Chapter 323: Dopamine (2)

Translator: DreamscribeA platinum maid uniform!

What a dazzling name that was!

The nobles gathered around Lont swallowed hard at those words.

I want it!

I want it so badly it's driving me crazy!

Many of the nobles were feeling this thrilling emotion for the very first time.

Lont was one of them.

The nobles grew embarrassed by their own attire.

They were dressed worse than those servants and maids, so of course they were embarrassed.

"Kh, khm...."

"It's a bit chilly."

"R-right? I-I should put on a coat."

Many of the nobles quietly put on the coats they'd brought along to hide their clothes. The outfits they'd been so busy boasting about just moments ago now felt terribly tacky.

"The dress code for this Legion Founding Ceremony is white, symbolizing the boundless glory of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. His Highness has graciously prepared attire for all of you. These are being 'lent' to you, so please handle them with care."

When they followed the maids inside, they saw outfits displayed on mannequins.

The nobles could do nothing but marvel.

A beauty that was refined yet held a certain splendor.

It was nothing short of culture shock.

On top of that, every bit of pointless formality had been stripped away, making them look comfortable to wear.

The finishing touch was the mask.

The masks, arranged to match each outfit, gave off a mysterious air.

A maid bowed politely and explained the masks to them.

"His Highness wishes for all of you to enjoy yourselves without worrying about appearances. Now then, allow me to help you change."

With assistance, Lont changed his clothes and put on the mask. Looking in the mirror, a gentleman with a mysterious aura was gazing back at him. Since it covered half of his face, it seemed anyone who didn't know him intimately would have trouble guessing his identity.

When he stepped out into the corridor leading to the rooms, he saw the other nobles. None of them had gone into their rooms; instead, they stood looking at one another, chatting.

The atmosphere was different.

'What is this?'

What could it be?

This emotion, this feeling!

Strange sensations surged over him, like ripples spreading across the surface of a still lake. The other nobles wearing masks seemed to feel the same way, their exposed ears and napes flushed red.

The warship carrying the nobles descended upon Reist's Golden Palace.

Quite a few of the nobles had visited the Golden Palace before, since Reist had summoned them for a banquet the moment the Golden Palace was completed.

But the Golden Palace that now unfolded before their eyes was different.

"T-this place is...."

"T-the Golden Palace?"

The nobles forgot all decorum, mouths hanging open in a daze as they stared at the Golden Palace.

Dazzling neon signs and drones adorning the sky.

It presented a scene that felt like arriving in a heaven made of light.

PAAAAAH!

The warships revealed themselves, spilling out an immense presence. Pure-white, massive warships that looked like moving castles, along with their escort ships, soared over the nobles, trailing long halos of light.

"Whoaaa...."

"Ohh...."

All of this harmonized with the gold-adorned Golden Palace, stealing away everyone's eyes, hearts, and minds.

Lont stood there in a daze for a while before being guided inside the Golden Palace.

The Golden Palace's enormous banquet hall, where the Legion Founding Ceremony would be held, was laid with a luxurious red carpet, and the tables were spread with foods he'd never seen before. And there were several tables of unknown purpose, things covered with fine cloth.

'Is it some kind of weapons demonstration?'

The nobles did hold weapons demonstrations among themselves at times, but quite a few of them regarded such things as barbaric, so they weren't popular.

Servants in black vests moved around carrying trays, handing out wine. Lont took a sip of wine.

"O-oh! Ohh!"

His whole body trembled.

He'd never experienced such a rich aroma.

This was surely the fine wine His Majesty the Emperor had bestowed upon His Highness the Prince!

"A taste like this...."

"T-to think His Highness thinks of us so dearly!"

"Aah!"

Beautiful clothes and fine liquor.

And that overwhelming welcoming ceremony too!

His Highness truly is one who carries the great bloodline!

Loyalty boiled up in Lont's heart.

The sound of beautiful music he'd never heard before drifted into the nobles' ears as if seeping in. Drinking wine while listening to the enchanting music sent a tingle from his head to his toes.

Tat!

Just then, all the lights suddenly went out, and a pin spotlight lit up the stage.

Reist Dion Kalsus, the 4th Imperial Prince, master of this planet, and lord over the hero Kalgul, appeared upon the stage.

He was beautiful.

Reist looked far more beautiful than before.

It was as if the light itself was blessing him. The nobles stared blankly at Reist before startling and moving to drop to their knees.

Gazing upon the Prince's face without his permission was an enormous discourtesy. If they didn't press their heads to the ground and apologize quickly, their heads would roll.

"Enough."

But Reist stopped them.

He looked at the nobles and grinned. Then he slowly spread both arms.

"I am generous."

Reist's powerful voice gripped the nobles.

When he snapped his fingers, the music that had stopped began to flow again, and the lights came on.

"By the name of Reist Dion Kalsus, I command you. Enjoy this day."

At Reist's command, the nobles hesitated, glancing around, before erupting into cheers.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

The sound of regular footsteps could be heard.

