《Of Skinwalkers and their Inadequacy》 Chapter 1 Adelaide put down her quill and looked up. Her messy mind couldn''t produce anything at the moment so she needed reprieve, a way to console the stress while encouraging herself to do better. She looked at her reflection in the silver mirror in front of her desk. The woman within the oval furniture had a stoic face that betrayed the chaos storming within her skull, delicate cheeks held a high nose and warm amber eyes. Hair as gold as the sun''s rays ran down her scalp, one strand fell over her back while the other rested on the right side of her chest. A dress, white as a cloud with a matching pair of gloves wrapped around the reflection''s thin body. It wasn''t visible because she was seated but the person on the other side of the mirror was curvy, possessing a waist which did not warrant a need for corsets. She wore no jewelry for her features were finer than diamond and smoother than gold. Adelaide reminded herself that the person in the mirror, the genius, naturally superior, beautiful maiden working to protect her home from being ruined is the one she is doing this all for. Nothing else mattered in the face of the girl''s comfort, not even the gods themselves nor the king. Adelaide spoke to herself grimly, whispering mouthlessly into her own mind that failure has consequences and she didn''t need to be reminded of how those felt now did she? One time was enough for her to learn, and it had been years since then. Now? She would never falter, never get caught unguarded. That was the promise she made to herself. It was in her best interest to go back to the empty piece of paper and start working on the laws the territory will to pass so that they survive the upcoming strife. An increase in taxes by 10% spanning through the 120 mile wide territory would yield their house several thousand pounds more of wheat, meat, and other important resources to train and keep their army. It is at the cost of the farmers possibly getting all prickly but such a small increase is barely noticeable in the eyes of the peasants. So what if the collectors take half a cart more of resources from them? It''s such an abysmal amount that the people wouldn''t consider it strange, especially when their own stock wouldn''t change so drastically from its original amount. It is a small difference at an individual scale but a large gain for her family. And that boon will only increase over time, Adelaide did not know just how much time she still had left but she is certain it will be long before those who started ruining her peace would be able to set things in motion. Petty whispers and ruined names can only do so much, rightfully when compared to truly knowing how to play the royal court. Requiring the prince and other influential figures to move for you for any gain from your efforts is foolish, every noble knew that. But not the troublemakers even though they should. It is strange. And why now did those two grow their spine? Adelaide did not know. It is a mystery to everyone why and how the daughters of two families- a baron from the outskirts of the capital and the second eldest daughter of the Foxworth house, - shifted their personalities in such a short amount of time. And contrary to what most of them expected, the most ambitious one didn''t possess the blood of high nobility, another Duke to be exact, and instead had been some low borne in the middle of nowhere. Barons, as a rule, did not go to the castle during important events but if they were so close to the capital then why not? The king permitted it and his word was law. Strange as it may be, during the recent party, one dedicated to the second prince''s engagement, the youngest daughter of the Marlowe house decided to become a heavy flatterer. Mooching up various family heirs and even tried to play her hand with the crown prince himself but that didn''t go well. As for the other one... Adelaide knew Rosalind, she needed to due to the close status of both their families. It was but mandatory that the two of them connected with one another during childhood to ensure that future connections form between both daughters. And Rosalind was meek and reclusive but she never bothered to read books nor was she so adept at social situations. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. It was strange to see her social intelligence suddenly rise in Adelaide''s eyes- not just hers, but every other noble felt the same way. And after her sudden shift of attitude during the party, they all deemed her to be a potential political rival until Rosalind just one day decided to... Study magic. Why? Adelaide was not sure. Magic was weak unless you were born with talent and studying it rather than subjects such as economy, merchantdom, and ruling is simply pointless. Mages can always be hired. There is no shortage of powerful people who can be bought with coin but leaders? They are far and few between and it is their responsibility to keep that status quo for as long as possible. To do that, they needed to be proper leaders whose goals aligned with keeping their seat of power. How they acted as a ruler determined the opinions of their peers, if