The ladies took quite some time to get ready. Kairo waited at the car, continuously taking turns to glance at his watch.
"That's more than an hour already? Why does it take so long?" Kairo was getting impatient. It had taken him barely twenty minutes to get ready — wearing a white shirt and long trousers with sneakers. Simple, clean, and comfortable — that was all Kairo needed.
"What is Leli shuffling in there? Can't they find anything to get on?" Kairo was confused. Although he knew women took a little longer to shower and get cleaned up, this was taking way too much time from his perspective. They weren't going for a wedding, just a walk.
Time continued flying — a second turning into an hour for Kairo. Just as he was about to give up, the duo descended from upstairs, their heels clapping onto the marble floor. Kairo's eyes slowed down on Nyx, observing the details that had gone into her preparation.
"What do you think of the result? I'm not an artist — I did what I could. Doesn't she look perfect? Kairo, you can't even talk anymore," Leli said, proud of her creation.
Kairo straightened his posture. He had been drawn in within a second.
"Dazzling," he said. He had spent so much time with Nyx by now that he was used to seeing her in her card mage uniform. Rarely had he seen her in such a gown.
"Thank you," she said in a low voice, visibly intimidated by the heels. Nyx had grown up in a care center and rarely had the chance to try these things while growing up.
After getting into the card mage police, she could afford all of that — but didn't, and stuck to her trousers and card mage uniform. Before Kairo, there was no need for all of this.
"I'm driving. My father never lets me drive his cars. It's an opportunity to try with yours, Kairo," Leli said with sparkling eyes.
Kairo shrugged his shoulders. As long as she wasn't killing them on the way, it was fine. Furthermore, it wasn't his car but that of his father's — most of which were rarely used. However, Kairo rapidly regretted his decision. On their way to the destination, Leli missed several red lights, confused the brakes with the accelerator, and almost sent them into a wall.
After some hard arguing, Kairo managed to get back behind the wheel and drove them safely. Leli kept complaining about how she should be given another chance, while Nyx sold her the lie that she would get one.
After parking their car, the trio entered the lively park. The atmosphere was vibrant, with kids and young adults having fun trying the various activities. The most popular around them were certainly those related to card magic.
At one stand, a man placed various simple cards on a table, urging passersby to select a card. He would then shuffle the cards in front of everyone and ask them to select all the cards but the one they had chosen.
The main attraction of this game was the huge teddy bear behind the man. It wasn't a toy but a real summon from card magic. Each time the candidate managed to select all the cards they didn't touch the first time, the bear would take the kid on its shoulder for a picture. Then, the bear would plug part of its skin and, just like magic, form an animal of the kid's choice with it.
The scene was so enchanting that even the adults were captivated. They literally reeled in excitement for that. The lines for such games were so long that Kairo and his group simply could not wait.
"That's actually a very useful auxiliary card. Called Teddy Call. When hugging the bear, it can heal minor injuries for non-card magic users and can be of minor use for card mages," Leli explained.
"Card magic isn't only used for combat but sometimes for entertainment too. That's why it's so popular with the media—they think of it as a game. At the care center, we used to see such shows on rare occasions," Nyx said with a bright smile, visibly enjoying every moment of the show.
"Wow, so cool," Kairo was surprised. No wonder these bear toys were so popular among kids and adults. That literally meant if the kids got wounded playing, they just had to hug their bear to heal—just like magic. Kairo found it fascinating. If this had a better effect on card mages, it would have been of great use, but at last, it was of little use for the likes of Kairo and the others. Not all auxiliary cards could be used like Animate or the others.
"Want one of these? I could get them for you," Kairo asked, observing the longing in her eyes. He didn't particularly like the idea of waiting that long, but if she agreed, he wouldn't mind going. Nyx said nothing, neither accepting nor replying.
"What are you still waiting for, Kairo? Have you lost your ears or what?" Lelei pushed him away.
Kairo was startled. He didn't hear anything, did he? However, although Nyx wasn't talking, her eyes spoke a lot. She might feel too embarrassed to ask for a bear in front of so many people, Kairo thought, walking to the lines. Straightening his resolve, he was going to dry in the sun.
"Hi, is it not the Sky Diver? Hey, Mom, look at the Sky Diver!"
"It's really him—Magnus' prodigy. They say he killed a dragon in a submarine! How cool!"
Kairo's face twitched slightly, amazed that so many people knew him. The media tended to exaggerate things for their own purposes. Although Kairo and the others did fight Draco, it wasn't a real dragon, nor was he alone in that.
"Hey, you can get my place if you wish. But only if I get to see the Sand Paladin," another added.
Kairo's face lit up, tempted by the enticing offer. If he could avoid the long wait, it would have been great for him. But at last, he couldn't accept. Shaking his head, he said, "I'm not allowed to use the Sand Paladin in here, but I have another card. Would you like to see a trick?" he asked.
