Chapter 874: The Burden of Luck

Mr. Roland didn't look at Xia De's playing cards, but took the wine glass from the bartender who delivered the wine:

"Although I consider myself capable of defeating the knight of the north, some small things happened at home in the autumn, so I couldn't make the trip to the north. Actually, I intended to go."

After speaking, he noticed that everyone was looking at the table, and the middle-aged bartender wearing an apron didn't leave immediately after delivering the wine, but took a look at the table, and then smiled and patted the poet's shoulder:

"Mr. Roland, it seems you have met your match this time."

The poet then lowered his head to look, and Xia De's three cards on the table were Moon 2, Flower 11, and Sun 8, totaling 21 points.

"There is such a thing?"

Mr. Roland muttered in surprise, but didn't say much, instead, as if inspired, he wrote down a few sentences in his notebook, and then signaled to Xia De that he could proceed to the second round:

"I have seen photos of that Dacheng Player champion in the newspaper."

The poet said very casually, getting the first bottom card of the second round:

"I don't know why, but all the newspaper photos of that knight from Delarion don't have front-facing photos."

"I know this."

Xia De also took his bottom card:

"I heard people say that although that gentleman is a champion, he himself hates gambling and only treats Rod cards as an interest and hobby. Therefore, after hearing that the underground casino opened the odds for the champion during the Dacheng Player, he decided not to let himself appear in the newspaper to prevent his reputation from being tarnished."

"What a noble person."

Mr. Roland praised, and after confirming that Xia De also wanted the third card, he continued to draw cards. Xia De smiled:

"After all, he is the only knight with a title in this era in Delarion."

"Kassenrick hasn't conferred any famous knights for many years. That Hamilton of Leged is probably the only real knight in this era. I stop, 19 points."

Mr. Roland flipped over the bottom card, Flower 9, Flower 1, and Star 9.

He looked at Xia De expectantly. Xia De continued to ask for the fourth card:

"I am actually very curious, Mr. Roland, since your luck is so good, why don't you go to the casino to get a large sum of money for yourself so that you have more time to write poetry? The translation work at the bookstore is afraid that it can't earn much money."

"Because the translation work itself is very interesting. The 'Hamilton Detective Story Collection' we are busy translating recently is a good book."

Mr. Roland said, and then saw Xia De flip over all the cards, Sun 4, Sun 10, Star 1, and Flower 5, 20 points, just one point more than Mr. Roland.

The poet shook his head helplessly:

"Besides the work being interesting, it's also because I'm afraid of meeting people like you."

He took a big sip of wine and said amidst the fuss of the people around:

"I will continue to play. It seems that I really met my match today."

The third round continued. Mr. Roland explained while taking cards:

"Okay, back to the topic, not going to the casino to gamble, on one hand because I am a decent person, and on the other hand because I also believe that luck has a price."

"Mr. Roland, I would rather pay the price than want your luck."

The big-bearded man standing beside the poet with a brown leather belt tied crookedly at his waist joked, but Mr. Roland didn't laugh. He reached out and took the second card:

"If you were me, you probably wouldn't think so. Luck really has to pay a price."

Xia De noticed that his expression was a bit strange, but Xia De hadn't delved into this topic yet, and Mr. Roland had already displayed the playing cards in his hand:

"Look, I drew a special card. Star 1, 【Kassenrick Horror Story: Headless Knight Jack】. When drawing this card, if the opponent's first bottom card is also Star suit and the number is less than or equal to 5, you can choose to force the opponent's total points to be reduced by one."

The people watching were immediately excited and discussed, and the appearance of special rule cards was always so exciting.

Xia De stretched his head slightly and looked at the card face with interest. The card face was not a particularly terrifying picture, but a headless knight wearing armor standing in the cemetery, with three moons behind him, holding his helmet in his hand. Because it didn't depict whether there was anything in the helmet, this scene looked just a little bit creepy.

"Kassenrick Horror Story series?"

Xia De asked with a smile. This was a series that started selling twenty years ago, and it had been reprinted four times so far. Corresponding to it was the 【Delarion Horror Story】 series. These special rule cards collected traditional horror stories and modern urban legends of the two countries.

Because of the particularity of the card face, it was frantically pursued by a small number of Rod card lovers. Not to mention special rule cards, even special card face cards that were relatively common had prices exceeding the average value of similar special Rod cards of the same era.

