice. Curious. “How,” he asked calmly, “do you know this place?”

Toby puffed his chest like a rooster.

“My father is a regular. A loyal one, actually. He brought me a few times—bonding, you know—and so I requested a pass for myself. Before telling my mother because, well…”

He gestured vaguely. “She would kill him.”

Boris forced an awkward laugh.

“If I told my father I was gambling, I’d be missing a few teeth.”

Roy clapped Toby’s shoulder. “I feel bad for your dad. He must have been cursing his own son.”

Toby grinned wickedly, “Don’t. Because I told him something. About us aiming for third place.”

“Wait…” Andel leaned in. “You told your dad to bet on us?”

“Not just bet.” Toby giggled, the sound far too mischievous. “I said he should go all in. And he did.”

Boris turned pale. “All in?! As in all your coin?”

“Relax.” Toby wiggled the small black card from the Adventurer Guild between his fingers.

“Even if he loses, we’ll be fine. I have this.”

Andel sighed. “Look at him showing off again…”

Around them, laughter echoed.

But beneath all that noise, Leo’s gaze drifted to the gambling board.

To the names.

To the odds.

To where their group was  listed… with a symbol beside it he didn’t understand. A code perhaps for the gamblers.

…….

“Our group has high odds to reach the top five,” Toby said, eyes glittering as he reviewed the parchment he’d snagged from one of the receptionists.

The group huddled together in a loose circle off to the side of the gambling huge room, cloaks brushing against one another as the roar of bettors filled the air. It felt almost like a secret war council—if war councils involved wagers, loud drunks, and questionable life decisions.

“As expected,” Toby continued, tapping the parchment, “the top five favorites are all third- or fourth-years. And the reigning favorite… the two-time champions.”

He pointed to a bold line at the top.

“Ryle Greece’s group.”

Even the noise of the arena seemed to dim when that name was spoken. The Greece group wasn’t just strong—they were mythical among underclassmen. Rumors said Ryle once fought by himself against ten people and still won.

Toby inhaled sharply, straightened, and declared, “Anyway! If we place third—and we will—then every single silver we bet will return sevenfold.”

Roy clenched his jaw, determination sharpening his usual cheerful face.

“Fine. I’ll bet everything. Forty-five silver coins.” He dropped his pouch into Toby’s hands with a thunk that felt heavier than mere money.

Adam raised his hand. “Twenty silver. This is all I got.”

Boris clutched his own pouch miserably.

“You should’ve told me about this earlier. I could’ve begged Kana for extra coin. I only have twenty-four silver on me.”

Leo perked up. “Kana has your coin? Why?”

Boris shrugged. “Right. Why is that? Somehow she ended up as the treasurer. To make sure no one overspends. Especially Suri.”

He emphasized the last part with a sigh.

Leo exhaled, long and slow, almost in relief—as though he’d been waiting for a different answer.

Then Andel stepped forward. Calmly.

“Two gold.”

He placed the coins in Toby’s palms, the weight significantly different from the silvers before.

Leo didn’t hesitate.

“Twelve gold.”

Toby froze.

Not startled—shaken.

He swallowed. “I know you two are nobles but… this is a lot of coin. Gambling-level lot. Life-changing-if-you-lose lot.”

Leo shrugged with the casualness of someone who lived in a mansion with a training field the size of a plaza.

“Sounds fun. Besides, we don’t even know if we’re going to win.”

“I agree.” Andel nodded. “If we lose, I’ll just tell Father I misplaced it.”

Adam blinked twice,“Right. Nobles are… very different from us.”

Toby clapped his hands together, grinning like he’d just gained access to a personal fortune.

“Alright! We’re settled!”

He marched toward one of the betting counters, the group watching him weave through the crowd.

The gambling hall’s lanterns flickered overhead, and a cold draft slipped through the stone-reinforced interior.

As Toby reached the desk, Leo’s eyes drifted back to the parchment listing the tournament odds.