Kalgul, the Knight Order, high-ranking officers, and elite soldiers entered the banquet hall. The firearms they carried spun splendidly through the air before folding into their crisp, disciplined movements.

When the one at the very front, the only one clad in black armor, came to a halt, all movement stopped.

"Present arms to His Highness the Prince!"

They performed a salute of a form no one had seen before in front of Reist, then stood proudly.

At the sight, Lont swallowed hard.

Goosebumps rose all over his body as a thrill ran through him. He could picture that invincible legion overwhelming the Dimensional Predators in his mind.

"...Impressive."

The noble behind Lont muttered that. He didn't seem to be a noble from this place. His manner of speech carried the accent of somewhere deep within the Sanctuary.

Reist slowly raised his hand and pointed at the nobles.

"Soldiers! Behold those you must protect!"

Snap!

The knights and soldiers turned their heads in unison to look at the nobles. Quite a few nobles, overwhelmed by their gazes, flinched and stepped back. Lont simply stood frozen in place, holding his breath and not making a sound.

"Climb over the corpses of your fallen comrades and press forward! Never stop! I! They! All of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire will remember you!"

Reist nodded.

"You are our very sword!"

The Knight Order and the soldiers bowed their heads with crisp discipline.

"Long live the Kalsus Dimensional Empire!"

"For His Majesty the great Emperor!"

"Prince Reist! May you bask in glory for all eternity!"

When Reist nodded at the shouts of every knight and soldier, the nobles broke into applause and cheers.

It surged up!

Patriotism was surging up in full force!

Unable to contain his emotions, Lont hopped up and down on the spot and nearly toppled over.

When Reist crooked his finger, the one clad in black armor who had stood at the very front approached him. As he knelt, Kalgul, standing beside Reist, drew a sword and courteously handed it to Reist.

"Gord, I appoint you Supreme Commander."

Reist laid the sword on his shoulder and pinned the insignia on him personally.

"General Gord. I shall look forward to your exploits."

"I will devote my utmost loyalty."

No one knew where he came from, but that General Gord was without a doubt one of the Prince's trusted confidants. From the bit of hair peeking out beneath his helmet, he seemed to be a noble.

"Now then...."

As General Gord withdrew, Reist grinned and looked at the nobles.

"Let us enjoy ourselves in earnest."

As if the Legion Founding Ceremony had been merely an appetizer, Reist made his declaration. Amid the anticipation of Lont and the nobles, a banquet of an entirely new form, unprecedented in the history of the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, began!

* * *

Through this Legion Founding Ceremony, Jinwoo had made General Gord debut into the Kalsus Dimensional Empire. Since it only required simple words and gestures, he controlled and moved him directly.

An Imperial Prince had the authority to bestow titles. High-ranking nobles required the Emperor's permission, but nobles at the rank of baron or so could be freely appointed and placed under his command.

The joining of high-ranking nobles was, more than anything, a rise in power. That was why the rumor that Kalgul had joined Reist's ranks had drawn so much attention.

'A general commanding four legions.'

He held command authority stamped with the Emperor's own seal, and he had a Prince backing him. Beyond the Dimensional Barrier, who could possibly defy General Gord?

'I'm looking forward to meeting the Heroes again.'

General Gord had left a powerful impression on the Heroes during the Episode 6 prologue. A considerable number of Heroes were gnashing their teeth over it. This time they met, he wanted to show them an even more spectacular sight. The staging was already forming in his mind, but the true purpose of this Legion Founding Ceremony wasn't General Gord's debut.

It was to teach the nobles here about gambling from Earth. When Jinwoo grinned and snapped his fingers, the servants who had been waiting began to pull away the cloths that had been covering something.

The gold dust caked all over the cloths swayed beautifully as countless gambling machines revealed themselves. The servants brought over tables and filled the various empty spaces, and slot machines were set up along one side.

"T-that's...?"

"W-what is that?"

"I've never seen these before...."

The nobles wore bewildered expressions. They had absolutely no idea what the objects were for.

"These are things I made with special care this time. Think of them as games you play by wagering money."

The waiting servants handed antique-looking boxes to the nobles. When they opened the boxes, chips were inside. The chips were arranged clearly by denomination, so the nobles understood right away.

"Enjoy the games with those chips. The servants will show you how, so give it a try. You can exchange the chips at the exchange counter, so if you run short or wish to trade for Imperial gold coins, go and see them."

The nobles seemed unsure of where to even begin.

When Jinwoo gestured, the servants approached the nobles.

Berto, standing beside the servants, had bloodshot eyes; up until the previous day he'd been gambling with the servants, lost his entire fortune, and even fallen into debt.

Jinwoo had trained the clever servants into dealers. To fill in the gaps, he'd also transmuted Bio-Golems and made them into dealers.

Unfortunately, Berto, who had gambled against the dealers Jinwoo made, had no choice but to lose everything he'd built up until now.

'It's not sleight of hand, it's magic.'

A magical touch capable of manipulation had been built in as standard. He'd instructed them to give maximum dopamine while making players lose.

