Volume 8 Chapter 13 (2/2)

After bowing repeatedly and then forcing me to take some golden frog-shaped cakes, he returned to work.

I might as well taste it. I see, the color really isn't just because of food coloring.

Considering my rule for the tenant spot—the one about having the lowest-earning merchant being evicted—his cheap frog-shaped cakes put him in a disadvantage. For that reason, it made sense that he increased his prices, but in exchange improved the quality. He even added the allure of good fortune.

My estimation of him had grown slightly better.

Before continuing on, I decided to grab some more cakes so that I could give them to Kuina and the girls later.

Let's see, I think the first race should start some time soon.

◇

My next stop was the theater. More specifically, the VIP room in it. It was a very spacious glass-sided room.

In there pleasantly chatting while enjoying alcohol were Conanna and the VIP guests he had invited. There were a fair number of VIP guests today because, again, it was the casino's opening day. Among them were lords of cities which didn't have Hippogriff airports yet, foreign royalties, and many others of similar caliber.

Perhaps recognizing me from the opening ceremony earlier, these guests greeted me upon my arrival.

To that, I responded with a wide smile.

These people had the power to influence one way or the other the establishment of the Hippogriff airports as well as the promotion of our city in their territory. So, to attract more people to Avalon, I was willing to socialize with them as much as they wanted to.

”So, you're the famous Procell-sama of Avalon I've heard so much of lately.”

”To turn this once empty plot of land into a metropolis like this in just lifetime must take amazing talent, doesn't it?”

”Procell-sama, is it true that you're really a sage, and that you use that power of yours to make miracles happen?”

”Do you have any plans to settle down soon? If so, I actually have a daughter…”

While forcing myself to keep smiling, I interacted with each one of them.

What a pain, the people here are greedier than even the ones completely into the casino.

It wasn't just my imagination. It was very evident that to them, I was already just a being that they could use to further themselves.

Thankfully, Conanna was there to support me.

He had successfully helped me to avoid making any promises to these influential people in such a way that they didn't feel slighted.

This level of finesse made me reflect on how inexperienced I still was.

”Everyone, the race is about to begin soon. Why don't we all enjoy that for now?”

Just a while after Conanna said so, the whole theater got dark and the figures of the Darkness Dragons were seen on the gigantic screen.

The dragons exuded intensity that was leagues apart what they had shown in the mock race before.

The high-resolution of the screen allowed us to see each and every scale on the dragons while the stereophonic sound system allowed us bask in their presence.

Naturally, even the humans around me changed their focus to the dragons.

Before the actual race began, the Darkness Dragons were introduced in a detailed and passionate manner. So much so that it made the understanding of each dragon's characteristics and strengths easy to grasp.

…wait a minute. This voice, isn't it Ruhe's? Good grief, does that girl love festivities so much that she forced her way into doing that?

I wanted to complain, but it couldn't be denied that her explanation did liven the place up.

And then, a background music began playing. It was the kind of tune that amped you up whether you wanted to or not.

The crowd ready, the race finally began. Five hundred pairs of eyes were fixed to the screen, watching as the Darkness Dragons flapped their wings.

Much like the mock race, one dragon flew ahead of the rest to handle the camera and shoot the others.

In the next moment, the competing dragons crossed the starting line. They raced through the complicated course, performing aerial maneuvers more difficult than the ones they pulled off during the opening ceremony.

All the while, Ruhe commentated on the race and thus made the crowd even more excited.

I could feel their excitement flowing into me and it was delicious.

And then, just like that, the dragons were halfway through the course. After coming out of a series of turns, they were to fly in a long and straight path.

At that timing, while Ruhe asked the audience members to look up, the ceiling opened up and the screen turned off.

And what the audience members saw was the Darkness Dragons flying as low as possible without triggering the effects of the dragons' [Awe]. Anyone that saw those dragons were speechless, some even forgot to breath.

Once all of the dragons had passed through, the ceiling was closed and everyone's attention returned to the screen.

After a while, the dragons reached the final straight pathway. The background music and Ruhe's commentary only got more intense.

Giving it all they had left, the dragons raced at the speed of sound. In the next moment, the winner was determined. That honor went to Red Rouge.

A chorus of cheers and screams erupted.

The moment the dragons crossed the finished line, the unbelievably powerful emotions of the 500 people watching flowed into me. It was nothing like earlier. It felt like my chest would explode. It hurt. It physically hurt.

This is supposed to happen six times a day? Haha, this is going to drive me mad. It's so intense, yet it doesn't show any sign of calming down any time soon.

Everyone in the VIP room seemed to have forgotten about everything else too, entirely entranced by the ecstasy the dragons' race had brought them.

Nonetheless, I had to return to working. So, I looked up to the ceiling and calmed down even if by only a little.

”And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Fafnir's dragon race. To those that won in the first race, congratulations. To those that didn't, go get revenge on the next ones.”

When I said so, the VIPs finally snapped back to reality.

”I had no idea the dragon races can be this amazing.”

”I have to boast about this once I return to my country.”

”They're more fascinating than what the legends say.”

”I lost this time, but I'm surely going to win in the next one!”

In their excitement, they forgot about me and talked about the race among themselves.

Conanna saw that chance. While pretending to engage in idle chitchat, he pushed his demands.

Meanwhile, I saw that chance as the opportunity to take my leave. Things might have turned ugly if I stayed.

And so, I rushed to the toilet of a private room.

”Geez, it's like my strength is leaking out of me… My Demon Lord powers are going haywire.”

From the moment the race ended, the excessively strong emotions had been driving my powers out of control.

I was familiar with this sensation. I had felt this before when the Darkness Dragons bombed the group of knights in my war against the humans.

In other words, I was on the verge of unwillingly activating [Awakening].

Needless to say, it wasn't the time nor place to expose my true nature.

”…until I've settled down, I mustn't meet with Kuina and the others. There's no telling what might happen.”

On top of emotions I would get from the races six times a day, there was also the strong emotions from the casino's first floor flowing constantly into me. And this was to happen each and every day.

Indubitably, I had made the step forward in the right direction with opening a casino.

From then on, while still trying to calm myself, I made the rounds and inspected some other things.

Halfway through it, I was surprised to see some of my monsters that were off-duty playing. It would seem that even they were interested in the casino.

Especially Ruhe.

”I'm the commentator, so I know best which one's the fastest!”

While confidently saying such things, she paid a large amount of money to bet on one of the dragons. Everything was going so well until the dragon she betted on went out of bounds. In an instant, she was at the verge of tears.

I sat down somewhere, looked over my shoulders to see that no one would notice, and then summoned my [Demon Lord Book]. While taking a sip of my wine, I opened the book.

”This much in just one day?”

When I looked at my DP, I found that I had earned several days' worth of DP in just one day.

Such was the effect of more than a thousand people giving off exceedingly strong emotions.

Thanks to that, I had earned enough to buy a [Maelstrom]. And if this was to go on, I estimated that I could even buy one Maelstrom every fortnight.

Of course, I could do various other things with DP such as directly buying monsters from the book.

Speaking of which, I should buy an Abyss Howl. If it performs like expected, I'll buy a Maelstrom right away.