Casino Wizard

“I’ll give everyone 1 silver to celebrate the jackpot!”

“Wow! Sophia, you’re the best!”

It wasn’t just Sophia and her close friends who were captivated by the slot machines.

At the 10-silver corner—

A game room where the chairs were slightly more cushioned and the slot machine cases were gold-colored.

Here, wealthy elderly folks were pulling levers.

“My wrist… it hurts after playing for four hours.”

“Take a short break.”

“You’ve got two hands, don’t you? Just shake with the good one!”

“A handshake?”

Chuckling at how convincing that sounded, the old folks enjoyed their game.

They pulled the lever, slowly looked up to check the images, clicked their tongues in disappointment, and then placed their hands back on the lever again.

Occasionally, they paused the game to exchange jokes.

Naturally, their pace was very slow.

But the casino staff didn’t interfere with how the elders played. They simply waited quietly in the back.

Unlike games like blackjack or baccarat, where one had to be mindful of the dealer or other players, slot machines could be enjoyed alone and comfortably—that was their appeal.

“I’ve actually been to a casino before.”

“This is a casino too.”

“I played something called baccarat… but the younger guys were too aggressive! They kept complaining that I was betting too slowly. Maybe they find that fun, but not me.”

“You’re just old.”

“This is just right.”

Click.

“Oh, grapes.”

“Lucky you.”

“With this, I can keep playing.”

An old man happily celebrated being able to keep playing with his winnings.

His friend, claiming to be jealous, sipped a low-alcohol cocktail.

To them, the slot machine was a sanctuary.

Not too intense,

Not harmful to their heart unless they got too invested,

And thrilling enough to stave off boredom.

“Hey there.”

“Would you like another cocktail?”

“Yes, please!”

Add to that the service from staff who had been trained at the main casino—

Click!

Smiles spread across their wrinkled faces as they enjoyed this warm entertainment.

…

It wasn’t just the elderly; foreigners were also getting into slot machines.

“Is this really that fun?”

“Give it a pull.”

“Feels like a kid’s toy.”

They were merchants from the City Union, visiting on the recommendation of Koboli Casino, which had signed an agency contract with Hyden Casino.

Truthfully, they had only stopped by for a break while trading olives…

But once they tried it, it was hard to stop at just one round.

“Ah… it almost worked!”

“Fun, right? More than you thought?”

“Eh, it’s alright.”

“Shall we head back to the inn then?”

“Just one more round.”

One of the merchants even took note of the business potential of this new gambling device.

“This would work in Kelona too, wouldn’t it?”

“Not just Kelona—this thing would do well anywhere in the City Union.”

“Then who do we negotiate with?”

“Forget it. If you mess with the owner here, you’re screwed.”

“Screwed how?”

“Just trust me—you are.”

But as soon as they learned the casino was owned by Hyden, they gave up immediately.

In the end, the merchants simply pulled the levers with regretful expressions.

A simple gambling game that didn’t even require learning the rules—

Still, it was fun in its own way.

It was the kind of game that naturally appealed to business-minded people.

If there was one problem with these slot machines—

“There are no seats available?”

“You’re number 17 on the waitlist. Sorry.”

“Ugh, guess I won’t get to play today…!”

It was that, due to the soaring popularity, it had become difficult to find a seat.

More and more people were flocking to the second casino.

****

The slot machines caught on faster than I expected.

I was grateful for their popularity, but rapid growth always came with side effects.

“The authorities seem to be on alert already, Oppa.”

Lucy said this as she mentioned that a tax collector had been snooping around the second casino today.

She still gathered information from in and around the business through the staff—just like she used to.

The difference now was that she stood behind me while giving the report, her hands tracing over my shoulders and collarbone.

“The tax collectors?”

“Yes.”

“They’re probably checking whether the number of employees we reported matches the actual number working. They need that to calculate the poll tax.”

“And it’s a great excuse to snoop around too.”

Officials from the tax office.

While it was common in the provinces for tax contractors to be used due to limited administrative resources, that wasn’t the case in the royal capital.

All tax collectors were government officials.

They had the authority to inspect the interior of a business under the pretext of a tax audit.

I didn’t think they came because they suspected me of tax evasion.

They must have sensed something was off. My guess was that the long wait lines were the trigger.

The second casino was located in Trattori District—a residential area.

The main branch was on the outskirts, so a long queue wouldn’t draw much attention. But a casino queue in a neighborhood? That was bound to stand out.

It wasn’t exactly a pleasant sight.

“Are you just going to let it be, Oppa?”

Sometimes, doing nothing wasn’t a bad strategy.

‘After all, the window for regulation already passed once.’

There had been talks of imposing a sin tax on gambling establishments, sparked by Hilde’s lobbying.

Although the proposal was shelved during the review stage, it was clearly an attempt to target me with gambling regulations.

