Ant Nest, Conquest Completed.
Thanks to the Four Founders from 500 years ago wiping everything out, there were no particularly dangerous monsters left.
The strongest among them was an ant classified as an S-rank by surface standards.
It died.
Esta cut it down in an instant, ensuring the magic stone remained intact, and the creature perished on the spot.
– The Tower was more difficult.
The Diamond Ants had likely spent centuries underground, yearning for the day they could ascend to the surface. However, to someone who had endured the trials of 500 years ago, these creatures were disappointingly weak.
But what could they do?
Back then, there were far more powerful monsters. Even if these ants had fought to survive for 500 years, they had only lived within their confined world.
Had they at least encountered new threats from the outside, it might have been different. But for five centuries, they had only seen the same faces, growing larger just to compete for survival.
A prolonged state of equilibrium.
For decades, maybe centuries, they had merely guarded their territories, waiting for an opportunity to devour each other.
While they had ample combat experience against their own kind, ironically, they had none against anything else. That made our conquest significantly easier.
Experience Is everything.
One must experience things firsthand.
Without trying, how can one determine whether they have a talent for something?
If you attempt something and feel no aptitude for it, you can simply give up or find another path. Who could fault you for that?
Every individual has their own gifts, and this world is no exception.
Someone may have the potential to become a Grand Mage, capable of increasing their mana beyond 100. Yet, they might excel even more in another field.
For instance, gambling.
“So you want to gamble against Baron Balzac to ensure he doesn’t touch the magic stones from this ant nest?”
“That’s the gist of it, Miss Ludmila.”
After hunting down the ants, I pointed at the massive pile of magic stones (High-Purity Mana Stones) filling the nest.
“If we haul these to the surface, we’ll have to give Baron Balzac a share, won’t we?”
“Hmm…”
Ludmila, an adventurer known as [Cutting Wind] before being an Esdinas Academy student, frowned slightly.
“Even if Silverstar supports us, refusing to share anything with the territory’s lord might cause problems later.”
She was well aware of industry norms. Hunters who antagonized lords often suffered the consequences, especially when transporting magic stones.
“If this were Marchioness Ludvecia, we could just treat it as a tax or service fee. But Baron Balzac is a different case.”
I knew that too.
“Senior Yurha, what do you think would happen if we just handed over a portion of the magic stones to Balzac as a settlement fee?”
“It’d be better to let Vinyudan handle it. Not the Azure Flame Squad, but the real Vinyudan.”
“Silverstar recommending Vinyudan? Is Baron Balzac that much of a degenerate?”
“He’d squander all the magic stones on gambling. He doesn’t even consider his territory’s income his own.”
“That bad?”
Ludmila, who had no direct dealings with Balzac, was astonished.
Even among corrupt nobles, most just imposed higher taxes. It was rare for one to blow everything on gambling.
“More importantly…”
“More importantly?”
“His gambling victims are his own people.”
“…Excuse me?”
“He lures in wealthier citizens and tenant farmers, promising them a year of tax exemption if they win, or demanding their entire fortune if they lose.”
“…”
“And the worst part? He’s actually skilled at gambling. It’s nearly impossible for them to win.”
“Then what should we do?”
“The answer is simple.”
Yurha extended her hand toward me.
“Since Phoenix has a plan, let’s hear it.”
“It’s straightforward. We just keep winning, while Senior Yurha continuously loans Balzac money until he’s in debt beyond recovery.”
“You make it sound easy, but isn’t the real problem actually beating that gambler?”
Evangeline raised a fair point.
“Is that possible?”
“Of course.”
“Are you good at gambling?”
“If you’re asking whether I gamble well… let’s just say I never lose.”
Evangeline and the others exchanged glances.
They were clearly wondering what hidden skill I had to be so confident.
I simply shrugged.
“No need to be nervous. I’ll just show you. I’ll disguise myself so they don’t recognize me as an Academy student, blend in as an ordinary traveler, and fleece the Baron at the gambling table.”
