Casino Wizard

Casino. That vile den of gambling had shut down, and a week had passed.

Hilde had a nightmare.

An old nightmare. A dreadful memory that refused to be distorted or biased, no matter how many years had passed, resurfaced in her dream.

“Brother. Please stop.”

“You must be busy.”

“Of course, I’m busy. There was a fierce battle at Hermosa Beach four days ago. Many of our kin died or were injured there.”

Ever since she had been selected as the mage of the hero’s party, Hilde had taken time out of her busy schedule to visit her brother.

Rumors had reached her ears that he was hunting down fraudulent gamblers.

“Those bastards who scammed me. I won’t stop until I crush them with their own cards. I’ll pay them back in kind… and after that, I’ll get my revenge. Until then, just ignore whatever I do.”

He had been so determined, convinced that he had figured out every trick those con artists had used against him. That he would hunt down the scammers disguised as adventurers and make them pay.

Hilde, swayed by emotion, made a mistake.

“I will find out why they did it to me, no matter what.”

Hearing those words, spoken with such venom, she momentarily failed to keep her expression in check. It was hardly a mistake, but…

Her brother sensed something off and started digging obsessively. In the end, he found out the truth.

“I heard all of those guys went missing around the same time. Was it you?”

“Brother, it’s not—”

“Forget it.”

Thankfully, it was buried due to her older brother keeping his mouth shut.

However, for Hilde, it was a horrifying memory even just to recall.

“Ora…! Ah.”

Hilde gasped sharply as she woke from sleep.

She lay there for a long time, blinking in the darkness, overwhelmed by a nauseating feeling.

After somehow calming herself, she began her daily routine. Honestly, it wasn’t an ideal situation, but times like these called for composure.

…

Her first task was checking on the casino.

“Are there still people gathered in front of the casino today?”

“Yes. Around fifty or so.”

There were many like her brother—people who couldn’t live without gambling.

They loitered in front of the shuttered casino, playing poker under the awnings. Some even wept.

She felt no desire to mock them. They were sick. And she had stayed behind… for them.

‘The problem is Hyden’s intent.’

Even she hadn’t expected the casino to close entirely.

She had thought Hyden would resort to some underhanded tactic to evade the Sin Tax. Maybe even provoke the First Prince into a controversy, which would highlight the casino’s harm and, in the long run, serve the greater good.

Instead, Hyden had shut the doors and vanished.

Leaving behind a public notice that deliberately highlighted Hilde’s involvement.

Shutting down in protest of a tax that hadn’t even been implemented?

That was a direct challenge to the First Prince.

At first, Hilde thought Hyden had lost his mind.

Did he really believe the casino patrons would fight for him? That they would turn against a hero party’s mage and the royal family just because their favorite gambling den had closed?

If anything, it seemed like Hyden was digging his own grave.

But something felt off.

She couldn’t explain what exactly, but something was wrong.

As proof, she had recently been on the receiving end of subtle hostility and suspicion.

“Chairwoman Hilde, it’s fascinating, isn’t it? Why do you think Hyden asked someone to tell me he was sorry? And then closed the casino right afterward?”

“What are you trying to imply?”

“Oh, nothing. Just curious.”

The next Grand Tower Master of the kingdom, who was working with her on researching the high-tier spell Chains of Capture, would occasionally make sarcastic remarks.

If he had openly shown disdain, she could have warned him.

But he remained polite, so she couldn’t pick a fight.

She was still an outsider. No matter how much prestige she carried as an archmage, she was just a guest in the royal mage tower.

‘Does he know something?’

She was curious, but asking would be as good as confessing.

It wasn’t just the mage tower that had turned hostile. The First Prince was acting strangely, too.

“Ambassador, please arrange another meeting with the First Prince.”

“He won’t comply.”

“But we’re on the same side—”

“It seems he sees things differently. And there’s no way to force him. Do you know what people call the First Prince here? The man no one cares about, no one looks at, and no one swears loyalty to.”

“…….”

“How do you plan to cooperate with someone like that?”

She had tried to discuss countermeasures with the Dragon Kingdom’s ambassador, but that had failed, too.

Prince Alfonso.

As soon as a few people proposed gambling regulations, he had eagerly agreed—then promptly disappeared.

What was he thinking?

All she knew was that the royal family considered him a disgrace. A disabled man. She had never met him in person.

She wanted to investigate further, but even the embassy had become uncooperative.

She had ordered them to track Hyden’s whereabouts, but progress was sluggish.

Frustration and a growing sense of isolation gnawed at Hilde.

She knew she was close to something. But she couldn’t see it yet.

That uncertainty tempted her.

‘Maybe I should leave for now?’

The casino was closed anyway.

Even if it reopened, it would have lost most of its customers. The royal family now despised Hyden, so his influence would keep dwindling.

Maybe she should step back for now. Observe from a distance…

“Step back? No. I can’t leave.”

Hilde stilled her swaying tail and hardened her resolve.

She couldn’t leave things as they were.

Hyden could be hiding somewhere, waiting for another chance to spread his poison.