its for self benefit then they might be seen as a threat but no one will go out of their way to attack you if they think you''re ultimately on the Kingdom''s side. Except, they can. Sullying words, a growing alliance between opposing factions, and someone''s military might can be turned evil in the eyes of the crown. Seen as a problem that can overthrow the reigning king and depose of them in time. And if the sullied family had a history of being a Kingmaker? Then the situation goes from bad, to worse. Paranoia is a powerful thing when wielded properly, it can convince other nobles to be wary of you during negotiations, cause them to rely on that paranoia when they think you''re on their side, and ensure that any offense your way is not to be taken lightly. But it is also a double edged sword that when wielded by the enemy, causes the rest of the sheep to group up, marking you their enemy. A herd can be effective against a lone predator but at the end of the day, they are nothing more than meek sheep. And sheep, no matter how much they group, will always be stupid. Paranoid. Adelaide knew there is a way around the current predicament. She stopped writing when she heard a knock. "Come on in," Adelaide called out to the person outside of her study, had it been an hour already? She''s sure that she just left her father''s side just now. Oh well, dinner isn''t so bad at the moment, she''s made decent progress in writing the decree and would finish it after she''s done eating. A maid walked into her study, Adelaide eyed her. This one has been coming here for the past week, serving her shortly after the previous one got replaced. Adelaide did not see the need to swap her out until today for she has dressed well and nothing in her actions irritated Adelaide''s eye. Thus the fault in her bearing became glaringly obvious when Adelaide''s eyes landed on her. Her clothes were finely ironed but a part of the second layer of her dress is slightly ajar. One glance at it and Adelaide felt herself get angry, her new necklace, while beautiful and no doubt expensive did not fit the color of the rest of her jewelry. Her gait right now is ugly. Arrogant. Rushing, showing off, and a confident yet shaking demeanor. "Is your necklace new?" Adelaide asked with a soft smile, disarming the girl bad enough that the maid forgot her manners and nodded eagerly. Adelaide did not let her irritation show, instead she grew her smile, forcing her lips to perk up and show happiness for the maid. "Yes!" The voice was high pitched, annoying. It grated at her ears- and the way she placed Adelaide''s glass of milk onto the desk without a saucer! "Stop." Adelaide glared at the maid, causing her to shiver. Every ounce of happiness the girl felt dissipated moments after the command left Adelaide''s mouth and she paled, "what are you doing?" "I-is something wrong?" She asks, looking at the desk, "I''m sure the desk is empty-" "It is." Adelaide snapped, "well?" "Sorry." The maid bowed and placed a saucer on top of the smooth oak before finally delivering the milk. "I was careless." "It''s okay, you can work in the gardens from now on. That way you don''t have to worry about carelessness since the only one who cares about that place is my mother. And she''s merciful enough to let things like this go." Adelaide took the glass and sipped out a drop of milk, she licked the cream atop her lips and shooed the silent maid away. "Leave." A heated look caused the frozen maid to bow and hastily leave, Adelaide waited for the door to close to see if more of her night will get ruined by hearing the girl crying outside but that fortunately didn''t happen. Adelaide gave the cart of food in front of her desk an inspection, bread, meat, and soup. No vegetables? Adelaide frowned, why is her dinner packed with meat? Usually this would be greens with hints of meat so why the sudden change? Does her father want her to get fat?.. No- he wanted her to bulk up. Prepare. Adelaide finished her dinner and pushed the cart by the walls beside the entrance. She sipped her glass of milk, relishing the sourness. The tasteless liquid brought her mind out of turmoil through sheer disgust and Adelaide worked on the decree once more. Carefully crafting how a decree is viewed by the masses is something that she is used to, she knew her numbers well enough, and the lay of the land even more so. And people are simple creatures: give them comfort and reduce their discomfort and they will protect your land with their lives. Bad taxes can reduce their happiness until the peasants willingly stand aside as you get hanged, which is why a change in law needs careful consideration. Figure out what resource is scarce, learn the harvests per season, see if a coming famine is about to blow down on the crops, and make sure everything is given careful consideration. Take something the villagers lack too much of and it won''t be long before they revolt and take your head. Adelaide emptied her bottle way before she finished calculating the effects of her decree, when it was done, the noble left it on her desk. Her father would take care of passing it, assuming he deems the planned changes as good. Adelaide