One-Sixth

"Finally, a chance to rest."

Eve said weakly. She had been dancing with Lorenzo from the very beginning, and as the music transitioned, she finally had a moment to catch her breath.

So far, their infiltration had been successful. No one had discovered anything amiss, nor had anyone approached them to talk. Instead, some curious gazes lingered on them, which made Eve feel a bit flustered.

"Don't worry, they're just curious."

Lorenzo's words came at the perfect time.

"I don't know how many times this kind of secret ball has been held, but even with masks on, the guests have a sense of familiarity with one another. With us being new today, they must be wondering where we came from."

"Should we strike up a conversation?"

"No need. The more we say, the easier it is to slip up."

Lorenzo's acting ability was truly impressive. Looking at his casual demeanor, one would think he had attended these events many times before.

His gray-blue eyes scanned the room. In truth, he was just as uneasy, though he didn't share it with Eve. That feeling had been intensifying ever since he saw the stained-glass windows. They were architectural features meant for a church, yet here they were in this eerie underground space, as if behind that glass lay the gates to hell.

"Eve, have you seen any guards?" Lorenzo suddenly asked.

"Guards?" The girl looked around. Everything was bathed in a sea of joy; where would there be any guards?

"Exactly. We've come all this way, and aside from the very beginning, there haven't been any guards at all."

Lorenzo's expression was uncharacteristically grave. Sitting in his seat, everything seemed normal, just like any other ball, but he had suddenly noticed something. Attendants were weaving through the crowd, holding trays laden with coins and gold.

The transactions had already begun—or rather, they had been happening since the moment the two of them entered. Lorenzo had expected some sort of formal speech, followed by a grand exit surrounded by beautiful women, but now, the goods for trade were being passed through the crowd just like drinks.

Damn it, that meant Sabo most likely wouldn't appear.

Everything tonight was a perfect script. Lorenzo had calculated for everything, but he hadn't accounted for this.

Just as Lorenzo was fretting, an attendant approached. The tray held Butcher Coins and gold and silver jewelry. Lorenzo feigned familiarity, preparing to take out his last few Butcher Coins to dismiss the attendant, but the attendant spoke first.

"Sir, someone wishes to invite you."

The attendant wore a mask, his voice cold, which made Lorenzo feel a hint of unease in this situation.

"Invite me?"

Lorenzo asked again, only to see the attendant step aside. On the high platform behind him, a man wearing a bull mask was waving at Lorenzo.

"Eve, get your weapon ready. I think we've been exposed."

Lorenzo stood up, whispering to Eve as he did so.

The girl's expression changed instantly. Her hand rested lightly on her thigh, with only a thin layer of fabric separating her from her cold weapon.

"What are you going to do?"

The girl asked him in a low voice. Lorenzo picked up his pocket watch; it was 1:00 AM.

"Accept the invitation. We can't run anymore."

With that, Lorenzo took Eve's hand and strode forward.

This was the highest point of the hall, right beneath the stained-glass windows. When Lorenzo had looked up from the floor, he remembered seeing many people on the platform, but by the time he arrived, there was only the man waving at him and a single attendant standing far away.

Despite the passionate, joyful ball below, this area was strangely deserted.

"Welcome, my new friend."

The man extended a welcome, opening his arms. His build was incredibly robust, a physique that matched his mask well—it reminded Lorenzo of Shrike's mask.

"It seems I've been exposed. I'd like to know how you found me, Mr. Sabo."

Lorenzo and Eve sat down across from Sabo. He didn't try to hide anything, stating it plainly while maintaining his composed demeanor.

There was no point in being evasive; that would only be laughable. In fact, Sabo could have simply killed them instead of extending an invitation.

Sabo smiled faintly. He was the master here, and everything was under his control.

"From the moment you boarded the carriage, sir. You know this business cannot see the light of day. Once there are enough guests, it is closed to the outside. Even bringing a new guest requires an old one to apply to me. But in a place like this... who would ever talk?"

Everyone wore a mask, dancing lightly on the dance floor.

"This is heaven, but people are inherently greedy. No one would share this with others. Thus, the number of guests can only decrease, never increase—let alone with your Butcher Coins."

A Shrike coin spun on the table, finally landing with the Shrike side facing up. Sabo looked at Lorenzo, his eyes seemingly glowing beneath the bull mask.

