“So, uh…
‘Is it just to check for physical changes…?’
‘Y-yes, Adela.’
[What’s with this ‘physical changes’ thing?]
‘…I’m talking about wings.’
‘Wings?’
Suddenly, Adela and Leisha showed up, and I knelt before them, answering their questions obediently.
I was just forcibly massaging Shisha when Sally suddenly came in and tried to take my clothes off. From the victim’s perspective, I don’t think I did anything wrong, though.
‘…………’
[………]
Luckily, I’ve learned to read the room after spending time with them.
I knew the best course of action was to answer quietly.
‘To put it simply… Madam, the Master of the Sub-Magic Tower…’
‘He’s blocked from coming in. He won’t be able to hear this conversation either.’
‘Thank you.’
‘…Madam?’
[This is definitely an affair.]
‘Um, please listen to me first. Sally tried to take my clothes off because I’ve become a Dragon’s Retainer.’
‘…Huh?’
For a moment, I thought I misheard, but Adela looked like she was seriously considering smacking me upside the head.
So I quickly glanced at Sally for help.
‘Y-yes, the Young Master is correct.’
‘You…?’
[What the heck is this?]
‘I-I’ve become an incomplete dragon, s-so…’
Revealing the horns on my forehead, wings on my back, scales, fangs, and even snake-like eyes.
Sally, who had fully transformed, looked every bit like a dragon in human form. She really did resemble one.
Adela and Leisha, momentarily stunned by Sally’s transformation, soon turned their intense gazes toward me, demanding an explanation.
‘So, what happened was…’
I explained everything that had happened up to this point.
Going to the Dwarf Village, meeting War’s Hammer there, negotiating with dwarves who hated humans.
Creating a Tumbling Weapon and submitting it to the dwarves’ festival, gaining the dwarves’ recognition, meeting the Emperor and freeing the dwarves.
And most importantly, everything that happened between Sally, Shisha, and me.
After slowly finishing the story, Adela and Leisha finally nodded.
[So that’s why you’re calling her ‘Madam,’ huh?]
‘What’s with you? Why are you so rude… Spirit Master? You synced with a spirit of this level?’
[Leisha Everts, the youngest daughter of the Everts Duke’s House and Kyle Byron’s fiancée.]
‘Fiancée?’
[As the future wife, it’s hard to say nice things when my husband becomes a slave and calls the Archmage ‘Madam.’ Sorry.]
‘…Yeah, I guess you have a right to be upset.’
‘So, checking for physical changes means…’
‘We were checking to see if I grew wings like Sally…’
‘Couldn’t you just ask? Why did you have to try to take his clothes off so roughly?’
‘It’s my retainer, so what’s the big deal?’
‘…………’
‘J-just kidding. A-Adela, it’s been a while, but you’ve gotten quite rough, huh?’
‘…On the contrary, Sally, you seem quite relaxed.’
‘W-well, yeah. Why is that? Is it because of the bond between the Young Master and his retainer…?’
While Shisha and Leisha were chatting about engagements and ‘Madam,’ and Adela and Sally were having a tense staring contest, I suddenly floated up and headed toward the door—not the hallway, but the one leading outside.”
“Master of the Sub-Magic Tower, you may come in now.”
“Thank… you. By the way, what about Master Olfin’s disciple and the Water Spirit?”
“They came to pick me up, but as you probably know, Master of the Sub-Magic Tower, I can’t leave right away.”
“Of course not, where would Chunsik go without the lady?”
“Lady Shisha, are you aware of the current situation in the territory? Kyle Byron is…”
“Why? Don’t you like that board game?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
The Master of the Sub-Magic Tower let out a deep sigh, while Shisha Glesia giggled.
Only then did Adela, who had been having a staring contest, and Leisha, who had been pretending to be an ordinary spirit since the Master of the Sub-Magic Tower entered, look at me again.
With eyes demanding further explanation.
“I understand what’s happened so far, but what are you two talking about?”
“[…Grr.]”
“It’s, it’s a board game. It’s called War’s Hammer…”
“…Are you talking about that game with the miniatures we saw on the way here?”
