A strange series of events led me to the Monster Race Track, and after paying the entrance fee, Alice and I headed inside.
From what I’d heard, it seemed a lot like horse racing back in Japan, though I suspected the finer details would differ.
"Wow, look at all these people..."
"Haffu, mofuh... Fueh?"
"No, never mind."
The interior was incredibly lively. A staggering number of spectators packed the stands of the circular arena.
I’d tried to strike up a conversation while marveling at the sight, but Alice had both hands full of food and was stuffing her cheeks like a squirrel. By the way, everything she was eating had been bought at a stall with my money... What happened to that "temporary income" of hers?
"Anyway, I don't really know the rules."
"Hua? It’s simple. First, the ten monsters participating in the race circle the track for a parade to show themselves off. You predict which one will win and buy a ticket. If your pick wins, you exchange it for cash."
"I see."
Prompted by Alice, I looked at the track and saw an incredible variety of monsters. Some looked like large dogs, while others resembled crocodiles.
Looking at them now, I had no idea how to judge their speed. No matter how I looked at it, a crocodile seemed like it would be slow, but I supposed if it was in a race, it had to have some level of speed.
"By the way, you mentioned a match... What are the rules?"
"Ah, right. Let’s set a budget of 1000R, and you’re free to bet however you like. There are ten races left today, so whoever has the most money at the end wins."
"Understood."
1000R... That was roughly 100,000 yen. I had never gambled before, so I didn't know the average stakes, but if someone blew 100,000 in one go, they would certainly be on the path to ruin.
We agreed on the terms and moved toward the ticket booths.
I wasn't well-versed in horse racing, but I’d heard terms like "trifecta" before. However, the only betting options here seemed to be predicting the first-place winner or the first- and second-place finishers simultaneously.
Honestly, I still didn't have a clue, so I decided to trust my gut and put a "straight win" bet on Number 7.
Since the budget was 1000R for ten races, I spent 100R on the ticket. When I met back up with Alice, she looked at my ticket and flashed a smug, irritating grin.
"Kaito-san, you bought a ticket for the Funny Rabbit? Heh... Spoken like a true amateur."
"Oh?"
"It’s true that the Funny Rabbit is famous for its speed, but it won't run properly unless it’s actually hunting prey. That’s why its popularity is so low, see?"
"I see."
Following Alice’s finger, I saw a large wooden board with the popularity rankings written by hand. My Funny Rabbit was the third from the bottom. The numbers next to it were presumably the odds. They had "approx." written next to them, so they weren't finalized, but served as a general guide.
"For my part, I bought 50R each on the favorite, the Grapple Wolf, and the second favorite, the Wind Jaguar. Hehe, I’m playing it safe and steady."
"That’s a bit childish when playing against a beginner..."
"Hahaha! The winner takes all in this world! I’ll be the one enjoying that luxurious dinner!"
Since I knew next to nothing about monsters, it didn't seem like it would be much of a contest, but Alice seemed to be having fun, so I let it slide. Actually, if Alice won big here, her future might get a little easier... Though if that happened, I’d probably have to be even stricter about her spending habits later.
We found seats just as the race was about to start. Alice was wearing her usual opera mask, which would normally look incredibly suspicious, but since there were things like red-skinned Ogres in the audience, she blended right in.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the race is about to start! The top favorite is the Grapple Wolf, the second favorite is the Wind Jaguar, and the third favorite is the Black Leo!"
"Wait, where is that voice coming from?"
"That’s the live commentary using an Amplification Magic tool."
"I see."
Apparently, this world had its own version of a megaphone, allowing someone to provide play-by-play coverage. For an amateur like me, having a commentator was a big help, and I found myself getting excited.
The participating monsters lined up at the starting gates. My bet was on that rabbit—it had to be about two meters tall. Still, monsters really were much larger than regular animals; seeing them all lined up like this was quite impressive.
I’d heard that in monster races, the participants sometimes fought each other, which could lead to massive upsets. As I was thinking about that, a fanfare echoed, the gates vanished, and the race began.
"And they're off! Someone has taken an early lead... Oh, wait! It’s the Funny Rabbit! The Funny Rabbit is out in front!!"
"What?!"
The giant rabbit shot out from the pack, immediately leaving the others in the dust.
"He’s fast! The Funny Rabbit’s speed is overwhelming! This is a complete shock! The Funny Rabbit, who almost never shows any motivation, is sprinting! Is this a once-in-a-century effort?!"
