When the Bard had finished singing this segment, he jumped off the high stool, and as he took off his hat to show his respects to those around, Shard, who was dining, touched his pocket and tossed over two one-shilling coins. Thanks to skillful control of strength and some good fortune, the two coins landed directly into the red soft hat held by the Bard.
Giving two shillings was quite generous, and the Bard immediately bowed to Shard.
"I've heard too many legendary tales; do you have any fresh ballads by chance?"
"What would you like to hear?"
the Bard asked politely.
"Anything related to Roder Card?"
"Of course! Just last week, the Big City Player from Tobesk concluded, and the much talked-about final match, along with the quite controversial identities of the finalists, make the best topic."
Without waiting for Shard's response, he picked up his lute again, sat on the high stool, and immediately began the prelude.
The people in Sicarl Inn were drawn in by this fresh ballad, and the atmosphere inside the inn became even livelier than before. Only Shard felt a bit uncomfortable, since although the Bard sang only the truth, his method of depiction was indeed overly exaggerated.
Until Shard finished his meal, the Bard's song about "Big City Player 1853" was not yet complete. Shard turned to look towards the restaurant, and in the crowd, saw two men dressed in Royal Army Lieutenant uniforms, playing Roder Card at a table, so he stood up and walked over.
Normally, common soldiers on leave are not allowed to stroll around in military attire; only lieutenants and above are permitted. At the table playing Roder Card, the more rugged-looking man was a captain, and the shorter one, though appearing younger, was a lieutenant.
Shard pulled up a chair and sat beside the table, and the two officers playing cards immediately stopped and looked at him.
"Do you mind if I join you for a game?"
Shard took out his deck and brushed it on the table, spreading it out in an arc.
Given his recent conversation with the Bard, this request was not particularly abrupt. The two officers glanced at each other, and the older captain asked,
"What stakes are we playing for?"
He meant gambling money.
"We'll play ten rounds, drawing a minimum of two and a maximum of four cards each round, ties don't count. Half a shilling per round, even if lost wholly, is just the price of a pair of women's stockings, yet can still provide some amusement for us."
This metaphor made both officers laugh, and the rugged Captain extended his hand to Shard:
"Joel Joseph, Captain of Royal Army from Rising Wind Trail."
"John Watson, a local writer gathering materials, who occasionally handles some detective errands."
Shard also reached out and shook his hand.
The lieutenant acted as the referee, and after each had inspected their decks, they began to play. The Captain's deck contained only two special rule cards, while Shard used a standard deck. Although ten rounds sounded lengthy, they wrapped up in just half an hour.
Excluding ties, Shard won eight of the rounds, and the Captain won two. It was a fair game and the stakes were not high, so Captain Joseph had no intention of reneging on the bet.
Just as he was about to settle the bet, Shard gestured for him not to rush:
"Excuse me, are you acquainted with Captain Lades? I've heard about his exploits in Tobesk and would like to speak with him."
Shard first inquired about his friend.
"Yes, this Captain is somewhat of a local celebrity. He's stationed at Red Water Camp and should have some leave next week. You can go up the mountain and find him at Traveler's Camp next to the military base, you're sure to find him there."
Rising Wind Trail is the necessary path for walking through Sicarl Mountain, hence travelers spontaneously formed a rather makeshift camp next to the military base, serving as a midway station for those ascending the mountain and also conducting trade of goods with the Rising Wind Trail garrison.
Shard nodded, of course he would not seek out Captain Lades, but he just wanted to know that the captain had safely arrived here:
"Speaking of Red Water Camp, do you know Captain Ronald?"
Captain Joseph raised an eyebrow and stopped the motion of taking money, knowing that the man in front of him who claimed to be a writer had approached him for reasons beyond just playing cards:
"Indeed, there is a Captain Ronald, but this one hasn't done anything that a common citizen would know about... Has he been playing cards here and owes Gold Pounds?"
"No, no, a few days ago, I met a strange man who asked me to deliver this gun to Captain Ronald and gave me a pound for it."
Shard placed the dead sergeant's pistol on the table:
"I took someone else's money, naturally I have to do the work."
"I don't know when Captain Ronald has his vacations. How about I go find him, let him tell me his vacation times, and then come back to report to you?"
Captain Joseph asked, to which Shard shook his head:
"I am just making a delivery, there's no need for me to meet the captain. Please, just hand this gun over to him. I won't take the three shillings I just won, and I can give you some more money."
He pulled out some coins and pushed them toward the other man, about five-and-a-half shillings. This was rifled from the body of the sergeant who died at the Interstice of Life and Death. Shard only kept two shillings as his own compensation; the rest he laid out. As for the sergeant's body, Shard had restored it from its toy state and buried it on Sicarl Mountain, where the scenery was quite lovely:
"This way, my job is done."
Captain Joseph checked the gun, and seeing that Shard had no intention of prying into the camp's secrets, he let his guard down:
"That seems simple enough. I don't think there should be an issue. Than, after delivering this gun, should we ask Captain Ronald to write a receipt to prove the task was completed?"
He seemed to be a rather responsible person.
"No need, I trust a man in a Royal Army uniform."
Shard gave a slight compliment to the other, and the captain couldn't help but smile:
"Of course, the Royal Army is trustworthy."
The atmosphere suddenly became more harmonious, and Captain Joseph along with his companion Lieutenant Hoyle, having nothing to do that afternoon, invited Shard to continue playing cards.
Shard had nothing else scheduled for the afternoon either, as he had an appointment with Priest Augustus at four o'clock, and it was just past one now. Hanging around here seemed like a good idea.
Thus, the three planned a three-player card game. While Shard was checking Lieutenant Hoyle's deck, they listened to the Bard's lute music and talked about Big City Player from distant Tobesk. Nearly a week had passed since last Wednesday's conclusion of Big City Player 1853, but the stories of what could be called a legendary matchup still excited Roder Card Players around the world.
"How shall we bet this time?"
Lieutenant Hoyle, taking the deck from Shard's hands, asked, seeing that they didn't have any Special Rule Card, Shard just shook his head:
"Actually, I usually don't bet. How about we play a drinking game? The loser pays for his own drink, half a glass per round. We could get some low-proof, inexpensive fruit wines."
Shard proposed, but Captain Joseph shook his head with difficulty:
"Although we are on a break now, it's best not to drink too much. It's not that I lack confidence in winning against you, but from the ten rounds earlier, it seems my luck this afternoon might not be great, and if we really start playing, I will definitely end up drinking the most..."
The inn, previously lively, suddenly quieted down. Captain Joseph and Lieutenant Hoyle instinctively reached for their sidearms, while Shard, like most people on the first floor, looked upwards.
It was a gunshot, the sound coming from directly above the inn.