Night was approaching.
Elsewhere, Sarah pressed both hands against the table, her expression cold.
"Unless something unexpected happened, Juarez's ship should already be on its way. They'll return with the news in two days. Everyone must be prepared. Whether we succeed or fail will be decided in one move!"
The crew members seated around the table all wore serious expressions as they answered her.
Some had followed Sarah from the very beginning, while others had joined her later. Without exception, every one of them had invested a tremendous amount of effort into this plan. None of them wanted to see something go wrong at the final moment.
Sarah had spent fifteen years lying in wait for this. No one wanted her revenge to succeed more than she did.
She had already begun taking action before Luke ever set foot in Bilgewater.
Borika had merely been the final target she needed to eliminate, even if doing so risked exposing her.
Gangplank valued that man not only because he was a sycophantic lackey, but also because he had a hound's keen nose for trouble.
He would notice the slightest disturbance.
That was why Gangplank had left him behind to keep watch over Bilgewater.
As long as Borika remained alive, it would be difficult for Sarah to operate freely within the city.
Gangplank would certainly not let her off so easily. Once the celebrations for his triumphant return ended, he would come to settle the score.
She understood him too well.
Unfortunately for him, she intended to strike first.
A cold smile appeared on Sarah's face. The chill radiating from her body seemed to lower the temperature of the surrounding air.
She then raised her eyes toward Luke.
"You're coming somewhere with me."
Gangplank had already left the Buhru temple and returned to his territory.
His face was expressionless, and an intimidating authority radiated from his body despite his calm demeanor. He wore a new gray fur coat and was using a dagger to peel an orange.
"Tell me about Borika."
"It's almost exactly as Marsili described. Borika first sent men to abduct that pretty boy, but they were defeated. Humiliated and furious, he placed a bounty on him. That same night, the bounty hunter brought her people to Borika's base and blew his head off with a single shot."
A short, shifty-looking man cautiously delivered the report without daring to raise his head.
"Is that really what happened?"
Gangplank's voice was neither cold nor warm, revealing no emotion.
"I swear it's the absolute truth. After killing him, Miss Fortune jumped through a window and escaped. Later, Borika's enemies went after the rest of his men..."
The short man quickly reported everything else that had happened.
As he spoke, he felt a chill spreading through the room and could not stop his body from trembling.
"They've got nerve."
Gangplank calmly bit off half of the peeled orange, a cold glint appearing in his eyes.
"So the moment I'm gone, everyone stops taking me seriously. Every worthless piece of trash suddenly thinks it can crawl out of its hole. Enough. Leave."
"Yes, sir."
The man hurriedly departed.
The sound of chewing filled the small room. Gangplank particularly enjoyed slightly sour oranges. He finished the fruit without changing his expression, then rose indifferently.
They were nothing but clowns and nameless nobodies who only dared stir up trouble while he was away.
Now that he had returned, every disturbance would be silenced.
Bilgewater belonged to him alone.
Borika's death was somewhat regrettable, and Gangplank naturally would not easily forgive the bounty hunter who had dared kill one of his men.
He always repaid every slight. How could a single blue gemstone possibly buy his forgiveness?
She called herself Miss Fortune, didn't she?
The image of a red-haired woman briefly appeared in his mind, but he remembered little else.
How dangerous could someone be when she had not even left enough of an impression for him to remember her properly?
He would allow her to live a little longer.
Once the temple offering had been arranged, he would settle the score with her.
Elsewhere, Luke followed Sarah toward Bilgewater's upper district.
"Where are we going now?"
"We're meeting someone. Whether the next part of the plan succeeds depends on how well he performs."
Luke understood.
Before long, the two arrived at a casino in the upper district. The place was decorated with dazzling opulence, and an overwhelming sense of luxury greeted them at the entrance. Loud shouts constantly came from within, creating an extraordinarily lively atmosphere.
Sarah wore a broad hat that barely concealed her exquisite face. Even so, her striking figure attracted plenty of attention, though those gazes quickly shifted away.
Inside a casino, the cards and dice on the tables were clearly more attractive than any woman.
As long as a man won enough money here, women would throw themselves into his arms the moment he stepped outside.
After entering, Sarah surveyed the room. Her gaze eventually settled on a bearded man wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
His clothing and mannerisms possessed the elegance of someone raised among nobility. A gentle smile rested naturally on his lips, making him appear completely harmless.
Even the way he revealed his cards and collected his winnings seemed refined.
By comparison, the gambler sitting opposite him had bloodshot eyes. He had lost so much that reason had abandoned him, and he slammed the table in fury.
"Looks like I win again, Molt. Luck isn't treating you kindly today."
