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Card Game: Warrior (2)
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Alfred ended up having a card game, Warrior, match against the two bad guys. These guys must have a surefire strategy using cheating or trickery.
–Fight fraud with fraud, you know.
Having said that, does Alfred really have a way to outwit these guys?
“First, let’s confirm the rules. It’s a three-round match, and two out of three wins, right?” (Skin)
“Yeah, everything is the same as the Warrior you guys played.” (Alfred)
“Got it. Heh…” (Skin)
The skinhead man grinned a vile grin.
In contrast to the uneasy atmosphere inside the tent, there was a lively crowd outside and a cheerful light was coming in from the entrance, making it a little brighter. Because of that, Alfred’s figure was brightly lit by the light, while the two bad guys were backlit by it. Just from this position alone, it felt like an unfair disadvantage.
“Before we start, can I add a couple of conditions?” (Bucktooth)
The bucktoothed man added.
“What’s up? Nothing that puts us at a disadvantage, got it?” (Skin)
“First, let me check the Incrize cards. I’ll carefully inspect them to see if they’re tampered with.” (Bucktooth)
“What’s that, just do it. Don’t go creasing them.” (Alfred)
So, the Inclize cards were carefully checked. Each card was inspected one by one, and it was confirmed that there was no tampering. We also checked, and it seemed that nothing had been altered by these two during the inspection.
“Also, that brat over there.” (Bucktooth)
“Huh?! Me?” (Jack)
“There are two of us, so no talking during the game. The brat can’t talk either.” (Bucktooth)
“Of course. What about you guys? Who’s going to play?” (Alfred)
“This time, I’ll be the one to play.” (Skin)
It was the skinhead man who raised his hand to announce his participation. Buck-toothed man seemed to be just watching.
“Fine. It’s revenge, then. Let’s get this show started once we’ve agreed.” (Alfred)
“Wait.” (Skin)
“What? You got something else?” (Alfred)
It was the skinhead man who called for a pause.
“Let’s take off our clothes before we start.” (Skin)
“That’s disgusting. Is that some kind of fetish of yours?” (Alfred)
“You dumbass! I don’t want you hiding anything up your sleeves.” (Skin)
“…No way. I refuse.” (Alfred)
For the first time, Alfred refused something. It seemed like buck-toothed man had a suspicious look in his eyes, perhaps hitting the mark.
“Hey, you’re not hiding something up your sleeve, right? Got something shady going on?” (Bucktooth)
“…Tch. Fine, whatever.” (Alfred)
And so, Alfred and Skin ended up taking their shirts off.
Alfred’s body was well-toned, from his biceps to his back muscles and abs. His stomach had a neatly defined six-pack, and just seeing it would make any woman fall in love. It was that kind of muscular beauty.
On the other hand, the skinhead man was also muscular, but with more fat and a bit of a chubby build. He was more on the ‘plump’ side.
A ripped Alfred against a chubby Skin.
The atmosphere in the stall tent are getting even sleeker!
“Alright, let’s go.” (Skin)
“Tsk, disgusting body, you chubby bastard.” (Alfred)
Having had his clothes stripped off, Alfred seemed displeased. It looked like he was really upset about it. The two bad guys were grinning, likely because they’d successfully taken away any chance Alfred had to hide something or cheat with his sleeves. With this outfit, switching cards would be impossible.
Alfred and Skin took turns cutting their cards, and then, as a child, I dealt five cards to each of them. I watched the match from behind Alfred. I tried to keep a poker face so that my expression wouldn’t reveal Alfred’s hand to the opponents.
―First Round―
Alfred’s Hand
Sword S, Bow S, Sword B, Sword C, Bow G
Alfred didn’t have either the Light S or Dark S cards. However, conversely, that meant the opponent didn’t have Sword or Bow S cards.
“Heh, I’m gonna change three cards.” (Skin)
It was Skin who spoke up.
By changing the maximum allowed of three cards, does that mean he drew nothing but weak cards? But that might also be a trap to make us think that way, so I couldn’t be sure.
He continued grinning in that sleazy way, and I couldn’t tell what he was planning.
