New chapter of Nameless Hero is out! (1/3 chapters)
Card Game: Warrior (1)
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The next day, we did the usual morning basic training. Since Tristan wasn’t here today, Alfred was going to teach me. However, Alfred didn’t know any proper sword fighting techniques, even though he could swing a sword. In the end, he decided to teach me hand-to-hand combat.
“Listen up. The difference between a sword and a fist isn’t just the reach. You might think the fist is more brutal, but in reality, it’s much more delicate than you think.” (Alfred)
“…What do you mean?” (Jack)
“A sword can deal some damage just by hitting the enemy. But with a fist, you have to hit a vital spot precisely, or it’s actually dangerous. You’re already getting too close to the enemy when you do that.” (Alfred)
“I see.” (Jack)
While he was casual with the swordsmanship training, Alfred was much more serious and disciplined when teaching hand-to-hand combat.
“First, you learn the basic practice and forms. After that, there’s image training. Then, we’ll move to sparring for actual combat practice.” (Alfred)
Alfred’s combat training lasted for three hours. Having taken a right straight punch from Alfred before, I was somewhat reminded of the trauma, but his training was so brutal that I didn’t even have time to worry about it.
Apparently, the martial arts Alfred was teaching me had been passed down from his maternal ancestors, and it was a technique that originated from a far-off country. However, the ‘forms’ were not at all practical, and I couldn’t understand what their purpose was. It was hard because there were strange moments where I had to put strength in unusual places, hold my breath, or break my rhythm. The exhaustion kept attacking my body.
“Fred… does this even have any real use in combat?” (Jack)
I gasped for breath, struggling to speak.
“If you keep doing it without fail, you’ll find out the meaning someday.” (Alfred)
I almost collapsed from exhaustion several times.
—
By noon, Liz and Lindsey went off to their dancer’s practice, so I saw them off, and once again, it was just Alfred and me. Dwayne had mysteriously disappeared while I was training.
“Shall we head out too?” (Alfred)
“Head out to where?” (Jack)
“You’re so loud. Just follow me quietly.” (Alfred)
“You’re not really going to do business, are you?” (Jack)
“Exactly. You’ve figured it out.” (Alfred)
With all that junk he bought? Is he planning to resell it? No way, it wouldn’t sell! How optimistic can one person be?
“I want you to help too.” (Alfred)
“I don’t want to be a street vendor.” (Jack)
“A street vendor? You’re misunderstanding something. I’m seeing you as a full-fledged warrior, that’s why I’m asking you.” (Alfred)
“A warrior, huh?” (Jack)
I reacted with delight at those words. Alfred was acknowledging me. That alone was reason enough for me to follow Alfred today.
Then, we arrived at the Dali Amor Merchant Association, and Alfred quietly filled out the application for a street vendor permit, writing something vague like ‘swords and knives’ as the goods to be sold, and submitted it to the Merchant Association’s reception. After receiving the official approval, we were allowed to start selling.
Licensed merchants lay out their wares on mats in open spaces on Dali Amor’s main streets and in the main square, calling out to passersby. Alfred, too, began setting up a small tent stall nearby. The entrance was as narrow as a lodging tent, and it was hard to see what was inside.
“Fred, this really is a business!” (Jack)
“Heh, it’s not just any business.” (Alfred)
“What do you mean?” (Jack)
“This.” (Alfred)
What Alfred pulled out was the decorative bastard sword he had bought for 200 gold from the weapon shop yesterday. Moreover, it looked like he had wrapped the bastard sword with cloth that he had dyed himself, creating a sense of ‘mysticism’. The sword, which wrapped in a fabric with a geometric magical circle drawn on it, had a lavishly decorated hilt and guard that, if someone didn’t know any better, they might believe it was a famous sword.
