Casino Wizard

A few hours after the prince was imprisoned, I faced Princess Beatrice with a cup of tea in front of us.

“Your efforts this time have been truly significant.”

“There’s no need for gratitude.”

“It feels like it will ease my mind.”

The princess spoke in a slightly softer tone. Still, after sending off her brother, her hand holding the teacup was faintly trembling.

It made sense. Before being rivals, they were siblings, and perhaps their bond wasn’t that bad when they were young.

Even the princess wasn’t devoid of human emotions.

But the perceptions of aristocratic society might be different.

“From now on, His Majesty will be looked at with disdain by the nobles.”

“It’s something I’ve dealt with for a long time… Wait.”

“Yes, I said ‘disdain,’ not ‘exile.’ With this incident, you’ve come closer to the throne, so while the nobles will outwardly show respect, their fear will have grown. I believe the king is probably deeply troubled because of this.”

The king, who imprisoned his own son.

And the decision was forced by another child—his daughter, the princess.

By now, the king must be heartbroken. He has three children, yet they’ve all turned out this way.

The princess nodded, perhaps not entirely oblivious to the situation.

“I knew what I was getting into when I made that decision.”

“Yes. If that’s the case, then I’m relieved.”

“If you were me, how would you handle it?”

It would be hard to back out now. We shared some ties from our work together, so I felt it was only right to offer a few words of advice.

“It would be wise to volunteer to personally manage the second prince from now on.”

“Won’t that look like I’m squashing any hopes of a comeback?”

“At first, His Majesty will likely think that. But there’s no need to clear up that misunderstanding. …Just be subtle in supporting the second prince’s needs, especially in daily matters. Make sure he has no inconveniences.”

“Is that suggesting I should show some kindness?”

From my experience, it’s impossible for parents to completely sever ties with their children.

Even after cutting them off, they usually keep an eye on them from afar.

I once had an unusual request from my father in my past life.

There was a homeless man in Poipet, Cambodia, barely surviving by living off casino baccarat, and my father asked me to look after him so he wouldn’t die.

Later, I found out the man was a rich kid who had been cut off from his parents.

He begged Korean tourists for meal vouchers (they’d get a free meal when they bought casino chips) and scavenged for money, spending whatever he earned on baccarat, an addict.

It wasn’t my specialty, and I was financially losing out, but I helped him out for my father’s reputation. Eventually, I took him to a rehabilitation clinic at the right time, and his family came to thank me.

They knew he was hopeless, but they were just grateful he hadn’t died.

Family can’t help themselves.

Even if they’re forced to sever ties with a child, they can’t entirely stop caring. The king is probably the same.

“You need to instill the idea in His Majesty that this was done for the kingdom’s sake.”

“Hmm.”

“But don’t expect any praise. Just help quietly.”

After all, the king will be watching his children closely, filled with anxiety.

The princess seemed to agree with my advice and nodded.

For a while, we just sipped our tea in silence.

‘I should probably get up soon.’

Having achieved our goals, it was time to part ways cleanly.

But the princess didn’t let me go.

“By the way, Hyden?”

“What is it?”

“May I ask about your abilities as a magician?”

Why was she suddenly asking about my magical skills? Perhaps sensing my suspicion, she added with a smile.

“I heard that when you joined the hero party, you were among the top 20 mages in the kingdom. A talented person, but not quite the talent to become a disciple of the Mage Tower Master… But it’s been a while now, hasn’t it?”

“Seven years ago.”

“So, what about now?”

“I didn’t just sit idle while in the hero party. After the journey ended, I spent another five years training my magical energy.”

Though I wouldn’t be going back to the front lines, my magical prowess had certainly improved.

In particular, I was confident no one could match my sensitivity. I spent 350 days a year working as a manager and overseer in casinos, where I had to personally supervise people using strange unique magic.

But the question was, why was the princess asking me this?

‘No way. She couldn’t be… right?’

My bad feeling was spot on.

“Would anyone object if you were appointed as the royal court’s advisory magician?”

“….”

“How do you feel about that?”

She was suggesting I take a position.

At first glance, it seemed like a foolish move.

‘If I accept this, I’d be suspected of being in league with her from the start.’

If the princess had any sense, she would expect me to refuse.

If I politely declined, she’d likely express disappointment but offer to use my skills from time to time, which would be difficult for me to refuse. Rejecting a royal offer twice would be a burden.

It seemed like the inevitable next step.

“Hyden?”

It was natural for her to try to maintain our connection after we had achieved results together.

