Kyle Byron is hosting a Bang tournament.
Even though it’s only been a little over a week since the board game was released, there were quite a lot of participants.
“Turns out it’s pretty fun. Some inns even have dedicated tables for Bang now.”
“Did you see the first prize? Collectors are already going crazy over the special cards. A full set of special cards would be worth a fortune.”
“Plus, they’re giving out a unique special card with a different design. I heard nobles and collectors are hiring professional players.”
“How much would you get just for winning? Should we give it a shot?”
Thanks to the allure of special cards, Bang spread like wildfire across the Gias Territory. Unlike Abracadabra, where the main draw was watching and experiencing illusions, many people played Bang purely for fun.
It wasn’t just nobles buying dozens of Bang sets and tossing the leftovers. They shared the game with friends and servants, and for those with fewer entertainment options, Bang became a great way to pass the time.
Not everyone visiting the Gias Territory was wealthy, and Bang perfectly filled that gap for those who couldn’t afford Abracadabra’s high prices.
Even those who came to see the illusions but were shocked by the high cost of living in Gias Territory found solace in playing Bang at inn tables, losing track of time.
That’s why the Bang tournament attracted so many participants.
There was no entry fee, and the prizes were drool-worthy for collectors.
The turnout was so large that they had to hold multiple preliminary rounds to narrow down the participants.
Unlike Abracadabra, which relied heavily on luck, Bang was a strategic game.
Naturally, the audience watching the preliminaries got hooked too.
“Why didn’t you save your Magic Missile? You couldn’t hit them anyway because of their ability.”
“You still needed to deplete their cards! Do you know how hard it is to play as the Secret Society?”
“Save it or not, you lost because you ran out of Magic Missiles!”
“That’s just hindsight bias!”
They analyzed wins and losses, debated strategies, and searched for more effective tactics.
In the process, the core element of Bang—character abilities—became a hot topic.
“Honestly, the four Archmages’ abilities are ridiculously strong. Master Olfin’s ability is the most broken.”
“That’s because you haven’t tried equipping <Dragon Heart> with Stella’s combo. Once you do, you’ll see how unfair it is.”
“Why are you leaving out the expansion? Once you face Knight Roland’s ability, you won’t sleep. He just steals two cards right in front of you!”
“For a balanced approach, the Minister of Magic, the Elderly Magician, or Knight Commander Embryo from the expansion aren’t bad. If you pick a Guardian with an overpowered ability, even the Secret Society sides with the Magician. It’s hard to face them one-on-one later.”
The Archmages and Grand Masters were almost in a league of their own.
The abilities below them were also hotly debated. Since you didn’t choose your character card but got it randomly, you had to figure out how to use any ability effectively.
No character was useless. Even the one with the worst ability had to be used somehow.
You never knew when you’d get that character, so you couldn’t just ignore it.
With so many participants, the preliminaries lasted two full days at the Arkhé Magic Tower.
Finally, out of hundreds of participants, only 36 were selected.
Today, on the third day, six teams of six will play, and the top scorer from each team will advance to the final round where six will face off…
“…………….”
Hey, everyone.
Why are you all just standing there?
*
‘I made it this far.’
Andrei, a country boy, clenched his fists nervously.
Living in a backwater village even within the Empire, he left for the capital to support his family, where he met a kind-hearted Merchant Lord and got a well-paying job as a porter.
And so, while working, the place he arrived at this time was the Gias Territory, where the Arkhé Magic Tower was located.
The Merchant Lord, who had a hobby of collecting things, randomly bought board games and distributed them to his subordinates, and that’s how Andrei first played Bang.
“It was truly an excellent board game.”
The awe he felt when he first played Bang is still vivid. Despite being played only with cards, unlike other card games, it divided roles and abilities. Tense play. Breath-taking psychological warfare and strategy.
In no time, he was captivated by the charm and fun of Bang, playing it with his porter colleagues whenever they had time.
The Merchant Lord, noticing his skills, had Andrei participate in this tournament.
If he won, the condition was that the unique Special Card would go to the Merchant Lord, but he could keep the rest.
“And he even promised to support my family back home.”
Andrei did his best, pondering over all sorts of strategies, and with a combination of effort and luck, he finally made it to this stage.