found herself staring out the window, her gaze fixated on a land which lay beyond the forest. Far ahead, the capital stood proud, its lights shining through the darkness of the night like a radiant beacon. But not for long. She needed to prepare, garner allies, and carefully lay out a foundation which will allow her to keep her comforts when everything settles down. Chapter 2 "Enter," Adelaide called the moment her ears picked up a familiar series of knocks. A man with an unidentifiable age wearing a porcelain mask stepped into the room, his striped tux is smoothly worn and he held the weight of his body perfectly. Adelaide gave him a complimentary nod. Such is the attitude of one of the Sharpe family''s aide. She had sent this one away to spy on a young baroness, one of the variables she had noted to be problems in the current political climate. Meanwhile, she deemed Rosalind to be less of a threat and more of a curiosity she herself will talk to in the coming week. The man''s target however, Constance, is just as much of a mystery while being far more ambitious than her counterpart. A spy was necessary to learn of the girl''s true motives. "Speak," Adelaide gave the man standing before her permission to give her the information, whatever it is he learned, she would digest. It is of utmost importance she knows what Constance is doing. Aside from the fact that Constance is making moves against her family while being no more than a baron''s daughter, there is also the looming threat of her causing an uprising. Ambitious nobles didn''t stop at Dukedoms after all, they dethroned kings. Adelaide''s family knows that well. "The girl is going in and out of her home at constant intervals, I tailed her to figure out why and learned that she is gathering herbs from the forest. I figured out why she is doing this and I have gathered that an alchemist''s lab has been constructed recently in her home." Adelaide nodded, that''s going to sting the Marlowe''s pockets. Unless... "She''s planning on selling alchemical products?" Adelaide questioned the possibility. It was a likely thing, good alchemists are rare and their wares are sought after, making the profession quite lucrative but what does a girl like that know of such a dangerous job? Surely she knows she''s risking her life by going in blind? "I do believe so," the aide nodded, Adelaide raised her brow. Forests had herbs, plenty of them, and the one next to the capital just so happens to be brimming with high quality ones due to its distance from a nearby mana spring. But higher quality herbs means more energy, and more energy causes explosions upon failure. But to build an alchemist''s lab? It was almost as if the girl isn''t scared of it and she somehow convinced her father that her fearlessness is the right call. Which can only mean one thing; she proved her competency enough that her own father decided to fulfill her wishes. A future alchemist despite not being educated in the art, and if she was, the rest of the court would have known about it years ago. Gossip is their art and no sane baron would not brag about his daughter to his peers in hopes of getting a good marriage. Somehow, someway, Constance managed to learn alchemy without anyone knowing about it. Suspicious. But that''s assuming she doesn''t die from a failed brew in the following days, Adelaide calmed herself. "Continue." "The task that you have given me, I have fulfilled. I have gathered information related to Constance''s connections within the court." Adelaide smiled. Well then, what secrets does Constance hide from the rest of the nobles? Shady dealings? Contractual bonds with demons? Quite possibly a connection to a dangerous group planning an uprising? She was the perfect candidate to act as a spy for that last one, as being the daughter of a baron had higher chances of being a concubine of a higher caste precisely because of her lower status. She wouldn''t be the wife but she didn''t need to be if her goal is to gather information. "She joins a school within the capital attended by the sons and daughters of neighboring barons, the building itself is nothing special, nor the visitors. Save for one- a disguised third prince has been going there as of late, I have also concluded from his majesty''s actions towards the girl that he is infatuated with Constance." Well then, this is out of Adelaide''s expectations. "He was sick- the herbs? Constance healed him?" "I believe so." Nodded the aide. "Any other noteworthy piece of information I should know about? Ones related to the prince himself perchance?" Adelaide asks. "The prince tells her a lot of things, from the names of merchants to other nobles as well as their preferences, he is like a puppy bound to her by a tight leash." The aide explained the bad news in his typical casual tone, his voice refusing to rise by a single pitch despite seeing the woman in front of him become visibly angrier with every spoken word. "Beyond that, Constance is also gifted with resources by the King." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "The crown is supporting her because she''s healing the prince, they see potential in her." Adelaide accurately guessed. She connected her recent revelation to her fascinated suspicion of the girl somehow learning how to make a potion that no other alchemist across the kingdom, no matter how knowledgeable, has managed to produce. "She''s gaining their trust. It is worse than I thought." Adelaide muttered in worry, a faction managed to grab hold of Constance somehow and now they''re planning something with her acting as the main gateway to the crown. She needed more information. "Anything else?" Adelaide snapped out of her thoughts and asked the aide. "I do believe she''s also making items, though those might be from her father''s endeavors." The aide answered. "Tell me more, what do you mean by "those"?" "Trash, mechanical in nature and clearly built with the intent of making a machine have been littering the outside of their house. I do not know what they are or what they do, I am uneducated in such matters." "It''s fine, bring me one when you come back here. For now, keep watching her. If something important happens, rush here immediately." Adelaide instructed, she knew that the news given to her right now is days old and that the one she''ll receive would be a week delayed from the time of revelation but people moved slowly, a week, a day? There won''t be much of a difference at that point in time. It is concerning that Constance is showing extreme amounts of growth in such a short period however. What happened? No noble, no matter how educated, wakes up one day and becomes an expert alchemist, nor do they try to make machines. The daughter of a baron should not be able to do the things Constance is doing, this, Adelaide knew. She also knows her father would agree with her on this. "Leave," the aide moved moments after Adelaide ordered him to, "and thank you," she almost forgot, used as she was to not saying it towards the useless worms around her. Unlike most people however, her aides were actually useful, and what kind of monster would she be if she did not repay their loyalty with a bit of kindness? When the aide left, Adelaide locked the doors and stripped. She changed into something less comfortable yet formal enough that her father''s brows wouldn''t crease upon seeing the state of her dress. Their mutual feelings towards anything distractingly distasteful had been something of an anchor point between her and him. The meeting she is about to have with her father won''t be different from the ones they did in the past. The importance of their topic aside, she''s sure that together, the two of them would come up with a proper solution to the ongoing problems plaguing the kingdom. After all, what use does a martial house have if they couldn''t protect the ruler they swore allegiance to? Adelaide knocked on her father''s study, "Adelaide." The response from within was focused, as though her arrival went unaccounted for, yet recognized to be important enough that she was addressed with her real name. Adelaide opened the door and locked gazes with her father as he looked up from his own work, "is something wrong?" "Yes. Marlowe''s daughter is miraculously capable of treating the bedbound third prince," Adelaide explained as she closed the door behind her, she activated the hexes on the door knob to trap sound inside the room. When she turned around, she saw a placid expression on her father''s face, "you knew." "I guessed as much," the man said, "do you have any ideas on how to fix this?" Adelaide found her seat in front of her father''s desk, now they were at equal standing. Father and daughter, Duke and heiress, none of that mattered at this exact point in time. What mattered is their ideas. "I have an inkling of an idea but nothing more than that," she didn''t want to be the bearer of bad news but that was the truth, Adelaide did not know of any solutions she can offer which will mend the growing distrust of the royal family towards them while discrediting the ones responsible at the same time. "Say it." Duke Magnus Sharpe pushed aside his current work and grabbed a fresh parchment from underneath his desk. "We need to figure out how a baron''s daughter who was barely literate a week ago suddenly learned alchemy and making mechanical contraptions, I do not know for certain if she studied in secret but if she did, then we should have known about it already." "Because her father would find a suitable partner for her, to do that, he would tell other nobles of her value." Said the Duke, "like what he is doing now." "Precisely. And, it seems that they have their eyes set on the royal crown." Adelaide added her own bits and pieces, "they''re weakening us as well, and I can only find one reason for why, they want to usurp the current rule." "Then they''re foolish." Scoffed Magnus, but Adelaide didn''t feel the same way. "You''re thinking that it''ll take them years to weaken us, then they''d have to move on to the king''s own soldiers." Adelaide''s guess had been spot on because her father nodded after she said her piece. "She has alchemy on her side and not to mention, currently making contraptions of some kind. With the resources she has, which came from the crown itself, she would be able to build siege weapons