"Ah… What did I just say again?" Clara looked innocently at Keith, trying to play it cute and brush it off.
Keith grinned. "You just said you made a killing tonight from betting, and you were like, 'Damn, I'm so f*cking hyped!'"
"I didn't say it in such a crude and vulgar way! Seriously, Howard!"
"You don't have to hide it from us. We're not blaming you or anything—after all, it's your own money," Hoshino said, then added curiously, "So Clara, how much did you win exactly?"
Clara hesitated, then looked down and began counting on her fingers.
"Umm, for Vivi's first match, I bet all my allowance. Then in Howard's second match, I bet everything I had won. Then…"
Suddenly, the usually quiet assistant chid in with a precise report of tonight's results:
"First bet: $80,000, won $992,000.
Second bet: $1 million, won $1.3 million.
Third bet: $1.3 million, won $4.03 million.
Fourth bet: $4 million, won $4.8 million.
Plus the 10 points earned tonight.
After deducting the initial $80,000, the profit totals $5.75 million."
"Hiss—!"
Even though Hoshino had ntally prepared herself, she couldn't help but suck in a breath at the real numbers.
She had previously worried Clara might've secretly bet against them out of mistrust—which would've been a major betrayal.
But now, it was clear her worries were unfounded. Not only did Clara trust her and Keith completely, she even went all-in on every match. In her own way, she was a natural-born gambler with razor-sharp instincts.
"Clara, you really didn't leave yourself any backup, huh. And your allowance is $80,000? This is what a real rich lady looks like."
"Well, Howard said Vivi's dueling skills are on par with his. If he said that, then you must be even stronger than him!"
Keith froze, his expression stiff behind his sunglasses.
Clara clenched her fists with determination and added,
"Besides, you and Keith risked your lives out there. How could I think only about my own safety? It might not compare to what you two did, but this is my way of fighting too. So let's split tonight's winnings evenly!"
Shine!
Behind Clara, Hoshino could almost see a blinding holy light once more. This ti, perhaps because it was tinged with the brilliance of money, it shone even brighter.
"Clara-nee, you're so generous! Lem calculate!"
Akasha, excited, began mimicking Clara and started counting on her fingers.
"$5.75 million… Nee-chan, Clara-nee, Uncle Keith, and —that's four people. Split evenly, that's at least $1.43 million each. We're rich!"
Hoshino calmly pushed one of Akasha's four fingers back down.
"You have nothing to do with this, Akasha-chan. Just adding yourself into the count doesn't an you get a share."
"Tch, busted, huh. You're so stingy, Nee-chan." Akasha pouted.
"If it's just the three of us, then that's nearly $2 million each," Keith said firmly.
"Even though my odds weren't as high as that rookie over there, because I'm too strong, I'm not giving up a single cent."
As a bounty hunter, Keith Howard never compromised when it ca to money.
"I don't mind," Hoshino shrugged.
"You risked your life in the duel too, after all."
She'd cheated to disable the electric field, so if they were talking about who took on more actual risk, Keith probably topped the list.
"Also, Clara, I don't need my $2 million. But in exchange, I want you to agree to what I suggested earlier tonight."
Clara's expression turned complicated.
"You an upgrading to the high-level duel arena?"
She already had 10 points. If they won two more matches tomorrow, they'd reach the 20-point requirent for promotion. And 20 points could be exchanged for exactly $2 million.
Akasha couldn't believe her ears and clung to Hoshino's waist, shaking her hard.
"Nee-cham, are you crazy? That's two million! You could eat fried chicken until you explode! If you don't want it, give it to !"
Sorry, Akasha, but I'm already stuffed. And if you keep shaking like this, I might throw up.
Clara still didn't understand and asked,
"Why are you so fixated on that place? If it's just about money, then you've already earned plenty."
Hoshino answered seriously,
"This is my battle—just like you said earlier, Clara.
If reviving your family is your fight, and protecting Clara is Keith's, then reaching the top of this underground arena is my fight!"
"My fight's all about making money," Keith cut in imdiately.
"It's got nothing to do with protecting so naive rich girl."
Staff mber 9527 was still nearby, so Hoshino couldn't reveal her true mission. Even if she wasn't, she had no intention of telling either of them.
To Hoshino's surprise, 9527—whom she'd been guarding against—actually spoke up on her behalf.
"Miss Clara, I also believe Miss Vivian's proposal is quite reasonable."
Clara looked at her in surprise.
"Even though tonight's betting brought in a lot, from what I understand, it's still far from enough to repay your family's debts. And the kind of odds we saw tonight probably won't appear again."
After four consecutive wins, they had already proven their terrifying strength. Odds like 1:3, or the extre early-match bets, wouldn't happen again.
"So rather than fight with low odds, why not move to the high-level arena? The first match there will likely have crazy odds again. More importantly, each high-level point can be exchanged for $1 million."
Clara still looked uneasy.
"But… isn't the high-level arena super dangerous? The duelists there must be insanely strong, right?"
"Not really," 9527 replied.
"From what I've seen, Miss Vivian and Mr. Keith's strength would be unmatched even in the high-level arena."
