Chapter 4: Dealer

THEY’D BEEN SUMMONED to a café in the Tokyo area by Polt, a kobold woman. “Mr. Kurusu Kimihito! I hear you’re helping out with the work program?” Polt had a fluffy layer of brown fur over her body, and her head was topped with two pointy ears. Her eyes were large and round, and her body was well sculpted. She usually wore tight athletic clothes that let her move around easily, but for the moment, she was hidden in a coat with a flipped-up collar and a pair of unflattering sunglasses. It was obvious she was avoiding someone, and it made Kimihito uncomfortable sitting near her.

“How do you hear this stuff so fast, Polt-san?” he asked.

“Heh heh, my company’s always expanding into new areas, so I never lack for information! It’s great that you’re helping the government develop better opportunities for liminal employment. So kindhearted!”

Kimihito thought Smith had been pushing the girls too hard, but hearing someone from outside complimenting the program, he didn’t feel like he could say that.

“I’m wondering if you could help me out, too,” Polt said.

“With what?” He tilted his head. Was this related to her shady disguise?

“Like I said, my company’s looking at new business developments—”

“How…proactive.”

Kobold Industries provided a variety of health and well-being services for liminal people, particularly gyms. They also ran volunteer services to boost their reputation. They were a very wealthy species, but most of that seemed to go towards positive enterprises in the liminal community. Really, Kimihito wondered if he should be complimenting Polt, instead of the other way around.

“This is totally different from our usual trade. An absolute first of its kind! We’ve made some blunders during setup, but now…” She looked at him eagerly.

“Hm?” He waited for her to continue.

“It’s ready for focus group testing!”

“Okay?” He tilted his head further. Polt had invited Miia and the rest to try out her gym before. She’d shown them through herself, giving demos of the state-of-the-art training equipment and shouting her way through the special training options.

“I’m not comfortable with this particular business move, personally.”

“Wait, what?”

“It’s kind of…immoral, I guess? Too hedonistic for me,” she said thoughtfully.

The gears turned in Kimihito’s head. “Is this ‘new business’…illegal?”

“Illegal?! Whoa, no way! In fact, the government told us to set it up!”

“The government?”

“Some branch came and asked for—ah, whatever, I’m just gonna come out and say it.” She leaned over the table, lowered her sunglasses, and whispered to him, “They asked us to build a casino.”

“Oh!” There it was! In fact, the prefectural governor had been in the news recently, saying a casino could bring tourists to the area and boost their economy. Was that who Polt’s company was involved with? How’d they get caught in a huge story like that?

“It’s not clear which municipality it’s for, but we’re the only liminal company with the know-how to make it happen, so they could be from anywhere. If we succeed, we’ll make a lot of money. It seemed too good to be true, so of course, they tacked on other conditions—”

It wasn’t just the kobolds standing to make a profit. This could be complicated. “Such as?”

“We’ve gotta staff it exclusively with liminals—by liminals, for humans. It’s aimed at Japan for now, but if it’s successful we’ll advertise internationally, too,” she said.

“I see.”

“I’m really struggling here. Is it even right for my company to build a casino? Especially like this!” She gripped the fur on the sides of her face and groaned. “It’s like, we make money to invest it back in the community. Carefully, steadily, healthily, building funds to support the people. That’s our mission statement! A casino’s kind of the opposite of that.”

“You seem pretty conflicted, Polt-san.”

“It’s not what kobolds are about. We’re having trouble at every stage. But we’ve taken the contract, so we’ve gotta deliver.” It seemed she wasn’t alone in her problems. The way she was struggling reminded Kimihito of how he felt whenever Smith brought him an assignment. “Which brings us back to our first topic.”

He refocused on her. “Sure.”

“We’ve established a provisional location, but we still haven’t figured out, uh, what the appeal is meant to be. So! I wondered if you could come by and tell us what the pros and cons are, then we’ll implement the feedback as we iterate on the concept!”

“M-me?” he asked, baffled.

“You’ve helped with so many jobs already—bartender, idol, maid café—you’ve gotta be an expert on service and entertainment! If you come by and tell us what you think, it’ll be a huge help. Whaddaya say?”

Kimihito was concerned. Even without the pilot program, he was stretched thin every day with housework. He still had Suu and Lala’s assignment to attend. But Polt seemed really troubled—seeing her with her ears down, her smile and optimism gone, was getting to him. “Of course, if you’ll have me,” he said.

“Thanks so much! That makes you our first official tester!” Her grin returned in an instant.

“Um. Great.” He looked around the quiet café she’d chosen. “Hey, why’d we meet here, anyway?”

“Oh, right.” She looked, too. “It’s to keep this a secret from the girls. Whatever the prefecture says, it’s gambling, and this is Japan. Of course, you’ll be monitoring a test with no actual money—yet.”

“I see.”

“You’re just a regular citizen, Kimihito, but the girls are studying abroad, and being caught at a casino might reflect poorly on them. Miss Smith would take issue with it for sure. This should stay between us,” she said.

“Of course. I understand.” Whether because of the optics or immigration, if the girls were seen gambling, it would cause a lot of problems for everyone. Plus, with how impulsive some of them were, they’d inevitably lose a lot of money. Miia and Centorea seemed like they’d be particularly bad gamblers. Rachnera and Suu had amazing poker faces, so they might be surprisingly good, though. Mero would probably do okay, and Lala… Who knew with Lala? It was hard to imagine her gambling at all, but if she did, he doubted it would go well.

