She clapped her hands, and the Paradise Birds nesting within the enclosed walls flew down, pecking clean the table of leftover biscuits and crumbs before grabbing the tablecloth and neatly placing it on a shelf to the side.
Once the cleaning was done, Deklabi lightly hopped on the ground and her body floated gently upward like a feather, resettling on the main seat of the circular space.
At this moment, she was the mistress of the small White Feather Church, listening to the worries of various guests, like a pure and flawless young Angel.
————
Elsewhere, in Belfeng's exclusive work area, or rather, the gaming zone.
Inside a blue transparent compartment, about a dozen guests were pacing as they waited.
"Why hasn't Little Bunny come today? I'm getting really anxious."
"Maybe Bunny slept in again today."
"I've been waiting to battle her, you know. This is a deck I've carefully adjusted over several weeks," a chubby uncle said, pushing his glasses up.
"My great sword can't wait any longer. Last time we played virtual battle, her chaotic hammer gave me a bad beating. I must have my revenge this time."
"How about we play a game first? Otherwise, the wait's going to get too boring." A young man squatting in the corner stood up.
"I suppose that's fine, but I'd still like to save my first time for Bunny."
"Ugh, that's disgusting, no, kudos to you for making gaming sound so refined."
...
"Hey hey, I'm here~" Before anyone arrived, her voice was heard.
Fancy little leather shoes tapped on the smooth floor before taking a high leap, white stockings, lively white ribbons, and Belfeng's smart maid skirt completed a nimble forward roll in mid-air, then she landed firmly on the ground, hands spread wide like a hero arriving on the scene.
"Ah, it's Bunny."
"Way to go, Bunny."
"Bebe is finally here."
The guests crowded around, and that was when Hexia carefully walked into the gaming area and stood in a corner to observe.
"Who wants to challenge me today~"As she spoke, Belfeng flipped out a large copper coin from nowhere, gave it a thumb flick, and sent it spinning into the air.
"Same old rule, 1200 Federation Coins a match, double to continue your life, but no more than three times."
"Me, I'll go first; I arrived first." The middle-aged man raised his hand.
"Alright, Uncle Mu."
As the spinning copper coin came down, Belfeng flicked it with her middle finger, sending it flying straight to the middle-aged man, who caught it deftly in his palm.
"The uncle snatched it first again, damn it."
"Doesn't he have to go to work?"
"I heard he was fierce at work, helped a newly established company succeed, and then at 40, he quit his job with a big bonus."
"They say he's earned enough money, isn't going to marry, and it's enough to have fun for a lifetime."
"So envious..."
On the other side, Belfeng and the middle-aged man entered the battlefield, while the others watched from the sidelines.
"Watch closely, this is my newly assembled 'West Wind Charging Legion' deck!"Saying this, the man inserted a stack of cards into the dueling device on his arm.
[The battle begins, Round One]
"My turn, I summon the 'White Horse Recruit' 1/1, which immediately attacks upon entry, though it can't attack the main battler, but that doesn't matter, for every three 'White Horse Recruits' that enter the battlefield, I can draw a West Wind Hero from my deck into my hand, reducing their cost by 1."
"Oh, a rare card that allows you to selectively filter your deck," someone quietly commented from the side.
The card game they played in the field was an ancient game in human civilization that has stood the test of time. Over a long period of popularity, it underwent several revisions and changes to the rule system, and now it has become a game of infinite possibilities. The characters and troops that appear in the game are from historical or mythological figures, full of a temporal charm.
"Oh, it seems the uncle is very confident," Belfeng said, sitting on a box opposite the field, looking at her cards with interest.
"But just drawing powerful cards won't beat me."
"My turn, I place the Ritual Card 'Chieftain's Flag of Guffia.' This card lasts three rounds; each round it randomly summons an Orc servant card."
"First, let's see what I draw today. My spirit animal is the rabbit, and if it's a member of the Rabbit Tribe, you've already lost, Uncle."
At the center of the field, a savage-style flag adorned with beastly teeth descended from the sky, piercing the green meadow, and as it waved in the wind, cheers and shouts followed, then a blurred figure walked from afar, coming to a stop in front of the flag.
"Tribal Warrior of the Bristleback Clan, 1/2, when this servant is attacked, the attacker takes 1 damage."
"That's a perfect counter to the 'White Horse Recruit.' It looks like the uncle will lose a fair amount of blood in the early game."
"But it's only the beginning, let's keep watching."
So this is card battling, Hexia thought as she sat in a corner on the side, looking at the two people engaged in battle. She had heard classmates discuss it, but such card games were still considered a luxury. Opening card packs required a lot of money, and only a few in class could afford to try it.
...
Time flew by swiftly, and soon it was the mid-game of the battle.
"Humph, my turn, I summon the 'Seasoned War Veteran'!"
With that, a warrior wearing armor full of scratches and dents stepped into the battlefield. His hair was white with age; he carried a Helmet under one arm and a Flag Spear in the other.
"The 'Seasoned War Veteran' 3/5 upon entry summons two 'Novices Admiring Legends' 1/2. Then I summon a 'White Horse Recruit,' and with the 'White Horse Recruit' already on the field, that makes five minions."
"With that, I invoke the effect of 'Great Hero Lagelphons,' when there are five West Wind Faction minions on the field, he enters play immediately without cost!"