Apart from the 5700-word letter, people’s reactions to “Bang” weren’t bad.
No, in some ways, they were downright enthusiastic.
“Have you tried this board game called ‘Bang’? It’s the new work by Kyle Byron, who made ‘Abracadabra.'”
“I already bought it. Haven’t played it yet, but I plan to buy a few more.”
“What? Why would you buy more of the same board game?”
“Didn’t you know? Out of the 16 character cards featuring the highest-ranking magicians in ‘Bang,’ one is a special version! At the very least, I need to collect all the Archmages!”
“Bang” itself was fun. While it didn’t have the overwhelming illusion of “Abracadabra,” as a “board game,” “Bang” was a step above “Abracadabra.”
Playable with as few as 4 and as many as 7 players, “Bang” was easy to play no matter how many people gathered, and since character abilities changed every round, it didn’t get boring easily.
Considering that those who played “Abracadabra” admired its illusions but didn’t play it multiple times, “Bang” had excellent gameplay.
But what really drove the tourists in Gias Territory wild was something else.
It was Master Olfin’s idea of the “Special Card.”
“Bang” included 16 types of character cards featuring the names and illustrations of the highest-ranking magicians.
Among them, one randomly selected type received special treatment—dynamic poses, glitter effects, and so on.
Whether it was a special card or a regular one, the character abilities were the same. Special cards didn’t grant any extra benefits.
However.
“F-fire! Hellfire!! Hahaha, finally!!!”
“Why is that guy so lucky!? I’ve gotten the Elderly Magician four times already…”
“Leave him alone. He’s bought 20 copies of ‘Bang.’ By the way, can I trade for an Elderly Magician card? I’ve got the Magician Association President and the Minister of Magic here.”
“Hmm, then I’ll take the Minister of Magic.”
To non-magicians, magicians—especially the Empire’s top-tier magicians—were vaguely awe-inspiring figures.
The fact that cards featuring their likenesses, released with their permission, existed.
For those wealthy enough to visit Gias Territory for “Abracadabra,” these were must-have collectibles.
While “Bang” itself wasn’t overly expensive, with 16 cards in total, the probability of pulling a special card of the desired magician was naturally low.
Of course, for wealthy tourists, it wasn’t a huge sum.
“Please, please, Bantain’s card… Ugh!”
“That guy must’ve gotten another one.”
“The Archmage cards have even lower probabilities. That guy’s something else.”
“One more. No, give me 10 more!”
“Hey! You can’t just hoard them all!”
The thrill of opening “Bang” on the spot and the excitement of pulling a special card were immense.
Many tourists were more obsessed with the special cards than playing the game itself.
Especially the four Archmage special cards, which were explicitly stated to have even lower probabilities, were in such high demand that they were nearly impossible to find.
Even after Olfin checked the daily sales and redirected the Magic Tower’s workshops to produce “Bang” exclusively, they couldn’t keep up with the sales speed.
They urgently enlisted nearby territory workshops to meet production demands, but the special cards had to be made exclusively in the Magic Tower’s workshops to maintain quality, so the supply remained limited.
Despite “Bang” selling so well,
there were, of course, side effects.
“By the way, what should we do with the leftover board games?”
“Just throw them away. It’s not like we need anything but the cards.”
“True, just take the special cards and ditch the rest.”
Those who bought “Bang” solely for the special cards took only the cards and discarded the rest.
The rest of the board games were just thrown away. There were already too many of them.
So, the board game that was painstakingly made ended up being thrown straight into the trash.
Honestly, it’s no surprise since more board games were sold than the number of tourists who visited Gias.
Kyle Byron, who didn’t know about the special cards, was genuinely angry at Olfin.
“C-can’t we just recall them?”
“……Recall, you say?”
“Yes. If only the special cards are missing, the rest should be fine! If we give out a random special card for every five returned, it should work. What do you think?”
“……Let’s do it right away.”
“I thought so!”