“All right. When’s the test starting?” he asked.

“Let’s see…” Polt said, “that’d be tonight!”

 

***

 

This happened way too fast, Kimihito thought as he made his way to the casino—despite his bewilderment at being put in this situation. He’d been directed to an address inside the Tokyo area, a shopping district where the sky was crowded out by neon signs. He’d never heard of a casino around here. Hope the girls are all right at home. He’d arrived back from his meeting with Polt, made dinner for them, and then rushed back out. Since he couldn’t tell them about the casino, he lied that he’d needed to run an errand.

Miia had seen him off with a smile. “See you later, Darling! I’ve got this under control. Ooh, I feel like a newlywed seeing her husband off. Bye!!” Her tail waved as she spoke. At least she’d been in a good mood.

“Is this the place?” he asked himself aloud. He stood at a large building right in the center of the district. There were no signs to indicate what kind of business it was, and the windows were closed and covered, preventing anyone from seeing inside.

He double-checked the address before entering. The doorway was large and dark, like the entrance to an ancient, ruined castle, while the door itself had gold-plated handles. Two tall men in suits stood at attention, one bearded and one clean-shaven.

Intimidated by the scene, Kimihito took a moment to speak. “E-excuse me—”

The bearded man glared at him.

“Polt-san invited me to—”

“Ah. Kurusu-sama. We’ve been waiting.” His attitude swiftly changed at the mention of Polt’s name. Tension gone, he and the clean-shaven man both gave polite bows. “Welcome to Kobold Casino. Have a good time.”

“Who are you, by the by?” Kimihito asked.

“Normally? Polt’s translator when she’s traveling abroad. Today, though, I’m acting as security.”

“That sounds difficult.”

“Of course not. Anything for Polt,” he said with a little chuckle. He must have been a competent man for Polt to take him overseas with her.

Kimihito bowed to the translator and continued past.

“Welcome to the Kobold Casino!”

A chorus of voices greeted him. A gaggle of kobold girls in bunny outfits surrounded the entrance. Unlike standard bunny outfits, however, they didn’t come with fake ears or tails—the girls’ own doglike ears and swishy canine tails poked over their headbands and out of their playsuits. I guess that makes them dog girls, then? Kimihito’s head was spinning already.

“Kimihito! Glad you could make it!” Polt jumped out from the crowd. She was also in the bunny-dog-girl costume. Her fur stuck proudly through her fishnet tights, and Kimihito couldn’t help wondering what the texture would feel like if he stroked it.

“This place is great,” he said.

“Heh heh heh. Before you is the pinnacle of Kobold Industries technology. I’ve assembled the most beautiful girls from the company to assist here tonight. They’re our receptionists, so this is kind of outside their expertise, but they’re taking it in stride.” She nodded as she spoke, as if trying to reassure herself—she still had her reservations about the casino project. “How about the decor, though, Kimihito? Any suggestions?”

“Hmm.” He checked around. This was his first time in a casino, so he wasn’t sure whether the bright neon or the loud jukeboxes were part and parcel with it. There were no other customers yet, but the kobold girls bustled about, preparing the venue for them. There were slot machines, roulette, and card tables—all the games you’d expect—and a few of the kobolds were playing them with serious expressions. They must have been administrators testing them before opening. “It’s definitely got a casino feel,” he said.

“Yes!! We went to a bunch overseas for reference. Start playing whenever you like. Our employees are trained as dealers, too,” she said.

“That’s amazing, it’s just…” Where would he even start?

“Oh! Duh, of course! We haven’t given you your welcome drink.”

“D-drink…?” A free drink just to welcome him in was suspiciously generous.

“Hey! You! Bring him a drink, please!” Polt said to a girl passing by.

As the girl stopped, Kimihito was surprised to see she didn’t have any doggy ears or a doggy tail. Instead, she had massive wings and scales. “Yes, ma’am! It’ll be just a mo—ah, you!!” she shouted and pointed at Kimihito.

“D-Draco?!” He knew this woman! She was an androgynous type who often played a handsome man in public, though that wasn’t possible in the bunny girl outfit, which put her modest figure on display. Her outfit featured an open back, which allowed her wings—often restricted beneath her clothes—to spread out. Draco was the dragonet who’d once attempted to pick up Miia. “What’re you doing here? Is this another punishment for leaving without permission?”

“No!” She flared her wings, and the force broke against Kimihito like a strong gust of wind. She waved her arms to match. “I heard you’d be coming so I asked for permission to meet you, human! I even wore this ridiculous outfit!”

“Me?”

“I assumed that, if you were here, Miia would be, too! Ahh, my beautiful Miia—imagine a night doing whatever we desire in the hedonistic halls of this casino!” Draco was, as usual, lost in a fantasy right out of a romance movie.

“Um. Miia’s not coming.”

“Huh?”

“This was a solo invitation,” he explained.

“Grrrrrggghhh!!” Draco snarled and tore at her hair.