“I’ll also change three cards.” (Alfred)
Alfred’s gaze was intense, staring straight at Skin without changing his expression.
Alfred’s New Hand After Changing Three Cards
Sword S, Bow S, Bow C, Bow D, Sword F
The situation hadn’t changed much.
“Alright, let’s do this.” (Alfred)
“Yeah.” (Skin)
“On three!” (Alfred)
*Alfred’s Sword F vs Skin’s Dark S*
It was a draw. Skin had started the match aggressively, but it seemed he discarded the Dark card.
“Whoops. Looks like I got played there.” (Skin)
Even so, Skin didn’t change his expression. He smiled as if it was no big deal.
Does he have the Light S card after all? But if he did have the Light S card, then if Alfred played either Sword or Bow S, he’d lose… It’s still uncertain.
“No more theatrics. Let’s keep going.” (Alfred)
“Heh, of course. On three!” (Skin)
*Alfred’s Sword S vs Skin’s Sword A*
Yes! The first round goes to Alfred!
He dispelled the fear of Skin possibly playing the Light S card.
“Good guts you’ve got.” (Skin)
“Hmph.” (Alfred)
Skin then revealed his remaining three cards. Among them was the Light S card. Despite losing the first round, both skinhead man and buck-toothed man seemed calm and unaffected.
―Second Round―
Alfred’s Hand
Dark S, Sword A, Bow B, Bow C, Bow G
This time, there was only one S card, Dark S. Dark S loses to Light S, and against weak cards, it results in a draw. It’s a tricky card.
“Hey, you not changing your cards?” (Skin)
“No, I’m sticking with these.” (Alfred)
Alfred, however, chose not to change his hand.
“Just because you won one round, don’t think you can slack off, idiot. I’ll stick with my cards too.” (Skin)
So, it seems… Not changing cards allows you to leave a certain number of cards in the deck. This, in turn, makes it harder for your opponent to predict what cards you have. Whether or not Alfred has the Dark S card is something the opponent can’t know. Moreover, the opponent also didn’t change cards. There are still 8 cards left in the deck, and there’s a chance that Dark S is among them.
In this case, the opponent will have to decide whether to play the Light S card or the Sword S/Bow S cards. If they play Light S and Alfred throws a weak card, they’ll lose. If they play Sword/Bow S, there’s still the possibility that Alfred might play Dark S.
“Have you decided? Let’s go.” (Alfred)
Alfred hurried the opponent along, but the bad guys still looked relaxed.
“Alright. On three!” (Skin)
*Alfred’s Sword A vs Skin’s Bow S*
Alfred lost. And it was in just one move.
“Ha ha ha, it’s no use trying to confuse us.” (Skin)
“Tsk!” (Alfred)
For the first time during the match, Alfred cursed. His poker face cracked, and he looked somewhat cornered.
Why? Is this part of Alfred’s strategy? Or, perhaps, there is some kind of battle of cheating going on behind the scenes that I couldn’t understand?
I really had no idea, but all I could do was believe in him and watch.
—
(TLN: Skin’s POV)
This redhead is finished. From the moment the match began, my victory is already decided. To think he tries to play with the same conditions as last time. What a fool. I’ve been thinking about how to entertain the two beauties in Liberta. I can almost taste it. This guy suspected card switching in the last match, but there’s a much simpler trick in play. Looks like the redhead still hasn’t figured it out this time. Heh, Liberta or Iberico, I don’t care what he calls it, but even if he’s the leader or whatever, he’s not that great.
“Well then, let’s call this the final round.” (Skin)
“Yeah…” (Alfred)
And look at this guy’s face. He already looks like he’s about to lose.
I gave a signal to my comrade beside me.
Since talking is off-limits, the brat can’t do anything either. But even without the signal, I can still get my comrade to help me out.
And so, the last card deck was shuffled. The brat couldn’t hide his nervousness as he dealt the cards.
