There were shops selling all sorts of novelty items here, board ga parlors hosting card tournants, and even venues where perforrs in comical costus staged live combat shows, drawing crowds of cheering spectators.
Besides these, there were also odd-looking shops staffed entirely by elven and beast-ear maidens in rather questionable outfits, their clientele consisting almost exclusively of middle-aged male adventurers. Worried that such places might have a bad influence on Alice, Hulim Heyerar and Eileen quickly wheeled her wheelchair past them.
Outside the shops, the streets were also lined with various forms of street entertainnt.
There were all kinds of buskers putting on shows, along with vendors hawking suspicious-looking gas that seed more like scams than legitimate fun.
“Bravo! Absolutely spectacular!”
“I’d pay any amount to see that again!”
The cheers of the crowd caught the three girls’ attention.
“Wow, that busker has drawn quite a crowd.”
Curious to see what the fuss was about, the three squeezed their way into the throng.
Then they saw it—the dazzling acrobatic routine called “Kacho Fugetsu”.
“Oh! That’s amazing! So spectacular!”
“I could watch this a hundred tis and never get bored!”
“Again, miss! Do it again!”
“No, please don’t throw money! My performance is free of charge—really, there’s no need......”
They stood watching the eccentric busker for a long ti, until the coins piling up at her feet began to interfere with her act, and she finally called it quits. Only then did Hulim, Eileen, and Alice reluctantly follow the crowd as it dispersed.
“That was incredible! I’ve never seen such a fantastic performance before, Sister!”
“Yeah, it really was. I got so caught up in it that I lost track of ti.” Hulim nodded in agreent.
“Well, this is Bongisto for you,” Eileen said with a laugh. “But even though I’ve lived here for quite a while, that’s the first ti I’ve ever seen a street show that good. Oh, right—little Alice, is there anything you want?”
“Sothing I want?”
Alice thought for a mont, then looked up and replied, “I want to buy a gift for Brother, to thank him for taking such good care of all this ti.”
“I see...... Well then! Let’s go find a shop where we can pick out a perfect gift for Arthur!”
Before long, the three of them passed by another shop, one surrounded by a crowd of adventurers.
“Ah, dammit! Missed again!”
A frustrated shout rang out from the throng.
“So close! You were almost there with the numbers just now!”
“Still, getting any prize at all is lucky. I haven’t won a single thing yet......”
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The onlookers murmured among themselves, their voices filled with disappointnt and longing.
“Huh, this looks interesting. Let’s go check it out.”
Curious, the three girls squeezed their way inside—and quickly realized it was a lottery shop, where you could win prizes by spinning the reels.
Like most such shops, its shelves were lined with all sorts of fancy trinkets. But what set it apart was the most prominent shelf, which held several Magic Items that were clearly worth a fortune.
“Oh, what a sha, sir! You were so close to winning just now!”
The shopkeeper said with a wide, ingratiating smile.
“One more ti! I refuse to believe my luck is this bad!”
The adventurer was clearly hooked. He quickly pulled out a hefty sum of money and started spinning the reels again.
The lottery machine was a slot machine with three numbered reels and a crank on the side. You turned the crank to spin the reels, and when you stopped them was entirely up to you.
As the adventurer cranked the machine furiously, the numbered reels whirled around at breakneck speed.
Clang!
“Alas, no luck this ti. But don’t worry, sir—you still have plenty of chances left!”
“One more go!”
The adventurer was in a frenzy now, cranking the machine over and over again.
But by the ti he’d spent every last coin, he’d only managed to win a few asly consolation prizes. Not a single one of the valuable Magic Items had co his way.
“How is this possible? Is my luck really this terrible......”
“Would you like to give it another try, sir?”
“I-I don’t have any money left......”
Dejected, the adventurer turned and walked out of the shop.
After he left, the other onlookers hesitated, none of them eager to step up. They’d all been drawn by the promise of the Magic Items, but it was clear now that winning them was no easy feat—and none of them were willing to throw their money away recklessly.
Seeing that no one was coming forward, the shopkeeper grew anxious. His eyes scanned the crowd, and soon he spotted his targets.
“Hey there! You lovely young ladies! Care to give it a spin?”
“Are you talking to us?”
Eileen pointed to herself in surprise.
“That’s right! You three look like you’ve got amazing luck! Why not give it a try? These prizes are all incredibly valuable treasures~!”
“Hmmm......”
Noticing Eileen’s hesitation, the shopkeeper quickly added, “You three are first-tirs, aren’t you? Tell you what—for new custors, I’ll give you three free spins, no strings attached~!”
“Really? Just like that?”
“Absolutely~!”
The shopkeeper said with a cheerful, unctuous grin.
“Well......”
Eileen glanced at Alice, then said, “Alice, there are so many nice things on those shelves. If we win sothing, we can pick one out as a gift for Arthur, okay?”
“Okay, Sister Eileen. I’ll go along with whatever you say.”
Alice nodded eagerly. The two girls wheeled her wheelchair over to the slot machine.
Alice pulled out a silver Kohl and handed it to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper took the coin, his face wreathed in smiles. “You’ve got thirteen spins now, young lady. May you win a prize that’ll make your brother over the moon!”
“Thank you.”
Alice reached out, grabbed the crank, and started spinning the reels.
From watching the earlier adventurer, they’d already figured out the rules. There were multiple tiers of prizes, but most of them were just ordinary dolls or crafts. To win one of the precious Magic Items, you needed to land three identical numbers on the reels.
The odds were just one percent—seemingly low, but each spin only cost a hundred Kohl. In theory, a single gold Kohl would be enough to win a Magic Item, and these items were clearly worth far more than that.
It was this promise of easy riches that had drawn so many adventurers to try their luck.
Clang!
“Alas, no win on your first try. But don’t worry—you’ve still got plenty of chances left~!”
Alice’s shoulders slumped a little at the loss, but she quickly perked up again and tried a second ti.
Clang!
“Oh, what a pity! You were so close to winning that ti!”
Clang!
Clang......
Spin after spin went by—and Alice didn’t win a single thing. Soon, she was down to her very last chance.
“You can do it, little Alice!”
Eileen cheered her on.
Alice took a deep breath, then gave the crank a mighty turn.
Clang! Clang!
This ti, the machine let out two sharp chis.
“Congratulations! You’ve won a prize~!”
The shopkeeper announced, beaming.
“Really? I won?!”
Alice’s eyes lit up, a bright smile spreading across her face.
“Absolutely~! Now you can choose any prize from the Third Prize shelf over there!”
The shopkeeper pointed to a shelf tucked away in the corner.
But when Eileen saw what was on it, her face fell instantly.
“Hey! These are all just dolls! How are we supposed to give a doll to Alice’s brother?!”
“I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that,” the shopkeeper shrugged. “You ladies only won a Third Prize. If you’re not satisfied, you’re welco to keep spinning the reels.”
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