Casino Wizard

Now, even if I won, it wouldn’t feel like a victory.

“You want to bet your right hand? I’m fine with that.”

This was the thought that crossed my mind as soon as I heard Dragon Ear’s insane words.

Even if I won, all I’d gain was getting rid of one troublemaker.

It wasn’t even a hollow victory. No one would look up to me for defeating Dragon Ear.

Of course, I still needed to deal with him somehow. Dragon Ear had caused more damage than the kingdom’s most influential heir to the throne or a saintess chosen by the goddess combined. He wasn’t driven by revenge, making it nearly impossible to predict his next move.

I never expected him to go as far as targeting the 1st Prince.

‘He’s supposed to be quietly holed up in his residence.’

The 1st Prince was practically invisible in central politics.

A son, even the eldest son.

But no one believed he would ever sit on the throne, given his disability.

The three so-called close associates of the 1st Prince, who had won hundreds of gold thanks to Dragon Ear’s push, weren’t really close associates but more like acquaintances.

Dragon Ear, who had dragged the 1st Prince into this mess just for a gambling match with me.

Of course, he probably held no ill will toward the 1st Prince.

“Customer. What do you plan to do if I ignore you to the end?”

Of course, this bastard was no longer a customer. I maintained formal speech because I didn’t want to play along with Dragon Ear’s tune.

“That’s fine. I’ll just head to the poker table and find another associate of the 1st Prince. If there are no associates, I’ll find someone connected to him, even if it’s indirectly.”

“As I mentioned, Hilde will be arriving soon.”

“I’ll have to use it just before she drags me away. Once money starts moving, there’s no turning back.”

“……”

“I assume you can guess how I plan to use it without me spelling it out.”

It was too easy to guess.

I didn’t think Dragon Ear would just blow it up to provoke my anger.

He’d probably try to settle things with Hilde, who’s coming to capture him. …He’d claim he’s been running a scam under the 1st Prince’s orders, and if they arrest him, he’ll reveal everything, which would mean you, visiting the kingdom at this time, wouldn’t be free either…

He’d buy time like this. Time to settle things with me.

“Hilde seems to be quite involved in political games too.”

“Aren’t you the same, mage?”

“……”

“You’re always calculating gains and losses, conscious of others’ gazes, and aware of what the powerful and wealthy say about you. The difference is that you pursue money, while Hilde is obsessed with reputation.”

Perhaps he was excited at the thought of finally getting me to sit at the gambling table. He was rambling.

Dragon Ear might have enjoyed the process of getting to this point. Like preparing the seeds for a big game.

‘Honestly, there’s no way to avoid it.’

Even now, I was thinking of ways to face Dragon Ear while minimizing uncertainty.

Where and when to set up the table.

Whether to bring in one person at a time or go one-on-one.

Whether to bluff or go all-in.

Most importantly, I was pondering what to use as the stakes. Even a hollow victory could be made less painful.

“Mage. What will you do?”

How do I deal with this gambling-obsessed lizard bastard…

Wait. Hold on.

‘He definitely said it. To Hilde.’

Hilde, who should be flying here right now to collect Dragon Ear.

The mage of Leandro’s party, possibly the most powerful mage on the continent in terms of firepower.

I had guessed they were close family, but from the way he spoke, they seemed even closer than I thought.

Probably siblings. Or cousins who were like siblings.

And from the way Dragon Ear talked about Hilde, it didn’t seem like a simple sibling relationship… There was a hint of love-hate in the air.

I also recalled what the Dragon Kingdom’s ambassador had told me earlier.

“Dragon Ear is not a member of the hero party. He never was.”

Now I finally understood what that meant.

I can use this. Muttering to myself, I first turned to Baroness Bonucci.

She was the messenger who had informed me about Dragon Ear’s actions at the poker table.

She had told me that a noble who attended her poker gatherings had been cleaned out by the poker table’s charity and some unknown noble. She said people had become so stupid they only played 1-silver poker. She was a woman I had groomed for this very purpose.

“Baroness Bonucci. Please head to the casino for a moment.”

“Yes… yes.”

Following my instructions, she wobbled away. No matter how much of an ally she was, I couldn’t share this with her now.

I waited until she was far enough away before approaching Dragon Ear.

And I only said one thing.

“Hero party.”

“Is this your introduction?”

Dragon Ear was still smiling.

But as time passed, that smile began to fade.

He was quick to catch on. That’s what made him so difficult to deal with.

“Customer. When I meet Hilde, I’ll only say this one thing. Hero party.”

“……”

“Or perhaps I’ll mention the hero party’s mage. And if Hilde asks what I’m talking about, I’ll say I heard it all from Dragon Ear. That he spilled everything while gambling, without hesitation.”

“How did you know?”

Dragon Ear’s expression hardened as he asked.

He didn’t look particularly cornered.

To him, this was just another gamble.

