CHAPTER 66………………………………
Infiltration (6)
“It’s plain as day, and yet I still don’t understand. How could no one stop him even after he pulled something like this?”
The brazen mage’s voice rang out across the hall.
Naturally, an uproar followed.
“Wait a minute. Are you saying that the baron cheated?”
“I knew it! My money! Give me my money back!”
“What are you all babbling about?! How could I possibly cheat here? Didn’t you all go through inspection before entering?!”
“Who cares! You’re all clearly in on it! Hand over my money already!”
Though Lowell hadn’t yet explained how exactly the baron had cheated, his loud accusation in front of the crowd had its effect. People began to murmur, stirred by doubts they’d already been harboring.
Of course, there are people whose skills can influence gambling beyond mere luck. But someone like Baron Lycanthrope, with such consistent and overwhelming success, was rare—no matter how talented they were.
And since he was nowhere near a “genius,” it was easy for people to recall his earlier clumsy days at the tables and pile their suspicions higher.
“Could it be true? I mean, I always thought it didn’t make sense…”
“If he really were a swindler, surely someone would have exposed him by now. But nothing’s ever been proven, right?”
He’d gotten too confident. But since Lowell hadn’t yet stated his evidence outright, the baron still had a bit of room to maneuver. No player would just stand there and let someone deny their victory to their face.
Letting out a derisive laugh, the baron raised his voice so loudly that everyone could hear.
“Never seen you before, boy. Some greenhorn who doesn’t even know the rules dares to challenge me? Ridiculous!”
“Maybe I’m new here, but I’ve met plenty of people like you before. Using tricks so blatantly—if you’re going to cheat, at least do it well. You don’t even have the brains for that.”
“Ha! Nonsense! You’re accusing me based on nothing but my win rate?! How did you even get in here? Do you think you can cause a scene like this without a shred of proof and just walk away?”
“How? I was invited. By none other than Lord Rio Felix, the master of that merchant guild over there.”
Lowell replied without even blinking. The moment the name left his mouth, the baron—who’d been puffing himself up—slightly hunched his back and glanced around with narrowed eyes.
“…Ha.”
And at once, everyone’s eyes turned toward Rio.
He looked momentarily surprised, then smiled politely and nodded to the onlookers as if nothing were amiss.
Wasn’t he supposed to stay unnoticed? What on earth is he doing?!
Temia screamed internally. His calm, detached demeanor made him seem like an uninvolved bystander who’d been accidentally dragged into the fray.
He’s the one who hired us to expose this, yet he’s pretending to be a bystander?
But then, his intention became clear. At the very least, in terms of acting, he was far more skilled.
“Sigh…”
Fortunately, the crowd’s attention soon drifted away again—thanks to Lowell, who was still standing front and center, firing off accusations with no real evidence.
“What could you possibly gain from playing like that?”
“What? It was a fair bet! Are you just lashing out because you lost money?”
“Hardly. It’s just a pity—you’re one of the clumsiest con men I’ve seen. Your tricks are so obvious.”
“You’re the one spouting nonsense without proof! Hey, what’s the house doing? Get this insolent brat out of here!”
His provocations weren’t especially clever, but Lowell had a gift for getting under people’s skin. The baron’s composure began to crumble as anger overtook him.
Normally, servants of the Calis Land casino or the supervising staff would have stepped in to calm things down, but strangely, no one interfered. No doubt Duke Widrow’s influence was behind it. And beyond that—everyone’s attention was glued to this commotion.
“Small quarrels happen all the time, but it’s been ages since one got this heated.”
“Maybe he’s got something up his sleeve. He’s far too confident. Or maybe he really did lose a lot of money.”
“Well, it’s quite the spectacle either way. That handsome face only makes it more entertaining, don’t you think?”
A strikingly handsome man loudly arguing—how could it not draw attention? Even the dealers and gamblers had paused their games to watch Lowell and the baron.
