Casino Wizard

“Just torture me instead.”

As soon as Hilde realized she had been deceived by the mage again, that was the first thought that came to her mind.

She swallowed it down instead of saying it out loud.

Deep inside, she wanted to scream and struggle.

She wanted to skip all of this and just be tortured instead.

Whether they cut off her burnt tail, tore out the horns she had meticulously cared for more than her own face, or did something even worse—she could endure it all.

As long as they didn’t ask about her brother.

But in the end, she couldn’t say a word.

“Is that all, Hyden?”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

With that, Hyden’s turn was over.

Hilde felt her chest tighten as she turned to look at Beatrice.

Strawberry blonde hair, an appearance reminiscent of an elegant doll. And she even carried a sword.

Now that she thought about it, she was a shady woman.

A member of the royal family that ruled a kingdom was colluding with a gambling den to rot the country from within.

Hilde hated being interrogated by someone like her.

And she was afraid.

‘Please, don’t. I beg you.’

Beatrice completely ignored Hilde’s desperate gaze, calmly preparing for the questioning.

“This is dragon’s purified blood.”

“This is something mages use when they…”

“It’s been diluted. It also has exceptional effects on mana recovery.”

“Thank you.”

It was said that the only spell the princess could wield was her unique magic. She wasn’t even a proper mage.

But that one spell alone was fatal.

A magic that made you want to tell the truth, that made you honest, that revealed hidden schemes… to put it simply, it was a confession spell.

Unique magic was something one was simply given. It wasn’t something that could be studied with arcane knowledge.

There were many types of unique magic—teleportation, magic that accelerated plant growth, spells that allowed long-distance communication without constraints.

Most of them were overwhelmingly powerful.

But right now, for Hilde, there was only one that truly terrified her.

A confession spell.

It threatened to expose the burden she had hidden for so long.

A truth that, even if unearthed now, would bring no benefit to anyone. A truth that even Felix, her brother, would not want revealed.

She knew that if she just kept it buried, no one would get hurt.

And yet, they were digging it up anyway.

Could she refuse now, even at this point…?

‘No.’

This was the path she had chosen to walk.

Even so, she wished she could do something.

“Hilde Rakae.”

“Ah.”

“Will you answer my questions honestly?”

The princess, her mana now fully restored, had already chosen her.

There was no way out.

Now, the only thing Hilde could rely on was her magic resistance.

Most non-mages—and even many mages—had no choice but to confess under Beatrice’s spell, but Hilde was not just any mage.

If it was something born from mana, then surely, she could resist it.

She should be able to resist it.

“The recent disturbances inside and outside the casino all started with the actions of a man named Dragon ear. Is that correct?”

Her will to resist broke almost immediately.

No one was pointing a blade at her. The worst pain was just a headache.

And yet, she couldn’t endure it.

Her so-called resistance was pathetic.

“…Yes. But it wasn’t Dragon Ear—it was Felix.”

Her brother’s name was Felix.

Felix Rakae.

A once-promising mage.

Stripping away the ridiculous alias he had used to conceal his identity was all she could do.

Hilde gave up resisting.

…

The relentless questioning continued.

“Why did you stand by and do nothing?”

Stand by? There was no choice.

Because she wasn’t sure how long he would keep the truth hidden.

There was even a time she thought that if she tried to stop him from gambling, he might rebel and expose the truth out of spite. So she had always… no, not always—only when guilt overwhelmed her—followed her brother’s tracks.

“Why did you stand by and do nothing?”

The same question again.

She should have snapped at them to drop it, but she couldn’t. The composure she had worked so hard to maintain crumbled, and her words came faster.

“Because I didn’t know it would come to this. I thought he would stop.”

“Based on what?”

“It was insane. Why cut off his horns? The opponent in the gamble begged to pay in money instead, pleaded for it, but why the horns? And his left hand too. He could have dodged it…”

“So you thought he’d stop someday?”

Of course, she was supposed to say yes. But she couldn’t.

“I tried to forget.”

“You tried to forget, but you were truly worried about him? Is that right?”

“No.”

So far, she was holding up.

She worried about the expressions of those watching this interrogation from behind her, but it was still within her ability to endure.

But the next question was fatal.

“Hyden said that the envoy from the Dragon Kingdom once stated: ‘Dragon ear was never part of the Hero’s Party, nor was he ever meant to be.’ What connection does he have to the Dragon Kingdom’s Hero’s Party for them to say that?”

At this point, she wanted to faint.

She wished her uncle sitting behind her, or her old comrades, or anyone at all, would rise up and kill her.

