"A-alright… w-what am I supposed to do here?"
Gareth's hands hovered awkwardly on the edge of the table. His voice was filled with uncertainty. It didn't help that he could feel everyone's eyes on him.
"It's simple. Watch me first, Gareth, and you'll get it in no time." Leonard whispered before nudging the dice cup toward him.
Anika grinned and clapped her hands again. The brightness in her tone pulled the crowd back to focus.
"Alright, everyone! Let's continue! Who's next?"
Coins clinked as the player in front tossed them forward.
"What's your bet, my friend?"
"High!"
Leonard picked up the dice cup and gave it a firm shake. He put on a playful smile before letting the dice tumble on the table.
"Whoa! Dear heavens! My luck today is too good!" The man shouted out loud as the dice revealed a 4. He raised both his arms up high and repeatedly jumped in excitement.
"I told you! I'm gonna be rich today!" He muttered for another time before laughing out loud. After a few seconds, Anika gave him his winnings.
The reactions of the crowd were instant. Some slapped the air in frustration and jealousy, while others burst out laughing and congratulated the man. Even those on the side, who don't play, smiled and cheered as if they were part of it too.
At first, Gareth was looking at everything stiffly. His brows furrowed together.
"This is ridiculous." He found himself whispering under his breath.
He had never seen anything like this.
Rolling a wooden object that they call a dice, betting coins, shouting over wins and losses—everything was strange to him.
He wasn't used to it. He had never seen anything like it before. But looking at the table now, Gareth realized something. What they were doing now was a game of probability. A game of luck and chance.
His throat tightened as he thought of it further.
"Win or lose?" he whispered.
And just like that, he found himself remembering his old days.
For Gareth, the battlefield was no different. Every swing of a sword, every clash of a shield, and every arrow that flew all boiled down to the same thing. Either you won or you lost. Either you lived… or you didn't.
His grip tightened on his crutch. The groans of those who lost, the cheers of those who won, reminded him of his comrades shouting in battle. The randomness of survival. The cruel and simple chance that separated life from death.
But here, it wasn't cruel.
That's what unsettled him.
He looked closer at the players. The ones who lost didn't cry or didn't beg. They laughed instead as they cursed their bad luck before going off the line to make way for the next player.
While the ones who won… their faces lit up like children. They pulled their winning coins to their hearts as if they had just been handed hope itself. Some who won big, even handed some coins to their fellow players.
"So that's what this is," Gareth murmured as if he had just found something new in this place.
The outskirts were harsh. He knew that more than anyone. He had lived here since he got kicked out of the army.
Goods were cheap here, yes, but wages were also pitifully low. A worker might only earn a single gold coin in a day. For one man, that was enough. But for a family? For mouths to feed three times a day?
That gold is like a mere change. One decent meal alone costs a silver coin. So most days, parents ate less just so their children could eat.
Gareth should have despised this game. He wanted to. He wanted to call it a trick and a scam. But the more he watched, the more he saw something else.
People weren't here because they were being forced. They were here because they wanted to be. Because for a moment, as the dice rolled, they find hope and entertainment.
Even those who only stood at the sides and weren't betting, were laughing, clapping, joining the cheer.
'This is ridiculous,' Gareth thought as he shook his head. 'This is absolutely ridiculous.'
And yet he had to admit that it made people feel alive.
Gareth swallowed hard as he continued to stare at Leonard as he shook the cup again with his usual playful grin.
"The battlefield decides who lives or dies," Gareth muttered under his breath. "But here… It's the same risk, and they laugh at it."
For the first time in years, Gareth's lips curved into a genuine smile. It was not because he found the game fun, but because, it was just too ridiculous for him.
For the first time in years, Gareth's lips curved into a genuine smile. It was not because he found the game fun, but because it was just too ridiculous for him.
After a whole hour of watching, Gareth stood up from his seat. He swallowed and looked at Leonard.
"Leonard," he muttered in a low voice, "Can I try that?"
Leonard's grin widened when he heard those words.. He set the cup down in front of Gareth and nodded.
"Of course, Man. Finally. It took you long enough."
"I've never touched something like this before," Gareth admitted stiffly.
"That's fine. I'll guide you," Leonard replied.
Gareth picked up the cup slowly, feeling its light weight in his calloused hand. The wood was smooth and was lighter than he expected. He gave it a hesitant shake and the diced made a sound inside.
When Anika saw it, she clapped her hands excitedly.
"Alright, everyone! It looks like we've got someone new! How about a group bet, just this once?"
The people in front raised their coins instantly. A handful of coins clinked onto the table as the first 6 players made their choices.
"High!"
"Low!"
"Come on, luck, don't fail me!"
Gareth stared at the silver coins for a second.
Leonard leaned in, his voice barely a whisper that only Gareth could hear it. He didn't want anyone to know his tricks.
"So Gareth, just shake it like this, " Leonard gave a quick demonstration with his hand. "Then remove the cup and let it fall on the table to reveal the dice."
Gareth followed stiffly. He was unsure at first, but with Leonard's guidance, he got the hang of it.
The crowd held its breath as Gareth revealed the coin.
It was a 6.
"High!" someone shouted.
"Yes! I knew it!" another cried out loud before grabbing his winnings from Anika's hands.
Groans and laughter filled the air again.
Gareth blinked at the result, as though trying to understand how such a small act had drawn such a reaction from the people
Leonard chuckled to himself, crossing his arms as he watched.
'So this is how training an employee feels like…' he thought, getting amusement. 'I never imagined myself doing this.'
As the game continued, Leonard stayed by Gareth's side. He guided him when his movements were too clumsy and asked him to interact with the people too. Anika also helped and joked with the crowd more frequently than she usually does because Gareth was still awkward.
However, as hours passed, Gareth's motions grew more natural.
Hours slipped by before they could realize it. After a while, the crowd began to lessen. When the sun started to dip lower in the sky, Leonard called it a day.
"Alright, guys! It's the end now! We'll pack up and come back again here tomorrow."
Leonard's announcement caused a few negative reactions, but people still bid goodbye to him goodbye nonetheless.
Once they were left alone, Leonard gave Gareth a tap on his shoulder.
"You're good, Man. Just a few practices and you would have nailed it." He muttered out loud.
However, Gareth remained standing still. He just stared at the cup and dice in his hands as if he found himself in an amusing situation.
"Did I just do that for hours without realizing it?" Gareth muttered in disbelief.
"Yup."
"…"
Gareth found himself in a state of bewilderment.
"So, if you want to learn again. Just come here again, tom—" Before Leonard could continue his words, Gareth suddenly turned to him, his eyes were opened widely.
"Leonard, I'm in," he muttered firmly. "I want this. Take me in."
===
A/N:
I just wanted to announce that the novel will soon turn premium! I'm thinking of locking the chapters on September 29th to give way to the new readers who want to read this novel.
Premium chapters will start on the next chapter!
Thank you for all of your support so far. Really appreciate it.