Well, Adela and Leisha must have seen it on the way too. It would be more surprising if they hadn’t.
I didn’t expect things to turn out like this either.
“As Sally said, with the cooperation of the dwarves, I’ve spread a board game called ‘War’s Hammer’… as a trial in this territory.”
Of course, it was done with the permission of Shisha and the Master of the Sub-Magic Tower.
Shisha, even though she wasn’t interested in board games, found it amusing and allowed it, and the Master of the Sub-Magic Tower, not expecting things to turn out this way, also permitted it without issue.
Thus, a limited number of miniatures and War’s Hammer game boards were distributed in the territory.
But the way it spread…
Was something I could never have anticipated.
*
First, there were three things I realized after spreading War’s Hammer.
First, Glesia Magic Tower had fewer entertainment options than I thought.
Glesia Territory is not normal land but the result of freezing the sea. No matter how well the surface is smoothed, it’s still ice.
Because of this, there are almost no livestock like horses or cows in Glesia Territory. You could raise them if you put on cold-resistant shoes like people do, but merchants from outside had a different story.
From the merchants’ perspective, preparing cold-resistant shoes and selecting only cold-resistant goods to bring to Glesia Territory was more hassle than it was worth, so they just went elsewhere.
As a result, except for essential supplies, other goods hardly ever made it to Glesia Territory.
“Are there any new books or anything?”
“The last merchant caravan was four months ago. They gave up on transporting books because it was a loss.”
“Ugh, damn it.”
“Hey, if you’re bored, want to try this? It’s a board game called War’s Hammer.”
“Board game…? Is that fun?”
“Just try it.”
Apart from food, items necessary for the magic tower’s operation, fabrics, and other essentials, there were hardly any merchants transporting luxury goods.
Those luxury goods included books, toys, cards, and all sorts of entertainment items, making Glesia Territory a really dull place in terms of entertainment.
And the second thing was…
That the almost sole entertainment in Glesia Territory was ‘sculpting.’
‘Of course. It’s all ice around here.’
The most common thing in Glesia Territory is ice. So, the residents started using ice for various purposes, eventually making sculptures out of it.
Tourists come to see the ice sculptures, and above all, it’s one of the few enjoyable hobbies here. For the residents of Glesia Territory, sculpting is as much a part of daily life as anything else.
To these residents, ‘miniatures’ were essentially toys…
There wasn’t.
“This human knight’s weapon, you know. If I carve it, I could do a better job.”
“Isn’t this something dwarves make?”
“Who’s talking about precision or durability? It’s about the appearance, the appearance! It could look way cooler, like in this book!”
“Is it okay to use that in the board game? It’s a completely different weapon.”
“According to the rulebook, as long as you get the opponent’s consent and replace the existing weapon, it’s fine. Let’s make it right now!”
“I’m bored too, maybe I’ll try carving some armor.”
The miniatures essential for War’s Hammer are made by dwarves. Naturally, their skills far surpass those of the territory’s residents who dabble in carving as a hobby.
However, everyone has their own preferences when it comes to patterns, weapons, and shapes.
And for the residents of Glesia Territory, carving their own miniatures was as easy as pie.
Thus, the board game spread across the territory, and the miniatures also matched well with the temperament of Glesia’s residents.
That alone was enough for War’s Hammer to spread, but…
The biggest final reason was…
“This is pretty fun. I’m bored, should we hold a tournament?”
“…Shisha? What are you talking about…?”
“I was feeling restless anyway. Let’s just hold a War’s Hammer tournament like Arkhé. We won’t be bored for a while.”
“Uh, the budget…”
“You’re the Master of the Magic Tower, aren’t you? Figure it out.”
“I’m the Sub-Master of the Magic Tower!”
Because of Shisha’s one remark, a large-scale board game tournament was scheduled.
For her, it was just a way to kill boredom, but for the residents of Glesia Territory, who were already getting into War’s Hammer and miniatures, it was like pouring oil on fire.
Even though the prizes and rewards were modest, the residents’ reactions were ecstatic.
‘If it had been spread elsewhere instead of Glesia Territory, the entire territory wouldn’t have gone crazy in just a week.’
