They immediately left the inn right after eating breakfast. As they arrived at their gambling den, Leonard slowed his steps. His brows lifted in surprise.

There was already a crowd in front of their den.

Some people were standing on their toes to peek to see if there was already a person inside, while others waited patiently in silence.

"Woah! They're… waiting for us," Eric muttered in awe.

Ferio whistled, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hah! Looks like our boss turned us into celebrities overnight."

Leonard chuckled at it. He just shook his head and continued walking, leading them.

"Well… we can't keep them waiting." He smirked faintly.

The moment the five of them stepped forward, a ripple of excitement ran through the crowd.

"There they are!"

"Open the doors already!"

"Leonard, let us in!"

"We're already ready!"

"I saved my winnings yesterday to play!"

The sound of their loud shout and cheers hit them all at once. Leonard just laughed once again. As they walked further, the crowd parted in half, giving them a way to access the front door.

Leonard opened the door with the keys in his hand. After the lock clicked, the door instantly swung wide open. The people immediately surged inside. Some rushed to the nearest tables, pulling out chairs and staking their claim on the seats.

Others moved just around, surrounding the table. Everyone was eager to claim a comfortable spot before the rest of the people arrived later on.

Amid the chaos, cheers sounded again, louder now. It was as if the people were welcoming Leonard into his own store.

The five of them stood together at the entrance, momentarily caught in the wave of sound.

Leonard glanced sideways. Anika's eyes were wide, and her cheeks were bright red as she looked at the busy room. Eric and Ferio also looked ready to explode with excitement, their grins practically splitting their faces. Even Gareth's lips twitched upward.

Leonard huffed out a small laugh, shaking his head.

"Alright," he said, "You know where you belong. Let's get to work."

They exchanged quick looks with one another. There was a mixture of emotion on their faces—nervous, eager, but most importantly, determined.

And without another word, the five split off to their places.

Leonard took his spot behind the middle table, the one with the most space among all. He rolled up his sleeves and readied himself for the chaos that might happen.

Anika moved gracefully to her station, carefully arranging her things on display. She greeted the people waiting around her table warmly. The men responded the same.

Eric and Ferio also darted into the crowd. Their table were just beside each other, so their loud voices could really draw attention from customers.

On the other hand, Gareth positioned himself near the end. His table wasn't as crowded as the others, but it was fine for him. After all, he doesn't really like the chaos.

Even so, a fair number of people had gathered around him. Most of them were the same ones from yesterday, staying here again for a simple reason. Gareth was generous with his winning dice yesterday, so the people wanted to see if it would be the same today.

The store that was once quiet just 5 minutes ago, roared to life.

And in that roar, Leonard found himself grinning.

'Day two,' he thought, flexing his fingers as coins clinked into his table. 'Let's see how far we can go.'

The moment the games began, the room changed completely.

Voices echoed in the four corners of the room. Some shouted in triumph, while others groaned in defeat. Whenever someone won big, the whole table would shake with cheers. However, when someone lost, curses followed with their palms smacking the table.

Dice rolled continuously in the gambling den. Minutes after minutes, and their silver coins piled up. When Leonard saw that others were losing money and getting upset, he would intentionally hand coins as if he were just a generous man.

That simple action would cause people to bet more, hoping the free silver coin they got would double.

And because of that, the gambling den had just gotten livelier. However, the sound didn't just stay inside. That would be impossible with the low soundproofing of the den, and also with wood as the only building material for it.

With this, the sound could also be heard throughout Alder Street.

That street, which used to be empty most mornings, was now filled with a crowd walking around.

People went in and out of the den every hour. Because of the noise, it also caught the attention of a simple passerby. Because of it, people would stop just to see what was going on.

They would peek inside through the open windows, seeing the chaos and fun inside. Others would get tempted to also go inside, while others would ignore and continue to walk.

The effect of the gambling den also affected the other businesses around.

The food stalls nearby wasted no time. Vendors shouted louder than ever, waving skewers, bread, and steaming bowls of soup, and even a simple glass of fresh cold juice.

With so many people, their business was starting to boom, too.

Even the shops across the street, which had long complained about the lack of customers, started to come alive. People who came out winning from the gambling ended up buying small things like fruit, bread, and trinkets.

They hadn't had this many customers since forever.

Still, not everyone liked it.

At the far end of Alder Street, in the shade of a wall, a small group of men watched with sour faces. With arms crossed, their expressions were dark as the cheers from the den drifted toward them.

".Tch. This noise," one muttered, his lip curling in pure disdain.

Another spat on the ground, glaring at the flow of people that had taken over the quiet street.

"They think they can just come in and take over?"

The group of men didn't move. They just looked at the far distance, staring at the lively stall that was once empty. As they stared at it, their faces had the same annoyed expression.

They were clearly not happy.

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