"The third son of the Valdek family came to our gambling den?"
"Yes, Boss."
"Pwahaha! That 'Deer Prince' is finally getting his hands dirty with gambling!"
Hugo burst into a jovial laugh at his subordinate's report.
Noble customers weren't rare, but this wasn't just some knight—it was the son of a Grand Duke.
"I bet he brought a hefty purse with him."
"The moment he walked in, he pulled out his coin pouch. It looked like he was determined to make a real night of it."
"I doubt he's ever held a card properly in his life. He's got big dreams, I'll give him that."
Hugo clicked his tongue, a smirk twisting his lips.
This was exactly why he disliked noble brats. They grew up getting everything they wanted in their bedrooms, so they assumed the rest of the world would bend to their will just as easily.
It would be fun to let him experience the harsh reality of the world, but extracting the maximum profit required patience.
"Just run a light con on him today and send him on his way. You know better than to skin him alive on the first day, right?"
"Of course, Boss. I'll send him home with a bit of pocket change left."
"Don't forget to season it properly. He needs to win by a hair so he thinks it's his own skill."
"Naturally. I'll make sure the performance is top-notch."
To make someone fall into the trap of gambling, you had to let them taste the thrill of winning first.
The plan was to lose to him moderately at first, dragging him into the swamp of addiction. After a few wins, he'd become arrogant, and then they would slowly start winning back, provoking his competitive streak.
After about a month of this push and pull, he'd be so deep he wouldn't be able to escape even if he wanted to.
"It won't take long for the 'Deer Prince' to turn into a 'Mangy Mutt.' The Grand Duke must be worried sick. To think a sixteen-year-old son would turn out like that."
Hugo chuckled coldly, stroking his chin.
Since an unexpected card had fallen into his hands, he was contemplating how best to play it.
The Grand Duke had already half-given up on his third son anyway. If they saddled him with a decent amount of gambling debt, the boy would do whatever they told him out of fear of his father finding out.
'If I play this right, I won't just get my money back—I'll make a fortune. I was just starting to need a collaborator inside the Grand Ducal House.'
But as he'd said, if he got too greedy, the prey would get spooked and bolt. It was important to take his time and slowly drag him into the mire. About three months of careful work should do it.
The only question was when to play this trump card.
"B-Boss."
Hugo frowned at the voice of his subordinate breaking his reverie.
"It's only been a few hours since your report. Why are you back already?"
"About that... the Deer Prince I mentioned earlier..."
"What about him? Is there a problem?"
"It's more than just a problem. The Deer Prince is currently cleaning out the entire den."
"What?"
Hugo tilted his head, wondering if he'd misheard.
The subordinate confirmed it with a tearful face.
"That young master's gambling skills are no joke. Forget running a con—our professional gamblers can't beat him even when they're trying their hardest. What do we do?"
"...!"
*
The gambler felt as if he were possessed by a demon.
How could things turn out like this? No, was this even possible in the first place?
Clinging to his fraying sanity, the gambler gritted his teeth and spoke.
"I-It's a Crimson Rose."
"I have a Crimson Rose as well."
Unlike the trembling gambler, Lucian laid his cards down with ease. His attitude was incredibly relaxed, as if the thought of losing hadn't even crossed his mind.
"It's my win. Our hands are the same, but my card numbers are slightly higher."
"...."
At those words, the gambler squeezed his eyes shut.
This was already the fifth time Lucian had revealed the exact same hand as him. And each time, he won by a tiny margin in the numbers.
It would be one thing if he played a higher hand, but to mock his opponent by matching the hand every single time? Even after decades of rolling around in gambling dens, he had never seen anything like it.
"I... I lose."
"You're quitting already? I was just starting to have fun."
Lucian smacked his lips and swept up the chips. The mountain of chips, already massive, grew even higher.
The other gamblers nearby swallowed hard at the unprecedented sight.
"Good god, look at all that."
"What else would it be? Those are all the chips that young master won. I didn't know they could even stack that high."
"What kind of magic is he using? Is it just sleight of hand?"
"I was watching from right next to him and I couldn't see a thing."
"They call him the Deer Prince, but he's a total shark."
Eric, the manager of the gambling den, scowled at the murmurs of the crowd. What a disgrace to be humiliated like this by a green young master.
Grinding his teeth, Eric grabbed the slumped gambler by the collar and dragged him into a corner.