"Do you know, sir? One Butcher Coin can be exchanged for three Gold Lion Coins. It's enough for a family in the Lower District to live for several months. Furthermore, it doesn't depreciate with inflation; as long as you take it to an exchange point, you are guaranteed to get money."

Sabo said softly.

"The Lower District is a garbage dump. To protect their Butcher Coins, the poor hide them in the most intimate places, rubbing them constantly to ensure they are still there. This is their life."

"But look at your Butcher Coins. They are as brand new as if they had just come from the mint. Only that noble Shrike possesses such new currency."

The various details had exposed Lorenzo. He nodded slightly. However, since the dagger was now revealed, there was no need to hide anything further. Lorenzo immediately drew his silver revolver and pointed it at Sabo. It was a dangerous move, but the attendant in the distance acted as if he hadn't seen a thing.

"Then I suppose you recognize this gun."

"Shrike's gun. Of course I recognize it."

Sabo didn't seem surprised by the appearance of the weapon at all; he didn't even flinch. He picked up a wine glass nearby and poured a deep, blood-red vintage into it.

"Its name is Death Knell, because Shrike said that when it fires, the sound is much like the tolling of a bell for the dead."

The bell tolled as the bullet left the chamber, and the dead slept forever beneath the earth.

Lorenzo looked at the ghosts and gods carved into the cylinder; the ghosts were counterattacking the realm of the gods, only to be burned to ash in a great fire.

"I only came to ask a few questions; there is no need for bloodshed."

"But when you come bearing weapons, you have already prepared yourself for bloodshed, haven't you?"

The two stared at each other for a moment, the same emotion flowing in their eyes. Like hunters meeting on a narrow path, they both knew very well what was about to happen.

It was just a simple conversation, but that eerie pressure gripped Eve's throat. From the moment she sat down, she couldn't say a word, nor could she even move. Even when Lorenzo lifted her skirt and picked up the gun named Death Knell, she offered no resistance.

The joyous ball was not broken by Lorenzo drawing his gun, yet both men clearly felt the undercurrents surging within it.

"How about we find a compromise?"

Lorenzo suddenly lowered his gun. He abandoned his hardline stance, a confident smile hidden beneath his brass mask.

"You seem very clear about the situation." Sabo scrutinized the man before him, suddenly feeling a flicker of interest.

"Indeed. Even if I killed you, what then? I certainly wouldn't be able to leave this place alive. You conduct business here that cannot see the light of day. You don't just have to protect yourself; you have to satisfy those guests. After all, they are guests here, but once they take off their masks, they are the hands that hold every key position in Old Dunling. If you live, you are a stain on them; if they join forces, you will surely die."

Lorenzo looked at the magnificent, gilded hall, finding it hard to imagine how much money Sabo had poured into this place.

"With just one word from you, I imagine a group of guards would emerge to escort the guests to safety, and then this place would become a bunker. No one could escape, and no one could get in."

It was like the Thermopylae of that corridor; with one man holding a musket outside, even an army hidden in the underground palace would find it difficult to leave. But by the same token, as long as Sabo held that corridor, no one could break in here.

"You won't defy Shrike, but that is all—you simply won't defy him. As long as you remain silent, I won't be able to dig anything out."

"Then what would you have me do, sir?"

"How about we place a bet?" At the mention of a gamble, Lorenzo's eyes suddenly lit up.

"A bet?"

"Yes. Only at the gambling table are we evenly matched. The Goddess of Luck favors neither side. No bloodshed, no conflict—it's harmonious beyond measure."

"Hmm... very interesting."

Sabo was somewhat surprised, but he complied nonetheless. He clapped his hands, and an attendant brought over an ornate box. The box was opened, revealing everything from playing cards to dice.

"Which shall we play?"

Sabo began to shuffle the cards. Queens and kings tumbled back and forth in his hands before being spread out across the table like an unfolding army of thousands.

Lorenzo shook his head and picked up the revolver again, only this time he opened the cylinder and ejected the bullets one by one.

"Actually, I'm not very good at cards. Compared to those mathematical calculations, I prefer pure... luck."

Five bullets were laid out horizontally and vertically on the tabletop, the brass casings reflecting the masks of the three people present. The cylinder was spun with force, emitting a rattling sound.

Lorenzo's voice was very soft as he recited the familiar words from his memory.

"A one-in-six chance."