Deldan, the man running the gambling den named Hazard, was someone who had a knack for seizing opportunities.
He used to be a knight—but ironically, he had much more talent in fistfighting than swordsmanship. He chose to give up being a knight, deciding he'd rather be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon.
It had turned out to be a satisfying decision.
His talents, which were considered average among knights, were more than enough to dominate the backstreets of Volten.
When the former Baron of Volten died, plunging the city into chaos, Deldan swiftly took control of the back alleys.
Thanks to that, he quickly established himself—and now, he ruled as the underground king, living in what he considered paradise: his gambling den.
To top it off, the new lord, Viscount Vincequins, had little to no interest in Volten.
He wanted to distance himself from the filth of Volten entirely, which made it even easier for Deldan to expand his influence in the backstreets rapidly and aggressively.
The noble title may have belonged to Vincequins in name—
—but the one exercising authority far greater than any actual lord was undoubtedly Deldan.
"G-Great Patriarch!"
Deldan was drinking whiskey with a woman on each arm when a subordinate burst in. He bit his lip in irritation.
The mood had been good. He was just about to head to the bedroom with the two women, and now someone had interrupted him, killing the vibe completely.
"…What is it?"
If it turned out to be something trivial, he was prepared to pin that lackey to the floor and have fun with the women right on top of him out of spite.
"Ba-Baron Logan is here!"
"What?!"
This wasn't trivial—it was something far more serious.
"Son of a bitch!"
Deldan shot to his feet, hurriedly putting on his clothes. As he buckled his belt and threw on his coat, he demanded answers.
"Why? Why is he here?! Is he here to 'clean up' Volten again?!"
"I-I don't know! But he entered the gambling hall with two women on his arms!"
"He… went into the hall?"
And with two women?
Deldan tried to calm his pounding heart.
If that was true, he wondered if this might actually be an opportunity. His eyes sparkled with the thought.
'Did he only go after the drug dealers? Come to think of it, gambling itself isn't banned in the kingdom.'
Sure, there was a legal limit on how much could be bet, but in reality, that rule was rarely enforced.
'Getting rid of the addicts, that makes sense. That situation almost turned into a full-blown rebellion when they raided the baron's manor.'
Deldan began to shift his thoughts toward a more favorable interpretation.
'But I'm not like them. If I have to bend the knee, I will. I've got no damn intention of clashing swords with some damn war hero!'
Isaac Logan.
Helmut's son-in-law by marriage.
He had started gaining infamy after the Volten Massacre—but then became a national hero for stopping the war with the Transcendents.
Rumors said his sword was too fast to even follow with the eyes.
Deldan didn't know if that was true—but he knew one thing for certain: he couldn't take the man in a fight.
"Le-Let's go. Right now."
"Yessir!"
Deldan headed out to the gambling floor.
Baron Isaac Logan was sitting at a card table.
'So the rumors were true… Fuck, he really does have it all. I just hope he's got a small dick.'
The women sitting beside Isaac were quite beautiful. One had her face and head covered with a cloth, making it hard to tell—but the one on the left was stunning.
Her snow-white hair and skin looked like a winter field. A full chest, and the way she playfully had her arm slung over the baron's shoulder—
She looked like either a very close friend, or maybe even his lover.
'Guess seducing him through the woman's not gonna work either, huh?'
Deldan quietly slipped the "female" strategy card out of his deck for now.
Of course, if the chance came, he could always bring it back into play.
"…Hmm."
Deldan stood behind Isaac in silence, waiting for the game to end.
He even peeked at Isaac's hand, then gave a subtle nod to the dealer.
Soon, the conversation that would determine both Deldan's future and the fate of the gambling den was about to begin.
Wanting to make sure Baron Logan was in the best mood possible, Deldan made up his mind to provide only the finest hospitality.
The dealer nodded back and continued the game naturally.
"All in."
Isaac suddenly declared he was going all in.
He pushed everything he had into the center of the table, blowing the stakes wide open.
"Hah…"
"You really are bold, aren't you? Must be the looks."
"Damn, now I don't wanna fold."
Whether they knew Isaac's true identity or not, the players at the table chuckled and played along.
This was the charm of gambling—and in Deldan's mind, one of Volten's greatest strengths.
Joy, sorrow, hope, and despair—your entire life could change with a single card.
Just like how Deldan had quit knighthood and made a life for himself here with quick thinking and luck.
'If I were still a knight, I'd just be scraping by on a meager salary.'
'Or dead, killed by the Transcendents.'
Deldan watched as Isaac cleanly swept the table and smiled to himself.
