<Episode 7>
There was no strict curfew or harsh discipline at the vagabond shelter, so it was easy to slip out.
I followed the mustached man's guidance.
The place we stopped at was in front of an ordinary restaurant with its lights off.
"Surprisingly... it's right on the main street?"
I widened my eyes.
"They say it's darkest under the lamp... "
The mustached man approached the restaurant door, knocked five times, and whispered in a secretive voice.
"Eagle hunt."
"The dog barks."
A response came from inside. The secretive exchange, like some illicit deal, made me tense.
"Let go of the leash."
The mustached man uttered one more riddle-like phrase, and the door opened.
"You said anyone could come, but the password is this complicated?"
"Y-Yes... Security is necessary... Here, newcomers must be brought by those who came first. It's to create a chain reaction."
Chain reaction my foot...
It's just dragging everyone down together.
Passing through the quiet, dark restaurant and descending to the basement, a cacophony filled my ears.
It was definitely a sleazy place.
Dim lighting and lamps on the circular tables illuminated the basement.
Waiters and waitresses in overly revealing clothes bustled around serving drinks, while the desperation and ecstasy of wide-eyed gamblers echoed in a chaotic mix.
[This place is really debauched... All sorts of emotions tangled up.]
I focused my mind at Agatha's words.
"Saintess. I've done everything as instructed... D-Did God not get angry? A-Am I not going to die?"
"Well... Apologize profusely to your wife, atone for life, and live like her slave. Then you'll be fine."
"Gasp, y-yes...!"
The mustached man seemed truly terrified.
"Th-Then, I'll be going now..."
He fidgeted like a dog needing to pee.
"Where to? You have to take me to the nobles."
"You plan to go to the nobles' table!?"
"Yes. Why?"
"It... feels like God will be angry..."
He knew it was an immoral place himself, so he didn't want to bring me lest he incur divine punishment.
I smiled sweetly.
"God said to purify this place. Lead the way."
In the end, the mustached man had to escort me to the inner room.
As soon as I entered the room where nobles gathered, a thick perfume scent hit me. It was headache-inducing.
Noblewomen lounging on sofas in near-underwear, puffing hookahs; men with flushed faces and glazed eyes.
[I really hate this place.]
It was hundreds, thousands of times more decadent than outside.
"S-Saintess."
The mustached man hesitantly spoke. I waved him off.
"Yes. You can go now."
"Th-Thank you!"
He bolted without looking back. Being near me must have been terrifying.
I sat at the largest gambling table. I wanted to attract attention quickly and leave.
"What, they picked today's champion fast? Must be insanely skilled?"
"No, haven't picked yet."
"Heard it's someone the viscount brought?"
"What? That's against the rules."
As soon as I sat, whispers about my unusual attire spread.
"Rules or not, as long as it's fun."
A woman's voice cut through.
She sat across from me, eyes gleaming like she'd found intriguing prey.
"Do you know how to handle cards, miss?"
Do I have to gamble?
Declaring myself the Saintess right now would just get me laughed at and kicked out by these nobles.
First, draw attention, then drop a bombshell.
Right. In a gambling den, speak through gambling.
[Lady Agatha. Looks like we have to play a game.]
So I decided to use my cheat key.
With the ability to see opponents' cards, it was as good as winning already.
[Gambling...? Dorothy?]
[I know you hate it, but to draw attention through gambling and spread that I'm the Saintess, we need to set the stage. Think of it as one method, us.]
After persuading with solid reasons, Agatha replied.
[Can't be helped. Let's play. We're the ones asking you, Dorothy, so we should follow your lead.]
[Yes. But I don't know the game rules. Does anyone?]
[Of course.]
Agatha answered with a laugh in her voice.
* * *
Several rounds passed.
Agatha's laughter had reason. We won consecutively. Even without peeking at cards, victory was assured.
A strategist, and good at card games too?
[Wh-Why are you so good?]
[From the war to now, cooped up together, how bored were we? We played plenty.]
[Pardon?]
