Casino Wizard

My Next Target: Coboli Casino

This place also functioned as an inn.

Its patrons were mostly foreigners visiting the Kingdom of Alvinia for business or official matters.

Though it had a casino sign hanging outside, it was essentially a lodging establishment.

And quite a large one at that.

“Lodging. Absolutely necessary.”

That was why I marked them as a target for acquisition.

A casino and a hotel had to go together.

I had always known this, but I had never actively pursued it before.

This world didn’t even have the concept of a hotel casino…

Nobles who had heard rumors about casinos outside the royal domain, foreign visitors who came through customer referrals, and even travelers who happened to stumble upon it—all of them handled their own lodging.

But my mindset had changed.

“There’s only so much I can do with just the locals.”

The reason I had been deliberately restricting betting limits and operating hours was that most of my customers lived in the capital.

Some visited once a week.

Others came as frequently as seven days a week, faithfully checking in like it was a second home.

I put a lot of effort into ensuring they could have their fun and then return to their families. Thanks to that, the inns and taverns near my casino were always thriving.

But that approach wouldn’t work anymore.

Choosing Coboli Casino was ultimately about creating new demand.

Of course, I went about this differently than I had with Mario.

“Baron Hyden, I’ve spread some rumors about Coboli Casino.”

“Keep it quiet.”

“Of course. I made sure it was done discreetly. You don’t have to worry about suspicion falling on you.”

First, I let subtle rumors trickle out through Madame Bonucci’s connections.

That the employees at Coboli had sticky fingers.

That while guests were gambling, staff would sneak into their rooms and steal their belongings.

That the casino itself had been set up for this very purpose.

I didn’t even have to fabricate anything.

“There have actually been quite a few thefts there.”

“The only reason it hasn’t been an issue so far is…”

“Because most of their customers are foreigners.”

“Exactly. They were going to leave anyway. And the city guards aren’t going to waste their time catching petty thieves who target outsiders.”

“But if someone makes a fuss, it becomes a problem.”

The people hired through Madame Bonucci’s network frequented Coboli Casino, played games, and casually dropped comments to foreign guests.

“Don’t leave your coin purse in your room. The staff here have sticky fingers.”

Even this alone was enough to deal a major blow to the casino’s revenue.

It’s hard to focus on gambling when you’re worried about getting robbed.

Judging by reports, the gaming floor at Coboli was already looking sparse.

Of course, this alone wasn’t enough to deliver a fatal blow. After all, lodging was their primary business.

“Still, they must be feeling the pressure.”

I was waiting for this exact moment to dangle the bait.

Unlike with Mario, I didn’t send a temptingly naïve beauty to lure them in.

Instead, I presented them with a business proposal that looked entirely legitimate on the surface.

I did it formally and respectfully, with all the proper decorum.

And today, they took the bait.

“Hyden, the owner of Coboli Casino is in your office.”

“The owner himself came?”

“Of course. He couldn’t exactly send a subordinate when dealing with you.”

He was even at my casino without prior notice.

It was a welcome development, but it felt… too easy.

Coboli Casino’s owner was a minor noble of sorts. He had even worked in a merchant guild before.

Unlike Mario, who relied purely on bravado, this man actually understood business.

One might wonder why a businessman would allow his employees to steal from customers, but that was just a sign of the times.

But still…

“Hyden Oppa?”

Lucy’s quiet call snapped me out of my thoughts.

“What?”

“Are you thinking this is going too smoothly?”

“Honestly… yes.”

“But despite that, you don’t think it’ll be a problem, right? Even if they came with ulterior motives, you believe you can figure them out once you meet them. So you’re not going to just send them away.”

Lucy, arms crossed, read my mind perfectly.

I wasn’t sure why she was analyzing my expression so closely, but she was spot on.

Just as she said, I was planning to meet Coboli’s owner.

But Lucy shook her head as if there was no need.

“Don’t doubt it, Oppa.”

“Huh?”

“They really took the bait.”

It didn’t sound like she was just trying to reassure me.

So in the end…

“Lucy, did you do something?”

“Yes.”

She nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I had no intention of scolding her for pulling some tricks behind my back.

We were on the same side, after all.

She probably intervened just enough to speed things along. If anything, I owed her thanks.

“What exactly did you do?”

“The same thing you do.”

“……”

“By now, they’re probably excited about collaborating with our casino. They think it’s an equal partnership… or maybe even a deal that favors them. Until they realize it’s a trap, they’ll be chasing nothing but hope—just like you always set it up.”

Lucy gestured casually toward my office door, as if telling me to just go in and seal the deal.

Something still felt off.

But as she said, business came first.

“Alright.”

“I’ll open the door for you.”

She walked over, opened the door, and stepped aside.

Inside, the owner of Coboli Casino stood up hastily and greeted me with exaggerated courtesy.

Unlike Mario, who had looked hollow and defeated, this man wore a bright expression.

He was clearly eager to win my favor.

“Coboli’s owner? Our dear Baron isn’t that hard to please.”

Lucy grinned at him, gave him a word of advice, and quietly slipped away.

Fine.

Let’s get down to business.

****

The Owner of the Coboli Casino… Just the Coboli Boss.

His last name was Coboli. A man who tried to imitate me by putting his name on his casino’s signboard.

What I proposed to him was a business partnership.

