The success of Abracadabra wasn’t just because the game was fun or the illusions were amazing.
There were also plenty of realistic reasons.
First, the prince stepped up and tried it first.
“How about it? Abracadabra, won’t you give it a go?”
“But as a noble, how could I act like a clown like that…?”
“If you say that, what does that make His Highness the Prince, who played it 12 times in a row? Or Duke Nicholas? Or Duke Grandel? Are you more noble than them?”
“*Cough, cough*! Well then… shall we try it?”
Even if something is fun, many people won’t step forward due to pride or dignity. The best way to get them on board is when someone much higher in status enjoys it without a care.
When even the prince and dukes set aside their dignity to have fun, how can you act all high and mighty? That kind of atmosphere formed.
Thanks to that, nobles and others could join Abracadabra without any pressure.
Second, Abracadabra is just a board game after all.
“M-My lord! How could I, your servant, possibly… to the Count…!!”
“Baron, don’t worry about it. Didn’t you see His Highness the Prince? This isn’t some high-stakes affair; it’s just a bit of fun. Or do you think I’m the type to fuss over such things?”
“N-No, of course not! Then… Fire Spear! Eek!?”
“Haha! Really, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to pay you back in the board game! [Whisper of the Death God]!”
“Wait, that’s not how it works!!”
No matter how realistic the illusions are, Abracadabra is still just a board game, a simple pastime. Those who try to inflate its importance and protect their pride won’t look good.
So, a baron could throw lightning at a count, and a mere merchant could hurl fireballs at a noble.
Once everyone embraced it as a game, getting overly invested and angry would just make you look petty. After all, even the prince got hit by magic from a noble—who are you to get mad? Long live the prince, in every way.
And lastly, secrecy.
“Experiencing being a magician… I really want to try it, but in front of others, forget dignity—it’s just plain embarrassing.”
“Don’t worry too much. If you want, we can enjoy it just among ourselves without any spectators. Surely you’re not embarrassed in front of friends, are you?”
“Huh? Then no problem! Let’s go right now! Who knows how long we’ll have to wait if we sign up now…!!”
Even so, some might find it burdensome to play in front of hundreds like on the first day. That’s why, when taking reservations, they also confirmed whether the game would be public or private.
If you chose to make it public, crowds would flock to the tower, but even if it was private, no one would leave. At least, they’d have to wait until their turn came.
Anyway, thanks to these factors, Abracadabra became a non-stop sensation.
“A-And did you, Young Master, plan all of this…?”
“Seems like it, right? If I hadn’t thought it through and just released it… it might not have failed, but it wouldn’t have been this popular.”
In the guest room of Arkhé Magic Tower, I slowly explained the reasons for this success to Sally while enjoying the cookies she made.
Well, in the end, it’s about fun. The experience from the magic illusions and the fun of the board game itself. I was confident, of course. Board games are divine and invincible.
“A board game where even the incompetent can become a magician? Frankly, who could resist?”
Whether in the original world or this one, it’s the same. Commoners or nobles, everyone dreams of being an aura user or a magician when they’re young.
As adults, they forget those dreams, but in an atmosphere where it’s just a board game, they can relax and enjoy the experience of being a magician.
Especially when the prince and dukes started it, removing any pressure, and if you wanted, you could play privately with only those you chose.
At this point, who would still refuse?
It’s a chance to fulfill what you might call a man’s dream.
If you don’t take it after all this setup, it’s just not meant to be. All you can hope for is that they join in later, riding the wave of the trend that will sweep the entire empire.
‘But if the person enjoying it is…’
As the number of players increased, loopholes in the rules started to appear.
Issues like the balance of hidden magic or the tendency to recklessly cast spells just for the sake of experiencing magic, causing the game to end much faster than anticipated.
Despite spending a long time brainstorming with the tower’s magicians, some real-world problems were unavoidable.
The process of solving these issues… was anything but tedious.
In fact, it was incredibly enjoyable.
The fact that these problems arose meant that people were truly passionate about the board game. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Wow, as expected of the Young Master! Y-you’re really…!!”
“It wasn’t just me. It was thanks to Master Olfin, the tower’s magicians, and Adela. Adela and I played Abracadabra for a long time and found many areas for improvement.”
“Ah… uh…”
“By the way, are you getting along well with Adela? I heard you shared snacks with her when I wasn’t around?”
At first, Adela was hostile toward me, so she said some harsh things, but Sally isn’t like that.
Coming from an orphanage in the slums, she used to be rough in both speech and behavior, but now she’s become so kind. I’m sure she’s made up with Adela.
