That evening, at the Columbia Poker Tournament venue.
Shirou walked at the front of the group. Following behind him were Liskarm, Franka, Jessica, Vanilla, and the others who had come with him.
Unlike earlier that morning, when they had been dressed in Rhodes Island tactical jackets and Blacksteel tactical gear, everyone was now wearing formal attire.
Shirou in particular looked completely different from usual.
A black dress shirt paired with dark suit trousers, topped with a long black overcoat, gave him an entirely different presence. The easygoing atmosphere he normally carried had disappeared, replaced by the sharpness of a drawn blade that looked ready to leave its sheath at any moment.
"This tie is strangling me..."
Shirou tugged lightly at the tie around his neck and muttered under his breath.
He was used to wearing loose, comfortable clothing. Suddenly being dressed in such a fitted, formal suit felt extremely uncomfortable. The tie in particular was so tight that he almost felt as though he could not breathe.
"Just loosen it a little. Still, I have to admit, Shirou, you actually look pretty convincing in a suit."
Franka gave him a quick reminder before immediately switching to complimenting him.
She had never really had the chance to see him dressed like this before, especially after his recent growth spurt. She had to admit that the taller Shirou looked quite handsome in formal wear.
Unfortunately, the moment he opened his mouth, the effect disappeared.
All Ace had done was choose something formal. He had never considered selecting clothes that actually suited Shirou's personality.
"Fine... Anyway, is that over there Mr. Marin Airut?"
After hearing Franka's compliment, Shirou immediately stopped fiddling with his tie and changed the subject.
Mostly because he had no idea how to respond. Continuing along that line of conversation somehow felt awkward.
The shirt and suit combination underneath had been selected by Ace. The branch office already kept spare formal clothing on hand, and since Shirou had a fairly well-proportioned build, it had been easy to find something that fit him.
The only problem was that fastening the top button made the collar rather tight.
Adding the tie only made it even worse.
As for the long overcoat on the outside, that was something he had projected onto himself separately.
It made his outfit closely resemble the way his old man Kiritsugu used to dress whenever he went out.
Ace had not objected to Shirou adding the overcoat.
After all, wearing a coat over a suit was perfectly normal.
If there was anything unusual about it...
...it was that the pockets inside that long coat looked as though they could easily hold several firearms and a large supply of ammunition.
Although curious, Ace respected Shirou's preferences and did not ask him to change into a different coat.
In any case, Shirou was technically carrying no weapons on him.
Those pockets were merely empty decorations, so getting through security would not be a problem.
"Let me see... Jessica, can you recognize him?"
After hearing Shirou's question, Franka did not dwell on his obvious attempt to change the subject. She followed his gaze toward a Liberi man dressed in a white suit and wearing sunglasses.
Nope.
She could not recognize him.
She had only seen his photograph during that morning's meeting.
Identifying people was better left to someone who actually knew them.
Without hesitation, Franka pushed Jessica forward.
"E-Eh! Let me see..."
Jessica looked over for a moment before quickly nodding.
"That is Uncle Marin. Whenever he plays poker, he likes wearing a white suit. He believes it brings him good luck."
Despite being suddenly shoved forward, Jessica quickly confirmed the man's identity.
Although they now knew where Marin Airut was, Shirou had no intention of walking over and greeting him immediately.
Given how seriously the man took Columbia Poker, he almost certainly would not appreciate being disturbed before a tournament.
Walking over now would definitely make Marin remember them.
Just not in a positive way.
Besides...
Shirou needed a little time to prepare himself mentally.
Columbia Poker.
In terms that were more familiar to him, it was simply Texas Hold'em.
Tiaga occasionally felt like playing a few hands, and he often ended up being dragged in to make up the numbers, so he was fairly familiar with the rules.
More than gambling, Texas Hold'em was a psychological contest.
That was also the main reason it could support tournaments on this scale.
After all, if victory depended entirely on luck, it would not be very appealing to many people, nor would it have gained such widespread popularity.
Back at Penguin Logistics, Emperor and Texas also played a few hands from time to time for fun, so Shirou was quite certain that the overall rules matched what he already knew.
There was, however, one amusing detail.
Texas Hold'em originated in the state of Texas.
And Texas herself happened to be quite good at playing Columbia Poker.
It was a joke that only Shirou himself could appreciate.
"Tsk, tsk. Spending five hundred thousand Lungmen Dollars just for the chance to meet Marin Airut... that is ridiculously expensive. It almost feels like it would be better to have little Jessica simply introduce us directly."
Looking around, Franka spotted quite a few familiar faces.
Without exception, they were all skilled Columbia Poker players.
Every time she met them, they seemed eager to brag about how much prize money they had won at one small tournament or another.
"Ugh... I suppose that would not be impossible..."
Jessica let out a pitiful whimper after suddenly being singled out.
Thinking about it, she also felt that her senior's suggestion made sense.
It certainly sounded faster and much cheaper.
So why had Doctor not considered it?
"That would not be appropriate."
