"Young Master, why are you giving this back...?"
What Lis handed over was the very pouch of gold coins Ail had shoved back into his arms moments ago.
At a glance, the heavy leather bag contained at least a hundred gold coins.
Caught completely off guard, Ail tilted her head.
"What they said makes sense. We came all this way, so we shouldn't just watch. Go place a bet on whoever wins today's match."
"...All of it?"
"Mm. It isn't that much money."
The gentle answer added yet another note to the report forming in Ail's head.
Target observation added. Absolutely no sense of money.
She simply couldn't understand how anyone could casually suggest throwing such an enormous fortune into a gambling pit like this.
A hundred gold coins...
That was money Ail would only earn after completing three or four dangerous commissions.
To an ordinary commoner, it was enough to live comfortably for an entire lifetime.
Wow... that woke me right up. No wonder he's a high noble.
The sheer shock instantly cleared her head.
"Ha! I knew you were loaded the moment I saw that flashy carriage!"
"Hey! Bet on Number Three! I already put my money on him!"
"Shut up! Number Eighteen's going to win this one!"
"Eighteen's injured, you idiot! How's he supposed to win? Number Three's a sure thing!"
The surrounding spectators erupted with excitement.
Everyone shouted over one another, urging Ail to bet on their chosen fighter, hoping the growing wagers would increase the prize pool.
"Young Master... even so, gambling in a place like this is..."
Gambling rings were always rigged.
Anyone with eyes could see the manipulation.
Putting more money into such a scheme was no different from scattering gold coins across the street.
The young master had received every proper education expected of a noble.
So why was he doing something so absurdly lacking in common sense?
"Why? You don't like the idea?"
"No."
When Ail answered firmly, Lis spoke again in a quiet voice.
"If you win, every coin will belong to you."
"...Young Master."
That wasn't the point at all.
With an exasperated sigh, Ail snatched the heavy pouch from his hand.
"If you insist that strongly... then how could I possibly refuse as your maid?"
Honestly...
The young master was impossible.
Fine. Just this once. I'll humor him.
Muttering just this once over and over, she backed away.
Her retreat gradually became a brisk walk—
Then, in the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the crowd.
As soon as Ail was gone, the noisy gamblers shifted their attention toward the young noble left sitting alone.
"Hey, Your Lordship! Any chance you'd sell us that little maid? We'll pay you handsomely."
"I thought she was some noble lady with looks like that! A maid like her would make a fine mistress."
"Why don't you take off that gloomy robe? We're all gamblers here now. Let's get acquainted."
Crude voices and vulgar flirtation assaulted Lis from every direction.
Amid the endless stream of filthy remarks, Lis silently raised a hand to cover his mouth.
"...Heh."
A faint chuckle escaped between his fingers.
In an instant, the crowd fell silent.
"Has the brat gone crazy? What's he laughing at?"
"He won't be smiling after he loses all that money!"
Ignoring every insult thrown his way, Lis continued to laugh softly, recalling the way Ail had bitten her lower lip in barely restrained fury.
"You've got remarkable patience..."
From the moment they had left the duke's estate until they entered the arena, Lis had deliberately acted like an oblivious, innocent noble, constantly getting under Ail's skin.
Yet despite wearing her irritation plainly on her face, she had stubbornly suppressed her temper until the very end.
Well...
Except when that filthy thug laid his hands on her.
She genuinely looked ready to kill him.
I suppose she deserves a reward.
Besides, he had already begun growing tired of this place.
He had never wanted to come to a fighting arena in the first place.
He had no intention of wasting even a moment of his precious life somewhere this crude and filthy.
But unless he intentionally forced Ail into an unpleasant situation, she would never reveal her true nature.
So there was no helping it.
The one who wanted something had to compromise.
After all...
He was the one who wished to see what lay beneath the flawless mask Ail wore.
"...Huh?"
"W-What?! My eyes!"
"Ahhh! I can't see!"
"Someone help! Turn the lights back on!"
Without warning, an unnatural darkness descended beneath the bright afternoon sun, robbing the ignorant men of their sight.
The thug who had touched Ail's cheek had apparently lost the vision in both eyes.
Terrified, he crawled across the ground, sobbing helplessly.
As the screams of the suddenly blinded men echoed throughout the arena, Lis calmly rose to his feet.
