Casino Wizard

Before sending, there was someone who had to seek the approval of those in power.

In this case, it was only right to force those who might protect or sympathize with the target to cut ties.

Just as I had done when I dealt with the second prince.

If I could guide them into handling it themselves, that wouldn’t be a bad option either. It wouldn’t erase the aftermath, but it would at least be safer.

That was the reason I had arranged for the Dragon Kingdom’s representatives to observe.

After the interrogation ended, I turned my gaze to the guests from the Dragon Kingdom.

As expected of a multi-racial nation, the group was diverse.

There were dragonkin among them who looked particularly displeased—one of whom was said to be the uncle of the accused siblings.

An elf was also there, staring at Hilde collapsed on the floor with an expression difficult to describe.

That elf was Leticia, the archer of the Dragon Kingdom’s hero party. Except for us, all the archers in the hero party were elves.

There were fairies and beastkin as well.

Humans were present too, though they were at the lowest ranks. One of them, pale-faced, was scribbling down everything he had just witnessed and heard, looking uncertain as if he wasn’t sure whether he was allowed to record it all verbatim.

“Would you like to review it?”

“…….”

“Elder?”

I could guess at their conflicted emotions, but the interrogation was already over.

Since this wasn’t a trial, they could only sigh and lament while Hilde was being torn apart. But now, the situation was different.

They could voice their opinions if they wished.

In fact, that was the proper course of action.

Hilde Rakae. A mage representing the Dragon Kingdom.

She currently held at least four different official titles.

But titles could be stripped away.

Her abilities were undoubtedly valuable to the Dragon Kingdom, but if keeping her was too much of a burden, they might have no choice but to let her go, however reluctantly.

However, there was something that couldn’t be abandoned.

Her achievements—contributions made in protecting humanity from demons alongside her comrades.

That legacy still remained.

After a long silence, it was the blue-haired elf who finally spoke.

Leticia Hamener, a member of the Dragon Kingdom’s hero party.

Perhaps due to her long years of life, her expression was relatively composed…

But the words that left her mouth were rather harsh.

“Are you determined to kill Hilde Lacaye? Or are you hoping we will do it instead?”

A fairy, startled, tried to cover her mouth but failed.

Leticia gently pushed the fairy’s small body aside and looked straight at the princess—the one who had cleverly used confession magic to corner her own comrade.

“Hilde is already as good as dead.”

“…….”

“The past that she just confessed to will spread like a plague—to her family, her friends, and even the royal court. From now on, no matter where she goes, she won’t be welcome. She will only be met with open contempt. Isn’t that right, Your Highness?”

Instead of answering, the princess merely tilted her head, as if encouraging her to continue.

Leticia held the gaze of the princess, who was less than a tenth of her age, before turning away.

“So, in the end, you’re asking for our consent.”

Her eyes landed on the back of her fallen comrade.

Her expression carried an emotion difficult to define.

Just as my comrades and I had bonded through shared suffering, they, too, likely had a certain level of camaraderie.

Leticia did not abandon her loyalty.

“You do not have the right to punish Hilde.”

“Explain further.”

“The matter of Hilde and her brother, Dragon Ear—”

“Dragon Ear?”

“That was his old nickname when he gambled with the elves… No, let me correct myself. The matter of the Felix siblings is indeed tragic, but you do not have the right to judge them. The only direct victim is Felix Rakae, and he is not present here.”

She wasn’t wrong.

The one who fell due to Hilde’s actions was the dragonkin.

It was said that among the gamblers Hilde had made disappear, one was from the kingdom…

But based on what had been revealed so far, it wasn’t enough to send Hilde to the execution grounds.

The princess nodded in agreement. Then, she responded with surprising politeness.

“That is true.”

“Pardon?”

“We shall question her further tomorrow regarding the matters that took place in our territory. I am low on mana right now.”

“Tomorrow?”

Instead of answering, the princess glanced behind her.

She was looking at her older brother—the first prince, who had been sitting quietly in the second-floor pews of the chapel where the interrogation had taken place.

The Dragon Kingdom’s representatives also turned their gazes toward him.

“Tomorrow, you will also have the opportunity to question my elder brother about his responsibility in this matter.”

Publicly demeaning her older brother before foreign dignitaries.

It was obviously intentional.

She wanted to give the impression that the decision regarding the first prince had already been made. If the Dragon Kingdom attempted to use him as leverage…

‘She would simply send him forward.’

The first prince could step up and admit,

“I was deceived by Hilde’s request and attempted to implement a sin tax. I wanted to gain favor with our father by increasing revenue. I thought I could make a renowned figure like Hilde Rakae my patron.”

And if he then announced his renunciation of succession rights?

Hilde would be left with no way out.

The Dragon Kingdom was unaware that the first prince had already expressed his intention to forfeit his claim to the throne.

Even if his position was weak, he was still the king’s eldest son.

If this continued, Hilde would be burdened with the responsibility of disrupting the royal succession.

“We will resume the interrogation tomorrow.”

“Again…?”

“Yes. This time, the guests from the Dragon Kingdom will also have the right to speak.”

With a firm expression, the princess delivered her verdict and exited.

After a brief pause, I followed behind her.

Before leaving, I took one last look at Hilde Rakae.

