#895 Four is Better than Two People

Playing cards isn’t really meant for just two people.

At least, that’s the case for games like Old Maid and Sevens.

Yet, the thought crossed my mind that there must be some two-player card games out there that could be fun. So, I rummaged through my memory.

And I found one.

Concentration.

“Concentration? What in the world is that? Some sort of indirect mental assault skill?”

Veil shuddered at the name of Concentration.

True, if you question the meaning behind the name, it does sound rather ominous.

What was going through the mind of the person who named this game?

They’re probably in the same league as the person who invented Twister.

But, once you actually play it, it’s not as scary as it sounds. 

It’s not some dark, forbidden game.

You flip over cards laid face down to find pairs.

If the numbers match, you keep them and turn over another pair. If they don’t, it’s the next player’s turn. 

You have to remember where each card is and turn them back over in the same place if you don’t find a pair.

The winner is the one who collects the most pairs.

This game doesn’t guarantee winning by luck alone since it’s about facing a sea of face-down cards together. So, it should be fun even with just two players.

“Gaaaahahaha! So it’s all about memory, huh? If I remember where each card is, I can’t lose!”

Veil quickly grasped the essence of Concentration. 

Despite often acting like a brute, she’s surprisingly sharp.

Given that dragons are the ultimate creatures, their intelligence fundamentally surpasses that of humans. 

However, because their strength, magical power, and destructive abilities are top-notch among all creatures, they seldom find themselves in situations that require wit. Consequently, they rarely have the opportunity to sharpen their intellect, leading to the general perception that dragons are stupid.

It’s like, despite originally being smart, it’s a sad case of a monster that ended up dumb because it got too strong.

Anyway, returning to Concentration, while memory is essential, it’s not all there is to winning the game.

After all, you don’t know where any card is until you flip it. 

Only by failing to match a pair do the cards’ positions become known, allowing you to strategize your next move.

Concentration is the epitome of trial and error.

In this game, Veil might seem at a disadvantage, but in reality, she’s at a significant advantage.

Despite being considered a brute, dragons are inherently intelligent, their cognitive abilities towering over other creatures.

So, she should be able to memorize the layout of the cards in an instant. 

It’s a showdown of human memory against a supreme species.

“Ah, I made a mistake.”

Turns out, human memory can quite competently match up.

Despite their overwhelming abilities, dragons tend to forget the little things.

Just as we humans tend to quickly forget the fine details of clothes, so too does this ultimate, large-scale creature struggle.

Its sheer size renders it incapable of attending to the finer details.

Truly, a pitiable monster.

As for me, I’ve been feeling my memory isn’t what it used to be as I age. But lo and behold...

My memory’s not so bad after all!

I’m still sharp as a tack!

This card here! A match!

And the next one! Another pair!

Ah, Concentration is so fun.

It’s so entertaining it feels like flowers might burst into bloom around me.

And so, the game ended with me having collected 29 pairs and Veil 23.

It was closer than I expected.

Veil started to get the hang of the smaller scale of the game, making a formidable comeback.

If we played again, I probably wouldn’t win. So, no more challenges against Veil for me.

“So... We finally had a decent round after the third game. Did you enjoy playing cards this time?”

“I can hardly say...!”

Veil’s reaction is still lukewarm after all that. 

Given what we went through, I guess.

The debacle of playing Old Maid and Sevens with just the two of us was still fresh in memory, so even the valiant effort of Concentration couldn’t quite win her over.

It seems there’s no helping it.

Playing cards just isn’t the same with only two players.

The ideal number seems to be four. Let’s find two more players from somewhere!!!

“Is there anyone out thereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee? Anyoneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!”

My plea was answered.

One was Sensei, the Lifeless King. 

The other was Bacchus, the god of wine.

Quite the lineup for a simple game of cards.

A dragon, an immortal king, a demigod, and a mere mortal. 

Don’t I stick out too much here?

“Master, saying stuff like that just sounds like you’re making self-deprecating jokes, you know.”

“Indeed. There’s no one else in the world like you, Lord Saint, who brings harmony to the world.”

Even Sensei is flattering me...?!

Oh well.

Let’s not dwell on that too much. Let’s focus on the cards.

I’m dealing the cards, all right?

Just like I explained, discard any pairs you have.

“Left out again!”

Bacchus, the god of wine, who has been largely ignored until now, lets out a frustrated cry.

Quiet down and get ready for Old Maid.

Yes, the game we’re about to play is Old Maid.

Consider it a revenge match for the dreadfully boring one-on-one Old Maid by adding two more players for a quartet. 

With more players, the whereabouts of the Old Maid card become less predictable, enhancing the game’s enjoyment and ensuring it’s more entertaining than before.

First, we prepare by removing all the pairs from our hands.

“Let’s start.”

“Whoever loses has to down a drink I’ve made!” 

Don’t just add a drinking penalty on the fly. 

And a drink in the middle of the day? I have dinner plans with my family.

But, no matter. If I win, it’s all good. 

So, the Old Maid game featuring a saint, a dragon, an immortal king, and a demigod began.

The game progressed smoothly at first.

We were just drawing cards and discarding pairs.

However, with four players, there’s no guarantee that the person you’re drawing from has a pair for you, which can lead to wasted turns—a situation not encountered in two-player games.

Moreover, the suspense of not knowing where the Old Maid card is adds a layer of tension and enjoyment to the game.

As the game went on, pairs were discarded quickly, and the number of cards each player held dwindled.

“YES! I’ve matched my last card! I’m out firsttttttt!!!”

Veil, the dragon, manages to discard her last card and finish with no cards in hand. 

Her slight experience gave her an edge.

Then again, Old Maid is largely a game of luck, where the presence of the Old Maid card and the chance of drawing a matching card are left to fortune.

The most a player’s skill can influence the game is perhaps maintaining a poker face when drawing or holding the Old Maid.

If you smirk when someone’s about to draw the Old Maid from you, that’s a grave mistake.

“...Um, Sensei?”

“Yes?”

“There seem to be evil spirits gathering around you...?”

Sensei’s ominous aura is attracting spirits!

A horde of evil spirits begins to swarm!

Could it be that the card I’m about to draw from Sensei isn’t the Old Maid?!

Is the last card he’s holding the Old Maid?!

Expressing your feelings is one thing, but affecting the ambiance around you because you’re about to be left holding the Old Maid is quite another!

“Lifeless King, sir, the card in his hand is a five. If you draw it, you’ll pair up and win.”

Hey, you evil spirits!

Stop peeking at my cards and giving hints to your master! That’s cheating!!!

...As challenging as it was for a dragon to adapt to a card game, it seems a Lifeless King, another apex creature, also had his fair share of difficulties adjusting.