Once all the bets had been placed and finalized, the Riza-Azir Dealer lifted the bamboo cup from the mat.
"Azir." The Riza-Azir Dealer called out.
One dice landed on three, while the other landed on two as the dealer called out the results.
As for the wooden plate Linkin set out for his bet—it was Riza!
The person next to the dealer divided the winnings among those who played the Azir wooden plate. They acted as the eyes of the dealer at the mat and prevented anyone from changing their plates.
After the winnings were distributed, the dice were returned to the bamboo cup to prepare for the next round. And, just like this, the game continued for several rounds.
"Azir."
"Riza."
"Riza."
"Azir."
Every time the dealer called out, Linkin was on the losing end.
It did not take long for those at the mat to notice Linkin's losing legendary losing streak.
"Damn! There really are people born in this world under an unlucky star. How could he lose every single round for twenty-three rounds straight?" One of the people at the same tatami mat as Linkin called Tonne, commented.
"Hahaha, it's been a while since I've made such easy money. Just bet the opposite of whatever he does, and we'll win!" Another player at the mat by the name of Neverland stated.
"Place your b-" The Riza-Azir Dealer said.
Suddenly, Linkin stood up from the mat before the next round started.
"Dammit...! What am I going to do...? I have to pay them back. Just one win, just one game...!" Linkin said in a frustrated manner.
Linkin muttered to himself as a look of dread formed on his face. At the same time, his eyes landed on a mat located not too far away. It was the place where the minimum bet was 2 daisai.
"Hey, don't go anywhere. You're our good luck charm. Come on. Stay here and play a few more games with us brothers." Neverland said.
"That's right, that's right. Tell you what, I'll treat you to a drink after this if you stay and play a few more rounds with us." Tonne followed up.
Seeing that look of desperation in Linkin's eyes and hearing his crazed mutterings, those at the mat could only inwardly shake their head at his pitiful state.
They had seen many individuals like Linkin throughout their years visiting the Den of Everdreams, but not anyone nearly as unlucky.
Like many other fools who ran into a bit of extra money, they came into this place thinking they would be able to win big and pay off their debts.
Judging from Linkin's behavior, they guessed that he had fallen into debt with some local loan sharks.
Those loan sharks would smile in your face and happily lend you the money you needed. That's because the interest rate was usually a ridiculous amount. So, of course, they would welcome the business.
But when it came time to pay them back, if you could not hand over the money, your life would no longer belong to you.
There were even times when the person in debt put up their own family members as collateral!
Linkin ignored those that attempted to goad him into continuing to play and walked over to the next mat.
He removed a small pouch and held it upside down as two daisai dropped into the palm of his hand. It was the last couple of daisai in Linkin's possession.
"Damn, is that guy insane? He still wants to bet?" Neverland scoffed.
"Tch, what a led down. If he was going to bet anyways, he should have just done it here and gave us his last few daisai." Tonne sighed.
At the same time, the person who acted as the eyes of the mat Linkin just left locked their gaze on him as he sat down at the middle mat.
It was a woman from the same cat-like race as Lal'Kita. Except, this woman had a more mature appearance and aura about her. She had neatly tied black hair and wore an elegant outfit that resembled a kimono.
"Losing so many times in a row... No matter how you look at it, it's strange. Even the unluckiest person should win at least one time in a game of Riza-Azir if they stick with one option. Perhaps I am overthinking it, but one thing is peculiar. Despite his frantic outer appearance, the sound of his heartbeat remains calm." The mysterious catgirl thought to herself as her lips curved into a smile.
"How interesting..." The mysterious cat girl said to herself.
Meanwhile, the round at the new mat Linkin sat at had ended.
"The bet is set at 2 daisai." The Riza-Azir Dealer at the middle mat said.
The dealer tossed the dice into the bamboo cup before briefly shaking it and slamming the cup onto the mat.
'Now... Let's begin the real show, shall we?'
"Place your bets." The Riza-Azir Dealer called out.
Linkin set out his last two daisai along with the Riza wooden plate.
'It seems this trick is pretty popular in this world, but in front of me-'
"All bet amounts have been set. I shall begin." The Riza-Azir Dealer stated.
Linkin maintained a panicked outer appearance; however, he was grinning from ear to ear on the inside.
'Such an amateur trick is useless.'
The dealer lifted the bamboo cup from the mat, revealing a one and three.
"Riza." The Riza-Azir Dealer announced.
It was finally time for Linkin to make his move!
[Total Currency: 4 daisai]