Even just watching from a distance, the Imperial Castle was a fascinating sight. But there wasn’t much time to take it in. The carriage soaring through the sky arrived before long.
The castle floated in the air, appearing to be held in place by six massive chains.
Among the countless landing platforms scattered throughout the castle, the one we descended upon was clearly a luxurious one. When we stepped out, dozens of servants bowed their heads in greeting.
“Welcome back, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, everyone. You’ve already been informed about our guest, haven’t you? Treat him with the utmost respect. He is my honored guest. And His Majesty?”
“He is awaiting your arrival, Your Highness.”
“Good. Kyle Byron, follow them to your room for now. I’ll join you later after meeting with His Majesty.”
“Understood.”
Perhaps because this was the highest echelon of the empire, the hospitality was swift and efficient. Honestly, it made me think just for a moment that Sally could take a page out of their book.
Not that I had any complaints about her. It was just that, due to an incident in her childhood, she tended to stammer and had low self-esteem. I simply wished I could help her with that.
Compared to her, the servants of the Imperial Castle carried themselves with confidence, likely because many of them came from noble families. They were also remarkably quick to pick up on things.
Regardless, as I followed behind the woman who seemed to be the Third Prince’s head maid, walking alongside Sally, Adela, and the water tiger, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
Come to think of it, for having entered the Imperial Castle, things feel… surprisingly unrestricted.
This was the very place where the Emperor, the imperial family, and countless high-ranking officials resided. Naturally, I had assumed it would be the most heavily guarded location in the entire empire.
Yet there had been no body searches, no particular caution directed toward Adela or Sally as mages, and not even a second glance at the water tiger.
Of course, I wasn’t about to cause any trouble. But still, shouldn’t they at least take some safety precautions, just in case?
Was it because we were guests of the Third Prince?
As I mulled over the thought, Adela quietly approached me and whispered.
“To be precise, there’s simply no need for them to do so.”
“…Adela? How did you know what I was thinking?”
“You may not realize it, but your thoughts tend to show quite clearly on your face.”
“What?”
“Your poker face is perfect when playing board games, but in daily life, it’s a different story. Anyway, to get straight to the point, the Imperial family has no reason to be wary of us.”
“And why is that? I understand that Sally is just an apprentice mage, but you’re the disciple of Tower Master Olphin, and the water tiger here is a water spirit.”
I had no real understanding of such things, being powerless myself, but Adela was clearly a high-ranking mage, and the water tiger was at least an intermediate spirit. Considering that it had formed a contract with a noble like young lady Lacia, it might even be capable of reaching the level of a higher spirit.
It wasn’t an exaggeration. Those two alone had enough power to reduce an entire village to ashes with ease. Of course, the Imperial Capital saw people even more powerful than that coming and going regularly, but still, it seemed odd that they were being completely overlooked.
Adela answered my unspoken question with clarity.
“An Archmage resides in the capital.”
“…An Archmage?”
“There is one from the Imperial family’s cadet branch. However… the magical community finds it awkward to call that person an Archmage.”
“………?”
“In any case, unless all six Archmages of the Magic Towers, including Tower Master Olphin, were to openly rebel, the capital will remain completely safe. Even if the entire Empire were to turn against it, the capital alone would still stand unharmed.”
I had heard before that there were differences in strength even among Archmages, but could the one in the capital truly be more powerful than all the others combined? Or was there some other meaning behind her words?
Since it was nothing more than idle curiosity on my part, I decided to just accept it and move on. Adela too fell silent.
[Curiosity… it’s a good thing.]
“…Hmm? Adela, did you just say something?”
“I said nothing in particular.”
“What? Then this…”
[There’s no point in asking. No one else can hear me but you. Just as you have taken an interest in me, I too have become curious about you.]
“…No way.”
[I don’t intend to talk for long. But the fact remains that your very existence intrigues me.]
“………….”
[If your curiosity still lingers, knock on the door six times at midnight. Then, we shall satisfy each other’s questions.]
Click.
The voice was mechanical and direct as if it had been transmitted straight into my head. But it was suddenly cut off.
