Casino Wizard

Fighting someone of higher status than oneself was never an easy task.

But it wasn’t entirely without its advantages.

“Are you sure the person who ordered me to do this was affiliated with the Second Prince?”

“Yes, it’s certain.”

“Then, if I do as you say, you won’t… tell the Second Prince, will you?”

“That depends on how you handle yourself.”

One such advantage was that people often feared my enemies more than they feared me. Selena was no exception.

If that was the case, she shouldn’t have confessed in the first place that she took on the job at someone else’s request—but humans were such fragile creatures.

With a bit of cunning, it was possible to use that fear to one’s advantage.

“Selena, listen carefully.”

“Yes?”

I crouched slightly to meet Selena’s gaze. She was on the verge of exhaustion.

First, I nodded as if to show I understood her troubles. Then, I began.

“I’m not asking you to do anything difficult.”

“Then, what exactly…?”

“It’s actually very simple. You just need to do nothing.”

“……?”

A wandering half-elf with the potential to wield incredibly useful unique magic but still unable to rise above her circumstances. What could I expect from her?

There was only one role suitable for someone like Selena.

“You’ll need to play dead for a while.”

“What?”

“All you have to do is lie low and do nothing. I won’t starve, hit, or mistreat you.”

Living as a deceased person for a while.

That was truly all there was to it.

Selena’s terrified expression began to ease ever so slightly, though her brow still furrowed in doubt.

When I smiled and nodded again, she reluctantly followed suit. For someone who had lived over half a century, she at least seemed to grasp the reality of her lack of options.

“Good. Smart choice.”

I lightly patted Selena’s shoulder, which would soon belong to someone pretending to be a corpse.

Leaving her still wary gaze behind, I exited the warehouse.

The entrance was sealed off.

Then, to make it seem like I had done something drastic, I stood by the warehouse wall with a hand pressed against it for a long time.

I even arranged for the hero to grab me by the collar for effect.

Customers waiting to enter the casino gave us puzzled looks.

…

After shaking off the hero, I returned alone to the gaming hall.

Naturally, the customers were curious.

“What happened to that elf, Mr. Hyden?”

“Half-elf, actually.”

“Ah, no wonder. The features weren’t quite there. Anyway, you didn’t just let that fraudster go, right? Gave them a proper lesson, I hope? Was that magic for real?”

“A lesson… Yes, a lesson.”

I vaguely dodged the question, occasionally glancing at my right hand, as if I’d done something terrible.

The customers recoiled with uneasy expressions.

No one pressed me for details when I made it clear I didn’t want to talk.

But they were surely harboring suspicions.

How curious would they be about the fate of a half-elf, who had made such a striking impression with her gambling-friendly magic but had suddenly vanished? Tonight, rumors about her would spread in taverns near the casino.

They’d joke that a half-elf had been caught causing trouble at Hyden’s casino, was dragged off somewhere, and never seen leaving the casino.

That perhaps she had been “quietly dealt with.”

‘If the rumors spread, they’ll inevitably reach the Second Prince’s ears.’

The Second Prince’s men were undoubtedly already watching the casino.

If they were eager to expose my vulnerabilities, they wouldn’t ignore such rumors.

And I wouldn’t let them.

I quickly penned a short letter and called for the female archer.

“oppa, why are you calling me?”

“Go to Shield right now. The city guard headquarters.”

“He’s probably on duty. What’s this about?”

“Deliver this.”

I handed the letter to Lucy.

“Go as you are, and make it quick.”

“Oh, you’re trying to be seen.”

“Exactly.”

“Is this about the Second Prince?”

“Yes.”

Got it.

Lucy nodded crisply and left the casino in her dealer’s uniform.

A red vest with a bow tie, white shirt, and form-fitting trousers.

Though she wasn’t as well-known as the middle-aged Hero or myself, she still drew attention. If she appeared at the city guard’s headquarters dressed like that, avoiding exposure would be impossible. Especially since the Second Prince’s close allies could be there.

That was precisely why she had been sent—so they would notice.

****

City Guard Headquarters

Shield Knight Jerome, commander of the 3rd regiment, was reading a letter with a grave expression.

The letter was from the wizard Hyden, delivered in broad daylight by none other than their female archer colleague.

At first, Jerome was baffled by the whole situation.

But upon reading the contents, he quickly understood.

A favor.

There’s a small town called Helene. Among the adventurers recently active there, there’s a half-elf woman named Selena. She’s officially a citizen of Alvinia. I’d like you to use your authority to investigate her.

Does she have any family or romantic partners? Any close comrades?