At that, Sally made a slightly awkward expression and said,
“W-we’re getting along well! W-we even shared snacks and laughed together when you weren’t around!”
“Good job.”
That’s Sally for you. So admirable.
While we were chatting so warmly, Sally suddenly asked curiously,
“U-um, Young Master…”
“Yeah?”
“W-what if you can’t gather three people for the board game…?”
“…Hmm.”
Well, that’s…
“There’s no choice. Either play with strangers or just quietly watch…”
“Ah…”
That part is truly out of my hands. Board games inherently require multiple people.
There are single-player board games, but I believe the true fun of board games lies in interacting with others. For me, three people is the minimum.
One is an exception, two is too limited, and four might be a bit too many.
“Ah, come on, you really think you can’t gather three people? Most of the people invited are older than me. Surely they’d have at least two friends or acquaintances by now.”
“Y-yeah, you’re right, aren’t you?”
“Of course. Well, in the end, it’s up to the board game to make it happen.”
Just like I did, strangers can become friends through board games. Like how it happened with Sally, Leisha, and Adela.
However, in the current situation, I can’t expect that effect on others. That’s only possible because I’m always carrying board games around.
Mass production of board games.
That’s why I’m pouring all the inheritance funds into it.
‘Still, I think I can barely make it in time.’
Since all I need to make are specialized paper and cards, I can set a standard within a month.
If the trend lasts just a bit longer, I can introduce Kyle Galli to the nobles and influential figures gathered in the Gias Territory.
‘I’ve also asked Olfin for a favor, so spreading the word about Kyle Galli shouldn’t be a problem.’
For that purpose, refining Abracadabra and keeping the trend alive is my task.
Just as I was about to start adjusting the hidden magic balance again—
*Thud!*
“…I’m here.”
“Ah, Adela? What brings you here? You’re all out of breath.”
“Well…”
After glancing between me and Sally, Adela took a deep breath and quietly said,
“…I just wanted to play the board game.”
“Wow!!”
I’ve been playing Abracadabra with Adela for hours every day, but this is the first time she’s rushed over just to play.
Has she started to see board games as more of a pastime, even though she once said they were a turning point in her life?
Suddenly, it seemed like she was glaring at something. Following her gaze, it looked like she was staring at the Abracadabra set right behind Sally. With her being so eager…
“Then it’s settled. Since Sally is here too, this works out well. The three of us can──”
[Growl.]
“Huh?”
Did I just hear the sound of a Water Tiger from the window?
At the sudden noise, I turned my head and saw the Water Tiger sitting below the window, staring at us as if it had been there the whole time.
Was it always in the room?
“Huh? Sally, was the tiger always there?”
“……Uh, I don’t know.”
Hmm… I’m not sure. Well, it’s a spirit, so it probably has some way of being there that I don’t understand. It’s disappeared before and then suddenly reappeared nearby.
I thought maybe it came in through the window, but we’re on the upper floor of the Magic Tower. Unless it was hanging outside the window, there’s no way it could have climbed up here.
‘And there’s no reason for a Water Tiger to be hanging outside the window.’
It’s not like some spy from a movie. Unless it was trying to sneak in or eavesdrop, there’s no reason for it to do that.
Besides, since I trust the Water Spirit, who’s a friend from board games, I gestured for it to come over.
“Then with this, the four of us can── Oh? The cookies are all gone.”
“……Y-Young Master! I’ll go make some more!”
“Really? Thanks, Sally.”
“N-No problem! J-Just wait a little!”
*
Click.
Sally, holding an empty plate, quietly stepped out of the room.
Unlike the cheerful smile and wave she gave Kyle as she closed the door, her expression was now cold and stiff.
Her posture shifted slightly, and she muttered small curses as she walked.
After all, there was no one here now—neither the beloved Young Master nor the colleagues from the mansion who required her to “act.”
The mages in the tower could be avoided as long as she sensed them.
“Fucking… damn bitches……”
It wasn’t that she didn’t understand. Her Young Master was a radiant person, and it was natural for bugs to be drawn to that light. Sally had no intention of dealing with each and every one of them.
But that didn’t mean the crazy Spirit Master embedded in the turret had to be hostile to the Young Master from the very first meeting.
As Kyle’s guard, it was her duty to fend off such bugs.
However, these bugs were annoyingly cunning and had gotten close to the Young Master, so Sally had to tread carefully.
‘She had to tread carefully.’
