Casino Wizard

“The prince didn’t order me! Really…!”

The desperate cries of the half-elf echoed throughout the casino.

In the midst of the chaos that had transformed the main gaming hall into a living hell, the second prince, Stefano, clung to the last shreds of his composure.

Stay calm… I have to stay calm.

He muttered the mantra endlessly in his head.

It’s nothing. I was merely deceived for a moment. I just need to express some mild regret… No, no regret. Show displeasure instead, and leave with dignity. Then calmly plan my next move.

But no matter how he calculated, there seemed to be no way out. Leaving now was, frankly, out of the question.

“Your Highness, the Second Prince. Have I made myself clear?”

That accursed voice of the magician echoed once more.

The second prince belatedly realized he had been avoiding eye contact. Slowly, he raised his head.

The magician, Hyden, was gazing at him with a look of pity.

This is all because of that scum.

Hyden of the Pierrot Party.

Now known as a casino wizard, but once nicknamed “The Bastard of Mantova” during his hero party days.

The kingdom was rife with bastards, yet Hyden earned this particular moniker for a reason.

His father was the late Viscount Mantova—a notorious libertine. A man who seemed to believe it his mission to seduce and bed women, sowing his seed wherever he pleased. Unfortunately, his striking looks and wealth made it all too easy.

The issue was the sheer number of illegitimate children he left in his wake. Not one was ever claimed or cared for.

Among the many offspring of this scandalous legacy were those dubbed “Mantova’s Bastards.” Unsurprisingly, a disproportionate number turned out to be criminals or troublemakers.

And one of them became a magician for the hero party.

Even now, Hyden seemed perfectly suited to the Pierrot Party—an individual worthy of scorn, perhaps even destined for it.

Had he been an archmage, that might have been excusable. But no—his skills were mediocre at best.

And now, this man dared to humiliate royalty? Even tearing him to pieces wouldn’t suffice to quell the outrage.

“Your Highness, may I ask once again: has my innocence been proven?”

Innocence? What innocence?

Stefano opened his mouth, struggling to formulate a rebuke.

“You…”

“Yes, Your Highness. Please, speak your will.”

For some reason, no words came to mind.

As the second prince hesitated, the magician seized the opportunity to tighten the noose. He even dared to look at the prince with apparent sympathy.

“The request for an investigation, which I asked Captain Jerome of the City Guard’s Third Division… Yes, I did send such a letter. But that was done with the kingdom’s best interests at heart. I merely wanted to ensure that someone like Selena, known for loose lips, hadn’t spread nonsense to her acquaintances.”

“That’s not the—”

“Indeed, Your Highness.”

The prince wanted to shout for him to shut up.

But he restrained himself.

Yelling, or forcibly silencing Hyden now, would only worsen the situation.

There were too many witnesses. The blasted casino was always teeming with people.

“Your Highness, had you summoned me discreetly to inquire about Selena, I would have reported honestly. Why wouldn’t I? Though you may resent me because of the casino, I am still a loyal citizen of the Kingdom of Alvinia.”

“…”

“Yet, instead of giving me a chance to explain, Your Highness stormed in with soldiers. Why… why did you go to such lengths? I only sought to protect your honor.”

Hyden’s voice wavered as though on the brink of tears.

Disgusting as it was, the second prince no longer had the strength to argue.

He wanted only to escape the casino.

But there was still no exit.

Fleeing now, after mobilizing the city guard and bringing along both a bishop and a circuit court judge acting under the king’s authority, would be politically disastrous. It might even spell his complete downfall.

But what am I supposed to do?

As despair consumed him, Stefano’s gaze landed on Selena—the half-elf.

A vagabond adventurer who, at fifty years old, was still scraping by at the lowest ranks.

Though it was the prince’s first time seeing her in person, he could easily guess why her life had turned out this way.

Yet there she was, trembling in fear like a leaf. She was clearly a coward by nature.

Yes. That’s it.

A faint glimmer of resolve returned to Stefano’s eyes. He lashed out, kicking Selena in the side.

“Gah…!?”