before long." "Fantasy," her father argued with a confident smirk, he crossed his arms, "even if it only takes her a month, which it won''t, what use do contraptions have against magic?" Adelaide found herself eyeing the cards stashed within the box to her right, she looked away. "Alchemy is also part of Constance''s repertoire." She retorted, hoping that her father would see reason. He can, with what she''s revealing next, she knows it. "The third prince is visiting her in her school. Lowly for a royal, but no one would suspect the bedridden member of the family to disguise himself and visit a girl with non-existent standing." "That''s new. She has the third prince in her laces?" Her father said, "she''s smart." "Strangely so." Adelaide agreed. "What do you think caused it?" Her father''s happy demeanor changed into something twisted. "My guess is as good as anyone''s." Adelaide solemnly replied, she shared her father''s expression. She hated weakness like this, it didn''t feel right to be so out of control. To lack information and not figure out why things are happening. "I see." Her father calmed himself, "I''ll figure something out." "And so will I," Adelaide repeated, "let''s push this aside for now, we need to talk about the lack of merchants coming to our territory. Farmers would still pay taxes but the people will be lacking proper food sources soon," "We''ll all eat goats then. There''s plenty of those in the mountains," her father shook his head, a sign of both reassurance and dismissiveness towards the problem. "We''ll grow potatoes for now as well, harvest a lot of them in upcoming months." "And would the farmers agree to that?" Adelaide asked. "They will once I say so." Magnus answered. "I see, then I leave you to managing the territory then. I''ll focus solely on the problem at hand." Adelaide stood up, "if you need me, tell your servants that they can find me in the library." "For what?" Her father didn''t seem shocked but he asked regardless. "Studying." Adelaide responded. "I''m not gonna let some low blood best me at education," Chapter 3 It''s been two days since Adelaide promised herself to dedicate some of her free time towards studying and her progress, at least in her eyes, had been quite slow. Her mind grasped none of the things she wanted it to and she instead had to make do with humble beginnings by going through the basics of the otherwise complex topics first. She had toiled around books for two days and Adelaide knew most of the starting points for alchemy now, with the lacking pieces strictly centered around her muscle memory when brewing. Thus she still didn''t have a knack for knowing what to do with ingredients after only glimpsing them once- yet. For the other subject, constructing mechanical contraptions, Adelaide found no book inside her family''s library pertaining to the subject. It was frustrating but expected as no one in Enamora has ever bothered to study mechanical contraptions in the past. In the mean time, she concluded that Constance''s acquisition of knowledge of this particular topic didn''t come from studying but something else. A card dropped by a monster possibly, though that sounds unlikely given there has been no recorded instance of a monster dropping an intelligence boosting card. It must''ve come from another source entirely but Adelaide preferred to find proof before reasonably concluding the origins of Constance''s new knack for assembling things as well as her adeptness at alchemy. She had many theories but whichever one is correct eluded her. She can personally ask Constance of course, and no one in this kingdom would be able to stop her right as long as it is worded as a "friendly conversation" but she didn''t want to risk it no matter how curious she may get. She can use her card but a member of the royal family is currently being cured by the girl and they no doubt see her in a positive light because of it. It is better for her to slowly inspect things from a distance. As long as Adelaide is aware of any new and potentially disastrous developments around Constance, she felt confident that she would be able to work her way around the problems the low born produces. With Constance''s status, sending spies to her territory had been easy. If the spies do get caught, they won''t be able to break her family''s aide unless they had someone who possesses the same card welded into Adelaide''s soul and if her assumption of the type of Soul Card Constance has is correct then the threat of the low born breaking Adelaide''s control lessens considerably. A card which helps with intelligence is good for curing the prince, but it is no match against the effects of Adelaide''s own card. Adelaide left the library and moved back to her study. She sat on her desk, contemplating. The decree she proposed to her father had been accepted and the tax collectors they sent yesterday have left to fulfill the increased quota. Despite proposing the decree, Adelaide''s father did not tell her about this instantly nor did he explain why he accepted changing the laws that way. Adelaide''s own reasons for writing it centered around preparing for the upcoming strife within the court