My Magic Has No Upper Limit

"Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you."

Lena burst out laughing at Zelir’s slightly bashful reaction.

"You can think about the financial pressure on your own... In any case, Barrett already offered an installment plan. I’m going back to assessing the other students."

The two waved goodbye, and Instructor Lena turned and pushed open the door to the Room of Serenity.

Through the slowly closing crack in the door, he could see a few Apprentice Mages casting curious glances at him.

When they saw Zelir look back, their faces flushed slightly, and they immediately lowered their voices, whispering excitedly about who knows what.

Walking back, Zelir thought about it and decided that Barrett’s proposal was indeed feasible.

At the very least, after Barrett’s persuasive presentation, Zelir now completely looked down on ordinary, ready-made Magic Robes.

’I’ll earn enough for the down payment first, then go with the installment plan.’

...

「Nighttime.」

「The Drunk Wild Boar Tavern.」

The deep autumn chill had begun to seep into every corner of Black Stone Town, but inside this perpetually bustling tavern, it was still as warm as spring.

The flames in the fireplace were CRACKLING, brightly illuminating the entire hall.

The air was filled with the rich, savory aroma of grilled meat and the mellow scent of ale.

"Cheers!"

The patrons raised their mugs, clanking them together enthusiastically and splashing white foam everywhere.

A man with a face full of soot chugged a large mouthful of ale and complained loudly.

"Damn it all, the weather’s getting really cold..."

"When I was down in the mines today, the wind in the tunnels felt like knives, cutting right to the bone. It’s not easy, I tell you."

At a nearby table, several traveling merchants were also chatting.

"Yeah, winter’s almost here. We’ve got to make a few more runs before the roads are blocked by snow, just to earn some extra money. Otherwise, the family won’t make it through the winter."

"Isn’t that the truth..."

Another merchant sighed. "I heard the Beastman Tribe in the neighboring town is short on food again. The roads aren’t safe, so my western route is probably a no-go now."

"Did you finish harvesting your wheat?"

"Hired people to finish it long ago. If I’d waited any longer, it would’ve all rotted..."

"Work in the woods is getting harder lately, too. The fatter beasts have all gotten smart and are hiding away for the winter."

"The only things still wandering around are scrawny ones. Even if you catch one, it won’t sell for a good price."

"Cheers!"

In another corner of the tavern, Zelir also raised his mug, clinking it against Marcus’s and Valles’s.

Their pay from the Monster Hunting had come in today, so everyone was in high spirits.

Zelir drained the ale in his mug, let out a satisfied sigh, and then waved a hand to signal the bartender for another.

"They’re right, winter is tough."

Marcus picked up a skewer of roasted meat and bit off a large chunk.

"It’s not just people. Even the Demons are rushing to gather food for the winter. The number of quests has been dropping lately."

When Marcus went to collect their pay this morning, he glanced at the quest board. "Dismal" was the only word to describe it.

"And on top of that, the Monster Hunting wiped out a huge number of their colonies, so there aren’t many creatures left to cause trouble," Valles added.

"This can’t go on. Why don’t we go to the Adventurer’s Association together tomorrow and have another look?" Zelir said as he took the mug from the bartender.

Valles gave Zelir a slightly surprised look.

"Didn’t you get your pay? It was a decent amount, right? You should have no problem staying fed and warm through the winter."

"Ah, well, this is pretty much the last stretch of time we can move around freely before winter sets in."

Zelir waved a hand dismissively. "Let’s make the most of it. We can rest all we want when there’s nothing to do in the winter. Who’s going to complain about having too much money?"

’I’m still trying to save up for the down payment on that Magic Robe, after all.’

"Well, there’s someone who complains about having too much money," Valles said, jutting his chin toward a nearby table.

"BANG!"

Gray slammed a heavy leather dice cup onto the table, making the mugs jump. The surrounding noise suddenly died down.

A circle of onlookers had gathered around, all craning their necks, waiting for the show.

Across the gambling table sat a dwarf with a thick beard. His already short frame was packed with muscle, giving him a very stocky appearance.

Gray’s eyes darted from side to side, his expression like a man facing his own death.

Then he gritted his teeth and forced out a few words with a determined tone.

"You open it!"

"What? Lost your nerve? Scared to go first?" the thick-bearded dwarf sneered mockingly.

"Who’s scared?"

Provoked, Gray yanked the dice cup away.

Three dice: a four, a five, and another five, for a total of fourteen points.

That was already quite high.

Seeing his score, Gray’s confidence surged.

Then, everyone’s gaze shifted to the thick-bearded dwarf.

The thick-bearded dwarf just smiled confidently and revealed his own dice.

A six, a six, and a five!

A total of seventeen, completely beating Gray’s fourteen!

The onlookers immediately erupted into jeers and laughter.

"Hahaha! You lost again, Gray!"

"What did I tell you? A human’s luck can never compare to us Dwarves!"

"Tolin! Well done!"

