"Next up, the game is really simple. You're just picking a rope hole. Whether you pick a hole where the rod ends up looping through the rope, or a hole where the rod blocks the rope, either works—just like what you saw just now. Everyone got it?"
The stall owner looked up, smiling warmly.
People around Luke whispered to each other, clearly trying to break it down. Luke had pretty much understood it too.
The rules were minimal, and the game itself was simple: three rope holes, pick one. If you picked the hole where the rod blocked the rope, then you won the way the stall owner just demonstrated. If you picked the hole where the rope looped around the rod, then it would have to be one of the other two.
"Anyone want to come up and play?"
The stall owner invited them, then added, "But we're not playing for free. If you want to play, you pay at least three silver coins each time. More is up to you. If you pick right, I pay you back what you wagered. If you pick wrong, the money's mine."
"I'll do it!"
A spectator who'd clearly been itching to try strode forward, face full of excitement.
He neatly took out three silver coins and placed them on the right side of the tabletop.
"All right—watch closely. I'm starting!"
The stall owner didn't waste words. He got to work immediately, looping and looping the rope with fast hands—especially tossing in some flashy body movements to distract the audience.
But in truth, it still wasn't hard to follow. The rope had a head and a tail. Whether it ended up looping around the rod or getting blocked by it, the basic outcome was straightforward.
"Okay. Your pick!"
The stall owner handed the rod to the spectator.
The spectator didn't hesitate. He chose a rope hole and jabbed the rod down, then said, "I'm choosing for the rope to loop around the rod."
"Alright~ Everyone—and you too—watch carefully."
The stall owner began pulling the rope. The loops shrank one after another, writhing like a little snake, until finally even the tail slipped past the rod. In the end, only the rod remained, standing alone in the middle.
"Congratulations! You got it!"
The stall owner smiled broadly, congratulated him, and without any sign of reluctance, paid out three silver coins.
Just like that, the spectator earned three silver. He didn't push his luck—he left beaming.
With one person already profiting, the rest of the crowd couldn't hold back anymore. People started stepping up to play.
In the meantime, the stall owner did manage to fool a few pairs of eyes with his technique, making them wager wrong—but overall, he was losing badly.
The crowd got bigger and bigger. Luke watched two or three rounds, felt it wasn't that interesting, and decided to leave.
"Can I play a round too?"
Just then, a crisp, pleasant voice came from the back of the crowd—clearly a girl's. People shifted aside to make room.
A blonde girl squeezed her way in, her big eyes filled with curiosity about the game.
Luke stopped and looked over. Beyond being impressed, he was also a little surprised.
He hadn't expected to run into a champion this soon.
The girl had a soft oval face with a youthful innocence. Her features looked like they'd been delicately sculpted, bright eyes and white teeth—especially those vivid azure-blue eyes that were irresistibly captivating. Her brilliant blonde hair looked like sunlight had been poured over it.
She drew attention just by standing there.
And she was unmistakable. Quite a few people nearby had already recognized her.
"Miss Crownguard?"
Hearing that, Luke's guess was fully confirmed.
The blonde girl in front of him was that champion—the Lady of Luminosity, Lux.
After all, the Crownguard name carried enormous weight in Demacia. Not just anyone could be addressed as "Miss Crownguard."
No one seemed especially shocked that Lux had appeared, as if seeing her here wasn't strange at all.
"Can I play a round?"
Lux walked up to the stall, a cute smile on her face as she repeated what she'd said earlier. It was obvious she was genuinely interested in this.
The stall owner paused, then answered, "Of course. Do you understand the rules?"
"I do!"
Lux nodded seriously.
The stall owner said, "Then please place your wager."
Lux took out an exquisite coin purse from her pocket, pulled out a shiny gold coin, and set it on the tabletop.
Then she stared at the stall owner without blinking, clearly not planning to miss a single movement.
"Alright. Then I'll begin."
Seeing her open with a gold coin, the stall owner got serious too. He muttered under his breath while his hands sped up even more.
Very quickly, the three rope holes appeared.
Lux rested her hand under her chin and studied it for a moment. Then she took the rod and stabbed it into one of the rope holes, declaring confidently, "I'm choosing for the rope to loop around the rod!"
Her choice was logical. Statistically, "rope loops around the rod" had a two-in-three chance, while "rod blocks the rope" was only one-in-three.
Most people would choose the rope looping around.
And then, as the stall owner pulled the rope… it ended up being blocked by the rod.
Lux's eyes widened a little, looking genuinely baffled.
The spectators around her couldn't help sighing for her. The stall owner smiled. "Miss Crownguard, looks like your luck's a bit off today. Want to try again?"
"I still didn't hit it?"
Lux clearly wasn't convinced. She pulled out another gold coin and put it down, her expression even more focused this time.
"You really need to watch carefully this round," the stall owner said.
He repeated the same routine, quickly reaching the moment where Lux had to choose again.
Lux didn't blink once the whole time. Completely certain, she stabbed the rod into a rope hole. "This time it can't be wrong. I'm choosing for the rope to loop around the rod!"
As the stall owner pulled the rope, the crowd sucked in a collective breath.
Because this time… the rope was blocked by the rod again!
Lux was completely stunned now. She couldn't understand how she could still be wrong.
The stall owner cleared his throat twice. "Seems you're not having much luck today."
A spectator muttered, "In a way, that's pretty lucky too—two times in a row landing on the 'blocked' result."
Another spectator suggested, "Then why not try choosing the blocked one this time? Maybe you'll win back what you lost."
Someone else objected, "No, no. She's already lost two gold coins. If it were me, I'd stop now—cut your losses while you can."
Hearing the voices around her, Lux was clearly getting carried away. She let out a heavy breath, stubbornly pulled out two more gold coins, and slapped them down.
"Again!"
"If you still want to play, then watch closely this time," the stall owner said.
He obviously wasn't going to pass up the chance to make money, and he smoothly repeated the process.
It was Lux's turn to choose again.
This time she didn't hesitate at all, immediately picking a rope hole. "This time I'm choosing for the rod to block the rope!"