There was a board game.
It had been created in 1995, yet even before my reincarnation…. That is up until the early 2020s, it had remained the number one best-selling board game and the most awarded one. A monstrous game in every sense.
It had drawn countless people into the world of strategy board games, seamlessly blending luck, strategy, cooperation, betrayal, and competition.
Some might not have found it to their taste, but once they fell for it, escaping its grip was no easy feat.
The history of board games could be divided into two eras: before and after this game. That was how profoundly it had influenced the world.
“Catan.”
“Ca…tan?”
“It’s a board game where players build civilizations on a fictional island called Catan. It requires strategic use of limited resources, forcing players into fierce competition over a small stretch of land.”
“Just hearing about it… I’m not sure I quite understand.”
“Seeing it firsthand would be the fastest way to understand it, right?”
It would have been great to include the Third Prince as well, but since Catan wasn’t even fully completed yet, for now, I was simply demonstrating what kind of game it was.
Having briefly explained the rules in advance, I sat in a circle with Sally, Adela, and Water Tiger.
“This is the game board. It’s shaped like a hexagon, forming the outline of a large island. Inside it, we fill in smaller hexagonal tiles, like a honeycomb.”
“So… it becomes an island. And each small hexagon has an illustration on it.”
“That’s right. There are five different types: forests, mines, mountains, pastures, and wheat fields. And on top of these tiles, we place numbered tokens.”
From the smallest number, 2, to the largest, 12.
Once all the tiles had been assigned a number token, the setup was complete.
“To put it simply, each turn a player rolls two dice. If the sum of the dice matches the number on a tile adjacent to their settlement, they collect the corresponding resource from that land.”
“Hmm…?”
For example, if a player rolled a 3 and a 5, making a total of 8, then any player with a settlement next to a tile marked with an 8 would receive its resource.
Forests provided wood, mines provided bricks, mountains provided iron, pastures provided sheep, and fields provided wheat.
However, players couldn’t just take resources whenever they wanted.
At the borders between the hexagonal tiles where three different types of terrain met, players could build a settlement to start the game. Naturally, whenever the numbers on those three adjacent tiles were rolled, the settlement owner would receive the corresponding resources.
“It doesn’t matter who rolls the dice. As long as the number on an adjacent tile comes up, you get the resources.”
“Then… naturally, 7 would be the most advantageous number. Followed by 6 and 8.”
The Third Prince was right. Since the game used two dice, the most frequently rolled sums were 7, 6, and 8.
However, there was no number 7 token anywhere on the board.
“There are tokens for 6 and 8. In fact, they’re even highlighted in red as high-frequency numbers. But when a 7 is rolled, the island’s central… thief is moved.”
“A thief, huh? And the tile it’s standing on is… a desert.”
“A completely worthless land that yields no resources.”
That was precisely why the thief stayed there.
When a player rolled a total of 7, they could move the thief to any tile of their choosing.
Once the thief occupied a tile, no one could collect resources from it. Even if the corresponding number was rolled.
And there was more.
“If the thief is placed next to another player’s settlement, the player who moved the thief can steal one random resource from them.”
“…So, in short, rolling a 7 not only disrupts opponents but also guarantees a resource for the player who rolled it.”
“That’s right. That’s a key aspect of this game. There are more rules in detail, of course, but this is the general flow. What do you think?”
“………I see.”
While the Third Prince closed his eyes in thought, Sally who had been staring at the Catan board muttered under her breath.
“Y-You really are a genius, young master! To grasp such a complex game so quickly…!”
“That’s a shallow way of thinking.”
“…W-What?”
“A game isn’t good just because it’s complex. This board game, Catan, relies heavily on dice rolls, yet it’s not a game where everything is decided purely by luck. Since players can collect resources from dice rolls made by others, the game actually minimizes the impact of chance as much as possible.”
“……………”
“Then you place roads between the hexagonal tiles and build new settlements at the ends of those roads, expanding your territory. The more settlements you build, the higher your chances of gaining resources become. Eventually, in this relatively small island of Catan, players are inevitably forced into competition. Don’t you agree?”
“…………….”
“Rather than simply praising him as a genius for the game’s complexity, I believe a more detailed analysis of the board game would be far more helpful to Kyle Byron.”
“………….”
As expected of Adela. There’s a reason she was appointed to an important position in the tower and chosen as the disciple of the Olpin Tower Master.
The rules I explained to everyone else were almost the same as what I had just told the Third Prince. Even though I didn’t go into further detail, Adela already seemed to have a good grasp of what kind of board game Catan was.
Upon hearing Adela’s words, Sally hung her head low, but she had no need to feel ashamed. After all, what I want is not a board game analyst but a board game player.