But he seemed to acknowledge that I had temporarily gained the upper hand in this power struggle. He was curious about what cards I was holding, whether I had drawn them from the deck or pulled them from my sleeve.

In truth, I had just gotten lucky and found a weakness.

Not Dragon Ear’s weakness, but Archmage Hilde’s.

A secret that, if exposed, could send her reputation plummeting. That was my guess.

“Hilde won’t accommodate you just because of political pressure.”

“……”

“If I handle this well, Hilde might side with me and cut ties with you, even going so far as to silence you. According to you, she’s obsessed with her reputation.”

Dragon Ear, who had been staring at me without a smile, suddenly let out a sigh.

“So you’re running away again.”

He seemed to think that this time, I would team up with Hilde, whether she was his sister or cousin, to avoid facing him.

It was true that I had done everything I could to avoid Dragon Ear until now.

Decisions made because I saw no need to take the risk.

But this time, I wasn’t trying to avoid him.

“I’m sorry, but you’ve misunderstood. Customer.”

“What?”

“I was just warning you not to drag Hilde into this mess after already involving the 1st Prince. …You might be willing to cut off limbs for gambling or meddle in another country’s politics, but I’m not.”

“Mage?”

Looking back, I should never have avoided this bastard from the start.

Even if I took away his advantage and prevented him from winning money, even if I mobilized his family, it was all useless.

A normal gambler would have disappeared as soon as they realized it was hard to take money from someone else’s house, but Dragon Ear kept changing the battlefield.

And he did so with great enthusiasm.

I could probably avoid him a couple more times if I tried. But that wasn’t the solution.

“It’ll only make things worse. I realize that now.”

“Mage?”

“Even if I cut off your right hand and turn you into a fool before sending you back to the Dragon Kingdom, you’d still crawl your way back here. For that one gambling match you didn’t get to enjoy. …I can’t understand why you live like this, but I know what kind of person you are.”

“……”

“I should have crushed you with gambling and kicked you out long ago. I was foolish.”

I decided to sit at the gambling table as he wanted.

At that, Dragon Ear’s expression brightened again.

Yes. He must be pleased.

But I had conditions too.

“However, I need to gain something as well.”

“Sure. If I lose, I’ll disappear cleanly…”

“That’s not enough anymore. You’ve already caused me too much tangible and intangible damage. Getting rid of just one person like you doesn’t balance the scales. I won’t lose, but even if I win, it’ll be a hollow victory for me.”

As things stand, even if I win, it’s not worth it.

If I’m going to face him, I need motivation too.

This was also a necessary measure to beat Dragon Ear.

If I just focus on not losing, my instincts will dull. A gambler who jumps into the game aiming for high stakes is always at an advantage over one who’s just trying to pay off debts (or avoid death).

Perhaps thinking it was a fair proposal, Dragon Ear also nodded.

“Fine. What do you want?”

“Money.”

“Money?”

Dragon Ear thought for a moment, then nodded. Sure. He must have opened the casino to make money… or so he rambled.

“I have a little over 200 gold in cash on me. And if you pry open the floor of my wagon stored in the warehouse in Leoni District, you’ll find a safe. Cash, gold bars, jewels… There’s also mithril crafting tools, two vials of dragon’s blood, and the Holy Cross of Saint Sebastian. There are also land deeds and promissory notes, though not from this kingdom.”

I didn’t want to know where or how he got mithril crafting tools, dragon’s blood, or saintly relics.

But one thing was clear: he had a lot of money.

If I were a small shop owner, I might have hesitated to accept. Fortunately, my casino wasn’t a small shop.

“Good. Bring it all. I’ll accept the physical items as stakes.”

“Thank you. And.”

“Yes. Money alone won’t be enough for you, will it? I’ll hear your conditions too.”

After a moment of thought, Dragon Ear stared intently at my right hand.

“Mage. You’ve mentioned your right hand twice.”

“……”

“It doesn’t have to be a hand, but considering why you’ve been avoiding gambling with me, betting your right hand seems fair.”

So that’s it. I had been avoiding Dragon Ear to prevent this very situation.

Dragon Ear was the kind of person who could cut off my right hand without any malice, or offer his own in return.

Still, I couldn’t bet my right hand as stakes.

But I had another idea.

“Betting it as stakes isn’t fun. Let’s agree that if I get caught using a trick, I’ll lose my right hand.”

“That’s fine.”

“But let’s make it above the elbow. As long as the wrist joint remains functional, I can still wear a prosthetic and gamble. Cutting off the elbow should teach you a lesson.”

If I get caught cheating, I lose my right arm.

Dragon Ear pondered this and eventually agreed. He seemed to think it would be fun to catch me cheating or to secretly use his own tricks.

There were other details to iron out, but the broad agreement was settled.

Money. And an arm.

“Let’s do it. Gambling.”

The moment the insane gambling match was confirmed, Dragon Ear smiled brightly.