The bearded man chuckled.
"Cut the bullshit! My luck's about to turn. Deal again!"
Molt growled and scattered his remaining money across the table, urging the dealer to continue.
Watching from a distance, Sarah's lips curved upward. She leaned close to Luke and whispered, "Find a way to take every coin that man has. I'll wait for him outside."
Her warm breath brushed Luke's earlobe, though she seemed completely unaware of it.
Whether it was intentional or not was difficult to say.
Once she finished speaking, she turned and left, abandoning Luke inside the casino.
Seeing how decisively she walked away, Luke paused in surprise.
Did Miss Fortune not trust him a little too much?
What made her so certain he could take every coin from a man who was clearly dominating the entire casino?
Sarah genuinely possessed that much confidence in him. She believed taking all the money from one compulsive gambler would pose no difficulty for Luke.
She had originally intended to use other methods, but after Luke arrived, she changed her plan.
Seeing that Miss Fortune had truly left, Luke had no choice but to approach the gambling table.
A large crowd had gathered around it. Some were genuine spectators, watching with excitement, greed, or jealousy. Others were merely waiting for the winner to hand out tips.
Amid the crowd's cheers, the match between the two gamblers finally reached its conclusion.
The cards were revealed once again, immediately provoking an uproar.
"Two pair beats one pair! Molt lost again!"
"Damn, that man's unlucky."
"He lost everything."
The surrounding discussions were filled with schadenfreude. In a casino, watching someone lose an entire fortune in a single day was perfectly ordinary.
Molt's earlier aggression vanished, leaving him dejected and exhausted. He stared unwillingly at the table, but could only rise and leave in defeat.
"I can only blame my extraordinary luck today."
Watching another wealthy man become penniless because of him filled Twisted Fate with such a powerful sense of accomplishment that every cell in his body seemed intoxicated.
He loved the feeling of taking every coin another person possessed.
He also loved the thrill of gambling itself. Losing meant walking away with absolutely nothing, and that made it all the more exciting.
Of course, Lady Luck stood on his side most of the time.
"It appears today's games have reached their end."
After waiting briefly and seeing no one take the empty seat, Twisted Fate prepared to collect his money and leave.
At that moment, someone sat down where Molt had been. The newcomer wore an even more harmless smile than his own.
"Mind if I play a few hands?"
For some reason, Twisted Fate sensed danger from this man. Even the cards hidden inside his coat began trembling.
Rather than frightening him, however, that sensation caught his interest.
It appeared he had encountered an entertaining opponent.
He wondered what expression the man would show after losing all his money.
Twisted Fate eagerly sat back down, wearing his usual gentle smile.
"Not at all. I've been hoping to meet a worthy opponent. However, you need a certain amount of capital to join this table. I'm curious whether you have enough."
"Will this do?"
Luke casually placed a bag of gold coins in front of him. The opening fell aside, revealing the brilliant golden glow within and dazzling everyone nearby.
Their breathing grew heavier.
Twisted Fate's eyes narrowed. His extensive experience allowed him to determine without touching it that the bag contained at least a hundred gold coins.
A very valuable customer.
"That is more than sufficient."
Twisted Fate interlocked his fingers and stretched them outward, easing their fatigue.
"What should I call you?"
"Luke."
"You can call me Fitch. What would you like to play? Standard poker, blackjack, or perhaps dice?"
Twisted Fate asked confidently.
"Let's begin with poker."
Luke maintained his harmless smile.
The rules of standard poker were similar to the Texas hold'em Luke knew.
The deck contained fifty-two cards and no jokers. At the beginning of each game, every player received two private cards. The dealer then revealed five community cards across three separate rounds. Each round of dealing was accompanied by betting, followed by the struggle between the players at the table.
Once it was confirmed that no one else would participate, their match began.
They played several unremarkable hands while studying one another. Once Twisted Fate gained a basic understanding of his opponent, he prepared to become serious.
At a card table, he was essentially unbeatable.
He had possessed a unique affinity for cards since childhood. Whenever he activated this gift, he could sense the position of almost every card in the deck.
He therefore knew every hand being dealt.
He possessed another ability as well, luck.
Whenever gambling was involved, his luck was never poor. It was not overwhelmingly good either. Most of the time, it remained at precisely the right level, somewhat above average.
That was also why he rarely won enormous fortunes at once.
At an ordinary gambling table, however, it was more than sufficient.
After waiting through several hands, Twisted Fate finally found his opportunity.
The dealer distributed two face-down cards. He picked his up and looked at them.
Although he already knew what they were, he still enjoyed the moment of revealing a hand.
As expected, he held a pair of aces.