but if there are other avenues to the decree then she still hasn''t figured them out. She will in time, when her father takes action but for now, she would have to sit in the dark. While stewing in her thoughts, Adelaide also wrote down a letter directed to Rosalind. According to rumors, the Foxworth daughter had been spotted less and less around social gatherings and have stuck to her family''s library reading books. It isn''t a cause for concern just yet as she is not eligible for marriage but it will be in the future. But the Foxworths seem to allow Rosalind to spend her time however she liked without reprimand strangely enough. Adelaide thought this is the perfect time to get in touch with Rosalind and figure out why she changed so suddenly. With their established relationship and past rapports, Rosalind would have no choice but to accept Adelaide''s request to visit their estate otherwise it would be seen as offensive by both their families as well as the rest of the court so if she does say no to it without punishment then Adelaide confirms that the Foxworths have severed their ties to the Sharpes. Adelaide stamped the envelope close and ordered a servant to carry it to the postman. She tailed the silent maid and used her card to command the plump man on the carriage to never open the letter and to protect it with his life, an assurance on her part. Her letter now sent, Adelaide told the servant to prepare a carriage for her before going back to her room to change. The Foxworths had been the Sharpe''s allies even before the rebellion but this does not mean that they will always be steadfast with one another, thus it is only right for Adelaide to prepare for the worst case scenario during her visit after their second eldest daughter had suddenly changed her personality. And drastically at that. She doesn''t know whether or not she will be attacked, but it is best to be prepared. It is not wrong to have magical preparations when Rosalind has started learning magic recently. No doubt Adelaide''s peer is weak due to her lack of practice in the art but who''s to say she didn''t get a card which made her a magical prodigy suddenly? This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Adelaide walked inside the carriage the servants prepared and grabbed the cup of milk which had been placed on a shelf on the door. "Take me to Flick''s." Paranoia is a powerful thing, Adelaide thought as she gazed out the window. The changing scenery reminded her that she is about to leave the safest place she knew of, even with the card inside her soul, Adelaide didn''t let her guard down and kept a close eye on the passing terrain. When nothing suspicious caught her eye, Adelaide closed the curtain and went back to the solitary comfort of her thoughts. When the doors opened, Adelaide found herself in front of a building with a signage that says: Flick''s Card House. The building was modest, relishing in only minor luxuries such as wooden walls founded by stone beams and a wooden sign above a set of tinted glass doors which sported a blue glow. The building is windowless and brutal in its architecture, with smooth, featureless walls and lateral roofing. It is a giant box, shaped to be this way on purpose for the owner''s goal was to imitate the shape of a card pack. Inside is a store which sells the cards used by mages for their magic. There are three ways which cards are obtained in this world, and each method of acquisition represents the name of that brand of card. Soul Cards are unobtainable unless gifted to people by the gods themselves, it is a permanent scar on one''s soul, a reminder that they have been chosen to do something by those who see beyond fate. Adelaide possesses one but very few get their hands on them. The other two, Monster and Artificial Cards, are easily obtainable but weak compared to Soul Cards. They can be obtained by killing monsters or artificially made through human hands respectively. Monster Cards are the better of the two, as not only are they relatively strong, they also have multiple uses and can also recharge over time, a Monster Card can be used infinitely providing the wielder does not empty them during battle. Artificial Cards on the other hand, while versatile in their spell types, can only be used once. There is no known solution to this problem and the scholars have argued that soul-less items cannot contain that much power, hence why artificially made cards are so weak. When Adelaide entered the dimly lit shop, the first thing she saw were the hundreds of common artificial cards on this side of the building. They hung from purple painted wooden racks and packed inside magically locked small boxes in sets of 10, each one contained the spell [Bolt]. In other terms, a slightly accurate flintlock or a short ranged arrow. Beyond the racks of these common cards hung the still common, still artificial, but slightly better packs of [Shield], [Boost], and [Arrow]. Each spell comes in sets of 5 and are slightly more expensive than the bolt cards. After them came higher tiered, stronger artificial cards also sold in packs of 5. These had a reputation for being borderline useless, with most