Going to the imperial palace itself wasn’t the problem. I had already received an invitation from the Third Prince, after all.
The real issue was *when* to go.
‘I’ve pretty much finished everything I needed to do.’
The hidden magic balance adjustments and other rule tweaks were all done. There was nothing left for me to mess with in *Abracadabra* anymore.
Taking reservations and running the board game were all tasks handled by the Arkhé Magic Tower, so now I could just sit back and watch.
That’s why I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but…
“That’s not possible.”
“Adela?”
“You’re the one who created *Abracadabra* in the first place. Even if things are running smoothly now, who knows what might happen along the way? In such a situation, the only person our tower can rely on is you, Kyle Byron.”
“Hmm, so how long are we talking…?”
“At the very least, a year.”
“………Adela? Are you serious?”
“Of course, I’m serious. We’ve already prepared a room for you—not a guest room, but a proper one. It’s right next to mine, so it’ll be convenient in many ways. This matter concerns the survival of our tower, so I hope you understand we can’t take it lightly.”
“If you put it that way………”
I wanted to visit the imperial palace while the nobles still remembered *Kyle Galli* and reignite its popularity, but if I waited a year, they’d probably forget all about it.
Still, if Adela, who handles much of the tower’s authority, was being this insistent, what could I do——
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
“Master Olfin?”
“…Master Olfin.”
“Your stares are piercing, I see. Of course, Adela is right, but *Abracadabra* has already entered a stable phase. The rules and other elements have been sufficiently passed on to the creator.”
“But if something unexpected happens, as Adela said…”
“This is the Magic Tower. Even if something does happen, teleporting to the imperial palace is no big deal. If necessary, we can even provide remote advice through magic.”
“Ah.”
“Well, staying at the tower would be faster, but unless you’re going to the opposite end of the empire, distance isn’t a major issue.”
Adela couldn’t possibly not know this, so it seemed she was just being overly cautious.
In fact, Adela was looking back and forth between me and Olfin with a very dissatisfied expression.
Seeing her like that, Olfin smirked and chuckled.
“However, that’s assuming one of our tower’s magicians accompanies you.”
“Accompany me, you say?”
“The magicians of Arkhé Magic Tower can communicate in real-time through light. It’s a highly inefficient spell, so we don’t use it normally, but in cases like this, it’s very useful.”
“So…?”
“Perfect timing. Take Adela with you. Then you can leave for the imperial palace right away.”
“M-Master Olfin?”
“What, you don’t want to? If you don’t, Adela, we can send Vermily instead——”
“I’ll do it.”
“…Good. Best of luck.”
And just like that, leaving the tower was surprisingly easy to get permission for. Plus, Adela could come along too.
‘Honestly, I wanted to bring at least one of the magicians, so this works out perfectly.’
I was really drawn to illusion magic, so this is great. Adela might not be able to create something on the scale of *Abracadabra* alone, but she’ll be more than enough for us to play board games together.
So, me, Sally, and Adela.
The three of us were about to leave, but…
[Grrr.]
“Huh? You should head back now. You came with Duke Nicholas, right? Give my regards to Princess Leisha.”
[Grr…! Grrr!]
“Huh? You’re saying you came under the Princess’s orders? To guard me?”
[Grrr!]
“I’m all for it! Board games are way more fun with four people. This is perfect, the imperial palace has——”
“When I go back, I should stop by Duke Evertz’s castle too.”
[Grrr!]
“…………….”
“………….”
“Sally? Adela? Your expressions suddenly…”
“It’s, it’s just a bit cold… hehe.”
“You must be seeing things.”
“Ah……….”
In the end, with the Water Tiger joining, there were four of us.
Just in case, I went to ask the Duke, and he gave permission with a very ambiguous expression.
I wrote a letter thanking Princess Leisha for sending the Water Tiger and immediately went to see the Third Prince.
After all, I’d have to return with him on the day he goes back to the royal family.
And the most important prince.
“I’m leaving right away.”
“Your Highness? You still have reservations…”
“Abracadabra is something I can enjoy anytime as long as I’m alive.”
“………….”
“…Too serious of a reaction, don’t you think? That was a joke. Anyway, it’ll be over 10 years before one of my brothers becomes Emperor.”