'That should've left a good enough impression.'
It was hard to guess exactly how much Isaac had won—but it was clearly no small amount, even by noble standards.
Deldan, seeing his chance, smoothly approached the baron—who was now surrounded by jealousy and envy.
"Greetings, Baron Logan."
In that moment, the atmosphere around them turned cold.
Baron Logan?
Wasn't he the one behind the Volten Massacre?
Those who already knew Isaac's identity nodded silently with dread.
Those who had just realized it unconsciously took a step back.
Across the entire kingdom, Baron Logan was literally one of the key figures who brought victory in the war.
But here, in Volten, he was known as the judge—the one who enacted a massacre and ripped out the roots and foundations of the drug trade.
However, Deldan paid no mind to the reactions of those around him and maintained his politeness.
"I am Deldan, the one in charge of this establishment. Thank you for gracing this humble place with your presence. How was the game? It was fairly enjoyable, wasn't it?"
"It wasn't bad. Haven't played in a while."
Back when he rowed boats for a living, Isaac used to enjoy card games quite a bit.
His win rate had been respectable too.
Deldan smiled even more at this response. Unlike his attitude toward drug dealers, this man was surprisingly lenient when it came to gambling.
Seeing that the mood was good, Deldan pressed on.
"You've won big, so shouldn't we celebrate with a drink? We just got in a fine batch of liquor—I'd like to offer you some, if I may?"
"Lead the way."
Just as he was about to leave, Isaac turned and returned the money he'd won to its original owners with a smile.
"I'm not interested in money won through cheating."
"...!"
Deldan's eyes widened in shock.
And not just him—the other players at the table looked dumbfounded as well.
Then, staring down at the money they'd gotten back, they began shouting.
"Cheating?!"
"Dealer! You rigged the game?!"
"How are we supposed to trust this place now?!"
A sudden uproar.
The dealer broke out in a cold sweat and desperately tried to calm everyone down. Other staff rushed in to contain the scene.
Isaac glanced at Deldan and said,
"Shall we?"
"...Yes."
Wearing a stiff expression, Deldan quickly ordered his subordinates to handle the situation and led Isaac to his private room.
Inside the room.
The fact that he'd been caught cheating was bad enough. But what was unforgivable from Deldan's perspective was how Isaac had exposed It and damaged the casino's credibility.
However—
"..."
He glanced at the smallest of the women accompanying Isaac—the one whose face was covered.
Not because of her, but because of the two swords she held in her arms.
'So those are the thin blades he's said to wield…'
Deldan had no idea how she got those weapons inside the casino, not even as its owner.
Most likely, the guards at the entrance had been dealt with.
Deldan decided to just accept it.
'Calm down. Losing your temper here means losing your head.'
He didn't want to provoke Isaac any further.
Pouring a drink, Deldan forced a smile.
"Ha, haha… I suppose I got a little too greedy trying to give you a memorable experience, Baron. I apologize."
Isaac took a sip of the liquor and asked,
"Forget that—surely you didn't call me here just to offer drinks, did you?"
"H-haha… No, you're right. In truth, I wanted to ask what brings you here."
Deldan went straight to the point.
Trying to play mind games with this man would be like smashing an egg against a boulder.
"After all, you're quite the name here in Volten, Baron. It didn't seem like you came just for fun—"
"In a week, I'll be the new lord of Volten."
Isaac said it casually, taking another sip of his drink.
He was relaxed, even playful—but Deldan's face went pale, and his body started to tremble.
He had known that trouble would come someday.
But he didn't expect it to arrive this fast—or be this dangerous.
Deldan's hand shook so badly he couldn't drink from the glass, and had to set it down.
'This… this isn't just a bluff!'
This was the man who had committed a massacre just to eliminate drugs.
His judgment was swift and deadly.
BANG!
Deldan dropped to the floor and slammed his head down as if it would split open.
"Please spare me, Baron!"
"..."
"I beg you! Please have mercy! I—I used to be a knight! But I was too timid and lacked the talent, so I gave it up! I only did this to survive!"
"I didn't mean to grow this powerful! I—I'll give it all up if you spare my life! No—if you want, I'll become your dog, Baron!"
"Please! I beg you, Baron! Spare me!"
"..."
Isaac looked down at him.
A brief silence.
Then finally, he let out—
"Haaah…"
A strangely disappointed sigh.
The women standing beside Isaac chuckled.
"He tried so hard, only to end up failing."
"Isn't this the best possible outcome?"
Isaac nodded slowly, still with a touch of regret.
"...Yeah, I suppose it is."