Actually, yes, that was the case.
Things like creating house rules tailored for knights or changing the illustrations on the cards might seem fascinating to those who play such board games for the first time, but to me, they didn’t evoke much excitement.
Since I never learned Aura, the house rules designed for knights weren’t about board games; they were just ridiculously grueling workouts. And as for Spirit Poker, it wasn’t much different from Cockroach Poker.
Of course, I didn’t have any complaints about those things. I thought it was fun enough to spread board games and enjoy them with others.
But even so, I couldn’t help but think sometimes.
This was a world where supernatural abilities like Aura and magic existed, so unlike the world I originally lived in…
What if….what if it were possible to combine magic and board games to create something really extraordinary?
That was why I had once tried so hard to learn magic.
But in the end, I had given up because of this talentless body of mine.
And yet, this board game. Something fused with magic into an incredible creation was now right in front of me.
That was why, even when the old man who called himself the Tower Master and clearly looked like an Archmage spoke to me, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from this creation.
Just looking at that giant board…
It made my chest swell as if it were about to burst.
Could this… be love?
My heart was pounding so hard that such a ridiculous thought crossed my mind.
Right now.
Right now, I wanted to run up there, touch, tear open, taste, and chew on that giant magic board game.
I wanted to experience all the new fun it could offer me, explore every strategy, and revel in all the joy it could provide until I was utterly satisfied.
That primal and overwhelmingly intense desire was all that remained in my heart. But the faint trace of reason still within me kept me from acting on it.
“Sally, look at that… It’s an absolutely incredible board game board… It’s like…”
“Y-Young Master…?”
“…Ahem, ahem! Hahaha! It seems that the guest from the Everts Duchy has quite a favorable impression of the symbol of our Magic Tower.”
“…My apologies for the late introduction. I am Kyle Byron, the third son of the Byron Viscounty.”
“I am Olphin, the Tower Master of the Arkhe Magic Tower.”
The Arkhe Magic Tower.
When I was young and eager to learn magic, I had heard about places like this. It was one of the six great Magic Towers of the empire.
After receiving a letter from Duke Nicholas, I had Sally discreetly investigate it for me.
A place that studies magic related to light and darkness, and at the same time, the youngest of the six great Magic Towers.
But why would such a place send letters to the Everts duchy and several wealthy noble families in the West?
At first, I didn’t understand, but after reading the letter, it all became clear.
“Like Tower Master Olphin said… it really is an incredible symbol. With it positioned right at the center of this vast hall, the majesty of the Magic Tower naturally comes through.”
“Haha, even if it’s mere flattery, I appreciate it.”
“That’s why I understand the Tower Master’s concerns. Maintaining such a giant board game must… require no small expense.”
“You catch on quickly.”
Though it could have sounded like sarcasm, Tower Master Olphin nodded his head in agreement.
True to its name, the Arkhe Magic Tower was shaped like a huge tower. However, the interior was far more expansive and varied than it appeared from the outside.
Even so, the tower’s main gates opened to a vast hall, with a ceiling so high it seemed impossible to see the top. The hall greeted visitors with its immense size, devoid of the typical magical artifacts or items you might expect. Instead, all attention was drawn to the giant board game placed prominently at its center.
Calling it “giant” didn’t begin to describe it. This chess-like board game had a thickness that alone reached the height of an average adult, while the pieces on it were as tall as two or three people combined.
Because of their sheer size, it was impossible for an ordinary person to move those pieces manually. In fact, even at this very moment, the pieces were floating and shifting on their own through the air.
Despite the size of the pieces, there was neither significant noise nor any noticeable wind from their movement. It must have been the work of magic.
For something of this scale, it was more than worthy of being the symbol of one of the six great Magic Towers….. And yet, it seemed Tower Master Olphin thought differently.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent letters proposing to sell the board game to noble families for the sake of the tower’s finances.
It was clear that Tower Master Olphin’s interest in the board game had long since faded.
“It’s fascinating to look at, yes, but more than that, it represents the culmination of our tower’s research into light and darkness. How about it? Would you like to try it out?”
“Of course!!”
“Haha, youth certainly comes with strong enthusiasm. Very well. Vermilly, face off against Young Master Kyle Byron.”
“Yes, Tower Master!”
When Tower Master Olphin gestured, a young mage who had been standing politely in the corner of the hall quickly approached and stood before the game board.
I hurriedly ran over and stepped onto what appeared to be a platform. As soon as I stood on it, it began to rise into the air with a faint vibration.
Thud—
“Ooh…!!”
