Trails with Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 029 – Fufufu, son. It’s the May Field Trip② [B]
[“This is… amazing. Is gambling so prosperous in the Empire?”]
[“It might be difficult for Gaius, who grew up in Nord, to understand, but big cities feel similar.”]
[“Rather than a big city, it’s more of being a place with a lot of people. From what I heard, Crossbell also have one.”]
[“Even so, Professor Schmidt’s experimental work is amazing. The fact it’s linked to ARCUS is amazing enough, but we get to see things exactly the same as what Gaius sees.”]
[“Y-you’re right, ahahah…………”]
As the scenery seemed to be relaying everything Gaius saw to ARCUS, Alisa and Elliot were excited and gave joyous comments. Emma let out a dry laugh as she knew it was actually from her own magic.
[“For now, let’s find those men. Gaius, do you remember their faces?”]
[“I didn’t see their faces clearly, but I think I can tell from their clothes. Please wait a moment.”]
As Gaius completely gave the atmosphere of a Nord traveler visiting the Empire, he was sometimes approached by dealers and bunny girls, but with Alisa’s follow-up as well as his natural personality, Gaius refused without any sarcasm and looked for the men.
[“There are card games, slot machines, baccarat, and roulette… one of the exchange prizes is a fortune pecky…… that seems like a good souvenir for Beryl.”]
[“Rean-san.”]
[“I’m sorry.”]
[“Fufu, you don’t have to be that strict, Emma. I’ll exchange one if I can afford it.”]
[“As expected of Gaius, you’re an understanding man.”]
[“Geez…………”]
[“Well, if you don’t play anything, people will think you’re just chilling inside.”]
[“You’re right, you already become a member to search for the men, so I think it might be a good idea to play around a bit to get back the money’s worth if you have time.”]
While looking at various types of gambling, Gaius finally discovered the men he was looking for.
They seemed to be addicted to roulette.
[“I found them. Well then, how do I pick up stories to talk to them……”]
[“Gaius, pretend to be interested in the roulette and approach. Elliot, how is it?”]
[“Uhn… they seem to be losing a lot. Maybe they will leave soon.”]
[“At times like this, it’s better to have Gaius to participate and see how they act. If Gaius won and they leave, you can just stop there, but even if you lose, they might be able develop sense of kinship with you.”]
[“You know things well, Alisa. Could it be-“]
[“You’re wrong! I just happen to be acquainted with a person who is familiar with this kind of game.”]
[“I see. I have also received various teachings from people who are knowledgeable about this kind of game. For the time being, let’s take part in that roulette thing.”]
Gaius lined up next to the men and played roulette as a late participant.
[“Gaius, please refrain from speaking and focus on the roulette. Elliot, can you pick up their conversation?”]
[“Yes, leave it to me.”]
[“You’re not experienced enough to aim for an individual number, so you should first choose red or black instead. Gambling isn’t the main goal here in the first place, so let’s use a method with lower risks.”]
Under the advice of Alisa, who was acquainted with someone who was knowledgeable on casino games, Gaius steadily increased his coin’s amount.
Sometimes, Gaius utilized his intuition, and sometimes Alisa said she could see through the dealer’s intention easier compared to her maid, and as the game went, Gaius had earned 1,000 coins before he knew it, and he separated 60 of them…… the amount required to exchange a fortune pecky. Rean noticed Gaius’ consideration and expressed his gratitude.
[“Fufufu, son. That’s an example of a competent man.”]
{“Umu. Dreichels also trusted Nord’s people a lot. I see that how dependable they are didn’t change even as the era changed.”}
…………It feels weird that his reliability is being demonstrated in a casino, though.
Even though Gaius was earning coins steadily, the men continued to make bets, making the group wonder whether they had a lot of mira to spare.
They didn’t seem like they didn’t have enough money for the day but…… as Rean had that thought, Alisa guessed the men’s identities.