Thanks to Olfin’s quick thinking, typical of an Archmage, Kyle Byron’s anger subsided before he could ban the sale of Bang.
Thus, at the Magic Tower’s level, they recalled Bang, removed only the special cards, refurbished them, and put them back on sale with only the special cards included, making it easy to manage the stock.
Although the board game was used as a money-making scheme, Olfin was forgiven after receiving a scolding from Kyle Byron, who told him to always communicate properly next time.
Kyle and Olfin ended up playing board games for 24 hours straight, which was a bonus.
There was some noise due to Olfin’s unilateral actions, but in the end, Bang quickly spread throughout the Gias Territory. Even those who collected the special cards had to play Bang to show them off, except for pure collectors.
A week passed.
While the special cards were still a hot topic, Bang’s gameplay was also quietly spreading, becoming a local specialty of Gias Territory.
Then, a long letter arrived.
*
The letter, seemingly pressed down hard, was so densely written that reading it all was a chore.
There was no sender’s name, just a request to send any reply to a specific location.
But the real problem was the content.
“So, you’re saying Abracadabra and the board games are too magician-focused?”
“That’s correct.”
“What on earth…?”
Even Olfin was stunned by the content.
To be precise, he looked somewhat dumbfounded.
“What exactly did those knights do for the creator to make such demands?”
“It’s only natural since the board game was made with support from the Tower Lord and the Magic Tower, so it’s magician-focused…”
“That’s what I’m saying! If they had at least supported your game, it’d be one thing, but this is just shameless!”
Bang!
Olfin slammed his fist on the table, looking genuinely angry, but to me, it seemed like an act.
Just a few days ago, I was genuinely furious about the special cards he added without permission, so he’s probably just trying to agree with me and keep me happy.
It’s funny to see an Archmage sucking up to a board game creator, but if I leave now, the Magic Tower’s financial growth will stop, so whatever.
‘Honestly, I was really pissed when Bang was almost scrapped because of the special cards.’
But in the end, it helped Bang spread faster, so I accepted it. It’s not like that kind of board game marketing tactic was unheard of.
So, I smiled as if I had already let go of my anger, and Olfin, seemingly embarrassed, coughed and looked at me.
“So, what do you plan to do?”
“What would you do, Tower Lord Olfin?”
“If it were me, I’d ignore them. After all, what have those Aura users done for you? If they had at least included a donation in this letter, it’d be different.”
“I feel the same, but… completely ignoring them feels a bit off.”
As Olfin’s words suggest, Aura users and magicians didn’t get along very well.
It’s not just the Empire; I heard it’s a long-standing tradition on the continent. There were times when they got along, but since both Aura users and magicians are privileged classes with special abilities, there were plenty of clashes.
Even if they’re not at each other’s throats like in the old days, the growling hasn’t stopped.
Unless it’s official business, they avoid getting tangled up in each other’s personal affairs.
“They said ‘Bang’ is spreading quickly thanks to the Special Cards.”
Abracadabra can only be enjoyed by the three people who reserved it, and since it’s more about illusions than board games, it’s hard to play anywhere other than the Gias Territory.
But Bang is being played all over Gias Territory, and other territories are starting to show interest too, so Aura users can’t help but react sensitively.
If it’s Gias Territory, no matter where you go, it’s all about ‘magician-centric’ board games.
“As Master Olfin said, ignoring it might be the answer since it’s not helpful anyway.”
In the end, my goal is to spread board games to as many people as possible.
Right now, it’s just this one forced letter, but later on, Aura users might start rejecting magician-centric board games.
Not because of taste or fun, but simply because magicians have too much influence.
It’s just a hypothetical, but there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.
“I’ll follow the letter’s request. I’ll add Aura and knight elements.”
“……If that’s your intention, I’ll naturally follow, but there’s a problem.”
“A problem, you say?”
“Yes. The Magic Tower and surrounding territories are already in full swing producing Bang. Even if we create a new board game with knights and Aura now, production will be…….”
