It was fascinating just to watch the Imperial Palace, but I couldn’t stare for too long. The flying carriage arrived in no time.
The Imperial Palace, seemingly anchored by six chains, floated in the air.
We landed at one of the countless landing spots in the palace, a particularly luxurious-looking one, where dozens of servants bowed their heads in greeting.
“Welcome back, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, everyone. I assume you’ve heard about our guest? Treat them well, as they are my honored guest. Where is His Majesty?”
“His Majesty is waiting for you, Your Highness.”
“Alright. Kyle Byron? Go ahead and follow them to your rooms. I’ll join you after I meet with His Majesty.”
“Understood.”
The hospitality was swift and efficient, befitting the highest echelons of the Empire. Frankly, Sally… could learn a thing or two from them.
Not that I have any complaints about her, but given her low self-esteem and stuttering due to her childhood, I just wish I could help her somehow.
In contrast, the servants of the Imperial Palace were confident and quick-witted, likely because many of them came from noble families.
Anyway, as we followed the woman who seemed to be the head maid of the Third Prince, walking alongside Sally, Adela, and the Water Tiger, a question suddenly popped into my mind.
‘Come to think of it, we’re being given a lot of freedom for having just entered the Imperial Palace.’
This is the place where the Emperor, the royal family, and all sorts of high-ranking officials reside, right? I thought it would be the most strictly guarded place in the Empire.
Surprisingly, there was no body search, no special attention given to mages like Adela or Sally, and not even a second glance at the Water Tiger.
Not that I expected them to search me, but shouldn’t they take some safety measures in case something happens?
Is it because we’re the Third Prince’s honored guests?
While I was pondering this, Adela quietly approached and whispered.
“To be precise, it’s because they don’t need to.”
“…Adela? How did you know what I was thinking?”
“You might not realize it, but your thoughts are surprisingly easy to read from your usual expressions.”
“Huh?”
“During board games, you have a perfect poker face, but in everyday life, it’s completely different. Anyway, the point is, the royal family doesn’t need to be wary of us.”
“Why is that? I get that Sally is still an apprentice, but Adela, you’re Master Olfin’s disciple, and the Water Tiger here is a Water Spirit.”
I might be powerless, but Adela is clearly a high-ranking mage, and the Water Tiger is at least a mid-level spirit. If it’s contracted with someone like Princess Leisha, it might even be considered a high-level spirit.
No joke, these two could easily wipe out an entire village. Sure, there are probably even stronger people coming and going in the Imperial Palace, but they shouldn’t be completely ignored, right?
Adela answered my question clearly.
“It’s because there’s an Archmage residing in the Imperial Palace.”
“…An Archmage, you say?”
“There’s an Archmage from a branch of the royal family. Though… the magical community is reluctant to call them an Archmage.”
“……?”
“Anyway, unless the Archmages of the six great Magic Towers, including Master Olfin, rise up together, the Imperial Palace is absolutely safe. In fact, even if the entire Empire turned against it, the Imperial Palace alone would remain secure.”
I’ve heard there are differences in power among Archmages, but is the Imperial Palace’s Archmage stronger than all the others combined? Or is there some other meaning to it?
In the end, it was just personal curiosity, so I accepted it and moved on. Adela stopped talking too.
[Curiosity, huh? It’s a good thing.]
“……Huh? Adela, what did you just say?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“Huh? Then this is…….”
[No one else can hear you, so asking is pointless. Just as you are curious about me, I am also curious about you.]
“……No way.”
[I don’t plan to talk for long. But the fact that your very existence interests me is true.]
“………….”
[If your curiosity is still strong, knock on the door six times at midnight. That way, we can satisfy each other’s curiosity.]
*Click.*
The voice, mechanical like a walkie-talkie and seemingly plugged directly into my head, cut off.
Suddenly speaking and then cutting off unilaterally. Even though it was one-sided, I could only accept it since I had a rough idea of who it was.
‘That collateral royal family Archmage……maybe?’
