Casino Wizard

A Blade of the Tongue, More Fearsome Than Magic

Hilde was experiencing the agony of a cornered beast.

The perpetrator was none other than the casino mage.

“Evacuate immediately… Please, run away to anywhere!”

“Where would we even go?”

“We’re all going to die at this rate!!”

The desperate voice of the casino mage rang out, urging the townspeople to flee.

Yet he himself was the one who had shattered the town’s peace.

A despicable charade.

‘Is that thing even human?’

Hilde was helplessly being framed.

A crazed Dragonian who had disrupted the town’s tranquility.

Branded as a monstrous beast that had threatened the villagers—who had been enjoying a late lunch or a nap—with explosion magic.

Of course, it was Hyden’s scheme.

“Run away!”

But some of the townspeople had already begun fleeing.

A middle-aged woman clutching what seemed to be a bottle of olive oil as she sprinted up a hill, an elderly couple cautiously moving forward hand in hand, a young man attempting to mount a pony but failing and collapsing to the ground.

And then—

“Why are you doing this to us…!”

Those who were too terrified even to consider escaping. Too afraid of the impending magic to enter their homes, they stood frozen in panic.

Hilde couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

That she was the one they were afraid of.

“I didn’t do it.”

The words escaped her lips unconsciously, snapping her back to reality.

Gathering her magic, Hilde lifted herself into the air.

It was an instinctive reaction, a desperate attempt to stop Hyden’s rampage.

But it only made things worse.

“S-She’s coming!”

“Aaaah!! Don’t kill us!!”

Her actions only strengthened Hyden’s accusations.

A Dragonian soaring through the sky toward panicked villagers amidst the ruins of a half-collapsed building?

Hilde wasn’t here to slaughter innocent people like insects—she was here to clear her name.

But who would believe that?

The fear she had unintentionally fostered was now spiraling beyond her control.

Hyden approached, his face tense.

One step, then another—until he hesitated. He was looking at Hilde as if she were some kind of monster.

Who was really the monster here?

“There was a waitress. Inside that building.”

“…….”

“Hilde Rakae. If you’re not here to kill the townspeople, then allow me to send someone in—or no, let me go in myself and search for survivors. There’s no need to harm innocent people, is there…?”

Had… had he just framed her for that?

Had he killed an innocent person—just to pin the blame on her?

Hilde realized she had fallen into an even crueler trap than she had anticipated.

She wanted to protest. To scream at him—You did this. This was all you. I only came here to deal with you.

But the situation was too dire.

Too many eyes were anxiously fixed on Hyden’s back.

Of course, no one here would take her side.

“Please.”

“You insane bastard.”

“She might still be alive. Her name is Barbara… I saw her in the inn just moments ago. She could still be trapped under the rubble.”

His face was the very picture of desperation.

Genuine concern for a waitress who might be buried beneath the collapsed building. Sincere worry over the potential loss of an innocent life…

Hilde was left speechless.

“I—I’m here!!”

Just then, a woman among the frightened villagers raised her hand.

Hyden flinched, turning his head.

Upon recognizing her face, he sighed in relief. “She’s alive…”

As if he were the town’s valiant protector.

Another part of the elaborate trap.

He had never actually checked if she was inside—he had simply pretended to be concerned, playing up his sincerity.

Now, with a far calmer expression, Hyden turned to Hilde.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“This is all your doing.”

“Yes. If I hadn’t settled in this town, in Riate, none of this would have happened. I take full responsibility. But… I never expected you to launch an assault like this. I even shut down the casino as you demanded—so why?”

Hyden paused for a moment, his dust-covered face darkening with anger.

“Why did you have to go this far?”

This was bad.

Hilde realized she couldn’t afford to keep letting him take control of the situation.

She knew she was at a disadvantage. But she couldn’t let him dictate the narrative.

“That’s nonsense. You gathered your magic as if preparing for an ambush, lured me in, and collapsed a building just to frame me. I’ll admit it’s a clever trap, but people aren’t fools.”

Her voice was steady, unwavering.

Hilde didn’t expect the villagers to suddenly believe her.

But wasn’t Hyden also an outsider to them?

The disturbance he caused—surely, they weren’t entirely fond of him either.

‘First, I need to turn them against Hyden.’

But Hyden showed no interest in a battle of words.

He simply looked at her with a mixture of disdain and amusement.

This wasn’t right.

Wouldn’t a normal person try to refute her immediately to sway the villagers back to his side?

By staying silent, Hyden was making her seem like a lunatic, ranting into the void.

Then—Hilde overheard the murmuring of the villagers.

