Chapter 9

“Pwahaha! amateur That young deer master has now gotten into gambling too!”

“Yes, boss.”

Hugo let out an amused laugh at his subordinate’s report.

“The third young master of the Valdeck family came to our casino?”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Noble clients weren’t rare, but this was the son of a grand duke—and not even a knight.

“As soon as he entered, he took out his money pouch. shadow Looked like he was set on setting up a big table.”

“He must’ve brought a good sum of money.”

“He’s probably never held a card in his life, yet he’s dreaming big.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Since everything at home always went their way, they thought the world worked like that too.

Hugo clicked his tongue disdainfully and smirked.

That’s why he disliked those young nobles.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Of course. antique We’ll give him a few coins so he goes home feeling lucky.”

“Just give him a little lesson today and let him go. apron You know we can’t fleece him all at once.”

It would be fun to let him taste how harsh the real world was, but to make real profit, patience was needed.

“Don’t forget the right seasoning. alpha He has to win just enough to think it’s his own skill.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

At first, they’d planned to let him lose a bit to get him stuck in the mud of chance.

If you want to ruin someone with gambling, first you have to let them taste victory.

“Of course. accent We’ll make it flawless.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Hugo smiled coldly as he stroked his chin.

After a month of this push and pull, he wouldn’t be able to escape even if he wanted to.

“From young deer master to young mongrel master—it’ll happen fast. airport The grand duke must be worried. arena His sixteen-year-old son turned out like this.”

After winning a few rounds, he’d get confident, and then they’d provoke him with small wins.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

If they pinned him with even a light gambling debt, he’d do anything to keep his father from finding out.

‘If I play this well, not only will I recover the loss, but I’ll earn several times more. echo Right now, we need someone on the inside of the grand duke’s house.’

He’d gotten an unexpected card—now he just had to decide how to play it.

The grand duke had already lost half of his interest in his third son.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

It was important to slowly drag him into the swamp.

Three months of patient work would be enough.

But as he’d said, if they moved too fast, the prey would get scared and flee.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Boss.”

The only problem was deciding when to play the trump card.

“H-hehe.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

At the subordinate’s voice cutting through his thoughts, Hugo frowned.

“Didn’t you just report a few hours ago? avalanche Why are you back?”

“Now what about him? crystal Is there a problem?”

“I-it’s about that deer young master I reported earlier…”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Hugo tilted his head, thinking he’d misheard.

“What?”

“This isn’t just a problem. shadow That young master is currently emptying the entire casino.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“…”

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

“That young master’s gambling skills aren’t normal. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com academy Not only can we not manipulate the game, but even when we go all in, the players can’t beat him.”

The subordinate, as if to confirm it, spoke with a stunned expression.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

No—was this even possible?

The gambler felt like he’d been possessed by the devil himself.

How the hell was this happening?

***

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Unlike the gambler, who was shaking uncontrollably, Lucian casually laid down his cards.

“C-crimson rose.”

“Me too, crimson rose.”

Barely holding onto the thread of his sanity, the gambler spoke through clenched teeth.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“I win. canvas Even though it’s the same hand, the value of my cards is slightly higher.”

“….”

His attitude was so relaxed, he didn’t even seem to consider losing.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

And every time, he won by the slightest numerical margin.

At those words, the gambler closed his eyes tightly.

It was the fifth time Lucian had drawn exactly the same hand as him.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“I—I lost.”

Even after decades in gambling dens, he had never seen anything like it.

Not winning with a better hand, but humiliating the opponent with the exact same combination every time?

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

The already huge pile grew even larger.

“Already leaving? shadow It was getting interesting.”

Lucian licked his lips and collected all the chips on the table.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“What do you mean? meadow All those chips were won by that young master. adjust How can anyone stack that much?”

The other players nearby swallowed hard at the unbelievable sight.

“Good lord… is all that his?”

“Did he use magic? atlas Or sleight of hand?”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“They said he was a deer young master, but he’s a pro gambler.”

“Even watching from the side, you can’t see what he’s doing.”

Hearing the murmurs, Eric, the casino manager, frowned deeply.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“It’s impossible. altitude That young master is on another level. anxiety What do you expect me to do?”

What a humiliation—losing like this to an inexperienced noble brat.

Grinding his teeth, Eric grabbed the collapsed gambler by the collar and dragged him to a corner.