I’m still not entirely sure, but I decided to let it go for now.
Because that wasn’t the important thing right now.
“This is the room. His Highness the Prince will be here shortly……”
“I need some people.”
“……What do you mean?”
“His Highness the Prince promised unlimited support for the creation of a board game. It’s only right to put in as much effort as the expectations, so I plan to start production right away.”
“O-oh, is that so?”
The middle-aged head maid’s eyes widened slightly before returning to a calm expression.
She had heard about it, but she probably didn’t expect me to start immediately after being shown to the room.
But for me, this was the most important thing.
“Then who should I call? Preferably someone detailed───”
“First, I’ll need about two skilled craftsmen capable of delicate work. The standard for delicate work is whether they can carve out small models, smaller than a finger, one by one with precision. I’ll also need a painter. Preferably someone good at landscapes rather than portraits. There’s Adela, but I’ll also need a magician—anyone who can use Hardening Magic and Fixation Magic will do. As for materials, I’ll need thick paper about 1m in length and width, as well as stone that the craftsmen can carve. Oh, and if possible, I’ll also need a scribe. There’s quite a bit of writing to do, so someone with neat handwriting will do—no need for speed. His Highness the Prince promised, so this should be possible, right?”
“………….”
“Head Maid?”
“Please……repeat that. I think I need to write it down one by one…….”
“Of course. But I’ll also mention additional personnel and materials that come to mind. Please arrange them as quickly as possible!”
“……Yes.”
*
The Third Prince of the Empire, Lugrick Severus, let out a sigh.
Despite being a master of survival tactics—quickly declaring surrender in the infamous imperial succession race to save his life while still maintaining his position as a prince and some degree of power—he looked quite frustrated.
Even though he had given up on the competition, he was still a prince of the Empire. Regardless of his actual influence, under imperial law, there were fewer than five people in the entire Empire who ranked above him.
And of course, the reason the Third Prince was sighing was because he had just met one of those five.
‘Father……you’re always the same. In both good and bad ways.’
The Emperor, the pinnacle of the hegemonic empire that practically ruled the entire continent, the most revered figure, and also the father of the prince.
He was a lucky man in the Empire’s history, ascending to the throne without any imperial succession struggles. Other than that, he was just another prince.
Since there wasn’t even a single one.
For the Emperor himself, it was fortunate, but for the Empire as a whole, it was a misfortune. The Emperor was wise, but the fact that there was no one who could potentially inherit the throne was a huge problem.
To put it bluntly, if the Emperor were to suddenly die, the Empire would undoubtedly plunge into chaos.
Because of this, the Emperor, unusually, had many children again. He had over ten children, but only three of them were sons.
Among them, the Third Prince, the youngest, was a lucky one born with a talent for magic and sharp instincts, but at the same time, he was unlucky for being the youngest prince.
To put it bluntly, if the Third Prince hadn’t given up his claim to the throne by the time he turned ten, he probably wouldn’t have survived until now.
But it seemed the Emperor, his father, still had some lingering regrets.
“To ask me to rejoin the competition now? It’s like telling me to just die.”
The Emperor was, in many ways, an idealistic figure. To his eyes, it seemed as though his youngest son, who had outstanding talent, had given up on the competition too early, almost as if it were an injustice caused by his two older brothers.
Every time, he managed to make excuses and avoid the issue, but today, the Emperor seemed truly determined, even speaking as a father rather than an Emperor.
As the Third Prince, he couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.
“Given the situation, I need to get closer to my brothers as soon as possible.”
Regardless of the Emperor’s personal intentions, just the rumor of the Third Prince rejoining the race for the throne would shake the dynamics within the royal family. Naturally, the First and Second Princes wouldn’t take it lightly.
Especially the Second Prince—
“……First, I’ll have to hurry Kyle Byron.”
The only silver lining was that both the First and Second Princes quite liked the board game *Kill the King*. In fact, that’s why Kyle Byron had been summoned in the first place.
