Ch. 48 - The Boss of the Nevis Family

As soon as we entered the corridor, Rox opened the door on the left.

However, once inside, the room only contained old shelves and wooden boxes, a far cry from resembling a glamorous casino.

The items on the shelves seemed to be stocked products.

"Tch, the other side then!" Rox quickly turned around, went back into the corridor, and opened the door on the opposite side.

"Whoa, who the hell are you?!" A gruff man's voice sounded.

I peeked from behind Rox and saw dozens of large men lounging around. Drinks and food cluttered the table, surrounded by a variety of chairs, from long benches to single seats, each occupied.

A man standing near the entrance seemed startled by Rox and stepped back, turning to look at us with a surprised expression.

As Rox looked around the dimly lit room, the men gave him looks of obvious displeasure.

"Who are you?"

"What do you want?"

The men all stood up at once, directing hostile stares at Rox, who hesitated under their intimidating presence.

Pushing Rox and the two guards aside, I stepped forward to confirm. "This is the Nevis family, correct?"

"Huh?"

"What? What's this about the Nevis family?"

They laughed mockingly.

"You've got mean eyes but a pretty face, girl. Want to work here? We'll pay you well. All you have to do is take off your clothes. It's an easy job even an idiot can do."

"Hahahaha!"

One of them made a vulgar joke, and the others burst into laughter, creating a nasty atmosphere.

Ignoring them, I scanned the surroundings. The walls were a mix of stone and wood, with an intricate design. Though the room was dim, many lights on the walls and ceiling were unlit.

The arrangement of the chairs was overly haphazard.

Feeling something strange, I carefully examined the room.

Rox stepped forward, his face red with anger. "Bastard, how rude of you! We are elite magicians! Beg for your lives and put your heads to the ground if you don't want to be burned alive!"

The enraged Rox threatened them in a way befitting of a noble, making it unclear who the real villain was.

The men's expressions turned menacing, and the tension in the room became palpable.

I silently punched the back of Rox's head.

"Ugh…" Rox cried out dramatically and fell to his knees, prompting the two guards to rush to support him.

"I apologize for his rudeness. That said, the man earlier admitted that this is indeed the Nevis family's hideout. Please answer our questions honestly."

The men looked bewildered for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Even this girl?!"

"That guy earlier? He left through that door!"

Laughing, the men pointed to the wall behind them.

The three men standing by the wall moved, revealing a black metal door. It appeared to be a back door.

"What?! He deceived us…!" one of the guards muttered in frustration.

"No, don't worry. That man is still here." I pointed to the back of the room.

The men instantly turned hostile again and glared at me.

【The Fleeing Man】

Who is that woman?

The first impression I had of this woman was although she looked younger than the red-haired brat claiming to be royalty, she clearly held a higher position than him. If he were truly royalty, then he might be the second or younger son of the second or third queen, making the woman the official queen's eldest daughter or something.

However, Rox had red hair, while she had rare black hair.

Who were these two?

My confusion was short-lived as she crushed a rock with her bare hand and grabbed my head with the same hand. I understood. This woman was a demon or something.

Despite my frantic efforts to shake free, her grip didn't budge. Seeing her smile filled me with the greatest fear I'd ever known.

Before I realized it, I revealed our current hideout's location. Normally, I'd lead intruders to fake warehouses or shops, but the terror she induced made me forget such obvious precautions.

Still, even if they entered the building, they wouldn't reach the casino.

The false back door led to a fake merchant company's store. They'd only be confused if they forced their way in.

During this time, I'd report to the second-floor casino. Then we'd escape with the customers through another back door. There were three exits in this building. The most suspicious one was the regular underground casino entrance, but the escape route was separate.

I quickly signaled my accomplice posing as a merchant with my eyes and quietly ran to the back of the store.

When I opened the door on the right side of the corridor, everyone inside saw my panicked expression and frowned.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Is it the knights?"

I waved a hand dismissively and headed further in.

"Scatter! Trouble's coming! The casino's closed for today!"

Everyone moved swiftly, talking as they went.

"What's with him?"

"Sales were good today."

"Hey, take that."

Despite the commotion I caused, they rearranged the room's appearance with practiced movements.

"I'm going to report to the boss." I quickly moved a shelf aside and stood before a staircase. The steps, walls, and floor were all painted black, blending into the surroundings.

I ascended the stairs that were barely wide enough for two people side by side and knocked on the door at the top. Three times, then twice, then three more times. The door opened immediately.

"What's up?"

My companion opened the door halfway with a puzzled expression on his face, so I told him the situation as calmly as possible.

"Royalty, guards, and a demon-like woman are here! We need to escape!"

My companion looked at me skeptical but let me in. "That's for the boss to decide. Just tell her directly."

"Got it. Is she in the back?"

"Yeah."

I hurried to the back.

There were card tables and roulette tables, surrounded by well-dressed individuals eagerly gambling away their money.

It was strange how dimming the whole room and lighting up the tables drew people to them like moths to a flame.

Around the room and against the walls, people with various expressions, from joy to sorrow, avoided the lights but kept their eyes glued to the tables.

Most of them were beyond saving, already addicted to gambling. The same went for those with debts that they could no longer do anything about.

Standing at one of the tables were three boys in academy uniforms, playing with bloodshot eyes and sweat running down their faces.

As expected, noble children were an easy source of money.

Nobles with many ties had no one to consult with. Once they were drowning in debt, they became anxious and were deceived by sweet words.

I couldn't quit such an easy job.

I silently moved through the room and stood before the door leading to the back.

"Boss, excuse me," I called out and opened the door without waiting for a response.

The moment I stepped inside, thick smoke and a glass cup full of liquid flew at me before shattering against the doorframe.

I bowed deeply. "Sorry for the sudden intrusion, but it's urgent! Downstairs…!"

"Shut up, you bastard… Opening the door before I respond, huh? Want me to re-educate you from scratch?"

Her voice dripped with anger, making me shiver, but I had to report the situation. "Sorry! But it’s a real emergency! Please listen!"

I kneeled on the spot, looking at the soft in the back of the room.

In the dimly lit room, a large woman was sitting deeply on a red sofa, her eyes glinting ominously.

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