But no such miracle happened.

In the end, Hilde revealed the shame she had hidden for so long.

“The mage position in Leandro’s party was originally meant for my brother.”

“And?”

“I… took it.”

Took it.

Just one word, yet her mind went blank.

Confession magic didn’t control emotions.

Now, even the murmurs around her faded away. She could only helplessly pour out the memories she had buried deep, those she never dared to share.

“I stole my brother’s chance.”

Hilde murmured in a hollow voice.

She had been impatient.

Just then, the new owner of the Holy Sword had appeared—Leandro—before she had fully honed her skills.

Her brother, slightly ahead of her in ability, made her anxious. He was well-liked, a skilled warrior.

“I couldn’t afford to give it up.”

“So?”

“I used whatever means I had.”

Hilde hired gamblers disguised as adventurers.

Con artists who were exceptionally skilled at rigging games.

They were a despicable bunch, always targeting marks and cleaning them out.

So she paid them.

“Did it work?”

“Too well.”

Right after she destroyed her strongest competitor.

Hilde met with a royal official involved in selecting the Hero’s Party members.

And she pleaded, feigning desperation. That her brother needed time, that she didn’t want to steal his position.

Even knowing that war was imminent, she played the spoiled child.

It was all an act—to show that she had not only talent but also virtue.

Of course, it worked. Her talent was real, after all.

And she became the Hero Party’s mage.

She wasn’t afraid of consequences.

“I killed them all.”

“Killed?”

“The gamblers I sent to my brother.”

“Did they threaten you? Demand money in exchange for silence?”

“No.”

She killed them just in case.

Lured them with the promise of more work, then made sure they disappeared. Not even a body was left behind.

They were scum who only harmed others.

It wasn’t just about silencing them; she believed it was doing the world a favor. They had preyed on innocent people, taken their money. Hilde had only asked them to ruin her brother’s reputation, but they went further, devouring his very soul.

They deserved to die.

She didn’t kill them just to cover her tracks.

“It wasn’t hard.”

“Hilde Rakae.”

“I spoke consistently even under magic’s effect. That means it’s the truth.”

“The truth as dictated by your shifting emotions, perhaps. And.”

The princess declared that the magic had worn off.

“It’s over?”

Hilde blinked belatedly, realizing the spell’s effect had ended.

How much time had passed?

The tears that had welled up were already dried, and blood seeped from her clenched fist.

She hadn’t even noticed she was squeezing that hard. Strangely, she felt no pain.

Because she understood.

Understood what she had just done under the influence of confession magic.

And what it would lead to.

“I…”

Hilde stood on her one remaining foot.

She wobbled.

But thanks to the physical prowess of dragons, and thanks to her tail pressing against the ground for support, she somehow managed to stay upright.

She slowly turned around.

She saw the faces of the Dragon Kingdom officials, each showing their own version of shock.

These were the people who, despite knowing there was something off about her rise to power, had chosen to look the other way.

“I…”

She tried to speak, but her mind went blank again.

Looking straight ahead, she saw the casino mage.

The one weaker than her, but cunning enough to defeat her. The beast who had cut off her brother’s arm. The conman who had trapped her twice.

And yet… perhaps because of the crushing despair filling her heart…

Even though the one who took her foot stood before her, she felt no anger.

It wasn’t that she no longer saw him as an enemy.

It was just that right now, she had something more important to deal with.

Something she had put off for a long time.

Something she had had many chances to face, but never seriously considered.

She had thought she could ignore it forever. But now, at rock bottom, she was suddenly consumed by the compulsion.

“I need to return it. To my brother.”

Felix Rakae.

The honor, the status, the power and wealth that her unfortunate brother should have rightfully enjoyed.

She wanted to give it back.

Even knowing it was impossible, once the thought entered her mind, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Somehow, it felt possible. If she put in even half the effort she had used to destroy Hyden, if she struggled despite the odds.

Maybe she could make it right.

Maybe she could be forgiven.

Until today, it hadn’t seemed important. But now, it felt like her life’s purpose.

She didn’t know why. It was just an unstoppable current pulling her along.

“He won’t want it. He probably doesn’t even care.”

The quiet voice of the casino mage yanked her out of her thoughts.

Hilde started to refute him but closed her mouth.

She remembered the pitiful sight of the dragonkin grinning miserably, both arms severed.

She remembered him glancing around nervously, worried that he wouldn’t be able to gamble anymore, running away in disgrace.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Hilde choked out an apology that would never reach him and collapsed onto the ground.

The interrogation was over.

No one stood to defend her.