Casino Wizard

The Day After the Confirmation of the Middle-Aged Hero and Saint’s Expedition into the Demon Realm.

“Let’s settle this here.”

I sat across the table from Bishop Battalia, the cardinal’s right-hand man, and Saint Theodora, who had been through a rough ordeal.

We had gathered to reach an agreement.

The situation was that the saint had admitted to being ruthlessly beaten by the archdiocese and had deliberately tried to disrupt the hero party.

Although I had forced the choice upon her, the archdiocese’s clergy had become accomplices.

I couldn’t just let this pass by casually.

“First, please write a confession, Saint.”

“Bishop…?”

“What you falsely accused the hero Piero of assaulting a civilian. Just write that down. According to the holy canon, falsely accusing an apostle of the goddess can lead to excommunication.”

“It’s already been settled.”

“The archdiocese’s vicar covered it up with his silence back then. It can be written again. …You’ll have to do this if you want us to trust you. Of course, we’ll also get an agreement from Mr. Hyden.”

The first step was to document the saint’s weakness.

Theodora hesitated for a moment before scribbling out her confession, but paused without stamping it.

She seemed to realize the significance of it. This was her leash, a form of gag. How easy would it be for her to give up her vulnerabilities after being beaten senseless?

I watched her for a moment, then spoke.

“Theodora.”

“……”

“I told you that if you want, you can continue fighting. But you agreed to go with the hero into the Demon Realm. Has something changed?”

“No, that’s not it.”

The saint shook her head, but I couldn’t trust her.

“If it were you, you’d probably start thinking in strange ways in the Demon Realm too. If something goes wrong, you’ll betray the hero without hesitation.”

“No…”

She muttered in a daze, still not fully denying it.

“Theodora. For now, help the hero diligently in the Demon Realm. And…”

I deliberately let the silence drag on, and finally, she stared at me with empty eyes.

On the surface, she seemed perfectly fine.

Her silver hair neatly trimmed, her pale face unmarred by scars. The sweet fragrance of her pristine robes filled the air.

But the torment and humiliation she’d suffered yesterday would still be fresh in her body. By the time she shook off the aftereffects, her unique temperament might resurface.

Suppressing that was my goal.

“Theodora. Don’t betray the hero.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m not just warning you. If I get even a hint of suspicion, I’ll report it to the hero. Someone among the knights you’re traveling with will have the courage to protect the goddess’s apostle. You won’t even know who they are.”

It was a clear message: I would bribe one of the knights to act as a spy.

Some of the knights who had followed to guard Theodora had gambling debts.

I didn’t find out by accident; it was revealed when they fought in the next room while the saint was being treated, arguing about how to repay their debts.

It seemed gambling had become a trend among the clergy. Or perhaps, Theodora had lured the troubled ones into becoming her attendants.

‘It won’t be hard to bribe one of them.’

Just by making them aware that someone is watching out for them, I could plant the seed of caution.

But this was only the beginning.

“Theodora. As I said, if you return safely with the hero, there will be a reward.”

“A reward?”

“Yes, but the reward’s details will depend on the hero’s opinion. If the hero is against it, you won’t get anything. …And you’ll live the life of a simple nun, neither poor nor rich, but in quiet solitude.”

This wasn’t a condition to torment or coax the saint—it was a measure to ensure the hero’s survival. I didn’t want to be betrayed in the dangerous Demon Realm.

“And take the dice, Theodora.”

“Do I really have to?

“Yes. And whenever you feel conflicted, take them out and look at them.”

Finally, Theodora stamped the confession.

If she returned alone, I would not threaten her with death. She probably understood that much.

…

A week passed in the midst of busy preparations.

I had bribed a knight and made sure to grease the wheels with the archdiocese. Of course, I kept an eye on the saint as well.

Soon enough, the day of the middle-aged hero’s expedition arrived.

I couldn’t send him off empty-handed after five years of hiatus.

Of course, he wouldn’t go alone.

The middle-aged hero would be joining a group of elite scouts chosen from the Holy Order to undertake reconnaissance in the Demon Realm.

Each of these knights was highly skilled in both divine magic and swordsmanship.

Though their abilities varied—some specialized in divine magic, others in swordsmanship—none of them were to be underestimated.

But still, it was the Demon Realm.

The archer and I offered various forms of help to the middle-aged hero.

“Hero. I have a first-class magician among my classmates who owes me a debt.”

“You’re offering to have him join in exchange for forgiving the debt?”

“Yes.”

“While I’m grateful, it’s fine, Hyden. I’m going to regain my honor. I don’t need help from a magician who’s bound by debt.”

The hero rejected the idea of bringing in a high-level aide.