[Oh. We didn't bet stakes. Card games aren't gambling without stakes. Originally for entertainment, so no harm.]
She'd been against gambling earlier...
Agatha wasn't wrong. No money, no gambling.
"Heh... This miss is..."
"The viscount's guest? A real pro I've never seen."
"Miss! Play with me too."
After three straight wins, opponents conceded. Onlookers joined in.
My winnings multiplied exponentially, drawing nobles from around the room.
Even those gambling privately, drunk and slumped, or lost in lewd touches—all converged here.
"Hey, I just lost. Rematch mandatory."
"You lost three in a row. Rematch? You'll go bankrupt."
"Yeah. I'm first."
Good. Attention secured.
The real deal starts now.
I smiled brightly.
"More than that—how about something more fun? What do you think?"
"More fun?"
"Yes. A kind of gamble."
I set my cards down and emphasized each word.
"My current pot is quite substantial."
"Yeah. She cleaned me out, about a million gold."
"A million? You'll be homeless tonight."
"Isn't that too extravagant?"
Amid complaints of ruin, no one worried seriously.
Big money, but not devastating.
A million... probably the price of a carriage.
I recalled the original story: a noble coachman panicking over paying for a broken one.
"Pot's a million. Wanna play?"
Spotlight on, bait set. Perfect.
"A million... doable."
"Do I have to match a million? Can't get caught by the wife tonight."
Uproar ensued. Yes, deliberate more, chatter.
Just hook one. Anyone with a story.
"Fine, miss. I'll play."
Amid the noise, a man sat across.
"What kind of gamble?"
The middle-aged man eyed me with interest.
"If I name it... 'Saintess Game'."
I smiled brightly.
* * *
The Saintess Game began in Demong, a small city in the Manpelline Empire.
One day, a vagabond claiming to be the Saintess appeared in an underground gambling den made for nobles' amusement.
The Saintess proposed a game.
If she accurately read the opponent's innermost thoughts, unspeakable circumstances, or deep unresolved worries, she wins. Wrong, they win.
Simple and easy.
Deny even if right; a mere vagabond couldn't possibly hit it.
No reason to pass up easy million-gold.
Nobles sat with the Saintess and played.
And.
They all suffered crushing defeats.
'Anyone else wanna go?'
Her revelations were too specific to deny.
Even those insisting falsehood paled at the detail and accuracy.
'Perfect narrative to spread.'
Incredibly helpful tale.
Fun rumor to ignite further.
'Expose the fraud for a million gold?'—drawing challengers, spreading more.
High risk if slip-up, but I have eight Guardian Gods. Strong divine power through my body!
Confidence we'd handle anything.
'S-Send a messenger. Quick!'
That night.
I couldn't leave till dawn.
Red-eyed, heated nobles were prime promoters; fatigue be damned, games continued.
'Want more? Visit Saintess Dorothy at the vagabond shelter.'
After diligently working and returning to crash, I awoke to.
Astronomical wealth.
"...Did I win all this?"
Heavy gold pouches: one, two, three, four... how many? Plus checks interspersed.
[Dorothy. Slept well? You worked too hard yesterday.]
No. Not hard at all.
[What do you crave today?! Just say, I'll prepare it all!]
[Pardon? If tired, rest—]
[Pfft. Tired? Under Lady Agatha's grace, I'm healthy and happy!]
Jackpot thanks to Agatha—unlike usual flattery for survival, today overflowed sincerity.
'This lasts a lifetime.'
[So much money...]
[Some brought more to expose the scam.]
[Earns easy. Thanks to Lady Agatha's card skills.]
[Ahem. True, but Guardian Gods blessed Dorothy too. For luck. That's why. Hehe.]
[Blessings?]
[Works better on you. Everything went smoothly yesterday, unscathed.]
Oh. So I absorb not just curses, but gods' blessings too...!
First time this fate felt joyful.
Even if.
[But Lady Agatha. That... isn't a person, right?]
[A ghost. Upper body's probably wandering upstairs.]
I had to greet a dangling lower half from the ceiling upon waking.
