Sanctuary Agency-Chapter 18: Romeo and Juliet [2]

〘Date: 2/10 - Sunday〙

〘Time: 5:35 PM〙

〘Location: Texas, Austin - Oceanview City: Winterfest〙

We arrived at the game area of the festival, each stall containing familiar games ranging from dart throwing to fishing. Groups of families and friends surrounded each stall, trying their luck at a chance to win the grand prizes.

Daphne, Juliet, and I slipped through the sea of people, Daphne and I following Juliet's lead to the more challenging games. As we pushed through the game area, we approached a large tent hosting casino-esque games.

Juliet hummed as she entered the tent, hearing the jingles of various machines chiming with rewards and jackpots, a few buzzers playing signalling devastating losses. "Welcome to Winterfest's Cold Gambling~ You see, I know you'll be able to beat the games outside, but here is where your luck truly begins~"

I walked around the tent for a bit, glancing at the various games I could play, a few recognizable games and others I've never seen before. I stopped in front of one machine, the cute aesthetic of a small character using an ice pick to break blocks of ice.

"So, you brought me here to gamble? What is this proving to you? That I can be a part of the 1% who doesn't quit to strike gold?" I asked, looking over at Juliet with a raised eyebrow.

Juliet giggled softly, taking Maika from my shoulders and holding her in her arms, gently stroking her back. "Well..? If I'm being honest, I like a man who's willing to take risks~ Plus, my subordinates must always be willing to fail if they want to succeed."

〔Phroa: Those two things absolutely do not correlate at all.〕

'Yeah, but in her eyes...These two things are 100% connected. Well, we're already here, might as well gamble a bit,' I replied to Phroa mentally, pulling out the chair and sitting down.

〔Phroa: You also have unlimited money, so to make it fair I'm limiting you to your current Credi!〕

〔Credi Owned: 9,900c〕

'Which isn't a lot, but we'll work with it,' I thought, adjusting myself in the seat and taking out my wallet.

"Just to let you know, I have a Godmother that's always into gambling. I'm sure you've heard of Akira Okabe before," I began, glancing up at Juliet with a smirk.

Juliet looked down at me, meeting my gaze with a skeptical gaze. "Hm, The Destiny Woman with the Golden Touch. I am aware of her status and title, she's known as the Queen of Gambling."

"Good, I'm glad you're aware..~ I'm gonna show you what she taught me," I said, leaning forward on the chair, focusing my attention on the game.

Daphne chuckled softly, resting her arm along the back of my seat, leaning forward to watch closely as well. "Mama Akira doesn't play about her gambling~ Let's see if you can uphold your honor to her~"

Juliet watched me with a critical eye, continuing to pet Maika with gentle strokes. For once, she didn't know what to expect of me, staying silent to study how I operated with pure luck. Maika rested comfortably in Juliet's arms, softly purring in response to her soft affection.

The name of the game I was playing was called Winter Break, a game similar to minesweepers. The goal of the game was to break blocks of ice to rack up Snowflakes, which were the current of every game in the tent.

Each block rewarded a range of points, starting from one and going up to five, and upon clearing the board, you were rewarded an extra 25 Snowflakes. Though the rules were simple, just like minesweepers, the game relied mostly on pure luck.

I placed 100 Credi into the machine, giving me three tries at the game at most. I began controlling the winter girl, moving her toward an ice block and making her break the block. She break picking at the ice block, breaking it and earning three Snowflakes.

She continued moving across the board, breaking adjacent blocks and earning multiple Snowflakes. Daphne watched with excitement as I continued to break the blocks, watching as the numbers steadily rose. Juliet watched with a sly smirk, knowing my downfall was soon to come.

The blocks began to fall in number, the risk of the game becoming more intense. The winter girl continued breaking blocks, suddenly striking the wrong one, the lock shining red and exploding.

"Whoa!" Daphne exclaimed, letting out a soft laugh as she noticed a huge chunk of the board now gone.

I noticed once I was hit by the explosion, the amount of Snowflakes I had began to decrease. Once having 34 Snowflakes, now reduced to 19 in mere seconds. Doing the math in my head, the total amount of Snowflakes the bomb destroyed was 15, causing me to lose 15 Snowflakes.

"Hm!~ How are you liking the design?~ The bomb destroys nine ice blocks, and if any Snowflakes are within those blocks, you lose the total amount destroyed," Juliet explained, glancing at me to see my reaction.