“Boss Coboli, bring customers to my casino.”

It was an agent deal.

An agent—someone who promotes a casino’s business.

Their role was to recruit customers (mainly foreigners), provide them with accommodations and meals, and even arrange transportation. If necessary, they’d handle various errands, too.

Of course, it wasn’t free. They earned a cut from the money their recruited customers lost at the casino.

I didn’t even need to explain the details to Boss Coboli.

“You mean I should bring the foreigners staying at my inn to the Hyden Casino?”

“That’s correct. Of course, you also operate a gambling hall, but…”

“How could we possibly compare to the Hyden Casino? I admit it. My main business has always been the inn anyway. Haha.”

“…….”

“This is quite a brilliant proposal.”

He chuckled awkwardly, admitting that his gambling hall was just a small operation.

It didn’t seem like he was acting this way just because I was a noble.

Boss Coboli was clearly excited about the enormous profits this partnership could bring him.

“Baron Hyden, are you really offering 40 percent?”

“Yes. You’ll receive 40 percent of the amount your recruited customers lose at the casino.”

“Forty percent… Hah.”

Bring the guests staying at your inn to the casino.

You’ll receive 40 percent of the money they lose.

I’ll even designate exclusive tables for the customers you bring.

It was essentially a profit-sharing agreement.

Being able to share profits with my casino—the only major gambling establishment in the kingdom—would be an attractive deal.

He’d believe that as long as he kept bringing in customers, he’d make money.

Of course, I also made sure he understood the risks.

“Boss Coboli, but keep this in mind. If your recruited customers win money, there will be no payout. In fact…”

“I’ll have to cover 40 percent of the losses, correct?”

“Exactly. Though, of course, there are more people who lose than win.”

Profit-sharing was a double-edged sword.

The more money his recruited customers lost, the more he earned.

A regular agent who worked on a 1 percent commission could still make money if their customer played conservatively for 10 hours straight. But someone working under a profit-sharing model had to pray for their customers to go bankrupt as quickly as possible.

Naturally, the risk was higher.

Though people usually lost over time, a lucky streak could still happen. And in that case, 40 percent of the losses would fall on the agent.

With all the money spent on accommodations, meals, and entertainment for the customers, if one of them struck big?

Then life would suddenly get a whole lot harder.

A gamble more dangerous than gambling itself.

If a gambler lost, at least they could get angry. But an agent? They had to grit their teeth and congratulate their customer with a smile.

‘Honestly, this is no job for a sane person.’

Even Boss Coboli, who had been excited about the profits, was now looking a bit nervous. Normally, this would be the critical moment in negotiations…

“Baron Hyden, I understand the risks.”

But for some reason, he was already convinced.

“You do?”

“Miss Lucy explained everything in detail. She warned me that Baron Hyden is no philanthropist, and that this could be a trap.”

“And?”

“I’ve decided to jump into the trap willingly. I can’t afford to let another businessman take this opportunity.”

Boss Coboli laughed as he said that.

I could already guess what kind of setup Lucy had arranged.

She probably hinted that I could partner with any innkeeper, or even outsource to a merchant guild or an adventurer’s guild instead.

She must have created a sense of urgency—if he didn’t take the deal, someone else would.

And knowing her, she wouldn’t have just talked about it—she probably staged a whole performance.

It was exactly my kind of strategy.

Close the door just as they start to hesitate.

Make them chase after the opportunity, even knowing the risk.

Thanks to Lucy handling things on my behalf, this was going to be much easier.

I pretended to think it over for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“Very well, Boss Coboli.”

“Then…!”

“I’ll work with you.”

Boss Coboli’s face lit up as he nodded eagerly.

A 40 percent revenue-sharing agreement for bringing in customers.

At first glance, it seemed like a balanced partnership.

His gambling hall was weak, but he had an inn.

I had a strong casino, but no accommodations.

But in reality, it was a completely one-sided deal.

I would effortlessly attract wealthy customers from foreign lands and the kingdom’s outskirts.

Transportation? That was his responsibility.

I would genuinely share 40 percent of the money his customers lost.

But if they won, 40 percent of that loss would be on him.

He would bear the costs of hospitality.

And when things inevitably went wrong, he’d be the one dealing with the fallout.

Not to mention the stress of hoping his own customers lost money.

I had seen plenty of people in the other world get lured in by profit-sharing deals, only to ruin themselves.

‘Though who knows? He might actually manage it well.’

It didn’t matter. Either way, I was going to profit.

And soon, I’d select a site and build a hotel.

That way, even the lodging profits would be mine alone.

At best, Boss Coboli would eventually become just another subcontractor relying on my casino to survive.

At worst, he’d drown in debt and end up handing his business over to me.

“Let’s sign the contract. Call the notary!”

But before I could bring it up, it was Boss Coboli who eagerly suggested sealing the deal.

“Let’s work well together.”

Unlike Mario, who lost everything he had, Boss Coboli was offering up his entire business infrastructure to serve me.

And he did so with a bright smile, maintaining perfect politeness.

…

The setup was complete.

I had secured both a branch location and a subcontractor to attract foreign customers.

Now, it was time for dividends…

Originally, the profits were meant to be split between Bonucci and Malena.

But now, it seemed like Lucy deserved a cut as well.

“Can I come with you too?”

Unlike the other two, she probably wouldn’t ask for money.