CHRONICLES of a PC Gamer Stuck Inside an RPG (Book One: Duelist)

Chapter 19 - The Lucky Shrine

I loitered in front of The Noble Lady, absentmindedly kicking at the dirt that had accumulated on the ground overnight. It was far too early for me to be up. My mind was still feeling groggy. I badly craved my daily cup of black coffee. I doubted that this gaming world had coffee. OH, WOE IS ME! I blew on my hands to keep my fingers warm. I started hopping up and down slightly to keep my blood circulating.

"Um, what are you doing?" a voice said suddenly.

I turned around and saw that Amelica had arrived. "It's a light form of exercise back in my world," I explained.

"Ah, okay," the maid replied skeptically and quickly changed the topic. "Anyway, the shrine is very close by. Let's go!" Amelica grabbed my left hand and started walking, full steam ahead.

Unlike me, my companion was apparently a morning person. The sunlight kissed her golden hair and fair skin. She was happy and smiling a lot more often. Her gray-blue eyes sparkled like precious gems. This was the "real" Amelica that I was seeing for the first time, away from the workplace and she was even more stunning than I imagined. I guessed that she had to be more guarded and reserved while working inside the common room at The Noble Lady.

True to Amelica's word, the Lucky Shrine was indeed very close by—only two blocks north of the tavern. Since it was very early in the morning, the streets were empty of pedestrians and we were able to walk up the blocks unimpeded. Amelica walked at a very fast pace and I had difficulty keeping up with her. The streets and shops were a blur to me as I focused solely on her receding figure under the light of dawn.

We stopped in front of a shop; from the outside, the place looked indistinguishable from the other shops around the block. There were two old wooden doors with long, silver colored handles. There was no sign above the doors to indicate what the shop sold. Nor were there windows for me to peer inside. However, I could hear sound coming from inside. I focused my attention on the sound and I heard the jingling of coins and rattling of the dice.

I quickly opened the door for Amelica and was rewarded with a smile as she entered. When I joined her inside I saw a place resembling a gambling den. The place was one long hall that was dimly lit by strategically placed lanterns along the walls. There were tables all over the place with dozens of players seated for card games and dice games. If we were still back on Earth, this gambling den would be fined by inspectors from the fire department for over-occupancy.

Amelica paid no heed to these gaming tables as she continued walking toward the back of the hall. Finally, she approached a woman seated behind a black desk. This person had Asiatic features and her age was indeterminable to me. In other words, this Asian lady could be in her twenties or even fifties or older. It was simply impossible for me to tell by her appearance especially when it was so dark indoors.

Amelica bowed deeply to the other woman. "Hello, Sister Selune," she said.

"Welcome back, my child," the priestess replied as she rose from her seat and walked around the desk to approach her guests. She was dressed in a red silk gown decorated with gold trimmings on her sleeves and wore a silver pearl necklace. Her jet-black hair was twirled into a neat and tidy bun behind her head and pinned by an ivory pin. Selune turned to look at me. "Who is your friend?" she asked with great interest as she looked at me up and down to capture every physical detail.

Amelica turned toward me. "This here is Lawrence Eugene Mulligan. Someone tried to rob him on the street yesterday and the fighting that followed would have turned tragic if Lady Luck had not intervened to protect him. Lord Mulligan would like to acknowledge Her protection and make an offering," she explained.

"Yes," I quickly nodded. "In fact, I think I was blessed thrice during the encounter yesterday and I am very thankful to be alive now." I bowed deeply to the priestess.