Casino Wizard

I sincerely wanted to drive him out.

“Customer, this is the final round. Would you like to place a bet?”

“Three gold.”

“Confirmed. Distributing the cards.”

“AA, huh? Split.”

Whether I looked at him in disbelief or not, Dragon Ear stubbornly enjoyed the last game.

And to top it off, he won the final round.

Dragon Ear’s record on his first visit to the VIP room was 30 entries and 48 exits.

Financially, it honestly wasn’t a blow.

If I had lost 18 gold when I first started renting a bar to run my business, I probably would have wanted to cry.

But now? Even if a customer hit the maximum bet at the roulette and walked away with a 36-times payout, even if they tea-bagged me while doing so, I could still smile.

Because in the end, I was the one winning this game.

If it wasn’t a day when luck was on his side, Dragon Ear would eventually leave after scraping away only a negligible amount, just like today. Or he would lose.

I could just leave him be, and I would still be fine…

“I had fun today, as always.”

“……”

“And thanks for the good advice just now. I was worried a four might come up. So it was meaningful.”

Hearing this kind of insane talk made me hope he wouldn’t come back tomorrow.

I wished he would just take off somewhere, riding a carriage across the kingdom’s provinces or the city-states, seeking a new gambling den.

If paying him to stay out was what it took, I was willing to do it out of my own pocket.

But that would be pointless.

If I banned him, he would simply find another way.

And he’d do so happily. Not disappointed at all, but rather thinking he had moved one step closer to his goal.

‘Do I really have to settle this through gambling?’

He did seem like the kind of guy who would accept a loss if the result was clear.

If I won, he’d probably just say, “That was a good game,” leave his money behind, and walk away.

Even if I begged him to lose interest in me and my business for the rest of my life, he’d probably agree.

But before seriously considering that, there was something I needed to confirm.

“Customer.”

“Speak.”

“Where did you lose your wrist?”

Dragon Ear, who had been about to leave the VIP room, froze in place.

He slowly raised his left hand.

A wrist severed just below the joint.

It was currently covered with a protective sleeve. I needed to find out where and how he lost that hand.

“My left hand, you mean.”

Dragon Ear gazed at his wrist with a wistful expression before finally speaking.

“It’s not just my wrist that’s missing.”

“Customer?”

“I don’t have my horns either.”

At those words, my gaze naturally shifted to his head.

His hair was as red as blood. And indeed, there were no horns in sight.

I had never thought it was strange before.

Among the dragonian race, the ones who most resembled dragons were treated as noble beings.

Scales, tails, horns, wings—

The more dragon-like one appeared, the more pure dragon blood they were believed to possess.

I’d heard that the direct royal lineage, who drank the sacred dragon’s blood, looked like a perfect mix of human and dragon.

Even common dragonians had horns, though.

But they were more like vestigial organs—tiny nubs at best.

So I had assumed his were just hidden beneath his hair and hadn’t given it a second thought…

‘He cut off his horns too? For gambling?’

I didn’t suddenly feel horrified.

If he had already lost his hand, what were horns in comparison?

This was the kind of man who would risk his life for a ten-second thrill.

No, what unsettled me was something else.

Still, I made sure to harden my expression. I needed to get rid of him first.

“Magician. I know why you’re asking that.”

“……”

“We’ll only know for sure once we set the stage. But this much is clear: the stakes must be fair. And I value…”

“You seek entertainment above all else. Understood.”

When I responded with proper courtesy, Dragon Ear didn’t push further and left—calmly walking down the VIP customer-exclusive hallway.

As soon as he was gone, I started piecing together all the information I had gathered.

A severed left hand. A severed pair of horns.

A severe gambling addiction. A wanderer hiding his true identity.

And given his mana levels, a dragonian of exceptional power.

‘He told Lady Bonucci that he had no surname to give because he was a worthless outcast from his family.’

You couldn’t trust a gambler’s words, but they could serve as clues.

For some reason, he had severed ties with his family.

And he was hiding his real name because of them.

That much seemed likely to be true.

But what bothered me most was his appearance.

‘I knew from the start that he looked familiar.’

If my suspicion was correct—

Then I might be able to get rid of Dragon Ear without much effort.

****

Even after that, Dragon Ear continued to make regular visits to the VIP room.

Entering as soon as it opened and leaving at closing time.

He was fully immersed in blackjack for twelve hours a day in the VIP room.

Unlike other VIP customers who adjusted their pace by occasionally playing chess in the lounge or engaging in poker games without wagers, he focused solely on blackjack.

He sustained himself with simple handheld food and took breaks of less than five minutes. Such an intense regimen was impossible for anyone but a Dragonian.

His performance fluctuated.

On the second day: -58 gold.

On the third day: +160 gold.

On the fourth day: +3 gold.

When Dragon Ear walked away with 160 gold, it stung a little, but I left him alone.

I had other plans to get him out of here—plans that didn’t involve gambling.

For that, I sought help from a government official.

“Jerome. I need you to relay a message to the Dragon Kingdom’s ambassador.”