people deeming the price they were being sold as too expensive even though they have the same utility as that of more common, yet also less expensive artificial cards. Adelaide stepped into the part of the shop which held all of the Monster Cards available and the design of the furnishings, wall, and floor changed from that of an antique shop to that of a proper magical store. Lacquered mahogany lined the tapered walls, strange symbols and banners with the general theme of mysticism hung from the bone-esque beams on the ceiling. A shag carpet with an ursine undertone sat primly atop the floor, carrying shelves which sunk underneath its furry surface. Monster Cards are considered to be the peak of what a normal caster can possess, having no downsides save for the price, the rarity in which they are dropped by dead monsters justifies this however. When wielding cards like these, a more foolish caster would expend the entire card in one bout while a more experienced one would only do so when situations go dire. There is also a well known solution to depleting the card and forever losing them; soul welding is a process in which someone willingly consumes a card and marks it into their soul. Most people go crazy or die from attempting it, few succeed. Only a small group has ever had a 100% success rate and Adelaide, with her fate dictated superiority over the common plebian, belonged to that particular capita. She has never binded a card to her soul before, deeming the process unnecessary given how she''s in possession of one of the strongest cards this land has ever seen but expanding her repertoire by a spell or three wasn''t a bad idea when putting in mind the recent events. Her eyes found cards which piqued her interest but ultimately, she still chose to go along with her original plan. She came here with one thing in mind; get a versatile spell perfect for every scenario she might encounter. The cards which caught her eye, while powerful, did not fit that criteria and thus got discarded by her mentally. Possessing a potent attack spell was good, but what use would that have when she faces another noble? She''d only be branded as a criminal after she casts the spell. And this is but an inevitable outcome since it would leave her no choice but to attack in a way that damages or kills someone. But attacks by definition don''t have to do damage, or at the very least, kill. They can also entrap, slow, or lock someone in place. If she obtains a card which can do all three depending on the scenario then even better. Very few spells fit that description however and the cost for a card with that kind of situational effectiveness is incredibly high. Most nobles would not consider it a worthy investment and only mercenaries or court mages would even think about wielding such a potent card but Adelaide does not consider herself in the same category as "most" nobles and both her pride and paranoia would never let something as miniscule as frugality risk herself becoming a branded criminal and sully her name. When she asked, Flick knew of the spell she is looking for, the middle aged man greeted her with a bow and a tipped hat when she passed through the last aisle of his store. Flick stood behind a counter connected to both sides of the room, a gate sat somewhere in the middle of the wooden construct, the sign of its existence only being the thin black line running up a part of the otherwise smooth acacia. On his person was a set of eccentric clothes pleasingly complimenting each other and creating a sense of controlled chaos. Their colors, while vibrant and eye catching in such a lightless place, didn''t feel out of place and even blended with the light of the lamps above. A fluffy scarf ran along his neck and his wide brimmed hat had a single feather drooping at its center. "Greetings Adelaide," no miss, no anything, he even used her first name to refer to her. And yet the heiress let it be due to her familiarity with the merchant. "Flick." Adelaide greeted back with a casual yet unaggressive tone, "I have come for a card, do you have something which fits this description?" She pushed a piece of paper with a neatly written list of requirements across the counter, "maybe two? I''d like it if I have a catalogue I can choose from." "Of course," smiled Flick, the merchant bent down to grab something from below and brought back a brown colored suitcase. He opened it and arrayed the cards before Adelaide, who began reading them one by one. "I''ll take this one," she said, picking a card whose face had a series of dark, thorny vines illuminated by the blood moon. In the background, a forest of dead trees grew in abundance, if one looked closely, they''d see skeletons hanging from the thin branches with the vines on the foreground wrapped around their throats and keeping them aloft. "Good choice," Flick complimented, his oily smile became genuine when he saw the pouch Adelaide dropped onto the counter. "A pleasure doing business, do you want to purchase monster cards with the remaining change?" "Yes," Adelaide decided to give her father a gift when she comes back, he''s always been fond of this place and its wares after all.