Casino Wizard

VIP Room. Blackjack Table.

“Dealing the cards now. May Gaia’s blessing be with you.”

Lucy, the elven archer, was personally dealing the cards.

Normally, even when she acted as a dealer, she stood at the baccarat table.

However, after the “Dragon Demon” incident, she found herself at the blackjack table more often.

“Viscount Tonelli, please refrain from delaying the game.”

“Wait, wait! When the dealer’s upcard is 9, I… uh, I wrote it down somewhere—”

“Ah!!”

Basic blackjack strategy had spread widely among the customers, and some were even attempting card counting, albeit clumsily.

It was good that more people were gathering at the table…

But the slowing pace of the game was bad for business.

The more customers scribbled notes, mumbled numbers, and took their time studying the cards, the lower the profitability—and the louder the complaints from other customers.

So Lucy decided to step in personally.

“Sir? Perhaps you should practice at home?”

“Practice? How am I supposed to do that?”

“Well… If you help speed things up, maybe I’ll have someone give you a few tips.”

“Hmm.”

She didn’t feel intimidated by VIP customers.

As one of Hyden’s closest associates, the second-in-command of the casino, and someone with wealth rivaling that of the customers, she had no reason to be.

And her impeccable skills left no room for mistakes.

“Twenty. Everyone except for Player Two loses to me.”

“Agh…!”

“Moving on. May Gaia’s blessing be with you.”

Not even nobles, merchant guild leaders, or artisan guild executives could treat her carelessly.

That didn’t mean her job was always comfortable.

Occasionally, an awkward question would arise mid-game.

“Lucy, I heard you won a massive amount of money? From that… swindler?”

“Swindler?”

“You know, the guy who lost an arm. Hah!”

A cautious question from the vice guild master of the Brewing Guild, who visited from time to time.

Lucy maintained her polite hostess smile and answered nonchalantly.

“Yes. I won.”

“That lizard was really that skilled?”

“He was dealing second cards and pulling bottom deals with just one hand.”

“Wow. And you caught him?”

Lucy did witness it.

Though it was her boss, Hyden, who actually caught him.

“Just so you know, sir, don’t even think about learning those tricks.”

“Because I’d lose a hand?”

“Even if you keep your hand, you’d at least get a good beating.”

The vice guild master laughed awkwardly at Lucy’s teasing warning.

Some customers laughed out of discomfort, others because they genuinely found it amusing.

The truth was, that gambling match hadn’t been a pleasant memory for Lucy either…

But what could she do? The victory was real, and the massive payout was, too.

Without showing any discomfort, Lucy continued dealing the game.

‘To others, this must seem like an enviable life.’

She had already earned an immense fortune,

And lately, she’d been feeling like taking a break.

But it wasn’t the time yet.

She couldn’t leave Hyden to run the casino alone, not when even the hero had left.

All that money piling up with no time to spend it…

Someday, it would come in handy.

‘For now, let’s just focus on work.’

Lucy made up her mind and smiled brightly.

Seeing the cheerful smile of the beautiful dealer, the customers’ expressions brightened as well.

…

Later, Hyden called Lucy in and spoke utter nonsense.

“Let’s shut down the business, Lucy.”

“…What?”

“I’m saying, let’s close the casino.”

Had he lost his mind?

Lucy opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words.

For a moment, she even wondered if someone was impersonating Hyden.

But no, it was him.

His sharp, handsome features—taking after his father, Viscount Mantova.

His usual poker face, except when dealing with customers.

It was the same Hyden she had known for years, the one she saw 350 days a year.

She was just too shocked to react.

Hyden, as if understanding her turmoil, nodded and added an explanation.

“We’re not shutting down completely—just suspending operations.

Maybe we won’t stop at a temporary closure, maybe it’ll become permanent.

At least, that’s what we have to announce publicly.”

At least, publicly.

That’s when Lucy realized he didn’t actually intend to close the business for good.

There must be some strategic reason…

And when she thought about it, it wasn’t a bad idea.

“At least I get a break. Should I come up with a plan?”

“A plan?”

“I can’t just sit at home doing nothing. I’ll make it look like I’m considering retirement.”

Hyden nodded at Lucy’s subtle suggestion.

Thankfully, he didn’t ask for details.

He was trusting her to handle it.

‘Perfect. Even better.’

Back at the table, Lucy shuffled the cards more dazzlingly than ever.

The clueless customers gasped in admiration.

****

They couldn’t shut down all of a sudden.

Yes, incidents had occurred in the casino recently.

But closing abruptly would only turn customer resentment toward them.

They needed to set the stage first.

And minimize the aftermath of the closure.

First, they had to manage the employees.

“Everyone, we are temporarily shutting down due to circumstances outside of business operations.”

She gathered the dealers, servers, and security personnel and made the announcement.

