Seeing Shade take the initiative to show goodwill, the two ladies, both surprised by his identity, expressed their thanks. For various reasons, they both trusted Shade very much.
What happened next did not exceed Shade's expectations. The drunk by the wall staggered toward them. Shade stood up to stop him, and the drunk then began insulting the two ladies at Shade's table.
Amid the commotion, Baron Gerard Rogers of Artek City, who had come alone, and Prince Samuel Anjou, who was sitting by himself after his guards had left, both rose and came over to mediate.
After the waiter forcibly took the drunk away, Miss Elfoth invited the two gentlemen, who were clearly no ordinary people, to join them as thanks.
At this point, all five card players selected for the Seventh Act of the Fated Story were in place. When Shade, the last of them, sat down, all five felt as though the tavern's noisy clamor had suddenly receded from them. Though it was not completely silent, the tavern's sounds had become indistinct, like background noise.
The surrounding light blurred, making the tavern resemble an unrefined stage set. Only the round table around which the five sat retained normal lighting. Those who had learned in advance that there would be a card game understood that the game, whose rules they did not yet know, was about to begin.
The five looked at the others around the table. At that moment, a figure emerged from the blurred tavern backdrop. Lady White, clad in white robes with crimson eyes, came to the table, pulled out the last chair, and sat down.
She looked at the five people around the table in turn, then asked:
"Since the night is still long, my unfamiliar friends, and we have gathered here by chance, how