Casino Wizard

A week had passed since the prototype was released.

As a test, I inserted a coin into the machine. 1 Bronze.

Clank!

With the sound of the lock disengaging, the lever twitched slightly.

I had ten chances.

I could pull this lever attached to the side of the slot machine ten times.

After ten pulls, it would lock again.

There was no automated payout system—that was the staff’s job.

Still, I thought it looked quite well-made.

A rectangular case with a long lever attached to its side.

The key was that players had to physically pull the lever themselves.

It maximized anticipation for variable rewards,

and it gave the illusion that players could control the timing of the lever pull. If someone had the dynamic vision of a dragon, they might think they had an advantage—but even that could be easily countered.

Of course, the lever was an intentional design choice.

Pressing a button repeatedly was far less engaging than the tactile satisfaction of pulling a lever, making it easier to immerse players.

Pull it once, then again, and again, and before they knew it, their money would be gone.

“One-armed bandit.”

That was another name for a slot machine.

“The design looks good enough… Alright.”

I pulled the lever downward.

The three reels started spinning simultaneously.

Not too fast, not too slow.

I could see the symbols rotating.

7, bell, cherry, plum, grapes—and the skull that symbolized a complete miss.

The game I was testing was a three-reel version, but there was also a four-reel version. The odds were lower, but the payouts were higher.

Click!

The result: cherry, cherry… plum.

Three cherries would have given double the payout, but it narrowly missed.

Or rather, it was designed to look like a near-miss—such was the deceptive nature of slot machines.

Nine chances remained.

I continued without stopping until all my chances were used up.

Clank, click. Clank, click.

The results…

“All losses?”

“Yeah.”

“Still, there were a few close calls. Two cherries once, two grapes once.”

“And it was only 1 Bronze.”

1 Bronze.

At most casino card tables, that amount was barely enough for a single minimum bet before sitting idly.

But with a slot machine, you could play ten times.

Even 1 Bronze meant you could play for a little while.

Watching the symbols spin mindlessly.

Building anticipation for a win.

Losing all ten chances might be disappointing… but inserting just 1 more Bronze would grant another opportunity. Even landing a cherry or a plum would at least allow someone to stay in the game for a bit longer.

The 1 Bronze machine was obviously an entry-level model.

From a business perspective, it wasn’t particularly profitable, but placing these low-cost machines was necessary to lower the barrier to entry.

Everyone had to be able to play.

Of course, machines for those who got hooked were also prepared.

1 Silver machines, 10 Silver machines—each with different casing colors.

The reels varied slightly depending on the machine.

Some had low payout rates but frequent minor wins,

while others had higher payout rates but offered smaller, more consistent rewards.

These subtle differences weren’t noticeable in just a few hours of play, but they were essential for maintaining engagement.

Now, it was time to introduce these machines to the customers.

“Shall we get ready?”

Instead of answering, I slowly got up and looked around the empty hall.

Rows of slot machines stretched out before me.

This was the building where I had acquired ‘Tantonia’s Dice’ from Mario.

It would soon become the second casino.

Originally, this place had been a gambling hall and tavern, but all the tavern tables had been removed, replaced by slot machines. Many of the card tables had been removed as well.

Only a few baccarat, blackjack, and hold’em tables remained.

The main attraction of this branch was slot machines.

“Alright. Prepare for the grand opening.”

The branch opening was now just a week away.

It was still silent, but soon the clicks and clanks would fill the air.

Day and night.

Relentlessly.

****

A plump woman in her 30s with plain features, Sophia Bonaito was a full-time housewife living in the Tratori district of the capital.

Her daily life was nothing short of miserable.

And a large part of that was because of her husband.

“Hey. Going grocery shopping?”

“…….”

“Answer me.”

“Yes, honey. I’m going to the market.”

“Don’t come back. Just live there forever. I’m begging you.”

Her husband’s cold voice stung.

Sophia let out a sigh as she gathered her shopping bag.

Her husband hadn’t always been like this.

He was the quartermaster of the Iron Hawk Knights, one of the two great knight orders with command authority under the royal family. He wasn’t incredibly wealthy, but his salary was enough to maintain a middle-class life in the capital. His personality had been unremarkable but decent.

But at some point, he had started growing distant.

And she was the one who had caused it.

“Since you’re leaving, just stay out. I don’t want to see your face.”

“Honey, but still, saying something like that—”

“Think about what you did!”

The truth was, Sophia had lied to marry her husband.

She had told him she had inherited some land.

But once he found out she had nothing, the issue spiraled.

In trying to cover up her initial lie, she had spun more lies, and eventually, she lost her husband’s trust entirely… Now, their marriage was at rock bottom.

“I’m heading out.”

How much longer would this go on? These days, her husband had even cut back on her allowance, and she had to rely on support from her family.

There was no joy in her life.

Fortunately, today, she had found a tiny bit of solace.

Pomegranates—her husband’s favorite—were cheaper than usual.

Thanks to that, she had three bronze coins left over.