Despite proclaiming her species, the dragonet, as the greatest of all liminals, she spent most of her time sneaking out to pick up other scaly liminal girls. It was safe to say she had some issues. Luckily, those escapist tendencies also made her easy to manipulate, as Polt had demonstrated with this particular gambit.

“Damn that dog woman! She tricked me! If I hadn’t thought Miia was coming I never would’ve agreed to work at this stupid casino!”

“But I didn’t say Miia was coming,” Polt said, “I just said Kimihito was. You’re the one who misinterpreted.” There was a smug little sparkle in her eyes. If Draco wanted to jump to conclusions, was it so wrong for Polt to take advantage? She didn’t lie…

Backed into a logical corner, Draco ground her teeth in impotent rage. “Ugh…you…okay! So I screwed up.”

“As long as you understand that, we’re all good,” Polt said with a smirk.

“I don’t want to do anything…but I guess I gave my word. Ugh, I’ll keep working.” She brushed a hand through her hair. When she wasn’t throwing fits and causing scenes, Draco was an attractive girl with slit pupils and a strong physique. With her sense of daring and her draconic features, she could easily set someone’s heart aflutter. Add to that her showy little bunny outfit…

Kimihito let his eyes drift.

Remembering the original order, Draco slipped out back but soon returned with a drink for him. “Here. It’s not a casino without a bit of boozing.”

“Oh. Uh. Sure.”

“Don’t worry, human, it’s just a weak cocktail. Welcome to Kobold Casino.” She handed over the drink and gave a proper bow.

Kimihito couldn’t help thinking her vibe matched the casino perfectly. If she could avoid making moves on the customers, she’d do great here. He sipped the cocktail and was pleased to discover it was weak, as promised.

“Well, Kimihito, don’t you think it’s time to try a game?” Polt led him to the nearest table and passed him a pile of chips. They were various colors and had the Kobold Casino logo painted on them. A larger pile awaited in the center of the table. “For now, you’ve got the equivalent of about a million yen. Use it at your leisure.”

“A million?!”

“Of course! For the moment it doesn’t mean anything. When we’re open, there’ll be a change counter to cash it back into money, but for today, they’re just bits of plastic.”

Still, he felt a cold sweat seeping from his skin. Just bits of plastic, not real money, not his money—but it felt too close to a working casino as he stared at the pile before him.

“Well, what’ll you play?” Polt asked.

“The slot machines are a bore,” said Draco, “I’d suggest cards instead. Not that I get to deal anymore.”

“Draco lost too much.”

“Don’t tell him that!”

He could easily imagine her getting overconfident and betting it all on bad odds. “I guess I could try a card game,” he said.

“Gotcha! How about poker? I’ve got a first-class dealer you can play against!” Polt smiled brightly and took him to the table.

Poker… Can I remember the rules? Kimihito pondered. He remembered some of the rules, but he didn’t have any real-world experience, which he figured he’d need to win in a casino. He was hoping the dealer would give him a break until they reached the table to see…

“Let’s begin,” said the woman across from him. Her fingertips, already set on the cards, were covered in something like tree bark. She kept a calm expression as she regarded him. “It’s been a while, human.”

“Kii?” he gasped.

“How are Papi and Suu?” she asked. This was someone he knew very well: the dryad, Kii.

 

***

 

“We’ll leave this to Kii.” Polt took Draco and left for the floor.

Kii shuffled the cards in her branch-like fingers without a word.

“Um. So. What brings you here?” Kimihito asked her.

She didn’t normally wear clothes, as dryads needed plenty of exposed skin to perform photosynthesis, but today she was dressed in the standard bunny suit. Her appearance varied depending on her nutrient level—from small and flat to tall and curvy—and she’d filled up so she could fill out the uniform. Like the kobolds, she’d given the ears a pass; her head was covered in vines and leaves instead of hair, so putting them on must’ve been too difficult. “Polt requested it. She was shorthanded,” she said.

“I see.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have come, but I owed Polt—she cleans the mountain sometimes. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful.”

Kimihito inspected her lower half. Normally, she had literal roots set in that mountain, and she disliked visiting the city. To get here she’d formed two bipedal legs like a human’s, albeit covered in bark. She wasn’t wearing the fishnet tights the other girls had on, but they probably would’ve torn if she tried to get them over that rough skin. “You’re usually annoyed by people visiting, even if it’s to clean.”

“I don’t like it when it’s unannounced, but Polt is something of a regular now. Despite her pushiness, she’s a kind person. I felt I had to repay that kindness.”

“It’s nice to hear you say that,” he said with a smile.

“Shut up. Stupid human.” Kii turned her face from him. He was a credit to his species, but that didn’t make humans “good,” per se. Being in an urban environment was already wilting her leaves, browning the edges. “Shall we play?”

“Ah. Sure.”

She dealt the cards skillfully, cutting the deck and passing Kimihito his lot with a practiced hand.

“You’re an expert at this,” he said, a touch anxious.

“Of course.” When they’d first met, she hadn’t even been able to read, but it seemed she was a fast learner when she had to be. With those smooth movements, gracefully separating one card from the next, any human professional would struggle to keep up.

“I wouldn’t have thought you’d be interested in this sort of thing.”

“Correct. I’m not interested—in this or any other human game.”

“But you’ve dedicated yourself to learning.”

“These days, I’m trying to keep an open mind. How much will you bet?”

