270 — Throw It (2)

I don’t know what happened, but I survived. Then I better run fast. My token is in the perfect spot to get caught.

I almost got caught just now.

Rurin loves having me state my wish. It makes me suspicious that my wife didn’t catch my token but just moved forward.

But right now suspicion isn’t important. Escaping is what matters.

“Alright, come on Mo! Mo!”

As I wished for Mo on the sticks, Sereina shook her head and interrupted.

“Pfft. It’ll be Gae again.”

‘Let it be Gae again’ sounds like a curse or insult.

“Mr. El, do well!”

Even though it’s an individual match, Elena made a ‘fighting’ (supportive) gesture toward me.

She’s still very kind.

“Hmm, then getting Geol is fine. I can catch you then.”

“Ugh? That’s even worse!”

I can’t let Sereina, who’s carrying two tokens on Mo, escape.

I threw the sticks with that wish.

But the sticks threw out a very ordinary Gae again.

Damn.

Gae before, Gae now.

In other words, being carried on Gae is basically asking to be caught, so I chose to advance two spaces.

“You, too ordinary.”

Rurin looked at me with a deep gaze.

Even if ordinary, quietly going the distance might win.

“Then I’ll do it!”

Elena, who got only Do last turn, grabbed the sticks firmly. No one else got Do, so Elena’s token was holding its position well.

Elena’s spirited throw sent the sticks rolling.

“Ah…again?”

Elena’s ears drooped at the result. The second drooping already.

This time it was also Do, but a slightly special Do.

“Puhahaha, Elf. Aren’t you too bad? El’s ordinary and elves can’t do it. Kinda funny!”

“Why are you saying I’m ordinary?”

“It’s fine. Ordinary is cool.”

“Ugh, I’m frustrated. Should I carry on Do instead?”

Usually, that might be better. But Elena got Baekdo.

That’s a very good result with a token just one space ahead.

“Wait a moment. This is Baekdo, Ms. Elena.”

“Huh?”

“Do is Do, but see the mark on the sticks? When Do comes with that mark, it’s Baekdo. You must move backward. In Elena’s case, it means moving to the goal point, and she can finish next turn.”

“Whaaat?”

“That’s nonsense!”

Sereina and Rurin both got upset at my explanation. It’s a common rule. Some don’t accept finishing with Baekdo, but I do. I had explained this earlier too.

They just couldn’t remember because I said too many rules at once.

“So, am I winning?”

“Yes, for now.”

“Wow!”

Elena clasped her hands happily. I thought she wasn’t interested since she cheered me on before, but apparently not.

Come to think of it, she was quite active in the cooking contest on the island. Unexpected, indeed.

And now, back to Sereina’s turn.

“Well, Elena has one token. I have two. If two get to the goal this turn, isn’t that me winning?”

That’s right. Sereina made a cold analysis, then threw the sticks with her usual smug smile.

As the sticks soared, Rurin cursed them.

“Go outside!”

But contrary to that, all sticks landed without Nak. Rurin’s throwing skill had become completely practiced.

“Uahaha. It’s Mo!”

“Uh…”

“Ugh?”

“Wow…!”

At that result, Rurin, Elena, and I sighed together. Though Elena’s wasn’t exactly a sigh.

“So now, if Geol comes out, I can take the shortest path out, right?”

“Yes, with Geol, two tokens reach the goal.”

“Ohohoho. Good. Come Geol, Geolgeol!”

A pro Yut player. At this point, a Mo-catching dragon. Sereina threw again.

The sticks flying.

Under everyone’s gaze, the sticks fell and rolled on the floor, coming up Geol.

“Uuuuugh! Yiaaap!”

Rurin flew up, ready to flip the board. But Sereina, who expected this, grabbed Rurin’s neck and stopped her.

“Don’t do it! Your eyes give you away.”

“…This is cheating!”

“Cheating? No cheating. This is natural skill. Hehe.”

Sereina’s two tokens reached the goal without issue. She quickly became the clear first place.

“Ugh, whatever. From now on, I’ll only get Mo!”

Rurin gave up trying to overturn the board and quietly picked up the sticks, throwing them slantwise.

Depending on perspective, it’s an advanced technique, but the result was Nak. Almost just scattering the sticks outside.

Then the sticks went outside. Nak. Her arm was bent too much. It was almost a scattering throw.

“Ugh?”

A surprised Rurin.

But her surprised expression looked awkward. Like an act? Rurin’s acting is always clumsy. So maybe she threw it outside on purpose?

She didn’t catch my token earlier either; Rurin was completely unpredictable.

She refused the chance to catch my token and throw again, and now she scattered the sticks?

I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s my turn anyway.

Only Gae kept coming up, so it was time for something different. I calmly threw the sticks.

“Oh, you!”

Rurin clapped. Yes, finally it happened. Mo happened. But why was Rurin happy?

I looked back at Rurin. She was saying “See!” toward Sereina.

“It’s an individual match, what do you mean see? You got Nak and El got Mo.”

“El got something not ordinary, so it’s natural to be happy.”

“Oh dear? No wonder they’re a lovey-dovey couple.”