“At the very least, you should apologize.”

Muttering to herself, Hilde seemed indifferent to the interrogation.

****

By tomorrow, Hilde’s fate will be decided.

There was a reason we didn’t specify a time, just saying “tomorrow.”

“Well done, Your Highness. This way, the Dragon Kingdom will feel the pressure.”

“Is that so?”

“They don’t know how much time they have left. Whether it’ll be in the morning or the evening.”

“Couldn’t they ask to postpone it?”

Of course, they could. But there was a way to handle that, too.

“If they do, we simply accept and escalate things further.”

At these words, the princess just stared at me instead of answering.

Then, she came to a conclusion.

“You want Hilde dead if possible. Am I right?”

I didn’t answer. But I didn’t deny it either.

If it were anyone else, they would already be as good as dead.

Just as Leticia had said, Hilde was already politically finished.

Even now, the news of her crimes was spreading.

Even if we handed her over to the Dragon Kingdom without resistance, her downfall was certain.

It would be reasonable to consider that enough.

But I couldn’t stop here.

‘If it’s Hilde, she might find a way to return. Somehow.’

Yes. Somehow.

Both Hilde and her brother, Dragon Ear, always found a way. And Hilde was a mage capable of killing me in a single blow.

If I wanted to be safe, I had to eliminate all possibilities.

“You’re not answering.”

“I apologize.”

“It’s fine. You must be feeling the urgency as well. …Ah, in case you’re curious, I heard your second brother will officially don monastic robes in two months. His apprenticeship is ending. I’ve also heard his personality has changed… significantly.”

“Is that so?”

She must have thought there was a reason I was considering execution, even though I had let even the second prince—who tried to take over an entire casino—off relatively lightly.

I didn’t thank the princess.

Nor did I congratulate her on soon being appointed Crown Princess.

Her path to the throne had been too brutal for such words.

“Thank you for your help.”

“That’s my line.”

Come to think of it, the princess and I only ever worked together when taking someone down.

She seemed to realize that, too, as she gave a wry smile.

—

At dawn the next day, the Dragon Kingdom reached a conclusion faster than expected.

They came to my temporary residence in the palace to deliver the news in person.

“Hilde will face death. But not within the kingdom.”

The one who came to see me was the elf Leticia.

Were they planning to drag her back to the Dragon Kingdom and execute her publicly?

No, this was too quick a decision for that. And her expression was far too calm.

It was also odd that they were informing me instead of the princess.

This meant they had found another way.

“As soon as she arrives in the Dragon Kingdom, Hilde will publicly confess her crimes, then go to the Demon Realm.”

“I’d like more details.”

“She will relinquish all the privileges she once enjoyed and spend the rest of her life there. She’ll constantly enter and exit one of the most dangerous regions—far beyond what you will ever set foot in—serving as a wyvern rider and frontline soldier. Wouldn’t you say that’s a fitting punishment for her crimes?”

Even veteran warriors took grave risks when sent on reconnaissance missions there—she would be stationed there permanently.

It was certainly severe.

The question was whether Hilde would accept it.

They already had a solution for that as well.

“Before she leaves, Hilde will meet the Guardian Dragon. She’ll swear never to set foot on the continent again for the rest of her life. And she will take an Oath of Binding—if she breaks it, she will die.”

The Guardian Dragon.

A Gold Dragon sworn to protect and guide the royal family of the Dragon Kingdom.

It was largely thanks to this dragon’s presence that the kingdom, despite being divided by species, could engage with other nations as equals.

And an oath sworn before it was absolute.

It was a plan I couldn’t easily argue against…

Only one question remained.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Before the kingdom finalizes the agreement, they wanted to seek your understanding… in truth, your consent.”

“Who wanted this?”

“The First Prince of this kingdom.”

So, it was him.

I let out a short breath.

Yesterday, after the trial ended, the First Prince had approached the Dragon Kingdom’s delegation as they stirred with unease.

And he had offered them an escape.

As if he had been prepared for this all along.

‘So this was his plan from the start.’

Everything suddenly made sense.

Why he had humbled himself before the princess.

Why he had followed my instructions exactly.

He must have foreseen that Hilde’s sudden fall would put the Dragon Kingdom in a difficult position and had been waiting for the right moment to intervene.

“I have one question. Did the First Prince say this? That if his proposal was accepted, he would acknowledge joint responsibility and pay for his part?”

“Yes. For the sake of stable relations between our nations.”

So, he was lessening the burden on the Dragon Kingdom, earning their debt, and avoiding becoming my next target.

I had thought he was being unusually proactive…

But in the end, he had simply been playing his own game of politics.

I didn’t feel admiration.

Instead, I found it a little tragic.

A man who feared even being seen by his own attendants had mustered the courage to stand before the Dragon Kingdom’s delegation.

It wasn’t hard to imagine how much that had cost him.

I lingered on these thoughts for a moment before finally responding.

“If Hilde accepts those terms, then I will gladly approve.”

I wasn’t hoping she would refuse.

This was a compromise set in motion by the First Prince and agreed upon by the Dragon Kingdom’s delegation.

Even if I couldn’t kill Hilde, this would ensure I would never have to see her again.

With this, I could finally return to my real work.

And my fight with those siblings—at last, I could end it.