The bell wasn’t placed on a table but rather on the ground. The players weren’t positioned close by either; they were set up some distance away.
Roughly ten meters, give or take? The idea was to make sure that even for skilled knights, it would take a bit of time to run to the bell.
The three knights were arranged in a triangle around the bell, with a deck of cards placed beside each of them. For this setup, a small table was required, though any object capable of holding the card deck would suffice.
Each player would draw a card with their left hand, then hold it up for everyone to see, while their right hand was kept free.
When five identical shapes appeared, just like in the usual rules—
“Out of the way! I’m your senior, you know!”
“What seniority matters in a game like this!”
“Haha, you two keep arguing. I’ll be taking this…!”
Ding!
“Oh no!”
“Damn it….”
—They would all start from their designated positions, engage in a brief physical scuffle, and the first to ring the bell would win.
This was the core of the house rules made specifically for knights.
It uses physical strength, feels knightly… and the time spent running and tussling means the game won’t end too quickly.
It was surprising to see how much difference simply increasing the distance between the bell and the players could make.
What had started as a sudden flash of inspiration turned out to be quite a solid idea. Even the knights themselves seemed noticeably satisfied.
Of course, this was far from the final version. Fine-tuning was absolutely necessary.
“They’re stepping on the bell, so it’s just turning into a race to see who can run the fastest.”
“Y-Yes, young master.”
“Let’s change it like this. You can’t step on the bell; it has to be pressed with your hand. And since your left hand is holding the card, only your right hand is allowed.”
“In that case, they’ll have to lower their stance to press it… which will make it easier to block and be blocked. It shouldn’t end too quickly.”
The rules for how to press the bell were clarified.
“The cards… they’re all crumpled now.”
“I’m sorry! This guy got way too into it!”
“Wh-What do you mean by that?! It was you who tried to throw me first, and that’s why they got crumpled!”
“Shh, quiet!”
“In any case, crumpling the cards disrupts the game. If someone remembers a crumpled card, they could predict the shapes… So from now on, players must hold their cards in their left hand, but if their card gets crumpled, they can’t press the bell. And if anyone deliberately crumples a card, it’s a foul.”
“Young master, then… is grappling allowed? It’s my specialty, you see.”
“Do you think that’s allowed?”
Rules for handling the cards were also decided.
“But… do we only draw cards with our left hands? When I try to draw a new card while holding one, it’s either too slow or too fast, which throws me off….”
“…You can still see the cards from ten meters away, right?”
“Uh? At this distance? I can see them just fine.”
“Your Aura… really is impressive in a lot of ways. Fine, let’s tweak the rule slightly. Do everything the same as before, but hold your left hand up above your head while drawing the card.”
“W-Wait, if I do that, I won’t be able to see it myself.”
“That’s the point. It’s like those card games with hidden information, right?”
To make the game more fun and resolve any ambiguities, a special rule was added.
And so, this first iteration of the house rules was born. What could I say about it?
It still looked a bit rough around the edges. Well, that was to be expected since it was made up on the spot.
Even to see if it worked properly…
“In the end, trying it out is the only way to know.”
“Ah, then should we try it amongst ourselves?”
“Yeah. Let’s play a proper game. Now, everyone to your seats—”
“Young master.”
“…Knight Commander?”
“Allow me to join as well.”
Not that I minded having more players, but…
…Why did he look slightly annoyed?
***
The Knight Commander couldn’t understand it at all.
Judging by their movements alone, this is harsher than training.
Aura training wasn’t just about relentlessly overworking the body. It involved maintaining specific postures, meditating, or repeating sword swings in consistent patterns. There were various methods of practice.
But to his eyes, the way those three knights were moving seemed far more grueling than regular training. At least training followed a schedule and allowed for breaks. Those three were running around, attacking, and clashing repeatedly in a short span of time.
And yet, the knights were smiling.
No matter how much of a “type of Kyle Galli” this was, it had to be harder than usual. So why were they enjoying themselves?
The Knight Commander, who had experienced his first board game yesterday thanks to Butler Charles introducing him to Kyle Galli, just couldn’t believe it.
But more than anything else, what infuriated him was…
Even though it’s been over thirty minutes already.
Sure, Kyle was immersed in tweaking the rules, so that could be excused. But the knights had to know the time limit was up. The reason they weren’t mentioning it was obvious.
Knights, shirking their duties and focusing solely on a game? And not just any game, but one more exhausting than their training!
So, he had temporarily stopped their training and came in person.
To personally discipline those three knights.
Shorty Rick, Old Man Hansen, and Bald Spot Victor.
These were the knights he would be playing the game with, and they were finally starting to look self-conscious.
