Casino Wizard

It’s been four days since I sent Dragon Ear’s right arm to Hilde.

While chatting with the Tower Lord of Bu-ma, a regular at the casino, I managed to learn more about Hilde’s current status.

“Hilde Lacaye from the Dragon Kingdom visited the Mage Tower.”

Even after receiving my brother’s arm, she hadn’t left but lingered around.

“They must have been shocked.”

“Of course. Not that I cared, so I just walked out. By the way, Hyden, did you really cut off his arm with the guillotine?”

“Yes, I did it.”

For some reason, Hilde had visited the Mage Tower.

I was still technically a member of the Royal Kingdom’s Mage Tower.

The Mage Tower was an organization created to protect the rights of mages and to systematize training for future generations. Even though I hadn’t set foot there in a long time, I hadn’t bothered to officially leave, so I maintained my membership.

That’s all it was—just a title.

Yet Hilde went there.

Was she trying to recruit mages to find my weakness? Or perhaps to isolate me in the mage society using her status?

That didn’t seem like it.

Though Hilde was a big shot, she was still an outsider to the kingdom.

Even though the Mage Tower tended to operate independently from the Merchant Guilds and Craft Guilds, it wasn’t like Hilde could ruin me by talking nonsense.

Hilde wasn’t the type to miss something that obvious. The fact that she was hovering around the Mage Tower probably meant…

“She’s trying to find a formal reason to stay in the capital. Probably gathering information, too.”

An excuse like a cultural exchange, or a joint study on practical magic.

As long as Hilde secured a valid reason, nobody would think twice about her staying in the capital.

Clearly, Hilde had no intention of leaving—not until she achieved her goal.

And that goal? It was blatantly obvious.

She wanted revenge on Dragon Ear’s behalf—something that Dragon Ear didn’t want or care about. (He’d probably rush here if the revenge involved gambling, though.)

“So it’s come to this.”

I hadn’t expected her to leave without a fight in the first place.

The moment Hilde stayed behind in the capital without chasing after her brother, it was clear.

Dragon Ear had set off on his journey as a disabled man. If Hilde had truly cared about his safety, she would’ve immediately gone after him to take care of him.

No, this wasn’t revenge for Dragon Ear’s sake.

This was revenge to forget or ignore her own guilt.

Sadly, revenge like this tended to be more blind and destructive.

…

In truth, I’d gone through something similar in my past life.

Although, back then, no one had lost an arm.

“You promised to help my son make money, didn’t you!?”

“I didn’t convince him. He begged me because he was desperate for cash.”

“He’s your brother, damn it!”

“Yes. Technically… he’s a distant relative.”

He was my mother’s cousin’s son.

I’d once introduced a distant relative to a job and ended up in a lot of trouble.

He’d begged, saying he was desperate for money and would do anything to earn it, so I introduced him to a short-term job. It was a relatively safe setting at an out-of-the-way pension, where he worked as a maid and ashtray. It even helped him pay off urgent debts.

I’d suggested this job because it was safer than an illegal underground ashtray gig. After all, backing gambling operators was my line of work.

That bastard, after getting a taste of money, later got caught trying to run a gambling den on his own.

Suddenly, his father went ballistic on me. Demanded I get his son out of jail or he wouldn’t let me be.

“Weren’t they estranged until recently?”

This man had ignored his son until he became a debtor and sought work from me. Then suddenly, he lost it.

At the time, I didn’t understand it.

Why did he suddenly develop fatherly love after treating his son like a stranger? His son was sitting quietly at the police station, yet here he was, scolding me for not wanting a criminal record on his son.

“He just got caught in a minor case. He’ll probably get a sentence of six months and probation of two years.”

“A criminal record will ruin his life! Don’t you know that!?”

“But I don’t have a way to help…”

“That’s it. I’ll find your father. You criminal scum.”

He did visit my father and caused a scene—only to leave after a humiliating experience. Apparently, his threats to report me had enraged my father.

I didn’t understand it back then.

But now I knew.

Family relationships weren’t something you could understand with logic.

You could let your estranged family member fall into ruin and suddenly drop everything to take revenge.

Hilde was no different.

Asking why she was suddenly targeting me was pointless. I had, after all, cut off Dragon Ear’s arm.

Even if I understood, it didn’t change the fact that it was a pain in the ass.

One enemy left, and another one was already here.

Dragon Ear’s actions had stressed me out to the point where I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

I was clearly trapped in a vicious cycle.

Talking about closure now would just be a luxury.

****

A slightly plump noble in his 30s, Baron Bovo.

He was the chief clerk responsible for managing the royal library’s collection.

Nicknamed the “Charity of the Poker Table” for his generosity—Bovo, who gave without hesitation.

Though he had long suffered from poverty, Bovo’ pockets had recently become much fuller.

This was thanks to a significant win at the poker table.

He got scolded plenty by his wife for gambling, but after surrendering 90% of the winnings and asking for forgiveness, things were smoothed over.

He even swore he’d quit gambling.

Normally, such a promise would have been empty, but…

“This time, I really have to stop.”

