OBS Chapter 4244 The Rhodes Card That Shouldn't Exist
Chapter 4244 The Rhodes Card That Shouldn't Exist
Chapter 4244 The Rhodes Card That Shouldn't Exist
Seeing that the young people were listening attentively to him, Professor Manning, recalling his teaching career before retirement, said a few more words:
"I've even heard some stranger rumors, these are just folk tales. For example, some members of the Burgundy family have silver blood, the Burgundy family practiced endogamy in the early days to ensure the purity of their bloodline, the Burgundy family left behind a large amount of secret treasure waiting to be used for the restoration of the kingdom, and the Burgundy family possesses an ancient Rhodes card."
The young history lecturer raised his hand and asked:
"Professor, why is possessing the Rhodes Card just a folk tale? Isn't that perfectly normal?"
The old professor put down his teacup and said softly:
"Because it is said that the ancient Rhodes card appeared in the royal court before the Rhodes card game was created by Chanem Rhodes, the president of the [Prophet's Association]. But that is impossible. The Rhodes card game did originate from the Prophet's Association, and it is impossible for any Rhodes card to have existed before that."
Shad took a deep breath. Unless that card had traveled through time to the past, there was only one possibility for "the Rhodes card before the Rhodes card"—
【The Impermanence of All Things】
(Mia is running.)
“Oh, Lacey, you didn’t see Shad’s expression back then. I was sitting right next to Shad, and he practically had ‘I want that card’ written all over his face. It was hilarious.”
That evening, in the private dining room of the Secret Club, which Lacey had booked in advance, Dorothy spoke to Lacey with a smile.
The red-haired princess also smiled as she looked at Shad, who was playing with the cat:
“Although I haven’t seen it, I can imagine it. So, the Burgundy family once owned an unknown ‘Founders’ series Rhodes card, right?”
Shad scratched the chin of the squinting Mia:
"Yes, I currently have ten cards from the [Foundation] series. The ones I haven't found yet are Creation, Chaos, and the Sun."
"Meow~"
The cat meowed softly, and Lacey nodded.
"Then it's most likely [Creation]. We all believe in the attraction between Shad and Rhodes."
Dorothy continued:
“I also think it’s that card. Shad, it seems you’ve found something new in Arcadia. Perhaps that card is in the legendary Burgundy family’s secret vault.”
"But that doesn't make sense. If there is a secret treasure vault, why weren't the crown and scepter put in it? The one Vigo took me to was indeed just the Astley family's private vault. Although the treasures inside were very valuable, they were far from being royal treasures."
Shad said, but Lacey offered an explanation:
"To paraphrase what you said, you can't put all your eggs in one basket. The crown and scepter represent legitimacy, while the treasure represents the possibility of restoring the kingdom. Perhaps a long time ago, the Astley family knew both of these things, but now they know nothing."
"I will go and find that possible treasure."
Shad said, but then added:
"But this isn't for the Rhodes Card; it's simply to uncover the secrets of the Burgundy family's treasury."
The girls were all smiling:
"Yes, yes, it's for the secret, not for the cards. You don't need to explain it that way."
Last Saturday's night class was delayed because of the rest period after the battle at the [Leather Goods Guild], so Recia and Dorothy can't afford to miss it again this week.
However, since Saturday night was their date, they weren't in a hurry to go home after dinner at the club. Taking advantage of the nice weather, Lacey chartered a boat on the Terrariel River that runs through the city, inviting Shad and Dorothy to stargaze and have a lesson together on board.
The boat actually belonged to Galina, and the girl steering it was naturally one of Galina's people. The boat wasn't particularly large, but it had enough deck space to move around on.
Shad and the girls sat down on the chairs that had been prepared in advance on the deck. The three of them sat around a round table, looking at the city scenery on both sides of the river, enjoying the warm breeze of late spring, and even being able to see the starry sky when they looked up. This was a rare sight in Tobesk, a city that is often shrouded in fog.
Candlesticks were placed on the table, and standing kerosene lamps stood beside each person, so the light was plentiful.
Dorothy gazed at the scenery, somewhat mesmerized, her mind already conjuring up a thrilling detective story about a murder on the cruise ship. Lacey, holding her teacup, looked at her arrangements with satisfaction, thinking that she could use Galina's manor garden for evening classes after summer arrived.
Shad patted Mia, who was lying there with her eyes half-closed, and began to talk about recent events:
“I’ve been thinking about something lately, and it’s related to the story of ‘The Bloody Deception.’ In that story, the bandits transform into different animals under the blood moon, and I’m pondering the transformation of flesh and blood.”
