"Um… hiring employees, what exactly do they do?"
Faced with Haruto's attempt at striking up a conversation, Mirai Kuriyama asked timidly.
It was obvious this airheaded girl was quite tempted.
Sinon could only sigh and rub her forehead.
This kind of pickup line—ninety-nine percent of the time, it's a trap.
Seriously, in the real world, could this kid really be tricked into someone's bed with just a few sweet words?
"Investigators. Free food and lodging, three meals a day with meat, guaranteed to be full. Base salary of 30,000 yen per month, plus allowances."
Haruto said with a smile.
The moment Mirai heard three meals a day with meat, guaranteed full, her eyes clearly lit up with hunger.
"This is a game, you know."
Sinon couldn't help but retort.
Saying things like free food and lodging inside a game? That's ridiculous!
And what kind of position is investigator supposed to be?
An unofficial detective working for the police department?
And that base salary was way too low!
The current average monthly salary in Sakura Country was already over three hundred thousand!
If it weren't obvious that the one standing here was Haruto himself, Sinon would have already called him a scammer.
Mirai also realized her situation now.
This wasn't reality.
Instantly, she felt a little down.
She really wanted to eat meat…
"Although it's online recruitment, the work and pay are offline, you know."
Those words reignited the fire in Mirai's eyes.
Sinon wanted to complain, but before she could open her mouth, Haruto continued:
"To show my sincerity, I could even sponsor you with a bunch of in-game currency or gear."
Sinon blinked.
Looking at Haruto's avatar—he was still wearing the default starter outfit.
He didn't look like someone rich at all.
And if Haruto really were wealthy in GGO, he would definitely be famous. As a launch-day player, Sinon was sure she would have heard of him.
Besides, Haruto's avatar looked exactly like his real self, with no cosmetic adjustments.
And since you couldn't directly recharge in-game currency in GGO…
Then how exactly was he planning to sponsor anyone?
Mirai, on the other hand, didn't think that far.
She nodded right away.
She didn't know what being an "investigator" entailed.
But whatever. If there's money involved, she'd do it!
For food! For meat!
Seeing her nod, Haruto smiled.
"So then, mister, how exactly do you plan to sponsor?"
Sinon asked cautiously.
She suddenly noticed—Haruto's gaze rarely fell on her.
Her in-game avatar had adjusted facial features and a different hair color.
Maybe the boy didn't recognize her?
Haruto gave her a suspicious glance.
What was Sinon playing at?
"Is there any place here to make money quickly?"
Although confused by her wording, Haruto still asked.
Sinon could only give a wry smile.
Start earning money now?
Well, if we're talking about quick cash…
She pointed toward one side of the weapon shop.
Instead of weapon racks, that area was filled with various facilities.
Gambling tables, roulette wheels, jackpot games, and so on.
"Although I don't recommend it, if you want fast money… there's a casino over there."
Haruto snapped his fingers.
"Perfect, let's go."
Now this was his area of expertise.
Even if it was virtual, Haruto's gambling skills were never "traditional tricks" anyway.
Time to bring out his cyber conman act!
He led the two girls toward the casino.
He completely ignored the jackpot game at the entrance.
In the original storyline, there was an event about that jackpot game.
It had accumulated around three hundred thousand coins.
You could win it with skill—dodging the cowboy at the end of the road and tagging him would grant the entire jackpot.
A simple challenge like that would be nothing for Haruto.
But that was too slow, and the payout too small.
Instead, he brought the girls straight to roulette.
A giant virtual wheel spun in the air.
It had thirty-six numbered slots, from one to thirty-six.
Red and black.
You could bet red/black or odd/even.
Payout: 1 to 1.
Or bet ranges, like 1–6, 7–12.
Payout: 1 to 5.
And then there was the sucker's bet—straight numbers.
Payout: 1 to 35.
"Sir, are you sure about this? I had a friend who lost over a hundred thousand here."
Sinon cautioned.
She really did mean a gaming friend.
After all, Sinon herself almost never touched gambling.
Winning at roulette was extremely rare.
Though she'd been grumbling non-stop since earlier…
She didn't want Haruto to fall for this.
But Haruto just smiled at her.
That smile hit Sinon straight in the chest.
And right as her heart skipped a beat…
She watched Haruto drop a 1,000 bet on number 8.
If Haruto hadn't gotten extra income somehow, that was basically his entire starting fortune.
Sinon grew anxious, wanting to stop him.
Even if 1,000 yen wasn't much—barely what she'd earn as a side bonus on a mission—
She just didn't want him to waste it like this.
Around them, spectators clicked their tongues.
They'd seen plenty of newbies do this.
Convinced they were "lucky," they bet recklessly.
Only to lose everything.
It was a comedy they never got tired of watching.
But soon, the wheel stopped.
The pointer landed squarely on number 8.
Haruto had placed his bet right before the round closed.
Quite a few people noticed.
Gasps erupted all around.
A 1 to 35 payout.
A 1,000 coin bet.
That meant 35,000 in winnings.
Even as just game money, it made people's hearts race.
Sinon just stared blankly at the cascade of coins pouring from the roulette.
How… how was that possible?
"Too lucky! A one-in-thirty-six chance, and he really hit it!"
"Damn, if he'd bet bigger, this round would've been insane!"
"Nii-chan, bet regret kicking in yet? Hahaha!"
The voices around grew louder.
But although impressive, 35,000 wasn't enough to spark envy. Any veteran GGO player could scrape together that much.
Yet as the chatter went on…
Haruto placed another bet.
Again on a single number.
This time—13.
All-in.
Thirty-five thousand.
The crowd fell silent.
Everyone looked at him like he'd lost his mind.
Did he really think that hitting once meant he could hit twice?
Thirty-five thousand wasn't pocket change. That was throwing it away.
Sinon reacted quickly, grabbing Haruto's arm, trying to stop him.
But the wheel had already started spinning again.
Roulette's defining feature: speed.
Round after round, nonstop.
Whether or not people bet, the wheel kept turning.
It was the ultimate money-eater.
Merciless.
Sinon sighed helplessly.
Too late to stop him.
She regretted it—if she'd just revealed her identity earlier, she could've lent him her coins instead.
The crowd smirked, waiting to see him fall.
Only Haruto remained calm.
His gaze steady from start to finish.
After all, he was long past the age where money or gambling could stir his emotions.
The wheel slowed…
And landed.
On 13.
The silence was deafening.
Then—screams.
They stared at the wheel in disbelief, then at Haruto with eyes bulging out of their sockets.
Another cascade of coins, this time forming a literal mountain.
Thirty-five thousand, at 1 to 35.
That meant 1,225,000.
Even as in-game currency, the sight was suffocating.
Sinon just gaped at the glittering mountain of gold.
This couldn't be real… could it?
But when she turned to Haruto—
He remained calm. No joy, no surprise. As if he'd known all along.
Common sense said it was impossible.
But somehow, Sinon felt…
He had known. He really had seen the result beforehand.
As the gasps grew louder, the whole weapon shop's attention shifted toward them.
Haruto collected the earnings, then turned his gaze back to the roulette.
In his eyes—
The world accelerated.
The wheel's spins and stops unfolded before him.
The power of the World, showing him glimpses of the future.
A cyber conman, a gambling god of the virtual realm!
At this point, calling him a "cheater" didn't even do it justice.