Also, find out if anyone would actively search for Selena if she were to disappear. It’s urgent, so please handle this as quickly as possible.

And burn this letter. Don’t involve anyone tied to the Second Prince, and stay away from the casino for now.

In essence, it was a request for surveillance.

Calling it a favor felt like an overstatement—it was a simple task for Jerome.

He was a commander in the city guard. By skill alone, he should have been a deputy commander in the Royal Guard or the Iron Eagles by now. His career had stalled only because of his past affiliation with the Hero’s Party.

Still, having a slightly lower profile didn’t mean he lacked actual power.

Surveillance? That was easy. He could handle it.

But Jerome sensed that surveillance wasn’t the wizard’s real goal.

The key lay in the postscript:

Burn this letter. Don’t let the Second Prince’s allies see it. Stay away from the casino for now.

It was a roundabout way of ensuring the Second Prince noticed.

Even the courier, Lucy, had hinted at it: Don’t destroy the letter. Hyden seems to be working on something with the Second Prince.

Though the wizard’s request was abrupt and impersonal, Jerome wasn’t offended. He knew that being asked in this manner meant Hyden trusted him to understand.

“Alright, I’ll play along.”

It wasn’t loyalty that moved Jerome to comply with the wizard’s request.

He was already deeply tied to the casino.

The bribes he had taken over time were substantial. If he counted all the gifts, they outweighed his salary from the city guard.

Jerome carefully stored the wizard’s letter and went about his usual duties.

…

The response took longer than he expected.

Six days later, rumors of a missing half-elf from the casino began circulating within the city guard.

“City Guard 3rd Regiment Commander, Jerome Zancius. His Highness, the Second Prince, has arrived.”

“His Highness?”

“He wishes to see you. Immediately.”

Without any prior notice, Second Prince Stefano paid a visit to the city guard headquarters.

And not for general encouragement—he came specifically to meet a mere regiment commander.

The unexpected visit by a royal caused quite a stir in the city guard, but the Shield Knight merely thought, So, it’s finally here.

“Your Highness, I wasn’t expecting you and have not prepared—”

“No need. Just stay as you are.”

The prince dismissed the formality with a wave of his hand.

He scanned Jerome up and down, as if already knowing everything, and said:

“I hear you frequent Hyden’s casino. And you’ve received quite a few gifts, haven’t you?”

“Just presents from a friend.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not here to reprimand you. I’ve also heard about a recent unpleasant incident at the casino—a half-elf causing a commotion, wasn’t it?”

“I have no knowledge of that.”

“You wouldn’t? It was one of your companions.”

The prince clicked his tongue, looking at Jerome as if disappointed.

Jerome’s face remained stoic, maintaining a rigid posture.

Acting flustered or apologetic would only make matters worse. Standing at nearly two meters tall with twice the bulk of an average man, suddenly groveling would have felt unnaturally out of place and suspicious to the prince.

So Jerome stayed silent, letting the prince foster his own suspicions.

“But this half-elf, strangely enough, seems to have vanished without a trace since then. No one saw her leave the casino. Isn’t that odd?”

“With so many people at the casino, it’s hard to notice everything…”

His responses were curt and detached.

The prince smirked, clearly convinced there was more to the story.

“So, you dealt with her, didn’t you? Am I right?”

“……”

“The mage Hyden must have lost his temper and overreacted. Initially, he probably just wanted to teach her a lesson, but when she adamantly protested her innocence, things escalated.”

“I know nothing of the matter.”

“One more denial, and I’ll consider you an accomplice.”

The prince leaned his head to the side, issuing a clear threat.

Jerome flinched, averting his gaze as if something ghastly had flashed before his eyes.

The prince smiled casually, giving Jerome a dismissive push on the shoulder. Though Jerome’s massive frame didn’t budge, the intention was evident: intimidation.

“My guess is this: Mage Hyden killed someone and sought your help to cover it up. Killing someone over mere suspicion of deceit… Even if true, such actions are unacceptable. Disposing of the body without a proper funeral service would surely provoke the Church’s outrage. Do you really wish to share the mage’s punishment?”

It was a blatant attempt to coerce Jerome into betraying the mage.

Jerome tightly shut his eyes.

Then, he reached into his coat, pulled out the letter from Hyden, and presented it to the prince.

“I am uninvolved, Your Highness. I ignored the mage’s request.”

“A wise decision.”

The prince smiled brightly as he accepted the letter, seemingly convinced it was evidence of the mage’s crime.

Jerome closed his eyes again, feigning guilt over betraying his comrade.

But he knew this was exactly what the mage had wanted.