"Wait, what? Hey, this is..."
As the Funny Rabbit widened the gap, Alice’s expression turned to one of pure panic.
"Rarely shows motivation" and "once-in-a-century effort"... This rabbit was just like Fate-san.
"The Funny Rabbit is incredibly fast! He’s pulling further and further away!"
"No... way..."
"And he crosses the finish line with a lead of more than half a lap! First place goes to the Funny Rabbit! It’s the Funny Rabbit!!"
"Ehhhh?!"
Maintaining its massive lead until the very end, the Funny Rabbit took the win.
I couldn't believe I’d actually won. Alice was left with her mouth hanging wide open. For a self-proclaimed beautiful girl, she really wasn't doing herself any favors with that face.
"Th-Th-Th-That’s just beginner’s luck! A terrifying thing, truly. This payout... it’s going to be about 50 times the bet..."
"50 times? You mean... 5000R?!"
Apparently, the Funny Rabbit had been so unpopular that the odds were 50 to 1. Didn't this pretty much end our match already? Well, it was definitely just beginner’s luck.
"Ahahaha! Kaito-san, what did you buy this time? The Tyrant Turtle? That’s just a slowpoke tortoise!"
"Well, I didn't really know, so I just picked another one at random."
"And you put 500R on it? Ahahaha! You might as well just throw that money in the trash!"
For the second race, Alice burst out laughing when she saw my ticket. I’d picked randomly again, but the Tyrant Turtle’s popularity was dead last by a mile. I had assumed it would be fast if it was in a race, but apparently, it really was just slow.
"It looks like that first win was definitely a fluke. Now, prepare for my grand comeback!"
"Sure, sure."
Alice had been in high spirits for a while now. She panicked, she looked smug—she was entertaining to watch. We moved back to our seats, and the second race began. Immediately after the start, an unbelievable development occurred.
The Tyrant Turtle—a monster shaped like a giant tortoise—immediately lunged at the horse-like monster running beside it, biting its neck and dragging it to the ground.
"Oh! The Tyrant Turtle has attacked! The Grave Horse has fallen prey to its fangs!!"
So that was what she meant about monsters fighting. However, the situation became even more absurd. Perhaps this race was full of aggressive monsters, because seeing the Grave Horse taken down, the others turned toward the Tyrant Turtle and began to attack.
"A brawl has broken out on the track! It’s a complete melee!"
"A-Awa wa... This is bad, this is really bad..."
"Bad?"
The crowd roared with excitement at the sudden battle, but Alice had turned pale. When I asked her what was wrong, she looked at me with a face as white as a sheet.
"I mean, the Tyrant Turtle is incredibly slow, but... its Combat Power is..."
"The Tyrant Turtle is powerful! It’s knocking aside the other monsters and has begun to advance leisurely along the track! It’s a massive upset!!"
"Awawawa..."
Looking at the track, I saw the Tyrant Turtle slowly crawling along while the other monsters lay beaten and broken in its wake. Since it was the only one left moving, it simply continued until it reached the finish line.
"...No way... This is a lie..."
Alice was slumped over, looking like she’d burned out into white ash. Wait... did I win again?
The Tyrant Turtle’s victory carried a staggering multiplier. When I went to collect the winnings, I was handed a shimmering, platinum-colored coin that was a size larger than the others.
"Is this... a Platinum Coin? Which means... 100,000R?! A 200-times payout?!"
That was ten million yen. Was it really okay for me to get this much money so easily? Honestly, because the amount was so far beyond what I was used to, I felt more intimidated than happy. How should I spend it? Maybe I should buy some gifts for the people who look after me.
"Um... Kaito-san."
"Yeah?"
"...You won again, didn't you?"
"Surprisingly, yes."
"Are you... some kind of monster?"
By the time the fourth race ended, I had somehow managed a four-race winning streak. For some reason, I felt like I was on a major roll today. Alice, on the other hand, had lost every single race.
My funds had increased tremendously, and I felt like things were getting out of hand. However, Alice clearly hadn't given up yet, despite her stunned expression.
"The real show... starts now..."
"Hmm?"
"The next one is the Main Race! I’m going to win it all back in one shot!!"
"I-I see..."
Apparently, the next one was the biggest race of the day, and the betting limits would be much higher. But for some reason, I just couldn't see a future where Alice actually won...
Dear Mother, Father—I tried my hand at a Monster Race. I don’t know if it’s beginner’s luck or what, but how should I put it... today, I really think I’m on a streak.