Given the chaos that ensued back then… no one would rashly come at me again.

Until the problem became truly serious, they’d likely just watch from the sidelines—and even if they intervened, it would probably only go as far as issuing a “concern.” Touching me now would also tarnish the reputation of the two royals who recommended me for a title.

“No. I can’t just leave it alone.”

“Then…?”

“Better to act before it blows up. No matter how busy I am.”

Just as the slot machines spread faster than I expected,

The royal family might also feel a sense of crisis about their side effects sooner than I thought.

So making a move before it all boiled over wasn’t a bad idea.

I didn’t need to go in person.

“I’ll make them come to me.”

“And how?”

“Semi-bluffing.”

If I managed to bait someone open to negotiation (probably the princess), great. And if not, I’d still spark a sense of possibility.

Lucy looked like she understood, nodding right away—but then—

“But Oppa.”

“Yeah?”

“You seem even more natural at getting me to do stuff than before… Is it just my imagination?”

“Sorry, but I didn’t make you do anything. You just volunteered for it.”

Hearing that, Lucy stared at me for a moment, then let out a small laugh, admitting I was right.

Not that it was a contest, but it felt like I won that round.

After that, Lucy contacted real estate brokers to quietly inquire about land plots.

One in each district of the capital.

What would people make of that?

They’d probably assume I was planning to open twelve—or even more—casino branches in the capital.

Right now, even if I wanted to, I lacked the funds, so it wasn’t realistic. But it wasn’t a complete fantasy either.

There were plenty of people who’d be willing to lend me the capital if I asked. It wasn’t impossible to imagine the entire kingdom echoing with the click of slot machines.

The higher-ups seemed aware that I could actually pull it off.

“Baron Hyden? Her Highness would like to meet with you soon.”

Not even two days had passed before the princess summoned me.

Rather than demanding my presence immediately, the polite phrasing of “would like to meet” hinted at how seriously they were thinking things through.

“Yes. I will comply with the request.”

Of course, I accepted.

…

The place where I met Princess Beatrice was a royal villa.

The same one where I had once removed tumors from three of the second prince’s aides.

Now, the princess was hosting a small tea party with several nobles.

I met her in that very setting.

She looked at me briefly, then gestured for me to sit separately.

“Would you care to join us?”

“If Your Highness wishes, I will.”

“No need. I’m not exactly enthusiastic about this either. …Actually, yesterday I sparred with a member of the Iron Knights. Won the first match, and feigned a draw in the second. That’s how you gain their favor, apparently.”

Implying she could’ve won both rounds if she wanted. Not trying to boast about her skills, it seemed.

“You’re putting in a lot of effort.”

“Of course. There’s only one piece left.”

“A piece?”

“My father’s concerns. I want to ease them as much as possible before the coronation.”

She seemed to be desperately trying to prove herself worthy of the throne to her father—a king burdened with having to crown his youngest daughter due to a lack of alternatives.

And that, ultimately, was why she had summoned me.

“No one’s taking the slot machines seriously yet.”

“Is that so.”

“His Majesty included. But he may start paying attention soon. To the people who line up in the morning to sit in front of an unfamiliar gambling device… and to you.”

The princess added that it was fortunate to have caught this before it became an issue.

I wondered if she hadn’t realized I’d deliberately lured attention… or if she was just playing along.

Most likely the latter—but either way, it didn’t matter.

“May I ask what your concerns are, exactly?”

“I’m not concerned. I’m just… not sure what I should be concerned about.”

“……”

“Maybe you could tell me?”

The princess asked as she ran her hand through her reddish-blond hair.

She seemed a lot more grounded than when we first met.

The side effects of slot machines weren’t even being publicly discussed yet.

Rather than blindly demanding I restrain myself, she wanted to understand what to watch out for. At the same time, she was indirectly asking, “Did you go into this business knowing the harm it could cause?”

‘Compared to back when she’d cast lie-detecting spells at me without warning… she’s grown.’

I felt a sense of reward for having endured those natural prejudices and cooperating with the truth spells all this time.

Even now, she calmly met my eyes—and even smiled when our gazes met.

I could probably brush things off with a vague excuse here.

But if problems related to the slot machines were to surface later, she would then have grounds to hold me accountable. At that point, she might even propose stricter regulations.

I had no intention of standing by and letting that happen.

“Now that I’ve heard Your Highness’s thoughts… I do realize there are some issues. I admit I didn’t think it through enough.”

“Is that so?”

I had decided to be the one to define how the slot machines would be regulated.

It wasn’t just about reducing the side effects.

This was also an opportunity to kick away the ladder behind me.

So that no copycats could emerge anytime soon.

So that I, if not forever, could remain the sole operator of the slot machine business for a very long time.

“If I may, I have a few words I’d like to offer.”

It was a necessary step if I wanted to dominate the kingdom’s gambling market on my own.