"Come play."
"Since we're already here, might as well have some fun."
"???"
Bell stared blankly at the two goddesses tugging him toward the roulette wheel.
He had no idea how these two had managed to coordinate—just moments ago, they'd been at each other's throats, yet now they were suddenly moving in perfect sync.
'Did these two talk behind my back?'
Bell couldn't shake the feeling, though he had no solid proof.
Before he could think any further, the pull of their hands forced him along, and soon he found himself standing before the roulette table.
The arrival of the two goddesses made the female demi-human croupier tense up noticeably, her voice far more respectful than it had been with any other customer.
"Please, place your bets wherever you like."
Her words snapped Bell's attention back to the wheel.
"You're not betting?"
"Loki-sama, I don't like gambling."
Loki's question earned a helpless shake of the head from Bell.
Even though he possessed the skill "Heaven's Luck," he'd always felt an instinctive dislike for gambling. Maybe it was because that luck never carried over to gacha draws—but either way, he'd stopped believing in those damned probabilities long ago. They were nothing but lies!
"You finally make it inside, and you're going to complain about not liking it?"
Loki gave him an exasperated look, clearly unimpressed by his reluctance.
"Bell, if you keep rejecting a goddess's invitation, she might start to dislike you."
Even Freya joined in, her tone teasing yet deliberate.
"...But weren't you two here to watch the show? Why the sudden interest in gambling?"
Bell hadn't forgotten the real reason they'd come here.
Freya, however, simply smiled, releasing one hand to point toward a silver-haired girl who looked visibly troubled.
"My girls are trying to figure out how to sneak in. How could we just sit back and do nothing?"
Following Freya's finger, Bell immediately spotted two familiar figures.
'Ryuu Lion and Syr Flova.'
'The waitresses from the Hostess of Fertility tavern.'
'No wonder Freya was the first to hear about this—so that's why.'
Bell's eyes instinctively shifted toward the door guarded by two members of the Ganesha Familia.
'There's a strong aura of lust, greed, and gluttony coming from that room… so that's their target.'
A place guarded by adventurers wouldn't be easy to access.
The outer areas were clearly meant for ordinary gamblers, while that inner room was reserved for the wealthy nobles—or perhaps those who had been personally invited.
'No wonder entry requires so many chips.'
If entry demanded an internal invitation, and brute force wasn't an option, then there were only two ways in: either impress the casino with exceptional gambling skill, or amass enough chips that they couldn't afford to ignore you.
Having pieced it all together, Bell withdrew his gaze and turned back toward the roulette wheel before him.
"I'm not really into gambling."
Alright.
Loki and Freya exchanged a brief glance before quickly looking away.
"Freya-sama, I don't have any chips..."
Just as Bell was about to place a bet, it hit him—he hadn't exchanged for a single chip.
"I've got one."
Loki pulled out a single chip from who-knows-where. Just one, but from the look of it, she'd clearly been prepared.
'...You two are working together, aren't you?'
Bell couldn't help grumbling inwardly as he accepted the chip.
One setting the stage, the other providing the props—clearly, these two goddesses had teamed up to mess with him.
But hadn't they just been at each other's throats moments ago? That fiery tension had definitely been real.
'Don't tell me these two actually have some kind of unspoken understanding?'
Suppressing his doubts, Bell took the chip from Loki-sama and casually placed it on a number—16.
"One?"
The croupier gave Bell a surprised look. She hadn't expected someone who didn't look like a gambler to make such a risky bet.
Still, she said nothing and simply picked up the ball, flicking it into the rapidly spinning wheel.
The wheel slowed gradually, the ball bouncing and clattering around before settling into a slot.
16!
"!?"
The croupier's pupils constricted in disbelief. A single number—hit dead on.
"Oh~"
Freya's beautiful eyes gleamed with interest. She hadn't sensed even a flicker of magical energy earlier, yet it had landed so effortlessly.
A 1:35 payout—that wasn't the kind of thing that happened with ordinary luck.
"Tsk tsk~ That's a thirty-five-fold return in one go. A few more wins like that, and we'll have plenty, right?"
Loki didn't seem particularly surprised by the outcome.
After all, she knew Bell possessed a rare "Luck"-type skill. Pulling this off wasn't out of the question.
"Loki-sama, don't you think that if word gets out, every casino in Orario will start treating me like a walking curse?"
"You're still worrying about that? And it's not like you'll be hanging around casinos anyway."
"...I think this will be the last time."
"Then what are you afraid of? Come on, win a few more rounds and let these gamblers see what real luck looks like."
'Sure, you'll enjoy the show—I'm the one who'll end up being remembered.'
Bell sighed inwardly.
Fortunately, he had a habit of concealing his face. Otherwise, after today, his identity would be completely exposed.
With Loki-sama and Freya-sama's little "showdown" here in the casino being witnessed by so many, Bell knew one thing for certain—he couldn't attend any official events as a member of the Hestia Familia anymore. If either of those goddesses got near him, hiding would be impossible.
'I'll need to avoid public appearances as much as possible from now on.'
He wasn't at the stage where he could casually stand in the spotlight.
At Level 5, being targeted was still far too dangerous. He'd need to reach at least Level 7 before he could breathe easy.
'Once I'm back, I should probably do an update.'
He hadn't paid much attention to his Status lately, wanting to focus on training instead.
But given the current situation, it was time to seriously consider leveling up.
Shaking his head slightly, Bell looked down at the numbers and pushed his new stack of chips onto the "1."
'No way it'll happen again... right?'
The croupier swallowed nervously, spun the wheel once more, and deftly tossed the ball in.
The wheel slowed... and the ball came to a stop.
1!
"!?"
This time, the dealer was truly stunned.