The board game tournament hosted by Kyle Byron, the creator of Bang.
In its final match.
“Waaaaah!!!!”
“Andrei! You can do it!!”
“Win it!”
The venue was packed with spectators. People of high status, whom Andrei wouldn’t dare to look in the eye under normal circumstances, were everywhere.
At first, it was overwhelming, but he had grown accustomed to it over the two days of preliminaries.
In fact, there were even people cheering for Andrei. It was surprising to think that among them were nobles and wealthy Merchant Lords.
But Andrei couldn’t fully accept their cheers.
……Because the other players beside him were too distracting.
“Finally made it here. Let’s have a good game.”
“I, I am honored! Sir Embryo!”
“Oh, you know me?”
“O-of course! I’ve seen you from afar in the capital! I’m thrilled to be with the Imperial Knight Commander!”
“Haha, but today, I’m just here to enjoy the board game, so don’t be too nervous.”
“Yes!”
Despite the vast difference in status, the blond knight held Andrei’s hand and smiled kindly.
He was the Imperial Knight Commander, the great knight who stood before the Grand Master.
Thinking that the idol he had always admired was right beside him, he couldn’t stay calm.
‘Even though I’m not an Aura user.’
He was the Imperial Knight Commander, a master-level Aura user.
How often would one get to see a High Magician or a master-level Aura user in their lifetime? Even Andrei, who had worked in the capital’s Merchant Lord’s place for a long time, had never seen one up close like this.
But he couldn’t just keep staring at Sir Embryo.
Because the other four players were the problem.
“………Didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”
“Guess the prize is too good to pass up.”
“I think both of them are just disgraceful. What do you think, old hag?”
“The unique Special Card………….”
“……This girl’s lost it.”
Four players cloaked in masks and thick clothing.
Two seemed to be slender women, one was a burly figure, and one was a man whose muscles couldn’t be hidden despite the thick clothing.
Were they nobles hiding their identities? But for there to be four of them?
Of course, Andrei couldn’t understand.
“Those masked ones actually made it to the finals.”
“During the preliminaries, I thought they were some secret organization. Are they really that secret society from Bang?”
“Arkhé Magic Tower and Kyle Byron personally confirmed there’s no issue. They probably just want to hide their identities.”
“Well, even in Abracadabra, there are people who cover their faces……….”
It was already a familiar sight to the people of the Gias Territory.
Both Arkhé Magic Tower and Kyle Byron had publicly stated there was no issue, and, surprisingly, covering one’s face was a common practice.
Even though the Third Prince, the Duke, and the Marquis had demonstrated to ease the burden of other nobles, there were still those who, like clowns, stepped forward in front of many, or simply covered their faces out of embarrassment.
Thinking that they were also such people, it wasn’t much of a problem. It was just surprising that four of them had made it to the finals.
In any case, those who made it to the finals must have extraordinary skills.
If all the masked individuals were high-ranking figures, then among the six players, only Andrei was insignificant.
Realizing this, Andrei bowed his head under the pressure.
Immediately after, a voice echoed.
“Thank you for waiting. Now, let’s begin the final match of the Bang tournament!”
“Finally, it’s starting…!!”
“Damn, I hope Andrei or Sir Embryo wins! We don’t know who those masked people are, so we can’t approach to buy special cards…!”
“Sir Embryo! We’re rooting for you!”
“Andrei! Show us what you’ve got!!”
Kyle Byron’s amplified declaration echoed through the venue.
In response, thousands of spectators cheered.
“First, let me introduce the distinguished guest who has graced this occasion! Archmage Bantain Terra!”
“…What?”
Andrei instantly looked towards the VIP seat where Kyle Byron was.
A young man in ordinary scholar’s attire, wearing glasses and smiling with narrowed eyes, revealed himself.
“The Master of Terra Magic Tower, Bantain Terra.”
“Good heavens! The Archmage attended a board game tournament…?”
“Hey, then what does that make us, who came to watch this board game tournament?”
“Even so, he’s an Archmage! If it were Master Olfin from Arkhé Magic Tower, I’d understand, but Terra Magic Tower in the east!”
“This time, due to my friendship with Archmage Olfin Glassburn and the board game creator Kyle Byron, I have attended this event.”
“Friendship with an Archmage…?”
