101 – Core VS Core & Nymph VS Nymph # 4
Shizuka.
She was a master of gambling and betting.
Once an ordinary high school girl, after becoming Awakened, she frequented illegal gambling dens and finally became a member of the Japanese Awakeners’ alliance, a dark world known as the Guild of Shadows.
She no longer shuffled cards or placed pieces at an ordinary gambling establishment.
She was truly remarkable.
“It’s different from when I was born in a boring shrine and worked part-time in a priestess outfit. The earnings are different. Even if I’m weak in combat, I won’t lose to anyone on the gambling table.”
Shizuka could read people’s thoughts.
That was her talent.
Of course, since everyone had aspects they wanted to ‘protect’ in their thoughts, it required quite a bit of mana to read them.
Still, there was no need to explain the immense power of that talent in a gambling situation.
Swish-.
Shizuka sat at a table with a chessboard and looked around.
And she lightly read the people’s thoughts.
“Priestess outfit is nice.”
“Is that cosplay? It’s good.”
People liked her priestess outfit.
Although Shizuka had quit her part-time job at the shrine, she couldn’t take off this strange priestess outfit because of this.
Because people liked it.
Shizuka was someone who thoroughly knew how to market and promote herself.
Thanks to that, she connected with the mega-corporation, Telos.
“Lady Reiko said she wanted to bring that man to Japan, right?”
Swish-.
Shizuka opened her slender eyes.
And she looked at the man, Haildo, who was making a slightly dazed expression.
He seemed very harmless.
There was none of the ‘tension’ or ‘threatening attitude’ that young men usually possess.
Wood.
Rock.
Shizuka frowned at the impression that conveyed such feelings.
Of course, her poker face was so skilled that it didn’t show.
“Men who pretend to be that harmless are often the dangerous ones. On top of that, he has almost no barriers to his thoughts? Is there anyone else whose thoughts are this easy to read?”
Shizuka read Haildo’s thoughts.
Like most young men, she was sure he was having some useless thoughts.
It was her habit to casually peek into the minds of those with weak mental guards.
It was similar to wanting to splash around in a puddle when you’re wearing boots.
“Is it better to teleport or be an invisible man? He’s definitely thinking about something like that. Or maybe he’s just having useless thoughts like choosing between never showering for life vs. never brushing teeth.”
Ssss-.
At that moment, she projected her mana toward the man.
“Woof woof…!”
“Meow…”
“Zzzi…!”
“…….”
Haildo’s head was filled with thoughts about strange animals.
Furry bundles were wriggling, and a spider was performing an odd dance.
There was also a large owl.
“Phew…!”
“Ears….”
Soon, Shizuka’s face turned red.
“…Cute.”
Shizuka liked cute animals.
Just a year ago, she was an ordinary high school girl who loved collecting cute accessories, so it was only natural.
If she won this match, she would receive ‘big money’ and consider adopting a Squirrel Beast from Korea—when she regained her senses.
Cha Yura appeared again.
“Ahem.”
Cha Yura’s thoughts couldn’t be read.
It was as if her thoughts were solidified behind a wall of frozen ice.
“But no problem. The opponent is a beginner who doesn’t even know how to play chess, right? Even if they learned the rules in the 10-minute break, there’s no way they can win against me.”
“Mind Reader” Shizuka.
She was a master of games.
Even without her ability to read thoughts, she could manage chess fairly well.
“There’s a 0% chance I’ll lose. I never knew earning money would be this easy.”
Hehehe—.
Shizuka laughed internally.
Of course, her innate poker face hid any signs.
“Alright. Let’s start the next game. I’ll go first.”
Confidently said the daughter of the President of Korea.
Click-.
Cha Yura cautiously moved the pawn on the far left one square.
She spent the entire minute on that simple process in the hourglass.
“…….”
Shizuka sensed a ‘scheme’ of some sort.
Soon, Shizuka, seeking symmetry with Cha Yura, moved the pawn on the far right one square forward.
Then it was Cha Yura’s turn again.
This time Cha Yura moved the pawn one square on the far right.
Again, she spent the entire minute in the hourglass on that process.
“What’s this? What’s going on? She’s stalling for time.”
Shizuka felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Towards that Shizuka, Cha Yura said,
“If I say don’t imagine an elephant, I’ll inevitably think of an elephant, right? Then if I say don’t think of a yellow-haired ruffian, you’ll think of a yellow-haired ruffian, right?”
