Kakegurui: Ten Consecutive Guaranteed Hits

Volume 1 Chapter 60: Casino Manager Mary

Japan is a popular place for mystery novels, and of course Saotome Mary has read some mystery novels to a greater or lesser extent.

However, her opinion was opposite to that of Yukimi. She believed that reading detective novels had little effect on improving deductive abilities. Many modern authors in this century made their plots more "unrealistic" to seek uniqueness in their tricks. They deliberately went against common sense, sounding reasonable but unrealistic in real life. Mary thought that the immersive experience of reading these novels didn't contribute much to improving deductive abilities; solving more math problems would be more useful.

Ignoring this "theory enthusiast," Mary walked up to Kiyohei and curiously asked about the book he was holding, "Aren't there many detective authors? I thought you would like authors like Shosuke Shimada or Natsuhiko Kyogoku. What's special about this author?"

Kiyohei shook his head with a smile. "I like all those authors, but Hayasaka Yabusaka is different from the others. He belongs to another entirely different field, and you could say he's quite unique."

This was the field that Yukimi was familiar with, and she seemed eager to prove herself more skilled than Kiyohei in this regard. She quickly raised her hand to take over the conversation.

"I know about this! It's because Hayasaka Yabusaka combines bitterness and tricks in his portrayal of detective novels. In 'Rainbow Toothbrush,' for example, it's like a dessert with a beautiful fruit decoration on the outside but filled with meat inside. It satisfies your taste buds and fills you up internally. The protagonist, the compensated dating girl Kamiki Ruri, is bitter, not just in her setting but overflowing throughout the story, guiding the plot and even serving as crucial evidence. Especially in this 'Rainbow Toothbrush,' do you know about the blue chapter..."

Yukimi became more excited as she spoke, and Kiyohei coughed lightly, but she didn't stop. He had to interrupt her to make her close her mouth.

Kiyohei's gaze toward Mary became peculiar, teasing him, "The protagonist is a compensated dating girl? So... you like this type of book, huh?"

Kiyohei cleared his throat and pretended to be serious. "That's just a setting. In reality, the female protagonist Kamiki Ruri is modest, selfless, and accommodating. She's cute when slowly unraveling mysteries and shedding her outer layers, even possessing a certain sacredness, just like you. If you read this series, you'll also like this girl."

"What are you talking about? What do you mean 'like me'..." Mary blushed. She hadn't expected Kiyohei Kagero to praise her so straightforwardly.

"Alright, let's not talk about this. Let's talk about the casino!" Mary quickly changed the topic.

"You've cheered up so quickly?"

"I have no choice. If I don't cheer up, I might end up like that detective you mentioned, forced into compensated dating..."

Mary's expression darkened. "Besides, I originally didn't plan to open for business tomorrow. Something happened this morning..."

Mary told them about the reason for her significant change. Last night, Hanatemari Tsuzura returned home and took 300,000 yen from her family. In the morning, she stood at the school gate, waiting for Mary. When they changed shoes at the entrance, Mary noticed a row of blades in Tsuzura's shoes. If she hadn't noticed and put them on, her feet would have been soaked in blood instantly, and her legs might have been crippled. Kiyohei Kagero, upon hearing this, straightened up, furrowing his brows.

Hanatemari Tsuzura was a "livestock," and encountering some cold violence at school was considered "normal." Many girls vented their anger on the "livestock" when they lost in gambling, a behavior Kiyohei had already become accustomed to. However, putting blades in the shoes went beyond cold violence and entered the realm of school violence.

"Mary, have you found the culprit?" Kiyohei asked seriously.

"No..." Mary shook her head, frowning and gritting her teeth. "This morning, I questioned Kokoro Aiura, and she even swore to me, saying that she absolutely didn't do such a thing."

Kiyohei Kagero believed it too. With Kokoro Aiura's courage, she wouldn't commit such an act.

Who could it be? This matter couldn't be ignored. If Tsuzura was really injured, it would easily reach the level of a criminal case. Shouldn't the student council also intervene in such matters?

"This matter is my responsibility. If I hadn't taken Tsuzura money for gambling, she wouldn't have ended up in this situation..." Mary blamed herself.

Hanatemari Tsuzura gently pulled Mary's arm, smiling softly, trying to comfort her, "I told you, I'm fine..."

"Regardless, I need to quickly earn money." Mary took a deep breath and looked at Kiyohei.

"Kiyohei, based on the previous bet, I have to work for you at the casino for half a month. In addition to paying the venue usage fee, I also have to give you five hundred thousand yen every month, right?"

"That's correct." Kiyohei nodded.

"In that case... Can I consider the casino under my management?" Mary said seriously. "Kiyohei, can you hand over the casino to me? I promise to pay you the full amount every month."

Though she was just an employee doing odd jobs, Mary presented herself as if she were the manager. Kiyohei didn't correct her; instead, he smiled and said, "The way you put it, I sound like a landlord. Since you're so confident... fine, I accept."

"Did you hear that, Yukimi? The casino is now under my management!" Mary slammed the table, resolute. "I can let you stay, but as long as you're in this room, you have to be at my beck and call!"

Yukimi's face lit up with excitement, quickly running behind Mary and squeezing her shoulders. "Thank you very much!"

As long as she could stay, helping out was no big deal. Yukimi gladly accepted this condition.

Mary, now officially the "Casino Manager," cleared her throat and asked Yukimi, "By the way, how much money were you making here per month before?"

"Barely enough to cover the venue usage fee and sometimes even had to put money into it."

The three of them fell silent.

If that was the case, why even bother running a casino?

"What game were you playing in the casino?" Mary continued to inquire.

"I was playing 'Drawing the Ghost Card.' Actually, those seemingly used fold marks on the playing cards were intentionally left by me..." Yukimi proudly revealed her cheating method.

"...Is it impossible for people in this school to play games without cheating?" Kiyohei couldn't help but comment, having witnessed countless instances of cheating in just a few days.

Mary agreed with a nod. In the two gambling matches she participated in, someone was cheating in both.

"That's the advantage of being the home team. Since you've come to my casino, I naturally can use some tricks. If you can't see through them, it's your own fault for losing." Yukimi pushed her glasses and made a statement befitting a senior.

Mary, not pleased, retorted, "I won't cheat in my casino! Moreover, your cheating methods are too low-grade; no wonder you can't make money."

"In addition to my management issues, the location of this library is not ideal, so I have difficulty managing it..." Yukimi weakly retorted, but Mary glared at her, and she immediately shut her mouth.

"In any case, to earn money, we have to rely on this casino." Tsuzura summarized.