Adam and Silvana always spent time together after Adam returned from the Dead Lands with a difficult mission. Sure, it was the longest case of all, but that only meant that their desire to spend time with each other was stronger than ever.

Moreover, since Silvana spent most of her time in her office while Adam was in the Dead Lands, she had plenty of opportunities to think about the future and what they could do when Adam returned.

"Do you want us to buy a house?" Adam asked, slowly bringing a piece of bacon to his mouth.

Silvana nodded, her gaze more serious than ever.

"Look, maybe I'm rushing into this, but... Adam, we're at least Operator & Phantom, girlfriend & boyfriend case. Ahem, it's too early for us to think about something more important like children, but doesn't it annoy you that we're acting like students?"

"Hmm?" Adam raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "You know I didn't go to school or academy, right?"

Silvana rolled her eyes.

"That's not the point! You live with your family, although it's worth admitting that you're rarely there. My apartment was assigned to me the day I started working as an Operator. It's just a few old, gray rooms, the largest of which I use as my office."

She leaned on her hand.

"What I'm trying to say is that it's more of a workplace than a real home for me. Sure, this hotel suite is incredible. The view is great, there are lots of different services, and a comfortable bed... But we need something permanent!"

While she was talking, Adam pulled the ice cream toward him and began to eat it slowly, one small spoonful after another.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Silvana slammed her hand on the table.

Adam nodded with a carefree expression.

"Look, I don't mind, but don't you remember that even when I was buying a house for my family, you helped me with it? I mean, I don't know what's on the market right now and what exactly we need. Although..."

He lowered his gaze.

"I won't hide it, coming back from the Dead Lands to my home, to you, sounds way better than going to some hotel, even if it's a luxury one like this one."

"Exactly! And, for a convenient location, I think we should choose a place in one of the skyscrapers to start with."

Adam tilted his head, narrowing his eyes.

"To start with?" He slowly ate a spoonful of ice cream. "What does that mean?"

Silvana blushed quickly as she mumbled.

"Well... Maybe in the future, it will be more convenient for us if we have a big house somewhere in the private sector, you know... when our family grows..."

Even for the calm and usually cold Silvana, it was difficult to say something so embarrassing out loud.

However, when she looked at Adam, he just smiled and nodded.

"Alright, I understand you, so let's start with an apartment in a skyscraper?" Adam smiled as he looked around. "Unfortunately, this is a hotel, so we'll have to look elsewhere."

Silvana's eyes sparkled. She was glad to hear that answer.

Then, the corners of her lips curved as a sly smile spread across her face.

"Sure, there are enough skyscrapers at the First Ring for us to choose from, but while we're here, don't you want to have some fun?"

"Hmm?" Adam looked at their table. "Do you want to order something else for breakfast?"

Silvana shook her head.

"No, I'm already full, and at the First Ring, you can get food anywhere. That's not a problem. How about something more risky? You like to take risks, don't you?"

"Agh?"

...

Adam didn't understand what Silvana was talking about, but when they went down to the third floor of their skyscraper, his eyes widened.

Bright lights covered the ceiling, and many people sat at tables and slot machines, while waiters served drinks and snacks to anyone who wanted them.

Silvana had brought him not to a restaurant or a movie theater, but straight to a casino.

"Hey... You know that nothing but defeat awaits us at the casino, right?" Adam was skeptical of her idea. "I like to win, not lose."

In response, she leaned against his arm and pointed to the stand in front of them.

"Come on, when was the last time you spent money to have fun? Nothing bad will happen if you do it just once!"

In fact, Silvana didn't know what to expect any more than Adam did. She had never been to a casino before and hoped they would enjoy this new experience. She thought it would be a great way to spice up her routine days at the office and Adam's cycle of sleeping, eating, fighting, and repeating.

Sure, if a person went to a casino to make money, then, with rare exceptions, that person could only expect failure and large financial losses.

However, if a person understood that a casino was not a way to make money but simply a form of entertainment, then the outlook changed.

The most important thing was that a person had to be prepared to lose a certain amount of money and not exceed it.

Step. Step. Step.

Adam and Silvana approached the stand where they were greeted by a woman with long black hair falling over her shoulders.

"Welcome to our casino. Is this your first time here?" she asked with a bright smile. Only a casino employee could smile like that. Everyone knew that.

Adam looked around again, seeing the joy on the faces of those who had won and the men who were pounding their fists on the tables and slot machines in anger at their losses.

The woman nodded.

"Yes. Our casino offers free drinks and snacks, and you also need chips to play."

Adam nodded. He had expected something like that and didn't mind.

"So, how much do we have to pay to get in?"

"A minimum of 10,000 credits, but for that money, you get chips for the same amount. The only rule is that you have to play and enjoy the process!"

Adam sighed inwardly.

'Well, I feel like I'm in for one loss after another, this damn casino!'

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