That official, of course, was Shield Knight Jerome.

“The Dragon Kingdom’s ambassador?”

“Yes. I could ask one of the VIP customers with diplomatic experience, but this needs to be handled quietly. If it isn’t done discreetly, it’ll be meaningless. …So, I need you to go and deliver the message yourself.”

The Dragon Kingdom and the Kingdom of Alvinia had maintained diplomatic relations for many years.

A multi-racial nation where Dragonians inherited the throne while elves, dwarves, and fairies enjoyed autonomy. But that didn’t mean they were ignorant of foreign affairs. After all, every nation had to cooperate in the face of the common enemy—the demons.

The Dragon Kingdom’s ambassador resided in the kingdom’s capital, of course.

I had heard that, as a merchant leader, he was often away from the embassy, but…

“He’s currently in the capital. So, what’s the message?”

“Tell them to come and quietly retrieve Dragon Ear.”

“Dragon Ear?”

“He’s a Dragonian.”

Jerome furrowed his brows as if he didn’t understand.

That was a natural reaction.

While I had been reacting sensitively because Dragon Ear had singled me out as a rival, to most ordinary people, he was just a Dragonian who enjoyed gambling.

At most, regular casino patrons recognized him as a blackjack expert.

“You may not know, but the Dragon Kingdom’s ambassador will. Most likely.”

“That’s not much of an explanation. Anything else?”

“Then put it this way: Dragon Ear is causing me a burden. Out of respect for his ‘family’s’ honor, I want to send him off politely, so I’d appreciate their help.”

“Family? Well, Dragonians in the Dragon Kingdom—Ah, I see. You don’t know the details either.”

There was a reason I took such special care of my colleagues. They understood me without needing every little thing explained.

“Right. I don’t have a solid answer yet. But I think I’ll get one soon.”

Only then did Jerome nod in understanding.

I had to compensate him for making a busy police officer act as a messenger. I sent three gold and a case of wine to his house as a bribe.

…

Two days later, I received a response from the Dragon Kingdom’s ambassador.

Early in the morning, I had the opportunity to meet with the ambassador.

“What’s the meaning behind that cryptic message?”

Standing before me, a Dragonian woman displayed subtle displeasure.

Two long horns and a height nearly matching mine despite being female—a Dragonian through and through.

She was an ambassador and merchant named Regina.

Just from her appearance, it was clear she was a pureblood Dragonian.

Since she had no interest in gambling, she normally wouldn’t have any reason to interact with me.

The only reason she summoned me was because of Dragon Ear.

“This is about Dragon Ear.”

The fact that I was able to meet with an ambassador simply by saying that a gambler was ‘burdening’ me meant that Dragon Ear wasn’t just some expendable nobody among his kind.

If he were an outcast among Dragonians, the Dragon Kingdom wouldn’t have cared about him, just as a kingdom wouldn’t bother with every fallen noble causing trouble abroad.

I just needed a little leverage to make her take action.

“When Sir Lalo first appeared in the casino, I had my suspicions.”

“Lalo? That name is unfamiliar.”

“Of course. It seems that’s the name he’s been using these days.”

“……”

“But I can’t just keep calling him Dragon Ear, can I? That nickname was given to him by the dwarves he crushed at the gambling table.”

Regina didn’t respond immediately.

Whether it was due to her skill as a seasoned diplomat or the natural traits of a Dragonian, her expression remained perfectly composed.

Even now, she simply stared at me with her reptilian eyes.

I knew she wouldn’t just blurt out the truth about Dragon Ear’s real identity just because I was bluffing.

But that didn’t matter.

I only wanted one thing.

“Sir Lalo is a valued customer. However, his excessive enthusiasm for gambling has made things difficult for those around him. This time, I’ve become his target. As much as I’d like to indulge him, I need to focus on my business.”

“……”

“Would you be able to assist me?”

It was a warning—if they didn’t take him away, I might expose Dragon Ear’s identity.

If the Dragonians discreetly took him away, I would be satisfied.

I didn’t care how they did it.

Whether they repatriated him or persuaded him to leave voluntarily, that was up to them.

Regina hesitated for a moment after hearing my proposal—

“Bluffing. You know nothing.”

“Then why did you summon me?”

“I was merely curious.”

She outright refused my request.

In truth, I didn’t know everything.

But I wasn’t bluffing either.

“Hero’s party.”

For the first time, Regina’s pupils wavered.

Here, ‘hero’s party’ didn’t refer to us, but to the Dragon Kingdom’s hero—Leandro—and his companions.

By sheer combat power, they were considered the strongest of the four hero parties. The legendary warriors who played a pivotal role in the Demon King’s defeat.

“I am certain that there is a close connection between Dragon Ear and Leandro’s party. I don’t know why he’s hiding his identity, but he must have his reasons. …Before I get too curious, I suggest you cooperate. If you do, I will keep my mouth shut for the rest of my life.”

Among that party’s members, two were Dragonians.

The hero. And the mage.

At first, I hadn’t paid much attention, but—

Dragon Ear bore an uncanny resemblance to one of them.