Walking to the center of the commotion, he leaned down and whispered into their ears in a voice as clear as crystal.
"If you wash your eyes with what's inside the drum barrels outside... your sight will return."
It sounded almost like the seductive whisper of a devil.
Yet to those who had lost their vision in an instant, it was salvation itself.
"Damn it! Move!"
"I-I'll go first!"
"Somebody help me!"
The moment Lis finished speaking, the blinded men stumbled over one another as they rushed toward the exit.
Within moments, every loudmouth who had been spewing cheap insults had disappeared outside.
Silence quickly settled over the arena.
Satisfied with the peace he had wanted all along, Lis calmly returned to his seat.
He had neither moved suspiciously nor done anything visible.
To everyone else, it had looked like nothing more than an ordinary argument.
And arguments like that were happening everywhere throughout the fighting arena.
I wonder when Ail will be back.
Those fools who had forgotten their place had clearly stressed her out.
She would probably be pleased to find the place much quieter when she returned.
"Thank you for the generous gift."
Smiling brightly, Ail tucked the pouch of gold coins inside her clothes.
Its satisfying weight and pleasant heft were almost lovable.
A wager this large would inevitably attract corruption and rigging.
It was far better to keep the money for herself than hand it over to swindlers.
"Now then..."
Casting a cool glance over the crowded betting booths, Ail strode purposefully in another direction.
She headed toward the western staircase leading to the second floor and the arena's rooftop.
Ignoring the No Entry sign without hesitation, she confirmed no one was watching before quickly climbing the stairs.
"Found you."
SMACK!
The moment she spotted a head of bright pink hair, Ail sprinted forward without hesitation and drove a merciless knuckle into his forehead.
The impact echoed like someone had thrown a rock against solid stone.
Clutching his head, the young man rolled across the floor.
"Ow! Ail! That hurt!"
"Then why were you sticking your nose into someone else's job? You scared me half to death!"
The culprit who had dealt with the alley thugs she intended to capture earlier...
Was standing right here.
The reddish marks left on the men's necks were unmistakably the work of a poison crafted by someone Ail knew very well.
"I thought... you'd thank me..."
Rubbing the lump on his head, the young man pouted pitifully.
Watching him, Ail sighed and brushed her hair back in annoyance.
"Cheblin, did you forget the rules? Article Three: Never interfere with another person's commission!"
"I know, I know... but your target was right behind you. How were you supposed to fight with him watching? So... I helped."
Cheblin grinned.
"Everything turned out fine, didn't it?"
"That's exactly the problem! What kind of back-alley thugs get taken down instantly by one person? Anyone would think it looked suspicious!"
"B-But your target didn't seem to notice anything. Hehe."
His cheerful smile was as sweet as a cherry.
Normally, Ail would have simply let it slide.
But not this time.
"If we'd been exposed...! Anyway, if you interfere again, I'm reporting you to the captain. Judging by the way you're dressed, you must be here on a mission too—"
It was almost time for her to return to Lis.
Pressed for time, Ail continued lecturing him without pause.
Already accustomed to her nagging, Cheblin lazily turned his attention elsewhere.
I wonder if Ail even remembers I'm her senior... Hm?
Halfway up the staircase leading to the rooftop, a large gap in the wall overlooked part of the arena below.
Through it, an unusual sight caught Cheblin's pink eyes.
...Why are all those people lying face-first on the ground?
The section wasn't particularly close, making it difficult to hear clearly.
Still, it was close enough to observe everyone's movements.
Huh? They're getting up... and running?
In the blink of an eye, an entire section emptied as though the crowd had evaporated.
That area near the VIP seats was always packed with people trying to swindle money from wealthy spectators.
Yet after a single blink, every one of them had rushed outside.
That guy dressed in black... isn't he Ail's target? Did he use his power?
When the crowd disappeared, only one man remained seated in the VIP section.
The famous "Lord Cassio's one and only young master."
Interest flashed brightly across Cheblin's pink eyes.
I have to tell Ail—
"Stretch..."
"Hey! Are you even listening to me? When someone talks to you, answer them!"
This time, Ail grabbed both of Cheblin's soft cheeks and pulled them long.
"...Yeth, Thenior..."
To suffer such humiliation at the hands of a junior so much younger than himself...
Tears shimmered pitifully at the corners of Cheblin's pink eyes.
