The annual Harvest Festival had arrived, and the city was bustling just as it did every year. Setting aside the formal pretext of giving thanks for the earth’s bounty, it was a rare day of celebration, and the faces of the people passing through the streets were bright and filled with laughter.
When people were in high spirits like that, their purse strings tended to loosen, making festival days an unparalleled opportunity to rake in a profit. Every merchant in town had been waiting for today with hungry eyes. Naturally, I was no different.
This year, I planned to make a killing with a specific item. It was the real deal: a magic ring said to have been recovered from a Treasure Chest in a Dungeon.
To be honest, its effect was a bit underwhelming. When equipped, it apparently relieved stiff shoulders and eye strain. Since that wasn't particularly useful to an Adventurer, I’d managed to source it fairly cheaply.
However, even if it was useless to an explorer, it was a fine specimen for merchants or civil servants. Besides, there was inherent value in it simply being a magic ring. Wealth flows to those who have it, and I’d heard there were collectors who specialized in gathering magic items with various niche effects. In short, there was no doubt in my mind that this ring would sell.
But simply selling it would be boring. Since I only had one magic ring, if it sold right away, I’d have to close up shop for the day. It would be a waste to finish so early during such a grand festival.
That was why I’d decided to run a lottery shop. In addition to the magic ring, I’d prepared several other items that were likely to catch a customer’s eye. If they drew a winning number, they’d take home a prize. If they drew a blank, they got nothing. There was no doubt it would be a hit; people can't resist the heart-pounding thrill of a gamble.
Now, this was a business, so I’d taken the liberty of packing the box with a fair share of duds. It wouldn't be much of a business if someone snatched the top prize right out of the gate, so that was a necessary precaution. That said, the "excitement" of the gamble was a bargain even for those who lost.
"Step right up! Come and try your luck at the lottery! First prize is a genuine magic ring! One Silver Coin gives you a shot at the prize of a lifetime. You won't find a better bargain anywhere!"
I raised my voice to pitch the prizes. Since I had the actual items on display, the crowd was definitely biting.
"That looks interesting. I'll give it a shot."
"Much appreciated!"
I had a taker immediately. The customer was a thin man with a narrow face. He didn't look like a manual laborer, so he was likely the type who spent his days doing paperwork. My pitch about the magic ring must have hit home.
The lottery used a system where the player turned a box with a handle. The box was filled with a massive number of colored balls, and as the box rotated, a single ball would eventually pop out of a small discharge port. The color of that ball determined whether the customer won or lost.
The man gripped the handle and gave it a turn, the box making a rattling sound as it spun. A moment later, a white ball popped out.
"Too bad, a white ball! White balls are a miss!"
"Ugh, I lost! In that case, one more time—"
"Hold on there, pops. My turn next!"
Whoops, another challenger. Several other people were watching with interest. As I expected, people always get curious when they see someone else playing.
"Sorry, friend. The prizes are first-come, first-served. It wouldn't be fair if one person hogged the machine, so please head to the back of the line if you want another go."
"I see. Well, I guess it can't be helped."
The first customer obediently lined up behind the new one. Seeing that, the other onlookers hurried to join the queue, not wanting to be left behind. This was going well. At this rate, my profit was as good as guaranteed. All that remained was to see how much I could squeeze out of the crowd before the prizes were gone.
After cycling through about fifty customers, only two fifth-place prizes had been claimed. Most of the hoard remained. Heh heh, this was going to be a massive windfall.
The next customer was a blonde girl. She had white wings on her back—a rare sight. She appeared to be a Wingfolk Girl.
"Three turns, please!"
"Sorry, little miss. It's one turn per person."
"Yeah, that’s why I said three. One for me, one for Toruto, and one for Shiroru!"
Saying that, the Wingfolk Girl looked back. Standing there was a black-haired boy around the same age. He was carrying a pure white dog... no, it had horns, so it was a Tamed Monster. He was cradling a white Tamed Monster in his arms. Did she mean three turns including the beast?
"A Tamed Monster can't draw a lottery ticket."