Berto stood with a solemn expression, but his hands were trembling. His hands seemed to be positively itching.

Jinwoo called out to Berto.

"You seem to have not slept much."

"M-my apologies."

Jinwoo smiled warmly for once.

"It's fine. I always remember your hard work."

"Y-Your Highness...!"

Jinwoo handed Berto a pouch full of gold coins.

"I'll lend it to you."

"What? S-such a large sum...."

"I heard you lost a great deal yesterday."

"T-that's right. I did take a loss because I was one card short, but I feel I can win today."

"Then isn't this a chance to multiply it several times over?"

"Precisely!"

Berto's expression turned grave with resolve.

"You enjoy yourself along with them too. Win and pay it back. I'm lending this to you alone, as a special favor."

"Your grace is boundless! Your Highness!"

Win and pay it back!

A new concept had been installed in Berto's head. He hurried off with quick steps to join the nobles. The servants explained the rules of the games to the nobles. The very first thing they taught was the slot machine, which only required pulling a lever.

Wrapped in dazzling lights, the slot machine looked like a treasure chest to the nobles.

"Let us begin with the slot machine."

A Bio-Golem servant demonstrated with a courteous manner.

Insert a chip, then just pull.

DING-DING-DING-DING!

The pictures on the slot machine spun wildly, and lights flashed and sparkled along with a cheerful melody. It was so exciting that their bodies started swaying on their own.

Tak! Tak! Tak!

When the pictures lined up, chips began pouring out of the slot machine.

"Hgh!"

"A-are the chips being duplicated?"

At the nobles' startled reactions, the servant explained with a smile.

"It seems I'm lucky today. When the pictures line up like this, you can win chips. If common pictures like these all line up, it's double the chips you put in, and if His Highness's beautiful visage lines up, it's a whopping ten thousand times."

"T-t-ten thousand times?!"

"C-can those chips be exchanged for gold coins?"

The servant nodded at the nobles' questions.

"Yes, you can exchange them for Imperial gold coins at the exchange counter anytime. And you can also trade them for the treasures His Highness has specially prepared."

The nobles murmured among themselves.

A baron with a fair amount of money was the first to insert chips and pull the slot machine. A rare picture lined up, and exactly double the chips he'd put in came pouring out.

"I-I did it! Whoaaaa! Ha, hahaha!"

Dopamine exploded in the baron's head!

The nobles all pulled the levers, one and all.

Many nobles lost their chips, but some nobles emerged having won a fair amount too.

Everyone was in a state of extreme excitement.

Jinwoo nodded as he watched.

He'd set it up so they could put in as many chips as they wanted, without limit.

"Now then, shall we move on to the next game?"

The nobles seemed reluctant to leave the slot machines, hardly letting go of the levers in their grip.

"The next game will be even more fun!"

When Berto cut in with a word, the nobles all nodded and followed the servant. The servant calmly explained the games and gave demonstrations.

Sure enough, the crown jewels of gambling were the table games.

Blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, Pai Gow poker, Three Card poker, Sic Bo, Caribbean Stud, and countless other games were prepared.

Jinwoo was a little surprised watching the nobles learn the rules.

They'd looked stupid, but surprisingly they grasped the servants' explanations well and picked things up quickly. Though he'd altered things a bit to suit the Kalsus Dimensional Empire, they showed remarkably fast comprehension.

Of course they were dead serious when it came to playing.

"Huh? Huh? Huuuuh?! Whoaaaaaa!"

A noble who had won chips screamed like a madman.

He was the poorest noble among all those gathered here.

"I-I must be lucky! Kyaaaa! Your Highness! A thousand years, a thousand years, ten thousand thousand years! May you live in eternal health!"

The noble made a deep, full bow toward Jinwoo.

Jinwoo smiled gently and waved his hand at him.

"I feel like I can win next time."

"Hmm, by my calculations, the next hand should be...."

A noble who had lost his chips rose from his seat and ran to the exchange counter. His face held less of the memory of losing his chips and more of the ecstasy of success he'd tasted, however briefly.

As the nobles grew accustomed to the games, the atmosphere began to heat up feverishly. They couldn't come to their senses amid this insane fun they were tasting for the first time. The competition between them gave a chewy, satisfying thrill, and the joy of victory and the sorrow of defeat created a powerful addictiveness.

It was no different from downing a whole bowl of narcotics.

"Drink while you play."

Jinwoo had specially prepared soft drinks.

The nobles who drank the soft drinks felt their whole bodies tingle. The taste aside, he'd added a bit of manipulation so they could feel even more pleasure. Their sense of time would dull, and they'd be able to focus solely on the games.

The spies who had come from deep within the Sanctuary to watch over Reist were also addicted to the gambling, unable to come to their senses.

"Kyaaaaaaak! This is it! What did I tell you? I said I'd win!"

"Guaaah! So close."

"Bet it all!"

"I worked out a hand ranking, see...."

Jinwoo laughed with delight as he gazed upon the scene of pandemonium.

*****

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