Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 500 - Genesis: Darkness

"Mr. Hamilton!"

Tifa's voice came from outside the door, and she had actually returned, sounding somewhat anxious:

"Queen Diana wants to see you, but no one could find you anywhere. Miss asked me to rush and bring you back."

Shard looked again at Lecia's expression, and she was breathing deeply with a taut face.

Princess Angelina was holding her cup, sipping the somewhat hot tea in small mouthfuls, looking back and forth with interest at the two people here:

"Mr. Hamilton, you had best wipe off all your lipstick before you set off."

She kindly reminded Shard and, seeing him look toward her, even took out her own handkerchief. It was a silk handkerchief, embroidered with the pattern of butterflies:

"You may borrow this."

Thanks to Princess Angelina's reminder, when Shard saw Queen Diana, there was no disrespectful trace on his face. The meeting place was exactly the same waiting room where Shard, after being shot on the street, had waited to meet Larus III.

Queen Diana had not met with Shard alone, so apart from Miss Galina, there were several noblewomen close by whom Shard did not recognize. Seeing that these women had just accompanied the Queen down from the third floor, Shard guessed they must also have been related to the Royal Family.

When Shard was led into the room by the Attendant, Queen Diana was showing off a pearl as big as half a fist, which under the gas lamp's brightness glimmered for all to see.

This kind of jewel, irresistible to both men and women, was something even the Queen had never seen before. After all, even though naturally formed pearls could be larger than this, they would definitely not be as round as this one.

"Your Highness, good evening. Ladies, good evening."

Shard greeted everyone present since he didn't recognize most of the people, so addressing them as "Ladies" was fairly appropriate.

"Look, who has arrived?"

Queen Diana's enthusiasm seemed a bit excessive as she smiled and beckoned Shard over, handing the pearl to others to inspect.

Half of those present were now looking at the pearl, while the other half was looking at Shard.

The noblewomen occupied the sofa, but fortunately, a servant promptly brought over a chair, giving Shard a place to sit.

"Detective, I heard about what happened at the Opera House a few days ago. Thanks to you, Little Angelina was saved; otherwise, I don't know what might have happened."

In fact, given the situation that day, even without Shard, Princess Angelina would probably have been fine.

"It is what I should do,"

Shard said, glancing at Miss Galina beside the Queen, who nodded at him.

"So, it means there's nothing special to pay attention to in the upcoming conversation,"

Shard thought to himself, as the Queen spoke again:

"Today is my birthday, and I didn't expect you to bring such a valuable gift. Very nice, this is probably the most precious gift I've received this year."

Prior to coming, Lecia had told him how to respond, so Shard began to recite:

"Such beautiful jewelry is only deserving of a lady of your high stature to possess."

"Look, the Knight speaks as if he were in an opera. However, I know you're not one of those rich people, so I won't accept this gift for nothing. Last time we talked here, I promised to give you a treasured Roder Card."

She nodded to the Maid standing behind Shard, who placed a metal box on the coffee table in front of Shard.

Brass in material, but topped with a glass plate. Through the glass, one could see a soft velvet lining within, and on the lining lay a card.

The card was facedown, so Shard could only see the design on the back of the card.

"You are too kind,"

he said with a smile.

"Yes, I am indeed very kind,"

Queen Diana's reply was unexpected. She unfolded her fan embellished with twinkling powder and bone, covering her mouth, tilting her head down slightly while her eyes curved up, betraying a smile:

"Take a look at this card. It was not easy to obtain it."

Miss Galina raised an eyebrow at Shard, who nodded in surprise:

"Of course, Your Highness."

He lifted the box and noticed that on the upper part of the two metal plates on the left and right sides, there were small grooves holding the glass plate above. So he carefully slid out the glass plate, was about to reach in, then shook his head, and took out a pair of white gloves from his pocket to put on.

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The ladies burst into laughter at this gesture, but Shard did not look up and instead turned the card over to inspect its face.

The previously relaxed smile on his face turned into a look of astonishment the next moment:

"What?"

The face of the card featured only white, black, and cool tones near these two colors. White occupied most of the card face, with a black humanoid creature in the center, half-revealed, facing sideways off the card. It was bald-headed, with wings extending from its back, the wingtips adorned with curved spikes, and its eyes were clearly serpentine and seemed to slant as if looking at someone outside the card. The face bore continuous, strangely shaped scales that resembled some unknown creature.

