Iya Continent: Card God

Linta, having learned how to find relevant books, went to the counter and asked the librarian who was fast asleep on the table.

An elderly man with gray hair, sleeping soundly and casually.

"Huh?" The old man opened his eyes drowsily, lazily pushing aside the mess of books in front of him. He said weakly, "Just put the books down...that's enough...annoying fellow..."

Linta smiled faintly and said, "I'm not here to return a book, I'm here to find one. Do you have any biographies about the Vázquez family here?"

The old man's brows twitched slightly, and the wrinkles on his face deepened.

"what?"

The old man looked as if he had misheard and asked solemnly, "What book are you looking for?"

Linta repeated it.

The old man stared at Linta in disbelief and asked in astonishment, "Young man, are you out of your mind? Why are you looking at that kind of trash?"

"Really? Where is it?" Linta was overjoyed and turned to look at the rows of bookshelves behind him.

The old man gradually woke up, got up from his seat, hunched over, put his hands behind his back, and walked towards a bookshelf.

"Come with me."

"Thank you, sir. May I ask your name?" Linta said gratefully.

"Just call me Old Donkey," the elderly administrator said nonchalantly.

Linta's thoughts drifted, and he repeated the name to himself several times, finally making it a memory.

“Young man, here are books and classics from all over the continent of Iya. I wouldn’t say we have everything, but we have most of the famous books. Why are you looking at that Vásquez family’s rubbish instead of something good?” the old donkey asked, puzzled.

This is the first time in all my time in the library that I've heard someone want to read this lousy book.

"It's nothing, I'm just curious since I'm new here," Linta said with a smile.

The old donkey shook his head. "What's there to be curious about? That book is full of praise and flattery, and it's a mix of truth and falsehood. Disgusting!"

Linta wasn't surprised. Books recording family history naturally focus on the good and avoid the bad, and even if they did, they would simply record the hardships that come with success. However, this was precisely the proof he needed.

"Well, here it is. Take my advice, it's best not to look at it, it'll offend your eyes," the old donkey said disdainfully, pointing to a spot on the bottom shelf of the bookshelf.

Linta's gaze fell upon the book "The Vasquez of Modly," and without a word, he took out the not-so-thick book.

The old donkey, the administrator, didn't say anything more and slowly walked back with his hunched back.

Linta let out a soft breath, dusted off the books, and quickly opened them.

The book chronicles the rise and fall of the Vázquez family over several centuries, from the first head to the current head, Brandon Vázquez. It recounts how the family gradually grew in power in the turbulent Kingdom of Mordley, rising from commoners to knights, and ultimately, dukes. The family's own ducal status was merely a matter of the previous generation. The brothers Harvey Vázquez and Edward Vázquez helped the king seize the throne and were thus granted dukedoms. Harvey Vázquez became the head of the family, and after his death, his son Brandon became the current head.

The title of duke is not hereditary. The king will demote a family if he deems it insufficient to govern a county or province. Although the Vázquez family remains a dukedom, there has always been talk among the counties that a demotion is inevitable. The patriarch of the Brandon family has long been concerned about this, and has been devising ways to achieve it, both openly and secretly. The prosperous city of Sandell, which benefits the entire county, is a testament to his achievements.

"I understand," Linta said to himself as he closed the book.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Goblin Stone Workshop.

Linta returned to this place, but Shia had not yet returned.

The thief Malone was guarded by Jingon and Pinecone and could not escape.

"How is it?" Kim Gong asked restlessly.

Linta said calmly, "Not very good."

Gingon glared angrily at the thief Maren, "What nonsense are you spouting! It's utterly useless!"

Maren dared not say more at this moment. He had never felt that he could glean anything from the records of those noble families' deeds. He simply wanted to tell Linta that what he knew was largely the same as what was written in the books. Asking me was less helpful than reading the books.

“It’s still useful,” Linta interjected.

"Huh?" Maren's expression changed, and he looked at Linta in surprise.

Jingon exclaimed in surprise, "What have you discovered? This was all part of Vasquez's conspiracy, wasn't it?"

Linta shook his head. "If I'm not mistaken, this has nothing to do with the Vasquez family."

"Huh? Why do you say that?" Jin Gong asked, puzzled.

Linta's eyes darkened slightly as he recalled the records in the book.

The family autobiography was undoubtedly written by Vasquez, detailing the family's remarkable achievements. The fact that such records, usually kept in family archives, appeared so prominently in a library was quite intriguing. Countless families on the continent of Iya recorded their own histories, but very few publicized them. Generally, those families didn't pass on their stories primarily because of their perceived "truth"—some things were secrets that couldn't be revealed to the public.

The fact that Vasquez is so blatant shows what kind of person the current head of the family is. The city's prisons are all dungeons. The city's construction and prosperity are also quite unique. Add to that some rumors I've heard…

The Vázquez family today places great importance on its reputation. They will not tolerate any tarnishing of the family's name and even want their renown to spread throughout the country.

"Frame-up the owner of the magic weapon shop is too low-class for them. It's meaningless and worthless. Besides, if the enemy finds out, it could destroy their entire family," Linta analyzed.

Brandon Vázquez is not the real culprit.

Jingong was even more worried upon hearing this. "If that guy isn't the real culprit, then who could it be? Who can command Yanhu Moke? A person like him isn't someone that anyone can drive."

Linta was also puzzled by this.

Having just arrived in this city, I know very little. As for those people, I know even less.

"I'm back." Suddenly, a cold voice sounded beside me.

Linta was startled, his heart leaped, and he stared wide-eyed at the elven girl, Shia, who had appeared.

Why...did you go silent?

Without him noticing the door open, he appeared mysteriously beside him. A born assassin, killing without a trace.

Jingong asked impatiently, "Shia! You said you were going out to investigate, did you find anything?"

Shia went to find out where the Flame Fox Moke had gone that night.

Regarding this, not to mention Jingon, even Linta himself didn't have much hope.

It's simple. That Flame Fox Moke must have been concealing his identity, acting furtively. He couldn't possibly have let everyone see him. After all, he's a celebrity; who in the city doesn't recognize him?

“I found it,” Shia said calmly.

Linta's eyes widened. "Really?"

Shia replied, "He went to a tavern called Two-Headed Deer."

"A two-headed deer?!" The thief Malen's expression changed upon hearing the name.

Linta looked at Malen and asked suspiciously, "What's wrong? What is that place? Are there any people there?"

Maren swallowed hard, looking embarrassed, and said, "That place... it's a tavern, but not entirely."

Although Jingong had visited the city many times, he had never been to this place before, nor had he heard the goblin Stone mention it. Puzzled, he asked loudly, "Stop stammering! What is that place?!"

Maren replied, "The Two-Headed Deer Tavern is just the surface; beneath it lies the largest underground casino in all of Sandel City."