I didn't respond as I was focused on the game, but I had already figured that out the moment I lost Snowflakes. The one issue I had was figuring out how the bombs are placed, and how to not lose so many Snowflakes from a single mistake.

I continued to play the game, but with so many questions about the mechanics flowing in my head, I began to play a bit sloppy. Earning Snowflakes here and there meant nothing as my last two mistakes costed me the game, my earnings only being 3 Snowflakes.

"Aww man! And you had such a strong start too!" Daphne groaned with disappointment, gently rubbing my back.

"Yeah, I did," I sighed with slight disappointment, leaning back gently in the seat.

Juliet snickered lightly, looking down at me with a hint of superiority. "Y'know, Ryder...You fascinate me. That video of you beating up Tony, your unnatural charisma, your seemingly unnatural connections..."

"But, alas...the great titan of Trinity Valley is finally stumped. You had a great run, but meeting all of my checks in one day is simply impossible. Not even the world's most charming man, Tomi Geto, can meet my requirements...being money, A~hahaha~" Juliet intoned taunting, her voice a haughty melody.

I noticed her noblewoman laugh had changed, meaning she was a bit more serious than before. I glanced up at her, noticing her right eye subtly gleaming an icy white brilliance, her stare one of cold excellence.

Viewing myself on the chessboard, she was the Queen and I...still The Pawn rising into true power. Checkmate was written all over her stare, her chilling presence weighing in heavy over me.

"It's time you kneel before the crown, Romeo..~ You may can rise in Trinity Valley, but seeing how advanced you are...you can easily take over such a wash over city like that," Juliet began, reaching down toward me and gently holding my chin.

"But here...in my Kingdom...you will fall in line. Moji or not, you kneel before The Queen," Juliet finished, her tone tender yet demanding, her touch cold yet comforting.

The Art of Love is a concept easy to master until one dares to challenge the Art of Luck. Only few have ever mastered it, those few selling their own very soul to the Queen of Greed, Mammon, to master it.

However, the tribal pride in me refused to let Juliet step over me, the thrill of the challenge burning in my heart. My golden eyes began to gleam with equal dominance, faint blue aura surrounding my body.

"You may think this is checkmate, dear Juliet... however, you have yet to see what truly makes me different from the rest," I began, grabbing her hand and taking it off my chin. "I...am a One in a Million."

"A Singularity. Everyone you met...only lives to copy me," I said, giving her a confident chuckle, my Spirit only growing within.

Juliet didn't pull away from me, meeting my gaze head on and feeling... something she could barely explain. Her knees fell weak, her body shivering with sudden pleasure from the look of challenge and dominance in my gaze. My regal tone caused her to slight falter, her actions hesitant.

'Who exactly is this guy...why can't I Checkmate him..? It's like he always has other tactics in mind,' Juliet thought to herself, her gaze lingering on mine for a moment longer.

I turned my attention to the game once again, The Ace symbol shimmering into my left eye, a shimmering blue star twinkling with excellence and talent. Before starting the new game, I stared at the machine, playing a few times to study the mechanics.

Juliet watched as I played rapidly, losing nonstop and burning through my money. Maika even woke up from her nap, letting out a curious trill at the rapid buzzing of the machine. The two stared at me, watching my fingers work the buttons.

Daphne watched as well, tilting her head in confusion and standing up straight, wondering what I was planning. "Ryder..?"

"Focus..."

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"Let not outside forces distract you from Talent..."

"You can either be One or One Million..."

I was Hyper Focused on the game, pushing the Winter Girl to the bone, explosion after explosion, watching her fail only to gain more upon my next attempt. After my last failed attempt, I paused from playing, leaning back in my seat and closed my eyes.

Juliet watched me closely, standing in silence and studying me closely, noticing the cerulean ethereal glow around my body, wondering what energy I was channelling into. Maika seemed to immediately recognize the energy, letting out an excited meow.

"I think I understand the game now," I said, opening my eyes and grinning confidently, leaning forward to play the game once again.

The Winter Girl began marching confidently toward each ice block, breaking them with ease, earning Snowflakes from each block. Clearing each block without hitting a single bomb, I was rewarded an extra 25 Snowflakes, acquiring a total of 140 Snowflakes.

Juliet grunted softly as I began moving on to the next levels, breaking each block with ease as if I knew where each bomb spawned instinctively. Maika and Daphne watched in awe, the three of them speechless by my sudden skill at the game.

"To beat this game..."

