Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke

"What the hell is going on?"

"Are all those chips his? How did they even stack up that high?"

"Is he using magic? Or just insane sleight of hand?"

"I was watching closely, but I couldn't catch anything…"

"'Fawn prince' my ass—he's a shark in disguise."

The murmuring of the crowd made Eric, the floor manager, grit his teeth.

An amateur noble brat was making a mockery of them.

Eric's hands clenched into fists as he grabbed the dealer by the collar and dragged him to the corner.

"You miserable idiot! What the hell do you mean 'I lost'?! Get back in there and win it back!"

"It's impossible! That young lord is a step ahead of me at every turn. What do you want me to do?"

"Do you want to die? If we let him walk away with all that money, you think you'll get to keep your hands?"

"Cut off my arms if you want, but it won't change anything. I'd rather keep my head and quit while I still can."

No amount of threats could motivate the dealer, who slumped in exhaustion.

Eric was on the verge of losing his mind.

He had already sent word to Hugo, but with this much money lost, even he wouldn't escape responsibility.

He had to win back at least some of it before Hugo arrived.

"Useless bastard…"

"Boss!"

Eric turned sharply at the sound of his men calling out. Hugo had arrived earlier than expected.

His sharp gaze flickered to the towering stack of chips, and he clicked his tongue.

"Impressive. I trusted you with this place, and this is what happens? Were you planning to bankrupt us?"

"Boss, it's not—"

"Shut up and get out of my sight. I was a fool to trust you."

Eric clenched his eyes shut at the cold words and stepped back.

Still, at least Hugo had arrived before things got any worse.

If anyone could turn the tables, it was him.

Hans stared blankly at the mountain of chips before shifting his gaze to William.

Rather than losing, his young master had completely turned the tables on the gamblers.

Who would have thought William possessed such a skill?

"Young Master… are you using magic?"

"Magic? No, it's just technique."

Hans frowned. "And where exactly did you learn gambling techniques?"

William absentmindedly toyed with the edges of his cards, evading the question. "Here and there. Picked it up along the way."

In truth, it was something he had learned in his past life—taught to him by a one-armed knight whom he had once saved.

Despite his battle-hardened appearance, the knight had been a timid coward, but when it came to gambling, he was a master of the art.

Too much of a master, in fact. He had been so confident in his skills that he had dared to join a high-stakes game with some high-ranking nobles—only to get caught and have his arm severed as punishment.

The man had always claimed he had lost it in a duel with a formidable opponent. When William had learned the truth, it had been almost comical.

'He was a decent guy. A shame he ruined himself over gambling.'

"Young Master, may I have a word?"

A deep, gravelly voice interrupted William's thoughts.

Turning his head, he spotted a towering man, a full head taller than anyone else in the room. A jagged scar ran from his eye down to his lip—an unmistakable mark.

William's lips curled into a knowing smile.

'So, he finally shows himself.'

Black Shark Hugo.

Once a mere back-alley thug, he would eventually rise to control the underworld of five major territories. When the era of chaos began, he would declare himself a baron and establish himself as a warlord, standing shoulder to shoulder with noble factions.

Despite his lowly origins, he was known for his keen instincts and ruthless efficiency—so much so that, even by the time of William's death, Hugo's power remained intact. His reputation was no exaggeration.

Hugo's eyes flicked briefly to the mountain of chips before he leaned in and whispered, "You seem quite skilled. A small table like this doesn't suit you. Why not join a real game?"

"A real game?"

"There's an exclusive table for high rollers. The stakes there are… substantial. A single round could see fortunes rise and fall—equal to the sum you've gathered tonight."

William's eyes gleamed with feigned excitement.

Seeing that, Hugo grinned before suddenly shaking his head with an exaggerated sigh.

"Ah… But I suppose it wouldn't be appropriate after all."

"What?" William scowled. "You spend all this time tempting me, and now you're backing out?"

"The high-stakes tables demand not just wealth, but skill. The gamblers there aren't amateurs. Since the gambling den exists to entertain our patrons, I wouldn't want to bring in a player who might… disrupt the experience."

"You think I'd lose?" William scoffed. "You're looking at these chips and still saying that?"

"I meant no offense, Young Master. My apologies if I've misspoken."

"How arrogant! Take me there at once! I don't care who these so-called high rollers are—I'll see for myself."

Pretending to be insulted, William rose to his feet, slamming a fist onto the table. Hugo, still playing the role of the reluctant host, sighed and gave a hesitant nod.

"If you insist, I won't stop you. However, you must understand that once you wager your money, we cannot return it."

William sneered. "You think I'd crawl back, begging for my losses? Just lead the way."

"My apologies, Young Master. Right this way."

As Hugo turned to guide him, William caught the flicker of a victorious smirk on the man's lips.

William chuckled inwardly.

'Ah, Black Shark Hugo. Even you were just a naive pup once.'

It was proof that, despite his fearsome reputation, there had been a time when Hugo was still small enough to be played with.

William had returned to the past.

And that meant all these so-called titans of the future were still mere seedlings.

And seedlings could be plucked or nurtured at will.