However, instead of immediately scolding them, the Knight Commander removed his armor and stood next to the small table in only a light undershirt.
This was partly to save the young master’s face as he tested the revised game and partly out of personal curiosity.
Besides, if the Knight Commander joined Kyle Galli himself and then decided to take the knights back, the young master would have no grounds to stop him.
After all, indulging the young master’s pastime any further would clearly interfere with training. It was better to settle things decisively.
A single game wouldn’t take too long. That was why the Knight Commander decided to participate in the game himself.
“Commander, do you know the rules?”
“I saw what the knights were doing earlier, and I also heard what you said, Young Master. Is there anything else to add?”
“Not really. Shall we begin then?”
Of course, they had to start. But it wouldn’t take long.
Kyle’s effort was commendable, but honestly, even with the tweaks, Kyle Galli still didn’t meet the Knight Commander’s standards. Right now, he was more focused on ending this quickly and getting on with training the knights than on the game itself.
As the game began, Shorty Rick who had been hesitating finally made up his mind and picked a card first.
He drew the card with his left hand and held it high above his head. Even if it turned out to be five diamonds, there was no way Shorty Rick could know.
The card drawn is two diamonds.
Next in turn was Old Man Hansen. With a resigned expression, he too drew a card and raised it.
Then came Bald Spot Victor.
Four pentagons.
Finally, it was the Knight Commander’s turn.
He drew a card. Though he couldn’t tell what it was, the method for confirming it was straightforward.
If anyone moves to press the bell, follow and run after them.
The other players could see the Knight Commander’s card, so if the card made five of a kind, someone would act.
However, no one moved. After one round, it was Shorty Rick’s turn again and he drew another card.
…Three diamonds.
The moment this was confirmed, the Knight Commander leaped from his seat.
Tap-tap!
“He’s fast…!”
“Stop the Commander!”
“We can’t throw him down…!”
Old Man Hansen and Bald Spot Victor, who had also seen Rick’s card, hurriedly dashed forward.
But the title of Knight Commander wasn’t earned through a card game.
Even though the three moved almost at the same time, the first to reach the bell was still the Knight Commander.
Ding!
“Ah…”
With his right hand, he struck the bell firmly.
For a moment, he wondered if he should control his strength, but the bell was still under a hardening spell.
Just to be sure, he glanced at the apprentice mage, but there was no sign of strain on her.
Earlier during the game, the mage had seemed to struggle quite a bit to maintain the spell.
…I see. Since you have to lean forward to press the bell with your right hand while standing, it’s hard to hit it forcefully. That must be why he placed it on the ground.
Sitting in a chair and pressing the bell versus leaning halfway forward to press it.
It was obvious which position would allow him to put more strength into his right hand. With this method, it would clearly be possible to maintain the hardening spell for much longer.
Though the Knight Commander quietly admired this clever setup, his expression soon darkened.
Shorty Rick, Old Man Hansen, and Bald Spot Victor were all standing awkwardly and simply staring at him.
When the Knight Commander extended his hand, they quickly gathered the cards they had been holding in their left hands and handed them over.
At this rate, it’ll all be over soon.
He cast them a glare, one that seemed to say, “The moment this game ends, you’re all dead.” The knights shivered under his gaze, but they exchanged glances as if sharing some unspoken resolve.
Their desperate attempts at coordination were funny to the Knight Commander.
Even if all three of them attack me, they can’t win. This will end soon.
Returning to their positions, they resumed the game. Starting with the Knight Commander, who had rung the bell, they each began to draw cards again.
The turns cycled on, following the same repetitive pattern as before.
For a while, no one managed to form a set of five. But then, as the Knight Commander lifted a card he had just drawn—
“………!!”
It’s complete.
The moment Old Man Hansen saw the card, he leaped into action. Shorty Rick and Bald Spot Victor hesitated briefly before they too began to move.
Though it had been the Knight Commander’s turn and this caused a slight delay in his response, he had no fear of losing.
Hup!
“W-What the…!?”
Even with the late start, he reached the bell before Old Man Hansen.
Hansen realized the difference in physical strength, and desperately thrust out his right hand to block him.
“Not a chance, Hansen…!!”
“Urgh!?”
Whoosh!
With a swift move, the Knight Commander grabbed Hansen’s wrist and twisted it aside. He effortlessly neutralized him.
Without hesitation, he pressed the bell once more.
Ding!
“Haah… Hansen, hand over your cards.”
“………..”
“What, Rick and Victor haven’t even made it yet? At this rate, the outcome is obvious. Should we just—”
Wait.
Why wasn’t Hansen handing over his cards?