For once, Baron Bovo was seriously considering giving up gambling entirely.

He had witnessed something horrific.

Dragonkin.

The very same Dragonkin who had forced Bovo to organize a poker game—Dragon Ear.

He had also been the swindler who lost a game to the wizard Haidin and ended up having his arm severed.

Bovo had been one of the spectators who saw the gruesome amputation up close.

Cutting off an arm over gambling? It was sheer madness.

After seeing that, Bovo hadn’t been so consumed by gambling that he kept chasing poker tables. He managed to resist.

Though there was another reason for his restraint.

He had been the one to organize that poker game at the swindler’s request.

In situations like these, keeping his mouth shut and focusing on work was the best course. Bovo cleared away the cards and dice he had been idly toying with and got back to his duties.

“Baron? Here’s today’s newly registered book list.”

“Alright. Leave it there.”

Bovo was determined to keep his distance from gambling for the time being. Truly.

But that evening, a strange woman visited Baron Bovo’ home.

Her appearance… was quite unusual.

Her face was perfect, as if sculpted by an artist.

But she wasn’t human. She had a pair of horns, bat-like ears, and even a tail.

“A Dragonkin?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh…”

A look of unease began to creep over Bovo’ face.

He had recently experienced a dangerous ordeal involving Dragonkin. The aftermath of that ordeal still left him tense.

Why does this keep happening to me?

His vision blurred with anxiety, but the Dragonkin woman didn’t seem to care about Bovo’ discomfort.

“650 gold.”

“Pardon…?”

“You won 650 gold on the first night. You lost a bit after that, but there was still over 300 gold left, or so I heard.”

“W-who said that?”

“Your stammering confirms it.”

Her slit pupils stretched vertically as she observed Bovo’ reaction.

Dragonkin eyes all looked similar, but something about hers felt strangely familiar to Bovo. Still, the feeling of danger overwhelmed any sense of recognition.

The Dragonkin didn’t even give him a chance to explain.

“Didn’t you feel anything strange?”

“Well…”

“Why you kept getting good cards, why the betting rounds always dragged out when you had a good hand, and why the stakes kept growing. Didn’t it ever occur to you to wonder why the money just seemed to pile up?”

“I just got lucky.”

“Was it really luck? Even I’m not sure.”

Why is this happening to me?

Bovo had no personal grudge against the Dragonkin race, but resentment was quickly taking root now.

Was his frustration so obvious on his face?

The Dragonkin smirked as if she had reached her conclusion.

“So you did realize something was off.”

Bovo stopped rolling his eyes and folded his hands neatly.

He figured no good would come from making excuses.

Better to keep quiet and withhold information. But his visitor already seemed convinced of his guilt.

“I hear you’re close to the first prince.”

“I’m not his close confidant.”

“If you can borrow money from a royal, that counts as being close. Doesn’t it?”

“……”

In truth, Bovo hadn’t exposed any enormous secret.

That poker game he had organized for Dragon Ear?

It had since become a daily gathering of furious nobles burning through money.

And the three big winners who had cashed out early were still being talked about.

All three were close acquaintances of the first prince.

Bovo, who was friendly enough with the first prince to handle monetary transactions.

Viscountess Fadely, who had been the first prince’s maid for many years.

Mario Carneseki, the brother of the first prince’s bodyguard.

The controversy only grew because Yonggui, the poker game’s host, had been caught cheating and lost an arm for it.

Now this Dragonkin woman appeared just when Bovo was already feeling the pressure. The situation was too much to bear.

So he kept silent.

“Don’t worry. I know you’re all innocent.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m not here to accuse or threaten you. I have no reason to do that, do I?”

Come to think of it, she was right.

A Dragonkin wouldn’t publicize another Dragonkin’s gambling scam. They’d be more likely to cover it up.

Then what was the reason?

As Bovo hesitated, the Dragonkin continued.

“I have a message I’d like you to deliver to your prince. I hear he’s not attending public events due to health reasons, but he’ll still meet with close aides, right?”

“Pardon…?”

“Don’t worry. It’ll benefit the kingdom.”

Bovo couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

Not after she revealed her name.

Hilde Lacaie.

Even Bovo, who wasn’t a mage, knew the name of the great sorceress.

“I’ll compensate you, of course.”

Her reputation wasn’t the only heavy thing—her proposal was quite enticing.

…

The next day.

Bovo met with a few nobles grumbling about their gambling losses.

“I’ll return your winnings. So please stop spreading unpleasant conspiracy theories about His Highness.”

Giving back the winnings.

Naturally, he wasn’t using his own money. Hilde had provided it.

After that, Bovo headed to the first prince’s residence.

“I regret that I’ve caused you trouble, Your Highness. I’ve come to ask for forgiveness.”

But an apology wasn’t his only goal. Bovo also intended to share his newfound awareness of gambling’s dangers.

He would emphasize the need for “gambling regulation.”

Given that the first prince had also been dragged into the controversy, Bovo figured they had plenty of justification.

And naturally, Hilde’s request was behind it all.