Chapter 37: O Darling, Where Art Thou?

Somewhere on the streets, near a particular storefront, there was a large group of people gathered in one place. They had formed a loose circle around a small wooden table, their attention fixed on the two people seated across from each other, locked in an intense game.

The game being played was called Bloodline, a street gambling game popular in the lower ring. It was played with 12 engraved wooden tiles divided between three symbols; Fang, Leaf and Crown.

Each player received four tiles at the beginning of every round. Players took turns placing one tile face down while wagering money, attempting to predict what their opponent had hidden based on the precious moves.

The final tile was always placed face up, and whoever completed the strongest combination claimed the entire pot. That was the simple mechanic of the game, but winning in it was easier said than done, especially against experienced and cunning players.

The bald man sitting on one side of the table had apparently learned that lesson the hard way. He was nearing forty and dressed in ragged civilian clothes. Sweat had gathered along his forehead despite the relatively cool morning, and his fingers nervously tapped against the edge of the table as he stared at the tiles before him.

Across from him sat a young woman with short, tomboyish black hair, dressed in a black coat, over a shirt and skirt with leggings underneath. Her posture was a stark contrast to her opponent. She was relaxed, almost carefree as her pale blue eyes gleamed with amusement.

She had just played the winning tile which caused the surrounding crowd to erupt in cheers and swears. The bald man’s face was completely blank at the realization.

For several seconds, he stared at the table then lifted his gaze up to the woman who was also staring at him with an obnoxiously wide grin spread across her face.

"Well, well, well, would you look at that? I won again. I guess I was worried for nothing after all, because here I was thinking you might actually give me a challenge this time around"

She burst into laughter while gathering the pile of money toward herself with absolutely no shame.

"But it was a good game. You gave it your best. I almost felt bad about ....about... Pftt hahahaha! Real smooth baldy! I expected more from someone with a bald head. All that wisdom and stuff! Increasing the wager each round doesn’t seem so smart now does it?!"

As she collected the last of her earnings into a bag, she wiped a tear as her laugh died down.

"You’ll need a hundred more years before you’re qualified to lose to me properly, alright?"

Under this mockery, the man’s face twisted with anger so much that he slammed his hand against the table, causing the tiles to fall off.

"You cheating bitch!"

The young woman’s smile suddenly vanished, changing her demeanor completely. This made the man realize he had made a mistake, but pride kept his mouth running.

"Admit it, you cheated! You’ve been cleaning out everyone in this street since this morning. Nobody wins that many games without cheating!"

As right as he was about that, nobody in the crowd seemed courageous enough to support his accusations. For good reason too. Because in the next instant, the woman reached beneath her coat and pulled out a handgun.

The bald man barely had enough time to realize what she was doing before a sudden gunshot echoed through the street.

"AAAARH!"

He screamed as he clutched his leg, blood spreading across his trousers while he collapsed beside the table.

Several spectators flinched and others immediately scattered away at the sight of the weapon. The woman walked around the table and crouched beside him, tilting her head.

"Now, now, that’s a terrible thing to say about a lady’s reputation. I’m very forgiving so I’ll forgive your sore loser attitude. I get it, your ego got bruised. But I won’t forgive you for calling me a cheater"

She said in a strangely pleasant tone as she rested the handgun against her shoulder.

"I don’t cheat. I’m fair, I’m honest, kind and I’m loyal to a fault. Those are some of my most lovable qualities, you know. And besides, I’ve joined the Black Tortoise Sect recently, so I’m something of a pacifist now"

The wounded man stared at her in disbelief through his tears. Her smile returned as she stood up and turned toward the crowd while dangerously twirling the handgun around one finger.

"Well? The game just got started, so who’s next? I got a nice stack of winnings today and I’m willing to put every last qash on the table if anyone thinks they can take it from me. This is your opportunity to get rich, gentlemen and ladies, so don’t let a little gunfire discourage you!"

After that display, nobody seemed daring enough to put their lives on the line like that. They had even gone silent.

"Come on, don’t be shy. One of you has to believe you’re better than me"

Her pale blue eyes narrowed as she scanned the crowd, clearly beginning to lose patience. She had already won enough money to make the morning worthwhile, but apparently she had been hoping for someone entertaining enough to keep her occupied.

"How boring. Guess that’s it for this distri–"

Before she could fully express her disappointment, someone at the edge of the gathering caught her attention.

A red-haired young man stood among the people. She couldn’t make out his face completely because he tried to keep it concealed. But the instant their eyes met, he quickly turned around and walked away.

Her eyes widened, and a second later, her entire face lit up.

"D-Darling?"

She tried to reach out her hands to the young man who was quickening his pace.

"Wait, wait, wait, where are you going?! You just can’t appear in front of me after disappearing for months and then run away!"

She quickly shoved her belongings into a bag, left the table where it was and pointed toward the wounded man while running.

"Someone should probably take him to a hospital before he bleeds to death. Bye~!"

Rhos heard the footsteps approaching him behind and immediately cursed under his breath. He sensed someone familiar and wanted to confirm it. Unfortunately he was right so he tried to make a run for it.

He barely had time to glance over his shoulder before a dark haired blur launched herself at him.

"Daaaarling!!!"

"Wait, slow–!"

The impact sent both of them crashing onto the street. Rhos landed hard on his back on the concrete pavement, but that wasn’t the worst of it.

He felt air leaving his lungs as the woman wrapped both arms around him with absolutely no intention of letting him go. She buried her face against his chest and laughed happily.

"I found you!"