Страж Империи / Guardian of the Empire: Глава 4

Chapter 4
* * *

Camrad_RIP 26.08.25 в 19:40

Lady Majery shuffled and dealt the cards much more skillfully than the rich man. I even admired the fluttering movements of her long fingers, unfortunately hiding their true beauty under thin silk gloves. But what was even more interesting was that already on the second round, all the cards dealt blindly were identified by the imp. And this turned a serious game into simple fun.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:06

I should make a vow to myself never to sit down and play against imps.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:07

//“Shall we pass?” I asked the horned one, seeing the ace of diamonds and three of hearts in my hands.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:08

//“No, double it.” The imp ordered. “We need to bait the people!”

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:09

Lady Majery threw a couple of gold coins on the table. Playing it safe. With a winning nine. Tier Otis called with his seven. I doubled. And Sir Tyler and Tier Foss folded, deciding that it was better to lose a gold than to bluff with four and three.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:10

“I will continue,” Lady Majery said softly, adding seven more gilded chips to the pile.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:11

“And I will support too,” said Tier Otis without thinking for long.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:12

And at the instigation of the imp, I blurted out again:

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:12

"Double it!" And sent a rectangular plate and four circles to the center of the table.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:13

"I'll double that," Lady Majery said, glancing at me briefly, and I thought I saw a slight smile on her lips. Or maybe I didn't.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:34

Tier Otis thought about it. But he decided to do it anyway and put twenty-eight gold pieces on the line. And I bit my lip, as if tormented by doubts, and passed.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:35

Lady Majery, however, was not at all upset and doubled the stake again. Tier Otis, poor fellow, rubbed his instantly sweaty forehead and threw forty-eight gold pieces on the table.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 09:36

"I'm opening it!" He declared in a hoarse voice. And he was left with nothing. The girl, smiling contentedly, raked in a nice pile of chips she had won.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:19

“We started briskly,” said Tier Foss, snapping his fingers, and he was immediately served a glass of wine.

Camrad_RIP 31.08.25 в 11:46

“Yes, it went well,” Sir Tyler said contentedly.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:20

The third and fourth rounds flew by almost instantly. Everyone's cards were rubbish, and the players passed, leaving the initial bets to the dealers. It was not interesting at all, in general, even though I got hold of five gold-plated chips.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:20

Sir Tyler dealt better. He got a nine, and Lady Majery and Tier Foss got a seven each. Otis and I passed at once, and the nobles and the rich raised the stakes to almost a hundred and then calmed down.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:21

The sixth round brought me thirty-five coins. The imp and I slightly reined in the baron, who had gotten excited and was about to bluff with a six against our seven.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:21

//“Look, we’re not the only ones who are so cunning here,” the imp suddenly blurted out on the next lap.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:22

//“What do you mean?” I didn’t understand what he was talking about.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:22

//"Don't you see? Otis threw away an eight. He didn't call the bet, but threw away a good card. Who would do that? Maybe we, who know that Tier Foss has a nine in his hand."

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:24

//“So it turns out there’s an imp inside him too?” I was puzzled.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:24

//You are an idiot! The horned one got angry. "He's a cheat! He marked the cards and is now playing seriously."

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:26

//“He might leave us without a prize,” I worried.

Camrad_RIP 31.08.25 в 11:46

//“Oh, come on, that’s nothing. The imp waved it off. “A new deck, and he’s out again for five or six laps.”

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:27

As if overhearing our conversation with the imp, Lady Madgery waved her hand to the club employee, and the deck was changed. And for one round, we were left without the necessary knowledge of our opponents' cards. Only the five of hearts and four of clubs that came later allowed us to play in the dark. It was impossible to lose with nine points anyway.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:29

"I'm not having any luck today," said Tier Foss, throwing up his hands an hour later, having lost all his chips and six hundred gold on top of that. "I'm late for the auction, and I'm not having any luck in the game. I guess I won't tempt fate anymore." He got up from the table and grinned slyly. "I'll make it simpler. I'll wait until the winner is determined, and I'll offer him twice the value of this beauty's debt obligations.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 10:30

//"Such an interesting proposal," The imp perked up. "Don't you think? Four thousand in gold for nothing."

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 11:24

//“Don’t get distracted,” I avoided answering. “We don’t have the prize yet.”

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 11:25

//"It'll all be over now," the horned one promised, rubbing his paws and looking around. "Well, let's get started! And let's start, perhaps, with the sharper!"

Camrad_RIP 31.08.25 в 11:46

“And how will you cheat him?” I asked.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 11:25

//"On your turn, we'll give him a corrected card." The imp explained his plan. "He's guided by the marks left on an object by contact with a person's aura." The imp showed me how the multi-colored prints left by the players' fingers glowed on the cards, highlighting the pink spots, as if specially placed either in the center or in the corners of the cards. And then he added with a grin: "And now we'll wipe something off..."

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 11:26

The horned one was not mistaken. Tier Otis, a businessman and high-class card sharper, took the bait. The imp dealt him a blind two of spades, which turned out to be without pink spots on the back, as a picture that did not give points, and he opened the nine of diamonds. I got the eight of clubs face down and the queen of spades.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 11:28

And off we go. The satisfied cheater kept raising and raising the bet, and I supported him with my chips until they ran out.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 11:29

"Two and a half hundred," Otis threw his last chips and the bank bills verified by the magistrate's adviser on the table. And he looked at me with a wry smile.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 11:29

"Let's open up, perhaps," I said lazily, throwing the remains of my winnings from yesterday on the table. But I had a hard time keeping the mask of indifference on my face. It's not every day that you have to take such a risk.

Camrad_RIP 31.08.25 в 11:47

"Nine and... two..." The card sharper's face instantly disappeared, and he stared at me with a completely bewildered look. "How is that possible?"

Camrad_RIP 31.08.25 в 11:48

“And I have an eight!” I boasted, turning over the eight of clubs and, leaning forward, scooped up a pile of winning chips with both hands.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 11:30

Otis, now looking like a dead fish, looked around in shock and quietly climbed out of his chair. It seemed that the sharper had no more money.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 12:27

"You did him well, foreman," Sir Tyler approved of my actions. "But that won't work with me." And he began to unseal a new deck.

Camrad_RIP 31.08.25 в 11:48

I chuckled and supported his bet, then calmly dropped my seven points, leaving the nobles to play among themselves.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 11:30

Lady Majery was lucky. With a seven against a six, she won a jackpot of one hundred and fifty. Not bad for a fair game.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 12:28

Having moved the winning chips towards herself, the noble lady looked at her friend with a smile, sharing her joy. And put her left hand on her thigh.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 12:28

My jaw dropped. Well, well... Could they really be from that kind? And could all the gossip about Lady Majeri be true? Then it becomes clear why she needs such a prize...

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 12:29

"Is there a problem, guard?" Lady Majery asked coldly, noticing the surprise on my face.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 12:29

And the vile imp fell on his back and, folding his paws on his belly, stared at me with a grin.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 12:30

"No, none," I shook my head, struggling with the benevolent disposition I felt toward this stylish beauty. I so wanted to give her some good advice...

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 12:30

//“You promised to do whatever you wanted, without holding back your desires!” The grinning imp reminded me.

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 12:31

//“Yeah, I remember,” I grumbled and, looking sympathetically at the stylish baroness, said out loud:

Camrad_RIP 27.08.25 в 12:33