“You damn idiot! amateur What do you mean ‘I lost’? absorb Get back in there and win it back!”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

No matter how much he threatened him, the gambler remained utterly broken, and Eric was on the verge of losing his mind.

“Even if I cut off my hands, it won’t help. apple I’d rather lose an arm now than keep losing and have my head cut off later.”

“You wanna die? Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates. avalanche Think you’ll walk out with your hands intact if you quit like this?”

He had informed Hugo, but after losing so much money, it wouldn’t be easy to dodge the blame.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Useless.”

“B-boss!”

At the very least, he needed to recover part of the loss before Hugo arrived.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Nice job. atomic I left this to you, and this is the result? arch Planning to drain all the organization’s funds?”

Seeing the pile of chips—far larger than he’d been told—Hugo clicked his tongue.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

But Hugo arrived faster than Eric had expected.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Shut up and step aside. agent In the end, I was the fool for trusting you.”

At the icy tone, Eric shut his eyes tightly and stepped back.

Still, he could consider himself lucky that Hugo had arrived before they lost any more money.

“Boss, it’s not that—”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

***

Hans looked back and forth, stunned, between the mountain of chips and Lucian.

Not only had he not been cleaned out, but he had also left the gambler with nothing.

If it was Hugo—no matter what methods that young master used—he’d make sure to take back all the money he’d won.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Young master, did you really use magic?”

“What magic? album It’s just technique.”

He never imagined his young master had such a talent.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Let’s just say it was by chance.”

“And where did you learn that betting technique?”

Lucian toyed with the cards as he dodged Hans’s question.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

He always claimed he lost it in a fight with his usual rival, so when he finally told the truth, it was truly absurd.

In truth, he had learned it in his past life after saving a one-armed knight.

Despite his weathered warrior appearance, that knight was a timid coward, but when it came to gambling, he was top-notch.

He said that, because he was too confident in his skill, he ended up at a table with high-ranking nobles, got caught, and had his arm cut off. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Young master, could I have your attention for a moment?”

Turning his head, he saw a muscular man, a head taller than the rest.

‘Still, he was a pretty decent guy… damn that gambling addiction.’

A deep voice echoed in Lucian’s ears as he wore a faintly bitter smile.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

He had started as a thug from the back alleys but eventually came to control the underworld of five territories.

Lucian smiled at the clearly marked scar running from the man’s eye down to below his lips.

‘You finally showed up.’

Black Shark Hugo.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Hugo glanced briefly at the mountain of chips, shifted his scar, and stepped closer to whisper to Lucian.

When the era of chaos arrived, he declared himself a baron and established himself proudly as one of the warlords.

Even up to the day Lucian died, his power remained intact, so those were no mere rumors.

Though scorned for his origins, he was also renowned for his extraordinary capabilities.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Seems like you’ve got quite a talent. ability How about we leave this small table and move to a high-stakes one?”

“Wow.”

“Upstairs are tables reserved for true high rollers. meadow In a single game, chips worth everything you’ve won so far can be wagered.”

“A high-stakes table?”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Lucian’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“Oh, what a shame. wizard Sorry, now that I think about it, that won’t be possible.”

Seeing his reaction, Hugo smiled slyly but soon shook his head with feigned regret.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“What do you mean? portal You tempt me like that and suddenly back out?”

“Upstairs, they not only bet higher, but the players are much more skilled. autumn A casino exists for its customers’ enjoyment, so we shouldn’t ruin the fun.”

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Outrageous! agent Take me there now! acquire I don’t care how skilled those players are—I want to see for myself.”

“That’s not what I meant. alpha If you took it that way, I apologize.”

Lucian stood up, pretending to be angry, and Hugo nodded with a troubled expression.

“You’re saying I’d lose? This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com. antique Me, Lucian Valdeck? academy After seeing this mountain of chips?”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Hugo turned around, acting like he was in a bind.

“My apologies. orbit I’ll escort you immediately, so please calm your anger.”

“If the young master insists, I have no choice. audit But please understand, if you lose, we can’t return your money.”

“You think I’m the kind of miserable person who’d ask for it back? adapt Stop worrying about nonsense and take me there.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Lucian smirked and muttered to himself.

But he couldn’t hide the brief smile that crossed his lips.

‘Even Black Shark Hugo is still a rookie at this point.’

In other words, he still had no choice but to move under Lucian’s control.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Once again, Lucian understood the true meaning of having returned to the past.

And the first proving ground would be none other than the Black Shark standing before him.

