Since Shade was required to defeat his opponents at the card table, there was no time to waste playing one-on-one games. After the Seer Association staff consulted everyone involved, they decided to use a multiplayer format. This type of game normally only appeared in very formal Rhodes Cards Tournaments.
Shade returned to the second floor ahead of time and let the Seer Association inspect his deck. Naturally, he saw Luvia among them; Dorothy had already joined her.
Meanwhile, the eager-to-try Marquis Grasley declared that no one would go easy on Shade in the coming game:
"It's Origin!"
The marquis, whose hair was slicked back until it gleamed, raised his brows. He was truly excited, unable to suppress the smile on his face:
"If Duke Lucas knew this was happening, he would never have missed the banquet over a bout of influenza. Ha, he might carry that regret all the way into his coffin. Even if we defeat you, we won't be able to claim that card. But if you want to obtain a Founding Series card, Sir Hamilton, then you must undergo a trial!"
He seemed to regard Origin as treasure, while Shade was the knight seeking it.
"Of course. But how exactly is this game played? I've never played a multiplayer card game before."
That was what Shade was actually worried about.
"It's fine. It's very simple."
The marquis smiled and draped an arm around Shade's shoulders:
"You'll enjoy the game to come."
Only after the Seer Association had arranged the rules and selected the other four players to join Shade did the servants go upstairs to invite Queen Diana down.
Something so interesting had happened at the Queen's birthday banquet, and the invited newspaper reporters were even more excited than the people about to participate in the game.