He might come back stronger, more ruthless than before, determined to recover his losses.

Turning a blind eye to evil was a sin.

Abandoning the cause she had fought for would be even worse.

That thought scared her more than anything.

‘Not yet.’

That evening, Hilde cast a flight spell and headed for the casino.

She wanted to reaffirm her resolve by looking down at the addicts lingering in front of the shuttered building. To sense the lingering malice Hyden had left behind.

Upon arriving, she saw them illuminated by magical lanterns, playing cards.

“Pitiful creatures.”

Their minds had been poisoned.

Still, seeing them reminded her that she was doing the right thing.

“Hmm?”

That was when her magical detection flared.

Someone among the gamblers fired a light bullet at her.

Then another. Two light bullets shot toward the sky.

A sudden attack?

Fortunately, it wasn’t an offensive spell—just something bright.

But it was still a provocation.

‘What are they thinking?’

Hilde slowly descended into the casino courtyard.

As she landed, dozens of gamblers glared at her with hostility.

The gender ratio was roughly 6 to 4.

The composition was quite diverse.

There were young men who appeared to be laborers, nobles dressed in luxurious silk garments, plump noblewomen with rosy cheeks, and young ladies with sorrowful expressions and wide-open eyes. A few magicians were present as well.

“Magic. Who used it?”

Hilde’s quiet question.

“It was me!”

An elderly magician stepped forward as if there was nothing to be ashamed of.

He was none other than the lord of the Royal Tower.

What madness.

As Hilde was reeling from the absurdity, a middle-aged man pushed past the Royal Tower lord and stepped forward.

“I was the one who requested this.”

“What were you thinking?”

“I wanted to warn you. I was planning to visit the Magic Tower or the Dragon Kingdom’s embassy tomorrow, but since you came directly, this saves me the trouble.”

A warning, out of nowhere… That meant he had something to rely on.

His leverage was his status.

“I am the lord of the Tripolia Marquisate. I have served as the Minister of Hunting, the Minister of the National Seal, and the Chancellor. Now, I am one of those working to guide the kingdom’s gaming industry in a responsible direction, alongside my associates here.”

A former chancellor and a marquis.

Hilde was a noble with a status that couldn’t be ignored, but that didn’t mean she was going to let this slide. She was about to confront him firmly when—

The marquis struck first.

“Hilde Rakae, magician of the Leandro party. Leave the capital immediately.”

“What do you mean? I’m currently involved in joint research at the Magic Tower—”

“If you let go of your pointless grudge against Hyden and leave, we will forget everything. About you, about your connection to the dragon-kin who lost his right arm after cheating at the casino, and even about your offense against the First Prince… All of it.”

It was a threat—if she refused, they would publicize everything. No doubt, Hyden had ordered this.

Faced with their twisted hostility, Hilde felt suffocated.

Pitiful people who didn’t even realize they were sick, being used by Hyden, and now standing against her—the magician who had once been part of the Dragon Kingdom’s hero party.

One by one, other gamblers gathered around the Tripolia Marquis.

“I am the head of the Capital’s Bakery Guild.”

“My husband is the vice-guild master of the Brewing Guild. My younger brother is a branch manager of the Bellville Trading Company.”

“I was once a knight of the Iron Hawk Order. Now, I’m a swordsmanship instructor.”

“I am Fabrino, bishop of this district.”

And as if following a prearranged script, they each revealed their status and background, pressing Hilde even further.

Each one was a respectable member of the upper class. Yet, they were all addicts.

With them at his back, the Tripolia Marquis spoke again.

“We will forget everything if you leave the capital immediately.”

Only then will the casino reopen, he added.

“All this for mere gambling?”

“It is not ‘mere’ gambling. It is a cherished place where we conduct business, socialize, and find entertainment. It is a part of our lives.”

Why were they so resolute? They were just gamblers.

Furious, Hilde narrowed her pupils into vertical slits as she glared at them—addicts who were demanding her departure with almost solemn determination.

Rage kept welling up, but she forced herself to stay composed as she opened her mouth.

“Fine. I’ll think about it.”

“Oh…!”

She said it to buy time, to create confusion among the gamblers.

Of course, she had no intention of actually leaving.

Hyden wouldn’t let her go, even if she left. Instead, he would attack more freely. And the casino would reopen.

As much as she hated to admit it, the longer this dragged on, the worse it was for her.

…

At dawn the next day, Hilde sent a messenger to the Tripolia Marquisate to deliver her decision.

She would leave the capital in two days.

It was a move based on the assumption that the gamblers and Hyden were coordinating behind the scenes. She knew they were desperate, so they would immediately send a messenger to Hyden.

And her prediction was correct.

“Hyah!”

Not long after, a rider left the marquis’ estate and galloped out of the capital.

Hilde attached a familiar to him—one far superior to ordinary carrier pigeons.

A golden-eyed owl, an enchanted creature.

It was a measure to track Hyden’s whereabouts, wherever he was hiding.

She wasn’t going to let this happen without a fight.