―Third Round―
My Hand
Light S, Bow S, Bow C, Sword D, Bow G
Here it is! Light S! I’ll wear him down slowly, then smash him with the S card at the right moment. Now, let’s check what the redhead has in his hand…
Redhead’s Hand
Dark S, Sword S, Sword A, Sword B, Bow E
Alright!! Heh heh, it’s all clear now! Victory is already decided. With the S cards already on the field, the strategies from here are limited.
My comrade beside me is a master of magic manipulation. The water magic he creates behind the enemy player, ‘Water Mirror’, reflects their hand perfectly. He spreads the water magic flatly, making sure not a single ripple appears on the surface. There’s no one else who can do this kind of trick as well as my comrade. I mean, who would even think to make a mirror out of water magic? If it looks like it’s about to be noticed, he can just evaporate it instantly, leaving no evidence. A perfect way to peek. So, no one notices.
There are conditions for activating the Water Mirror. The area behind the mirror has to be dark for the light to reflect, and some light must come from the front as well. But this redhead’s makeshift stall tent… it has created the perfect conditions for this. There’s a bit of light shining in from the entrance behind us, and the redhead’s back is in the perfect shadow. He probably thought he was luring us out, but it’s actually him who’s being trapped.
“Jack, don’t look from behind. It’s distracting! Your expression might give away the cards to the enemy!” (Alfred)
The redhead must be feeling cornered because he yelled at the brat behind him, signaling him to move to the side instead of staying behind.
“Hey, no talking with your buddy—” (Skin)
“That’s fine. It’s not talking, I’m giving orders.” (Skin)
Well, I guess I’ll allow that much. I don’t even need to look at the brat’s face. I can already see all your cards. In fact, with the brat moving out of the way, it’s even easier to see them!
So, the brat silently moved aside, still wearing a worried expression as he looked at the redhead. But his concerned face soon changed to an expression of shock as he noticed the water mirror behind the redhead.
“Ah, ah… F-Fred…!” (Jack)
“Just trust me and stay quiet!” (Alfred)
“But—” (Jack)
“Shut up!” (Alfred)
The brat fell silent. That was close…
The redhead is really unlucky. He cut off the one chance to save himself.
*Bang*
Finally, the redhead slammed his hand on the ground.
Has he given up? Hehehe, the match is already decided.
“Hey, what’s wrong? It’s still one win and one loss, right? Let’s play fairly till the end.” (Skin)
“Yeah, sure.” (Alfred)
―――Just as the redhead suddenly grinned, a gust of wind suddenly started blowing.
“What’s this? The wind’s getting really strong. Hey, redhead, did you do something?” (Skin)
“I didn’t do anything. Why don’t you let your friend go check outside?” (Alfred)
“…Go.” (Skin)
My comrade went outside to check, and it seemed like the whole town was being hit by a strong wind. There wasn’t anything particularly unusual about the wind.
“It seems like it’s the sea breeze.” (Alfred)
“What?” (Skin)
“This town gets a strong sea breeze. Sometimes it blows in really hard. It’s annoying, so go shut the entrance, Jack.” (Alfred)
“Huh? Hey, why?” (Jack)
The redhead shot a glare at me.
“If the wind blows, the cards will be blown away. Or is there something wrong with that?” (Alfred)
The redhead was repeating exactly what my comrade had said before the match.
He is grinning! Does he know about the Water Mirror…?
“I-I… no, nothing.” (Jack)
The brat closed the entrance curtain, and the stall tent grew dim.
At that moment, countless lights appeared around us.
“It’s too dark for a fair game. So, you guys need ‘light’, right?” (Alfred)
It seemed like the redhead used fire magic to light up the surroundings. With this, the conditions for the Water Mirror to reflect are no longer met.
Now, I can’t read the opponent’s cards! And that word, ‘light’. Does he know what’s in my hand too?
No, stay calm. Either way, the initial hand is already visible. All the S cards are already on the field. My comrade has also thoroughly checked for any cheating from all angles. They don’t know what cards I have, so now it’s just a matter of the card battle. I’ll crush them.
“Changing 3 cards!” (Alfred)
What an idiot. Even if you draw 3 new cards, the situation won’t change. I’ve still got the remaining S cards in my hand.