They, like Rio, were simply enjoying the show. After all, gossip was as delightful as gambling itself.
Feeling annoyed by their stares, Temia muttered to Rio under her breath.
“So that’s it. This baron must be someone the Calis Land staff couldn’t touch directly.”
“Oh? Why do you think so? He’s only a baron—hardly powerful or wealthy. Someone like Duke Widrow could crush him easily.”
“It’s not about him. It’s about the duke. He needed someone else to reveal the cheating for him. If the hosts made the accusation themselves, the casino’s reputation would plummet.”
Temia shot Rio a sharp look. Rio didn’t deny it—he just smiled faintly.
Then, sensing it was time to step back, he casually led her away from the crowd. When they reached a quieter corner, he finally spoke again.
“Sharp as ever. But there’s more to it. The casino’s detection magic can’t identify the baron’s trick. Without physical evidence, all we have is suspicion.”
“Then… you’re saying that baron is using magic so advanced even Calis Land’s mages can’t detect it?!”
“The mages here are skilled, yes, but not omniscient. Remember how your summoner’s creature went unnoticed by the detectors? The same applies here.”
“Ah…!”
“The baron’s spell wasn’t detected by anyone. That’s why we needed someone who could see it, someone who could analyze it, and finally…”
He paused before continuing.
“…someone who could track it. If the caster’s that powerful, they’ll sense any magical disturbance immediately. So we needed an ally without mana, completely cooperative—and absolutely trustworthy.”
“…?”
“I’m sorry for calling you in such a rush, but I hope you’ll understand—it’s not easy to find someone who fits that description.”
Rio’s eyes locked onto Temia as he spoke. Her mind raced to process everything he’d just said. Then, realizing what he meant, her eyes widened.
“W-wait, you mean you want me to be that ally?! Not just Lowell, but me too?!”
“Exactly. There’s a reason I specifically asked him to bring his assistant. It wasn’t just curiosity. So… relax, Mage.”
Before she could respond, Lowell suddenly appeared between them. He looked unimpressed, glancing suspiciously between Rio and Temia.
Without hesitation, he stepped in front of Rio and turned to his assistant.
“What’s with that face, Temia?”
“Y-you—you’re crazy! How could you rush into that crowd without saying a word?!”
“And you followed that shady merchant without saying a word, didn’t you?”
“How could I possibly explain things while you were arguing out there?!”
“Anyway, that means we’re even.”
Was that how it worked? Temia opened her mouth to argue—but before she could, someone yelled from behind them.
“You insolent brat! I won’t let this go! I’ll be reporting this to the manager at once! Be ready to leave—and to pay for disrupting every game in the hall!”
Baron Lycanthrope had pushed through the crowd, storming toward them. Temia’s eyes went wide as she hurried alongside Lowell.
“You left without finishing your conversation?!”
“Well, how was I supposed to know what that shady merchant would do with you? I told you—he’s suspicious.”
“For heaven’s sake, Lowell! Don’t forget Rio is right here! Stop saying such embarrassing things!”
A glance to the side showed Rio following close behind, an exasperated look on his face.
“My thoughts exactly. Lowell, you’re acting like I don’t even exist. And if we’re talking about ‘suspicious,’ an isolated wizard like you is far stranger than a respectable merchant like me.”
“Respectable? Please. A merchant without a past—that’s as shady as it gets. As long as you stay away from Temia, I couldn’t care less.”
“Your assistant is only temporarily employed, you know. She’s free to leave if she gets a better offer.”
“You should dream only while you’re asleep. I never said I’d let her go. And, unfortunately for you, Temia’s quite fond of me. Right, Temia?”
What on earth are these men talking about?
Temia narrowed her eyes, glaring at them both before hissing under her breath.
“Now’s not the time for your nonsense! The baron’s right behind us!”
As much as she wanted to kick them both in the shins, avoiding the furious baron took priority. So the trio agreed to retreat for now—heading out to the terrace to catch their breath.
