"Ready, gentlemen?" The dealer's eyes gleamed with glee, his Codex glowing brightly.
The three men watched with confidence, their faces reflecting the assurance of seasoned gamblers. They had experienced this before and were certain that victory would be theirs.
"Dominion Codex!" they shouted in unison. Their Codices appeared, floating in the air—each one thicker and more ornate than any Lucian had seen in a long time.
Lucian raised a hand, signaling the dealer.
"So, uh… what exactly are we doing?" he asked, maintaining a smug expression, though clearly puzzled as to why gambling required a Dominion Codex.
The dealer shot him a brief, piercing glance, his smile widening even more.
"Gambling is a game of luck and skill... but what if we up the stakes? What if we gamble with more skill?" With a snap of his fingers, the entire table was enveloped in a golden aura.
The dealer's eyes glowed a vivid yellow as he made his proclamation.
"All of your luck has been set to zero. Win with every card you have." He chuckled, clearly savoring the tension.
Lucian raised an eyebrow, but then a twisted smile crept onto his face.
"Really now? Sounds like you just made my life easier." His voice was dripping with malicious delight as he snapped his fingers.
"Dominion Codex" he proclaimed. In an instant, his demonic-looking Codex materialized, glowing dark violet, its pages as thick and ominous as ever.
The corpulent noble squinted at Lucian's Codex, bewildered.
"What…? Are you from the mage's college?"
Lucian put a finger to his lips, grinning mischievously.
"Shhh... not telling."
The blonde merchant stared at Lucian's Codex, his confidence wavering. Meanwhile, the brown-haired noble seemed more exhilarated than before, despite being the most hesitant one up until now.
"Let the game begin!" the dealer proclaimed, his voice carrying a note of excitement. With a snap of his fingers, the cards shimmered and rearranged themselves, transforming the game into something simpler.
"High Card Showdown!" he announced, expertly shuffling the deck. In one smooth motion, he dealt the cards to each player, his movements precise and practiced.
Lucian stared down at his card, frowning as he saw the pitiful number—3.
"Having fun with your cards, gentlemen?" Lucian asked slyly, his tone dripping with casual confidence.
The brown-haired noble smirked, his codex glowing with power. "I think you should already know the answer to that."
The blonde merchant let out a light laugh, snapping his fingers as his card shifted. "I'm about to take my money back now."
Lucian observed his opponents, noting the unfamiliar hum of their dominions—none of them had powers he recognized, and luck was not something his own codex was built for.
The corpulent noble grinned, snapping his fingers. The flicker of his codex caught Lucian's eye—but it was the unease underneath that smile that gave him pause.. "Everything seems in order," he chuckled, satisfaction dripping from his voice.
The brown-haired noble's voice took on a smooth, almost charming edge as he replied, "Same here."
Lucian's mind wandered, growing bored with the game. He didn't want to waste time; Ignir was waiting, after all.
"Let's end this quickly, shall we, gentlemen?" Lucian's eyes gleamed with mischief.
Lucian snapped his fingers.
"Checkmate."
The two men stiffened, their eyes glazing over as their cards shimmered and numbers dropped. Lucian's smirk deepened—intoxication and poverty. Perfect.
I never thought I'd use those new dominions from that barkeep so soon, Lucian thought to himself, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips as his Codex activated the Dominion of Intoxication and Poverty.
The dealer's confidence wavered as he watched the two important figures slump into drunken stupors in an instant.
"This was a gamble, but I never knew his dominions could work this way," Lucian murmured, his fingers tracing the passages in his Codex. "He has potential…" His voice dripped with quiet confidence.
"Uhh… gentlemen?" The dealer poked at the two, his voice tinged with nervousness.
"Huh?" The corpulent noble wobbled, squinting at his card, only seeing blurry images. "I'm… I'm ready…" He muttered, convinced he saw a higher number than what was actually there.
The blonde merchant groaned, placing a hand on his forehead. "What the hell…? I can't think straight," he mumbled, slumping forward. He snapped his codex again, attempting to shift his card.
"Agh… whatever." He gave up, sinking further into his seat, accepting defeat.
The brown-haired noble smiled, seemingly unaffected by the chaos around him. "Wow, you've got quite the dominion for such a young lad," he said, chuckling. "But you're not winning this." His voice oozed with an almost irresistible charm now.
Lucian's smirk faltered for a moment. Reid's charm wasn't to be taken lightly. But this was his game.
"So you're playing that card?" Lucian chuckled, unfazed
"Quite the tough one, aren't you?" The noble laughed, though his voice lacked conviction. "Even if I do hold my liquor well, I don't have anything to win this game." He stared at his card, its low number, and sighed.
"I'll earn this all back in a couple of months anyway." He laughed again, then extended his hand toward Lucian, deactivating his Codex. "I think I quite like you."
"The feeling's mutual." Lucian replied.
He took his hand, shaking it firmly. "If you're interested in a job, just ask around for my name—Reid Perval, Duke Reid Perval."
The dealer sighed, clearly exasperated by the interactions at the table, and finally spoke up.
"All players, reveal your cards." He snapped his fingers, forcing the Codices to flip the cards.
The cards were revealed:
Lucian with a 3
The blonde merchant with a -11
The corpulent noble with a 1
And Reid Perval with a 1
Reid Perval stared at the scene, unable to contain his laughter. "What the hell?" He slammed his fist into the table, shaking with amusement. "A negative number? How badly do you hold your liquor that you can't even use your dominions properly?" His gaze flickered to the slumped blonde merchant, clearly struggling to stay upright.
"I never knew you also had a transmutation power like him," Reid continued, shaking his head. "This should've been an easy game for me, but you're more resistant to my Dominion of Charm than I thought." He smirked, rising to his feet and brushing off his regal attire. "Well, it seems I'll have to try harder next time." He paused for a moment, then turned toward Lucian. "We'll meet again..."
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "It's Lucian."
Reid gave him a knowing smile. "Yes… We will meet again, Lucian." With that, he turned and walked off, his footsteps echoing with quiet authority.
Lucian, triumphant, sat back and gathered the chips into his magical pouch while the two other men remained unconscious, still overwhelmed by the effects of the intoxication.
The dealer sighed, rolling his eyes. "Well, that was certainly the most boring match of Dominion gambling I've ever seen."
Lucian grinned widely, patting him on the back. "I'm just that good, after all."
He turned to Ignir, who had been silent throughout the entire game, the tension and high stakes clearly weighing on him. "Come, Ignir. Let's revel in our wealth." His voice carried a dramatic flair.
"Yes!" Ignir grinned, his excitement clear as the tension finally lifted from his shoulders.
Together, they headed toward the counter to convert Lucian's winnings into hard-earned gold, their steps light and triumphant.