He recounted to the girls the battle with the "Rain Man" from a few days prior:
"While my transformations originate from the power of the [Flesh and Blood] spirit rune, what truly made me contemplate this path was the phases of the moon. The red moon can influence changes in flesh and blood, but the red moon itself is also constantly changing. I hope to obtain the [Transformation] spirit rune through this idea."
This is also my sublime rune.
Dorothy turned her gaze away from the riverbank scenery:
“A very good idea. Lacia and I will also talk more about [transformation] in the future. In fact, in classic fairy tales, transformation is almost the most common theme.”
Xia De then asked:
"Then why didn't you learn Transfiguration?"
Lacey said regretfully:
"Transfiguration is very much a matter of talent. Although Dorothy and I can't say we have no talent at all, it's not easy for us to learn. Our talent is more in writing and performance."
She continued:
"Getting back to the main topic, let's leave the transformation aside for now and continue discussing the story of 'The Bloodstained Deception' itself. Just like when we discussed 'Snow White,' the characters, or rather the animals, in this story can also be divided into different camps."
This story is much simpler than *Snow White*, and the division of factions is also straightforward—the squirrel, fox, rabbit, and hedgehog, who want the acorns, are on one side, while the owl they recruited to divide the acorns is on the other. Looking at the deeper truth of the story, it reveals a conflict between the bandits and the travelers; the former died in internal strife, while the latter cleverly seized the treasure of the ill-intentioned bandits.
Xia De nodded:
"Yes, if we divide it by simple good and evil, the former is the villain, while the latter is the true protagonist of the story."
Dorothy continued:
"Therefore, the story can be understood from two perspectives. From the perspective of the robbers, the story tells us that the greedy will inevitably destroy themselves. From the perspective of the wise traveler, the story illustrates that wisdom is the most precious treasure."
As Shad nodded, Lacey added:
"Of course, there is actually a third party in the story, namely the red moon that is only in the background. It transforms the story between humans into the story of the animals in the forest, dividing the world into the front of the curtain and the back of the curtain."
We should have brought these things up last week, but it was postponed until this week. Anyway, every Saturday night from now on, we'll guide you through the story's meaning from the perspectives of these three individuals, until you find your own way of understanding it.
Dorothy looked at Shad tenderly:
“We are just guiding you. Ultimately, how you understand the story and what kind of power you extract from it is up to you. So, Shad, which perspective would you like to take this week? Lacia and I are ready.”
Xia De pondered for a moment:
"Then let's look at it from the perspective of the bandits."
"No problem, robbers. Greed, sin—that's the easiest angle to interpret."
The bandits' greed led them into the "owl's" trap. The owl proposed the fairest way to distribute the spoils: one person gets the spoils and the others choose. But because of their greed, the bandits ultimately destroyed themselves.
This is a story about greed, and Shad has long since mastered the power related to "greed." As for the artifacts related to greed, although Shad left the "Mark of Greed" from the mimic at the end of the Pilgrim's Path atop the snowy mountain, he believes he understands "greed" quite well:
"Then let's start by learning how to counter greed. Today, will you demonstrate the power to suppress greed?"
Lacey and Dorothy both laughed:
“No, no, Shad, in our opinion, you are the least greedy person.”
Holding her teacup, Lacey shook her head, rejecting Shad's assessment. The girls' lessons were far more complex than that:
"I grew up in the palace and have seen more greed and ugliness than most people. In my opinion, well, I won't praise you; it sounds like flirting and will affect tonight's teaching schedule."
In past lessons, we've always aimed to help you understand truth, goodness, and beauty. But today, we want you to delve deeper into the understanding of sin. Those who truly conquer sin are not those who avoid it entirely throughout their lives, but those who know what sin is and still have the courage to raise the sword against themselves.
Xia De had no objections:
"So how do I come to understand greed? And what interesting relics have you brought this time?"
Dorothy smiled and shook her head:
“Relics involving sin are still risky, so Lacia and I decided to keep it simple and got some relic derivatives from old John.”
As she spoke, she took out a very old drawstring leather bag, and when she opened it, Shad saw that it was filled with gold beans.
"This is a relic derivative produced by the Sage-level relic [Marani's Golden Chest]. The relic itself will periodically produce gold products, which is very similar to your artifact. However, the relic derivative produced by [Marani's Golden Chest] always has strong negative effects."
The relic derivative we brought this time is called the "Golden Seed of Greed." This is a seed that can take root in people's hearts; even possessing just one seed will continuously amplify one's own greedy desires.