Speaking abruptly and ending the conversation on a whim….it was entirely one-sided, yet I could already guess who it was.
That Archmage from the Imperial cadet branch…?
I still wasn’t entirely sure, but for now, I decided to let it go.
That wasn’t the important thing right now.
“This is the room. His Highness the Prince will be arriving soon—”
“I need some people.”
“…I beg your pardon?”
“His Highness has promised unlimited support for the creation of a board game. Since it is only right to put in as much effort as he expects, I intend to begin production immediately.”
“I-Is that so?”
The head maid’s eyes widened slightly before quickly returning to a composed expression.
She had already heard about it, but she probably hadn’t expected me to start the moment I was shown to my room.
But to me, this was the most important task at hand.
“Then who should I call? If possible, please be specific rather than vague—”
“First, I need two skilled craftsmen capable of delicate work. The standard for ‘delicate work’ is whether they can meticulously carve out miniature models smaller than a single finger. I also need a painter. Preferably someone better at landscapes than portraits.
Although Adela is here, I still need a mage. Anyone proficient in hardening magic and fixation magic will do.
As for materials, I need thick paper, about one meter by one meter in size, as well as stone that the craftsmen can carve.
Ah, and if possible, I’d also like a scribe. There will be a considerable amount of writing involved, but speed isn’t the priority. What matters is that their handwriting is legible.
His Highness has given his word, so this much should be possible, right?”
“………….”
“Head Maid?”
“Please… say that again. I should probably write it all down…”
“As many times as necessary. But I’ve also thought of additional personnel and materials I’ll need, so I’ll mention those as well. Please gather them as soon as possible!”
“………Understood.”
***
The Third Prince of the Empire, Lugeric Severus, let out a sigh.
For someone known as a master of survival who had quickly declared his withdrawal from the infamous Imperial Succession War, saving his own life while still retaining his status and some power…. he looked rather frustrated.
Even if he had given up the competition, he was still an imperial prince. Regardless of his actual influence, according to imperial law, there were fewer than five people in the entire empire ranked above him.
And, naturally, the reason the Third Prince was sighing was that he had just met one of those five.
Father… he’s always the same. For better or worse.
The Emperor. The pinnacle of the empire. A ruler who practically dominated the entire continent. The most exalted person in the land and, at the same time, the Third Prince’s father.
He was a rare case in imperial history. He was an Emperor who had ascended the throne without a succession war. A stroke of luck, though only because there had been no other princes at the time.
For the Emperor himself, it had been fortunate. But for the empire as a whole, it had been a disaster.
The Emperor was a wise man, but the fact that there had been no one else to inherit the throne was a serious problem.
If, by some misfortune, the Emperor were to die suddenly, the empire would surely fall into chaos.
Because of that, in another rare move, the Emperor had many children. More than ten in total, though only three of them were sons.
As the youngest among them, the Third Prince was lucky enough to be born with an innate talent for magic and a keen sense for politics. But he was unlucky in that he was still the youngest prince.
Bluntly put, if he hadn’t renounced his claim to the throne by the time he turned ten, he might not even be alive today.
Yet the Emperor seemed to still have lingering regrets.
And now, after all this time, he’s telling me to rejoin the competition? He might as well be asking me to die.
The Emperor was an idealist in many ways. In his eyes, his youngest son that was brimming with talent had given up too soon, seemingly forced out by the injustices of his older brothers.
Until now, the Third Prince had always managed to evade the issue with clever excuses.
But today, his father had spoken not as the emperor but as a father, saying he was making a personal request.
There was no way this wouldn’t give the Third Prince a headache.
At this point, I need to get closer to my brothers as soon as possible.
Regardless of the Emperor’s personal intentions, even a mere rumor that the Third Prince was rejoining the competition for the throne would be enough to shake the power dynamics within the imperial family. Naturally, the First and Second Princes would not take kindly to it.
Especially the Second Prince—
…For now, my only option is to push Kyle Byron.
If there was any silver lining, it was that both the First and Second Princes were quite fond of the board game Kill the King. That was precisely why he had called Kyle Byron in the first place.
The Abracadabra game Kyle Byron had created had been a shock in many ways. To the Third Prince, who had only ever known dice games and Kill the King, it had been nothing short of a revelation.
