"Stay safe my son," Luminaire prayed.
As the Noirés waved their hand in a good gesture, the carriage started rolling down the stone paved road.
The carriage may look like it's from the medieval age, but its functionality was completely different. It was integrated with Sorcery; its engine used mana crystals as fuel.
The controls were built on clockwork technology. The driver just had to pull some buttons and levers to navigate through the road.
The Imperial City was approximately 3,000 kms, so the journey would be a long one. Three days at the very least.
Egon just relaxed his muscles on the back seat, but then he saw one of the girls from the front seats crawling closer beside him.
"Hey Egon, we're playing cards, do you want to join?"
Egon recognized the girl immediately as one of his younger cousins, Clara. She was one of the few who hadn't openly sneered at him, though she certainly hadn't offered any warmth either. She likely carried a A-Rank Grimoire like his.
He gave her a polite but reserved smile. He knew he couldn't afford to seem aloof or arrogant on the long journey, especially since everyone in the carriage was reporting back to the Patriarch.
"Cards, huh?" Egon asked, shifting slightly to make room. "That sounds better than watching the endless road. Sure, I'll join."
He agreed because he was getting bored anyway.
He noticed there were two other young Sorcerers in the carriage: Zane and Marcus. Besides them, Cardigan was also present, who seemed to be acting as their guard and escort.
"Mind filling me in on the rules?" Egon asked Clara, adopting a slightly bored, yet interested tone suitable for a superior talent slumming it with the lower ranks. "I'm not familiar with the games played at the manor."
Clara's eyes expressed understanding. "It's a simple game. We bet small amounts of gold coins on who can draw the highest-ranked card. It keeps us sharp."
Egon nodded. Although he suspected they were planning to rob off his gold coins to stop him from enrolling at the Academy even if somehow passed.
Yes, it was a vicious move. And he wouldn't be surprised if that's truly the case.
But he wasn't some naive child. Back in his past life, he often played cards with Nina during their quiet evenings. Long enough to learn every trick, every bluff, every little cheat human hands could attempt.
Egon's eyes narrowed slightly in amusement.
Let them try.
He could play this game too.
Clara shuffled the cards with a confidence that told Egon she'd done this dozens of times. Zane and Marcus leaned forward, already grinning in anticipation. They clearly thought they had a fool ready to pluck.
The first round began.
Clara drew a mid-tier card. Zane drew slightly higher. Marcus drew the lowest. They all eyed Egon with barely hidden smirks as he took his turn.
Egon flipped his card with a smile.
A King of Crowns.
Their smirks vanished.
Clara blinked. "Lucky start, Egon."
Zane clicked his tongue. "Tch. Must be beginner's luck."
Marcus forced a laugh.
Cardigan watched silently from his seat, arms crossed, observing every movement without any comment or expression.
Round two.
Marcus tried to distract him with chatter. Zane tapped the table with an annoying rhythm. Clara shuffled longer than necessary. They were already playing dirty.
Egon didn't even react.
He simply drew a card and placed it down.
Arcana Emperor.
Clara's hand trembled. "That's… that's the highest in the deck."
"Is it?" Egon asked casually, as if he hadn't known.
By the fifth round, Zane was sweating. Marcus was muttering to himself. Clara kept glancing at the gold coins piled in the center, realizing their brilliant plan was collapsing spectacularly.
Egon won again.
And again.
And again.
He wasn't just beating them. He was dismantling them with the grace of someone who understood probability, psychology, and the subtle flicker of tension in a gambler's fingers.
"Impossible," Zane whispered. "No one wins eight rounds in a row."
Egon leaned back, completely at ease. "Maybe I'm just lucky."
Clara stared at him, cheeks puffed with frustration. "You're not… normal."
"Thank you," he replied calmly.
Marcus groaned and shoved his remaining coins toward the center. "I'm done. I'm not losing the rest."
All their coins were essentially his. They had nothing left to gamble.
Clara looked mortified. Zane looked sick. Marcus looked ready to cry.
Egon gathered the coins with one hand.
They watched him in tense silence.
But instead of pocketing them, he pushed the entire pile back toward the group.
"Keep it," he said.
Their eyes widened.
"What? Why?" Clara stammered.
Egon shrugged. "It was just a game to pass time. I don't need your money."
Zane stared at him as if he had grown a second head. Marcus looked unsure whether to thank him or feel insulted.
But Cardigan…
Cardigan finally spoke,
"Egon, You're the first Noiré I've seen who wins without taking what he earned."
Egon met his gaze. Cardigan wasn't praising his skill at cards. He was acknowledging the choice to show restraint in a family that valued cruelty over fairness.
"Well, it doesn't hurt to be decent, elder cousin," Egon replied quietly.
Cardigan's lips curled into the faintest smile.
"Decent," he repeated. "In this family, that's a strength few possess, Egon."
Clara, Zane, and Marcus exchanged uneasy looks.
For the first time, they didn't see Egon as a weakling.
They saw someone they couldn't predict… and perhaps shouldn't provoke.
Zane looked at Marcus, his desire to scheme against Egon visibly replaced by a healthy dose of fear.
"I think I need a break from cards," Zane muttered, pushing the deck away.
Clara smiled faintly. "Smart move. Now, let's talk about the Imperial City entrance requirements. I have a few questions about the practical tests."
--
After that, time passed in strange silence. Egon began quietly meditating to prepare for the entrance exam with the best of his abilities.
He had ATUM, yes, but he couldn't always depend on it. It would serve as a great companion, but his choices and decision-making always had to be his own. So he couldn't be careless.
Day turned to Night. But their journey didn't stop.
They stopped only when they reached by a Seashore.
The driver rolled down the small window and informed,
"Master Cardigan, the ship is waiting."