The platform, which was clearly designed for comfort was equipped with a sofa and chairs for sitting, refreshments for quenching your thirst, and elegant railings to prevent any falls.
In an instant, I rose high enough that Sally, who remained on the first floor, appeared small below. Finally, I had a full view of the giant board game.
A board made of black-and-white square tiles, along with white and black game pieces, was laid out.
It was a board game nearly identical to the chess of the real world.
As I held onto the railing and started marveling at the breathtaking view, Tower Master Olphin floated lightly into the air and smiled.
It was less the smile of a benevolent Archmage and more akin to that of a salesman trying to showcase the value of his product.
“What do you think? I take pride in this view.”
“It’s incredible.”
“Thank you for saying so. But the real charm of this giant board game is about to begin.”
Wooong.
When Tower Master Olphin raised both hands, light began to ripple in one hand and darkness swirled in the other.
It was magic of a far higher caliber than anything I had seen from Sally or the family mage.
As I blankly stared at the white light and black darkness swirling into whirlpools, he spoke.
“Since ancient times, the Arkhe Magic Tower has delved into the study of light and darkness. Just as the other six great towers explore the elements that compose the world, Arkhe seeks to reveal the truths of the universe.”
“….…”
“Light and darkness. Those unfamiliar with magic often assume these forces are more extraordinary and destructive than fire, lightning, or ice. But in reality, that isn’t quite the case.”
“Huh?”
“Here, take this.”
With a smile, Tower Master Olphin tossed the condensed darkness toward me.
It looked like something I definitely shouldn’t touch, but before I could think, my hand instinctively reached out to catch it.
The darkness passed through my hand without resistance and fell to the ground.
“Huh?”
“As you just saw, light and darkness lack physical form or force. Though we can create them, we cannot touch them, nor can they cause any destruction.”
“Then…”
“That’s why Arkhe Magic Tower began researching ways to use light and darkness differently. The process was long and difficult, but fortunately, I can show you the results here.”
Hum.
The light and darkness released from Tower Master Olphin’s hand floated in the air and began to merge.
White devoured Black, Black chased after White, and the two swirled together.
Gradually, the light and darkness started to create a different color.
“Over 200 years ago, the fifth Tower Master realized that the colors we see are created by light.”
“……….”
“About 100 years ago, the eighth Tower Master discovered that those colors could be controlled through darkness.”
“…Wow.”
“Only then was Arkhe able to become one of the six great magic towers.”
Color, and form.
Through its study of light and darkness, the Arkhe Magic Tower came to realize that destroying everything with light or corrupting everything with darkness was impossible from the start.
Light was merely light, and darkness was merely darkness.
The mages of Arkhe could only blend the two to distort reality.
And so, the unique magic cultivated by the Arkhe Magic Tower was—
“…Illusions.”
“The biggest issue, though, is that they can never truly be touched.”
Suddenly, clouds began to form beneath the endless ceiling of the tower.
The white clouds that swirled in the air like a hurricane were so pure that they seemed almost unnatural.
Slowly, they grew larger, until they covered the entire ceiling of the tower.
At the center of the clouds, an opening appeared, revealing a radiant light from which a huge hand emerged.
“Now, speak the move you want to make.”
“…Move the soldier two spaces forward.”
The words slipped out of my mouth before I even realized it.
As if responding to those small words, a huge almost godlike hand went down to the game board, grabbed the piece that meant soldier, and lifted it up.
…He said illusions can’t be touched.
At that moment, I realized another truth.
The giant game board and the pieces themselves were, in fact, illusions.
“Haha…”
The white hand holding the soldier piece set it two spaces forward before retreating into the clouds. Soon, even the clouds faded as if they had never existed.
Though it had lasted less than a minute, I couldn’t confidently say that the hand I had just seen was nothing more than an illusion.
Had Tower Master Olphin not explained, I might have believed it to be magic summoning such a hand.
The fact that the pieces had moved without any sound or wind was, after all, proof that everything had been an illusion.
The magic of the Arkhe Magic Tower which manipulates light and darkness and even color and form was…
The best.
I was certain it was truly designed for the board game itself.
After that, I don’t remember the details. I only remember enjoying a game of illusion chess with the wizard Vermily, fascinated by this “new board game” in which not only the giant hand, but also illusions of kings, dragons, angels, demons, and knights appeared to move and destroy pieces.
Although I had played board games to the point of exhaustion before, the addition of dazzling illusions and the feeling of being watched by a godlike presence provided a whole new sense of enjoyment and excitement.
“Enough. The winner is Kyle Byron.”
“Ah…”
Coming back to my senses, I realized I had won with a checkmate.
