TLFP 15

chapter 15

After taking the bitter medicine my father gave me in the morning, I wandered through the market.

I thought for a moment about what I should do to earn money, and then decided on my first step…

“Gambling.”

More specifically, instant lottery tickets.

I smirked to myself.

I had dipped slightly into my father’s safe… but it was fine. I could always put the money back.

“Because today…”

…was the day of an enormous jackpot that would later make headlines in the newspaper.

“Even someone like me, stuck in my room, would have known about it—it was that much of a sensation.”

I took a deep breath and clenched my fist.

In the empire, there was a legal system for gambling called the “lottery.”

The idea was to manage all illegal gambling operations through the state, eliminating unregulated dens.

Illegal gambling had many risks—rigged games, unpaid winnings, scams where people ran off with the money—so the state-run gambling system quickly took hold.

Surprisingly, it became popular not just among commoners but also as a hobby for the nobles. A lot of money circulated because of it.

Thanks to this, the gambling facility “Conisa (CONISA)” became perfect.

There were several types of gambling:

• Horse racing

• Lottery

• Card games

• Roulette

• Dice-number guessing

Officially, the state recognized and operated these games.

And today, I was going to participate in…

The lottery.

Unlike the others, the lottery had no age restriction. You just wrote down numbers, so anyone could play!

“Honestly, I don’t know anything about the other games.”

Later on, I’d try horse racing for a big win… but for now, as a child, I couldn’t participate alone.

Lotteries were perfect for earning a first big sum because you could invest a little and potentially gain a lot.

Walking down an alley away from the city center, I reached a slightly less crowded area.

And there it was…

“Found it. Conisa.”

The gambling facility stood before me.

At first, the street had been almost empty except for the large Conisa building.

But now…

“There are so many people here.”

Where money flows, people gather quickly. Soon, shops and businesses popped up around the building, turning this once-quiet alley into a bustling area rivaling the city center.

I exhaled and strode toward Conisa.

A small ticket counter stood in front, with a few people chatting as they waited.

I first looked up at the banner hanging above.

[148th Lottery Ticket Sale]

The lottery was held only once a month.

Both nobles and commoners paid the same price—one gold per ticket. A legal gamble anyone could try, making it possible for even a commoner to dream of a huge win.

Interestingly, if no winner appeared in a previous round, the prize rolled over to the next month.

And…

“This lottery hasn’t had a winner since the 104th round.”

You had to match 10 numbers out of 999. It wasn’t easy to win with just one ticket.

If you won, you’d literally hit the jackpot.

And now, in the 148th round…

A huge prize had accumulated over 44 rounds.

The numbers were famous—every newspaper, pamphlet, and gossip spoke of them—so I remembered them clearly.

After carefully checking the round, I approached the counter.

“Hello.”

“Oh? Hehe. A little girl, huh? Here to try your luck?”

“Yes! Something very important is happening tomorrow!”

I said, clenching my fists like an innocent child.

Here, the lottery was seen as a way to test luck: match one number, you were slightly lucky; match four, very lucky.

Since it wasn’t much money, children playing it wasn’t unusual. Sometimes parents encouraged them to try.

“Some crazy people even buy 100 tickets at once.”

Each person could buy a maximum of 100 tickets per round. Nobles sometimes borrowed family members’ names, but they usually preferred other forms of gambling.

“Just two tickets, please!”

I put the 2 gold I’d taken from my father’s safe on the counter.

“All right. The money’s fine.”

“Yes.”

“Mark your chosen numbers on this paper, and I’ll stamp it with the imperial seal using this special ink.”

“Yes!”

The special paper and ink were a collaboration between the empire and the Mage Tower, making counterfeits nearly impossible.

The lottery paper was crafted using a secret technique known to very few in the Mage Tower.

Winners had to have their tickets verified by a Conisa magician sent from the tower before collecting their prize.

I picked the same numbers for both tickets.

The clerk stamped them but paused.

“Both numbers are the same. You’re supposed to pick different ones… did you know?”

“Oh! Did I?”

“Oh… I see.”

He seemed slightly embarrassed and shook his head.

“Sorry, but the stamps are already on, so they can’t be changed.”

“That’s fine… I just didn’t hear the instructions properly. Thank you.”

I lowered my head with a pout.

Of course, it was all an act.

I had purposely bought two tickets with the same numbers!

There would only be one winner for this round. If I entered with two tickets, there would effectively be two winners, and the prize would be split 50:50.

But…

“What if I play two tickets?”

By buying two tickets, I’d claim two-thirds of the prize instead of just half.

Buying more than three tickets might seem suspicious, so two was just right as an “accidental” choice.

“The winner is announced at 7 PM, right?”

It was now 4 PM.

“Feeling good today… maybe I’ll grab some delicious food first.”

I stuffed the tickets deep into my clothes and wandered into the street lined with tempting food stalls.

Munching away…

I spent my remaining 3 gold on street food, my cheeks and stomach pleasantly full.

Chewing the last chicken skewer, I returned to Conisa.

The crowd in front was enormous.

“Now, the 148th lottery winning numbers will be announced!”

The host spun the magical roulette full of numbers with all his might.

The wheel clattered, then abruptly stopped.

“Number 5!”

Cheers and groans erupted everywhere.

I stood in a corner, checking my numbers carefully.

“The last number… 999!!”

The host announced the final number.

“Ahhhhh!!”

Suddenly, a scream came from the crowd.