The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

"Hmm... guess I'm just not cut out for casinos."

The faux Golden Sun muttered these words as he looked around.

Although there were many jobs near the forest, his classmates seemed incredibly motivated to complete quests right from the morning. Perhaps it was because he recalled Leo and his group sweeping through all the available tasks the other morning.

Even if jobs popped up nearby, it wasn’t because the guild couldn’t handle them. Some requests were simply set aside for students. The situation in Northwood was unlike the northern region, where manpower was genuinely scarce. Northwood had plenty of resources, no nearby battlefields, and a stable security environment.

With fewer quests this time, they had plenty of downtime between missions.

This meant there was even time to sit leisurely in the casino in the evening.

“...”

Charlotte, who had tagged along, was noticeably unenthusiastic. She hadn't bothered to venture outside the previous night either, indicating a lack of interest in casinos. This was fortunate. Because Charlotte stayed in her room as she had in the original story, the group could relax here without much concern.

After losing money twice in a card game, Jake returned to where they were leaning against the railing, prompting Charlotte to speak.

“Thinking you could win in a place like this is the first mistake. The people who run casinos aren’t fools; they wouldn’t keep this place open if they thought they'd lose money.”

It wasn’t the kind of establishment that relied on cheats. Pulling scams in front of high-ranking nobles would be dangerous. No matter how powerful the Duke of Northwood was, there were too many other noble families frequenting the place for anyone to risk outright deception.

“And Professor Caroline advised moderation.”

More precisely, Caroline’s expression indicated she was thoroughly embarrassed that her students were even seeing such a place.

The Northwood family had raised Caroline to be impeccably upright, perhaps too much so.

Among the characters, she’d likely suit the bunny girl outfit best... but, well, that sort of attire wasn’t something a noblewoman would wear, so that idea could be set aside.

“I don’t understand what’s supposed to be fun about gambling.”

“That’s exactly it. Don’t bother trying to learn.”

Charlotte quickly replied to Lena’s comment.

Lena, the youngest in the group, received special attention from Charlotte. It seemed Charlotte found her cute or related to her as a fellow foreigner. Charlotte often took extra care with her.

Lena, having come from a region with significantly fewer luxuries than the Empire, looked at the casino with some amazement, but didn’t have a favorable opinion of the bunny-dressed waitresses or the card players.

There was even a roulette machine. Though it looked like a regular machine placed on the floor, it was powered by a steam engine using heat from gas pipes running beneath the building—state-of-the-art within the Empire.

“Are we done here?”

When I asked, Jake shrugged.

"I was thinking about buying Roti a diamond ring, but now I'm flat broke. Not even enough for a single spin on the roulette wheel, so I’d say that’s that.”

“...You don’t even have café money left?”

"Not a cent. So, could you lend me some?”

Alice sighed heavily at Jake’s request.

“The heir of a duke asking a princess for money...”

“It’s not like I’m asking for a fortune. C’mon? Or do you want me to win and bring back more?”

“...Fine, I’ll lend you some. Let’s just get out of here.”

Alice glanced at him in exasperation.

There was likely another reason behind her insistence. She had been glancing around the whole time, probably mindful of last night’s events. Despite wearing a mask, those who recognized her could tell.

A few eyes turned their way, not because anyone recognized Alice as a bunny girl, but because it was unusual to see a group of students in academy uniforms here.

“Ugh.”

Following Alice’s sigh, Claire let out a small one of her own.

Jake’s behavior was understandable. It was, in part, his way of rebelling against his family.

Meanwhile, Leo stayed close to Claire. He wasn’t holding onto her, but his expression conveyed his silent declaration: “I’m with this group.”

Since entering the casino, Leo had been surrounded by bunny girls vying for his attention. His good looks were one reason, but more than that, he projected an “easy target” vibe. Jake, on the other hand, hadn’t attracted anyone’s attention, which was quite telling.

And Claire looked at Leo with slight disapproval.

“What about you, Sylvia? Don’t you want to try winning some money? You could lend it to me, and I’d turn it into something bigger. I mean, you might hit the jackpot, right?”

Unfazed by his blatant attempt, I looked at Jake and responded calmly.

“More importantly, there’s work to be done. I don’t mind if you stay here late, but if you linger around with empty pockets, you might end up with a debt too large for your family to handle by morning.”

“Alright, alright. I don’t want Roti mad at me.”

Though with what he’d just said, he was sure to get scolded.

A noble borrowing from a princess? Forget his maid; even the duke himself might come down harshly.

But that’s probably what he’s aiming for.

“Well then, let’s go hear what he wants to talk about.”

Jake started off ahead, and the rest of us followed at a more relaxed pace.

---

Before discussing it with the group, we had a long talk.

The relic was hidden, and we had to ensure it remained out of the Duke’s sight.

To make things more complicated, two of us were foreigners.

Disappearing without notice would also cause trouble. If we vanished, it would only raise suspicion.

In the original story, Verati had gone in first, with Alice and Leo following. Claire observed from afar, marking the first time she joined as a guest character.

When they returned, rumors swirled about Alice and Leo disappearing together, sparking romantic misunderstandings.

This time, there were four of us. It would be impossible to go unnoticed if that many people disappeared two nights in a row.

So, we decided... just to be honest about it.

Well, not exactly. We’d be a bit more “noble” about it.

“Look at this.”

After leaving the casino, we gathered at a nearby café, and I handed the others an invitation.

“This is...”

Charlotte accepted it, taking in the ornate envelope that exuded the impression of a high-society invitation.

She glanced at us, and Alice nodded for her to proceed. Carefully, Charlotte opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper with the same luxurious feel.

It was a job request.

“Explore the hidden regions of Northwood Forest...”

After reading the brief message, Charlotte looked somewhat bemused.

“If this was a real job, why didn’t it go through the guild?”

“Well, this *is* Duke Northwood’s land.”

“...I see.”

Charlotte returned the paper to the envelope.

“So, this wasn’t issued by the Duke.”

“Exactly.”

“But why come to ‘us’ specifically for this?”

“Well...”

Alice closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and then opened them, saying softly, almost as if the words slipped out on their own.

“There are... reasons I can’t talk about.”

“...”

Charlotte narrowed her eyes as she studied Alice, then nodded.

“Ah, so that’s it.”

She dangled the envelope between her fingers, her tone turning light.

“It seems the ones behind this are bold enough to try raiding the Duke’s land but careful enough not to want to get caught. And multiple dungeons, huh? Their intentions are clear as day.”

Alice did her best to keep a poker face, but it seemed Charlotte had read her well.

Yet, Charlotte didn’t press further.

“Alright. Everyone has their secrets. I’ll play along this time.”

Charlotte looked at Jake and Lena sitting beside her. Jake appeared amused, while Lena tilted her head curiously.

“Both of you seem to agree... but if I’m going to play along, I’ll need something in return.”

“...Name it.”

“One day, when I need a favor, you’ll have to play along for me. Fair’s fair, isn’t it?”

“...”

With a smile that bordered on jest, Charlotte held out her terms, and Alice nodded.

Then, mimicking Charlotte, Alice glanced at the two sitting beside her.

“For my part, I’m with the Duke’s household, so I’d rather avoid clashing with the Imperial family. I’ll follow along.”

Jake responded with a bit of bravado.

“Well, if it’s a job, isn’t it our duty to get it done?”

Lena replied, still seeming a bit lost.

Each of their answers carried a unique charm of their own.