The Tanuki and The Tiger Play Old Maid
During the capture of Q’Ten Lo, before going to bed.
“Hm? Naofumi-sama, S’yne-san. Are you playing a card game?”
“Trump~?”
“Rafuu?”
When I shuffled the trump S’yne took out, Raphtalia took Filo and Raph-chan entered the room. Seems like Atla and Fohl followed too.
‘Yes—”
“Yeah. I played some at the bar before. Isn’t it a good idea for a change of pace?”
“On that day when you came back very late? So you were playing a card game, Naofumi-sama?”
“Yeah. But it doesn’t seem to be Q’Ten Lo’s own card game. The rules looked to be very complicated.”
“We only know what Melty taught us in Melromarc. And what L’Arc-san and Therese-san taught us.”
When it comes to L’Arc, I can’t think of him enjoying the card game purely, but I imagined him enjoying gambling…
I don’t want to see Raphtalia spreading the cards and gambling. “Let’s enjoy the card game ‘correctly’, Raphtalia.”
“I’m very curious why you emphasized the ‘correctly’ part, but it sounds interesting.”
“Card game, huh…” Fohl murmured while watching the situation.
“For the time being, if it’s something that can be done with trump cards… Old maid and poker? Do those games exist in this world?”
“Yes.”
Playing a game where everyone knows the rules is the best option.
“Then, I wanna try playing Old Maid!”
“You want to try…? But Atla, you’re…”
No, maybe it’s possible for her to play Old Maid because of her condition? Though Fohl was also confused at how to react.
“For now, let’s try it. Fohl, just in case, please be an assistant to Atla.”
“Yeah.”
Because we’re playing Old Maid I pull out one joker and deal cards.
So, the game starts… Atla unfolds her cards and tilts her head immediately.
“I can’t tell the difference.”
“Yeah, I thought so!”
Atla’s blind, so she is more aware of the area, but it looks difficult to distinguish the pattern of the cards.
“Atla, you can’t play card games because you can’t see. I’ll do it instead.” Fohl tried to join in place of Atla.
“Kuh… Then I’ll send my life force to the cards so that I can distinguish them.” Atla said her regrets and came up with an alternative.
“If you do that, it won’t be enjoyable since you will know what cards other people had.”
The opponent’s cards are completely visible and the probability of her losing is small. Such a game wouldn’t be fun.
“I can’t accept that I alone can’t participate in the game whatever I do!”
“I understand your feelings, but don’t say such selfish things.”
“Atla, Nii-chan is glad that you are able to say such cute selfish things.”
Fohl, you really are a siscon to think what she said just now is cute.
“It can’t be helped. Then, play old maid with me. It’s okay to put a mark like you said, Atla-san.” Raphtalia raises her hand and runs for candidacy.
“Are you really okay with that, Raphtalia?”
It’s a card game with your opponent looking at the cards in your hand.
“Yes, it’s okay.”
“… Hmm, I understand. Then, after confirming the game between Raphtalia and Atla, let’s play normally separately.”
That’s why, after redistributing the cards, the game between Raphtalia and Atla began.
Oh, of course, Atla marked each card in advance.
So, after the cards are dealt… like a different person from before, Atla threw away so many pair cards.
Even after the game started, it didn’t change, and she picked cards up from Raphtalia’s hand.
At this rate, it looks like it will be an overwhelming victory for Atla… Is it as she expected?
Or… is Raphtalia going to do something? Raphtalia’s tail is puffing up.
Then, when Atla took the joker in Raphtalia’s hand, Atla threw her cards to the discard pile as if she made a pair.
“I won!”
“Then I’ll get this one.”
Raphtalia picks up the pattern of the tag discarded by Atla, makes a pair, and wins.
“Atla, you’re losing, you know?”
“Yeah, you didn’t have the last pair.”
“What!?”
Raphtalia grinned.
“Raphtalia-san, you…!?” Atla turned to Raphtalia, trembling with anger.
“Yes, I used magic and life force to make it look like another card.”
“This is a scam! That’s a sneaky strategy!”
“I gave you a handicap to understand all the cards with life force. If you don’t allow me to do this, I won’t be able to compete.”
Well… if they played normally, it would be an overwhelming victory for Atla, and I may have to admit Raphtalia’s tricks.
“I’m requesting a rematch! I don’t want to admit that I lost to Raphtalia, even if it’s a card game!”
“Fine by me. I’ll show you I’ll win many times!”
“Rafuu”
Raphtalia and Atla begin to play Old Maid again. Moreover, it seems that Raph-chan will also participate this time.
“Ah… Yeah. We’ll play Old Maid here, but no using magic nor life force.”
“O- okay.”
“Hooray~”
With that said, the heated game between Raphtalia and Atla continued, while I started a normal game of Old Maid with Fohl and the others.