She probably thought that if she didn’t keep me close and manage me, I could become a future risk.

Fortunately, unlike our first meeting, she was acting very conciliatory.

When our eyes met, she smiled lightly, as if reassuring me that it was okay to relax. It felt like she was saying we should maintain a good relationship from here on out.

But for some reason, I didn’t feel comfortable.

She was beautiful, didn’t treat me badly, and had the intellect of a noblewoman. Her swordsmanship was on par with knights, and compared to her brother, she was more intelligent.

But I didn’t want to be her advisor.

The reason was obvious—truth magic.

She was practically my nemesis. Being around her made me uncomfortable.

I was the type to immediately think about how to deceive someone when I had an enemy, but Princess Beatrice had a means of nullifying that. Of course, her magic only worked if the person gave explicit consent, but how could I refuse a royal request?

‘Turning her into an enemy would be even worse.’

How could I maintain a friendly relationship while keeping my distance? Even now, Beatrice’s blue eyes were staring at me.

Given who she was, deception wasn’t an option.

The best course of action was to treat it as if it were real.

“Princess Beatrice.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m afraid you shouldn’t heed my advice. And you shouldn’t keep me too close.”

“…?”

Princess Beatrice tilted her head in confusion.

“My methods may have some effect right now.”

“And?”

“But if you want to sit on the throne, you can’t just focus on the effectiveness. While you can intimidate those close to the second prince… you can’t treat His Majesty like that, can you? Even if it’s slow, you need to earn his trust completely.”

“….”

“I cannot help you with that.”

I was advising her to win the title of crown princess the proper way.

Of course, this alone wasn’t enough.

I pretended to think for a while, then smiled and added,

“Your Majesty, once again, you should keep your distance from me.”

“It sounds reasonable.”

“But you won’t keep me too far away. I’ll be cheering for you from a place closer than you think.”

It was a counter-proposal to stay as an ally from afar.

Princess Beatrice pondered my words, then finally smiled faintly.

“I’ll have to inform my father that I’m not misusing my unique magic.”

“Wise, Your Majesty.”

“That would only be possible if I didn’t misuse it.”

“Of course.”

It seemed like we understood each other. Now, there was nothing left but to part ways with smiles.

The opportunity came sooner than I expected.

“Your Highness, Count Immobilé has requested an audience.”

A few nobles, some of whom had struck at the second prince earlier, had gathered.

I could guess why they were here, but I was actually grateful. If I played my cards right, I could naturally distance myself from the princess.

“Your Highness, let them in.”

“Alright?”

“Give me a slight reprimand in front of them. It will be helpful to you.”

Without hesitation, the princess nodded.

Several nobles entered shortly thereafter.

Immediately, Princess Beatrice gestured for me to leave.

“Hyden, you may go now.”

“Your Highness, but—”

“I don’t know what more you want me to do. I’ve cleared up your grievances and protected your business, haven’t I?”

“….”

“If you think I’ve put you in debt, you’re mistaken.”

The nobles who were watching, seemingly enjoying seeing me treated coldly by the princess. Among them was Count Immobilé, who had lost money at the poker table and was now receiving scorn.

I pretended to observe their reactions and then finally bowed to the princess.

“Your Highness, I will never forget your kindness.”

The princess gave a half-hearted nod.

I left quietly, playing the role of a failed businessman trying to make a request from a powerful person.

But I didn’t forget to give her a parting look.

…

I relaxed only after leaving the palace.

‘That should be enough.’

The second prince was sent far away. I had distanced myself from the princess for now.

It was time to return to my regular work.

The casino.

My base of operations, where my clients were enjoying baccarat, blackjack, casino war, big wheel, and roulette.

Once news of the second prince’s imprisonment got out, it would cause a stir for a while, but soon enough, it would be filled with people pondering new winning strategies for baccarat.

That was the place where I truly belonged.

****

It wasn’t until ten days later that I heard the news about the second prince again.

“They’ve come to a compromise with the capital monastery. The second prince has surrendered, I hear.”

I could hear the nobles in the VIP room gossiping.

It seemed like the peaceful path for him. The image of the second prince voluntarily joining the monastery and becoming a clergyman. Perhaps the bishop would eventually make him a cardinal. The Vatican probably wouldn’t mind either… they said.

The second prince would walk the path of a priest voluntarily, which stirred the gossip among the VIPs.

“Everyone must be troubled.”

“Quite a bit. But you’ve got good luck, Hyden.”

“Thank you.”

“This time, I’m going all in with the tie…”

Fortunately, there was no significant impact on my business.