Coming from the slums, Sally was sensitive to “gaps.” She knew these two bugs weren’t just ordinary bugs. The Duke’s daughter and the Tower Master’s apprentice were far superior in status to a mere maid.
But that wasn’t a reason to give up.
The key was to make the Young Master lose interest in those bugs.
‘She’d done it many times before.’
The excuse of bringing snacks was part of that plan. The stupid bitches would tear each other apart in front of the Young Master. In the meantime, Sally planned to reap all the benefits.
At the very least, her act, her mask, wouldn’t break in front of the Young Master. After all, her words and actions toward Kyle were always genuine.
As she was organizing her thoughts for the next steps…
“Wait, you.”
“…………”
“You. The maid.”
“W-What is it……?”
Hearing an unfamiliar voice from behind, she immediately changed her expression. Her voice trembled, her movements became sluggish, and she transformed into a clumsy, foolish maid.
That was her act. One that had never been seen through before.
“Your act is too obvious. No need to pretend, it’s clear as day.”
“W-What do you mean……?”
“I came because of the oath engraved in your heart.”
“……Ah.”
Her tearful expression turned cold, and her trembling hands and feet froze.
Sally, with her empty eyes, straightened her bent back.
“H-How much do you know?”
“I just told you. The oath in your heart. That’s all.”
“……T-That blue hair. Y-You’re the Archmage of Glesia Magic Tower, aren’t you?”
The opponent was from Glesia…
Even though she realized that Sally was the Archmage of the Magic Tower, Sally’s attitude didn’t change. And it wasn’t out of competitiveness or acting or anything like that.
It was the mindset of a madwoman who genuinely didn’t care who she was dealing with.
The only saving grace was that the blue-haired Archmage was equally insane. She didn’t care about Sally’s attitude either.
“So, uh, what’s the matter?”
“That Oath Engraved in Your Heart, which bastard did it?”
“…………….”
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but that’s a crazy Gold Technique. It’s a way to turn even the incompetent into magicians, but it’s not for nothing that it’s been abandoned.”
“………….”
“You know it’s insane to live your whole life bound by an oath engraved in your heart, right? I’ve seen a few cases like yours, so just be honest.”
“…………….”
“Are you a maid of the Byron family? Did the head of the family force it on you? Or are you a magician belonging to the family? If not, then some underground organization? I’m trying to help, so speak up. Let’s get rid of that thing in your heart first………shall we………?”
Huh.
The Ice Archmage, who had been looking annoyed as if dealing with a bothersome task, froze for a moment.
It was right after she checked the message engraved in Sally’s heart.
A message that even an Archmage couldn’t detect from afar, only up close.
The oath that Sally, who she thought was a victim of forced Gold Technique, had to uphold for her entire life.
“………You.”
“W-well, I’ll just say one thing. This wasn’t forced on me by anyone.”
“What do you mean……? Did you want to become a magician that badly? You didn’t need to do something like that—you have the talent for magic. Why on earth would you───”
“B-because it was the fastest way.”
“What?”
“T-to return as the Young Master’s maid………this was the fastest way.”
“………….”
“I couldn’t wait even for a moment.”
Sally smiled. A bright, yet broken smile.
An overwhelming madness flowed from Sally, far more intense than before.
The Archmage, who had been staring at her blankly.
“……Eek.”
She recoiled in shock, backing away from Sally.
In the midst of this unexpected situation, a lifeline came to her.
“Ah, Archmage Shisha?”
“Uh, yes!?”
“Master Olfin is calling for you. I heard he wants the Archmages to casually enjoy Kyle Galli together……Oh, are you Sally? Did you come for cookies?”
“Heh, hehe. Yes.”
As the tower’s magician approached, looking for the blue-haired Archmage, Shisha, Sally immediately put on her act again, laughing like a fool.
Shisha shivered uncontrollably, goosebumps rising all over her body.
Though she was known as the madwoman of Glesia Tower, the Archmage who froze even hearts, the least Archmage-like Archmage, Sally’s brand of madness was on a whole different level.
If anything, based on experience, she wanted to stay far away from that deep darkness.
But she had her own duties and circumstances.
“Still, know this. Even if I don’t like it……now that I’ve seen that Gold Technique, I’ll come back to you.”
“Y-yes?”
“That’sallMasterOlfiniscallingsoIhavetogonowbye!”
Shisha quickly spat out the bare minimum of words and disappeared on a sheet of ice.
Grateful to Olfin for giving her an excuse to leave.
All for the sake of that Kyle Galli thing or whatever!
