"Are you sure this isn't a counterfeit Rhodes Card? Why does it look so new?"
Shade sat beside the drinking table, frowning as he held Mr. Darkness's special card. The table where they played had been specially commissioned by the tavern for Rhodes Card players. Though its surface had been wiped clean, old wine stains that had accumulated over the years were still visible.
"I only recently went to the Seer Association to exchange it for a new one. The old cards were rather badly worn."
Mr. Darkness skillfully shuffled Shade's deck, and Shade nodded.
Since Rhodes Cards had first been issued centuries ago, special cards inevitably suffered damage after changing hands for so many years. Thus, the Seer Association also offered replacement services. Based on a card's value, one could pay a fee to have the Seer Association take back cards that were more than eighty percent intact and replace them with brand-new ones.
This way, it also prevented special cards and the rest of the deck from differing in age and wear, making it possible to identify cards by their backs.
After shuffling each other's decks, the game officially began. The young bartender dealt for them, while the burly bartender kept score.
The first card was face-down. Of the next two face-up cards, Shade had Flower 3 and Sun 7, while Mr. Darkness had Sun 9 and Moon 4.
"There's no reason to fold in the very first round."
Mr. Darkness said with a smile. He was probably truly bored, given how enthusiastic he was about playing cards. His thick fingers directly flipped over his hole card. Sun 3, for a total of sixteen points. He raised his brows, signaling for Shade to reveal his card.
Shade was not nervous in the slightest and casually flipped over his