Standing beside them, Liskarm smacked Franka firmly on the head with her right hand while gently tapping Jessica on the head with her left.
"Jessica has already helped us by providing all this information. If we also relied on her to establish this connection for us, that would be asking too much. At most, if we happen to run into Mr. Airut later, we can let Jessica say a few good words on our behalf."
The reason Doctor had not simply asked Jessica to introduce them directly was because they had already considered exactly that.
If Rhodes Island's business ended up affecting the partnership between Jessica's family and Airut Company, that would be a serious problem.
None of them had ever pried into Jessica's family background.
They only knew that her family was extremely wealthy.
Then again, they had realized that long ago.
The firearms Jessica used, along with her engraved ammunition, were both extraordinarily expensive, and she consumed a considerable amount of ammunition during training.
Not to mention all the snacks and cookies she ate on a regular basis...
Those were not cheap either.
From that alone, it was easy to conclude that Jessica was a wealthy young lady.
What they had not expected was that her family's company was influential enough to be doing business with Airut Company.
That was quite a surprise.
Even so, it did not change how they treated her.
At least, not in the slightest.
To Liskarm, Jessica was simply a junior whom she needed to look after. That much had never been in doubt.
"Exactly. Since Doctor never brought it up, it was probably already taking that into consideration," Shirou agreed. "Ace and I talked about this a little this afternoon."
The two of them had discussed it while Ace was killing time earlier that day, and they had reached almost exactly the same conclusion Liskarm had just described.
The only difference was that they both believed Doctor had probably thought even further ahead.
After all, if they overused Jessica's connections and influence and ended up leaving her family with a poor impression of Rhodes Island, that would not benefit Rhodes Island at all.
That was simply the nature of being a neutral organization.
Most of the time, they had to maintain good relationships with everyone. If they could avoid becoming someone's enemy, then they should. Building friendships was far more important for Rhodes Island.
That was why, even though asking Jessica for help would have solved many of their problems, Doctor had deliberately chosen not to.
Unless they truly had no other options, or the person involved willingly offered, Doctor generally would not even consider such a course of action.
"Wow... There really are a lot of twists and turns to all of this."
Franka covered her mouth and put on an exaggerated expression of surprise.
It was only an act.
She understood perfectly well what Liskarm and Shirou meant. After all, she had once been one of Blacksteel's top operatives and had dealt with plenty of situations like this before.
She had simply not connected the dots immediately.
"So that is how it is..."
After listening to Liskarm and Shirou's explanation, Jessica finally understood what had been going on.
Her eyes immediately became moist, and tears threatened to spill over at any moment.
Knowing that everyone had been thinking about her made her genuinely happy.
Happy enough to cry.
"Do not cry. You will not look nearly as pretty if you do."
The moment Shirou noticed Jessica's teary eyes, he quickly pulled a packet of tissues from his pocket and handed it to Liskarm and Franka so they could wipe Jessica's face for her.
Among everyone present, he was the only one who had developed the habit of always carrying tissues.
"Exactly. You spent all that time putting on such nice makeup. If you start crying, it will all be ruined."
Franka accepted the tissues with a smile.
The members of Blacksteel were already completely accustomed to Jessica tearing up at the slightest emotional stimulus.
After gently wiping her face, they left the tissues in her hands until she finally stopped crying.
"Phew..."
The others might have been used to it, but it was still devastating for Shirou.
It was not because he had any romantic feelings toward Jessica.
He simply hated seeing other people cry.
Even knowing that Jessica naturally teared up very easily did not make it any easier for him to watch.
That was one of the reasons he often brought her little snacks whenever they happened to meet.
Now, however...
Whether she was sad or happy, she really did seem capable of turning into a teary-eyed kitten at any moment.
Realizing that left Shirou both amused and exasperated.
"After the tournament is over, I will take everyone to see Uncle Marin."
Once she had finally stopped crying, Jessica suddenly made the announcement.
She had already received everyone's kindness.
Besides, bringing them to meet Uncle Marin was not actually difficult for her.
At the very least, Doctor's concerns would not become reality.
Her family's business had been cooperating with his company for many years.
Their relationship had lasted so long that she had grown up calling him "Uncle Marin."
Asking him for a small favor like this would not damage that relationship.
"...All right."
After hesitating for a moment, Shirou finally nodded.
"But if he looks even slightly displeased, we will come up with an excuse and leave immediately."
It was rare to see Jessica wearing such a determined expression.
He simply could not bring himself to reject her outright.
The same was true for everyone else.
"Jessica has really grown up."
Vanilla, who had quietly listened to the entire conversation until now, finally spoke.
"Eep..."
The instant those words left Vanilla's mouth, Jessica immediately reverted from her serious expression back to her usual timid self.
Being praised so suddenly...
It was a little embarrassing.
Liskarm: "..."
What was that phrase Franka liked to use again?
Cool for less than three seconds.
"That sounds fine. We will go with Shirou's suggestion."