What will come first? Dark S, Sword S, and 3 weak cards. If there’s a way to win, it’s either by playing Light S against Dark S and Sword S, or by playing Bow S against the weak cards.
First, will a weak card come? Then I’ll play Bow S, but what I really need to watch out for is the Dark S card.
“Hey, what’s wrong? You’re thinking a lot more than before, huh?” (Alfred)
“Heh, so what?” (Skin)
Tsk, he’s trying to provoke me! Is he trying to bait me with an S card? But whether it’s a weak card or Dark S, I can cancel it with my weak card, and that narrows the opponent’s choices!
I’ll slowly corner him. He must be just as rattled as earlier. After all, his teammates are also at stake.
“Hey, ready yet? Let’s go.” (Alfred)
“Yeah. On three!” (Skin)
*Skin’s Sword G vs Alfred’s Sword F*
Hehehe. I knew it. You can’t play an S card, right? If you’re locked down, you’re only going to be pushed further into a corner.
“Hey, Mr. Skinhead.” (Alfred)
“What?! What’s with the noise, you annoying bastard! You surrendering or something, huh?!” (Skin)
“You’re gonna lose.” (Alfred)
“…What did you say?” (Skin)
That’s impossible. What’s the basis for that? I still have plenty of moves. Both his Sword S and Dark S can be beaten by Light S. If I can push him into a corner, victory is guaranteed. So, I just have to keep playing weak cards… Could he play Sword S on the next move? No, was that earlier taunt just to bait me into playing Light S and then play a weak card?
Damn it! I can’t think straight since I can’t see the cards he’s about to play!
“You’re not laughing like you were earlier.” (Alfred)
“Shut up! Now, let’s go!” (Skin)
“Alright, on three!” (Alfred)
*Skin’s Sword C vs Alfred’s Bow F*
Phew… That was close… For a moment, I thought Sword S was coming, but no, the next three moves will be the final ones. If we play weak cards against each other, he’ll only have Sword S and Dark S left. Both of those can be beaten by Light S. By the fourth move, the outcome will be decided. This next move is crucial. Let me sort out the cards on the field again.
I have Light S, Bow S, Bow B. The redhead has Dark S, Sword S, and a weak card. For the redhead to win against me, he must choose from three options in this one move:
- Dark S vs my Bow S
- Sword S vs my Bow B
- Weak card vs my Light S
As for me, I only have two options: play Light S or Bow B. There’s no value in playing Bow S.
Whether he picks Sword S or Dark S, I can beat them with Light S, and if he picks a weak card, I’ll cancel it with Bow B and win with Light S on the fourth move. In terms of probability, my chances are 1/2, but his chances are only 1/3.
Hehehe… The redhead must be scared. This match is tough for him. The brat and the girls, and all the money, are on the line. Having three choices is only going to push him into a corner.
“I’ll say it again. You’re going to lose.” (Alfred)
The redhead continues to provoke me. But this is a trap, trying to provoke my unease in the middle of this tough match. But his eyes don’t show any sign of desperation. If he really has a surefire way to win, though…
I can’t shake that possibility. But the brat is still nervously looking at the game board. It doesn’t look like he’s using any suspicious magic. There’s no situation where either of us can cheat here. I have no reason to worry about being deceived!
His eyes are focused. He’s trying to trap me! His taunting words. His hurried comments. All of it is to bait me into playing Light S on the third move, then he’ll throw out a weak card and gloat with victory.
―――”You guys need ‘light,’ right?”
He’s getting cocky! He’s looking down on me! Those words were just a bluff to make me play Light S at the crucial moment! I don’t need light!
“Oh, looks like you’ve decided. Ready?” (Alfred)
“You look confident, but I’ll make sure you realize that you’re the one who’s actually in a corner.” (Skin)
“Hmph… I guess even a gorilla like you can understand this is the most important moment.” (Alfred)
“Shut up. You’ll be the one crying after we’re done.” (Skin)
“Here we go?! On three!” (Alfred)
I’m not afraid of Sword S or Dark S! I’ll have the brat, the girls, and all the money! Take this!
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