It was pitiful that such a small amount of money could be considered a comfort, but if she kept saving little by little, she could gather a decent sum. Maybe she could even have a nice meal with friends.

“Haa…”

Sophia sighed as she trudged home with her groceries.

Life was so empty.

Why had she even gotten married?

And why was he still holding a grudge after all these years?

As she muttered to herself, a sign suddenly caught her eye.

[Hyden Casino]

“Isn’t that the one from the Majanti district?”

Sophia was familiar with casinos.

She had even tagged along with her neighbors once to watch them gamble.

A thriving business like that wouldn’t suddenly downsize and relocate, so why was it here? Wasn’t this place originally a bar where thugs used to hang out?

Fortunately, her curiosity was soon answered.

“Grand opening of the second Hyden Casino! We hope you enjoy!”

Second casino?

“Ten plays for one bronze! Feel free to try it out!”

Ten plays? Of what?

As Sophia hesitated in confusion, an announcement about free wine for the grand opening caught her attention.

Now that she thought about it, it had been quite a while since she last had wine…

It wasn’t like she was blinded by the freebie, but taking a short break didn’t seem like a bad idea. She wasn’t in a hurry to go home anyway.

Alright. Just a quick look.

Sophia followed the staff inside.

This place used to echo with the shouts of drunkards and the sounds of brawls.

But now, the interior had changed drastically.

The thuggish figures were gone, and the grotesque decorations on the walls—like the stuffed heads of magical beasts—had disappeared.

Even someone as unfamiliar with gambling as Sophia could tell that effort had been put into remodeling the place.

But it wasn’t quite like the casinos she had seen before.

“What’s that?”

“That’s a slot machine. You can also call it a 777 machine.”

“777?”

“You can choose to play in the one bronze, one silver, or ten silver section. Insert your money into the slot, and you’ll get ten chances. Then, just pull the lever down, and the reels will start spinning—”

As she listened, she started to understand.

But… could this really be considered gambling?

There wasn’t even a dealer—just a machine and a lone chair in front of it.

The chair didn’t look cheap; it seemed somewhat comfortable. There was even a small side table where she could place a drink.

‘So I just sit and pull a lever?’

How was this even a game?

Sophia started to feel like coming in was a mistake.

After all, she had only stopped by to avoid going home. She had no interest in gambling.

Even when her husband occasionally invited his colleagues over to play poker, she had only watched. To be honest, she didn’t even know the rules.

But now that she was here, walking out immediately felt a bit awkward.

“Alright, I’ll try just once.”

“Ten plays for one bronze.”

“…Then just ten times.”

Sophia set down her shopping bag, which held pomegranates and bread, before taking a seat.

It wasn’t difficult.

She inserted a slightly worn bronze coin.

Clank.

A strange sound echoed as she awkwardly grasped the conveniently positioned lever.

It felt like shaking hands with someone. She waited, expecting some kind of signal.

But no one told her when to pull.

‘So I have to decide myself.’

So, I just pull whenever I want? What if I just sit here and never pull?

How pointless and lazy.

Sophia let out a short laugh before pulling the lever with slight force.

Click. Whirrrrr—

“Huh?”

Symbols, patterns, and images spun wildly in front of her.

There was the number 7, pictures of what seemed to be plums, cherries, and grapes, as well as a skull and a bell.

She wasn’t sure what they meant, so she looked around.

“Ma’am, there’s a payout chart over there.”

“Oh. Right. So I have to match three in a row?”

“Yes.”

777 was the highest prize, and any skull meant an automatic loss.

Sophia glanced at the payout chart absentmindedly before looking back at the spinning reels.

The result: skull, cherry, plum.

What the heck.

Scoffing, she pulled the lever again.

Plum, plum, 7.

“At least I got a 7.”

Another pull. Skull, bell, plum.

Sophia clicked her tongue and immediately pulled again.

It felt so meaningless.

It was just picture matching—how was this a game? It was ridiculous.

Ridiculous, yet…

She couldn’t look away.

“7, bell, skull? Why are the bell and 7 showing up now!”

She started feeling a little strange.

Both 7 and the bell were good symbols. If only they lined up—if only she got three in a row—it would be a jackpot. It was just a little frustrating.

Not a lot. Just a little.

“This time for sure!”

Whirrrrr—

“Two plums. The last one is a cherry, but the symbol above it was a plum, so I barely missed it. Ugh. Again.”

Click.

“Again.”

Bell, bell, cherry.

So close.

Cherry, skull, skull.

What the hell?

Grape, bell, skull.

What kind of cursed combination was this?

Chuckling, she kept pulling.

At some point, an old man and a young boy sat on either side of her, pulling their own levers while smirking just as she had earlier.

Seeing them made her feel at ease.

‘Right. It’s just for fun.’

So… wouldn’t it be okay to play a little longer?

Sophia hesitated, then inserted a second coin.

And began pulling the lever again.

It was just one bronze—just one bronze.

It was such a small amount. She would only play a few more rounds.

She would just match some pictures and then go home. She still had to cook dinner for her husband.

“Agh! That was so close!”

It was just a way to pass the time.