Dante quickly finished the notebook, memorizing everything from left to right.
Everything about luck was now inside his head, and the knowledge was just waiting for Dante to comprehend it and connect it to misfortune.
The process of comprehending the knowledge and information was similar to a student memorizing a math book. Even if that student memorized every single detail, he'd still fail on the exams without understanding them.
The comprehension process itself varied from one person to another. Even in the simplest math, to reach the result 25 using only the number 5, some students might use another method such as the equation "5+5+5+5+5=25", but other students might use another method and use the equation "5x5=25".
Luck and all the magical aspects were just like maths but more complex—different people might get the same results with different methods, and some people use the same methods in different ways.
Dante also comprehended the content of the notebook with his own experience and perception, linking everything to misfortune.
Afterwards, he focused on the combination of colors in every Wheel of Luck in front of him.
He didn't see them as colors anymore, but as concepts. His mind automatically translated every color to its conceptual meaning.
But when he tried to understand the combined meaning, he struggled. There were many possibilities on every concept, and he had to predict while considering every one of them.
'That's hard and I'm not experienced, my brain might burn that way.'
Dante decided to focus on the strange phenomenon first, noticing a thin pink chain between Jin and Ruby.
Dante looked at them and asked: "Ruby and Jin, do you love each other by any chance?"
"That drunk guy? Absolutely not!" Ruby shook her head immediately, answering with no hint of hesitation.
"Do dukes love every member in their harem?" Jin eyed Ruby thoughtfully: "I don't think… but I love the drinks she brews. Wait, what does this have to do with my luck?"
Dante frowned as he moved to the second guess: "Are you interested in each other…" he hesitated for a moment before muttering: "S-sexually?"
Jin and Ruby exchanged glances before nodding.
Jin laughed: "I'm the next duke and she's a hot woman, don't tell me you aren't interested as well!"
"Yes, and we shared a bed—and the ground… sometimes a couch even—several times in the past few days." Ruby said without a hint of embarrassment in her voice or face: "He doesn't have good stamina, though… Heavens, he doesn't even know how to please a woman! I had to force him to drink a potion every time. I'd have chosen Ryan if he weren't married."
"Huh?!" Jin glared at her sharply.
Ryan, hearing her "compliment", smiled awkwardly but said nothing.
'Agh, I hate this world. They knew each other for only a few days and they'd already done it together.'
After living in this world for a while, Dante understood a few things about the cultures in this world.
What he understood was that most people in this world saw their bodies as currencies, political tools, items for having children, or sources of pleasure.
Exchanging sex for money was more common than Dante had thought. In the village inn, he saw that a night with a woman was as cheap as a loaf of bread, but at the town inn, he didn't only see several women with different prices in the same inn, but also men!
The women were paying to sleep with men! There were even strange potions made for things like stamina and temporarily increasing the size of some body parts.
One partner saw that as a source of easy money, while the other just wanted pleasure.
So long as both partners weren't married, there was no shame in the act.
And there were people who only cared about kids. The domains, talents, and traits had a chance of being inherited to the next generation.
It was common among nobles to search for talented men or women with specific requirements in hope of getting a child possessing their talents. The talented men specifically, like those with two domains, were often kidnapped and used until the end of their lives.
'The nobles specifically are extremely obsessed with the idea of "improving the bloodline" and might cross some dangerous lines for that.'
At that thought, a disgusting piece of information he read resurfaced in his mind.
'I read that the former king of the Holy Kingdom forced Zaragoza to marry his sister because her talent was the best he had found... Truly a sick bastard!'
Lastly, those who see their bodies as political tools, Dante saw that more common among nobles. The competition where marrying the Duchess's daughter was a potential reward could be considered a proof of that.
'Some female nobles even have a harem of men. Only a few places in this world still believe in the dignity of bodies and the pure relationships.'