“I won’t doubt you if you’re this sure, but… what if you fail?”
“If gambling doesn’t work, we’ll ruin him another way. Silverstar specializes in that.”
It was all about framing.
Would Balzac be remembered as a lord ruined by Silverstar’s schemes, or as a fool who gambled himself into bankruptcy?
“So you’re not telling us your exact strategy until we reach the gambling table?”
“Exactly.”
“Fine. Then… when are we going?”
“Right now.”
I pointed at the mountain of magic stones around us.
“Try refining the mana within these magic stones—whether by processing or polishing them—flow mana through them and practice purifying it. It’s better to get accustomed to the mana’s residual flow here than to deal with the foul stench at the gambling den.”
Yeah. This was the better option.
“Rather than painstakingly hauling all these magic stones one by one, it’s more efficient to integrate them with the ant nest and turn them into a single ‘vein’ of ore.”
Melting down magic stones that lack angelic power, liquefying them, then resolidifying them into crystals—
That was how these students would later wield their ‘Final Weapons’.
A type of ‘shape-memory mana’.
In its dormant state, it existed as a thin barrier spread across the body. But in battle, it would convert into its true weapon form, manifesting as a powerful ether weapon.
“You can melt all of this and let it seep into the ant nest floor. Train to your heart’s content. There’s no risk of damage, and if the rights to this land transfer from Balzac to Ludvecia, we can mine it freely later.”
“Are you planning to have the Blue Fire Squad dig it up with pickaxes?”
“Of course. It wouldn’t be right to have delicate ladies handle such heavy labor, would it?”
“…”
Everyone glanced at each other at my words.
“Well, that’s true.”
“It’s best to leave such work to those who are prepared for it.”
“I’m a princess, you know.”
Accepting my proposal, the students of the Vermilion Bird Class extended their hands toward the ant-shaped magic stones, channeling their mana into them.
—Fsssshhhhh.
The crystallized magic stones began to dissolve, as if their seals were being undone, melting away. The students spread the mana onto the walls or infused it deep within the cavern.
“Won’t this make it harder to extract later?”
“Even if it does, that’s fine. The struggle will only make Vinyudan stronger.”
“Exactly. Who knows? Maybe while breaking the magic stones, fragments will enter their mouths and enhance their mana capacity—or even their chests.”
Like a proper magic ore vein.
“Phoenix will handle the gambling. Our job is to turn this hunting ground into a mana mine—and practice forming ‘Mana Skins’ while we’re at it.”
* * *
A little later.
Leaving the special class to train underground with the magic stones, I stepped outside with Yurha.
“Here, your war funds.”
Yurha handed me a rather hefty pouch of gold coins.
“Even if you lose it all, it doesn’t matter. Enjoy yourself.”
“Senior Yurha, do you think I made all this effort just because I wanted to gamble?”
“Of course not. I’m just saying that this is money you can afford to lose, so do as you please.”
Yurha shrugged lightly.
“If I can’t even support a man to that extent, I wouldn’t make a very good financier, would I?”
“Are you saying you’re my backer?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. What, were you thinking something else? Want to say it out loud?”
“I’ll pass on that.”
I tucked the gold pouch into my coat.
“So, will you tell me now? How do you plan to win every single bet?”
“It’s simple. Fold when I have a losing hand, and bet when I have a winning one.”
“…What, do you have clairvoyance or something?”
“Something like that, but more than that—”
Whoosh.
“I don’t need to cheat when I have the God of Gambling on my side.”
As long as I eat mint chocolate, the Gambling God within me guarantees victory.
“If I can read the mana patterns seeping into all 52 cards and identify them by the back alone, isn’t winning just a matter of course?”
“…”
“These eyes… they see lines very clearly.”
The way to beat a skilled gambler in a game of chance—
Was to use an outright cheat.
