A Card Game with the Earl

"Priest, you really are experienced."

Shade praised him sincerely.

"Haha, I'm old. My physical strength and energy can't compare to you young people's, but the life experience accumulated over the years wasn't gathered for nothing."

Shade nodded in understanding and reached forward. The fluttering Red Butterflies automatically landed on his fingers, then melted into his skin.

He rang the bell on the iron gate. After waiting several minutes, the Old Butler carried a brightly polished oil lamp through the small courtyard shrouded in White Fog and came to the entrance. After Shade, calling himself "John Watson," explained his purpose and showed the card, the bald Old Butler in a black formal suit actually let the two of them inside.

"See? Rhodes Cards can sometimes be very useful."

Following the Old Butler across the courtyard toward the manor, Shade whispered to Priest Augustus. The priest ignored him, staring instead at the Old Butler's back.

"He doesn't have much time left."

"What?"

"Heart disease. At the current level of medicine, there's no cure."

Priest Augustus shook his head, signaling Shade not to speak too loudly.

"People always die. That's normal."

Earl of Darak of Campbell was a famous local Rhodes Cards player, and many people had come to challenge him. When the Old Butler led Shade and the priest into the house, he confirmed that they intended to use Special Cards as stakes.

"Does the Earl use Special Cards as stakes every time he plays?"

"Most of the time."

The Old Butler nodded and led them through a foyer decorated with artwork and antiques, then up the stairs.

Though Shade did not know much about appraising antiques, he had seen the homes of many great nobles. In his opinion, the Darak Family had indeed declined. The manor's decor was outdated, and some