“Uncle Pierrot, this is a magical item.”

“Seokhwan, huh? Two of them?”

“Yes. They activate defensive magic with just a little mana. They’re one-time use but high-level spells.”

“These must be expensive. Just keep them.”

“I have plenty of money. I just don’t have the time to use it.”

Eventually, he accepted the youngest’s gift after some hesitation.

Instead of a gift, the shield bearer decided to temporarily take in the hero’s maid, who would otherwise be alone at the mansion. It felt awkward for a maid to live alone in an empty house.

‘This alone isn’t enough.’

But since the hero didn’t want to force anything, I decided to respect his wishes.

Finally, the day of departure arrived.

Three hours before the opening.

We gathered at a card table in the main casino, keeping things simple.

“Hero, the security chief position will remain vacant. I’ll fill in for now.”

“No need for that.”

“I’ll do it. If you defeat a high-ranking demon lord in the Demon Realm and receive a title, we can look for a replacement later, right?”

“Hm.”

I promised the middle-aged hero that he could return to his position.

In truth, even if the hero made significant contributions and was commended by the church and the royal family, he would be unlikely to earn a reward larger than the money I’d given him. The Demon Realm was a lawless, leaderless land.

If he wanted to return after the expedition, I would accept him back.

The expedition wasn’t for the reward, but for honor…

Once the disgrace was behind him, living life as before—managing the waiting lines and dealing with troublesome customers—would feel different to the person involved.

“Thank you, Hyden.”

That was the end for me.

The youngest sent the hero off in a slightly unusual way.

“Uncle, look at this.”

“Dice?”

“I heard dice games are trending among the knights. Since you won’t be on reconnaissance duty all day in the Demon Realm, you’ll need time to relax. Don’t just stand around; maybe join in and mingle.”

“Heh heh.”

Lucy began teaching the middle-aged hero how to roll dice with an awkward laugh.

There were many ways to get the desired number without using loaded dice.

Depending on the height of the throw and the skill of the throw, you could get the number you wanted. If it was just one die, the chances were really high.

It wasn’t because I disliked gambling with dice in casinos, but because dice games doubled the difficulty of the process.

‘I actually taught her that.’

Lucy’s dexterity made her more proficient than I was.

Even so, sending him off with dice…

It felt a little odd, but it made sense because of the dice.

The truth was, I had passed on the saintess’ complaints (about rolling the dice badly and the middle-aged hero) to Lucy. It was a signal to roll the dice proudly in front of the saintess.

“Right. Thanks, Lucy.”

“I’m not teaching the knights to follow the money, you know?”

“Even if they do, they should only play for small stakes.”

“Yes. Stay friendly with them. That way, when Theodora gets any weird ideas, there will be a knight to help you.”

The dice lesson was done. Now it was really time for the middle-aged hero to leave.

There were no citizens cheering for his safe return, nor soldiers giving him a salute to boost his morale.

Officially, he was just heading out to support the reconnaissance in the Demon Realm, so it would have been odd to have a big ceremony.

The holy sword and other weapons, and the gear the hero had put together himself.

That was it.

“I’m off now.”

After briefly surveying the main casino, the middle-aged hero left.

A few customers waiting for the opening, playing mini-poker, waved at him.

“Can you grab a baccarat table for me? Want to play a round with two cards, hero? Is that holy sword yours? Bless me if it is!” The hero smiled kindly at them.

“Good luck to you all.”

“Take care, Hero. May you be blessed.”

“See you again later.”

As usual, the middle-aged hero attended to the customers.

It was as though he was just running an errand.

But his destination was the Demon Realm.

After joining the Demon Realm expedition with the saintess, he would cross into the Demon Realm with the help of wyvern riders sent by the Kingdom of Dragons.

Although the demon king, the central figure, was gone, the Demon Realm was still an enemy territory teeming with demons.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t concerned about it.

“Let’s prepare for the opening, Lucy.”

“Yes, brother.”

I decided to put aside my worries and focus on the business.

To protect the casino that had given us a rich life and influence.

As usual, there was a long line of people waiting.

****

Later that afternoon, at a modest villa in the capital’s Rajani district.

A new face appeared at Lady Bonucci’s poker gathering, where she had become a notable figure in the poker world.

“Lady Bonucci? I’m a friend from the Kingdom of Dragons. May I join the game?”

“Oh my, of course! Lord Montipo.”

He was a Draconian, part of the ruling class of the Kingdom of Dragons. He had pointy ears, vertically slit lizard-like eyes, and a towering frame that was at least two heads taller than Lady Bonucci.

“Thank you for letting me join.”

It seemed he had experienced some sort of accident in the past, as he only had one hand.