Even as they entered the hidden space under guidance, the knights were still bewildered.

They made a scene, but ended up getting treated very well and taken to the best lounge.

And on top of that, they gained a strange comrade.

Could the employees, who took the lead and treat us as precious guests, have guessed that each and every one of their actions was calculated?

The clerk was polite but clearly hostile when he pretended to be a regular customer.

But with that one small, if insignificant, act of throwing his purse on the floor, Arendt brought about the result they needed.

It was honestly creepy how he could do something like that so naturally.

Is it usually possible to calculate that…? The expressions on the knights’ faces became complicated.

Well, the situation wasn’t anything new, since even the high-ranking officials of the palace were playing around on the palm of that guy’s hand.

“The bar doesn’t look that big. Did they make a passageway leading to another building?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s a slightly renovated commercial building.”

“Hmm, that must have cost quite a bit of money.”

The area around the bar was a busy area with other commercial buildings right next to each other. Behind the walls of the buildings lined up in a row, they had created a hidden corridor leading to what they called a ‘lounge’.

“Do all other guests receive guidance like this? That might be a bit annoying. You’ll also have to be careful about keeping it a secret.”

“You are my dear guests, and there is no bother. There is a separate passageway for other guests. This is a place where only special guests are welcome.”

“I see.”

Arendt nodded indifferently.

When the conversation showed signs of dying down, the guide glanced at them and changed the subject.

“This might be a personal question, but… are you two brothers?”

It seemed like he wanted to draw Richt, who had been keeping his mouth shut until now, into a conversation.

When Richt paused, Arendt nodded naturally.

“Because my brother doesn’t know how to have fun, I brought him on a long trip with me. I usually travel a lot, but my brother is the heir to the title, so he can’t go out and about.”

“Ah… we didn’t recognize you, Master. We apologize.”

“He’s not used to this kind of situation, so don’t bother him too much. And since he’s as old-fashioned as he looks, I’m sure he doesn’t like the current situation very much. Don’t you think so?”

Arendt glanced in his direction and made a joking remark that made Richt realize what he had to do.

When he turned his head slightly with a look of displeasure, Arendt shrugged his shoulders in satisfaction.

“Since you’re out to play, why don’t you relax a little?”

“…”

“It’s not fun.”

When Richt kept his mouth shut, Arendt also stopped trying to make him talk. This way, no one would bother talking nonsense to him.

The rather long hallway finally came to an end.

The guide who ran first opened the door decorated with ornate carvings wide.

The first thing that struck his sensitive senses was the subtle change in the air. The smell of alcohol, perfume, and the thick smell of cigarette smoke mixed together and assaulted his sense of smell.

The noise of chatter followed.

Arendt walked briskly into a room where someone was laughing out loud and a drunkard was spouting off slurred speech.

What greeted him was the balcony on the second floor.

On the high ceiling, a huge chandelier shone like the sun, and the lower floor was clearly visible beyond the antique-style railing.

“Wow…”

It was so absurd that exclamations came out on their own.

The first floor was filled with people enjoying themselves.

At tables laden with bottles of liquor, older gentlemen puffed on cigars while well-dressed waiters busily served drinks and food.

In the gambling hall on one side, wide-eyed gentlemen and ladies were trembling, clutching their last remaining gold coins.

Among them, there were mercenaries like Saif.

Some people kept gulping down alcohol out of nervousness. Some people were smiling broadly, hugging their fat pockets.

“What do you think? Isn’t it pretty cool?”

“Wow, that’s great. I didn’t know there was a place like this.”

“I thought you’d like it. How about enjoying the atmosphere first? I’ll be here to give you some guidance if you need it.”

“I’m grateful, but there are a lot of burdens.”

As he said that, Arendt pretended to glance behind him, and the guide quickly nodded.

“I will assign someone to your older brother. I think it would be better for him to adapt slowly.”

“Invite him to a quiet place. He doesn’t like loud noises. As I said before, don’t talk to him unnecessarily. Hey, you. Just follow me.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Arthur quickly followed him. Arendt, who had been watching to see if he would escape, grabbed Saif by the collar and smiled at Richt.

“Brother, I’ll see you later.”

“…Okay, I understand.”

Richt nodded with a stiff face, as if he really didn’t want to do it.

Arthur glanced slightly worriedly at Richt as he walked away, guided by another employee.

‘Is this okay?’

Up to this point, everything went smoothly as previously discussed.

Arendt’s opinion was that it would be difficult to arouse suspicion by just hanging around aimlessly, so they should split into two and examine the inside.

