Casino Wizard

Dragon Ear blankly watched the descending blade.

A guillotine sharp enough to slice through the upper arm of a Dragonian.

Magic was cast over it, perhaps to avoid a messy scene.

It was mid-tier freezing magic. Thanks to the mage’s spell, bleeding wouldn’t be an issue—the wound would freeze the moment it was severed.

With no more worries about blood loss, Dragon Ear’s mind wandered.

Why his brain chose this moment to drift, he didn’t know.

“I’m not even dying, so why?”

His confusion was short-lived.

His brain was simply working overtime to find a way out. Faced with losing his last arm, it was as if his corrupted mind was desperately searching for an escape—giving him time to think and find a way.

Dragon Ear made use of this mysterious window of time.

He decided to reminisce about his gambling days.

Tomorrow’s gamble is always more exciting than today’s or yesterday’s. But none of that mattered now—his right arm would be gone soon anyway.

When he first gambled, it was just to pass time.

“You need to learn how to relax, my pupil. Unlike other disciplines, magic doesn’t reward rigid dedication. It’s the irreverent who reach mastery faster. Expanding your mind with games every now and then will do you good.”

During his childhood, when Dragon Ear was entirely focused on training, a fairy master taught him card games to add some levity to his life.

The game was simple: keep drawing cards until you passed 30 points. It was so fun that Dragon Ear eventually started betting money.

That’s when his life changed.

Half his day was devoted to magical training, and the other half to playing games—not just for fun, but because he had a knack for it.

However, the stakes were never high—just enough to pay for drinks.

His routine was disciplined: stick to the allotted game time, then return to practicing magic to fulfill his dreams.

That balance shattered when one of his own kind became the new wielder of the Holy Sword.

Dragon Ear’s goal had always been to join the hero and the goddess’s apostles in the fight against the Demon Army.

He was more than qualified.

Though the war hadn’t yet started, meaning he hadn’t had a chance to make a name for himself, Dragon Ear was one of the most outstanding young Dragonian mages. His sister was also talented, but Dragon Ear excelled not only in magic but also as a warrior.

He should have been the mage for the Dragon Kingdom’s Hero’s Party. If not for that trap.

“Hey, I heard you’re pretty good at cards. How about dice too?”

An adventurer party approached Dragon Ear, and he thought it would be fun to join them briefly.

It was fun at first—until he realized it was a setup.

“I’ll get more money. Just wait here.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“Wait, you bastards…!”

“Okay, okay. Just bring a lot of cash.”

He lost, then won a little back, lost again, and then lost even more.

After losing all his money, Dragon Ear borrowed from his master and friends, believing he could win it back with a big enough stake.

By the time he realized it was a trap beyond his skill to overcome, it was too late.

He lost everything—his money, his reputation, and his chance to join the Hero’s Party.

No one would choose someone who wasted borrowed money on gambling as a party member, no matter how talented they were.

Dragon Ear tried to endure it—until he found out who had set the trap.

“Hilde, that little…”

Looking back, it was a brilliant scheme.

She sent con-artist gamblers to exploit her brother’s love for dice, cards, and chess. And then, she swooped in to take his place as the Hero’s Party’s mage.

It’s nothing now, but back then, Dragon Ear was drowning in despair and self-doubt.

But ironically, gambling saved him from that despair.

At some point, he began to find everything he wanted (which was really only one thing) in gambling.

He learned that money, honor, and even safety weren’t all that important.

But he paid dearly to learn the thrill of gambling.

Two horns. His left wrist.

And today—

Dragon Ear was about to pay the price again.

“I can’t watch this…!”

The scream snapped Dragon Ear out of his reverie.

A freezing, heavy blade was now resting on his right arm.

Even at that moment, Dragon Ear could see everything clearly.

There was Jerome, the shield knight, with his eyes shut tight as he drove the guillotine blade down with all his weight. Lucy stood by, gazing not at Dragon Ear’s soon-to-be-severed arm but at the mage, concern written all over her face. And then there were the spectators, their expressions flickering between curiosity and anger as they watched intently.

Finally, his gaze landed on the mage, Hyden.

He was a peculiar man—a merchant who pursued money, a thug who could mercilessly burn and crush human flesh, and a gambler all at once.

Today, he was also the victor.

Time returned to its normal flow from that point.

“Ah.”

The severing was swift.

With a sickening thunk and a bone-crunching crack, the blade bit deep into his upper arm. It sliced through skin, tendons, and veins before finally shattering the bone. Despite the spray of blood, the pain had yet to settle in.

