The Town's Guards (part 1)

In this world, not all fame and glory followed ones is deeds. The words rang true for the town’s guard, where they often risked themselves more than what they’re paid of. Most likely, that wasn’t an ideal job to take on, even more in this world where monsters roamed freely. Whether they simply out of their mind, or they were simply a justice freak. Even if they were just a man without standing and skill, who wanted to live for something. That also fine. In any case, once the dice had already cast, the two choice that stood between them were either to fight or to run.

***

Inside a certain building, in the room in the back. There was a round table near the window which often used for various purposes. Not exception, for this case where four men gathered on such table. The looks on their face were serious, as if they were trying to probe each other’s intention.

Not even a word was uttered by anyone in the room. A relaxing ticking noise that coming from the clock accompanied them, as the time slowly but surely pass in peace. But, that momentary silence wasn’t lasted longer as a cute sneeze that seemed to came out of nowhere disturbed the balance.

“...Hic–shoo!”

The light on the ceiling was looked a bit shaking for a moment, was it due to her sneeze or merely a breeze that pass by. Perhaps. But, no one seemed paying any attention to it, as the word “bless you” was uttered from the mouth of every member in the room, without even giving a glance. The still looking serious face was still plastered on everyone’s face, except for one person.

“… Seriously. Someone must be talking about me,” the perpetrator grumbled, as she rubbed the bottom of her nose.

“It is? Pretty sure it was just a random dust or breeze flew past your nose or something,” responded another person, who seated in front of her.

“Of course it is. How many times it happened today, three or maybe even four times tonight. It’s getting pretty annoying lately.”

“Sure it is. Or maybe it was just a cold. Better to get yourself warm, tonight, then.”

“Listen, Shou. Why you just can’t believe it already?”

“Oh it’s not. I don’t believe in you. But, I do find it hard to believe of something superstitious like that.”

“You…” she said, as sounded in disbelief.

But, her words were cut short when another voice interrupted her.

“... Umm, can we continue our game?” He said as his finger restlessly tapping against the surface of the table, simply to gather the attention toward himself.

“Don’t be so impatient, Jay. Anyway, who’s turn again?” Fey asked, looking around the room.

“...sorry, sorry. It was me,” said the last person in the room.

“You’ve seem been quiet, today, Fukurou. Was that incident still lingering in your mind?” Shou asked.

“No, it's not that. It’s something that I’ve been troubling recently,” Fukurou said, after he put his cards down and put his fingers together in front of his chin.

“Recently? It’s a girl?”

He shook his head, “No, not that either. Recently, I’ve been wondering why every time we played this game. Seems I always lost.”

“You just suck,” Jay said.

“Maybe you suck.”

“Pretty much, you suck.”

He was a bit surprised when the three of them said the same thing toward him. But, none unexpected, nonetheless. He slightly shook his head to deny the idea.

“No, no, no. Just wait a minute, guys, and girl. Don’t just start to jump to conclusion, yet. Let me asked you, what is the important factor in a game of card?” He pointed at the man, who seated in front of him.

“Skill?”

After the answer he got wasn’t like he expected, Fukurou pointed to another one.

“An ability to read your opponent’s card.”

“… Seems about right. But, what I mean is something more fundamental than that. You got me right, Shou?”

Shou let out a short sigh first, before answering him.

“You mean, luck, right?”

Brighten upon hearing the answer, Fukurou shouted out a bit, “Exactly! What’s important in a game of card is a luck!”

“Sounds like a loser’s whimper to me.”

“No, no, no, just hear me out a bit. Certainly, luck is the biggest factor in a game of card like this. But, what happen if the lady luck didn’t favor you?”

“You simply fold.”

“Pretty much, it is.”

“There’s no other way.”

Everyone seemed agreed with the idea, though there were a chance you can bluff your way through. But, not necessary the best one.

“But, what if there is a way to increase your chance of winning instead of relying solely on the lady luck, herself.”

“You mean, by cheating?”

“Yes–no, I mean, cheating was good, but there are too much risk involved within it. What I mean is by using a certain strategy. People tend to make a certain gesture whether they are happy or sad in their daily life. And not exception, in a game of card like this. If you looked up closely on that, what tendency the player do. What kinds of gesture he made, when he hit a good cards or bad cards. Whether he's just simply bluffing or not. That kind of sort of thing.”

“That’s actually good points. And, that’ve been actually put into practice by many skilled players, including the people here, no? And besides, it was easier to be said than done,” Shou argued.

“No, it should be not that hard, I think. Alright, just listen, what you need to do was to observe closely since the game started. Looking at every detail of what that they do. And something like that will become natural in no time.”

“Natural eh, I doubt it, it’s that easy.”

“I know I somehow did it too. But, when you talk about it, it sounds a bit creepy. Besides, don’t you think you’ve gone too far.”

“It is though? I don’t think so. Observing people, always the fascinating thing to do. Let’s take a look at Jay, right here. At one glance, maybe an impression that you get from him was a grumpy and unfriendly person. But, in fact, he is not. He had a tendency to hide his feeling, whenever he was happy he always tried to adjust his glasses to mask his emotion. And if you try to connect it to this game. It can be quite clear, that in fact —”

“… Can you just go to the point already?” Jay interrupted, he who’d shut his mouth and listening the entire time, cannot stand any longer when people talking about him.

Instead, get annoyed by Jay’s interrupted, Fukurou wasn’t minded at all, and in fact his smirk widened as though as if it said ‘finally’.

“Simple, I want to prove my theory. Since, the beginning, I’ve been keeping track. So–”

Jay interrupted him, “So, you want to take a bet on this?” he said as though he can read his mind.

Fukurou’s smile became wider, and wider. If his hand can reach him, he would be patting and messing with his mushroom hair at this instant. To show his excitement, of course, not to annoyed him.

“Exactly.”

“And what do you want to bet?” Jay spoke again. He didn’t show it in the surface, but he was getting interested.

“Just the usual one, my night shift. I won, you take mine. If you won, I take yours,” Fukurou paused, looking at each member in the room. “Anyone up?”

“You seem confident, Fukurou. I think I’ll pass then. Besides, I don’t have good hands right now,” Shou said.

“I think, I’ll pass too. I don’t want to risk mine, either.”

“What, guys!? C’mon!?”

Everyone – including Fukurou– already knew by heart that person will take up the offer, like it or not. The talk beforehand was just a simple chit-chat. Even though, he was always quiet and seemed a bit rude. But, actually, he quite enjoyed this moment.

Jay let out a sigh before answering, as if he was aware of the situation that he ended up. Though, he didn’t hate it.

“Well, if no one wanted. Then, I shall do the honor,” Jay said. He pushed the bridge of his glasses, as a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. “What the record again, eight win and four lost, is it?”

Instead of answering to him, Fukurou just simply showed his confident smile. And before the final game about to end. From the hallway, a voice called out to them. The voice carried a hint of richness and deepness of someone who had lived enough

A moment later, a person peeked over between the wide open double door that connected the hallway to the room. The man looked like in his mid-fifty, as his black hair'd had a few strains of white hairs here and there. Not exception on his beard.

The man’s name was Graham. He was one of the town’s guard, like the other members in the room.

“Seems, you kids, have something interesting going on. I can hear your all voices clearly from the hallway.”