Side Chapter — Ichika and the Bar’s Slots

30 DP a day, or in other words, thirty coppers a day. That was the wage of a Dancing Doll Inn employee. Since room and board were free, those thirty coppers were like an allowance that the employees could spend on anything they wanted. Considering that a night’s stay at the Dancing Doll Inn cost fifty coppers with food costing extra, it was fair to say that the employees had it good.

“Alriiight, I’m gonna win this time for sure! I’m gonna win and eat a frickin’ mountain of curry rolls!” Ichika pumped herself up while heading to the bar yet again. She was holding her daily thirty copper wage in hand. Since Ichika didn’t save money on principle, those thirty coppers were all the money she had to her name.

Her goal? The bar’s slot machines.

“Heyaaa! Is my sweet little slot machine free right nooow?!”

“Oh, hello, Ichika. Welcome. Your usual machine is open.”

“Thanks, man! Tiiime to make some bread, this time for sure...!” After fist pumping at Wozma, Ichika headed straight for the fifth slot machine out of six. The last three machines, closest to the walls, were the kind where you could bet from one to three copper coins. One coin would only pay out if the middle row lined up, two coins unlocked the upper and lower rows, and three coins unlocked diagonals. Paying more increased your chances of winning. The fifth machine, second from the wall, had become Ichika’s regular hangout and Wozma made sure it was empty when it was about time for Ichika to get off work.

Ichika put three coins into the slot machine and pulled down the lever. The machine’s drum spun around...

“One shot, one kill! Hyaaah!” Clink! Clink! Clink! Ichika smashed the button, and the pictures ended up all over the place with none lining up. A miss.

“Ngh! Nine more tries... Hyaaah!” She put in more money, lowered the lever, and hit the button. And... it was another miss. But Ichika didn’t give up. She had enough money for eight more tries.

“Hmph... I never look behind me! CHAAARGE!”

“Hey, Ichika. Ain’t gotten bored of that thing yet?”

“Hm? Buzz off, Gozou. You’re, like, totally hurting my concentration here.”

“Gahaha! What’s wrong with a little chat? So, y’think yer gonna score big tonight?”

“My dude... I’m gonna hit the jackpot! Maybe! I think!” Ichika rolled another miss as she spoke.

“Bad guesser, huh?”

“Take a closer look, moron! Everything’s lined up but the left column, and that one’s just a little off! That’s a sign I’m gonna win next roll for sure!”

“Y’think? Ain’t that just superstition?”

“Here we go...! Hyah!” Ichika rolled another miss. Gozou shook his head, but Ichika just grinned.

“...Heh. Don’t bust your nut so soon, dude. This always happens before a jackpot.”

“Jackpot?”

“Getting a miss after that is a sure sign of pattern five... a jackpot is guaranteed to happen in the next five rolls, for sure! Definitely!”

“Alright, then let’s see it.”

“Hmph. Just watch, buster.”

Clink clink clink. Clink clink clink. Clink clink clink. Ichika rolled three misses in a row.

“Two shots left, eh?”

“H-Hey, that’s plenty. I’m totally not worried.” Clink clink clink... Another miss.

“Ngh, ngggh!”

“Alriiight. If you roll a jackpot next, I’ll treat you to some fried food for free.”

“No take-backsies, ’kay?! Nooow, watch this!” Clink... clink...

“O-Oooh! Look! There’s two 7s lined up in the center!”

“Nice, nice. Let’s see the last one.”

“One shot, one kill...! One shot, one kill...! Hyah!” Clink. She rolled a 7... in the top right. Another miss.

“Gyaaaaah! FRIGGIN’ DAAANGIT!”

“Gahahahaha! I knew it.”

“Grrr, friggin’...” Clink clink clink... Ichika, feeling glum, rolled the slots and pressed the button. Three pictures lined up and the slot let out a dinging bell sound. She had done it.

“Oooh! Gozou, I did it! Gimme some fried food!”

“Lucky you, a row of 9s. Ye didn’t get it in five rolls, but eh, I’ll give ye a piece anyway.”

“Th-Thank you so much...!” A row of 9s meant that the slot would pay nine coppers, enough to roll the slot machine at max capacity three times. It happened just often enough to be kind of worthwhile, about once or twice every ten rolls. Gozou held up a piece of fried food stabbed with a toothpick in front of Ichika’s mouth as she clung to the slot machine. Nom. Nom nom nom. Ichika, smiling a blissful smile, rolled the slot machine again while eating the fried food.

...Ultimately, Ichika dumped everything she had into the slot machine.

“Ngh, today just wasn’t my day! I’m heading home... Haaah...”

“Yeah, see ya tomorrow.”

Depressed, Ichika left the bar.

...And immediately afterwards, a war over who would get to use the fifth machine next began.

“Hey, out of the way. I’m up next.”

“As if, you got to use it yesterday. It’s my turn!”

“Hey now, why do you think I got off it for her in the first place? It’s my turn to win today!”

At some point, a rumor had spread among the bar regulars that Ichika’s slot machine paid out five times more often after she used it.

“Ahhh, look at them go. Not a brain between them.”

“What, you’re not gonna join in, Roppe?” Gozou sat back down next to his partner Roppe and took a gulp of beer.

“Don’t be dumb, Gozou. I don’t buy that rumor at all.”

“Y’don’t?”

“I mean, where do you think that rumor came from? I’m pretty sure I heard Keima spreading it around. He was like ‘Ichika failed so hard it should be easier to win now’ or something.”

“Pretty sure it was ‘Ichika lost so much money, the machine should be packed and ready to pay out.’ Something like that.” At some point “It will be easier to win” turned into “It’s way easier to win,” then “Several people actually have won more,” then “I won more,” and so on and so on until eventually settling on “It’s five times easier to win.” The truth was that Ichika’s machine got so popular after she used it that the likelihood of someone winning increased by sheer numbers. If you keep rolling, you’ll eventually win. The more people rolling, the more wins there will be. In short, it honestly was a machine that had more victories than any others.

...It also had more misses than any other machine by far, but gamblers had a tendency to not think about inconveniences for them. And so, thanks in part to that rumor, the slot machines had become very popular among the adventurers.

“...Eh. Guess it’s just ’cause gamblers just love superstitions.”

“Especially gambling adventurers, I suppose.” Gozou shrugged, thinking that yeah, the two were very similar.

“Heck yeah! I won!”

“C’mon, switch with me!”

“Heh heh. This is why I can’t quit the slots.” As always, the bar remained boisterous and busy deep into the night.