Murmurs spread throughout the room.

Many were visibly worried about losing their jobs—

working at a prestigious casino in a former grand ducal estate,

dressed in clean uniforms, earning decent wages in a relatively safe and comfortable environment.

“Boss, why…?”

“I apologize. The only explanation I can give is that we’ve drawn the ire of powerful figures.”

“What?”

“I, too, hope this will be short-term… I truly do.”

More than anyone else here.

She left her words deliberately vague and maintained a solemn expression.

There was no need for an impassioned speech.

If the casino shut down, the one who would suffer the most was her, the owner.

She just had to supervise, and money poured in automatically.

Closing it without reason would be madness.

Even if she didn’t say it outright, the employees had already filled in the blanks—

They knew “external pressure” was involved.

After a moment of silence, she stepped back.

Then, Lucy naturally took the lead and continued in a casual tone.

“I’ll keep it simple. You can work elsewhere while we’re closed, but remember this—

Never work at an illegal gambling house.

If you’re really struggling, come find me. I’ll find a way to help.”

That was the key.

She didn’t want well-trained staff getting arrested for working in underground gambling dens.

However, she didn’t promise to pay them during the closure.

They would help from the shadows, but making it an official paid leave would ruin the illusion.

They had to make it look like they were truly in crisis.

…

The place I headed to after keeping the employees in check was the Mage Tower.

Though it was called a tower, in reality, it was just a grand building with a towering spire.

I wasn’t there to pay respects to my eccentric and nearly invisible master.

I had simply requested a meeting with a certain mage.

Floriano— a First-Class Mage and one of the seven members of the Round Table.

He was two years older than me, the Tower Master’s prized disciple.

At one point, he was the leading candidate to become the mage of the Pierrot Party—until he saw the middle-aged Hero and twisted his entire body in an effort to avoid him.

Even now, his skills were undeniable, making him a strong contender for the next Tower Master.

And thanks to those skills, he had crossed paths with Hilde.

“Senior, I heard you and Hilde are currently researching ways to improve the efficiency of the highest-tier spell, ‘Binding of the Embraced.'”

“That’s true. Why?”

He was helping Hilde stay in the capital without issue.

A joint research project between the Grand Mage of the Dragon Kingdom and the Kingdom’s next Tower Master. With credentials like that, no one would question Hilde’s presence in the capital.

I had something to say to Hilde through him.

“Please pass along my apologies to Hilde.”

“All of a sudden?”

“I can’t explain the details. Just let her know that I have no intention of fighting. If necessary, I’ll even shut down the casino. If she demands a sin tax, I’ll pay it without complaint.”

Floriano blinked, as if he had just heard something absurd.

Of course, he wouldn’t understand.

I ignored his reaction and let out a sigh before repeating my request.

“Just deliver the message. Please.”

“…Alright.”

Floriano looked like he had just heard something ridiculous.

But he was a smart man. He would remember what I said—and he would start to question it.

Why was I suddenly apologizing to Hilde? What did the casino have to do with her?

‘He’ll start to suspect something and eventually come to his own conclusions. He’ll spread it around, too.’

Floriano, being the next Tower Master, was well-respected among young mages.

And plenty of mages were regulars at the casino.

If the casino suddenly shut down, and word got out that I had visited Hilde’s research partner to apologize right before that happened…

Conspiracy theories would naturally start to form.

My goal was to make sure Hilde’s presence gained attention through the process.

“I don’t want to fight the Hero of All Humanity.”

I wasn’t lying. I didn’t want to fight Hilde—I wanted to take her down.

With this, my preparations for the shutdown were complete.

…

The next day.

The topic of the sin tax finally made its way into the VIP room. With several court nobles and even a former chancellor present, it was only a matter of time.

It was time to act.

I arranged for closure notices to be posted at closing time.

On the lobby doors, all entrances, and even at the nearby relay stations and taverns.

[As of this moment, the Hyden Casino is ceasing operations. Rather than living up to the high expectations of the authorities who granted us a license for a public gambling hall, our poor management has led to repeated incidents inside and outside the casino. Recently, an unfortunate event even angered a foreign envoy from the Dragon Kingdom. Acknowledging our responsibility, we will be voluntarily closing for now.]

I made sure to reveal that the pressure behind this decision came from a foreigner.

And finally, I personally apologized to each departing customer, one by one.

“We are closing. We will do our best to reopen.”

The customers looked at me, their faces filled with shock.

I offered no further explanation and simply bowed even deeper. This would make it clear that the closure was not my decision.

“I’m sorry.”

From this moment, the casino was shut down.

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t frustrated, after all the effort I had put into growing and protecting it.

I was also worried about the negative consequences of the closure, but I decided to put those thoughts aside for now.

Because just protecting the casino was no longer enough.

Now, I had to go after those who got in my way.