He gave up the remaining reservations without hesitation and packed his bags immediately.
Normally, the prince leaving in such a hurry could have a bad impact on the Arkhé Magic Tower.
“But the trend is already strong enough, and more importantly, I’ve done plenty of clowning around, so it should be fine.”
“Clowning… you say?”
“Didn’t I play Abracadabra 13 times in a row at first? I even clung to you embarrassingly. Do you really think all of that was sincere? Of course, there was some showmanship involved. Well, the board game itself is my taste, so that’s part of it too.”
So, it was all calculated actions. Even if he gave up the throne, the prince was still a prince.
In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the overwhelming trend in the beginning was led by the prince.
“Then, are you leaving right away?”
“The sooner, the better, even if it’s over 10 years away. By the way… are those people behind you coming along too?”
“Yes. Of course, we’ll go separately───”
“──Let’s go together.”
“Excuse me? Your Highness?”
“I’ve experienced several times how fair the gods are. A genius talent, but with a disastrous eye for… never mind.”
“………?”
*
The Imperial Royal Family.
The reason the capital is located in the center, the place that looks down equally on all the citizens of the Empire from above the sky.
The phrase “looking down from above the sky” was no metaphor.
The Imperial Palace literally floated in the sky.
“………Wow.”
“Is this your first time seeing the Imperial Palace, Kyle Byron?”
“Yes. Since I was the third son, I rarely left the territory…”
“Which makes it even more amazing. How could you create a board game like Abracadabra while staying only within the territory?”
“I think anyone could do it.”
“By that logic, managing the Empire is something anyone could do too. I’m reminded once again that you’re a genius.”
Flutter.
The carriage the prince rode in wasn’t like the ones I usually rode.
The carriages I used were already enchanted to move faster than cars, but the prince’s carriage went a step further—it could fly in the sky.
Pulled by winged celestial horses, the carriage itself was engraved with flight magic, gliding smoothly without a single shake.
And in the direction the carriage was flying.
“It’s really… amazing.”
“You’ll find it ordinary after seeing it every day.”
There was the Imperial Palace in the sky.
It wasn’t floating above the clouds like the Astron Magic Tower. Even if it was in the sky, it was still close enough to the ground.
It was a height you could look up at.
But to see the imperial palace in its entirety, you had no choice but to tilt your head back as far as possible.
The inevitable difference in perspective. And a palace so massive it couldn’t be taken in at a single glance.
Naturally, it inspired awe and reverence. I heard that was the whole point—they’d requested levitation magic from the Astron Magic Tower for that very purpose.
The fact that the Astron Magic Tower had lifted the imperial palace was what earned it its place as one of the Six Great Magic Towers. And the palace had been floating in the sky ever since the first emperor.
In essence, the Astron Magic Tower shared the empire’s history.
…I got sidetracked for a moment, but to enter the imperial palace, you had no choice but to fly through the sky. However, flight was strictly prohibited within the capital unless you were part of the imperial family.
So how do you get in?
“Is that the chain? The one each of the Six Great Magic Towers is responsible for managing…?”
“Yep. It also symbolizes the unwavering loyalty the Six Great Magic Towers have toward the imperial family…”
The imperial palace wasn’t just floating aimlessly. A structure that massive would naturally block all sunlight from reaching the ground below, making it uninhabitable. Instead, there was a massive pit beneath the palace, perfectly matching its size.
Though it didn’t quite match the elegant appearance of the capital, the pit wasn’t unsightly.
Six chains connected to the palace formed a hexagon, embedded deep into the pit.
Chains that burned eternally, froze solid, shimmered with starlight, swayed between light and darkness, were impossibly sturdy, and swirled violently.
The chains embedded in the pit walls almost seemed to be holding the palace back from ascending further into the sky. At the same time, they radiated a dazzling array of magical circles in all sorts of colors.
The prince muttered as he looked down at what was considered a must-see landmark for first-time visitors to the imperial capital.
“Honestly, it’s just decoration.”
“…Huh?”
