#899 Random Playing Card Notes

And just like that, playing cards spread worldwide before I knew it.

I hadn’t planned on it, really, but why did it happen?

It seems like everyone around me figured out that anything I develop turns into a major trend, watching eagerly like hawks.

And then, before you know it, information spreads like wildfire.

Normally, you’d expect Reversi to become popular in another world, as that’s the usual trend.

But for some reason, it wasn’t Reversi that caught on first; it was playing cards.

Why, though?

It’s not like I was trying to be contrarian.

If I had to give a reason, maybe it’s because I’m terrible at Othello?

I just can’t seem to get the corners right.

Every time I play it on the spot, I end up losing!!!

Maybe my aversion to Othello was unconscious, but now that playing cards have become popular, I think it might be okay to try and make Othello popular too.

Or was it Reversi?

But let’s stick to the playing cards for now.

When a story scales up, naturally, some problems arise.

Sure enough, an unexpected situation emerged from the playing card craze and calls for help reached me.

I’m not some customer service center, but since I was the one who introduced them to this world, I guess the aftercare falls to me.

...So off I went to help.

***

So, what kind of trouble had arisen?

When I arrived to check, the situation was far worse than I’d imagined.

Cards were flying everywhere.

Playing cards zipping through the air, drawing arcs across the sky.

Was everyone in town throwing playing cards around as if they were playing?!

“What... is this?!”

A game where playing cards are used as throwing weapons?!

What the heck! Did everyone start indulging in the fantasy of wielding playing cards as weapons, albeit a bit late to the party?

“Hahaha, my card is a specially crafted, razor-sharp Solingen playing card!”

“My name is Jack! Jack of Spades!”

“Picking up thrown cards is so tacky!!!”

“Take this! Rain of cards!”

People have awakened to a stylish battle style, whirling in the dance of chaos.

Of course, this isn’t the correct way to use playing cards. 

They’re meant for peaceful play, following the rules.

Using them in a way that could harm others is not acceptable.

“This situation cannot be ignored...! If there’s anything I can do, I want to stop this madness...!!!”

Seriously, battling with playing cards?

That might have been cool in the past, but now it’s just embarrassing!

Playing cards? 

Why are they sticking into things when thrown? Shouldn’t it be throwing knives or shurikens, if anything?!

Using playing cards as weapons is just too lame these days! 

“You look like someone who’d fight with playing cards” has become the ultimate insult!

How can I bring back their enchanted hearts to the right path?

Their hearts that have been captivated in a bad way?!

That’s it!

A brilliant idea strikes me!

I’ll throw playing cards, too!

Swish, swish, swish! Firing cards one after another from the deck!

One of the cards grazes the top of a candle and extinguishes the flame!

Huh?!

When did a candle get there?

No, I set it up.

Extinguishing a candle flame with a thrown playing card is my hidden talent!

From now on, throwing playing cards will not be seen as a dangerous game but elevated to a hidden art!

“Wow! How cool is that?!”

“Just throwing cards isn’t enough! You need a target to aim for!”

“I’m gonna practice so I can extinguish a flame with a thrown card! It’s all about the precision and speed of the throw!”

Power without direction is mere violence.

But if you fix your gaze on a target and move forward with purpose, perhaps something new will emerge.

This, too, is a different kind of enjoyment from playing cards.

The ways to have fun vary from person to person. As long as there’s respect for the original and no harm is done to others, infinite possibilities await us.

Hone your card-throwing technique to your heart’s content.

And with that, the unexpected trouble caused by playing cards might have been resolved...or has it?

***

After calming the storm, I returned to the farm.

It felt like I had expended my energy on something utterly pointless.

The impact was more extensive than imagined, and while I was busy dealing with it, what about the most important outcome?

That is, how Junior perceived the playing cards.

After all, I introduced playing cards to this world to entertain my child, so it didn’t matter how much of a stir it caused around us.

To verify the final outcome, I hurried to Junior. 

...

I arrived.

Junior is usually playing here, but... 

...What’s this? A line of people?

And such a long line at that.

With so many people lined up... just how many are there?

And the line is made up entirely of women.

Elves, satyrs, Bacchus’s Maidens, and maybe students from the Farm School...?

To see women specifically selected and lined up like this, what on earth is happening?

I traced back the line to find out the truth. 

Along the way, the women said, “Ah! That’s unfair, Lord Saint! Please wait your turn like everyone else!” But I just wanted to find out what was going on!

I’m not trying to cut in line, so please overlook this!

Finally reaching the front of the line, I was astonished.

“Junior?!”

Junior was at the front of the line.

Why?!

Facing the long line of women waiting their turn was Junior!

“Line up, line up. Those who don’t follow the order won’t be served!”

Platy’s here, too?!

Well, it’s reassuring to see my son and his mother together, but that makes the situation even more puzzling.

Is Platy actually encouraging this?

“Ah, Dear? You can’t just skip the line. Those who don’t wait their turn won’t be served!”

“But I’m...?!”

I raced up here to find out what’s happening at the front of this queue, you know?

Could someone please enlighten me on what exactly is going on here?

“If that’s the case, seeing is believing, right, Junior?”

“Let’s do fortune-tellinggg.”

Fortune-telling?

With a feeble chant, Junior shuffles the playing cards.

Playing cards?!

He’s already adept with the cards, even performing a shotgun shuffle.

That’s going to damage the cards!

“Your card of fate is... this.”

Drawing a card from the deck...

“The Ace of Hearts, a perfect match for love, absolutely perfect!”

“Kyaaaah!!! Thank you so much! Thank you! Now I have the confidence to confess my loveeeeeeeeee!!!”

The girl at the front of the line jumps for joy, skipping away happily after her turn.

Then, the next girl in line steps forward to approach Junior.

“Guru! Please, tell me if my confession will be successful!”

“Those who believe shall be saved.”

This means... 

Junior is telling their fortunes with playing cards?!

“After receiving the deck of cards, Junior started fiddling with it in amusement. However, at some point, he began uttering bizarre predictions,” Platy explains. “These predictions somehow foretold the futures of those nearby, and surprisingly, they were spot-on. This led to everyone wanting a reading from Junior, resulting in a long queue.”

Girls love fortune-telling!!!

I had no idea Junior was up to this while I was preoccupied. 

If I recall, the origin of playing cards is often linked with tarot, or is it the other way around? Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with using playing cards for fortune-telling!

I wanted him to play with cards in an intellectual way, but I never expected this turn of events. My son is truly gifted, even at his young age!!!

And so, with the objectives somehow (?) achieved, the stories surrounding playing cards come to a temporary close.