"You must think like Juliet..."

"Reach the other end of the board and promote to a Queen!"

Juliet began to grow nervous as I began to reach the higher stages of the game, where the game was supposed to become increasingly impossible. She knew where each bomb was going to be placed and moved based on the amount of Snowflakes I was earning.

'So how is he not hitting any of them?! Is he cheating?!' Juliet thought, glancing closer at me, scanning my aura to check if I was cheating.

Juliet knew I wasn't cheating, Winter Break had an anti-cheating software and it would've alerted her if anyone were cheating or getting unreasonably lucky. Once the realization hit, her body began to break into slight frost.

The unlikely tale of the Pawn that escapes the Queen one step at a time, a tactic that only works one in a million times. The Queen knows she can move anywhere on the board, but an even smarter Pawn knows when to be exactly one step ahead.

Each time the Winter Girl neared a block where the bomb was placed, Juliet's eyes shined with hope that I would hit it, only for me to break a block above it. I understood how the game worked perfectly, any block containing five snowflakes would likely always have a bomb nearby.

A crowd slowly began to form around us, watching as I played Cold Gambling's most impossible game. A few people in the crowd began to murmur and quietly cheer for me, not expecting me to do so well.

〔Phroa: Go, Master! You're at the end!〕

"You're doing amazing! One more win and you hit the jackpot!" Daphne gasped, clutching the back of my seat with pure excitement.

Juliet held her breath as she continued watching, nervously biting her nails and snowflakes began to sprinkle around her from her hair and skin. Her anticipation was at an all time high, knowing the last level was all or nothing.

I knew I was at the Queen's Gambit, noticing I only had one life and every move mattered. The rules were altered, either I beat the game and win the jackpot or lose everything, all 1,500 Snowflakes.

I could feel the temperature lowering gradually around me, my gaze flicking over toward Juliet and noticing her Queenly persona replaced for one of pure nervousness and desperation. At this moment, I knew I had Juliet in a checkmate.

"You can win the game..."

"This is checkmate..."

"Become the Million and beat the game..."

I turned my gaze back toward the gaze, hearing Alina's gentle whispers in my ear to take the win, my fingers pausing on the controls. I stared at the screen, viewing myself on the chess board for a moment, the world around me pausing.

"You can take the win...once you reach the end of the board—"

'I promote into the Queen...I know, but...some games are worth losing if it means I win at another,' I replied to Alina mentally, glancing to my right and noticing her domain slightly blending into reality.

Alina looked down at me from her throne, the throne room still shroud in darkness from my view. She glanced at the chessboard, noticing Juliet's Queen right behind my Pawn, her lips curling into a soft smile.

"Sacrificing your Pawn... just so she can save face..~ Hm...I guess you decided to be The One in One Million..."

I smiled at her passive aggressive whisper, chuckling softly and letting out a soft sigh, tapping the button. 'For now...I will be The One...'

The crowd exclaimed as the block broke into an explosion, the buzzer sounding and the game taking away all of my gains. Juliet stared at me with genuine disbelief and slight gratitude, her shoulders relaxing slightly.

I knew I couldn't taken the win, but I knew as well as the next what pride meant to a person. For this moment, I let her checkmate me by moving my King piece into her range of attack, losing the game.

〔Charisma/Talent/Luck EXP +2500〕

〔Luck Level UP!!! 1 ↠ 3〕

〔New Award Unlocked: Credi + Art of Love EXP Gain +20%, Lucky Break Unlocked!〕

〔Talent Level UP!!! 3 ↠ 4〕

〔New Award Unlocked: Hyper Learning Unlocked!〕

〔Juliet's Affection for you drastically rose to 25%〕

The crowd began to disappear one by one, disappointed about my grand loss at the game. I turned in my chair to face Juliet, looking up at her with a playful smile, rubbing the back of my head with a chuckle.

"Darn it, and I was so close as well," I chuckled lightly, looking up at Juliet with a smile and standing up from my seat.

"You lost...on purpose. Why? Why lose when you had victory in your hands?!" Juliet fussed, her gaze meeting mine with a mix of confusion and vulnerability.

I met her gaze as well, reaching over to her and moved a few strands of her hair from her face, my fingers gently brushing against her skin. "Some victories are worth losing, if it means I get to win an even more important battle in the end."

Juliet stood still in silence for a moment, her body shuddering as my fingers brushed against her. She began trying to process my words, attempting to figure out the meaning behind them. "I don't understand...what do you mean?"