"She can! Shiroru is smart!"
"Wafu!"
The Tamed Monster barked at the perfect moment, almost as if she understood the conversation. Hmm, well, whatever.
"Alright. Three turns, then."
"Thank you! Here, three Silver Coins. And I want Toruto to draw for all of us."
"Eh? Me?"
At the Wingfolk Girl’s words, the black-haired boy, Toruto, pointed at himself with a look of surprise. Apparently, this was news to him too.
Well, it was all the same to me regardless of who turned the handle. Rather than arguing about it, it was better to keep things moving. After all, the line was still long. The faster I processed them, the more I could earn.
"I don't mind. Go ahead, boy, grab the handle."
"Is it really okay?"
For some reason, Toruto grabbed the handle with a look of hesitation. However, once I mentioned that the line was backing up, he moved quickly. Without any particular show of effort, he turned the handle. The ball that popped out was—blue. Third prize.
I immediately rang the handbell sitting on the counter.
"Congratulations! Not bad, boy. Third prize!"
I handed over the prize: a cut of Forest Lizard meat. Monster meat ranges from low-grade to choice cuts, and this was a solid middle-grade item. Even so, it was quite the luxury for commoners.
"Yay!"
"Thank you very much!"
"Wafu! Wafu!"
The Wingfolk Girl jumped for joy, while Toruto offered a more modest smile. The one who seemed the happiest was the Tamed Monster, Shiroru. She looked like she had quite the appetite.
To think he'd win on the first try. It was a bit of a sting, but if the losses went on too long, the crowd's energy would flag. You could say it was perfect timing.
Up until that point, I still felt like I was in control. But my amusement ended right there. The ball Toruto produced on his second turn was—silver.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
"Wow, it's silver! Is this a win too?"
"A-Ah. Yeah. That's right. Second prize."
"We did it, Toruto! It's second prize!"
"Y-Yeah. But, is this really okay?"
Unlike the innocently joyful Wingfolk Girl, Toruto looked somewhat apologetic. It was as if he felt like he was cheating, but that was impossible. I had prepared this box and set it up myself. I hadn't taken my eyes off it for a second, so there was no way for him to tamper with the contents.
"It's fine! Toruto is just lucky, so you haven't done anything wrong."
"Wafu!"
"I suppose that's true, but..."
Listening to them, it seemed there was no trick to it. The boy simply had incredible luck.
I knew that lucky people existed, but could it really manifest this clearly?
"Um, are you okay? If there's a problem..."
"N-No, there's no problem! Go on, give it the last turn!"
Damn it!
I’d responded to the boy out of pure reflex. But what else was I supposed to say? I could hardly tell him to stop because I was afraid he'd win again.
Toruto turned the handle with an expression of grim resolve. I watched with bated breath. The result—a shining gold ball. First prize. The Jackpot.
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
My voice and Toruto's overlapped in a collective groan of disbelief. The Wingfolk Girl’s cheer immediately drowned us out.
"Yay! We won! This is the first prize, right?"
"T-That's right! First prize! The magic ring has been claimed!"
I rang the bell with desperate, frantic energy, and a massive stir rose from the crowd behind them. There were cheers, applause, and groans of disappointment from those still in line. The Wingfolk Girl and Shiroru rejoiced, while Toruto still wore that same apologetic face.
"Um... I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing for?! You won the prize, so look happy about it!"
I was bluffing, plain and simple. However, my pride as a merchant wouldn't allow me to show any bitterness.
Yes, this was part of the plan. This was an event to liven up the festival. Profit was secondary to the spectacle. Since the atmosphere was electric, this lottery shop was a roaring success.
Well, as it turned out, the crowd was so fired up by that string of big wins that they swarmed the stall, eager to snatch up the remaining prizes. In the end, I actually managed to walk away with a slim profit.
Whew... that was a nail-biter. I guess there really are people blessed with Great Luck in this world.
Before Great Luck, probability is essentially powerless. I learned that the hard way today. Next time, I'll just play it safe and run a food stall. I've had quite enough of the lottery business.