[“Perhaps those men are nobles? I get that feeling since they didn’t seem to be attached to miras that much. There’s also a possibility they are commoners who happen to be rich, though……”]
[“Do nobles come to casino?”]
[“Yes, some of them are just playing to enjoy themselves, and some are seriously into gambling. Apparently, it is sometimes used as a social gathering spot that can’t be revealed to public.”]
[“You’re really knowledgeable, Alisa……”]
[“I-I didn’t go there, okay? I never entered a casino to begin with.”]
[“I know. Well then, if we assume that they are nobles, how should we deal with it?”]
[“No, if they are nobles, wouldn’t it be better to just keep winning? There’s a high possibility things will get a little rough, though.”]
[“You mean, as a provocation? It’s true that there’s no progress if things continue as they are now, though……”]
Sensing Elliot’s anxiety, Gaius bet on a single number against Alisa’s instruction.
The dealer and the men were also mildly surprised at this.
[“Gaius?!”]
Gaius was unable to reply, but his actions spoke volumes about his intentions.
[“……Okay. Gaius, take a good look at those men’s faces during the match. If they are really nobles, they are more likely to not like Gaius, someone who of Nord’s blood—— that is, a foreigner.”]
Gaius didn’t seem upset by Rean’s words.
It might be thanks to the field study at Celdic, but it was his calm and youthful spirit that allowed him to achieve this.
Gaius had successfully won the single number bet, but Elliot called out to Gaius to look at the men.
Then, there was an angry man glaring at Gaius.
[“What’s wrong, did I do something?”]
[“……You barbarian. Not only did your kind steal the spot aside Countess Le Guin, you also make us feel comfortable.”]
[“The spot next to Countess Le Guin?”]
[“It’s that man named Wallace. He’s a barbarian with the same color of skin and hair as you. Even though he already has an unsuitable position as the commander of the Sutherland Territorial Army……”]
[“Oi, stop it. Let’s go home already.”]
The men left just like that, but here, Elliot picked up one last bit of important detail.
[“Geez, you intend to vent your frustration here, but why are you only increasing your stress before the training?”]
[“Damn it, to think we would have to receive instructions from those jaegers, since when have nobles fallen to such…… get out of the way!”]
[“Kyaah!”]
Eventually, they went beyond the distance of which Elliot could hear—— in other words, those men left the casino.
Gaius, who watched as they left, told the dealer that he was stopping there and also came out of the casino himself.
But before that, he walked towards the female customer who were knocked away by the men.
[“It seems like they became angry because of me. Please accept this as consolation fee.”]
[“I-it’s not your fault……”]
[“I only came here out of curiosity. It would be more meaningful if these got used of being left useless.”]
Saying that, Gaius only kept the amount necessary to exchange, handed the rest to the female customer, and exchanged a fortune pecky to a male staff member.
The casino customer also turned to Gaius with an impressed gaze and thanked him.
It seemed like she was trying to invite Gaius with some sort of meaningful look, but unfortunately, that move didn’t work on him.
“Should we tail them? They seem to be heading somewhere.”
“No, I don’t think there’s any need to chase too far. Instead, let’s prioritize organizing the information.”
“You’re right. They said something interesting after all.”
“Yes…… It is about Brigadier General Wallace.”
Gaius returned, rejoined the group, and Rean and his friends quickly left Raquel.
Rean and his friends returned to Ordis on horseback and had a discussion in the room they were given as their base.
“Gaius, thanks for your hard work. There was a lot of interesting information, but it was all thanks to Gaius.”
“Don’t worry about it. Alisa gave me some advice at the casino and Elliot seems to have picked up some important information as well.”
“It’s also thanks to the fact that Rean and Emma participated in Schmidt’s Classroom. Fufu, I think we’re a surprisingly good team.”
“I’m sure so…… now, let’s address our concerns one by one.”
During the discussion, Group A divided the events into two parts.