Kyle Byron’s creation, *Abracadabra*, was shocking in many ways. For the Third Prince, who had only known a few dice games and *Kill the King*, it was like discovering a whole new world.
The illusions created as if one were casting magic themselves were also impressive, but after playing over ten rounds, the Third Prince began to grasp the intricacies of *Abracadabra* as a board game.
At first glance, it seemed simple, but with limited stamina and recovery options, it required careful decision-making every turn. At the same time, the existence of hidden magic made one hesitate to attack recklessly.
Add to that the element of luck, which made every game unfold differently.
Compared to the somewhat static *Kill the King*, it was a game that even princes and nobles could enjoy like children.
And if it was Kyle Byron, who had created such a board game single-handedly—
Surely, he could come up with a board game that would bring the Third Prince closer to his two brothers.
“Though he’s probably resting comfortably right now.”
Originally, he had planned to let Kyle Byron rest for about a week while touring the imperial palace. But the situation had become urgent.
First, he needed to explain the current situation and discuss it. He didn’t fully trust Kyle Byron as a person yet, but he believed in his unique genius, his connection to spirits, and his reputation as someone close to the Tower Master’s disciple.
At the very least, he needed to hear what kind of board game Kyle was planning. Of course, the conception and creation would take months, maybe even years, but time was tight now.
The Emperor’s sincere request for the Third Prince to rejoin the race for the throne had to reach his brothers’ ears before unnecessary trouble arose.
He wasn’t expecting a finished product. Just showing that a board game was in the works would buy him enough time to persuade his brothers.
“To have to plan out a board game less than half a day after arriving at the imperial palace…”
Even the Third Prince himself thought it was an unreasonable demand. But it was desperate for him. That’s why he was willing to offer unlimited support.
Didn’t you promise?
Even if it’s the genius creator Kyle Byron, it’s still an unreasonable request, but there was no other choice.
……The Third Prince, who remembered Kyle Byron’s maid giving him a wary look despite him being the prince of the empire, arrived in front of the room.
After steeling himself, he opened the door.
“So, you’re saying I need to carve this to look like a city?”
“Exactly. But asking for a city might be too broad. Even a grand castle-like appearance would be fine.”
“Um, I’ve already painted everything.”
“Thank you! With this, the forest and field illustrations are perfect. Next is the mountain illustration, but if possible, I’d like it to be a rocky mountain. Hmm, something that looks like it could produce iron.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to just draw a mine?”
“That’s true, but I have something else in mind for the mine. Just a rocky mountain, please.”
“You, you’ve cut all the paper. Hexagonal boards and the hexagonal holes inside, right?”
“Thank you, Adela.”
“Yo, Young Master! The painter, um, the picture they drew, I, I cut it into a hexagonal shape too……!!”
[Grr.]
“Th, this spirit wasn’t very useful, though.”
[……Grrr.]
“Both of you, stop. Anyway, thanks, Sally. Tiger, can you check if the cut pieces fit well? Sally, you help the tiger.”
“………Yes.”
[Grr……]
“Great! Then everyone, please continue with your tasks, and if any skilled workers have free hands, please assist me for a moment───”
“……Kyle Byron?”
“Ah, Your Highness! You’re back 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 we arrived at the imperial palace?”
“That’s unrelated. I’ve already thought of many board games in advance. This is just the first one.”
“……The first?”
“Since Your Highness has promised unlimited support, shouldn’t I live up to those expectations?”
Really, just as he said.
“Let’s make every game I know.”
“………….”
“All the ones I’ve only imagined, or couldn’t make due to lack of materials or manpower. Surely, among them, there’s at least one board game that will catch Your Highness’s fancy, right?”
The prince, staring blankly at Kyle Byron, who was cheerfully smiling while commanding everyone so smoothly.
“……Huh.”
He let out a hollow laugh.
Thinking that someone like this was a true genius, just like the Second Prince.
The Third Prince, Lugrick Severus.
He quietly suppressed something boiling inside him.
Just as he always had, from the moment he was born until now.
………Because he could never become someone so radiant.