In the next moment, Dragon Ear saw his severed forearm lying on the ground.

His frozen body finally loosened at that very instant.

“Thank you, mage.”

Those words slipped from Dragon Ear’s lips, unbidden, right after he lost his arm.

Hyden offered no reply.

****

Perhaps it was the freezing spell that sealed the wound, but Dragon Ear’s bleeding wasn’t as bad as expected.

Though there wasn’t a bloodbath, the fact remained—his right arm had been severed.

The executioner had been the shield knight. Though he left with a sour expression after finishing the job, it had been Hyden who had given the order.

And Hyden was the one who’d be remembered as the man responsible for cutting off Dragon Ear’s arm.

The aftermath…

No, this isn’t the time to worry about that.

It was a relief Hilde hadn’t burst in.

For now, tending to the deranged gambler—now a severely disabled man—was the priority.

Dragon Ear was now crippled.

His right arm had been severed above the elbow, making even a prosthetic virtually useless.

Normally, someone in his position would be screaming in agony…

“It’s over.”

Dragon Ear, who had briefly collapsed, stood on his own, albeit unsteadily, with a slightly twisted expression.

I didn’t bother asking if he was okay.

How does one ask after the well-being of a man who said, “Thank you,” after having his right arm cut off?

Still, there were practical matters to attend to.

“What about the money?”

“It’s all yours. I lost.”

“No, I’m talking about the 215 gold you lent to Selena for betting. She lost, so there’s still that much left. It wasn’t your bet, so you should take it. I’ll get it for you.”

“You’re right. Please do.”

I fetched a shoulder bag and packed the coins for him myself—not out of pity but because everyone else was too terrified, or perhaps overwhelmed, to move. I collected the 215 gold, along with Dragon Ear’s scattered belongings, and handed him the bag.

But I didn’t return his severed arm.

“Keep the arm, mage.”

“…”

“Maybe it’ll be useful if some fool challenges you to a reckless game.”

Dragon Ear refused to take it.

A severed arm from a Dragonian gambler…

I had no desire to collect it. I didn’t see it as a trophy and knew it could spark trouble with certain people. Still, I couldn’t force the original owner to take it back if he didn’t want it.

“Understood. I’ll keep it.”

“Good.”

The money and the arm were now settled.

But there was still one thing left to hear from Dragon Ear.

“I trust you’ll keep your promise.”

“Of course I will.”

“That’s all I need.”

Dragon Ear had promised never to gamble with me again.

That didn’t mean I was completely at ease, though.

If Dragon Ear ever found himself starved of dopamine or bored with life in the Dragon Kingdom, he might just find a way to gamble again. Though he seemed strangely solemn now, Dragon Ear was, at the end of the day, a sick man.

Still, I didn’t press him too hard.

Not with the nobles who had stayed to watch still staring at us.

They were clearly horrified by Dragon Ear, but their glances at me also carried a hint of revulsion. That was to be expected.

“It was a good game.”

Whatever trouble awaited me next, it wouldn’t involve Dragon Ear.

If I used him correctly, he might even help lessen my burden.

But I genuinely hoped never to face him again.

“Let me know if you need any help.”

“I won’t. There’s a woman waiting outside.”

“Understood.”

Dragon Ear, his lips sealed tight, slowly surveyed the VIP room.

He glanced at the spectators, who didn’t even dare breathe, the table still littered with cards and coins, the guillotine blade that had severed his arm, and his right arm lying on the floor.

Still composed, but that was all.

“I had a good time.”

With those parting words, Dragon Ear left the VIP room, his steps unsteady.

He crossed the empty main gambling hall and exited the building.

Only after I saw him step through the doors did I let out a deep breath.

The headache that had plagued me for so long was finally gone… Well, not really, but I had earned a moment of respite.

Lucy, who had been my wingman today, seemed to feel the same and came over to me.

“You did great, oppa.”

Her warm hand gently held my intact right hand.

I forced a smile at Lucy before turning to the spectators.

There was Marquis Tripolia, who had bragged about his dueling days but now stood frozen. Beside him, Baron Bove, a close aide to the first prince, gaped with his mouth wide open. They’d probably spread the story across the social circles starting today.

There was no containing the rumors, nor did I intend to.

“My apologies for the grim scene. There’s no need to hide what you witnessed here today.”

The outcome of a finished gamble couldn’t be undone.