The trio hurriedly navigated through the bustling crowd, trailing the pair as they sprinted toward the ring toss booth located beyond Market Street.
Upon arriving, Rya observed the various prizes adorning the wall behind the vendor, many of which were colorful trinkets, toys, and stuffed animals. In the middle of the wall were also several liquor bottles, which intrigued her. But the area where the ring toss was held in the corner was filled with people watching, and those trying to win the game could be heard cursing under their breath when they failed, as if everyone was losing.
'Damn? So you have to throw a one-inch brass ring on that goat over there? And Dalia thinks this is easy? I don't see how anyone can do this! Why would anyone try this impossible game...Oh?'
As they neared the booth, Rya couldn't help but notice the allure of the game. Glittering on a shelf behind the counter were four bags of gold, each of a different size, enveloped in a shimmering force field to deter any would-be thieves. The sight made everyone's eyes light up with excitement.
'That's a lot of gold! But if there's that much gold... Then is it even possible to win in this game?... This could be a scam. Well, I'll watch Dalia try to play first and see if she wins or not. Then I can decide whether I want to try. There's no way I'm risking throwing away money I don't have,' Rya thought to herself.
Dalia started tugging Rya's arm in excitement, "Alpha, you see the stall where the game is? The Hex Horned Goat thing is behind that," she exclaimed.
"Yeah... I can see it... What do you have to do to win one of the prizes?" Rya inquired.
"Well, you just have to throw a brass ring on the horns of the goat, and you can get the smallest bag of gold!... And that's it," Dalia answered.
"You get a bag of gold for getting one ring onto the horn?... What do you have to do to get the grand prize?"
"That's the best part! All you need to do is get three rings on the Hex Horn's horns with six tries, and you can get all the gold!"
"Are you serious!?"
Rya observed attentively as a fresh contestant approached the booth, eager to participate in the upcoming round. The booth attendant handed the contestant six shiny brass rings as he paid three silver coins. The contestant grasped the rings tightly and stared intently at the Hex Horn Goat. With a steady motion, the contestant began tossing the brass rings toward the goat's horns.
Rya watched with bated breath as the first ring sailed through the air, and he missed badly.
'Huh? Did that guy just throw the ring sideways? What the hell was that throw!? There's no way he's going to hit the horns with a throw like that! Geez, that was so embarrassing, man!'
The guy was annoyed with himself when his first throw dropped three feet in front of the goat. Everyone watching, including Dalia, snickered and laughed at the failure. He refocused his concentration and tossed his second ring, but it flew past the goat, causing the crowd to snicker even louder.
It wasn't obvious at first, but Rya noticed the fly pattern wasn't natural. It was like something was interfering with the throw.
'What the!?... D-Did they rig this game against the player?... Yeah... It doesn't make sense to pay three pieces of silver to win a bag of gold, even if it is only the smallest prize. The odds of someone randomly getting one ring on the goat's horn should happen at least once a day with this many players, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The odds of winning are stacked against the player, but this is just wrong,' Rya thought as she became suspicious of the ring toss game, as it gave her eerie vibes, similar to the carnival games she played back on Earth.
"Dalia, I don't think it's worth trying to play this game. I don't think you can get a ring on that~."
"OH!?! So you think that I lack the ability to win? Is that it, Alpha!?" Dalia roared in a challenging manner, cutting Rya off.
Rya raised her hands up defensively and replied, "H-Hey! Calm down! I didn't mean it like that! I'm just saying that you'll put Percy through financial ruin if you think you can~."
"There you go again! I'll show all of you why the Wolfkin are better! And Little Wolf! You're paying for my rounds!" Dalia declared as she rushed up to Percy and took his leather purse from him before he could say anything.
"D-Dalia!? You didn't have to take my entire purse! I would have given you a few silver!"
"You worry too much, Little Wolf... Come on, Alpha! Let's show them how it's done!" Dalia roared as she grabbed Rya's arm, made her way to the counter, and slammed the purse down, causing everyone around them to cheer.
'Crap! Okay, okay... I need to see how they are rigging this game so I can stop them from stealing everyone's money. Especially Percy's money. That poor kid needs to be more assertive with Dalia before she steamrolls him. It's not healthy for the relationship. Haah... Well, let's get this over with.'
Rya followed Dalia's lead and took her spot next to her while the vendor smiled at them.
"A small donation to the Goddess. Please give me three coins for six chances at glory," the lady at the counter stated.
'Small donation? This isn't a charity, lady... Okay, I'm not going to argue; I need to focus. Hopefully, my elven eyes can spot something that no one else can see.'
Dalia took out three silver coins and slammed them down on the counter, "I'm here to win it all! So hand them over!"
As the vendor caught sight of the gleaming silver nestled in Percy's purse, her smile widened even further. When her eyes landed on Dalia, her expression shifted, triggering a familiar sense of unease in Rya. It was the sort of look that spelled trouble—a warning sign Rya had encountered back on Earth, signaling an impending deception. This vendor saw Dalia as an easy mark, and it was evident that she intended to exploit that weakness.
"I see you have the determination, but do you have the skill to match it, Wolfkin? We shall see!" the vendor replied, handing the young wolfkin female the rings.
"No one ever questions a Wolfkin's skill!" Dalia boasted before glaring at the Hex Horned Goat with intensity.
'Is she serious? This isn't a competition, Dalia, and no one is questioning your skill. Ugh, she's going to get screwed if I don't do something about this.'
The vendor nodded and said, "Good luck, and may the goddess aid you with victory! Let's see if you can achieve what no one has yet."
"Just you watch! The Wolfkin will triumph!" Dalia boasted, and her tail wagged excitedly as she stepped up to the edge of the booth and looked at the Hex Horn Goat that was tied up at the other end of the stall about ten meters away. The goat stood majestically, savoring its fresh hay as it chewed contentedly, seemingly unaware of the bustling world around it.
Dalia's eyes narrowed, and her face was focused and serious. As she held the brass ring up to the sky, Rya could sense the Wolfkin's competitive spirit ignite. Rya was on the lookout, hoping to catch a glimpse of any mana lingering in or around this game that would prevent Dalia from having a shot at the prize. The Dark Elf was so focused that she didn't notice Quinus and Percy coming up from behind them. Sir George was hanging back a bit, seeing if anyone noticed that the Crown Prince was mingling among the crowd.
"HAH!" Dalia threw the brass ring with a fierce yell, and everyone around them went silent. The brass ring sailed through the air, spinning, twisting, and turning as it glided toward its intended target.
Rya and Quinus both witnessed the ring hitting the horn on the mark, but it somehow bounced off. It was like the ring hit an invisible force that didn't allow the ring to make contact, even though it looked like it did.