“I’m going to call this the legendary sword Excalibur and use it for gambling!” (Alfred)
“Eh?!” (Jack)
“We’ll call it the fake Excalibur among ourselves.” (Alfred)
“No, no, this is the same thing the con artists who tricked you were doing!” (Jack)
“Exactly.” (Alfred)
“That’s exactly what they did, Fred! This is fraud!” (Jack)
“Jack, you don’t get it, do you? Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. If someone scams you, you scam them back.” (Alfred)
“That’s awful, Fred!” (Jack)
With a wicked grin, Alfred slowly resumed setting up the stall. He had told Liz that he was starting a new business, but what he was actually doing was scamming people. And on top of that, he was copying the methods of the con artists who had tricked him. Even though Alfred was the leader of Liberta, I couldn’t help but be amazed. But since I didn’t have the strength or the skill to stop him, all I could do was try to disrupt things and minimize the number of people he would deceive.
—
Once the tent was set up, we placed a signboard outside the stall. The signboard was borrowed from other street vendors, and it had ‘Good items available’ written on it, which was now contributing to Alfred’s fraudulent activity. Moreover, Alfred added a piece of paper underneath that said, ‘Legendary sword Excalibur!’.
It’s clearly suspicious!
No one paid much attention to it, though, and most people would glance at the word ‘Excalibur’ and walk away immediately. I peeked inside the tent from behind and saw Alfred sitting cross-legged on the mat, cutting cards with an irritated look on his face.
Yeah, there’s no way this is going to sell.
“Fred, what’s that?” (Jack)
“This? These are cards for a game called ‘Inclize.’” (Alfred)
“Inclize?” (Jack)
“The ones who tricked me the other day were using these cards too. They’re often used for gambling.” (Alfred)
“A card game? That sounds fun! Teach me how to play!” (Jack)
“Heh, alright. I’ll teach you while we wait for customers.” (Alfred)
So, I went into the tent, and Alfred taught me how to play the game using the Inclize cards, as well as the rules.
The cards come in four attributes, Sword, Bow, Light, and Darkness, and they are divided into eight ranks from G to S, making a total of 32 cards. The game Alfred taught me was a basic 1v1 battle game called ‘Warrior’. The cards used in Warrior are the 16 sword and bow cards, from G to S, plus the two S-rank light and darkness cards, for a total of 18 cards.
Each player is dealt five cards from the 18-card deck. From those five cards, each player selects one to play and reveals it to the other player. The game is won when one of the five rounds has a clear superiority in the cards. The judgment of the win or loss is a bit complicated. In Warrior, there’s no superiority among the sword and bow cards from A to G. The real power is shown in the four S-rank cards.
Regarding the S-rank cards:
- Light S > Darkness S > Sword S = Bow S, in that order. Sword and Bow S cards are a tie.
It might seem like playing the light card would make you the strongest, but it’s not that simple. The light card loses to sword and bow cards from G to A.
- Sword/Bow G-A > Light S > Sword S/Bow S/Darkness S
Moreover, the darkness card ties with sword and bow cards from G to A.
- Darkness S = Sword/Bow G-A
Of course, sword and bow S cards beat sword and bow cards from G to A.
- Sword/Bow S > Sword/Bow G-A
That’s the basic rule. If you don’t like the five cards you’ve drawn, you can redraw up to three cards. Also, if one of the players has four S-rank cards out of five, they must declare it and reset the game.
“Uh, I don’t really get it.” (Jack)
“You’ll get used to it once you try. I’ll put up a rule sheet over there, so if you get confused, just take a look at that.” (Alfred)
“Fred, are you planning to cheat?” (Jack)
“Of course not. I’m not so low that I would cheat against a beginner like you. Besides, this game, ‘Warrior’, has too few cards to cheat with. If I tried to add cards, my opponent would catch on. It’s a game where cheating is difficult.” (Alfred)
Difficult to cheat? But wasn’t it that you lost to the swindlers using this game because of cheating? Well, whatever. In any case, we just need to practice.
And so, the match began.
—
My hand:
Light S, Sword S, Bow S, Sword C, Sword F
Three S-rank cards right off the bat! Doesn’t this mean it’s a guaranteed win? But according to the rules, unless all four cards are S-rank, there’s no need to declare a restart. So, even if Fred has strong cards, the only one that could be dangerous is the Dark S card. The Light S card can beat the Dark S!
