Casino City’s palace was completely surrounded by the Roulette Confederation’s army. “Have you heard from Sam?” Tamako asked Jen, as she directed the guard to maintain their defensive positions.

“No, he looked pretty tired when I left, so he may have gone to sleep. If no one breaks any of the enchantments protecting the store, I don’t know when he might wake up,” Jen replied, as she was checking her weapons and using her psych ability to intercept signals.

Tamako’s face was grim, she always knew that someday she would either be assassinated or die in a fight, but she didn’t think she would have to see Jen die. However, they were outnumbered by at least 3 to 1.

The only reason they were able to get the City Lord inside the palace gates in time, was because Jen stopped by and said some odd things were going on over at the System Shop. Right after Tamako sent guards out to investigate, they were returning with the City Lord fighting off the Roulette Confederation in a running battle trying to get back and behind the safety of the palace gates.

It turned out that the City Lord’s cousin Li Zhang had made a deal with the Roulette Confederation. Li Zhang set up a sound wave jammer and organized some bandits to surprise and kill the Casino City guards surrounding the System shop. The Roulette Confederation had already purchased travel for and transferred 6,000 soldiers through the System Shop into Casino City, when Tamako’s guards discovered them. The Roulette Confederation would have brought in thousands of soldiers more through the System shop, but once Tamako had received news of the battle, she used the City Lord’s Shop interface to close it for 24 hours. The Guards were running back to the Palace when they linked up with the City Lord and his guard contingent. It was sheer luck they were able to get back through the palace gates before the Roulette Confederation caught them.

“They haven’t attacked yet, but I bet they are going to send out a representative to demand surrender,” Jen said to Tamako as they observed the enemy from the top of the wall. Jen actually knew it was about to happen because she was intercepting their coms. Jen could see that most of the enemy soldiers were levels 10 to 12, but there were a few that clearly stood apart from the regular soldiers, and they ranged from level 15 to 20!

“They don’t want to try and take the palace by force. Their numbers are not high enough to ensure victory, and more importantly they want the City Lord’s treasure. I’m guessing they just spent around 600 gold transporting those soldiers through the shop.

Even though we are outnumbered 3 to 1, the City Lord has access to the System Shop from the palace. With the City’s treasury, and his status as the City Lord, he can purchase buffs and defensive measures that can even the odds. If the City Lord spent all the treasury funds protecting the palace, or if the City Lord were to die in battle, they would never even recover their 600 gold.” Tamako explained, as she continued to watch the enemy’s preparations.

Jen asked Tamako, “Why couldn’t they just siege the palace while taking over the rest of the City, then wait the City Lord out, or wait until the System Shop opens in 24 hours to bring in more troops?”

Jen’s words automatically made Tamako suspicious, but she kept all traces of her thoughts to herself, “how does she not know the basic rules of the Deck cities?”

Jen could immediately feel Tamako’s emotional spike of suspicion, and said, “Sam and I are from a small town, so we don’t know much about how these types of battles are fought.”

Tamako thought to herself, “I know I can trust Jen, but I also know that she and Sam keep lots of secrets. Hmmm, if we survive the next 24 hours, I’m going to demand some answers, but for now, it can’t do any harm to explain it to her.”

Tamako replied, “When a Deck-named City attacks another Deck-named City, the attack must be tied to a gambling-quest from the System.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” replied Jen.

“Yes, and except for a revolution of citizens from within the Deck-named City, if there is any other type of attack on a Deck-named city, it can be repelled by the City Lord using System defenses built into the City. The power of those defenses is so great and brutal, no one ever dares attack a Deck-named City.

“Then why doesn’t he use those defenses now?”

“I’m getting there. If a Deck-named City accepts a gambling-quest from the System to attack another Deck-named City, they have 24 hours to take over the City or demand as much ransom as they can before the System supplied defenses can be used.”

“What about the adventurer guilds, merchants, and farmers?” asked Jen.

They would never attack the guilds within the City, because of their power throughout all the cities and decks. If they have not succeeded or left the boundaries of the City territory within 24 hours, any attackers remaining within the City’s territory will have all of their ability points forfeited to the System. Attacking and looting poor non-guild farmers and merchants simply isn’t worth the money or the time, but that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t kill, rape, and pillage the poor if it is convenient. In our situation, as a result of them being unable to catch the City Lord before he made it back to the palace, they have three options. 1. Demand we surrender the City, offering safety to the City Lord and all its defenders; 2. If we don’t surrender, they will begin an all-out attack and try to kill the City Lord and take Control of the palace. If they succeed, they will then torture and kill all of the defenders to set an example; or 3. Demand a ransom from the City Lord to leave.”

Jen replied “I guess that makes sense, our town was so small we never learned all the details of the Deck Cities.” Jen had tried to hide her amazement at the mechanics of war in the Decks, but her astonishment was noticed by Tamako.

Jen’s last comment about her small town didn’t make any sense to Tamako. Even small towns were given minor defenses by the System when they were established. Tamako was struck with a realization, “Jen and Sam must be from Earth!” but she decided to keep her thoughts to herself unless they made it out of this mess.

About 10 minutes later, the Roulette Confederation sent out an emissary. Nothing fancy from the Roulette Confederation, as the emissary simply announced, “We demand you lay down your arms, open the gates, and surrender. In return, we will guarantee the safety of City Lord Julius Caesar the X, and all his defenders. You have 1 hour to comply.”