It was precisely because Glesia Territory lacked entertainment and was overflowing with people who could carve miniatures themselves that this chain reaction occurred.
From then on, the entire territory went wild.
The residents gradually prepared for tournaments with their own miniatures and strategies, and shops that painted or carved miniatures sprouted up like mushrooms.
With the introduction of dedicated bags to store game boards and miniatures, not just children but adults also carried War’s Hammer game boards and miniatures with them, and whenever they met, they would take out their miniatures and start a game.
In no time, the entire territory was consumed by War’s Hammer.
And the mages of Glesia Magic Tower were no exception.
“…These guys are all so into the board game that they can’t even do their jobs properly.”
“So that’s why the Sub-Master of the Magic Tower is out in the field himself.”
“That’s right. I even had to move to arrest a fraudster because there was no manpower. War’s Hammer… I’ve tried it too, and I think it’s a really good game.”
From the eyes of the solemn middle-aged mage.
A single tear streamed down.
“Because of that, most of the territory’s workers are only playing the board game. The mages of the Magic Tower too, the entire territory is paralyzed because of the board game.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Why should you apologize? You just made a board game. Of course, of course! Once you return to Arkhé, the fervor will die down… probably.”
To be precise, once I and the dwarves leave, the enthusiasm will naturally subside.
Instead of the dwarves’ intricate miniatures, people will start making their own, and in the process, the current level of fanatical popularity will gradually fade.
That’s why the Sub-Master of the Magic Tower is telling me to leave.
From Shisha’s perspective, it was just a matter of curing boredom, but for the Master of the Sub-Magic Tower, who had to manage both the Magic Tower and the territory, it was frustrating. The entire territory’s economy, manpower, and research had come to a halt because of a single board game.
But would the process of calming things down go smoothly? Wouldn’t the enthusiasm of the territory’s people only grow stronger as they made miniatures themselves?
In my opinion, there was one surefire way.
To completely drain that enthusiasm.
“Madam, can we move up the tournament date?”
“…Sure, everyone is overly immersed in War’s Hammer because of the tournament. But we still lack enough miniatures and game boards to hold the tournament, right? Are you planning to commission others besides the dwarves to make them?”
“No, the dwarves will handle it.”
“What? They said they’ve hit their limit.”
“Just wait and see.”
Carrying the Master of the Sub-Magic Tower’s desperate gaze, I signaled to Sally, and she instantly understood, rushing off to bring something.
A whip and a carrot.
The most basic elements when producing something, whether it’s dwarves or humans.
Holding what Sally handed over, I opened a trapdoor in the corner of the room.
[Grr?]
“You? Why are you suddenly opening that door───”
“Th-the door opened! Light! Light is coming in!”
“Ahhh!! It’s too bright!!!”
“Human, what on earth is going on!”
“We need to double the planned production volume.”
“Double? Are you insane? You’re not the one making it, you lunatic!”
“More importantly, the light! Do something about the light!”
“What time is it now…? It should have been days, but why has less than a day passed on the continent…?”
“Anyway, I object! Doubling here is impossible!!”
“I’ll give you what you want.”
“………!!”
Saying that, I dropped ‘it’—a bottle of alcohol—into the darkness where the dwarves were.
Before the bottle could hit the ground and shatter, the dwarves’ hands roughly reached out for it.
“It’s alcohol! Everyone, move aside! That’s mine!”
“Hey! You drank last time too!!”
“Alcohol on the sea is a god!”
“Double it, and I’ll give you as many bottles as you want.”
“You, you! Human! You promised!!”
“Hey! Move quickly! We’re abolishing the shift system from now on!”
“…Wasn’t it ridiculous to have five shifts with only five people? There wasn’t enough work to begin with.”
“Just move!!”
*BANG.*
After checking the dwarves’ condition, I closed the trapdoor and turned around.
Adela and Leisha’s gazes were icy cold.
“…Trash.”
[Husband, if you need slaves, just say so…]
“I know what you’re both thinking, but the dwarves wanted this themselves………”
They went in on their own, okay?
I’m really being treated unfairly………