He looked at his hand. It wasn’t bad. “How about this green chip?” He lifted it to indicate.

“That chip is worth 30,000 yen,” she said.

“Huh?” He felt light-headed as the number left her lips.

She chuckled at his distress. It was unusual to hear her laugh, too. “Well, well. Will you fold?”

“N-no.” He steadied himself. “I’ll make the bet.”

“Then it’s time for our showdown,” she said and flipped her cards casually. “Full house.” Kimihito only had three-of-a-kind, so he lost.

With a strange T-shaped tool, Kii slid his chips to her side of the table.

“You’re good at this, Kii!” he said. Her stoic personality gave her a naturally flawless poker face, and as she had said, she was too disinterested in the game to react much as she played. This, as much as the mountain, was her element. “Is this part of you keeping an open mind?”

“Oh. Hm. Yes,” she said, “I dislike humans, but even on the mountain, they appear one after another to bother me. They drop their garbage and make a commotion. If I confront them directly, it never ends well.”

“It sounds infuriating,” he said.

Kii had been imported to Japan illegally. Despite the fact that she’d been trafficked and was an obvious victim, Japanese law considered her an illegal immigrant. That was why she’d lived a secret life on the mountain, hiding away from human society. Interacting with humanity only ever made her situation worse, so why would she choose to be around them?

Not that she could always help it. When she’d overindulged in nutrients, she’d grown into a giant and rampaged through her region. They’d only been able to stop her when Suu grew to an equally large size.

“As long as you don’t bother us, we shouldn’t bother you.”

“That was only because of those strange nutrients! Besides, I don’t have to touch your species, you’re perfectly capable of destroying yourselves.”

“Destroying ourselves?”

“Yes,” she said, fanning the cards in front of her and smiling dangerously, “through gambling.”

“Huh? Wait, you didn’t become a dealer just to—”

“I did. Those who come here destroy themselves through their own avarice. It’s the most human place I’ve ever seen. When we open, many humans will come here to lose their fortunes. And I will be across the table, watching.”

“Err, well…” What could he possibly say in response? Kii’s hatred for humans had somehow intensified. As long as she wasn’t actively harming them, though… Polt had asked her to come here, too… “Don’t go overboard?” he ventured.

“Of course. I will continue to do my duties as a dealer. If the customers somehow manage to win, they will leave unharmed. I just don’t care. You humans…” She flipped a chip between her fingers, butterflying it around the knuckles of her right hand. “You care quite a lot about this sort of thing. You want it badly, don’t you?”

As the chip rotated, Kimihito caught the number 30,000 engraved on its face. It was the chip he’d just lost. Even though it wasn’t real money, wasn’t his, and he was just here as a favor—it felt like a waste to have lost it. “Because it’s fun to play with money,” he said, though he felt more bitter than anything.

“That’s why I’m helping Polt. You’re incorrigible. As long as you’re ruining yourselves here, I’ll be here, too.” She flicked more cards onto the table in front of him. “Another game?”

“I’m in,” Kimihito said.

“Yes,” Kii replied, “let’s start over.”

He’d submitted to the allure of the casino. Kii smiled faintly and drew her hand.

 

***

 

Kimihito played ten games and lost them all.

“Ugh. I can’t believe it.” He slumped in front of the table. Somehow Kii just kept winning.

“There were plenty of opportunities to get ahead,” she said. “Is it a strategy to ignore your enemy’s weak spots? Some form of honor?”

“Hey, not betting is a strategy. Besides, you don’t have any tells.”

“Perhaps you’re just not observant enough,” she said as she shuffled again.

“Well, Kimihito.” Polt approached their table. “How’s poker go—” She stopped short as she saw both chip piles. “Kimihito! You lost half your chips?!”

“The third match was especially bad,” Kii said. “He had a good hand and he raised quite a bit, but it made no difference. One small loss for Kimihito, one giant loss for mankind.”

He’d started out cautious with his bets, but as Kii defeated him over and over, his desire to win made him reckless.

“Kii, please hold back a bit. A dealer’s job isn’t just to win, they’re meant to entertain the customers,” Polt said.

“But I thought the house always won? If we’re not careful, we’ll be in the red, and you won’t see any profit.”

“We’ve gotta find the balance! Too harsh and no one will come back. That’ll costs us, too. Keep it proportionate.”

“I don’t know if I can do that,” Kii said, looking askance.

Polt held her head for a moment and then turned to Kimihito. “What’s your perspective?”

“Kii’s kinda scary, so maybe she should take it easier,” he admitted.

“Always room for improvement!” Polt pulled a notebook from her vest pocket and took his comment down. “Be fairer with the win-loss ratio. Got it.”

“Is that okay?”

“’Course! We’re not here to rob people. We want to take your money in exchange for thrills and dreams!”

“Those are some high ideals!”

Polt had clearly been adapting the casino project to work for her and her people. “I oughtta shift the exchange rates for chips, too. If you’d put real money on those you would’ve just lost 500,000 yen, Kimihito.”

“Ugh.” In the back of his mind, he’d understood that, but hearing it aloud was different. He swore he’d never come here when it opened for real. Forget about Miia and Centorea, he’d be risking bankruptcy himself.