More than that, why was he trying so hard to stifle a laugh?
“…No way.”
At last, the Knight Commander lowered his left hand, which had been raised above his head, and looked at the card he had drawn.
It was a one star.
Hansen’s cards were two diamonds. Rick’s cards were three stars. And Victor’s cards… were a one circle.
The shapes.
They didn’t add up to five.
“Knight Commander, since you pressed the bell incorrectly, you have to give out all the cards you drew as a penalty.”
“W-What is this…?!”
“………Commander.”
“Hansen! The moment you saw my cards, you…”
“This isn’t training, Commander. It’s a board game. Albeit one that requires some intense physical effort.”
A board game.
Of course, the Knight Commander was well aware of that fact.
But for some reason, hearing those words made him feel as if he’d been struck over the head.
“A deception strategy… you’re saying?”
“It’s a rule the young master added himself.”
As soon as he heard that, the Knight Commander instinctively turned his head toward Kyle.
Kyle simply met his gaze and grinned.
…I was too careless.
The fact that he couldn’t see his own cards meant he should have considered the possibility of others exploiting that against him.
The Knight Commander clenched his fist tightly for a moment before returning to his seat.
His eyes began to burn with determination.
“I’ll draw first.”
Having paid the penalty, the next player after the Knight Commander’s turn would begin. Shorty Rick drew his card.
Then came Old Man Hansen, Bald Spot Victor, and finally, the Knight Commander.
Just like the previous game, the shapes weren’t completed, and the players endlessly drew cards.
In the meantime, Hansen and Rick occasionally darted toward the bell, trying to trick the Knight Commander. However, seeing him unmoved in his seat, they quietly returned to their places.
How many more cards had they drawn at that point?
Amidst the suffocating tension, Bald Spot Victor reached for a card.
“Huh?!”
Whoosh!
The Knight Commander, who had been watching intently, dashed forward the moment he caught sight of Victor’s card.
Was this a psychological play like the one Hansen had used earlier, or was it genuine this time? To be honest, Victor thought it was the latter.
The Knight Commander, as Victor knew him, was a man of trustworthy and upright character. Even in a board game, it seemed unlikely he would resort to that kind of deceit.
So, instinctively, Victor who was tied for last place with Rick leaped forward without hesitation.
Victor didn’t have time to check on Rick and Hansen. In the chaos, it really seemed like the Knight Commander might hit the bell at any moment.
Even so, driven by the slim chance that he might still have a shot, Victor momentarily slowed his pace.
He’s really going to press it…!!
The moment Victor saw the Knight Commander lower himself, ready to press the bell as soon as he arrived, Victor used every ounce of strength he had and lunged forward.
Rick and Hansen were probably rushing in too. Honestly, it didn’t matter much who hit the bell as long as the cards were shuffled; but wouldn’t it be better if the extra cards ended up with him?
Perhaps he had been faster than he thought, because even with the bell right in front of him, the Knight Commander hadn’t yet pressed it.
Victor’s eyes darted to the Knight Commander’s right hand, poised to strike the bell. For a split second, he considered tackling the Knight Commander outright. It would’ve been easier. But that was strictly against the rules.
Instead, Victor threw himself forward in a sliding motion while stretching his right hand toward the bell.
“—Huh?”
He suddenly locked eyes with the Knight Commander, who was grinning slyly.
Swoosh!
Just as the Knight Commander’s hand was about to strike the bell, it swerved sharply and swept across the ground instead. That’s when Victor realized he had been tricked. He tried to twist his hand away, but it was too late; his momentum had carried his entire body forward.
In the end, Victor’s hand barely brushed past the bell.
Ding!
“…Ah.”
The clear, resonant sound of the bell echoed right in front of him.
The Knight Commander looked down at Victor, who sat there in stunned silence.
“Was that… a psychological play?”
“Just running toward the bell like Hansen did wouldn’t have worked on you. I figured I’d make it convincing enough to look like I’d actually press it.”
“Th-Then… I wasn’t fast after all…?”
“I waited just a little for you.”
The Knight Commander’s strategy he delivered with a scoff.
It was a strategy that worked because he was the fastest among the players and because he understood how the knights generally perceived him.
A psychological move that truly belonged to the Knight Commander alone.
As Victor looked up at him with a bewildered expression, the Knight Commander smiled again and extended his hand.
“Well, since you pressed it by mistake, you’ll have to hand over some cards as a penalty, right?”
“Ah… ah…”
“And now, hurry back… to your spot.”
—We must move on to the next round without delay, don’t you think?
With that, the Knight Commander took the few remaining cards Victor had left.
…And he did so with an incredibly pleased smile on his face.
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