"You crazy bastard! What do you mean, 'I lose'? Get back out there and win back what you lost!"
"It's impossible. That young master is a level above me. What do you want me to do?"
"Do you want to die? Do you think your hands will stay attached if you back down now?"
"You can cut off my arms for all I care. I'd rather lose my arms now than lose more and have my head taken later."
No matter how much he threatened, the gambler remained limp, leaving Eric in a state of near-madness.
He had contacted Hugo, but since they had lost this much, he wouldn't be able to escape responsibility either. He had to recover at least some of the lost funds before Hugo arrived.
"Pathetic wretch."
"B-Boss!"
However, Hugo's arrival was faster than Eric had anticipated.
Hugo clicked his tongue as he looked at the pile of chips, which was even larger than reported.
"Well done. I trust you with the place and this is what I get? Are you trying to bankrupt the organization?"
"Boss, it's not that..."
"Shut up and get lost. I was the idiot for trusting you."
At the cold voice, Eric closed his eyes and backed away. Still, it was a relief that Hugo had arrived before they lost even more. If it was Hugo, he would be able to make that brat spit back every coin he'd swallowed, no matter what tricks he used.
*
Hans stared blankly, looking back and forth between the pile of chips and Lucian.
Instead of being fleeced, Lucian had completely fleeced the house. He had no idea his young master had such a talent.
"Young Master, did you really use magic?"
"Magic? No. It's just technique."
"And where exactly did you learn gambling techniques?"
"Oh, here and there. Just happened."
Lucian brushed off Hans's question while fiddling with the cards.
In truth, it was a skill he had learned in his past life after saving a one-armed knight. Despite looking like a veteran hero, the knight had been a timid coward, but his gambling skills were world-class.
However, he had been too overconfident in his skills and joined a high-stakes game with high-ranking nobles, only to be caught and have his arm severed. He usually claimed he lost it in a duel with a worthy rival, so Lucian had been quite dumbfounded when the man finally told him the truth.
'Still, he was a decent fellow. All for the sake of gambling, though.'
"Young Master, may I have a moment of your time?"
A heavy voice reached Lucian's ears as he wore a bitter smile.
Turning his head, he saw a muscular man who stood a full head taller than the others. Lucian smiled at the sight of the impressive scar running from the man's eye to below his lip.
'Finally, he's here.'
Black Shark Hugo.
He started as a back-alley thug but would later become the man who controlled the underworld of five territories. When the age of chaos arrived, he would declare himself a Baron and establish himself as one of the major warlords.
Because of his origins, he faced constant contempt and disregard, but he was equally famous for his extraordinary resourcefulness. The fact that he maintained his power until the day Lucian died proved the rumors weren't hollow.
Hugo stared at the mountain of chips for a moment, his scar twitching, before leaning in to whisper to Lucian.
"You seem to have incredible skill. Why waste your time in a small game like this? Why not move to a bigger table?"
"A bigger table?"
"We have a separate floor upstairs for our VIPs. Up there, the amount of money moving in a single round is equal to all the chips you've gathered here."
"Oho."
Lucian's eyes sparkled with feigned interest.
Seeing that reaction, Hugo smirked, then quickly shook his head with a look of regret.
"Ah... my apologies. On second thought, that won't do."
"What? You lure me in and then suddenly change your tune?"
"The stakes are higher upstairs, but the skill of the players is also on another level. This den exists for the enjoyment of our guests, so it's best not to do anything that might ruin the mood."
"You think I'll lose? Me, Lucian Valdek? You say that even after seeing this pile of chips!"
"I didn't mean it like that. My apologies if you misunderstood."
"Insolent fool! Lead the way this instant! I don't care if they're VIPs or whatever, I'll show them my skills!"
As Lucian stood up, pretending to be offended, Hugo nodded with a troubled expression.
"If that is what the Young Master desires, I have no choice. However, please understand that we cannot refund any losses."
"Do you think I'm so pathetic that I'd ask for a refund? Stop worrying about useless things and just lead the way!"
"My apologies. I will guide you immediately, so please calm your anger."
Hugo turned his back, acting flustered. But he couldn't hide the smile that formed on his lips for a brief second.
Lucian chuckled inwardly.
'Even the Black Shark Hugo was just a fledgling in his younger days.'
In other words, he was still someone Lucian could manipulate.