“Would you like to try again? Maybe your luck will change,” Kii asked, passing the cards between her hands.

“No, I’m good,” Kimihito replied and shook his head emphatically. Just the thought of going bankrupt had rattled him. Besides, he wouldn’t be much of a tester if he didn’t try a mix of games. He had to save some chips for the rest of the floor. Then again, he could probably ask for more if he needed to…but the essence of gambling was having fun with limited funds. If he ignored that, the trial meant nothing. “Are you sure you don’t need a break, Kii? Your leaves are kind of dry.” He tried to change the subject.

“I-I’m fine.”

“You’re wilting.”

“None of your business!” she growled at him, pulling away.

Polt whined like a dog in disappointment. “I’m sorry. We installed the latest filtration systems in the building, but there are too many bars in the area, so the smell of cigarette smoke keeps making its way in.”

“Are you all right, Polt?” Kimihito asked.

“No…I’ve got an amazing sense of smell, so it’s inescapable. It’s like it’s burning out my nose so I can’t smell anything else. But I’ll add it to the list of improvements.” She scribbled more in her notebook.

Kimihito squinted. Overall, the air was about what you’d expect from a casino, but it shouldn’t have been enough to damage Kii like that. Maybe it really was the city getting to her—but there was an unusually strong smell of cigarettes in this particular area. “Hmm.”

“What’s up?”

Curious, he left the table and made his way to the slot machines. A set of curtains ran behind them and split their section of the hall. Following his nose, he found more machines secreted away.

Polt gave chase. “S-sorry, Kimihito, this area isn’t done yet—” As she followed him, she continued to scrawl in her notebook.

Kii, overcome by curiosity, went with them.

Coming to a stop at a disassembled slot machine, Kimihito pointed to its back. “Look! Smoke.” A thin column rose from behind the machine. Several other machines formed a circle around it like a Roman Colosseum, hiding the source from view. Someone was hiding there. “It didn’t make sense for a kobold to smoke, since the smell was so irritating to them, but someone had definitely lit up inside.”

Nudging aside one of the machines to give them access, Polt led them into the culprit’s hiding spot. Inside was… “Lilith!”

“Agh!” Lilith sprang from her crouch, cigarette in hand. She was also wearing the bunny girl costume. “What the hell? I’m trying to enjoy my break!”

“I refuse to let you smoke on the premises!”

“Damn it!” she swore. “How’d you find me, anyway? Isn’t there enough stinking up the place to hide a single cigarette?” Scratching her head, she looked past Polt to Kimihito and Kii. “Ah! Human! Of course you’re behind this. Can’t believe they pulled you into this scheme, too.”

“I can’t believe you’re here, Lilith! Are you working?” he asked.

“Eh, something like that,” she said with a smirk. “Polt dragged me in as punishment for going out without permission. First I thought ‘ugh, what a pain,’ but then I realized casinos’re full of rich idiots who don’t watch their wallets—” Before she could confess the details of her plan, she noticed how Kimihito and Polt were looking at her. “Except I’m just a good widdle girl, sweet Lilith, who’s here to work hard and accept the pay she’s given! How could I say no to nice Miss Polt’s offer?”

“I don’t think anyone’s buying it,” said Kimihito. Everyone had spent too long with Lilith to believe she was anything but a devil. She drank, she smoked, and she’d con anyone out of their money first chance she got.

Lilith clicked her tongue and extinguished her cigarette in a handheld ashtray. Kii backed away from the smoke with a grimace of distaste on her face.

“All right, all right, back to work…” Lilith grumbled.

“Yes,” insisted Polt.

With another click of her tongue, Lilith turned to leave. Her devilish wings spread from the open back of her outfit and flapped loudly at the group. The bunny girl costumes were meant for women with generous figures, like Polt and Kii, so on Lilith’s childish form, the front gaped open and allowed Kimihito to see right through to her— “Whoa! Where’re you looking, Mister? Scaryyy!”

“I-I wasn’t—”

“Gross, you pedophile! I’m gonna have to tell Miss Rachnera! ☆” Lilith cackled. She clearly knew that the gaping front of her bustier would show her small breasts from that angle and chose it on purpose. He had to be careful around demons like her.

“Lilith! No making fun of the customers!” Polt barked.

“Whaaat? But he’s the creep!” She couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

“And you were the one smoking earlier when you were supposed to be on duty! I’ll have to write you up.” Polt snatched the pack of cigarettes from Lilith’s hand and crushed them in her grip without much effort, forearm flexing.

“H-huh?! Hey dog-woman, maybe you haven’t heard, but smoking’s an important part of the casino lifestyle!”

“Then we’re gonna revolutionize the industry! This is gonna be a healthy place. Isn’t that right, Kimihito?” Her notebook was back out, and she was writing furiously.

“I-is it?” he asked.

“What a shame it would be,” Kii deadpanned, “if this place were destroyed by its own management.”

Kimihito was baffled. Polt was already a mismatch for the whole casino concept but trying to change it to fit her healthy image seemed even more absurd. Wasn’t gambling inherently dangerous?

“Moving along! Which game are you gonna try next, Kimihito?” She asked.

Even if this place was doomed, the least he could do was try to save it with his honest feedback. “How about roulette?”