Andrei’s mouth had been agape for a while. Seeing a master-level knight in person was enough to make his heart drop, but an Archmage?
Moreover, he wasn’t just briefly attending; he would be watching Andrei and the other players play Bang from that seat.
In the eyes of that Archmage, Sir Embryo, the Merchant Lord, and Andrei probably all looked equal.
There was a gap between Andrei, standing in the tournament venue, and the Archmage, seated high in the VIP section, just like the gap between them.
As Andrei unconsciously swallowed his saliva, seeing a lifetime’s worth of drinking stories unfold before him.
“Then, let’s create the game board.”
…Create?
Bantain Terra made a small gesture.
The earth responded.
Kugugugugung!!!!
“Th-this is…!!”
Is this what an Archmage is?
With just a small gesture, the ground beneath Andrei twisted. A table made of ore rose from the ground, and dirt piled up like pillars, forming various decorations and carvings.
Bantain Terra. Andrei had heard of him before. An Archmage with the nickname “Nature Destroyer.”
A figure who once flattened a massive mountain between the east and south single-handedly and used the dirt and stones to build houses and a city in its place.
It wasn’t just Andrei who was shocked by the terrifying glimpse of his magic.
“Truly… impressive.”
Even Sir Embryo was amazed by the magic. It was indeed the Archmage himself.
The other masked individuals must also───
“Overreacting.”
“He probably held back. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
“No, look at those carvings. It’s definitely overreacting. What was that old hag thinking…?”
“The only Special Card…!”
“…Are they really going senile?”
“Magicians are all like that. It’s only natural.”
“……?”
──Extremely… peaceful?
Contrary to expectations, the masked individuals seemed indifferent or even dismissive, which made Andrei more puzzled than scared.
‘Are they so high and mighty that even the Archmage’s magic is nothing to them…?’
Who could possibly be above the Archmage? From what Andrei had heard while working in the upper echelons, even the Duke paled in comparison to the Archmage.
The only possibility would be the direct-line Princes, but there’s no way such figures would be here.
Then, unless it’s the Emperor himself, there’s no clear authority above them.
The more Andrei thought about who these masked individuals could be, the more he broke out in a cold sweat.
<Since Archmage Bantain has prepared the game board, let's start right away!>
“Woooooah!!!”
Neither Kyle Byron’s voice nor the audience’s cheers registered clearly in Andrei’s ears.
The pressure, the tension.
In the VIP seats were the Creator, Kyle Byron, and the Archmage—figures he had long admired—along with four masked individuals who dismissed even the Archmage’s magic as nothing.
Could he really play Bang properly? These were people who could bury someone like Andrei with a flick of their fingers. Maybe he should just quit now.
Amidst his chaotic thoughts, as everyone took their seats, role cards were distributed.
“…Guardian.”
Of all the rotten luck, he drew the Guardian.
If it had been the Magician or the Secret Society, he could have just blended in or gotten eliminated quickly.
But as the Guardian, the centerpiece of the game, it’s hard to get eliminated early.
‘With six players, there’s the Guardian, Magician, Secret Society… and the Support Unit.’
The Support Unit.
An additional role when playing with five or more, tasked with protecting and supporting the Guardian.
But unlike the Guardian, their role isn’t revealed, so the Guardian doesn’t know who the Support Unit is. The Support Unit wins automatically if the Guardian wins, so they’ll do their best to protect the Guardian.
With a Support Unit in play, intentionally getting eliminated would inevitably upset one of these five.
Maybe he should just play fair and square.
As Andrei agonized to the point of a headache, he glanced around at the other players.
The four masked individuals and Knight Commander Embryo.
“Guardian, sir, I’m the Support Unit.”
Starting with a masked woman who spoke politely.
“…I am the Support Unit.”
“Don’t believe them. I’m the Support Unit, trust only me.”
“Don’t trust those magicians! I’m the Support Unit!”
“…Huh?”
Despite clearly being high-ranking figures, they all started aggressively approaching Andrei, the Guardian.
Unconsciously avoiding their gazes, Andrei turned to Embryo.
“Embryo… sir?”
“Guardian, no, Guardian, sir.”
“Yes?”
“You must trust me completely.”
“……???”
Andrei began to seriously wonder if this was all just a dream.