Dante sighed, dismissing those thoughts before analysing Ruby and Jin's wheel, asking them a few other questions. After all the questions, he stated: "From what I see in your luck and your answers—you'll likely end up together in the future, maybe as a pure lustful relationship, maybe Jin truly becomes the duke and you become his wife as you promised, or less likely—and hopefully—a pure love."
Jin's eyes sparkled, while Ruby's lips curled into a frown. Before any of them could say anything, Dante continued: "Jin will have a high Fame and Reputation in the future. It might mean you'll become a duke—"
"Hell yeah!" Jin cut Dante off, raising his hand excitedly.
Dante gritted his teeth: "Can you fucking let me continue? I only know that you're either already famous or MIGHT become famous. Besides, I don't know what would make you famous. Maybe you'll become a duke, maybe a criminal, maybe you'll embarrass yourself in the competition and turn into a joke!"
"Oh…"
"Hahaha!"
The excitement in Jin's eyes disappeared instantly, while Ruby and Ryan laughed at him.
Dante ignored their laughs and called: "Ruby."
"Y-yes?" Ruby's smile froze as she answered awkwardly.
Dante analyzed her Wheel of Luck quickly before continuing: "I will be honest, you have the highest amount of fortune compared to misfortune I have seen so far. In fact, you have the second highest amount of fortune I have seen—the first was someone who could kill both of us without moving…"
A memory of the past resurfaced in Dante's mind, the moment when the dark entity showed his Wheel of Luck for less than a second: "Anyway, I can see that your luck is truly good. And most importantly, your Wealth Luck is impressive. I think you're truly about to become even richer. That old scammer guessed it right."
"Thank you for telling me!" Ruby bowed respectfully, an act that Dante already grew tired of, and said happily: "You hear that, Jin? I'll become rich!"
"It's only a chance…" Jin responded with a depressed voice, clearly still affected by Dante's prediction.
"Hoho, are you sad that you might become a joke?"
"Shut up! I'll prove you wrong when you become a member of my harem!"
"In your dreams!"
As Ruby and Jin argued, Dante's gaze was focused on one specific color of Ruby's Wheel of Luck—it was the color that meant Freedom.
He didn't tell her that it was even more intense than her wealth.
'That damn centipede!'
Dante was afraid that it was related to Greed's idea of turning her into a slave. Did that mean Dante was truly considering turning her into a slave?
'No, absolutely not. Judging by her luck, it might be a good encounter for her. Her freedom is safe so long as I don't think of Greed's offer.'
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Dante shifted his gaze to Ryan and asked: "Are you sure you don't want me to try seeing your luck?"
Ryan shook his head: "Thank you for your offer, but I don't want to become paranoid or carry a false hope. I prefer not hearing anything about some possibilities."
"I understand." Dante said lightly.
He liked that guy's answer, maybe it was better for Dante as well to ignore the previous change in his luck completely and stop being paranoid.
'Or maybe not, I'm not sure…'
Dante sighed helplessly as he stood up: "I think we had enough fun, what about going into the treehouse?"
"Oh, yes, yes. Give me a second." Ruby shifted her gaze toward Ryan and Jin: "Protect the carriage and keep watching that scammer—oh, and we might spend a few days here."
"Don't you need us to protect you there?" Ryan asked with a puzzled tone.
"Protect me there? From who?" Ruby giggled softly: "You don't have to worry about Dante, he's just my customer. And if he has bad intentions toward me, then trust me, none of us can stop him."
Ryan frowned as he glanced at Jin, who nodded in confirmation.
He and Ruby didn't forget Dante's performance in the trade convoy. He was about to fight a horde of monsters by himself!
After discussing a few things with the mercenaries, Ruby walked to her wagon and returned with a large backpack and two toolboxes.
"I'm ready. There are many other things in the wagon, but we can return to them later."
"You can go first." Dante stepped aside, giving her a path to walk.
Ruby accepted it and went into the tree.
After a few moments, Dante finally followed her into the treehouse.
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