“Nya ha ha! Roulette? You’ll be needing an opponent! Allow me, Mister~! ☆” Lilith said, her tail whipping around in a frenzy.

Kii stepped forward like she intended to participate, too.

Lilith smirked. “I’m gonna chip away at him until there’s nothing left.”

“I’m right here, Lilith,” Kimihito said.

“Tee hee! ☆” She stuck her tongue out in denial like an innocent little girl.

 

***

 

“Come on, red seven!” Kimihito called and set his chips on the table.

“Oho? Sure you wanna make a straight-up bet like that?” Lilith asked.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Kii said.

“Huh?” Kimihito didn’t really know the rules of roulette, but it seemed like his instinct was already guiding him wrong.

Before he could take it back, Lilith rang the bell. “No more bets! ☆ Here goes the wheel!” She spun the roulette wheel and rolled the white ball in the opposite direction. It gradually decelerated until it settled in one of the pockets with a clunk. “That’s rouge eighteen! Your chips’re mine, Mister! ☆”

“Ugh.” They’d just started and he’d immediately had a huge loss.

“I bet on red. I win,” said Kii, collecting her chips.

It was time Kimihito accepted that he was totally, utterly, completely unsuited for gambling. He had the worst luck. “So you don’t just…bet which spot it’s going to land on,” he said.

“There’s lots of ways to bet. Rouge or noir? Evens or odds? Maybe three specific numbers? You’ve gotta get with the rhythm of the table, though,” Lilith said. “Play again, Mister?”

He could tell this would be a miserably steep learning curve. “N-no, I think I’ll leave it there.”

“Aw, and here I was, about to hypnotize you and make you bet all your money. ☆” Lilith said with a chuckle.

As a demon, Lilith had hypnosis in her bag of liminal tricks. She had, in fact, hypnotized Kimihito in the past. He’d been told by Doppel afterwards that his actions hadn’t been quite right. It turned out Lilith had commanded him to “be true to himself,” and he’d become more serious as a result. If she hypnotized him to steal his money, though, that would be more of a problem. He’d probably leave the casino immediately in protest.

“Hey, no hypnotizing the customers,” Kii chided.

“C’mon! It was just a joke. Kimihito’s too much of a pushover to be worth hypnotizing anyway.”

“True.”

Gee, thanks. It was depressing that they thought he was so weak. Though he had lost all his chips to them, so at least for today, he couldn’t prove otherwise.

“I had fun here! ☆” Lilith said, “Did you have fun, Mister?”

“I learned a valuable lesson—I’m bad at gambling,” Kimihito said.

“And knowing is half the battle! Maybe it’s best if you stay away. Besides, if I run into you here, there’s not much I can do to you.” She grinned and showed her sharp, demonic teeth.

Kii sighed. “I suppose you’re done here?”

“Yeah, but, uh—where’s Polt gone?” Kimihito asked.

“I believe she went to deal with a shipment that just came in—a new outfit for Draco.”

Kimihito tilted his head. He’d tried a few games and used most of his chips; it felt like the right moment to leave. If he stayed much longer, Miia and the others would start to worry.

A desperate scream reverberated throughout the casino. “That’s ridiculous! Who would make something like this?”

“Draco, this is a brand-new style—it’s the on-trend, up-to-the-minute type of bunny girl costume!”

“I’m not sure it even qualifies as an outfit!” Draco shouted. “Gimme a freakin’ break!”

Kimihito turned toward the commotion, curious what Draco was shouting about.

“Seriously! Clothes are supposed to have fabric!”

“According to our research, casinos around the globe are moving toward this kind of minimal look!” Polt said.

“I don’t know who sold you this garbage, but they’re ripping you off!” Draco folded her arms over herself.

Unlike the swimsuit-style bunny girl costumes everyone else wore, this outfit was barely pasties and panties—it consisted of a heart on each breast and a larger one over the crotch. As if to make up for how much of the torso it exposed, the arms and legs were fully covered in opera-style gloves and opaque tights.

This was the advanced version of the bunny girl costume: the reverse bunny girl costume. And Draco was, begrudgingly, wearing it.

“Draco, where’d you get—” Kimihito started.

“Shut up! Don’t look at me! Polt asked me to try the new outfit—turns out, it’s not an outfit at all!”

Yet you put it on and walked out in it…

“Didn’t you think about that before trying it on?” Lilith saved him from speaking his mind.

“I put the arms and the legs on, and by the time I realized, it was too late!”

“Just go change, Draco,” Polt said.

The outfit was so sexy it made Kimihito light-headed. And Draco was too busy complaining to go back to the break room and change.

Polt was clearly having some buyer’s remorse now that she was being confronted about the purchase. “Ehh…”

Kimihito felt a drip from his nose.

“Hey. Human.” Kii pointed at a spot of blood on the ground. As she did, another fell beside it, dripping like a broken tap. “You’re bleeding.”

“Wh—oh no,” Kimihito said, leaning forward to look.

“Ooh! Who’s a naughty boy?” Lilith teased.

He was nervous about getting blood on his clothes, but he didn’t know what to do.

“Uh oh! Where’s the first aid kit?” Polt asked.

“Ugh, don’t get excited! As if I’d ever want a man to feel like that about me!” Draco snapped.