Overall, Shirou's way of handling the situation was reasonable.
If she had been in his position, she probably would have accepted Jessica's proposal as well.
The only difference was that she would not have stated those conditions so directly.
Instead, she would have waited until the atmosphere turned awkward before finding an excuse to leave.
"Mhm. Then I will send Uncle Marin a message first."
After receiving her seniors' approval, Jessica took out her personal terminal and immediately began typing.
The others all politely turned their heads away, consciously avoiding looking at the contents of her screen.
"So, Shirou, are you going to be all right?"
While Jessica was busy contacting someone, Franka did not remain idle. Instead, she struck up a conversation with Shirou.
"Hmm... I think so. No matter how nervous I get, it is not going to change anything. The money has already been exchanged for chips, so it is too late to back out now."
Caught off guard by her concern, Shirou thought for a moment before answering.
He was well aware that the money being used came from their operational budget.
To him, however, it was not a particularly heavy burden.
After all, he was earning two salaries.
While he could not exactly take everyone on a shopping spree, covering meals, drinks, and a few souvenirs would not be a problem.
As a result, he was not carrying much psychological pressure.
His primary task was simply to make Marin Airut remember his face and create an opportunity for future contact.
Overall, it was not particularly difficult.
Besides, even if approaching Marin through Columbia Poker failed, they still had Jessica as a backup.
With a safety net in place, there was no reason to panic.
All things considered, Shirou remained fairly optimistic.
As his boss would put it, he was simply here to experience life.
"That is a pretty healthy attitude. I thought you would be much more nervous. Since you are fine, then go for it. We will be cheering for you from behind."
After hearing Shirou's answer and confirming that he truly was not nervous, Franka smiled, patted him on the back, and gave him a gentle push forward.
Their role was simply to guide Shirou here and accompany him.
Everything else depended on him.
After all, aside from Jessica, none of them could casually pull out such a large sum of money just to enter the tournament.
As for letting Jessica participate in Columbia Poker...
That would have been asking far too much of their little teary-eyed kitten.
Rather than worrying about whether she could win, they would probably have to worry about her becoming so nervous that she fainted before the game even started.
"Right. I will leave my communicator with you. If Amiya contacts me, make sure to let me know immediately."
After taking a few steps forward, Shirou suddenly remembered something.
He reached into the pocket of his overcoat, took out his communicator, and handed it to Franka.
The tournament rules did not prohibit participants from carrying communication devices.
However, considering that Doctor's group was currently busy at Airut Company, there was always the possibility that they might suddenly need to contact him.
He was worried that he might accidentally miss the call.
Leaving the communicator with someone else was the safest option.
"No problem. Leave it to Liskarm."
After accepting the communicator, Franka immediately handed it over to Liskarm.
She simply knew herself too well.
She would probably get caught up in the excitement of watching the tournament, so Liskarm was by far the more reliable choice.
"Thank you so much for your confidence in me."
Liskarm complained about her partner shamelessly passing the responsibility onto her, but she still reached out and accepted the communicator.
"You are welcome."
Franka responded with a playful wink.
Liskarm answered with nothing more than an exasperated roll of her eyes.
Watching the two interact made Shirou, Jessica, and Vanilla all want to laugh.
In the end, however, all three of them held it back.
Shirou had no time to linger because the tournament was about to begin and he needed to enter.
Jessica and Vanilla, meanwhile, felt that as juniors, they should not burst into laughter in front of their seniors.
Unless they simply could not hold it in.
"Good luck, Shirou!"
That was Vanilla's cheer.
"G-Good luck!"
That was Jessica's.
As for the other two?
They were still busy bickering with each other and had no time to pay attention to this side.
"Right."
With time running short, Shirou did not say anything more after receiving their encouragement.
He simply raised his right hand and gave them a thumbs-up to show that he had heard them.
Then he walked into the Columbia Poker tournament venue.
There were more people than he had expected.
Roughly several hundred participants.
With that many competitors, the tournament would undoubtedly take quite a while to finish.
However, according to what Shirou had learned, this event used a fast-format tournament.
As the name suggested, both the pace and the overall structure were significantly accelerated.
With around one hundred participants, a winner could usually be determined in roughly half a day.
For Shirou, that was undoubtedly a blessing.
His knowledge of poker was limited to understanding the rules.
If the tournament dragged on for too long, experienced opponents would have plenty of opportunities to deceive him or see through him.
"Hmm... I feel a little out of place."
Looking around the venue, Shirou immediately noticed that his attire was somewhat different from everyone else's.
Although he was also wearing a suit and dress shirt, his outfit was much plainer than most of the other participants.
Some people even wore expensive rings, necklaces, and other accessories.
Compared to them, Shirou's appearance was remarkably understated.
Overall, though, it was not a problem.
As far as Shirou was concerned, as long as his clothes were formal enough to get him through the entrance, that was all that mattered.
Putting aside that final, minor concern, Shirou found his assigned seat and sat down.
His "adventure" for the evening had officially begun.