The background of the card face was dense with temples and spire ruins.

In the top right-hand corner of the front side was the number 11, and in the top left-hand corner was a small star symbol. Between them, in the center at the top edge of the card face, was a white circle with a black vertical line, the mark of the "Genesis" series.

At the bottom of the card face, there was some blank space where two lines of small text were written:

[If this card is drawn as the first hole card, ignore all rules and conditions and win instantly; If this card is drawn and is not the first hole card, then before the end of the current round, the holder has the right to keep all remaining cards concealed, and may continue drawing cards even if bust.]

"Genesis: Darkness?!"

Shard could barely control the volume of his voice.

Miss Galina obviously knew about this card in advance, while among the other ladies, only a few who knew about Roder Card raised their eyebrows.

Queen Diana, who was covering the lower half of her face with a feathered folding fan, nodded, her eyes sparkling even more with amusement:

"Yes, 'Genesis: Darkness.' It wasn't easy to obtain this card. It was found by accident at the very top of the Sotos Glacier in the Far North by the Ice Harvesting Corps of the Old Continent. It had been lying in a glacier at the peak, ensconced in ice like an altar, exposed to sunlight for who knows how many years. Seventy years ago, this card was brought to Tobesk by the then corps commander and presented to the Royal Family. Since then, the card has been kept in the royal treasury, only recorded in inventory lists. I thought, Knight, you might like it."

"Ice Harvesting Corps" does not mean that the army is dedicated to ice harvesting in the Far North; instead, it refers to their year-round stationing in the northern parts of the Old Continent, which earned them this elegant nickname. The formal name is the Draleon Royal Army Third Corps Northern Garrison.

"I do like it, very much, Your Highness, but the value of this card is truly immense," Shard said as he stood up from his chair, sounding somewhat flustered.

The fluster was feigned, of course. After being reminded by the "Creator of Innocence," Shard understood the value of the Impermanence Card and thus resolved to collect all thirteen Impermanence Cards. He now wished he could just stuff the card into his pocket and hurry home to laugh out loud in his study without the lights on, holding his cat.

But for the current occasion, he still had to put on an act.

"You saved my life, helped little Angelina, and even presented me with this birthday gift."

The Queen took the pearl from Miss Galina and put away her fan from in front of her face:

"But you are right, the value of this card is somewhat substantial. How about this, I've heard that card players like you prefer to win Roder Cards through victory."

Special Rule Roder Cards start at at least 40 pounds, and, based on the year of issue and other historical values, there is virtually no upper limit to the price. Exchange a house for a card is not uncommon among nobles. Yet for top-tier nobles like Old Duke Lucas, spending money to acquire a set of 54 Special Rule Cards might take some time, but it's certainly not an impossible task.

But real Roder Card players can afford to buy cards with money, but they prefer to acquire cards through betting on games, which is why, even though Shard and many nobles have played cards, very few have seen someone with more than ten Special Rule Cards.

"Yes, we prefer to win Roder Cards through playing Roder Cards," Shard agreed, nodding, having a good idea of what Queen Diana had in mind.

"Marquis Grassley has organized a card game for my birthday party, so let's do this, keep the card with me for now. You need to win against your opponents in the game for the card to be yours. And if you lose, I will auction off this card."

She smiled and glanced at Miss Galina:

"Then, if that happens, you can let others help you buy this card."

"That's a splendid idea, Your Highness," Shard replied, placing the card back into the box.

"Oh, Rejed's Hamilton, you are that confident?" asked the Queen with a smile.

"Yes, Your Highness. After all, I have never lost a game of Roder Card," he said, his face exuding such strong confidence it almost made the man standing beneath the crystal chandelier seem as though he was glowing all over.

The news that Queen Diana would wager the royal treasure 'Genesis: Darkness' Roder Card on whether Rejed's Hamilton would win a card game at the party quickly spread throughout Yordle Palace.

She intended to watch the game personally, and upon hearing the news, Marquis Grassley, who had invited Shard, immediately consulted with the staff of the Prophet's Society to revise the rules. After receiving approval, he had the servants of Yordle Palace bring over a large conference round table and place it in the center of the ballroom on the second floor.

Around this roundtable, other guests could continue to enjoy the party without interruption, while those who fancied Roder Cards could watch from the sidelines.