“Then why…haven’t…you taken…the outfit off?!” Even Polt was at the end of her rope. The floor was loud and busy as they all got upset at each other.

Unable to move, Kimihito wavered in place, forcing Polt to take the initiative. She hoisted him into her arms with surprising strength and, ignoring the other girls, carried him away.

 

***

 

Kimihito understood he’d been laid on a couch in a back room somewhere, but with how dizzy he felt, he wasn’t sure what else had happened. Someone had put something cold on his forehead. An ice pack, maybe. He couldn’t open his eyes.

“Can you believe it? All that preaching, and the second he sees a reverse bunny girl costume, his nose is gushing like a hydrant! Adults are the worst!” Lilith said.

“Show some respect, Lilith. You’re an adult, too,” Kii scolded. Someone lifted Kimihito’s head and placed it on something soft. He assumed it was a pillow—but the longer he lay there, the more he realized the texture was wrong. While his head was on a nice, soft surface, his neck brushed against something rough…like the bark of a tree. “How do you feel, human?” a voice rumbled through his head.

“Kii?” he asked. It took effort to open his eyes, and they didn’t get far. Most of his field of vision was covered in greenery. “A lap pillow…” he murmured.

“Don’t. Pretend it’s gentle grass, surrounded by roots. You’re lying at the base of a tree. It’s so comfortable, you’re not sure when you’ll get up,” she said.

It surprised him that she’d volunteered for this—someone so grumpy, who hated humans so much. Her bunny girl outfit was gone, and she was naked, as she preferred to be, with her leaf-like organs hiding her important parts.

“What’s with the change of heart?” he asked.

“I still hate humans,” she said, “but you’re Papi’s boss. If you got hurt, she would worry. Besides, I saw you do this for Tio, once. Stay there as long as you like.” Her voice was as flat as ever, but her actions showed at least some concern for him.

“Mister! Hey! Listen!” Lilith said.

“Uh?”

“Hee hee hee. You’re bleeding again!” She stuck a tissue against his nose.

“Agh…ugh…hurts…”

“That’s the punishment for being a bad, bad man,” Lilith said. She was unreasonably happy to see him in such a pathetic state, and her tail whirled around her. She’d changed her clothes, too.

“This is so embarrassing,” Kimihito groaned.

“Tch, it’s just what we’d expect from a creepy man like you. Just relax, unwind, and let me seduce you. While you’re distracted, I’ll take your money and run.”

“I’m not interested in a kid,” he said.

“I’m not a kid!” she said immaturely.

“Heyyy, human!” Draco slammed into the break room, back in casual wear. Kimihito breathed a sigh of relief that he wouldn’t have to see the reverse bunny girl suit again. “So, you finally stopped bleeding!”

“For the moment.”

“How could anyone like men when they behave like this? They don’t have brains, just a mass of perverted thoughts. Girls are far superior. Especially the scaly kind. Like Miia, and Liz, and—” she ran through a whole list of girls who weren’t present.

“If you hadn’t been wearing that—”

“Shut up, tiny!”

“As if I’d be intimidated by an exhibitionist who wore a reverse bunny girl costume in public.”

“I’m not an exhibitionist!!”

It looked like they were heading for a fight. Kii ignored it; not her problem. Her expression stayed calm as she stroked Kimihito’s hair.

“A-anyway! It was all a big mistake, so let’s forget it and move on. That means you, human! If you try to talk to Miia about it—heck, if you so much as think about it in her presence—you’ll burn,” Draco threatened, pointing her finger at him.

“Sure, I won’t tell her.” He was still too dizzy to care.

Draco was caught off guard. Her eyes widened. “Um. Mm. Yeah. A-all right. Good. We’re all just gonna…forget,” she said.

“If I did remember, I’d just start bleeding, so…” He gave a weak gesture of agreement from Kii’s lap.

“Kimihito!” Polt leapt into the room. “How’re you feeling?” Was that everyone? Seemed like the whole menagerie was here.

“Pretty much better,” he said.

“Great! Guess we should’ve done the reverse bunny trial run in private before its public debut. I’m embarrassed about the whole situation, so I wanted to apologize.” Her ears drooped as she spoke.

“You’re embarrassed?” Draco called.

Polt ignored her to scribble more in her improvement notebook. “If you’re up to it, Kimihito, I wanted to go over your testing experience. I need to make sure I’ve got the notes right.”

“Uh.” He could hardly remember what he’d said prior to fainting. Did it even matter? He lost badly to Kii and Lilith, then got knocked out by the sight of Draco in a sexy outfit. If that was a “normal” evening at the casino, no amount of feedback could help. “Okay?” he said warily.

“Firstly, you said Kii was too unforgiving as a dealer, and she needed to hold back,” Polt said.

“I refuse,” Kii said, turning her face to the side.

“Also, the rates on our chips are too high, so we should offer smaller denominations. Otherwise the customers will go bankrupt!”

“But my whole plan was to bring humans to financial ruin…”

Kimihito was relieved that Kii’s evil scheme had been nipped in the bud.

“Also, the alcohol is too strong, so we’re becoming a dry casino!” Polt said.

“Huh?” Lilith said.

“Likewise, neither the staff nor the customers will be allowed to smoke on-site!”

“Ugh!”

