When Mikura finally calmed down, her face was flushed with shame—what was she thinking, actually biting him, and in front of Senior Juraku!
Mikura instinctively looked at Sachiko Juraku, and seeing her eager expression, a surge of guilt rose within her. She quickly apologized, "Senior Juraku, I apologize, I was rude..."
"It's nothing, isn't it interesting?" Sachiko Juraku didn't mind. Instead, she smiled at Ayanokoji and said, "Ayanokoji, it seems my pet really likes you. This is the first time she's shown such obvious affection for anyone else."
"Is this considered liking? What kind of pet bites people when it likes them...?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka grumbled as he lowered his head to look at his bitten finger. Mikura had really used force at first; there was a deep bite mark on his finger. It was a close call, she almost broke the skin...
"Didn't you bring this upon yourself!"
Mikura snorted, still not appeased, and made a fierce expression as if to bite him again.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka quickly took a step back, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender: "Senior Mikura, please spare me. I know I was wrong."
Although he sounded like he genuinely intended to correct himself, a smile still lingered on his face, clearly just an act, playing along with Mikura's role-playing.
This guy clearly hasn't reflected at all!
Mikura was so angry her teeth itched. Before she could pounce again, Ayanokoji turned and walked towards Sachiko Juraku, his expression instantly becoming serious.
"Oh, right, Senior Juraku, I have something I need the Student Council's help with."
"Is that so? Tell me about it."
"I thought about creating a new poker game a long time ago, but it was just a rough idea before. In the past few days, I've just perfected this game, and I feel it's quite interesting. I want to apply for a patent and have it reviewed by the Student Council."
"A new game?"
Sachiko Juraku's interest immediately waned upon hearing this. She sighed boredly: "Don't bother with games that are just improvements on classic ones. Even if you don't publicize it, no casino will copy it. Just use it as much as you want."
She thought Ayanokoji would have something important to discuss; it turned out he just wanted to apply for a game patent...
The rules regarding game patents were something she had personally pushed for a year ago. The original purpose was to prevent homogenization of games in club casinos and to prevent malicious competition.
But it turned out she had completely overthought it. Countless people came wanting to apply for patents with slightly altered game rules.
For example, if the original game rule framework was 1 + 1 = 2, their rule would be 1 + 2 - 1 = 2. Although it looked more complex, the essence was exactly the same.
Some people also acted like they were writing a thesis, copying from here and there, then stitching together something of their own. It looked like a brand new game, but internally, it was all someone else's.
Sachiko Juraku had seen countless people trying to muddy the waters; she had no interest in reviewing games anymore.
Ayanokoji didn't understand why her interest suddenly dropped, but he still confidently said, "I'm sure that this game I've just developed has absolutely no similar games before it. There's no need to worry about its innovativeness."
Landlord, as a unique poker game from China, was invented by combining the characteristics of the times. Ayanokoji had conducted a detailed search on the current world's internet and confirmed that no similar game existed.
"Is that so? Then tell me about it." Hearing Ayanokoji's guarantee, Sachiko Juraku reluctantly perked up a little: "Although 'game patents' are no longer my responsibility, I still have the right to review. Go ahead."
Ayanokoji nodded, pulling a deck of poker cards from his pocket: "This poker game needs three people to play. It's a game where two people play against one. We happen to have three people, so let's explain and practice as we go..."
Saying that, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka called Mikura over.
Sado Mikura, Sachiko Juraku, and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka—the three of them were just enough to form a table for Landlord. Practicing was more suitable than a dry explanation.
Sachiko Juraku raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued: "Two against one? That kind of unfair match sounds quite interesting..."
The gambling games she usually played were one-on-one, multi-on-multi, or everyone for themselves. She had never played such an 'unfair' game.
Although Mikura had no desire to play at the moment, seeing that Senior Juraku seemed to have developed some interest from Ayanokoji's explanation, she still sat at the table.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka explained the rules of the game, dealt the poker cards to them as the Dealer, and also played the role of a player, accompanying the two of them in the game.
Although the game rules seemed a bit complex when explained, both Sachiko Juraku and Mikura had strong comprehension abilities. After only two trial games, they had fully grasped the rules and could skillfully combine their hands.
The rules of Landlord were very interesting; when luck was good enough, it also relied on one's own skill. Soon, Sachiko Juraku and Mikura were both attracted by this novel game.
Seeing their engrossed expressions, Ayanokoji felt more confident.
Indeed, Saotome and the others were not isolated cases; the game of Landlord truly had the charm to attract people to play, no matter which world it was in.
However... there was one thing Ayanokoji couldn't stand. After five or six rounds, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka finally couldn't help but speak.
"Mikura, you and I are both commoners. You should use the cards in your hand to block the 'Landlord' Senior Juraku's plays, just like me. What are you doing constantly firing at me?"
Even though they were teammates, Mikura kept blocking his plays and deliberately letting Sachiko Juraku play her cards. This blatant 'acting' behavior left Ayanokoji Kiyotaka quite speechless.
If he weren't the 'host,' in a normal card game, if he encountered such an actor, he would have long since thrown his cards down and gone to take a shower.
Who exactly is whose teammate here?!
Mikura, however, looked completely justified: "I am Senior Juraku's pet, so of course I must stand on the same side as Senior Juraku."
"Then it's my turn to be the Landlord next round. I don't want to be your teammate anymore."
After playing six or seven rounds, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka hadn't even uttered the words "bid for Landlord" each time before Mikura proactively spread out the three bottom cards and eagerly pushed them towards Sachiko Juraku.
Mikura flatly refused again: "No! Senior Juraku's status is noble, so of course she is the Landlord. How could she be a commoner like me?"
"It's just a game, not real-life status. Why are you so concerned...?" Ayanokoji responded helplessly to Mikura.
Mikura shouldn't be an unreasonable person, but looking at her serious, completely impartial demeanor, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka suddenly realized something.
"...You're not deliberately targeting me, are you?" Ayanokoji asked, speechless.
Just because he slept in the same room with Saotome and the other two last night, Mikura got angry?
"I am not." Mikura's expression was cold, and she denied it stiffly.
...This guy really is angry!
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