Their group’s name was written there.

Leo realized how much they trusted Kana. 

And he was too.

After all, it was all his entire coin.

…

Part of a central district bustled with its noble elegance — carriages rolling on polished stone, crests painted in shimmering blues and reds, servants trailing behind their masters with parcels and velvet-wrapped boxes. Winter lanterns hung along the walkways, glowing softly like captured stars.

But none of that glimmer compared to the boutiques.

Grand windows displayed winter dresses and day to day clothes layered like soft clouds — silver-threaded hems, enchanted fabrics that shimmered faintly, and fur linings from beasts the girls didn’t even recognize. Each dress carried a price tag that felt like getting stabbed.

Rin exhaled sharply, forehead pressing against the glass. “I need to spend my entire monthly allowance just to buy that.”

Her voice cracked with a mix of longing and despair.

Suri crossed her arms, puffing up like a frustrated cat. “It’s beautiful — but prices like these are not for us...” She jabbed a thumb at her purse. “Kana is way too stingy. She won’t give me a ridiculous amount of coin to buy clothes like that.”

Rin raised an eyebrow. “Suri… I might too if you suddenly ask for a gold coin.”

Yuri’s shoulders slumped. “I can only look at it. If I bought something this expensive, my mother would—” She paused, eyes widening slightly. “No. She’d probably sense it from across the kingdom.”

Suri shuddered dramatically. “Auntie Asha would freeze you to death. Literally. She’d probably lecture you while you are covered with her ice skill.”

Rin laughed, imagining it. “You’d be stuck inside an ice sculpture labeled irresponsible daughter.”

The three girls sighed again — this time in perfect unison.

Surrounded by luxury, dreaming beyond their budget, winter glittering around them…

And all utterly unable to afford any of it.

As they were about to leave — hands full of nothing but warm snacks and frustration — Suri stopped abruptly.

“Wait.”

Her eyes gleamed with the kind of mischief that usually meant regret for everyone else.

Rin swallowed. “What… what was that face?”

Suri grinned wider. “The boys discovered a treasure trove.”

Yuri blinked. “Treasure… trove?”

“Come with me!” Suri declared triumphantly, already grabbing their wrists. Rin nearly dropped her snack, Yuri stumbled, but resistance was futile; once Suri decided something was happening, they could only follow. It felt exciting after all.

They hurried through the bustling district, then into quieter streets, then finally toward the commoner district where the stone paths were cracked and the wind clawed through narrow alleys like a stray cat. They had walked almost half an hour before Rin whispered:

“Suri… where exactly are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

The smirk she gave them did not help.

Eventually they reached a familiar-looking house — the same one Toby had dragged the boys into. Standing before it, surrounded by plain walls and a crooked lantern, it hardly looked like a place of secrets.

Suri stepped forward and raised her hand.

“Should be like this.”

She knocked.

Four taps.

A pause.

Two taps.

The sound echoed like a coded message through the quiet street.

Yuri exchanged a worried look with Rin. “Suri… this isn’t something illegal… right?”

“Maybe.”

That didn’t reassure anyone.

The door cracked open — just enough for the large man’s head to appear. His expression was the same as a guard watching trouble walk toward him wearing cloaks and poor decisions.

Before he could speak, Suri held up her hand. Illusion mana swirled, forming the same glowing stone Toby had shown the guards the day before. The spectral light pulsed faintly, convincing enough to fool anyone who didn’t specialize in magic.

The man’s eyes narrowed. He leaned closer, inspecting the illusion like a jeweler judging a suspicious gem. Then he glanced at the trio — cloaked, hooded, but very clearly three girls trying to look mysterious.

A grunt rumbled from his chest.

“…Come in.”

He pulled the door fully open.

Warm air, noise, and the scent of coin-filled hopes crashed against them like a wave.

Suri winked, “I welcome you ladies to the treasure trove.”

“It doesn’t look like it.” Rin murmured.

Post note:
Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