The half-elf turned to him, her face a mix of pain and shock.

Stefano stomped on her wrist and snarled.

“Tell the truth.”

“Wh-what?”

“Don’t play dumb. You conspired with that magician, didn’t you? He either threatened or bribed you to deceive me, to—!”

His words faltered, his agitation evident.

Stefano glared at Selena, his gaze a silent demand for compliance.

Speak. Now.

He banked everything on one hope: his royal status.

Even a mongrel like her should know better than to side against the blood of kings. Surely, even someone at rock bottom would have that much sense.

If he willed it, he could easily dispose of a mere adventurer.

The irony of threatening the very woman whose alleged murder he had come to disprove wasn’t lost on him, but he no longer cared.

“Hurry up and speak…!”

Stefano pressed down harder on her wrist, his impatience growing.

But his effort only backfired.

Selena’s response shattered his expectations.

“You’re the one… threatening me right now, Your Highness.”

“What?”

“Ahh…! I already told you—it wasn’t your order. So why… why are you doing this?”

“You insolent—!”

Stefano raised a hand to strike the half-elf.

“Stop, Your Highness!”

“Your Highness, please!”

His attendants and guards rushed to restrain him.

Both had pale faces; the attendant looked ready to cry.

For a moment, Stefano stared at them, his expression hardening.

“Please, compose yourself. There are too many witnesses.”

“Ah…”

The prince slowly turned his head, finally noticing the crowd.

He had been so consumed by panic that he momentarily forgot about the onlookers.

The casino’s patrons stood packed together, their gazes filled with disdain or fear.

Among them, the expressions of the VIPs were especially damning.

For the first time in his life, Stefano experienced humiliation unlike anything he had ever imagined.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

Stefano Emanuele felt his vision blur as his arms fell limp.

****

The prince remained frozen in place as if cursed, standing lifeless in the casino.

The occasional twitch of his lips and his pale complexion were the only signs he was still alive.

After making a spectacle of himself, despite having arrived with soldiers and clerics, his disgrace was complete.

Though he likely wouldn’t face charges due to his royal blood, his reputation was undoubtedly ruined.

This wasn’t the end of my plans, of course, but for now, I decided to wrap things up.

“Your Grace, the Bishop.”

I approached the bishop, who had been standing awkwardly in the background.

Unsurprisingly, he looked bewildered.

“I… I only…”

“Yes, I understand. The second prince must have insisted on your accompaniment. You weren’t here to conduct a formal inquisition under canon law, were you?”

A subtle ultimatum: If you want to avoid being dragged into this mess, distance yourself now.

Fortunately, the bishop was quicker on the uptake than the prince.

“Indeed, you’re right, Master Hyden.”

“So, you were dragged into this against your will?”

“Precisely. His Highness gave no detailed explanation and summoned me abruptly. I had no idea it would turn into… this. Let me make it clear—I am not here in my capacity as an inquisitor for the Marzanti Diocese.”

“I see. Understood.”

With that, the bishop neatly severed ties with Stefano.

Though some of the prince’s aides glared at him in disbelief, the bishop remained unmoved.

He, too, must have realized that siding with the prince now would only lead to his ruin—and that the prince’s actions had already alienated any potential support from the Church.

The bishop’s response left no room for doubt.

“With this, I believe my innocence has been thoroughly proven. I am guilty of neither murder nor heresy.”

“Indeed.”

“I ask for permission to return to my livelihood.”

“…That’s not for me to decide.”

“His Highness seems incapable of making sound judgments at the moment. Perhaps his attendants could escort him out?”

It was a polite yet firm dismissal: Take the prince and leave.

No one objected.

“Let us depart. Escort His Highness.”

With that, I was officially exonerated.

Of course, this incident would undoubtedly bring a storm of repercussions.

But as I watched the prince and his entourage slowly retreat from the casino, I felt a grim satisfaction.

The battle wasn’t over yet.

He may have started this fight, but he doesn’t get to decide how it ends.

“I have to see it through to the end. Even if the odds of recovery are slim.”

To truly finish the job, I had to cut off his lifeline completely.