Ignoring their argument, I focused and threw the sticks again. Mo came out again.

What’s going on?

Now, if Do comes, my token, which already advanced four spaces with two Gae, can move one more, carrying three tokens.

“Hehe.”

Well, anything else is fine as long as it’s not Baekdo. With that mindset, I lightly threw the sticks.

“Oh?”

“What? Really! How come it’s Yut again? Ugh!”

Sereina went wild.

“Puhahaha, it’s all the same.”

Then Rurin happily attacked Sereina as if it was her own business. She got up and stopped right in front of me, patting and stroking my head.

“Hehe. Soft because of the head.”

“Rurin, do you know this is an individual match?”

“I know! But it’s still cool!”

She said that, tapped my head lightly a few more times, then smiled and walked away, my wife.

“……”

She’s acting strange today.

Anyway, with two tokens carried on Mo and a Yut, plus the token that already moved four spaces, all four tokens can move out.

Good.

Sereina had already brought two tokens to the goal, so this was the deciding round.

“Then, shall I throw again?”

“Ugh, Nak, Nak!”

Ignoring the curse, I threw the sticks. The result was Gae.

“Uh…?”

Sereina looked at the board, then alternated glances between Rurin and me. Two tokens carried were on the Yut spot. With Gae, moving two spaces would allow catching Rurin’s token.

“What? Again not catching between the couple? Then they really are working together. No? I’m going to catch you.”

“Ugh? You’re catching me! Huh? No, El always caught me, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Then keep getting caught.”

“No!”

The two dragons fought nonstop.

Since it’s individual, it’s natural to catch Rurin’s token here. Otherwise, it’d become a team match and Elena and Sereina would be upset. I intended to catch it anyway, so I did.

And I got another chance to throw.

“Since you caught it, stop fighting.”

“Did you catch it?”

“Did you catch it?”

The dragons fighting back and forth looked at me. I shrugged and threw the sticks again. This time it was Geol.

“What is this? Suddenly it’s going well? Hehe.”

So I moved the two tokens carried on Mo. This lets me take the shortest path out.

“……”

When all four tokens rushed toward the goal, Sereina huffed with a frustrated expression.

“No way!”

“Then I’ll get…a good one too!”

Elena, who only got Do before, threw the sticks seriously, saying this time would be different.

And it was Do again. Getting only Do might be a skill in itself.

“Why do I keep getting Do…?”

Even asking with a herbivore’s expression, how could I know?

“Well, there are times like me when you suddenly explode. And moving a token at the goal point back and then finishing is not bad!”

“Oh. Really? Then I’ll do that!”

Staying at the goal point risks getting caught. So it’s better to leave quickly.

One of Elena’s tokens reached the goal. She was effectively in second place.

“Hehehe. Good. I’ll catch El first. Catching even one of the ones she’s carrying is my victory.”

Sereina declared her ambition and threw the sticks. I tensed instantly. She was a dragon who got Mo very well; I couldn’t be careless.

“Aaah!”

But as the scream showed, it wasn’t Mo. Just a regular Gae.

Watching quietly, Rurin threw the sticks calmly, getting Geol.

“What. You, what are you doing!”

“Caught it. Hehe, I’ll catch the Red one!”

Rurin excitedly moved her tokens quickly, kicked Sereina’s token away, and took its place.

Someone would think she was first place.

The turns continued, and I quickly brought two tokens to the goal. Elena finally got Yut once, then Do.

The result was Mo.

Anyway, the fight was between me and Sereina. By chance, I was very advantaged.

Sereina got a plain Gae again. Her face was gloomy.

“Gae? Hehe, then I’m Gae too!”

Saying that, Rurin gave a little snap and the sticks really came up Gae.

After messing around, did she focus on researching only getting Gae or Geol?

“Hehe. The Red one will never come out. I’m next after the Red one, so I’ll catch all of hers when it comes out.”

“What? Was it a calculated move?”

“Hehehe, you can’t be first! And I want to see El be first. That’s how I feel today.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

The dragons fought again. Taking advantage, I quickly threw the sticks. It was Mo. My victory was assured.

“First place! Hehehe.”

After celebrating, Rurin ran over. Sereina rolled on the floor yelling “Impossible, couple scam team!”

Elena found it fun and kept watching the board.

“Yeah, well done. Thanks to you, Dear.”

I hugged and patted her; she snuggled closer.

It wasn’t a rigged game. So I’m confident about that.

“So what’s your wish? Whatever it is, it can’t be good, so I’m not doing it with her. Otherwise, I can’t accept it.”

“…Why would I do it with you!”

“It was originally something Rurin was supposed to do, but I’ll write a wish to include you too.”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Sereina and Rurin both looked stunned at the same time.

“You know about returning that weird island and buying a new one, right?”

“Oh?”

“You bought another? You have a lot of money, really.”

“So the wish is for two dragons to go to that island and build a luxurious swimming pool.”

Yes. There’s a saying that dragons’ special powers should be used for construction.

Hehe. It’s hard for Rurin and me to do it alone, so adding one more dragon would make it easier.