Master Olfin’s words were a realistic concern.
In my head, there are plenty of board games with knights and Aura, like ‘Resistance: Avalon’ or ‘Shadows Over Camelot,’ but mass-producing them to a sellable level is impossible.
Especially since Olfin already pushed hard for Bang’s mass production.
So, even if we make a new board game, it’ll inevitably take time.
“That’s not a problem.”
“Huh? Do you have another way?”
“We’ll just make it the same way we’re making Bang now.”
“The same way……? Are you planning to change the elements of the existing Bang? That could cause issues with gameplay.”
Changing the existing Bang characters or turning Magic Missile into a swordsmanship card could cause confusion.
If it’s the same Bang but with different cards, problems are bound to arise.
It might even put a brake on Bang’s current growth trend.
Olfin’s concern was natural.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make an expansion pack.”
“An expansion pack……? What do you mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Adding extra elements to the existing Bang. You can play with the original Bang or with the added elements from the expansion pack.”
“Ah, so you’re planning to add knights and Aura users in the expansion pack!”
Take Catan as an example. Unlike the base game set on a large island, the expansion pack allows you to sail the seas or create knights to attack, offering varied gameplay.
Bang is also famous for its numerous expansion packs.
“But……we’d need to include famous knights, right? We’d need their consent, and I don’t have connections with knights.”
“That’s where this person comes in.”
“Huh?”
“The enthusiastic knight who sent me this long letter.”
Actually, I’ve always thought about making an expansion pack, but…
Not now. It’s only been a week since Bang came out, and you’re already talking about an expansion pack? What expansion pack?
This was all just for show. It was an attempt to look like they were trying to address the complaints in this letter.
“If you want to see a board game with knights and aura, you should put in as much effort as Olfin.”
Olfin actually convinced archmages and top-tier magicians to bring a list, so of course, the knights should at least do that much.
Of course, the knight who sent this letter probably doesn’t have connections as vast and impressive as Olfin. At best, it’s just a regular knight with some free time.
Asking for the approval of famous knights from someone like that is impossible.
“I just need to show that I made an effort, and in a month or two, I can use a fictional knight or other connections to create an expansion pack.”
That was the plan for now. The next expansion pack was confirmed to have a knight and aura concept, but there’s no immediate intention to make it yet.
Well, no way.
“Would someone who sends a letter like this be as great a knight as Olfin?”
Of course not.
That couldn’t be.
*
In the Gias Territory, where the Arkhé Magic Tower is located, in the most luxurious inn.
An inn where only nobles with recommendations can stay, on the top floor reserved for VIPs.
An old man with a splendid beard was reading a letter.
“………….”
At a table where Kyle Galli, Catan, Monopoly, and Bang were laid out.
After reading the entire letter, he seemed to ponder for a moment.
Then, as if he had made a decision, he nodded and turned his head toward the door.
“Embryo, come in.”
“Senior. What’s the matter?”
“You’ll need to do some work for me.”
“Huh? Work?”
“Call your subordinates and friends. Preferably Master-level if possible.”
“Suddenly? What are you talking about? Besides, even if we gather Master-level, we’d barely have 10 people.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll use my connections too. According to the letter, 15 people should be enough.”
“Your connections? Goodness, Senior, you’re a Grand Master…?”
“Call them as quickly as possible. If they can’t come, just get their permission to use their names and faces.”
“…Understood, Senior.”
Knight Commander Embryo, who came to the Gias Territory on vacation to play Abracadabra.
Even Embryo, who is as close to a Grand Master as anyone except the Emperor’s personal ‘Guardian,’ bowed his head.
“We can’t let those brick-like magicians take over Kyle Byron’s board game, no way!”
Even Embryo had to bow in respect to this old knight.
One of the five Grand Masters in the Empire, a knight who reached the pinnacle and a former Guardian, Knight Roland.
He summoned overwhelming aura from his entire body and vowed.
He would definitely save a genius like Kyle Byron from those magicians.
