Chapter 895: Different Opponents

All participating players were required to check their decks before the match. Because Xia De was delayed for a while at the witch's place, he was the only one who hadn't arrived when they reached the back garden.

The 16 matches of the first round were scattered in every corner under the grape trellis, and there were large crowds of spectators around each, so Xia De had no chance to know who the participants were.

After checking 【Life Ritual · Wedding】, he temporarily said goodbye to Baron Lavender and Baron Lu Anda, and found the long table that had been placed in the center of the garden path on the west side of the grape trellis. Sitting at the other end of the table was Colonel Lisbon, 42 years old. He didn't have much military temperament, which of course might have something to do with his glasses.

The two didn't say much. After Xia De sat down, under the illumination of the gas lamp, Mr. Justin of the Divination Association immediately announced the start of the match.

"Mr. Hamilton, I've heard a lot about you."

Colonel Lisbon had brown whiskers. He was wearing a naval uniform for the banquet, and his boots were also military boots. The standing gas lamp was on the side, which was the lighting fixture in the garden. The overall shape was similar to the street lamps on Silver Cross Avenue, just a bit shorter.

The warm yellow light illuminated them, and Tifa stood behind Xia De holding Mia. The Colonel, who knew Xia De's identity, greeted him politely. They both got their first card. The surrounding crowd lowered their voices slightly, looking forward to the card game of the 1853 Champion of the Dacheng Player.

It had to be admitted that playing cards in a noble manor with pleasant scenery under the starry sky was indeed very comfortable.

"Colonel Lisbon, I heard that you just returned from the New Continent?"

Xia De asked, and asked for a second card with the Colonel.

"Yes, landed at Cold Water Port, took the steam train back. After all, it's the knighthood season at the end of the year."

The Colonel revealed a smile. Delarian and Kaisenlike would conduct national-level commendations at the end of each year, and strictly follow the rule of "a small conferment every four years, a big conferment every ten years." This was somewhat similar to the concept of "year-end bonus" that existed even in this era, and was also similar to the Five Gods Church distributing gifts to core believers at the end of the year.

Of course, the bottom-level laborers in steam factories could only get blessings from the factory owners; the middle-class citizens could get part of the cash from their employers; big merchants and factory owners rewarded themselves with their own money; what people who could participate in the year-end knighthood received were true status and honor.

"Knighthood season? Yes, in a blink of an eye, 1853 is about to end."

Xia De agreed, and then announced that he would stop drawing cards, but did not immediately flip over his bottom card. According to the rules, there was no need to immediately show the card face when stopping. His friend, Captain Radis, because he made meritorious service in the Battle of Mid-Hill Castle, wrote a letter some time ago saying that he would return to Tobesk in winter to accept the award, but he didn't know if Captain Radis could go further.

The Colonel looked at the 17 points of the two cards in his hand and hesitated for a while, then chose to stop drawing cards, and then saw that Xia De had Star 10 and Star 8.

"This year has been truly hard. I hope every day can be peaceful."

Xia De said, got the first card of the second round, and then flipped it over with a smile:

"Queen, 【New Continent Development History · Wind of Development】. I can draw another card at random. If it is a Sun suit, then the Queen is regarded as a King. But I won't activate the effect. Colonel, I don't believe you can draw a King or 21 points. Do you want to try?"

"Well, I admit defeat."

The Colonel stood up regretfully, and shook hands with Xia De who also stood up:

"I hope we can play cards together next time. What a pity, didn't see those founding series."

The venue for Xia De's second match was by the small white stone fountain on the south side of the grape trellis. The fountain was an image of a little angel holding a water bottle, looking very elegant.

Tifa pulled out a chair for Xia De under the gas lamp. Xia De's opponent arrived late after Xia De sat down.

Wearing a red coat and white lantern pants, and a hat with feathers, was Viscount Chekhov, a local noble of Tobesk. The Viscount had a lot of family property, but his main profession was a small and famous poet.

Like Colonel Lisbon just now, Viscount Chekhov also expressed his admiration for Xia De first, and then played cards with Xia De. He recognized the maid standing behind Xia De as the personal maid of Duchess Miss Jia Lin Na, so after getting the first card, he intentionally or unintentionally began to praise Xia De as a handsome gentleman.

But this kind of praise did not help him win the card game. In the first round, the Viscount continued to draw cards in the situation of two 16 points, and then unfortunately busted; in the second round, he cautiously stopped at 16 points, and as a result, was defeated by Xia De with 18 points.

The surrounding guests laughed and pointed out that the Viscount had fallen twice in the same place with different postures. The Viscount was not angry, but stood up with grace and shook hands with Xia De:

"I knew it, wanting to defeat the champion of the Dacheng Player is not that easy."

"I came a bit late, may I ask if there are any interesting participating players in this card game?"

Xia De asked with a smile, and Tifa helped him tidy up the deck on the side.

Viscount Chekhov thought for a while:

"It seems that a lady participated in the card game, which is very rare, but I don't know that lady who seems to be from Kaisenlike."

"A lady playing cards?"

Xia De frowned.

The third card game was held at the edge of the garden maze on the west side of the grape trellis. At this time, because of the reduction in the number of remaining players, more guests were watching around each table. Of course, to avoid suspicion, apart from their own servants, no one was allowed to stand behind the players.

This time Xia De's opponent was Mr. Luwatz Belson. This gentleman in his thirties was not a noble himself, but he married Baroness Liana Pompey. It is worth mentioning that the noble lady was forty-five years old this year.

Mr. Belson was also very admiring of Xia De's name. After the two sat down, he even wanted an autograph photo of Xia De, but was politely declined by Xia De with a smile.

The card game between the two also had no suspense. It was just that in the second round, the special rule card 【Brave's Game · Wang Erde-style Wrestling】 drawn by Mr. Belson aroused people's interest.

The rule of this card of course would not let the card players wrestle, but required the card holder and one of the card players at the table to throw a 20-sided die. If the numbers of the two dice were consistent, then this Moon 9 card could be adjusted in the range of 7 to 11.

You know, among all the Gwent cards that could adjust numbers Xia De had seen so far, the only one that could span five numbers was his 【Founding · Silver Moon】. Although the activation condition of this 【Brave's Game · Wang Erde-style Wrestling】 was extremely harsh, the adjustment rule spanning 5 numbers meant that once luck really came, this card would play a decisive role.

Xia De threw the number 1, and Mr. Belson threw the number 13. The card rule was not activated, which made the surrounding people let out sighs of regret. After the two people's game ended, when shaking hands, Xia De revealed that he wanted to buy this card.

"No, no, Mr. Hamilton, I won't sell this card."

Mr. Belson shook his head, his tone very firm:

"I want to keep this card in my hand until the day I die, and then let my children open my diary, take out this card from it, and tell them that this is the most precious gift I left for them."

His words caused the people around to burst into laughter, and Xia De also revealed a smile. Suddenly he thought of Detective Sparrow. The former detective left 【Founding · Silver Moon】 in his diary before he died, letting Xia De inherit it.

----------------- Side Note -----------------

ps: Last year's June 1st, the story just happened to develop to "Gun of Kindness", which also happened to be playing cards under the grape trellis of Lake View Manor. A year has passed, and the story just happened to return to the grape trellis of Lake View Manor. Truly emotional.

Happy Children's Day, may 【Creator of Innocence】 bless all those who keep a childlike heart.

7017k ===== CHAPTER 896 =====