“…Jack, aren’t you going to redraw?” (Alfred)
“Nope!” (Jack)
“Alright then, I’ll redraw three cards.” (Alfred)
Fred quickly redrew his cards. His hand was likely just a Dark S and four weak cards.
“Alright!” (Alfred)
Fred raised his fist in triumph. He must’ve drawn the Dark S card. But I’ve got three S cards. I can win!
“Well then, let’s go with the first move.” (Alfred)
“Yeah… wait!” (Jack)
I checked the rules again. Light S beats Dark S, but Light S loses to Sword and Bow cards ranked G through A. I need to be careful.
Fred can only play Dark S or a weak card. Against a weak card, I can win with Sword or Bow S. However, if I play Sword or Bow S, and he plays Dark S, I’ll lose. I thought I had the advantage, but depending on how he plays, there’s still a chance I could lose.
“Hey, Jack, it’s a test of skill. Let’s see how it goes!” (Alfred)
Fred is provoking me, trying to lure out my Light S card with a weak card. Should I play Sword or Bow S? No, wait. I’ll play a weak card. If I play a weak card, it will just be a draw.
“Alright, I’m ready.” (Jack)
“Here we go! One, two, three!” (Alfred)
*Jack’s Sword C vs Fred’s Bow E*
“Oh, a draw.” (Alfred)
“…” (Jack)
Damn, if I had played an S card then―――.
“Let’s keep going.” (Alfred)
With Fred’s hand, there should be a Dark S, and three weak cards left. Wait, don’t think too much about probabilities. I need to think like Fred. He doesn’t know my hand. He doesn’t know that I have Light S and Sword/Bow S. If Fred plays Dark S expecting my S cards, I can shut that down right away. That means, if I play a weak card and Fred plays Dark S, I’ll beat it.
“Got it? One, two, three!” (Alfred)
*Jack’s Sword F vs Fred’s Bow B*
It’s no good! Again, it’s a draw. Now, I only have Light S or Sword/Bow S cards left in my hand. Fred still has Dark S and a weak card. This is it. The next move will decide everything.
“Alright, time to go for the win!” (Alfred)
Fred will probably play Dark S next. With only Sword/Bow S or Light S in my hand, he’ll likely aim for one of those. But I can’t just guess. I’ll choose Light S this time!
“One, two, three!” (Jack)
*Jack’s Light S vs Fred’s Sword G*
“Ha… this is it, the end.” (Alfred)
―Winner: Alfred―
“…Damn it!” (Jack)
“Jack, you had three S cards right from the start, didn’t you?” (Alfred)
“So, you knew?” (Jack)
“You didn’t redraw at the start. That’s why my… these weak cards lost to yours.” (Alfred)
What Alfred showed me were all Sword and Bow cards from ranks G to A.
“Wait… where’s the Dark card?” (Jack)
“I didn’t draw Dark. It’s probably still there.” (Alfred)
“But you said ‘Alright’, when you redrew!” (Jack)
“That was just an act.” (Alfred)
“What…?” (Jack)
That’s right. The moment Alfred said ‘Alright’, I assumed that meant he had drawn the Dark S card, and I started to fear it. I was too cautious and never played my S cards, even though they were in my hand. I was a coward.
“This game is a mental battle. Against someone as easy to read as you, I can win without effort.” (Alfred)
“Damn! Let’s do it again!” (Jack)
“Sounds good. But you’ll never beat me.” (Alfred)
I got completely absorbed in the game of “Warrior” using the “Inclize” cards.
—
“Damn it! I lost again!” (Jack)
I had gotten so absorbed in the game that I completely lost track of time. Honestly, I even forgot I was inside the stall’s tent. I had played about ten matches by now, but I hadn’t been able to win against Alfred even once.
In the final game, my hand had been three S cards: Dark S, Light S, and Sword S, along with two weak cards. This should’ve been a winning hand. But, swayed by Alfred’s words “Win with the first move”, I had instinctively felt that an S card would come. I played my Dark S card, but it was countered by a weak card, leading to a draw.
After that, with just Light S, Sword S, or a weak card left, I played weak cards out of caution, but Alfred’s Bow S easily beat me. In just two moves, I was done.