“Seniors, please settle down in one place and check out the atmosphere. Arthur and I will walk around and gather information.”

The tone was harsh, but what he said wasn’t wrong, so they quietly agreed.

But… was it really okay? That was the extent of the strategy. From now on, they really had to move according to their own judgments.

Arthur’s concern was that Arendt was a person who did not reveal his true feelings.

‘There must be another ulterior motive.’

Taking action alone with Arendt meant that whatever he did, he would have to bear the full brunt of it.

“By the way, you’re really good at talking. What’s your name?”

“My name is Merlin, Young Master.”

In the meantime, Arendt was exchanging questions with the manager.

“Merlin, has this place been built a long time ago? It wouldn’t have been easy to avoid detection.”

“It’s all thanks to the people above for all their work. Thanks to them, we can serve our guests comfortably.”

Wherever he looked, his eyes got dizzy from the gorgeous decorations, and the heavy smell of smoke and perfume made him feel sick.

It was a space where one should not step foot even accidentally unless it was for a mission, but Arendt had completely blended in. He naturally looked around here and there, then met Merlin’s gaze again, asked questions, and showed curiosity.

But Arthur knew that every single gesture and every single tone of voice was done on purpose.

He was an amazing guy in many ways.

The problem was finding the missing person…

In a space like this, it seemed like even if a person disappeared without a trace, no one would know.

People didn’t pay any attention to others, and more than half of them seemed to be out of their minds, either drunk or gambling.

It didn’t seem like they’d be able to learn anything by eavesdropping on the conversations of those guests. Likewise, it didn’t seem easy to get anything from that Merlin guy or any of the other servants who wore the same uniform.

In that situation, it didn’t seem like the people they left behind would be of much help.

‘What are you thinking?’

The only thing he could hope for now was the wit of that annoying junior.

As if reading his thoughts, Arendt suddenly stopped walking. Saif and Arthur, who were walking beside him, also stopped reflexively.

“Then first of all…”

Arthur swallowed dryly when he heard Arendt’s voice.

Arendt glanced back and blurted out.

“Shall we play too?”

“Yes?”

He barely managed to catch himself from blurting out informal language out of habit.

Merlin smiled brightly.

“You’ve come all this way, so of course you should. I’ll show you to a good seat.”

“If we do it well, we will have a lot of money to spend.”

Arendt, who smiled faintly along with him, looked like a 20-year-old young master with great anticipation for the unknown world.

Even Arthur, who knew full well that it was an act, felt chills for a moment.

“You guys should enjoy it too. Okay.”

Arendt rummaged through his belongings, took out a handful of gold coins, and handed them to Saif and Arthur.

Both people’s eyes widened.

“All of this?”

“How much is this? Why are your hands shaking?”

When the frightened Saif woke up and asked, Arendt snickered.

Arthur was equally as astonished.

Arthur knew very well that the man was rich. He would no longer receive any support from his family, but he had connections with the Neumann family.

Besides, there would still be some magic stones left over given by the Crown Prince, so even if he sold just a few of them, he would have more than enough to spend lavishly.

But he’s just going to scatter them here?

Regardless of whether Arthur’s head was filled with questions or not, Arendt strode toward the table where the game was in full swing.

Merlin quickly explained the rules from the side.

“You spin the roulette and throw a steel ball into it. If you guess which number square the steel ball lands in when the roulette stops, you win.”

“It’s good because it’s simple.”

The circular roulette wheel installed in the middle of the table was divided into squares numbered from 1 to 100.

“Wow!”

Just then, a loud cheer erupted from the other table, as the results had come out. The maddening heat, a mixture of screams and excited exclamations, drove the frenzied men and women further and further into the abyss.

Arthur, who was staring blankly at the sight, sighed deeply and collected the gold coins.

His feelings and emotions didn’t really matter right now. This was work.

As Arendt joined the empty table, Merlin quickly stepped forward and shouted for everyone to hear.

“Here, the young master will also join us. I hope he will have a pleasant time.”

“Oh…! This is a face I’m seeing for the first time.”

“How about it, do you have any money?”

Naturally, the reaction was hot.

Arthur gave up and decided to just watch what his junior did. Maybe this was the place where he could best demonstrate his special talents.

That strange ability to capture people’s attention.

Kuung!

The bag of money fell onto the table with a rather heavy sound.

The gamblers’ eyes widened at the sight of gold coins and jewels through the slightly opened bag. Needless to say, Merlin’s mouth was glued to his ears.

Arendt sat down on the chair with a sly smile.

“What a useless question.”

His playful golden eyes sparkled with a strange light under the chandelier light.