CHAPTER 40: YOU’RE CRAZY!

The next few days became like a routine.

Every morning, at exactly 9 am, Leonard, Anika, and Gareth would arrive at the same spot in the marketplace. It became their whole work.

From morning until three in the afternoon, they stayed put in the same place. Anika’s soft voice would lure people in like moths, Gareth’s towering figure would keep everything in order, and Leonard kept the dice moving.

They made a lot every day, and with it, they also slowly built their savings.

As soon as it was 3, they would say goodbye to the crowd, pack up, and leave.

Back at the inn, while others rested, slept, or wasted their coins on drinks, Leonard had other plans. After getting a small rest, he would gather Gareth and Anika to his room.

"Watch closely," he muttered. He was trying to teach the two how to roll the dice in the cup properly.

"I’ll get a 4." The dice made a faint sound. After shaking it a couple of times, he lifted the cup and the result was exactly what he wanted. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"You... you can actually control it like that?" Anika’s eyes widened. She had never seen such a thing before!

Leonard smirked, shaking his head.

"Not every time, but 90% of the time it will work. That’s why it’s important for the two of you to know this trick. If you know how to guide the dice, then the chances are in your favor." He handed the cup to her.

"Now, you try. Just start with high and low. Not with certain numbers."

Anika gripped the cup with both hands.

"I’ll go for low then," the muttered, biting her lip as she copied his motion. The dice rattled, but when she lifted the cup, the result was off. She groaned, puffing her cheeks.

"How do you even make it land right?"

Leonard leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms as he watched Anika sulk over her failed attempt.

"Alright," he motioned for the two to come closer to him. "Listen closely, both of you."

Anika straightened up. She was still pouting but she was also eager to learn more. Gareth leaned forward as well, his big hand resting on his knee.

"The first step isn’t just shaking the cup," Leonard explained, picking up the dice again. He rolled them openly on the table. "It’s memorizing the structure of this. Every die is the same. You have to remember where the numbers are in relation to each other."

He tapped one side with his finger. "Opposites always add up to seven. One is opposite six, two is opposite five, three is opposite four. If you know where one side is, you’ll know the rest without even looking."

"So... it’s like a map?" Anika blinked.

"Exactly," Leonard nodded. He lifted the cup again, placing it over the dice but leaving it open enough for them to peek.

"Second step. Before you close the cup, remember the number that’s facing up. Fix it in your head. That’s your anchor. With practice, you’ll feel how the dice move inside when you shake the cup."

He gave the cup a few quick flicks of his wrist, then lifted it. The dice landed on the exact opposite of what had been facing up. Leonard smirked.

"See? It’s not luck. It’s just full control."

Gareth’s brows furrowed as he stared at the dice.

"So you’re not just taking chances... you’re actually moving it?"

"Yup," Leonard playfully smiled, nodding. "Once you memorize the dice’s structure, it’s like knowing how to tilt a table. You can guide them where you want them to go."

Anika leaned forward even more, her eyes sparkling brighter now.

"Then I just have to... remember the top and feel the rest, right?"

Leonard handed her the cup again.

"That’s it. All you have to do is control your strength."

Anika bit her lip, whispering the number she saw under her breath before closing the cup. She shook it carefully; her movements were softer this time. When she lifted it, the result was much closer to what she wanted.

Her mouth dropped open.

"I—I did it! I mean, kind of!"

"That’s better. Do it again." Leonard chuckled under his breath before turning to Gareth. "And you. Your hands are heavy. Don’t brute force it. Let the dice roll naturally and guide the angle with your wrist."

"Sure, Boss."

Gareth took the cup, his massive hand swallowing it whole.

"I’ll go for low." He gave it a cautious shake; his face was all serious as if he were fighting on a battlefield. When he lifted the cup, the dice were number 3.

"Not bad," Leonard said with a faint grin. "With enough practice, you two will be able to roll what you want in front of anyone without them realizing a thing."

He leaned back again, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And once that happens... this game won’t just feed us. It’ll make us untouchable."

Leonard let the silence hang for a moment, watching Anika’s eyes shine with more curiosity and Gareth’s focus.

"And so," The corner of Leonard’s lips rose to a smile. "From now on, you two needs to practice this every single day. I won’t accept any excuses. Even if you’re tired, even if your hands ache, do it."

Anika looked down at the cup she was holding, biting her lip nervously.

"Every day?"

Leonard leaned forward and tapped the table with his finger.

"Yes. Every. Day. You don’t get good at this overnight. You get good because your hands memorize it. Your eyes memorize it. Until one day, you won’t even have to think, you’ll just know."

He glanced at the single dice sitting in front of them and gave a dry chuckle.

"Of course, since we only have one set... you’ll have to take turns. You can practice together or schedule it. As long as you’re practicing, alright?"

"Makes sense, Boss." Gareth gave a slow nod.

Leonard picked up the dice again, rolling it between his fingers as if it were part of his body.

"For now, high or low is enough. But by the end of this week..." He tossed the die onto the table, then placed the cup over it again. His hand moved once, twice, thrice... It was so smooth it barely made a sound.

When he lifted it, the die showed a perfect six.

"By the end, I expect you to call out the number you want, and hit it. Just like me." He smirked.

"Huh? End of this week? Its already thursday!" Anika’s jaw dropped a little.

"That’s... that’s... you’re crazy!"