In that regard, neither Adela nor “Water Tiger” can keep up with Sally. After all, she and I have been playing board games together for over ten years.
But what Adela said isn’t entirely wrong. Various forms of feedback are very helpful to me, as I have to adapt board games from my original world to this one.
That’s why, instead of trying to comfort Sally with words, I simply patted her shoulder in silence.
“Adela, is there anything more?”
“……Yes?”
“No, nothing at all.”
Still, it’s a shame. With that level of analysis, I thought she might figure out on her own the most important rule of Catan, which I purposely withheld.
After patting her shoulder, I looked at Sally who immediately lifted her head and grinned, then I quietly turned my gaze away.
To the Third Prince, who was still lost in thought.
‘Adela hasn’t caught on, but I have a feeling the Prince might.’
It was a vague belief, one based on the glimpses of the Third Prince’s talent that he had shown so far.
His showmanship during “Abracadabra” and the hints of “insight” reflected in his political maneuvering…
And the Prince did not betray my expectations.
“The game is… somewhat frustrating.”
“Could you elaborate, please?”
“Kyle, if the game proceeds as you’ve described, then at most, players can only gain three types of resources at the start, right? Isn’t that so?”
“That’s correct. A settlement can only be adjacent to up to three different territories.”
“But there are five types of resources in Catan. And since there are multiple tiles with the same illustration, there might be settlements that don’t even get three types. In that case, players will have to build new settlements to obtain other resources.”
Tap.
The Third Prince kept speaking as he tapped the “production chart” that had been prepared on the table in advance.
Pointing out the fatal contradiction in the current version of Catan.
“You can build a road using one lumber and one brick. That much is feasible. But building a settlement is a different story.”
“Go on.”
“You need lumber, brick, wool, and grain….these four different resources to build a settlement. Under these rules, that’s impossible… wouldn’t you say, Kyle Byron?”
“Yes? Why is that?”
“Well… you’re grinning far too much. Is there something odd about what I’m saying?”
“Not at all! There’s nothing strange about it at all, Your Highness! I’m quite satisfied!”
“Hmm…?”
The Prince was correct. If the game proceeded solely by my explanation, Catan would be exceedingly frustrating.
Of course, I didn’t mention the rule that each player starts with two settlements, but even if I had, the Third Prince would have raised an objection. The game would still feel slow, after all.
Even if you manage to cover all five types of resource tiles with just two settlements, the numbers are still an issue.
In the end, you can only acquire resources if the sum of the dice matches the number on the tile. But if that number is 2 or 12, will you really manage to get those resources? You’d have to roll a 1 and 1 or a 6 and 6 with two dice.
This means players inevitably suffer from a chronic shortage of resources in Catan. Whether it’s certain resources being nearly absent or a general lack across the board.
And because of that…
There was one most important rule in Catan.
“There’s one rule I haven’t mentioned yet.”
“A rule? What kind of rule would that be…?”
“Players can ‘trade’ with each other.”
“…What?”
“Which means, on your turn, you can trade resources with other players.”
“Ah…!!”
That explains everything. Why Catan is designed in such a way that resources are bound to be in short supply.
Catan was a game where you couldn’t obtain all five types of resources on your own. But when you factor in the resources of other players, the story changes.
And that means…
“They are both competitors… and collaborators.”
“That is precisely the core of Catan.”
Catan fosters competition. In the end, it’s like a territory acquisition game, and since the board isn’t that large, it’s only natural.
However, unlike other board games, you can’t simply treat everyone else as enemies and compete, because you inevitably have to trade with other players to expand your territory.
It was a board game in which interaction, conversation, persuasion, and negotiation with others were paramount. With a completely different gameplay style from previous board games, it caused a seismic shift in the board gaming world.
That is exactly what Catan is.
I truly felt like giving the Third Prince a round of applause for grasping that concept in an instant.
While Adela pieced together fragmented bits of information to form a conclusion, the Third Prince went a step further. He discerned something beyond the mere facts.
In other words, he possessed a talent perfectly suited for board games.
However, even after hearing the full explanation of Catan, the Third Prince still looked somewhat puzzled.
“Kyle Byron, there’s something I’d like to ask.”
“Please, ask as much as you wish.”
“From what I’ve gathered so far, this game called Catan… seems more like a game that drives people apart rather than bringing them closer.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Well, isn’t it because players can deliberately refuse to trade certain resources, openly block each other’s roads and settlements, or even collude to isolate a specific player? And all of that is considered perfectly legal within the rules.”
“That is correct.”
“If I played this with my brothers, I wouldn’t be getting closer to them….. I’d be fearing for my life!”