That in itself wasn’t particularly remarkable. I had won numerous chess-like board game tournaments before, so I was calm about this victory.
What I found far more disappointing was that the board game had come to an end.
“Kyle Byron, how was it?”
“…It was extraordinary. In every sense of the word.”
“There’s nothing quite as exciting as genuine praise. Judging by how much you enjoyed it, I feel I can speak openly about what comes next.”
“What do you mean by ‘what comes next’?”
“I’ll be blunt. It’s my nature, and there’s no point dragging this out.”
Thud.
As the illusion chess game ended and I stepped off the platform, Tower Master Olphin stood before me.
The smile had vanished from his face, and his piercing eyes radiated the dignity and wisdom befitting an Archmage.
“You introduced yourself as the third son of the Byron Viscounty. It’s true that we sent a letter to the Byron family, but the letter you brought was addressed to the Everts Duchy. Therefore, I’ll assume you’re representing the Duke of Everts and won’t question the details further.”
“…Yes.”
“How much are you willing to pay?”
“….…”
“I know it’s not the most tactful thing to say from a seller’s perspective, but that board game is, in essence, everything our magic tower stands for. If you decide to buy it, our mages will visit regularly to maintain and monitor it. If you wish to negotiate a discount based on that, I’ll accept. It’s cheaper than letting other towers secretly study it.”
“…Is that so?”
“In the end, the price is what matters. A price that can resolve our tower’s financial deficit in one stroke and cover its substantial maintenance costs. How much is the Duke of Everts prepared to offer?”
Tower Master Olphin was utterly sincere. Despite knowing the board game represented the Arkhe Tower’s identity and held immeasurable value, he was prepared to sell it.
No matter how symbolic or valuable it was, if it drove the tower to bankruptcy, it would be a meaningless relic.
…Though I had many questions. Like whether it was even possible to sell and manage something that was essentially an illusion or whether there weren’t better ways to guard against other towers trying to study it….none of that mattered now.
What I needed to say was already decided.
“Let me make this clear. While I am indeed representing the Duke of Everts, I didn’t come here to buy the board game.”
“…Then?”
For a moment, a shadow of concern passed over Tower Master Olphin’s face, but he quickly composed himself.
It was fine. After all, what he was about to hear wouldn’t be such bad news for him, either.
“Let me reintroduce myself. I am Kyle Byron, the third son of the Byron Viscounty and a board game creator.”
“Board game…..creator?”
“I propose that…. we repurpose that board game of yours.”
“…Repurpose it?”
Tower Master Olphin narrowed his eyes. He could sense doubt and unease stirring within him at a suggestion entirely different from what he had expected.
Nevertheless, the name of the Duke of Everts served to justify my presence.
After all, it wasn’t just anyone but the wealthiest noble in the West who was backing this young and relatively unknown board game creator.
After some deliberation, Tower Master Olphin ultimately chose to trust the Duke of Everts more than my words and decided to give me a chance.
In a way, this too could be considered one of the many rewards of the connections I had earned through the Duke.
“Fine. But I’ve never heard the name Kyle Byron before. If you claim to be a board game creator, you must at least have created a game worth mentioning, no?”
“Of course.”
“Follow me to my office. I’ll need to test your board game before entrusting the fate of our tower to it… But let me warn you about one thing.”
Suddenly—
Olphin, who had been walking ahead with his hands behind his back, turned his gaze to me over his shoulder.
From his aged face, a sharp and chilling light gleamed in his eyes.
“I may look old, but I’ve lived a long time. I’ve experienced countless activities beyond board games.”
“………..”
“Don’t expect too much. The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.”
***
Ding!
“Well… I think I’ve gotten a decent sense of it. That Spirit Poker game and this Kyle Gali of yours weren’t much, after all.”
“………What did you think of them?”
“I must admit, they’re remarkably well-crafted games. I underestimated you. But that’s all there is to it. Let’s end the discussion here.”
“………….”
“Adela, please escort Sir Kyle to the guest room. And you, make sure to relay this message to His Excellency the Duke. That Arkhe Magic Tower is still looking for a buyer.”
“…Tower Master.”
“My apologies. Adela, what time is it? I’m unusually tired, but I need to finish today’s paperwork first—”
“It’s 5:39 a.m.”
“…Huh?”
“It has been exactly 13 hours and 27 minutes since you began playing Kyle Galli and Spirit Poker yesterday at 4:12 p.m.”
“………………Sir Kyle. No, Game Creator.”
“Yes, Tower Master.”
“Could you… repeat that proposal from 13 hours ago?”
Smirk.
“As many times as you’d like.”
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