While waiting, Shade found an empty single sofa and sat down. Beside him, a group of men who seemed to have only just met had gathered to discuss current affairs.
Shade listened in as well and discovered they were discussing the possibility of another full-scale war breaking out between the Northern Kingdom of Delarion and the southern Kassenric United Kingdom.
Before long, however, the topic shifted to maritime trade between the Old Continent and the New Continent, as well as pirates. One of the men, a fat middle-aged man who seemed to be the manager of some trading company, was very familiar with the New Continent. He believed that as long as adventurers had the courage to sail there, they could always gain wealth.
The New Continent was rich in resources. Though it had no indigenous people, many civilization ruins could be found there. Coldwater Port City, the most important port city in western Delarion Kingdom, served as the link between the Old Continent and the New Continent, and opportunities there were never scarce.
After the fat middle-aged man was called away for appraisal, the group finally turned to Rhodes Cards. The men, who did not know one another, compared their decks, showed off their newly acquired special cards, and laughed together at amusing stories about Rhodes Card collectors in the city.
The mustached middle-aged man in a black top hat, with a gold-inlaid cane resting beside the sofa, dominated the conversation. He possessed more Rhodes Cards with special faces than the others. One of them was Flower 13, depicting Artek City, the City of Art in the Northern Kingdom, and it even had a special rule:
When used, roll a 20-sided Dice. If the result is 20, you may redraw unconditionally.
It was a genuine card authenticated by the