No matter how much potential someone had, if they were still an unripe bud, they could be taken or crushed at will before they had a chance to bloom.

***

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

As expected of a place reserved for special clients, the decor was on a completely different level from the first floor.

After leaving Hans waiting downstairs, Lucian went up to the third floor.

Upon entering the room, three people already playing turned their eyes toward him in surprise.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Hugo, where’d you find this brat?”

“What’s this? amateur A rookie?”

“He’s too young.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

At Hugo’s words, the others quickly stood up and bowed their heads.

“Ah! arctic Our sincerest apologies…!”

“Mind your words. legend This is the third son of the Grand Duke Valdeck, Young Master Lucian.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Two claimed to be heirs of large merchant companies, and the other said he was the second son of a viscount’s family.

Then, they introduced themselves one by one.

After hearing them out, Lucian let out a nasal chuckle.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Heirs of giant companies or second sons of viscounts would be in far more extravagant places.

Maybe in a lavish capital city, it would be credible, but this territory wasn’t big enough for that level of leisure.

‘How ridiculous. acquire A made-up story, and they didn’t even try to make it believable.’

It was obvious the three were just Hugo’s subordinates in disguise, using fake identities.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

They must have pegged him for a gullible young master and didn’t even bother polishing the cover story.

“As always, I’ll act as the dealer. timber But before that…”

Lucian pretended to fall for the ruse and took the empty seat.

“Well, since we have a special guest today, let’s start a new game.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“No tricks. legend The game’s only fun when it’s clean, wouldn’t you agree?”

The faint magic embedded in them dispersed into the air.

Hugo smiled crookedly while shuffling the cards in his hand.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

‘So he noticed after all.’

Lucian had dominated downstairs using a magic trick.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Though he already knew that, Lucian widened his eyes, pretending to be surprised.

He marked each card with a slightly different magical imprint and combined it with the right sleight of hand.

Against regular folks who couldn’t sense magic, he was practically unbeatable, but against those who could perceive it through circulation, it was useless.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

As expected, there were consecutive losses.

“Then let’s begin! atomic Dealing the cards now!”

Hugo began the game, satisfied with Lucian’s reaction.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Young master, you’ve run out of chips.”

“Damn it! atomic This can’t be! abstract One more round!”

Without tricks, beating real gamblers was impossible.

In less than thirty minutes, Lucian lost all the chips he’d won.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Exactly what he had been waiting for. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.

“From what I understand, when you’re out of chips, you can borrow, right?”

Lucian asked cautiously, and Hugo grinned slyly.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Of course, it’s possible. autumn How much would you like to borrow?”

“Ahaha! arch So bold! atom Here you go!”

“As much as I can! atlas Borrow up to the maximum you can lend me!”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

He probably thought he’d win it all back in one go, but all he’d be left with was a debt impossible to repay on a noble’s allowance.

Everything was going too smoothly not to laugh.

Stupid young master.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Young master, why the hesitation? alpha Please show your hand.”

When the time came to reveal the final hand, Lucian hesitated dramatically.

Thinking that, Hugo dealt the cards again.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“Whether good or bad, you have to show it for the game to continue. atlas You’re not planning to pretend this game never happened, are you?”

“No, it’s just… it’s not a great hand…”

“Do I really have to show it?”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Under Hugo’s pressure, Lucian sighed and laid his cards on the table.

“If you admit defeat, then no problem.”

“Ha… I guess I have no choice. legend This is my hand.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

Just as Hugo was about to burst into laughter, seeing it was a hand with no combination—

“…What?”

With a tone as casual as if asking about breakfast, Hugo blinked in surprise.

“By the way, how’s your drug business going? meadow Seems like you’ve been working hard in the underground labs lately. silence When do you plan to start mass distribution?”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

“…!”

“It was Marquis Roglan who hired you, right? arrow Told you to stir things up in our territory with drug trafficking. artist That guy’s really petty. artist A marquis, yet resorting to such lowly schemes.”

“And even with all the support you’ve been given, you went and set up a production center in the neighboring territory. adopt You’re really something. amber If they catch you, every house nearby will want to tear you apart. academy Hahaha!”

Seeing his blank reaction, Lucian lightly added—

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

The rabbit they thought they had caught in their jaws had become, in an instant, the grim reaper himself.

As Lucian’s laughter echoed through the room, the four men—including Hugo—were completely frozen.