“Hmph. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s a waste of time.”
Though she said that—.
Shizuka was unconsciously picturing an elephant and the yellow-haired woman in her mind.
Especially the yellow-haired woman kept loitering behind Cha Yura, which was quite bothersome.
“These guys. What on earth are they scheming?”
Shizuka was certain of her victory, but she was a detail-oriented person.
So she frowned a little to peek into the mind of the woman with the yellow hair—and to her surprise, there were no particular barriers, making it easy to read her thoughts.
“You. You’ve entered my mind, haven’t you?”
“……!”
Shizuka was shocked.
She had been seen through her mind-reading.
“Is the opponent also a similar type of Awakened as I am?”
In reality, this was indeed the case.
Lee Jin-A was specialized in reading the emotions of others.
Thus she knew what the “weakness” of people like herself was.
Lee Jin-A closed her eyes.
And she imagined in her head.
Swish-.
What appeared in Lee Jin-A’s mind was the slightly dazed man, Haildo.
And it was also Lee Jin-A herself.
And—.
Wham—.
Shizuka was startled, her face flushed, and turned scarlet.
“That happens? How on earth…!? No, stop! This is way too early for me! I didn’t know this kind of thing…! I shouldn’t be looking at this!”
Shizuka wanted to stop reading thoughts.
However, growing up as a quiet priestess in a shrine, this was too stimulating for her to break away from.
“Haa—. Haaaa—.”
Shizuka was breathing heavily with a red face.
Not just her face, but her entire body felt hot.
She was incredibly embarrassed and her back tingled.
And then the sand in the hourglass began to run out.
“Time’s up! I won! I won this round! That’s my chess skill!”
Pop-.
Cha Yura stood up from her seat.
Soon, the Nymph Inoi rushed in and raised her hand.
“Indeed, a Nymph plays every day…! A prestigious Nymph should naturally be good at games…! This Inoi can even get the mechanical snail to level 3 for 100 won…!”
“This Coris doesn’t know what’s what, but winning is a good thing…!”
# # #
What on earth just happened?
Cha Yura won a match!
It was because her opponent could not place a piece within the time limit!
“Are the Japanese people incapable of placing a piece within a minute…? I, Illinois, am very angry…!”
Illinois was furious at this sudden defeat.
Reiko felt the same.
“What’s wrong! Shizuka-chan! What happened!”
“Hoo, hoo….”
Professional gambler Shizuka was breathing heavily.
Her face was red, and just as she was about to scream “Stop it!” and wobble, she fell to the floor with a thud.
At that moment, I understood the situation.
It was clearly an acute myocardial infarction!
“Everyone, step back! I will save her!”
There’s a golden time for cardiac arrest patients.
I need to do CPR!
If I don’t, there will be no blood flow to the brain or organs, and recovering will become a huge problem!
Swish-.
Just as I was about to lay her down and reach for her chest.
Shizuka opened her eyes wide and yelled at me.
“You pervert! H-how could you do that! That innocent face was a disguise after all!”
Smack-.
She slapped my palm and flew off into the distance.
Pervert.
Am I a pervert?
“What the heck.”
I felt really unfair!
I was genuinely trying to save her and got labeled as a pervert!
I had heard stories of people in Korea who got accused of being creeps while trying to save someone, but I never imagined such a culture existed in Japan!
Soon Cha Yura spoke.
“Wasn’t violence a taboo? But you just slapped Haildo’s palm, didn’t you? And the player forfeited the match. According to the rules, since the game is uncontinuable, I guess it’s fair to consider it my victory?”
Strutting forward with her chest out was Cha Yura.
The first match, which had been an absolute victory for Japan, ended with Korea’s win!
And it was Cha Yura, who didn’t even know the rules of chess!
What a miraculous wonder!
Soon Inoi said.
“Everyone should dance the victory Nymph dance…!”
“The victory of the prestigious Nymph is the victory of us Nymphs…!”
The Nymphs spun around Cha Yura.
It was a very silly dance, and Illinois trembled with fury.
“How could I, Illinois, who trusted the Japanese, be a fool…! I’ve repeated the mistake of Pearl Harbor again…! In that case, I, Illinois, will take matters into my own hands…!”