Luke held a pair of kings.
Twisted Fate tossed in a few silver coins and checked. One had to cast a long line to catch a large fish.
The dealer revealed an ace and a king among the community cards, strengthening both of their hands.
When Luke's turn came, he immediately tossed out five gold coins.
Twisted Fate calmly matched the wager, and the dealer revealed the next cards.
A nine and a three.
They had no connection to either player's private cards, but that did not matter.
"We've played enough minor hands. Perhaps it's time to become serious."
Twisted Fate chuckled, counted out thirty gold coins, stacked them neatly, and pushed them forward.
"Thirty gold coins."
Cries of surprise immediately erupted from the crowd. Every spectator's eyes lit up with excitement.
At last, they were seeing what they had come for.
Seeing Twisted Fate make such a large wager, Luke appeared to sink into thought.
He had naturally recognized his opponent by now.
This was the Card Master, Twisted Fate.
Miss Fortune had certainly given him a difficult assignment.
Defeating Twisted Fate through ordinary methods or gambling skill alone would be extremely difficult.
Otherwise, he would not be called the Card Master.
Fortunately, Luke had never intended to compete with him through skill.
At that moment, a slender figure visible only to Luke floated behind Twisted Fate. After glancing at his cards, she said, "He has a pair of aces. It looks like you're going to lose."
Janna's pleasant voice sounded beside him. She seemed thoroughly invested in the game.
After hearing her, Luke smiled at Twisted Fate.
"It appears you have an excellent hand. In that case, I fold."
He tossed his two cards toward the dealer, forfeiting the hand.
Twisted Fate raised an eyebrow and examined Luke again before smiling.
"That was an excellent guess. What a shame."
He collected the money from the table. Although he had won several gold coins, he felt no satisfaction.
Luke's reaction surprised him.
The man had three kings, yet he had folded during that round.
That made little sense.
Could he somehow know Twisted Fate's private cards?
Twisted Fate rejected the thought immediately. Throughout all his years gambling, he had never met another person with an ability like his own.
His gift had been with him since birth.
There was only one possibility.
His opponent was a highly skilled gambler with exceptional judgment and instincts.
Twisted Fate continued testing him over the following games and eventually became convinced of that conclusion.
Luke could not read the cards, but his instincts and judgment were extraordinarily sharp, placing significant pressure on Twisted Fate.
Opponents like that were often the most troublesome.
Their resolve needed to be worn down slowly.
Twisted Fate was certain that every gambler eventually lost control.
Thus, both men continued playing while harboring their own private intentions.
The spectators gradually began yawning as boredom set in.
The fierce confrontation they had imagined never appeared. The two men seemed to have come merely to practice dealing cards.
One folded, then the other folded. Even the neighboring tables were more entertaining.
Before long, the two switched from poker to blackjack, yet they remained evenly matched and neither could gain a decisive advantage.
Time continued passing as they repeatedly changed games. Neither man suggested leaving.
Neither attempted to cheat either. Once they recognized each other as experts, cheating openly would be no different from asking to die.
Luke knew that if they continued merely dealing cards, he would never take all the money from an experienced gambler like Twisted Fate.
The man likely possessed a special ability that allowed him to sense the position of every card.
Luke therefore needed to remain patient, slowly provoking Twisted Fate's gambling obsession while waiting for the proper opportunity.
More time passed.
The casino had become saturated with tobacco smoke, leaving everyone's head heavy and unfocused.
Twisted Fate felt his temples swelling. His eyes ached with exhaustion, and sharp pains pulsed through his head.
He knew he had been gambling too long.
Overusing his ability always caused this reaction.
His mental strength had reached its limit. He could no longer activate his gift.
He could not allow the game to continue like this. He needed to find a way to end it quickly.
Twisted Fate observed his opponent.
Luke's condition also seemed affected. His nerves appeared stretched to their breaking point.
At that moment, Luke spread his hands.
"At this rate, we could continue forever. Let's make one large bet and decide everything in a single round."
Interest immediately appeared in Twisted Fate's eyes, along with the fervor of a compulsive gambler.
"Excellent. I admire a man willing to wager everything. What game do you suggest?"
"We use all fifty-two cards and draw only one. An ace is highest and a two is lowest. We roll dice to decide who draws first."
Luke briefly explained the rules.
Twisted Fate's eyes brightened, and he nearly failed to suppress his laughter.
A contest of luck?
With everything decided in a single round?
This was exactly what he wanted.
Even without using his gift, Twisted Fate could still win money through luck alone.
When gambling was involved, he knew Lady Luck would always stand beside him.
He was not extraordinarily fortunate, but his luck was never poor, and he had never lost in a contest like this.
