Chapter 909 |
Chapter 909
Gloe's power was manifesting its effects.
Yuder gazed at the intermingling cards, recalling the moment from last night when he realized the new possibilities of his own power after meeting Gloe.
"Even though you said it's okay to fail... I'm still not sure if what the Commander’s Assisstant mentioned is really possible."
Deciding to give it a try was one thing, but believing in something untried was another matter entirely. If Gloe hadn't been anxious, Yuder would have doubted her state of mind.
"So, you've come to check in advance, haven't you? Have you already used today's power?"
"No."
"Then, try it now."
"To the Commander’s Assistant?"
"...You said we're checking its use in the opposite way of a blessing, didn't you?"
Gloe's eyes trembled relentlessly.
"I said I'd check, so it's only right to use it on me. Whom else did you think you would test it on?"
Yuder, undeterred, extended his hand while sitting.
"Just like before, have me draw a card. We're both busy; let's finish this quickly."
"No, but... if a card with a very bad meaning is drawn, something bad might happen to the Commander’s Assistant...! I can't do it."
"Weren't you just saying it seemed impossible, and now you're worried about me?"
Yuder's calm question made Gloe's cheeks flush.
"There's always a slim chance. The Commander’s Assistant is a kind person who recognizes my ability and is a hero of the Empire... I don't want you to suffer because of my power."
Her personality, much younger than he remembered, wasn't much different from her previous life.
As Yuder looked at her and chuckled, Kishiar, who had been observing from behind, solemnly intervened.
"It's a good attitude. So, it might be better to test it on this vase instead?"
"..."
When the Commander who followed behind told Gloe to think of him as a slightly larger flower vase, she didn't know what to do. It was clear he was just joking, but a newly approved person like her couldn't guess that far. Yuder, without blinking an eye, only looked at Gloe and responded.
"The vase is a bit noisy, just ignore it."
"...Really? But it's the Commander..."
"Where do you see the Commander? Here is only a vase. Look this way, not there."
Looking directly at Kishiar could be toxic. Even Yuder sometimes forgot what he was thinking and got caught up when making eye contact, so it was better not to look at him at all. That was precisely why Yuder was focusing only on Gloe, not looking behind.
"...Yes."
"Oh. Although it's the destiny of a vase to be beautiful until someone looks at it, it's a bit lonely."
"Commander’s Assistant, is it really okay to ignore him?"
Gloe asked urgently.
"Yes."
Only after Yuder's confident response did Gloe finally draw out the cards. It seemed that Kishiar's presence made her eager to finish quickly.
As she spread out the cards and skillfully shuffled them, about to draw five cards just like before, Yuder raised his hand to stop her movement.
"Wait."
"Yes?"
"When do you feel your power being exerted and the strength draining away? Is it now?"
"Ah... No."
Gloe was flustered. As expected, she had never before considered that aspect of her power. She had only used her ability in the familiar way it had first manifested.
But it was okay. Yuder already knew the answer.
"It's just that I do it that way when I cast the fortunes, and the moment I feel the power draining is... when the person draws a card... and then..."
"Was it when you recite the name of the card?"
"Yes. That's right... it was."
He asked her to remember the time she had bestowed a blessing upon him. The moment a faint power surged from the card and seeped into Yuder was precisely when Gloe had recited 'Festival of the Trumpeting Jester'.
So, the act of reading fortunes was not necessarily a required process for Gloe's power to manifest.
Of course, doing so was the most useful way to utilize her power. It allowed her to exhibit an almost prophetic accuracy, a special ability incomparable to any other.
However, in her previous life, Gloe couldn't afford the luxury of just sitting quietly and casting fortunes for others, nor did she wish to. Thus, she sought ways to wield her power beyond mere fortune-telling.
"Then, the important thing is just one. You being aware of which card you are giving."
"...Ah."
Yuder's words made Gloe's expression change, as if she was on the brink of understanding something. Listening while retracing the process of using her ability with the cards in front of her seemed to bring some realization.
"Let's continue."
