Страж Империи / Guardian of the Empire: Глава 3

Chapter 3
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Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 14:55

Kaylee also lost seven coins, but she was not despondent. We had not lost even one silver one. Nonsense, basically. The only annoying thing is that the matrons immediately began to bet against me and have already made four silver roldos each. As if they immediately counted me among the losers and did not doubt their assumptions at all.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:17

//“Who throws like that, who throws like that?!” – the indignant voice of the imp, who had materialized on the wooden edge of the table, rang out in my head as soon as I blew the eighth bet.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:19

Immediately stifling the joy that had stirred my soul, I asked as indifferently as possible: //“What’s wrong?”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:20

It seems like I'm not interested in anything at all and I'm keeping up the conversation out of pure politeness.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:20

//“No, it's not that you have to twist the dice, twist them!” – the devil set out to teach me sense and reason.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:27

“Let's try it now,” I decided, and lost another six silver coins. My streak of bad luck coincided nicely with the need to lose.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:27

“Let me throw!” demanded the indignant imp, snorting as he watched my game.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:28

\\“What for?” I feigned surprise. “I only have a short time left to live… And why should I waste my time on your entertainment?”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:32

The imp thought for a moment, glancing sideways at the bones in my hand, and then suggested: //“Let’s make a deal!”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:32

"On what terms?"

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:34

"You let me play, and I'll spare you the pain for the time being."

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:34

Oh well… – I wasn’t impressed by this proposal. – The pain doesn’t bother me much yet, so I don’t see any need to get rid of it. But if you could rid me of this nasty thing forever…

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:38

And then where should I go? Ask the angels for a place in heaven? – The imp sneered. – I won’t be able to go home after saving a dying man. – And, rubbing his paws in a businesslike manner, he suggested: – Let’s do it this way then. I play, and you get rid of the pain for a whole day. Just think about it – it’s a great deal, because you’ll be able to live a whole day for your own pleasure, without any physical torment!

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:40

"An evening of gaming in exchange for a day without pain?" I asked and agreed without much thought. It was a start. Let the imp get a taste of the pleasures of earthly life; maybe he'll be more accommodating later.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:42

"Sit back and relax," The imp commanded. "Don't try to do anything or interfere with my control." He grinned. "Now I'll show you how to roll the dice!"

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:42

\\Be careful not to lose everything!" I egged him on.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:54

The first throws were indeed unsuccessful. But it was mostly my fault. I couldn't immediately extinguish my will, and I took over control of the body from the imp as soon as my hands began to live their own life. It was too unusual and unfamiliar for me.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 15:59

However, I soon adapted, and the game went well for imp. He quickly won back the coins I had lost and put us in a small profit. The dice flew onto the table and, after rolling a little, obediently turned with the higher and lower sides facing up. The eternal seven. The croupier even got a little nervous and began to look suspiciously at the dice and then at me, suspecting foul play.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:00

//“How do you do this?” I asked. “You don’t use any magic!”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:00

//“Do you know what kind of experience I have?!” the tailed creature almost burst with pride. “I once almost won an entire kingdom at chess! And what's this? Dice...” He waved his paw dismissively. “All I need to do is throw them once to calculate the hand movement necessary for a successful throw! If you want, I can throw them so that they land on their edges!”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:17

//"No need," I refused. "They're already looking at our game askance, and after such tricks, they'll definitely kick us out of the table." And then I suggested, "Maybe it's better to play roulette, since you're calculating everything so well?"

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:17

//Well?!" the imp was indignant. "Yes, we, demons, are the best accountants in all the worlds!" And he said heatedly, twitching his tail: "Yes, if you want to know, all the treasurers of your states have junior imps as assistants! And they do all the calculations!.. And what should I explain to you... Let me show you something that is really difficult to calculate?"

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:18

//Go ahead, I agreed, not finding any catch in the demon’s plan.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:19

//“Look over there!” the imp said, looking behind me.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:19

Turning in the direction indicated, I saw a girl in a light beige dress walking between the tables. Quite pretty. And I felt my jaw drop involuntarily as the girl's clothes began to dissolve, as if they were washable paint on canvas, and not material.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:49

//“Imp, what are you doing?!” I came to my senses, looking away from the completely naked girl.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:49

\\"Did you see it?" The evil imp became proud. "That's just it! Throwing dice is a trifle when I can calculate the real image of a body, hidden by opaque material, by just one movement! And outline it visually!"