Having seen their duels, her previously cold and dismissive tone had softened.
She was confident they'd thrive even at the top—and if they did, her own position would be elevated too. From managing a regular family to a high-level one—it was a win-win she didn't want to miss.
"Let think about it…"
Thanks to 9527's persuasive nudging, Clara finally began to waver.
With a graceful gesture, 9527 placed a hand over her chest and bowed.
"No problem, Miss Clara. Let's wait until they win two more matches and reach 20 points before making a decision. For now, I'll hold the points and transfer all winnings into your account."
"Alright. I'll leave it to you, miss."
.
..
...
The underground duels usually continued until 6 AM, but after completing all four matches, the crew ca to a unanimous decision—they left that noisy place early.
"So this is San Francisco at 4 AM. It's so peaceful~"
Hoshino let out a deep breath.
After a whole night in the chaos of underground dueling, this mont of calm felt like the second-best pleasure of the night—right behind the all-you-can-eat buffet.
Just as they left the arena, Clara, who had been deep in thought, tugged on Hoshino's sleeve…
"Um, Vivi… no, Hoshino, there's sothing I want to talk to you about. Alone. Is that okay?"
Hoshino couldn't help but feel puzzled.
What's with today? Everyone wants to talk to in private. First it was Sheppard, and now it's Clara. Could it be that I look too cool in this outfit and have unknowingly beco popular?
"Talk alone? Sure~"
Akasha made a face like she'd eaten sothing awful. "You two talking alone ans leaving a cute girl like in the middle of the night with that scary-looking uncle… Akasha feels a huge crisis coming."
"Sorry, but for a brat like you to interest soone as great as , you'll need at least ten more years."
Very tactfully, Keith shoved his hands into his pockets and walked toward a nearby diner still open at this late hour, creating a private space for Hoshino and Clara.
"Let's go, brat. I'll treat you to fries at Waffle House."
"Well, okay… just for the fries…"
Watching them walk off, Hoshino turned to Clara. "Alright then, you ca looking for your wise onee-san for advice—so what's on your mind? No need to hold back~"
"Hoshino, actually, there's sothing I've been hiding from you and Howard."
Clara looked a little bashful, and even in the dim night lighting, Hoshino could see the soft blush tinting her delicate cheeks.
.
..
...
"Huh!? An arranged marriage proposal from the Schroeder family!? And because you refused, they started targeting your family!?"
Previously, Clara had only ntioned that her family was being pressured by the Schroeders through business tactics and forced to enter underground duels. Hoshino had assud it was just a power grab to expand their influence over the dueling scene.
But she hadn't expected things to be this complicated.
"Zigfried von Schroeder is a notorious playboy. My father didn't want to marry soone like him either. But their family's influence is just too massive—people like us can't fight back."
Hoshino said admiringly, "But you still chose to resist. That kind of courage really makes see you in a new light, Missy."
Clara shook her head, frustrated. "No… it's because Zigfried von Schroeder said he'd give a chance. If I can keep winning in underground duels, he won't force to marry him."
"So that's it…"
Hoshino finally understood why Clara had been so hesitant about advancing to the high-tier dueling arena. Under a condition like 'keep winning', regular duels were much easier to manage than the high-level ones.
"So, about moving up to the higher arena—"
"You're too naive, my dear young lady. You were clearly tricked by that guy. Do you really think soone who uses his influence to crush businesses and force girls into marriage has any credibility?"
Hoshino sighed deeply. This naïve heiress in front of her clearly needed a helping hand.
"Besides, what kind of BS condition is 'keep winning'? How many matches? For how long? What if he makes you keep winning for ten years—could you even do that?"
Zigfried von Schroeder never intended to let Clara go. Forcing her into dangerous death matches was probably just entertainnt to him—a way to watch her fall into despair.
Clara's voice trembled, on the verge of tears. "Then what should I do? I don't want to marry that kind of man."
"Of course, you fight and defeat that guy! Drag that scumbag playboy down from the top!"
(***)
Sheppard:"The user of the Valkyrie Deck—Zigfried von Schroeder. Based on my investigation, there's an unwritten rule in the high-tier arena: if you defeat his family, you can take over their head position in dueling. That's why so many families desperately hire top duelists to take him down. But until now, no one has managed to beat him."
(***)
"So that ans, if we defeat him in the high-tier arena, we won't have to fear them anymore!"
Hope returned to Clara's face, her mood shifting from gloom to excitent.
"So leave the fighting to and Keith. I'm sure Keith will agree—wait, why did you co to about this and not him?"
Hoshino suddenly had a dreadful realization.
"Wait a minute. You kept the marriage thing from Keith too… Clara, don't tell you've got a thing for that old man… No, no, impossible! That would shatter my worldview! Clara, you have to face reality!"
Holding her forehead, Hoshino desperately tried to shake the thought away.
"I don't get it either. I just… didn't want Howard to know about it."
Clara's cheeks flushed pink again as she shook her head. "Besides, Hoshino, Howard just looks mature. He's only in his twenties—he's not even close to being a real uncle."
Only in his twenties!? What the hell is Keith eating—fertilizer? Why does he look so prematurely aged…
(*****)
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