Gloe slowly drew five cards and laid them face down before Yuder. He looked down at them and spoke.
"Think about it. Right now, both of us don't know what these five cards are. Correct?"
"Yes."
"If I were to pick a card and hide it so only I can see it, would your power manifest?"
"...I don't think so."
"What if, on the contrary, you knew in advance which card I was going to pick before I flipped it? How about then?"
After a long moment of perplexed thought, Gloe finally answered with difficulty.
"It might manifest. I haven't tried, but..."
"Then, depending on how you interpret the meaning written on it, different powers could manifest as well, right? Does my suggestion still sound absurd?"
"...No."
Mental abilities depend greatly on the belief of the user. Nahan, now gone, had been the one who most cunningly exploited this, and Gloe in her previous life was not far behind in skill.
The moment Gloe believes it might work, even the impossible can become possible.
"The power ultimately changes based on the direction you choose to wield it. It's naturally harder than the way you usually use it. But after all, it's your power. Just because I am the one drawing the card doesn't mean I am using your power. Don't forget that."
"...My own power..."
Yuder, with a distant look in his eyes, gazed at Gloe murmuring to herself, then chose one of the five cards. He closed his eyes, flipped it over, and presented it to Gloe at an angle where he couldn't see it himself. Then, he opened his eyes.
"Now. What card is it?"
Gloe's expression subtly changed as she took the card.
"In my previous self, I would have said it was a blessing that could avoid minor water-related dangers."
"And the opposite meaning?"
"...It would be a bit of misfortune related to water."
As she spoke, Gloe slowly flipped the card to reveal it. It depicted a salmon-like fish leaping powerfully out of the water. Yuder nodded vigorously, urging her, who hesitated to speak its name. Finally, Gloe cautiously called out the name of the card.
"The Inevitable Fish."
Whoosh. It was the moment when a transparent haze rose from the card, about to seep into Yuder.
The haze, as if suddenly jerked back by something, paused in its motion and quivered.
Then, it was pulled away to somewhere, vanishing as if it had never existed.
"...Hic!"
Gloe trembled, shuddering at a sensation she had never experienced before.
"What, what was that just now?"
For the first time, Yuder turned to look at the vase that had been quiet until then. The vase, having existed beautifully in its place as he had said, now twisted its eyes and smiled softly at him. The culprit who had perfectly timed the interception of Gloe's power from reaching Yuder, and pushed it away in the blink of an eye, was right there.
"...The power was intercepted before it could affect me."
"How... how is that possible?"
The impact on Gloe wasn't severe, as the manifested power was just a minor misfortune and wasn't blocked harshly. She was just startled by the unfamiliar experience. As the shock subsided, she grew intensely curious about how her power had been blocked, but Yuder simply told her to ponder it during training and swiftly changed the subject.
"...Anyway, it seems you now understand the important part. Tomorrow, you will play a card game against someone with me, using your abilities."
"A game, you say?"
"It won't be a difficult game. The important thing is, you need to use your power naturally during the game, just like you did now."
"Even if it's not casting fortunes... I think I understand that I can use the power. I'm not sure how well it'll go... But then, you mean to make that person draw the cursed card you want during the game... Are you expecting me to do that too?"
People from the wandering troupe are skilled at sleight of hand. Gloe was adept at various tricks with her nimble fingers, but not at a professional level for card gambling. Yuder shook his head at her anxious look.
"No. I'll handle that. Don't worry."
Yuder and Gloe lightly practiced a few card games as a demonstration, discussing various precautions and scenarios. Afterward, he sent her away. Now, only the man in the guise of a vase and Yuder were left.
"I didn't know my assistant was so confident in card games?"
Kishiar asked naturally, as if he hadn't just used any power.
"I didn't either, but it won't be the case tomorrow. Tonight, I plan to learn how to cheat well from someone who is the best at cards I know of."
Even though Kishiar must have guessed what he would say, he burst into laughter with great amusement.
"Hmm. And who might that be?"
"Akit. Please inform me."