The thick-bearded dwarf, Tolin, basked in his companions’ cheers. He grinned broadly and swept all the Gold Coins on the table into his arms.

"Damn it!" A curse finally escaped his lips.

Gray ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

’How did I lose again?’

After collecting his pay from the Adventurer’s Association today, Gray had been in a great mood and invited his team members to the Drunk Wild Boar for a drink.

Midway through, feeling tipsy, he’d gotten a bit carried away.

On top of that, he’d had some previous run-ins with the thick-bearded dwarf, so the two of them just started gambling!

The game, called Quenched Dice, was simple: roll three dice, compare the totals, and the higher score wins.

If you rolled three identical numbers, like three ones, it was considered a successful "Quench," and you’d win instantly, regardless of the total!

At first, Gray had been winning some and losing some against the thick-bearded dwarf, but in the last few rounds, Gray had lost five times in a row.

Five Gold Coins had flowed into the thick-bearded dwarf’s pocket.

"Alright, stop gambling. Just consider it money spent on a lesson."

Marcus pushed through the crowd and patted Gray’s shoulder. "Your luck is bad today. If you get worked up, you’ll only lose more."

"That’s right, Gray, go home, wash up, and go to bed! If you want to compete with me, try again in your next life!" the thick-bearded dwarf taunted Gray while doing a little dance to praise the Goddess of Fortune.

"You...!" Gray was seething with anger, desperately wanting to smash his fist into that unpleasant face.

But he gritted his teeth and ultimately held back.

’Damn Dwarf...!’

"How do you play this?" Just as the atmosphere grew tense, Zelir’s voice cut in.

He had, at some point, leaned over with his mug in hand and asked curiously.

"You just shake three dice and compare totals. If you roll three of a kind, it’s considered the highest roll, regardless of the numbers."

Valles glanced at the dice scattered on the table. "A boring little trick."

"Looks interesting. I’ll give it a try," Zelir said, his interest piqued.

"Oh? Are you sure, kid?"

Hearing Zelir, the thick-bearded dwarf stopped his clumsy dance at once, his eyes lighting up as if he’d just spotted prey.

"You want to play too? I wouldn’t..." Marcus frowned.

"It’s fine. Just one game. Isn’t it just rolling dice and comparing luck?" Zelir said.

"It looks that way, but there’s a lot more to it."

Gray pulled Zelir aside and whispered a warning.

"Those dice are specially made. For an expert, when shaking the cup, they can use a specific force to make the dice land on the side they want as much as possible."

"This technique isn’t 100 percent successful, but it greatly increases their chances of winning."

"That guy is a renowned dice master. Zelir, if you play, you’re just handing him money."

’So that’s the secret behind these little dice...’ Zelir nodded slightly.

Still, he really wanted to play a round.

’Let’s see if 51 points of Lucky is actually useful.’

"Alright, then."

Seeing Zelir’s determination to try, Gray couldn’t say anything more.

"A Gold Coin isn’t much to you anyway. Just think of it as paying for a bit of fun."

"Heh! Look at this, someone else rushing to give me their money tonight."

Seeing Zelir sit down across the gambling table, the thick-bearded dwarf couldn’t stop grinning. "Then let’s do it, kid!"

Zelir ignored his shouting and focused on observing the dice.

They were special dice made of metal, heavier than ordinary wooden ones, and they made a crisp sound when shaken in the cup.

"Kid, don’t say I’m cheating you. Go ahead and pick your own dice and cup."

The thick-bearded dwarf pointed at the table.

Zelir chose the ones on the right.

The game began.

Most of the people gathered around were expecting to see Zelir lose his money.

Gray’s dice-shaking skill was already pretty good, but he still couldn’t beat the thick-bearded dwarf, Tolin. A newcomer like this was just asking to lose, wasn’t he?

"RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE..."

Both leather cups were picked up at the same time, the metal dice inside making a crisp, pleasant clatter.

The thick-bearded dwarf’s wrist was extremely steady as he shook. He leaned forward slightly, closed his eyes, and listened intently—his movements practiced and full of confidence.

Zelir, on the other hand, looked much more like an amateur.

He was just shaking the cup wildly, with no rhyme or reason to his movements.

"SLAP!"

"SLAP!"

The dice cups landed on the table at the same time.

The thick-bearded dwarf smugly lifted his cup.

A five, a four, and a four, for a total of thirteen.

Out of a maximum of eighteen points, that was a pretty good roll.

Zelir lifted his cup as well.

A six, a six, and a one—thirteen points as well.

The onlookers let out a soft gasp of surprise.

No one expected such a result.

The first round was a draw.

"Well now... quite a coincidence."

The thick-bearded dwarf was slightly surprised. He looked at Zelir. "Another round?"

"Let’s go!"

"SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE..." The dice rattled in the cups again.

"SLAP!"

"SLAP!"

The cups were lifted.

This time, a small uproar broke out among the crowd.

The thick-bearded dwarf had a five, a five, and a three—still thirteen points.

But Zelir had a six, a six, and a two, for fourteen points.