“We’ll leave this to Kii.” Polt took Draco and left for the floor.
Kii shuffled the cards in her branch-like fingers without a word.
“Um. So. What brings you here?” Kimihito asked her.
She didn’t normally wear clothes, as dryads needed plenty of exposed skin to perform photosynthesis, but today she was dressed in the standard bunny suit. Her appearance varied depending on her nutrient level—from small and flat to tall and curvy—and she’d filled up so she could fill out the uniform. Like the kobolds, she’d given the ears a pass; her head was covered in vines and leaves instead of hair, so putting them on must’ve been too difficult. “Polt requested it. She was shorthanded,” she said.
“I see.”
“Honestly, I wouldn’t have come, but I owed Polt—she cleans the mountain sometimes. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful.”
Kimihito inspected her lower half. Normally, she had literal roots set in that mountain, and she disliked visiting the city. To get here she’d formed two bipedal legs like a human’s, albeit covered in bark. She wasn’t wearing the fishnet tights the other girls had on, but they probably would’ve torn if she tried to get them over that rough skin. “You’re usually annoyed by people visiting, even if it’s to clean.”
“I don’t like it when it’s unannounced, but Polt is something of a regular now. Despite her pushiness, she’s a kind person. I felt I had to repay that kindness.”
“It’s nice to hear you say that,” he said with a smile.
“Shut up. Stupid human.” Kii turned her face from him. He was a credit to his species, but that didn’t make humans “good,” per se. Being in an urban environment was already wilting her leaves, browning the edges. “Shall we play?”
“Ah. Sure.”
She dealt the cards skillfully, cutting the deck and passing Kimihito his lot with a practiced hand.
“You’re an expert at this,” he said, a touch anxious.
“Of course.” When they’d first met, she hadn’t even been able to read, but it seemed she was a fast learner when she had to be. With those smooth movements, gracefully separating one card from the next, any human professional would struggle to keep up.
“I wouldn’t have thought you’d be interested in this sort of thing.”
“Correct. I’m not interested—in this or any other human game.”
“But you’ve dedicated yourself to learning.”
“These days, I’m trying to keep an open mind. How much will you bet?”
He looked at his hand. It wasn’t bad. “How about this green chip?” He lifted it to indicate.
“That chip is worth 30,000 yen,” she said.
“Huh?” He felt light-headed as the number left her lips.
She chuckled at his distress. It was unusual to hear her laugh, too. “Well, well. Will you fold?”
“N-no.” He steadied himself. “I’ll make the bet.”
“Then it’s time for our showdown,” she said and flipped her cards casually. “Full house.” Kimihito only had three-of-a-kind, so he lost.
With a strange T-shaped tool, Kii slid his chips to her side of the table.
“You’re good at this, Kii!” he said. Her stoic personality gave her a naturally flawless poker face, and as she had said, she was too disinterested in the game to react much as she played. This, as much as the mountain, was her element. “Is this part of you keeping an open mind?”
“Oh. Hm. Yes,” she said, “I dislike humans, but even on the mountain, they appear one after another to bother me. They drop their garbage and make a commotion. If I confront them directly, it never ends well.”
“It sounds infuriating,” he said.
Kii had been imported to Japan illegally. Despite the fact that she’d been trafficked and was an obvious victim, Japanese law considered her an illegal immigrant. That was why she’d lived a secret life on the mountain, hiding away from human society. Interacting with humanity only ever made her situation worse, so why would she choose to be around them?
Not that she could always help it. When she’d overindulged in nutrients, she’d grown into a giant and rampaged through her region. They’d only been able to stop her when Suu grew to an equally large size.
“As long as you don’t bother us, we shouldn’t bother you.”
“That was only because of those strange nutrients! Besides, I don’t have to touch your species, you’re perfectly capable of destroying yourselves.”
“Destroying ourselves?”
“Yes,” she said, fanning the cards in front of her and smiling dangerously, “through gambling.”
“Huh? Wait, you didn’t become a dealer just to—”
“I did. Those who come here destroy themselves through their own avarice. It’s the most human place I’ve ever seen. When we open, many humans will come here to lose their fortunes. And I will be across the table, watching.”
“Err, well…” What could he possibly say in response? Kii’s hatred for humans had somehow intensified. As long as she wasn’t actively harming them, though… Polt had asked her to come here, too… “Don’t go overboard?” he ventured.
“Of course. I will continue to do my duties as a dealer. If the customers somehow manage to win, they will leave unharmed. I just don’t care. You humans…” She flipped a chip between her fingers, butterflying it around the knuckles of her right hand. “You care quite a lot about this sort of thing. You want it badly, don’t you?”
As the chip rotated, Kimihito caught the number 30,000 engraved on its face. It was the chip he’d just lost. Even though it wasn’t real money, wasn’t his, and he was just here as a favor—it felt like a waste to have lost it. “Because it’s fun to play with money,” he said, though he felt more bitter than anything.
“That’s why I’m helping Polt. You’re incorrigible. As long as you’re ruining yourselves here, I’ll be here, too.” She flicked more cards onto the table in front of him. “Another game?”
“I’m in,” Kimihito said.
“Yes,” Kii replied, “let’s start over.”
He’d submitted to the allure of the casino. Kii smiled faintly and drew her hand.