No matter how he considered it, his chances of winning were excellent.
He did not reveal his delight and instead nodded calmly.
"Very well. One round decides everything."
The moment they heard that the entire game would be settled in one round, the spectators regained their energy and became excited.
The money piled before both men was roughly equal, and it represented everything Twisted Fate currently possessed.
Their fortunes were placed together.
The dealer shuffled the deck, then swept the cards across the table, arranging all fifty-two face down in neat rows.
Twisted Fate closed his eyes as though conserving his energy.
In reality, he was attempting to use the last of his mental strength to sense every card.
His fist tightened inside his sleeve, but nothing happened.
The ability failed.
Repeatedly activating his gift had placed too much strain on him. His head was filled with buzzing noise and constant pain.
It appeared he truly had no choice but to rely on luck.
Twisted Fate opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled calmly.
"There's no need to roll the dice. You may choose first."
He trusted his luck.
It would not fail him.
"Is that so? Then I won't refuse."
Luke extended his slender fingers over the cards, brushing past them one after another.
He eventually selected one and lifted it.
The surrounding crowd immediately reacted with disappointed noises, as though they had already identified the loser.
Luke was holding a three.
It was the second-lowest card in the deck, surpassed only by a two.
Seeing it, Twisted Fate smiled and completely relaxed.
As expected, Lady Luck stood on his side.
No matter how he looked at the situation, there was no reason for him to lose.
After gathering his concentration, Twisted Fate reached toward the cards while confidently declaring, "It appears this match is already over."
He failed to notice the smile appearing on Luke's face.
"You promised me three different desserts after this."
Janna floated in the air with one hand on her hip. She raised her other hand and snapped her fingers.
Twisted Fate still wore a confident smile as he slowly revealed his card.
The next instant, that smile froze and became noticeably stiff.
A far greater uproar erupted from the spectators. People stared in astonishment, some unable to believe what they were seeing.
No one found it more unbelievable than Twisted Fate himself.
The card held between his fingers displayed a single number.
Two.
The lowest card in the deck.
A card even lower than Luke's three.
An extraordinarily unlikely outcome had appeared in Twisted Fate's hand.
He became completely motionless, resembling a stone statue. He stared at the two, and the disbelief in his eyes refused to fade.
"That's absurd!"
"Exactly! I thought the three had already guaranteed his loss, but the other man somehow drew a two."
"Incredible. I should've joined the game."
"Seriously, wouldn't almost any random card have beaten both of them?"
The spectators erupted into excited discussion.
A game everyone had believed was already decided underwent a complete reversal at the final moment.
The second-lowest card, a three, had defeated the lowest card, a two.
Only four cards among the entire fifty-two-card deck could have lost to Luke's draw, and Twisted Fate had somehow selected one of them.
It was ridiculous.
Twisted Fate thought so as well.
Nothing like this had ever happened to him. He had been completely defeated in a contest of luck.
His eyes reddened. Like a gambler possessed, he stared intensely at Luke.
"Another round. Let's play another round."
Luke calmly gathered all the money from the table and smiled.
"You don't seem to have anything left to wager. Even I didn't expect to win that round. Perhaps my luck is better than I thought.
"How does that saying go? Lady Luck is smiling."
Twisted Fate reacted as though struck by lightning and froze once again.
Lady Luck is smiling?
That was his line!
Everything this man said belonged to him!
Twisted Fate screamed inwardly as he watched Luke walk away with all the money.
He searched his pockets, but could not find even a single copper coin.
He was penniless.
Once again, he had returned to being completely penniless.
What he found most intolerable was that he had lost everything at a gambling table.
"I'll come back another time. Once you have money again, perhaps we can gamble once more. However, you'll need to prepare a stake worthy of my attention."
Before leaving, Luke directed those final words toward Twisted Fate.
They were like offering one last trace of hope to a compulsive gambler.
Twisted Fate regained his senses and stared at Luke's retreating figure, committing it firmly to memory.
For the first time in his undefeated career at the gambling table, he had suffered a devastating blow.
He still could not understand how he had possibly lost.
With his luck, that outcome should never have occurred.
Had they truly competed through luck alone when drawing cards, Luke might not have been able to defeat Twisted Fate.
But the same truth remained.
Luke had never been fighting alone.
He had never intended to compete through luck in the first place.
After all, he had a goddess watching over him. Not using her assistance would have been a terrible waste.
Once Twisted Fate's mental strength was exhausted and he could no longer use his ability to see through the deck, it became the perfect moment for Janna to switch the cards.
That particular spirit goddess was also remarkably easy to bribe.
All she demanded were three different desserts.
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