Once again, Lucian realized what it meant to have returned to the past. No matter how much potential someone had, if they were still an unsprouted bud, he could embrace them or crush them as he pleased.
The first test would be the Black Shark standing before him.
*
Leaving Hans to wait below, Lucian ascended to the third floor.
It was clearly reserved for special clients, decorated far more luxuriously than the first floor.
As he entered the room, three people already in the middle of a game blinked at the sight of him.
"What's this? A newcomer?"
"He looks far too young."
"Hugo, where did you find this brat?"
"Watch your tongue. This is Young Master Lucian, the third son of Grand Duke Valdek."
"Gasp! My apologies...!"
At Hugo's words, the others scrambled to their feet and bowed. They proceeded to introduce themselves. Two were heirs to large merchant groups, and the other was the second son of a Viscount.
Lucian scoffed inwardly as he listened to their introductions.
'What a load of crap. Even for a rushed setup, this is lazy.'
This territory wasn't that large in terms of its entertainment district, unlike the glamorous capital. The heir of a merchant group or the second son of a Viscount would go somewhere much more decadent to play.
It was obvious all three were Hugo's subordinates in disguise. They likely didn't put much effort into the backstory because they saw Lucian as a naive noble who knew nothing of the world.
Lucian joined the remaining seat, pretending to be fooled.
"Well, since we have a new guest, let's start a fresh round."
"I'll act as the dealer as usual. But before that..."
Hugo smirked and flicked the cards with his fingers. As he did, a faint trace of mana scattered into the air.
"Let's make sure there's no cheating. A game is only fun when it's fair and square, wouldn't you agree?"
'As I thought, he noticed.'
The reason Lucian had been winning so easily downstairs was due to cheating using mana. It was a technique that involved leaving slightly different traces of mana on each card and combining it with sleight of hand.
Against ordinary people who couldn't see mana, it was as good as being invincible, but it was useless against someone who could detect mana through circulation.
Lucian already knew this, but he widened his eyes, intentionally acting surprised.
"Then, let us begin! Dealing the cards!"
Hugo, satisfied with Lucian's reaction, began the game.
Naturally, the result was a consecutive string of losses. Without his tricks, there was no way he could win against professional gamblers. It took less than thirty minutes for Lucian to lose all the chips he had won.
"Dammit! This makes no sense! One more round!"
"Young Master, you've run out of chips."
"I heard that if you run out of chips, you can borrow more."
When Lucian asked while glancing around nervously, Hugo smirked. These were the words he had been waiting for.
"Of course you can. How much would you like to borrow?"
"The maximum! Everything you can lend me!"
"Hahaha! You certainly are bold! Here you go!"
What a stupid young master.
The situation was going so smoothly that Hugo could hardly contain his laughter. The boy probably thought he could win it all back in one go, but all he would end up with was a debt that a noble's allowance could never cover.
With that thought, Hugo dealt the cards again.
When it finally came time to reveal the last hand, Lucian hesitated significantly.
"Young Master, what is the matter? Please reveal your hand."
"No, it's just... the hand isn't very good..."
"Good or bad, you have to show your cards for the game to continue. Surely you aren't thinking of pretending this round never happened?"
"Do you really have to see it?"
"If the Young Master wishes to end it as a forfeit, that is fine by me."
"Sigh! I suppose it can't be helped. This is my hand."
At Hugo's urging, Lucian sighed and laid down his cards. It was a complete bust, not even a pair. Just as Hugo was about to burst into laughter again—
"By the way, how is your drug business going? I heard you've been working hard in the basement lately. When do you plan to start the full-scale distribution?"
"...Pardon?"
Hugo blinked at the casual tone, as if Lucian were asking what he'd had for breakfast.
Looking at the stunned Hugo, Lucian spoke lightly.
"You were commissioned by the House of Roglan, weren't you? They asked you to stir up our territory with drug trafficking. That Marquis really is petty. To think a man of his rank would resort to such underhanded tactics."
"...!"
"Anyway, you're quite impressive yourself, setting up a manufacturing plant in the neighboring territory with that hefty subsidy they gave you. If you get caught, every family in the region will tear you limb from limb. Hahaha!"
While Lucian's laughter rang out, the four men, including Hugo, froze in place.
The moment the rabbit they thought they had caught turned into a grim reaper had arrived.