I smiled at her, slipping my hands into my pockets and looked at the game once again. "If I had beaten the game, it wouldn't have sent the right message I wanted to send. Beating the game, in this sense, your system wouldn't have given me the satisfaction I seeked."

"But it also wouldn't have made you respect me. Only few people have beaten this right? Well me beating it would only prove I know how to play by the rules, but I want you to see that I'm not the same," I continued, turning my gaze back to Juliet.

"I want you to see that I am your equal, someone who can also bend the rules and break the system crafted to keep others down. I am...The Ace,"

Juliet gasped softly, covering her mouth as the title, The Ace, began to echo in her mind. She stared at me with complete disbelief, for the first time a true anomaly was within her kingdom. "The Ace..? The same Ace that works for...The Agency?"

I smiled at Juliet, tilting my head with slight curiosity. "You know of the Sanctuary Agency?"

Juliet quickly looked away from me, knowing she had exposed to much about her own connections. "M-Mmph...The Sanctuary Agency owns Oceanview and Trinity Valley, but my relationship with them is a lot better than Trinity's."

Juliet looked back at me with her usual royal gaze, a smirk playing on her face. "Hmph! Had I known you were Lady Charlotte's Right Hand, maybe I could've cut you more slack, Ruffian!"

Daphne chuckled softly at Juliet, walking over toward us and placed her hands gentle on our shoulders. "Well~ Since we have a common ally, we should be playing more nice right?~"

"Pfft!~ Playing nice? Now that I know he is connected within my inner circle, he will be receiving a lot more of my antics!~ Now, let us set off! I am getting quite hungry, A~shishishi!~" Juliet exclaimed, walking off with Maika in her arms as she let out her playful noblewoman laugh.

I chuckled softly at Juliet, feeling my heart warming from her response to my news. "At least I know she's not going to treat me differently...that's all I really care about."

Daphne nodded, looking over at me with a bright smile. "That's Julie for you!~ If she likes you, she becomes a lot more needy and troublesome. As long as you can deal with her superiority complex, she's a sweet girl underneath."

"Yeah, I can already see that..." I chuckled softly, watching Juliet walk out of the tent. "C'mon, before she wanders off without us."

Daphne nodded, holding my hand and hurrying behind me as we chased after Juliet. After the game, I could tell my connection with Juliet had grown even stronger, though I knew I was in for more shenanigans now that I caught her eye.

〘Date: 2/10 - Sunday〙

〘Time: 8:40 PM〙

〘Location: Texas, Austin - Oceanview City: Winterfest〙

Hours had passed, the three of us finally returning to my car after enjoying everything Winterfest had to offer. Once we got inside, I started the car and began to make my way back to Daphne's house.

"I must admit, that was probably the most fun I've had in a long time. Most of my dates include a fancy restaurant or maybe a shopping spree, but for once...I was allowed to just be a girl," Juliet hummed softly, letting her hair flow in the wind.

"And you were talking all of that smack earlier," I teased, my gaze flicking over to Juliet for a split second.

Juliet scoffed loudly, turning her head away from me and waved her hand at me dismissively. "That's because I was under the assumption you were just some lucky peasant that Daphy happened to feel bad for. She has a softer heart for people especially since she's a chef!"

〔Phroa: Man, what? That does not correlate with anything!!!〕

I laughed softly at Phroa's side comment, shaking my head lightly and sighed. "I guess that makes sense...but at least you know who I am to an extent."

"Yeah, someone who takes his role a bit too seriously! Like I understand the purpose of The Ace as a card, but you seriously don't have to act like a total zero! You can show some dominance!" Juliet shrugged her shoulders, letting out a snooty jeer.

Daphne couldn't stop herself from laughing, covering her mouth and leaned forward slightly. She took a breath and wiped her eyes, catching her breath from her own laughter. "I'm sorry, Julie, but that was extreme levels of projection!"

"Whatever! You know exactly what I mean! It would be easier to judge him if he wasn't like...everyone else. Oh my gosh..." Juliet began, the dots finally connecting in her head, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Mhm..~ Now you're seeing the vision?" I asked, glancing over at Juliet as we came to a red light.

"Just shut up! I've had enough of your shenanigans already!" Juliet barked at me, firing a weak snowball at my face.

I held my hand out, using a light gust of wind to deflect the snowball back at her face, snickering lightly as it hit her face. Juliet lowly growled with slight annoyance and a hint of angry affection, her eyes shimmering into an icy white hue.