Of course, although Mr. Roland drew a special card, he finally lost to Xia De's 18-1=17 points due to explosion.

And in the next six rounds of the game, the poet also fully demonstrated his luck, drawing his other special card, Star 7 【Modern Girl: Tavern Girl】. The card face was a girl sitting alone at the tavern counter holding a high-footed glass under the gas lamp, with a lazy expression on her side face.

And the effect was to throw a 20-sided dice. If the result was 1 or 20, the card points could be adjusted between 6 and 7.

But even if he drew a special card, in the total of 9 rounds of the game, the poet Mr. Roland didn't win a single round, and even a draw didn't appear. This was very abnormal. You know, even if Xia De played cards with an opponent with ordinary luck, the other party wouldn't lose so miserably.

"Today is probably not suitable for gambling."

Mr. Roland looked at the Queen Xia De drew in the ninth round with a bitter face. He admitted defeat and prepared to find banknotes in his pocket. At the same time, he also smiled and drove away the people watching around, claiming that his good luck today was over and he didn't want to play cards anymore.

And after people left one after another, the poet pushed the money he lost to Xia De while tentatively asking:

"Mr. Watson, you shouldn't have appeared here by accident and then played cards with me, right?"

He gave the 3 small silver coins of 1 Oer and a few banknotes to Xia De.

Xia De raised his eyebrows:

"Mr. Roland, you are very keen."

He pushed those coins and banknotes back:

"I actually hate gambling, this time it was just to get closer to you, so I acted as your opponent."

He pointed to the money:

"Please take these back, but I have some questions I want to ask you rashly."

Mr. Roland squinted his eyes and looked at the young man in front of him:

"Have you also seen 'Cherub'?"

"Are you talking about the Goddess of the Lake? Oh, no, no, I haven't seen her."

In local folklore, the "Goddess of the Lake" had been given many names. Professor Drake, whose legs were disabled, called that lake the "Lake of Cherub," so the Goddess of the Lake could also be called Cherub.

"Haven't seen her, are you really winning against me by card skills and luck?"

Mr. Roland was very surprised. Xia De thought for a while:

"Actually... my luck has always been very good."

As he spoke, he simply shuffled his card deck, and then randomly picked one to display. The card face was actually Sun 1:

"However, I did come for the 'Goddess of the Lake'. I heard about your affairs from Professor Drake and wanted to understand more detailed circumstances."

"It turned out to be Professor Drake. Yes, I mentioned my affairs to the professor in order to find some information."

Mr. Roland's left hand gripped the handle of his wooden beer mug, and his expression began to relax:

"Young man, your luck is already good enough. I advise you, do not go looking for that goddess in the lake again."

"I have a reason that I must find her, Mr. Roland. Please tell me about your experience in the spring; for this, you may make any request you wish."

The poet sighed and raised his right hand, which was missing two fingers, to show Xia De:

"Everything has a price."

"I understand."

Xia De nodded.

"Do you really understand?"

Mr. Roland gave a bitter smile, and seeing that Xia De was very serious, he nodded:

"I have never been willing to mention that matter to others again, but since your luck is even better than mine, I think that even if I don't tell you, you will eventually find it yourself. Very well, I can tell you the specific experience, but you must promise me one thing. If—and I mean if—you are truly able to see Cherub, please ask Him on my behalf if He can take back my luck."

The atmosphere in the small tavern was very leisurely in the afternoon. There were not many customers yet, and after the card players had left, no one paid any more attention to the two men at the table.

"Take it back?"

Xia De asked hesitantly:

"You paid the price and obtained extraordinary luck; why would you want it taken back?"

"Luck that is too outstanding is a burden for a mortal."

Mr. Roland stroked his chest with his disabled hand:

"I made a wish to Cherub, and He simply took away a poem I had written at the time.

After returning home, I looked exactly the same as any normal person on the outside, but starting in the spring, I felt more and more clearly as if I were carrying a great mountain on my back. It is as if an old-fashioned steam engine had been fitted with the latest model of fuel tank. Sometimes, people really do not need the things they cannot use."

The poet looked at Xia De again, and the young outlander revealed a look of realization:

"As a poet, your inspiration must be very high, and thus you are able to perceive things that ordinary people cannot."

"Yes."

Mr. Roland nodded:

"Mr. Watson, since you can understand, then come and listen to my story. This story is not long, but the process was somewhat incredible. I hope you can believe me."

The two ordered more drinks, and the poet began to tell his story.

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