While waiting, Xia De found an empty single sofa and sat down. Next to him, a group of men who seemed to have just met were gathered, discussing current political issues.
Xia De also listened in, discovering they were discussing the possibility of a full-scale war breaking out again between the North Country of Delarion and the Carson Rick United Kingdom to the south.
But after a short while, the topic shifted to maritime trade between the Old Continent and the New World, and the subject of pirates. One of the middle-aged fat men participating in the conversation, seemingly a manager of a trade company, was very familiar with the situation in the New World and believed that adventurers could always gain wealth as long as they had the courage to travel by ship.
The New World was rich in resources, and although it had no indigenous people, many ancient ruins could be found. Coldwater Port City, the most important port City in western Delarion, served as a connection point between the Old Continent and the New World, and opportunities were never scarce there.
After the middle-aged fat man was called away for appraisal, the conversation finally shifted to rhode cards. The men, who didn't know each other, compared their decks, showed off newly acquired special cards, or together mocked funny stories about rhode cards collectors in the City.
A mustachioed middle-aged man wearing a black top hat and resting a gold-inlaid cane beside the sofa was the topic leader among the group because he owned more special rhode cards. One card, a Flower 13 depicting the “North Country City, Atek City, City of Art,” even had a special rule:
“When used, throw a 20-sided die. If the die roll is 20, you can redraw cards unconditionally.”
This was a genuine card appraised by the Prophet Association, so even though its effect was ordinary, it was still excitedly praised by the rhode cards enthusiasts.
The mustachioed man, who called himself Mr. Lavende, saw the atmosphere gradually becoming lively and, having nothing else to do, suggested:
“How about we play rhode cards using the simplest rules? If I win, you need to give me 5 pennies. If I lose, I can give the winner 10 pennies. Oh, gentlemen, let’s pass this boring morning.”
The “simplest rules” referred to each person drawing three cards consecutively and determining the winner based on the rules of 21 points. If both sides went bust, they would draw three more cards until one side won.
The stakes were not very high, and idle talk here was indeed boring, so the busybodies gathered around Mr. Lavende to watch the excitement.
Xia De also joined the onlookers, but he had always detested gambling, even small stakes like these, so he only observed (Note).
There were three men willing to play cards with Mr. Lavende.
First was Mr. Luke, who worked at the tobacco company in the south of the City. He had just mentioned the issues of tobacco trade and taxes between Delarion and Carson Rick, but unfortunately, he was immediately out with a score of 25 points.
The second was old Mr. Pang Dun, who lived off rental income from local properties. His finger joints were thick, and his right eye, behind his glasses, was askew, but his rhode cards skill was first-rate. He battled Mr. Lavende for 3 rounds before finally winning 10 pennies, which earned him applause from the onlookers.
Finally, there was the burly Captain Serwell, whose ship traveled the Old Continent waterways, mainly engaged in inland river shipping. He was a regular here, and many people, including Mr. Lavende, knew him.
Unfortunately, Captain Serwell's luck was truly bad. His first two cards added up to more than 21, so he could only regretfully lose five pennies.
“Anyone else want to play?”
Mr. Lavende seemed to be in high spirits. After defeating the third opponent, he invited the onlookers again. He frequently patronized local Prophet Association and various rhode cards clubs, making him a somewhat famous card player in the City, so the gentlemen who were just watching only cheered him on, but no one was willing to step forward.
After all, five pennies was still money.
Mr. Lavende looked around and finally spotted Xia De's unfamiliar face in the crowd, also realizing that he seemed to be visiting such a place for the first time:
“Sir, would you like to play cards with me?”
The middle-aged man extended a kind invitation.
“Sorry, I don’t gamble.”
Xia De shook his head, but Mr. Lavende wasn't angry; instead, he smiled and said:
“Then let’s not gamble money, just play one round, how about it? My waiting number is 21, and it will be my turn soon. We’ll just play one round to try it out.”
The people around also cheered him on, pushing Xia De to the front.
Xia De thought about it. Since there was no money involved, playing once could be a good way to pass the time. So, he took the opportunity to sit on the single sofa opposite Mr. Lavende and handed his business card to the seemingly wealthy gentleman:
“Xia De Hamilton, Detective.”
“Detectives are said to be very good at playing cards.”
Mr. Lavende took the business card and was surprised to see the Detective agency's address, apparently not expecting the young Detective to have enough money to open an agency in such a location.
“But I’ve hardly ever played.”
Xia De said this as he took out his deck of cards, the one he had picked up when he went to pick up Mia. Both sides shuffled each other's decks, then drew three cards from the top of their own decks.
Mr. Lavende opened his cards with an excited expression. His deck contained many exquisitely designed special cards, and one of the three drawn was:
“Look, sun 5, Silvermoon 8, star 4, 17 points, truly good luck.”
The people behind him also whispered congratulations.
Since there was no money involved, Xia De felt no pressure. He flipped over the first card and placed it on the table; it was sun 13, and the surrounding people immediately let out sounds of regret. Under the 21-point rules, drawing two more cards meant a very high probability of going bust.
Xia De then revealed the second card, which was star 7, bringing his total to 20 points. But under the simple rules, he couldn't stop and had to draw all three cards.
The people were infected by the atmosphere, exchanging opinions on the Detective's last card.
Xia De was also curious about his luck today, so he picked up the last card and carefully looked at the card number. The people behind him also craned their necks to see, then collectively gasped, and even the woman in his head chuckled, reminding Xia De that she was always there.
A smile appeared on Xia De's face, as if the pressure from last night's events had vanished at this moment. Playing cards was indeed a good way to pass the time.
He placed star 1 on the table, and Mr. Lavende, sitting opposite him, immediately leaned over the tea table to look, then showed the exact same expression of surprise as the onlookers:
“Oh, 21 points. Beginners always have such miraculous luck, but Hamilton Detective, would you like to play another round? It’s been a long time since I was beaten by 21 points.”