"Green! The lights green!" Daphne pointed, trying to stop her fit of giggles from our dynamic.

Immediately, I began driving, keeping Juliet from firing another snowball at me. Daphne and I couldn't stop our laughter from escaping, knowing we were in for The Queen's wrath once we got home.

After beating through all the traffic from Winterfest, we had finally made it back to Daphne's house in one piece. I parked the car in the driveway, the three of us getting out to head inside, immediately going to the living room to relax.

Chloe noticed us walking side, pausing the movie she was watching and smiled at us. "You three seemed to have a great time. You've been gone for a while."

"Yeah, it was a blast! You should've been there, Ryder and Julie were going head to head on the festival games, and we also went ice skating, it was amazing!~" Daphne relayed, her tone filled with a mix of gratitude and excitement.

"Hmph! I feel as though it would've been better if The Ace would've fell in line, but I must admit...I enjoy a little competition. Oceanview has recently become a little too easy to rule for me and Daphy's liking," Juliet said, still playing hard to get although I already won her over.

Chloe chuckled softly at Juliet and Daphne, looking over at me with a warm smile. "What are you up to, Honeybun? Are you staying for another night?"

"I would like to...but I still have unfinished business over at Trinity Valley University. However..." I began, walking over to Juliet and gently taking Maika from her arms.

"Hm? What are you—" Juliet began, watching as I held Maika in her arms with a fatherly affection. "Mmph...so you wish to co-parent Maika?"

"I did buy her after all, she deserves to spend time with her Papa for the week. Besides, I can't let you turn her into a haughty Queen like her Mama," I answered, looking at Juliet with a grin.

Juliet averted her gaze, her blush deepening as she began to truly see herself as Maika's cat mother. She scoffed lightly, crossing her arms and meeting my gaze once again, feigning a sour attitude. "And I refuse to let her get absorbed in the ways of a commoner. I want her to be treated like true royalty!"

I smiled at Juliet, looking down at Maika and hugging her closely, listening to her gentle purring. "Don't worry, she will be treated like Royalty. But, she will be a humble cat, something you should learn."

"Yeah, yeah..." Juliet retorted, rolling her eyes at my gentle tease, her lips forming into a soft smile.

"Anyways, I'll be back next week for the transferring of Maika, and to spend time with you all again. Probably take a week from Trinity to visit Oceanview as well," I said, allowing Maika to crawl upon my shoulder and stretch out along my nape.

Chloe got up from the couch with a melodic hum, walking toward me and pulling me into a hug. "If you can, bring Desiree and Allie, tell them we miss them."

I hugged Chloe back, smiling at her request and nodded. "I'll try, but with what's going on in Trinity Valley right now, we'll be very busy."

"I know, but it wouldn't hurt to ask," Chloe giggled, rubbing my hair gently before letting me go and stepping back. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mama Chloe," I replied, giving her a gentle smile before turning to make my way outside.

Juliet and Daphne followed me outside, walking me to my car. The two watched as I got inside, gently setting Maika in the passenger seat. I rolled down my windows, looking out at Daphne and Juliet once again.

"You better keep your promise and return. It would be an embarrassment for The Ace if he fails to show up with our fur daughter," Juliet demanded, looking at me with a mix of expectancy and her usual Queenly gaze.

"You know I will, turn off the AC over there," I replied, chuckling softly at my own joke.

Daphne chuckled at the two of us, walking closer to the car and leaned into the window to kiss my cheek. "I'll see you next week... Love you."

I nodded, cranking the engine of my car and putting it in reverse. "Love you too.."

After sharing one last kiss, began to reverse out of Daphne's driveway and drove off into the distance with Maika at my side. Juliet watched my car drive off with a pang of disappointment, not wanting to end our dynamic just yet.

Daphne understood Juliet's heart, giving her a reassuring smile and began to bring her inside the house. She knew that I had left an impression that Juliet would never forget, and was excited for what was to come.

〔Bond with Juliet and Daphne greatly increased!〕

〔Initiation: Art of Love - Romeo and Juliet〕

〔New Main Objective Complete: Have a successful date with Daphne and Juliet.〕

〔Task Complete: Raise Charisma Trait to Level 4, Raise Romance Trait to Level 2, and Raise Luck Trait to Level 2.〕

〔Reward Earned: Credi +10,000, Art of Love EXP +1000〕