Episode 68 — The Ace Sealed in Wax

"By the way, you mentioned rigging earlier... how exactly do they do it?"

Volg brushed his bangs back with a look that said the answer was obvious.

"They mark the cards. A nick, a crease, an ink stain... anything works. Essentially, you make it so you can tell what the card is just by looking at the back."

(In the world of Mahjong, we call that 'marking the tiles.')

"To begin with, these cards are individually hand-painted by craftsmen, made of parchment or thin wooden boards. They’re low quality and expensive, so as you use them, they naturally pick up dirt and scratches. ...So, you start memorizing them: 'this scratch is a 3, this crease is a 7.' An elite gambler is someone who can burn all those details into their brain."

"I see."

(Hmph... in that case...)

I shifted on the sofa and reached for the shelf behind me. From the back of a drawer, I pulled out a standard set of Japanese-made playing cards.

"I guess your gamblers can't do this, then."

I took the deck and casually showed the top card to the three of them. It was the 3 of Spades.

"See it?"

"Yes." "I see it." "...Yeah."

The moment they nodded, I returned the card to the top of the deck. With my right hand, I slightly pushed the top card forward while smoothly pulling out the second card from underneath. The movement was minimal. Without breaking eye contact, I flipped the card over to show them again.

The 9 of Hearts.

"...Huh?"

Elishua froze.

"Wait. That’s... different from before?"

Gustav narrowed his eyes, staring intently at my hand.

"What did you just do? It was supposed to be the same card..."

Only Volg remained silent, his sharp eyes tracking my fingertips.

"...Do that again."

"Sure."

I performed the same move again, this time slowly so they could follow. Elishua let out a small gasp—"What kind of magic is this? I don't feel even a ripple of mana..."—while Gustav muttered a soft "Incredible..."

(It’s not magic. It’s just a basic party trick you’d see people do at bars back home.)

"Well, it’s just a little hobby of mine."

I set the deck on the table.

"You don't need to be able to do this. In fact, if there's no one in this world who can, it actually works in our favor."

"...What do you mean?" Volg asked, knitting his brows.

"I told you before. We make money through the Law of Large Numbers. We don't need to cheat. ...On the contrary, if we can create a system that proves we are 'absolutely not cheating,' the customers can play with peace of mind. As trust builds, repeat customers increase. That leads to long-term profit."

"...Proof, huh? How do you plan to manage that?"

I picked up the box for the playing cards and turned it over.

"Look at these cards. The surface is uniform, without a single scratch or stain. Every single card is of the exact same quality. There's no way to mark them."

Gustav leaned in.

"...Could we produce cards this precise in Felsen? With our current craftsmen's techniques, this quality is surely..."

"Elishua, let me ask you something."

Suddenly put on the spot, Elishua snapped her back straight.

"Y-yes! What is it, Master Zect?"

"Using magic to make paper quality uniform, or using mana to print ink with precision... can you create a formula like that?"

Elishua looked thoughtful for a second, but her eyes soon sparkled.

"I can! Or rather, I’m already doing something similar for the production of the Resonant Magic Plates. If I combine a formula for material homogenization with one for precise engraving replication... I can ensure the thickness, surface smoothness, and ink density are all perfectly identical down to the micron!"

"And mass production?"

"If I embed the formula into a golem and set it to work... provided the conditions are right, I could make as many as we need in a single day."

(Aha! Fantasy tech! Sometimes it way outperforms modern Japan. Elishua is a 'critical hit' today.)

"Then let’s go with that. We’ll use mass production to lower the cost and make each deck cheap. If they’re cheap enough, we can afford to treat them as disposables for every game."

"Disposables...?" Gustav asked, sounding surprised.

"Exactly. Before a game starts, the dealer opens a sealed box of cards right on the table in front of the players. If the seal is unbroken, it proves the cards are brand new and haven't been touched by anyone. ...For the seal, we’ll use a wax seal bearing the crest of the Lord of Felsen. After they’ve been used for a set amount of time, we toss the deck and open a new sealed box. No scratches from wear and tear, and no time for anyone to mark them."

Volg slowly crossed his arms.

"...A fair game guaranteed by the Lord's seal. It puts the players at ease and removes the temptation for the house to cheat. Killing two birds with one stone, I see."

"That’s not all."

I took a sip of my cola and continued.

"Felsen-made cards with the official wax seal. We’ll turn the cards themselves into a product. We sell the same ones used in the casino as souvenirs. When travelers take them back to the Capital, the name of Felsen spreads. The cards themselves become a brand for the territory."

"The cards... as a local specialty."

Gustav’s eyes went wide.

"You build a foundation of trust and then put the economy on top of it. ...The casino isn't just a place to play; it’s a showcase that embodies the credibility of Felsen."

A silence followed.

The corner of Volg’s mouth curled into a small smirk.

"...You really are an interesting man. Everything is the exact opposite of the world I’ve lived in until now."

"It only looks that way. What I’m doing is the same as anyone else. It’s just a matter of whether you point people's greed and trust toward the light or the dark."

Gustav nodded deeply, his hand never stopping as he scribbled notes on his parchment.

"Mass production and branding of the cards, wax seal specifications, casino operating regulations... I will organize these and finalize the details with Volg. And you, Mr. Zect..."

"I’ll just be here at home."

"...Yes, I thought as much," Gustav replied with a wry smile.

In the quiet that followed as the discussion wound down, Elishua stood up tentatively. In her hand was a familiar digital camera.

"Um... Master Zect. Regarding the photos, I took some the other day, so I was hoping you could check them..."

"Oh, right. Let’s see."

I pulled up the monitor, and a series of photos followed: the neatly maintained streets of the new city, the fountain square, the roundabout... and Elishua herself, occupying every frame from a variety of perfect angles. These were supposed to be for her report to the village elders, but as expected, it looked like a personal portfolio no matter how you sliced it.

(...Well, the city is in the shots, so I guess it’s fine.)

Just then, Elishua’s gaze landed on the cards on the table. She reached out slowly and picked up the deck. The uniform texture, the beautiful sheen, the orderly designs. These were cards of a quality that didn't exist in this world.

"...These are truly beautiful."

Elishua’s eyes shone quietly. The next moment, she fanned the cards out with a practiced motion and held them up, letting the setting sun through the window shine through them. The backs of the cards glowed softly in the light.

"...Could you perhaps take a photo of me holding these cards?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"No, wait... um... this is... I mean... these are samples of the cards that will become Felsen’s new specialty! Yes, samples! Recording me holding them would serve as testimony for a historic moment for Felsen... and it would be a very important way to convey the wonders of Felsen to my people in the village..."

(Yeah, no, she just wants a picture of herself.)

Volg looked up at the ceiling while Gustav quietly averted his eyes.

(These two are bailing because they don't want to get involved.)

"...Fine. Where are you standing?"

As I said that with a sigh, Elishua’s face lit up instantly.

"By the window, please! The way the light comes in suits my hair color best! At a forty-five-degree angle from the left! I’ll fan the cards out like this... I want to look like the intellectual yet elegant mage of Felsen...!"

"Yeah, yeah. ...Alright, here we go."

The Elishua on the monitor was fanning the cards out gracefully while bathed in the evening sun, smiling at a perfect angle. No matter how you looked at it, it didn't look like a promotional photo for Felsen.

"Well? How is it?"

"Yeah, you look great in the shot..."

(I need her to handle the card production, after all. Consider this a reward.)

Just as I managed to convince myself, Tama let out a huge yawn on my lap.

"Meow. (...It’s been a long day.)"

Outside the window, a quiet night was beginning to fall over the twilight of Felsen.

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.