“Outfits that’re too revealing are a major health and safety hazard! No more bunny girls, reverse or otherwise.”

“What?!” That was it! Lilith couldn’t take it anymore. “This isn’t some arcade! Why’s it gotta be so family friendly?”

“Oooh, an arcade! That’s a great idea! We’re pivoting to arcades! That’ll be much fairer to the customers,” Polt said with an earnest smile.

“Do you even understand the point of a casino?” Draco asked, but once again she was ignored. It made sense that a health-conscious person like Polt would talk herself out of everything that made a casino a casino.

“Um? Polt-san? Don’t people come here because they want to win the jackpot?” Kimihito asked.

“Yeah, but it’s a ruff deal, draining their wallets for that chance. If we stay small scale we can keep it fair. Our founding principle will be ‘bet a little, make a little!’” She punched her fist overhead.

“Hmm,” Kimihito grumbled, not sure those books would balance. Was he responsible for this change in direction? If Polt’s project ran at a loss after this, he’d feel bad.

“Don’t worry,” said Kii, seeming to have read his mind. “It might not be a traditional casino, but it’ll definitely fit with Polt’s brand. I’m surprised she got this far without making these sorts of changes.”

“Th-thanks, I think?”

“If I lose the fringe benefits, I can always return to the mountain,” she said, placid. As ever, it was hard to tell what she was talking about. What had become clearer was her intent. She was trying to cheer him up.

“She’s right,” said Lilith, “Polt was always too straightlaced for this gig.”

“She puts so much energy into such pointless projects…but it’s one of her charm points. Anyway, it’s a bad idea to enter an industry you’re not familiar with,” Draco said, looking at Polt.

Polt couldn’t seem to hear them.

The trio gazed fondly at her, grateful for the kobold’s continued belief in them—despite how much trouble they could be.

“All right, I’ll make this work!” Polt looked up from her notebook with an eager grin.

“You can do it!” The trio cheered her on. Though none of them sounded sincere, that was just their flat affect. They could be good people in their own ways, and Kimihito had become fond of them for it.

 

***

 

The next day, Kimihito found himself back at the café.

“It didn’t work,” Polt said and threw herself onto the table with a sob, “I pitched our wholesome, health-conscious casino concept, but the client said it wouldn’t make any money, and they withdrew the offer.”

“Uh, um, hm. Sorry to hear that,” Kimihito said.

“No, I’m trying to think positive.” She wiped at her tears. “If profit’s the main priority, we’ll forget our dues to society, and Kobold Industries just won’t be the same. This might be a big financial loss, but it’ll let us keep our identity. There’ll be other opportunities in the future! And we’ll make sure they’re in health and wellness.”

“That sounds like the best call for you, Polt-san.” It was a shame her idea hadn’t worked, but she hadn’t faltered in pursuit of her true goals, and that was what mattered. He raised his coffee to his lips and drank to the satisfaction of a job well done.

“However! I wanted to apologize for the inconvenience of making you a tester on a failed project.”

“There’s no need! It was my advice that changed your plans, for better or worse.”

“For better!” she stressed. “I needed you there to remind me of the core of my business philosophy.”

“You think so? Thanks, Polt.”

“Though it does put us at a deficit this month…I’m not sure I can pay you.”

“Pay? I don’t need any pay,” he insisted, trying to remember if he’d been promised any to start with.

She shook her head. “I hired you, and you did your job. I have to make sure you’re compensated. This is what I found instead.” She slid an envelope across the table to him.

It couldn’t be money, since she’d just said there wouldn’t be any pay—what could it be?

“This is a ticket for preferential treatment from Kobold Industries,” she said.

“‘Preferential treatment’?”

“At our gyms, training facilities, and relaxation facilities—as well as our yet-to-open resort hotels and the like! You’ll be able to use any of them for free whenever you please. There are passes for your homestay girls, too, so please come by any time!”

“This is worth a lot of money, though, isn’t it?” Kimihito was in shock. If he converted this to its actual value, it was worth—no, it couldn’t be done. It was incalculable.

Polt wore a warm, self-satisfied smile. “You were knocked out cold in the line of duty! You deserve every yen.”

“Oh. Huh. Thank you.” He took the envelope. When he lifted it, the eight tickets felt much heavier than the cardboard they were printed on.

“Don’t be a stranger! All right, I’ve got a lot scheduled today, so I’ve gotta dash,” Polt said, standing.

“What’s got you so busy?” he asked.

She rolled a large suitcase from under her side of the table. “Actually, I’m headed to a negotiation! In Hawaii! Remember that resort I mentioned?”

Now that Kimihito looked, he realized there was a familiar man in the doorway of the café, tall and bearded. “Don’t forget to relax sometimes,” he said.

“Psh! It might be for business, but it’ll be fun, too. Thanks so much for all your help, Kimihito!” She gave him a sharp salute, and then, without a single backward look, left the café with her interpreter.

Despite her casual attitude, Polt was such a hardworking woman. She made him feel guilty that his own work ethic—mostly around exercise—wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. On that note! He took his tickets and stood from the table, stretching. There was still one last pilot test to go. It might’ve been an exhausting evening, but Polt’s optimism left him feeling energized.

I’ll do my best too, he thought.

Someday he’d figure out how she did it—how to come out of a failure without losing heart.