“We should run…”

“Run? Run where? We have everything invested here.”

“That’s the Crimson Flame Hilde. If she and Hyden start fighting, Riate will be destroyed anyway. If even a single ember lands in the olive groves, we’re finished. It’s better for us to stop her ourselves—at least then we can save both our lives and our property. …Look, she’s hesitating.”

“That damned lizard woman…!”

Even in their fear, their main concern was wealth. Their clothes were clean, their teeth healthy. These weren’t ignorant peasants.

Perhaps this was part of Hyden’s plan too.

A trap so meticulous that explaining, fleeing, or even fighting back weren’t viable options.

Then—Hilde’s mind was struck by a horrifying realization.

‘What’s going to happen to me?’

The accusation she faced now, the plea she had made to the First Prince to impose sin taxes…

Would her home country help her?

Unlikely.

The Dragon Kingdom’s royal family had maintained friendly ties with her only because she never crossed the line—because she sought power, but never too aggressively, and because she never banded together with her fellow Dragonkin.

What about her old companions?

They had gone their separate ways after defeating the Demon King. They were never bound by an unbreakable loyalty.

Horribly enough—

‘I’ll be the only one abandoned.’

Stripped of her privileges. Forced to make a public confession.

Her punishment would be left to political negotiations, diplomatic wrangling.

It was a hopeless situation.

“You’re the evil one.”

This was the only thing she refused to concede.

Hyden sighed, as if exasperated.

An evil man who used helpless humans as shields to tighten a noose around her throat. A dealer of death, just like her brother’s enemy—profiting off of the suffering of the weak.

He was worse than her.

“I’m not saying I’m right. I’m saying that’s the truth.”

“Are you insane?”

“Someone has to stop you.”

Hilde’s mind was sharpening.

She had started this fight knowing she’d have to make sacrifices.

Now, she might lose everything—

But she still had one last card left.

‘Kill him.’

An Inevitable Downfall.

In that case, shouldn’t that man also give up his life to make things fair? It’s not like his life is particularly valuable anyway. At best, he’s just a gambling operator.

As I reached my conclusion, my mind gradually became clearer.

“Hilde rakae. Nonsense.”

“This isn’t nonsense.”

“……”

“I won’t listen to you anymore.”

The difference in magical power was obvious. In a one-on-one battle, Hilde had no chance of losing.

The problem would come after killing Hyden…

But perhaps someone out there would understand.

Among those whose lives had been ruined by gambling, there might be someone who sympathized. Punishment was inevitable, but at least it wouldn’t feel unfair.

‘I have to salvage something.’

It was a relief that there was still something left to do.

****

Hilde’s expression had grown calm as she looked at me.

As expected of the younger sister of Dragon Ear—she was good at controlling her expressions.

Even the way she committed insane acts with a blank face was similar. There was no way Hilde was trying to negotiate at this point.

No, that woman was definitely planning to kill me.

There were no clear signs.

Hilde simply held her staff loosely, her gaze calm and unwavering. There was no fluctuation of magical energy.

But that didn’t mean I could lower my guard.

She was a monstrous lizard who could cast high-tier spells without chanting. She was probably waiting for the right timing, in case I tried to escape and hide behind the villagers.

It wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Considering I was just a human who only had magic, why wouldn’t I have prepared for extreme situations? I had taken precautions, just in case.

‘So it’s come to this after all?’

It was a situation I truly wanted to avoid.

But I had no other choice now.

“Hilde Rakae.”

I spread my arms wide, pretending to have no intention of resisting, and stared at Hilde.

Not because I intended to die obediently—

But because I wanted someone to see this.

A certain comrade, the one I trusted the most, who wasn’t here right now.

As soon as they heard the explosion, they’d be hiding nearby, waiting for their chance.

“Hilde, if you back down here, I’ll at least keep quiet about what you did to Dragon Ear in the past.”

Honestly, I didn’t know the full details myself.

But it was enough to momentarily shake Hilde’s focus.

Her vertical pupils widened into half-moons, and her ears twitched. Proof that the mention of the Dragon Ear unsettled her.

“What are you saying about my brother?”

At the very moment Hilde’s killing intent wavered—

An arrow flew straight at her.

Fired from behind the bakery, where Lucy had been hiding.

“From where—?!”

A startled Hilde, and Lucy, who dashed sideways while pulling her bowstring again.

Her aim was perfect, and each arrow flying toward Hilde carried immense power.

A human mage would have died instantly if hit. But Hilde was different.

Though she was shocked, she managed to raise her magic and block the arrows.

But in doing so—she turned her back to me.

I didn’t waste the opportunity.