“Well, isn’t it? The palace is perfectly suspended by the Astron Magic Tower’s magic, so those chains are obviously unnecessary. The Arkhé Magic Tower’s chain, for example, is just light and darkness taking the form of a chain—it doesn’t even have a physical form. Same goes for the wind and starlight chains over there.”
“Ah…”
“Apparently, the third emperor ordered it because the pit looked too empty. It’s common knowledge among those in the know. Still, it’s a great spectacle and serves as a reminder of how impressive the imperial family and the magic towers are. Plus, it doubles as a symbol of the Six Great Magic Towers’ loyalty to the imperial family. So, it’s not entirely without value.”
Was that really all there was to it? If it were purely decorative or just a symbol of loyalty, would the Six Great Magic Towers station so many magicians there, meticulously maintain it, and deploy so many magical circles?
Feeling a strange sense of unease, I glanced at Adela, who was sitting across from me, while the prince looked out the window. As the top disciple of Master Olfin, she’d probably know something.
*Shakes head.*
‘As expected.’
Adela quietly shook her head. Those chains were more than just a tourist attraction or a symbol of loyalty.
Well, even so, that was all there was to it. Honestly, whatever purpose the chains served had nothing to do with me.
It’s just…
‘The Third Prince is more cynical than I thought. The way he acted like a clown in Abracadabra was calculated, and even though he seemed obsessed with board games, he canceled the reservation without a second thought when I said I’d go. But he’s not entirely cold-hearted. He might prefer board games that let him perfect his own strategy over ones that involve interaction…’
I slowly recalled the reason I’d come to the imperial palace.
I hadn’t come purely to help the Third Prince. My goal was to popularize board games within the imperial family and, like a trickle-down effect, spread that trend to the nobles across the empire.
While the Third Prince was creating board games to get closer to his two older brothers, I aimed to use that opportunity to…
Other royals must also be satisfied by introducing a board game that could become a trend.
And to do that, we must first present a board game that meets the needs of the Third Prince.
In that sense, it was important to understand exactly what kind of person the Third Prince is.
The prince, who had been gazing out the window for a while, turned his head.
“In that regard, I must thank you for coming so early. Frankly, I thought you’d come after the Abracadabra trend had settled down.”
“How could I keep Your Highness waiting when you summoned me?”
“Your words are impressive. Well, since I called for you, I suppose I should be willing to wait.”
“Your Highness, I───”
“……Unlike me, you’re a genius.”
“───Your Highness?”
“Never mind. Anyway, since you came at my request, I should treat you accordingly.”
“Treat me, you mean?”
For now, I’ll just remember what the prince muttered earlier.
What does the prince mean by “treat”? Is he talking about a nice room?
“Let me be frank. If you want to create a board game that can bring me closer to my brothers, even you wouldn’t know how long it would take.”
“…………….”
“So I’ll support you in every way.”
“Every way… you mean?”
“After all, we only need to make one. If you need a magician, I’ll call one. If you need a craftsman, I’ll mobilize one. I still have that much power left.”
“……!!”
“I won’t rush you too much. It’s a joke, but we have over 10 years left. Still, the sooner, the better.”
So, is this what it’s about? Unlimited support, just produce results somehow?
If I had more time and budget… excuses won’t work here. It’s literally everything.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s all good.
‘Since I’m receiving unlimited support, I must present results beyond expectations.’
Half-hearted efforts won’t do. It must absolutely win the Third Prince’s heart and be perfect in outcome.
Moreover, even if he’s friendly, he’s the Third Prince of the Empire, and even if I gain succession rights, I’m still the third son of a viscount. If I spend time and money and the Third Prince fails to get closer to his brothers, my life could be at stake.
Anyone would feel the weight of such responsibility.
But.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness.”
“Oh……?”
“I won’t disappoint you.”
This is actually an opportunity for me.
The board games I couldn’t make before due to lack of skill and money.
Now, I have the chance to create and test all of them.
As soon as I heard the prince’s words, one thought came to mind.
‘Since it’s come to this.’
In the Magic Tower, I could only present 33 examples due to special conditions, but this time is different, right?
I’ve been promised unlimited support. Now that it’s come to this.
‘Let’s make as many as possible.’
All the board games I know.
Every single one of them.