From his perspective, his reaction was completely understandable. He had called me here to help him get closer to his brothers, who might one day try to kill him. But the board game I introduced turned out to be a friendship-destroying game instead.
Of course, I hadn’t done this just to mess with him.
“Please rest assured, Your Highness. This is merely the first game.”
“…The first?”
“Of course. I have plenty of other board games planned. However, rather than making a decision based solely on an explanation, I thought it would be better for you to see the results for yourself and play the games firsthand. Especially since you have promised unlimited support.”
“I see… That does make sense.”
Honestly, I just wanted to play Catan.
I mean, come on, who wouldn’t?
The Third Prince himself had promised unlimited support. Was I really supposed to just make one board game that suited his tastes and call it a day? Not a chance.
Catan was a game I had always wanted to create, but since it required numerous illustrations, miniatures, and tokens, the process seemed too complicated, so I had put it on hold. But now, I had the means to bring it to life with ease.
Of course, I would fulfill the Third Prince’s request. I had already thought of a suitable board game for him. That much was certain.
But still…
If not now, when else would I ever get the chance to make this?
It wasn’t as if I was planning for mass production. Just one copy would be enough. I could play it with Sally, Water Tiger, and Adela.
So, I came up with a reasonable excuse and created Catan while being fully aware that it didn’t align with the Third Prince’s objectives.
And the next few games I had in mind would be much the same.
He said unlimited support, right? Well, I’ll make full use of it.
Since I was already making board games, why not call in some dwarf engineers? The imperial blacksmiths were treated as esteemed guests in the palace, after all.
Or maybe I could summon a team of court painters to craft a large hand-painted game board. With artifact-based enchantments, I could even preserve it using hardening magic.
I grinned at the sheer dreamlike nature of my reality and picked up the dice.
“Alright then, let’s play!”
“Uh…?”
“You won’t fully understand it until you see it in action. Here we go…!!”
Clatter.
The dice rolled across the board.
It had been a full twenty years since my previous life, and now, at last, I was playing Catan again. I couldn’t hold back my smile.
Wait… wasn’t there someone I was supposed to meet earlier?
Hmm… oh well.
It couldn’t possibly be more important than a board game.
Pushing all other thoughts aside, I focused solely on the rolling dice.
Today, I would spend the entire day enjoying Catan. I was already looking forward to what board game I would create next.
***
Night in the imperial palace… was never truly night.
Even as the people of the capital slept beneath the floating imperial palace, the palace itself remained brightly lit. It shone like the sun and inspired reverence…. not because it was divine, but simply because too many people were working late.
Anyone qualified to work in the imperial palace was either one of the empire’s most outstanding talents or a high-ranking official. Yet, even they were forced to work overtime as if it were routine, bound by the emperor’s strict orders.
If only this weren’t the imperial palace, they could at least curse freely, but that wasn’t an option here. Because of this, the palace commanded universal respect while also being the most dreaded place for some.
Even so, on the eastern side of the palace, where the Third Prince resided, the lights went out early. The Third Prince had decided that staying up late and keeping the lights on might provoke the wariness of the First and Second Princes.
And so, the night deepened with the lights extinguished early, and with the Third Prince and all his attendants fast asleep.
As expected of the imperial palace, even a guest room in the Magic Tower couldn’t compare to its grandeur. And in one such splendid room, Kyle Byron was lost in sleep.
“P-Please sleep well… Y-Young Master…”
After hours of playing Catan with intense focus, it was only natural that he would be exhausted. His maid who had cast a simple sleep spell on him thought so as well.
She gazed at her beloved Young Master’s sleeping face before grinning as she “stood guard” over him.
After carefully pulling the blanket back over Kyle and swallowing unconsciously at the sight of his drooling mouth, maid Sally wore an expression of pure bliss.
“A-And…”
[……….]
Right beside Kyle Byron.
The moment her gaze landed on the water tiger shamelessly sharing the same blanket, the mood rapidly turned cold.
Her happy expression vanished into a blank stare, and from beneath her uniform, she drew a hidden dagger. This was something she would never reveal in Kyle’s presence.
Despite her unmistakable intent, the water tiger remained motionless. It was pressed so close to Kyle Byron that making any sudden movements was too risky.
What had once seemed like an advantageous position had now turned into a fatal mistake. In the end, the water tiger had no way to respond.
Without making a single sound, Sally silently circled the bed and moved to the opposite side.
Then she murmured in a whisper,
“I-I warned you, didn’t I?”
[……….]
“If you f-followed me…”
[………You.]
“I’d k-kill you.”
And then—
Thunk.
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