Chapter 70: Victory |
Shad felt alarmed holding the blackjack cards in his hands but maintained a calm demeanor, shrugging his shoulders as though nothing was amiss. Meanwhile, the spectators, aside from Baron Rwanda, were already beginning to congratulate him.
In the second round, Shad noticed his opponent's first two cards totaled 11. The third card pushed the total over 21, so Shad chose to stop with his own total of 16. Across the table, Baron Rwanda’s expression was beginning to shift uncomfortably.
By the third round, Shad couldn’t recall what cards his opponent held, but when he saw his own face-up card was a King, he was startled again. This time, he almost couldn’t resist scanning the surroundings. Opting not to touch his hidden card due to the visible King, Shad let the round play out. Baron Rwanda, however, wasn’t so fortunate—he neither drew a King and Queen pairing nor reached 21, losing once again.
In the fourth round, Shad's visible card was the Queen.
“Are you cheating?” he couldn’t help but ask the voice in his head.
【The ‘Other Me’ of a Ring Warlock cannot interfere with reality.】
“But you’re not ordinary.”
【I am unique because of you. I cannot directly affect reality. Besides, even if I could, why would I bother with a card game?】
The melodic voice echoed in his mind. Shad found the explanation reasonable—why would the entity waste energy on something so trivial? Baron Rwanda, however, was not as easily convinced.
“Detective, I don’t care if it’s luck or something else—at least this round, I’ll win.”
With only two cards in hand, Baron Rwanda confidently revealed his hidden card, the King. The cards just played couldn’t reenter the deck, so Shad’s deck now lacked Kings and Queens. Unless Shad hit 21, this round was a certain loss.
Shad’s visible card was Sun 13, and his hidden card turned out to be Flower 13. The crowd erupted in excitement—not because the young detective was finally losing, but because Baron Lavender’s deck included Flower 13, a special rule card, 【Northern City: Artaik City】.
According to the rules, Shad could roll a die, and if it landed on 20, he would draw another card. Otherwise, the round was lost.
Shad had no intention of using his relic, the Dice of Twenty Fates, for such a trivial game. Instead, he picked up the ivory die used earlier by Baron Rwanda, marveling at his first encounter with such a material.
The spectators held their breaths as Shad lightly tossed the die. It spun across the stone tabletop before landing with 20 facing up. Shad worried momentarily for Baron Lavender, seated to his left, as the baron seemed near a heart attack from excitement.
“This game will be the talk of the year,” Sir Lavender exclaimed, his voice trembling. “Since acquiring this card, I’ve never once rolled a 20.”
Shad shrugged, not questioning the man’s streak of bad luck. He drew his next card and, without even flipping it, knew what it was.
“If this is an 8 of any suit, I win with 21—but this luck feels off.”
Under the flickering candlelight, Shad tilted his head to peek at the card’s bottom. Confirming his opponent wouldn’t have an aneurysm, he flipped over Sun 8.
The audience of Rhodes card enthusiasts would undoubtedly be recounting this game for years to come.
“You really didn’t interfere?” Shad whispered again, and the faint voice replied, as if a woman was murmuring into his ear:
【Even if I could, why would I indulge in such a dull affair?】
“But this streak is too bizarre!”
While smiling and accepting congratulations, Shad reflected on his apparent stroke of fortune. Ring Warlocks were clearly adept at multitasking.
【Consider what might cause such luck. Could it not be connected to something you possess?】
Shad immediately realized the answer—it was too obvious. His experiences in this world were limited.
“The Dice of Twenty Fates? A guaranteed benefit when rolling 20? But why does it affect Rhodes cards? What’s the connection? And the die’s purpose must be explicitly clear—this is just speculation for now.”
Shad’s victory also meant that Baron Lavender won two out of three rounds. Although Shad hadn’t won the first match, his subsequent triumphs secured the game. Despite his frustration with Sun 8, Baron Rwanda maintained his composure, fulfilling his agreement by giving Shad the special Rhodes card, 【Ancient Fairy Tale: Matchstick Girl】, along with £20 in cash to Sir Solar.
To everyone’s surprise, Baron Rwanda had brought so much cash to an outdoor gathering.
Though defeated, Baron Rwanda bore Shad no ill will. On the contrary, he warmly shook Shad’s hand, inviting him to another game of Rhodes cards sometime. Shad politely agreed.
“This card was hard-earned,” the baron said, handing 【Matchstick Girl】 to Shad while throwing a pointed glance at Baron Lavender. The latter had once owned the card and clearly annoyed Rwanda.
“You must take good care of it. If you ever decide to sell, contact me first. I’ll buy it no matter what—though we enthusiasts rarely sell special cards lightly,” Baron Rwanda added, casting a warning look at Baron Lavender.
The mustachioed baron under the grape arbor lifted his head slightly. “Of course, Shad, you must keep that card safe.”
Though they weren’t close enough for such familiarity, this remark implied Shad was now a temporary custodian for the rare card.
“Of course, I will,” Shad replied, tucking the card into his notebook and slipping it back into his coat pocket.
While Baron Lavender refrained from discussing 【Matchstick Girl】 further during the party, he did propose spending the remaining time together. Unfortunately, Shad was preoccupied with thoughts of Dr. Schneider and politely declined. Leaving the arbor, he pondered his inexplicable luck while retracing the doctor’s steps.