Without their card launcher, it was impossible to transport their awakened cards with them wherever they went. But for a card like Animate, it was a little different. Auxiliary cards didn't have that limitation. Kairo always kept it in his back pocket, just in case things went south and he needed to react fast. But the chances were slim—the city was very well guarded.
"Deal, then," they all agreed without a second thought.
Kairo then pulled Animate out of his pocket and activated it. When the circuitry of the void appeared, all settled their eyes on Kairo. Very few had the chance to observe it from so close in real life. Because of how strictly regulated card magic was, most of the time it was via TV and the media, but looking at it live was something different.
Kairo then touched each of the kids' toys in their hands and gave them a single order: "Dance," he said. Like something out of a fairy tale, the bears in their hands were brought to life, popping out from their shocked hands to the ground. They began making crude, funny movements, dancing around in unison.
The kids were startled, the adults took pictures, while others—Nyx and Lelei on the side—enjoyed the spectacle without getting too close. After their little show, the bears returned to normal and back into the kids' hands.
"Thanks for this moment. You can have my place if you wish," someone proposed. Soon, Kairo found himself at the very forefront of the line without much effort.
After effortlessly finding the right cards, he got a pink teddy bear hat he held closely to himself while he returned to his friends.
But since a large crowd had gathered to see his little trick, he couldn't see them immediately. "Where have they gone to?" Kairo asked.
About to get deeper into the crowd to find out, he was interrupted by a feminine figure.
A tall and slender woman wearing a casual shirt and trousers hugging her generous curves. Her unbuttoned shirt revealing just enough for one to get a sneak. Kairo immediately noticed the familiar earring on her left earlobe.
"Your trick was impressive. What is that card called? Can I see it?" she asked. Her voice almost too soft for complete strangers.
With a slight frown, Kairo said, "Animate. And you're blocking my path. My girlfriend is waiting for me," he said directly. He couldn't know what she had in mind, but he wasn't interested. And couldn't care less.
Furthermore, she wore one of those earrings Kairo had seen at the interview. That could mean anything, it was just a single one, exactly like that of those from the ICMA.
"Fine, you flipped the right card… I'm from the ICMA," she said, raising her palm for a courteous greeting. "Luve Cort."
It's his daughter, Kairo immediately pieced the name in his head. Sam had left an annoyingly deep impression on him. Now he was pretty sure it was about the upcoming gold rush and the Deck of Origin. One more reason not to talk to her.
"I'm busy," he said.
"Wait, listen a few seconds, Kairo. The Independent Card Mage Association has much to offer you. We don't restrict card magic like the Card Mage Police. With us, you will continuously grow in power every single day. You will get the chance to explore and learn all the secrets of card magic way faster. On the way, we could get to know each other," Luve said, almost desperate for a yes.
"Listen, most people awaken their cards in the card-shaped gymnasium. But no one is forced to join the Card Mage Police. The only reason why they are so numerous is because they are well known. Some places have special holder producers. They aren't as perfect as those coming from the Card Mage, but they are no less useful. You could get as many as you wish," Luve continued tempting him.
Kairo slowed down an instant after her words sank into his brain. The card awakening was not done in the headquarters of the Card Mage exactly for this reason.
There was no obligation for anyone to join the Card Mage Police, but most people still chose them over others like the ICMA for obvious reasons.
And as for those holder producers, Kairo was skeptical, but if it was true, this would explain why so many cards existed outside of the Card Mage Police.
However, those from the Card Mage Police were clearly superior, shown by the difference in sheer scale and efficiency of the organization.
"Not interested," Kairo shook his head.
There was nothing to consider in this. He was slowly gaining his power, rising through the Card Mage Police. There was no need to rush things. His eyes pinpointed Nyx in the crowd. He smiled at her, but she frowned in his direction, walking away.
Kairo quickened the pace, forgetting about Luve's ranting. He was well aware this was going to happen, simply didn't expect them to act this fast. This simply meant the Seruth Monster was right— all over the world, powers were rising from the shadows for what was coming.
"Hey, wait for me!" he called out.
"You seem pretty busy, why should I?" Nyx retorted without turning her back.
"It's Luve from the ICMA. She probably thinks I know the location of the Cards of Origin. That's why she was here, nothing else."
"With an unbuttoned shirt."
Kairo almost fell on the ground, unable to find the right counter. After catching up with the angry Nyx, he handed her his teddy bear with a sincere smile. "It's nothing," he said.
Unable to resist the cute eyes of the bear, she snatched it away like an impatient kid. Without a thank you, she continued towards Leli.
…
"Told you seduction works only in films… Wait— stop shouting in my ears, Dad. I tried, but Kairo is too block-headed to see anything… Yes, yes, I understand why it is important. We will try something more direct," Luve hung up the phone, massaging her temple.