Chapter 38: Gambling Legend—Side Story—Queen ~ The Mystery of House of Cards ①
My name’s Bid. I’m a beastkin—rabbit type.
I’m sixteen. Super fresh. I work as a Rank IV Explorer.
I mostly go solo, sometimes helping out parties here and there.
I’m not really thinking about joining a party right now.
Well, for now I’ll just keep things this way.
Anyway, I’m currently in the trade city Heizen with some friends.
Honestly, we’re basically on vacation. I mean, calling it a vacation wouldn’t even be wrong.
So here I am, tagging along with Gymnema and Dagaa purely out of curiosity.
I mean, aren’t you curious what a fish-head and wof’s pet are even planning to do?
You are curious, right? Super curious, right?
So yeah, I came along as a way to kill time too.
“Bid-dono will be the Queen’s guard, for appearance’s sake.”
“If it’s a guard, Gymnema-san is enough, y’know.”
“No, no. I am the Queen’s servant.”
Uh. What? Servant?
“Wait, Queen?”
“Na!”
“Why is she a Queen?”
I know Dagaa is female, but Queen? What’s that supposed to mean?
Gymnema just grinned. A super punchable face.
Actually, more like a face I’d like to fillet.
We kept walking deeper in.
The scenery was getting sketchier by the minute.
That wall over there is literally collapsing and covered in graffiti…
And I can feel people staring.
Some seriously villain-looking guys are watching us.
“Hey… the Queen’s here.”
“That one?”
“Shh. Don’t make eye contact.”
“Heard she wiped out Jinryu’s elites, Zensera’s group, AND Gouro’s specialists.”
“That’s terrifying…”
What? Dagaa wiped out the Three Houses?
And it really feels like we’re heading toward someplace super dangerous.
That building’s totally ruined, and someone’s lying in the shadows—
…oh, never mind, he’s alive.
There’s a ruined church too. Ahh, this is giving me slum hometown vibes.
Well, slums are the same everywhere.
Even in relatively comfy Hydrangea there’s a slum district.
Gymnema stopped.
Oh—it’s a collapsed theater. Looks flashy despite being dead.
We walked inside.
Somehow that fish-head casually unlocked the door—how does he even have the key?
The inside is… weirdly clean, despite being ruined.
Like someone’s been seriously cleaning it.
But why?
Past the entrance hall, down the right hallway, there’s a staircase going underground.
Not odd for a theater, but he unlocked another door at the bottom.
Inside was a room—and wait—is that a teleportation circle！？
A teleportation circle here makes zero sense.
Although, honestly, it’s still less weird than Wof-kun’s house or his hideouts.
We stepped into the teleportation circle and ended up in a nearly identical room.
Classic teleport room layout.
We opened the door and were greeted by giant crimson double doors and a huge guard.
He glared at us. Strong guy.
Where even are we?
“Well well, good work.”
Gymnema handed him something—
A token… a coin?
They matched signals, and the man muttered:
“Go in.”
The red doors opened, revealing… a gambling hall.
Dim lighting, but classy.
High-end decor, a certain atmosphere, clearly upper-class customers.
People drank while enjoying roulette, dice, and cards.
This must be the city-approved secret casino, only for select people.
“What are we doing in a place like this?”
I asked, feeling uneasy.
Gymnema answered calmly:
“You’ll understand soon enough. Ah, here he comes.”
Someone approached.
“Greetings, fellow fish.”
The voice belonged to a man in an elegant black suit… except, uh… a crab?
A crab? What am I supposed to call this?
Yeah, a crab.
The guy had literally an entire crab for a head.
Not a crab head—a whole crab connected to a human body at the neck.
I know it sounds like nonsense.
Honestly, I don’t understand it either.
“Oh, fellow crab.”
Fish-head talking to crab-head.
What kind of nightmare is this? I swear I haven’t taken any weird substances.
“Welcome, Queen.”
“Na!”
While he spoke, not only did the crab’s mouth move, but its legs were twitching too.
And judging by the color of the shell…
“A river crab?”
The words slipped out of me.
The crab turned toward me.
“Oh? You recognize it?”
“Y-yeah. I used to catch and eat them a lot.”
When I was little, near the slum there was a forest with a river.
We used to catch fish and crabs there. Fry them in natural oil—pretty good stuff.
I wasn’t the cook—another kid was.
I heard she’s married now and living happily in a village.
Ah, marriage.
I seriously don’t get the whole marriage thing.
Love stuff too… after that party breakup, it kind of traumatized me.
Can’t really think about it.
“A brave young lady indeed. Pleasure to meet you. I am Puarman Club, the owner of this place.”
“I’m Bid. Rank IV Explorer. Or ‘Slayer’ here, I guess.”
“Oh?”
“She’s the Queen’s guard. Skilled.”
“A Rank I certification, huh.”
Being praised by a Rank I… for some reason it doesn’t feel great.
Also, is it okay that I’m still carrying weapons in here?
Puarman Club turned to Gymnema.
“Now then, fish comrade. Bring the Queen to the battleground.”
“Na!”
“Battleground!?”
What are you suddenly talking about!?
Puarman Club laughed. The crab claws clicked annoyingly.
“A battle, yes—but no one gets hurt. It’s cards.”
“Cards?”
“Yes. The Queen conquered the casinos in Lise, then defeated the qualifier here in Heizen, earning the right to enter. Now she’ll fight for the challenger’s seat.”
“Challenger?”
“To challenge the Champion.”
“…Champion?”
“The Champion of the card game House of Cards, Heisen division.”
What the heck is she doing!?
House of Cards
You build a three-card “hand” called a Role to decide the winner.
Ways to build include:
- Drawing from the deck
- Taking a card an opponent discarded
- Using card abilities
There are many kinds of Roles.
Once you complete one, you can reveal it anytime, even outside your turn.
When anyone reveals, everyone must reveal.
A game has four rounds.
Four games per match, winner decided by total wins.
If the deck runs out or rounds end, forced reveal.
Cards include Role cards and non-Role cards called Legacy.
Legacy cards have special effects.
Skip a turn, draw two, force the opponent to discard one, steal a card, etc.
Legacy cards go to the discard pile after use and can’t be added to your hand—
Except for Legacies that pick up other Legacies to use.
Also, you can use Legacies even outside your turn.
Max hand size is five.
It’s a pretty well-known gambling game.
Even explorers know it since taverns often play it.
Sometimes it ends in a knife fight, though.
Puarman Club led us to a higher-rank floor.
At the center was a raised, luxurious card table.
Three players were already seated—
Two fauns and one human woman.
Although she could be an Edda wearing colored contacts, but whatever.
A cushion was placed on the empty chair, and Dagaa sat.
Everyone focused on her—the atmosphere changed.
Like right before a sword fight.
They rolled dice, and the highest numbers determined turn order.
Dagaa was second.
She drew from the deck, discarded, then used a Legacy card.
Already!?
“—!”
“!”
“…?”
Everyone reacted at once.
Her Legacy let her draw one more card.
She discarded again. Then—
“Na!”
Dagaa suddenly revealed her three cards.
Pegasus. Chimera. Griffin.
“The Three Mythic Beasts!?”
That’s the Role called Three Mythic Beasts.
Pretty strong.
“No way!”
“Impressive.”
Since one person revealed, everyone had to reveal— And the other three were totally mismatched. No Roles.
Meaning Dagaa won the game.
“As expected of the Queen.”
Gymnema puffed up proudly.
Puarman Club crossed his arms, crab legs rustling.
“Oh-ho. Fish comrade, this is the Queen?”
“Indeed, crab comrade. This is the Queen.”
“……”
I was speechless.
Seriously?