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:50

//"Imp, stop with this debauchery!" I demanded, glancing sideways at the still naked girl who had approached Kaylee. "We agreed on a game, not an orgy!"

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:52

\\"Really?" the Imp seemed to doubt and scratched the back of his head. "And by the way, what punishment do you have for public adultery?"

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:54

//“What kind of public adultery?!” I exclaimed indignantly. “Have you completely lost your mind, you horned one? Don't even think about it!” But after cooling down a bit and realizing that the devil was just trying to provoke me, I explained to him what was going on in order to quell his interest in such games: “Here, they'll throw coins at us for our blatant debauchery, but on the street, it's a gamble: either nothing will happen, or we'll get whipped.”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 16:57

\\ “Yes, it will work out right away,” the devil grimaced disappointedly and, turning around, suddenly suggested, “Let's exchange!”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:01

\\“What for what?” I asked cautiously.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:03

\\“You give me one wish, and I’ll show you everything your dark-skinned girlfriend is hiding!”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:05

“Thanks, I'll take care of it myself,” I said, disappointing the devil with my refusal. The tailed creature dared to make such a suggestion.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:10

\\“Oh, what a pity, what a pity,” he cheered up for some reason. “What about your games? Do you only play for silver pennies?”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:11

\\“No, play for gold too. But to play for large sums, you need to have something to bet with. We don't accept unsecured bets.”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:11

//"So they won't let me play on credit?"

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:14

//"No," I suppressed a grin. "You won't be able to send me to a debtor's hole even if you wanted to." And I egged on the imp: "You wanted to play. So you can play with small change to your heart's content."

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:15

\\Are you kidding me?! – The imp flew into a rage. – I can win back your entire city with just one silver coin! Bet the coin on doubling! Now I'll show you how to play!

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:35

//"Okay," I agreed easily and warned the imp, who was irritably twitching his tail: "But don't be too cocky. There's a mage here, no matter what. As soon as he notices that we're cheating, we'll be kicked out of here."

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:36

\\“Big deal, a mage!” the demon said dismissively. “Only a priest or a powerful demonologist could detect me. And there's no cheating in my game, so there's nothing to complain about.”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:52

"Tier, are you going to throw or what?" distracted me from my mental conversation with the imp croupier.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 17:51

“I will,” I nodded. “And what is the maximum rate here?”

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 18:09

"If you play against a club, the ceiling in the lower hall is five silver roldos, and in the upper hall you can put a couple of gold ones."

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 18:09

Satisfied with the explanations, I bet a silver coin and began the game. Let the imp have his fun. The whole night is ahead.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 18:10

Looking at Kaylee, who handed over most of the coins she had won to the girl who had approached, I raised an eyebrow questioningly. Malvian girl smiled back and shrugged. As if to say: easy come, easy go. I winked at her and handed over the reins of my body to the imp.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 18:11

And so it began. The tailed one turned out to be not only a gambler, but also a rather cunning player. Now there were no more constant sevens. Losses alternated with wins, although there were still many more wins. The devil was simply mocking those present, throwing out such combinations that those betting on the outcome of the throws were tearing their hair out. It seemed that he was much more interested in playing not against the club, but against the bets of secondary players.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 18:14

Gradually, my game attracted other participants. All ten seats at the table were occupied, and it became more difficult for the demon to break their various bets. But by then it no longer mattered - the game had moved to a completely different level. The demon sat on a small pile of silver that had accumulated at my end of the table and watched as the second pile, the gold one, slowly but steadily grew. As if he really wanted to prove to me that he could win the whole city.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 18:13

The glitter of gold coins attracted a crowd of spectators, and soon there was no room to move around the table. It is not every day that ordinary people win several dozen gold coins; everyone wanted to take a look at such a miracle.

Camrad_RIP 24.08.25 в 18:14