One was that Wallace was originally the commander of the Sutherland Army.
The other was the existence of the jaegers. In addition, it was said that they were in a position where they could give instructions to the nobles.
“Brigadier General Wallace-san was originally not Aurelia-san’s adjutant, but the commander of Sutherland Territorial Army…… I think this is definitely important information.”
“You’re right. If you think about it normally, even if a commander was dispatched somewhere, I don’t think they could be assigned to the position of an adjutant. The territorial army is also the military force of the Four Great Nobles after all.”
“If you think about it, does that mean there is something that connects the Lamare Province and the Sutherland Province?”
“Is that where the jaegers come in? Moreover, it is said that they could give instruction to nobles.”
“No, I think they’re separate dots. There’s not enough information to connect them into lines.”
“Okay, let’s contact Jusis here.”
As he said that, Rean operated ARCUS and contacted Jusis.
On the other side of ARCUS, Jusis seemed surprised that he had been contacted, but after hearing the details from Rean, he was convinced, but also wondered at the reason, at the same time.
[“I can understand your doubts. Nobles place great importance on formality in the first place. Marquis Hyarms is someone who embodies ‘noblesse oblige.’ Duke Cayenne doesn’t really get along well with him…… you should be able guess his personality from that. He’s someone who wants to restore the old order, or in other words, the aristocratic supremacy. But if Brigadier General Wallace was sent to General Aurelia despite that, it is likely that some sort of secret order was made.”]
[“Secret order?”]
[“I don’t know what that is, but it is likely that the jaegers are hired by Duke Cayenne and given instructions by him. Otherwise, there’s no way other nobles would listen to jaegers…… Be careful. Even though they are all called the Four Great Nobles, it is rare that they have matched their footsteps. The fact it’s Marquis Hyarms and Duke Cayenne makes it clear that something political is involved. If you stick your head in it, you won’t end up just getting burned.”]
[“What, you’re worried about me?”]
[“…………I’m hanging up.”]
[“Hahah, sorry, sorry. Well, good luck on the field study on your side.”]
[“I will. Later.”]
After finishing the call with Jusis, Rean shared the information he heard with Group A.
Emma opened her notebook and drew a line between Duke Cayenne and Marquis Hyarms, creating an organization chart with jaegers under Duke Cayenne, and the territorial armies connected under both nobles.
“I think this will do for a rough image.”
“But what’s the reason for hiring jaegers?”
“They might be teaching the nobles about tactics used by jaegers…… or if it’s not it, there’s no doubt they are being taught by someone who knows actual combat. Also, it would be great if we can find the training location that Elliot heard about, but……”
“But what are you going to do if you found it? If there is a connection between the nobles and the jaegers, who are also parties in the contract, there’s a little reason for us to get involved.”
“Muu.”
“Yes, I guess so. Unlike Celdic’s incident, it’s not like there’s actual damage, and if they insist that it’s just military training, we can’t pursue it.”
After that, they continued the discussion, but in the end, they decided that there was nothing they could do at this point, so they decided to keep the information in mind, for now.
“Well then, let’s finish our last task for the day.”
“Training with the Territorial Army soldiers… uuh, my stomach is starting to hurt.”
“It’s not like Aurelia-san or Brigadier General Wallace would participate personally, so there’s no need to worry. I’ll just wave the flag to cheer you on.”
“”””Stop that, seriously.””””
With that, in order to complete their final request, the group once again rode to the Juno Naval Fortress.
Author Note:
I noticed a problem after writing in that it might have been better to purchase clothes after suggesting a disguise.
And that when it came to serious conversation, Osbon and Valimar couldn’t help but turn to air.
They also know when to break the atmosphere.
Considering this story that they hadn’t met each other for five years, it meant that Grandpa Gwyn taught Alisa, who was about 12 years old at the time, about the basics of a casino…
Of course, Chairman Irina would choose to go separate ways (misunderstandings).
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