“You still lack both brains and a poker face.” (Alfred)
“Tsk..” (Jack)
“Your face gives it all away.” (Alfred)
So, it’s the face, huh? I haven’t really considered that. I tend to rely too much on my intuition because of my slightly better-than-average sense. But this card game is quick, so it is easy to get caught up in the excitement. So that’s why it’s often used in gambling.
“Hey, you two.” (??)
Suddenly, a voice called out from behind. Startled, I turned around and saw a scary-looking skinhead man and a guy with oversized buck teeth and squinty eyes peering into the tent.
“What’s up? We’ve got permission from the guild, you know.” (Alfred)
“Hmm, you’re…” (??)
“Oh.” (Alfred)
The moment Alfred saw the two of them, his expression changed.
“I got caught, huh?” (Alfred)
Alfred was wearing a very sinister smile, the same kind he had when setting up the tent.
“Hey, you’re that guy from last time.” (??)
“That’s right. I’m Alfred, the leader of the Chevalier de Liberta.” (Alfred)
“Shut up. So, what’s this sign out front about?” (??)
The rough-looking skinhead man (let’s call him Skin) pointed angrily at the sign out front. I felt a bit scared by his expression and hid behind Alfred.
“The famous sword Excalibur, as you can see, is right here.” (Alfred)
Alfred grabbed the fake Excalibur and showed it off in front of the rough-looking guests.
“That’s not what I’m talking about! You’re copying our business!” (Skin)
“Copying? What are you talking about? Unfortunately, a shady business like this doesn’t attract any customers. Except for other professionals like you guys!” (Alfred)
“…Huh?” (Skin)
Alfred raised his voice as if he had been waiting for these two to come together.
“What? You got something to say to us?” (??)
The buck-toothed man (let’s call him Bucktooth) leaned forward and gave me a grimacing face.
“Are you planning to take revenge for last time?” (Bucktooth)
“That’s right. I, the justice-loving warrior Alfred, will take care of your arrest.” (Alfred)
“You’re getting too cocky…! Come outside. Last time, you ran away like a rat. Well, now’s the perfect time to beat you down.” (Bucktooth)
Somehow, I could read what was going on. These two were the same tricksters who had cheated Alfred out of his clothes before going to the Gala Ruins the other day!
The reason Alfred had opened such an obviously shady store was not because he was serious about luring customers with fake Excalibur and swindling their money. I opened a similar store and waited to get revenge on those guys.
“Hold on. The townspeople are in a good mood, preparing for the important festival. If you’re adults, you should show some sense.” (Alfred)
“What did you say…?” (Bald)
Bald was looking like he was about to throw a powerful punch at Alfred from his muscular arms.
“You guys are the real troublemakers. You’re causing a commotion before the festival and ruining it for all the good people who’ve come to enjoy it!” (Alfred)
“…You’re talking too much. I’ll kill you!!” (Bald)
Bald finally threw a fierce punch.
*Smack*
Alfred caught it effortlessly with one hand.
Then, with a sharp glare, he showed the Inclize card in his left hand.
“I’m not interested in wasting any effort. Let’s settle this with this!” (Alfred)
Bald and Buck both froze for a moment, but after a second, they started grinning ominously.
“Heh heh heh… You’re really an idiot, huh. Fine, we’ll take you on.” (Bald man)
“Heh heh. If we win, we’ll take all your money, plus that kid and the two women from Liberta, okay?” (Bucktooth)
Eh?! I see, since Liberta is famous, so are its members. And with Lindsey and Liz being so beautiful, it wouldn’t be strange for them to be known by others. But if I lose in a bet like that, it would be a huge problem.
“Fine by me!” (Alfred)
Alfred confidently replied.
Even though Alfred is good at this game, there’s no guarantee he’ll win for sure. If he accepts and gets swindled again, it’s all over! What should I do…?
“But if I win, you’ll have to return all the money you’ve extorted from regular people! And admit it was fraud, then turn yourselves in to the authorities!” (Alfred)
“Fine by us. Well, we’re not going to lose anyway.” (Bald man)
The gambling between the three rough-looking adults began.
All I could do was watch.
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