The illusions that made it feel as though one was casting real magic were impressive, but after playing over ten rounds, the Third Prince had come to understand the true details of Abracadabra.
At a glance, it seemed simple, but with low lives and limited healing options, every turn required careful decision-making. At the same time, the presence of hidden spells made reckless attacks risky.
On top of that, the ever-changing game dynamics, dictated by elements beyond the players’ control, made sure that no two games were ever the same.
Compared to Kill the King, which was a more static game, Abracadabra was something that both princes and nobles alike could enjoy like excited children.
And if Kyle Byron who had single-handedly created such a game was involved—
Then surely, he could come up with a board game that would help the Third Prince grow closer to his brothers.
He’s probably resting comfortably right now.
Originally, he had intended to let Kyle Byron spend about a week exploring the capital and relaxing. But the situation had become urgent.
For now, he needed to explain the circumstances and discuss the matter with him. While he didn’t yet fully trust Kyle Byron as a person, he did trust his undeniable genius, his connection to spirits, and his close ties to the Tower Master’s disciple.
First, he needed to hear what kind of board game Kyle had in mind. Of course, designing and producing it would take months, or perhaps even years……but time was not on his side.
Before word spread that the Emperor had earnestly requested the Third Prince’s return to the competition, before his brothers could cause unnecessary trouble, he had to act.
He wasn’t aiming for a finished product. Just showing that a board game was in development would be enough to buy time to persuade his brothers.
Less than half a day since arriving at the capital, and I’m already demanding a board game plan.
Even the Third Prince himself found this an unreasonable demand. But for him, it was a desperate necessity. That was why he had promised unlimited support, wasn’t it?
Even for a genius creator like Kyle Byron, this was an excessive request….but there was no other choice.
…As the Third Prince recalled the wary glances of Kyle Byron’s maid who had been cautious even in the presence of an imperial prince, he arrived at Kyle’s door.
He resolved himself and opened it.
“So, you want me to carve this to look like a city?”
“Precisely. That said, asking for an entire city would be too broad a request. Something resembling a grand castle would suffice.”
“Uh… well, I finished painting everything for now.”
“Thank you! With this, the forest and field illustrations are perfect. Next is the mountain, but if possible, please make it a rocky mountain. Hmm, something that looks like it could produce iron.”
“Then wouldn’t it be easier to just draw a mine?”
“That’s true, but I have a separate plan for the mine. Just a rocky mountain, please.”
“I’ve cut all the paper. Hexagonal boards with hexagonal holes inside, right?”
“Thank you Adela.”
“Y-Young Master! The d-drawings… I-I cut them into hexagonal shapes too…!”
[Growl.]
“Th-This spirit wasn’t particularly u-useful, anyway.”
[…Grrr.]
“Both of you, enough. Anyway, thanks, Sally. Tiger, can you check if the cut boards fit together properly? Sally, help him out.”
“……Yes.”
[Growl…….]
“Good! Then, everyone, continue with your respective tasks. If there’s any skilled craftsman available, please assist me for a moment—”
“…Kyle Byron?”
“Ah, Your Highness! You’ve returned already?”
“What… are you doing?”
“Huh? As you can see, I’m making a board game.”
“Already? It hasn’t even been half a day since you arrived in the capital.”
“That’s a separate matter. I already had several board games planned. This is just the first one.”
“…The first one?”
“Since Your Highness has generously promised unlimited support, I must repay that trust, shouldn’t I?”
Quite literally.
“I’ll create every game I know.”
“………”
“All the ones I only imagined, the ones I couldn’t make due to a lack of materials or manpower…..every single one. Surely, out of all of them, at least one will be to Your Highness’s liking?”
As Kyle Byron cheerfully commanded the workers with effortless coordination, the prince could only stare at him in a daze.
“…Haah.”
A dry laugh escaped his lips.
This man. He was like the Second Prince. A true genius.
The Third Prince Lugeric Severus quietly suppressed the something that stirred within him.
Just as he always had, ever since the day he was born.
…Because he could never be someone who shone as brightly as that.
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