episode_0049

A meeting of the Academy’s Magic Division.

The Academy’s three major events, including the Auror Division’s Duel Tournament and the Knowledge Division’s Festival.

It was an event that academy students from other departments also frequently visited, as it was a lot of fun for the eyes as it featured flashy magic.

However, things were a little different this year.

“The meeting sport is Monopoly… … ? What is Monopoly?”

“It’s a board game created by Kyle Byron.”

“Who is Kyle Byron?”

“Ask the kids in the West. You’re famous among them, right?”

A board game that excludes the ‘magic’ that is the biggest reason to come to a meeting.

At the very least, it was not Kill the King, which everyone was familiar with, but the unfamiliar board game called Monopoly, which made many students turn away.

Of course, the students in the magic department didn’t even care. What was important to them now was winning or losing at the Monopoly meeting.

Although the number of audiences was much smaller than last year, ironically, the enthusiasm of students in the magic department was much hotter than last year.

The main auditorium, which can accommodate thousands of people, was packed, and everyone was focused on Monopoly in the center.

“Kya, as expected, magic is convenient. It’s nice and easy to see because it floats a huge Monopoly fantasy in the air.”

“To be exact, it is the magic of our Arche Magic Tower. It’s not just magic.”

“Of course it’s Adela.”

Leaving Adela shrugging her shoulders, I sat down in the highest VIP seat in the main auditorium and poured some popcorn into my mouth.

They say it was a snack made by Emperor Justinian long ago, but to be honest, it was definitely popcorn.

The water tiger sat down, wrapping its arms around my legs like it always did, and Sally and Adela sat on either side of her, and Lukesil, who was sitting next to her, muttered quietly.

“Kyle.”

“Yes?”

“We… … Can you win?”

“What… … … .”

Because I taught you all the Monopoly strategies and tips I know.

If you really want to ask.

“It will depend on how much Monopoly you studied elsewhere during the week.”

“… … Why on earth was disclosure a condition? If this happens, the chances of winning the Astron will also decrease.”

“But wouldn’t there have been a huge backlash if it had been kept secret until the day of the meeting and then made public?”

“… … … That is.”

Ultimately, Monopoly is unusual as a gathering sport. Because it is a board game that has no magical elements and is competed with only luck and brains.

At least it was accepted because it was released a week before the meeting and gradually students and professors played it, and it cannot be denied that if it had been released right here, other magic towers would have boycotted it.

And above all.

‘Because Monopoly is the beginning.’

Classic masterpieces are not masterpieces for nothing. Honestly, I was confident that Monopoly would be a huge success.

Although they have many nobles, they are still energetic students, and unlike Kyle Gali, they use their brains and negotiate with their opponents, giving players the satisfaction of doing something intelligent.

If Monopoly is popular in the academy, it will be much easier to make other board games popular under Kyle Byron’s name.

‘In the end, academy students are the future of the empire.’

If we make these students familiar with board games first, when they reach high positions, their resistance to the board game trend will almost disappear.

I wanted a board game trend, but I don’t want a trend that just flashes and ends.

In the future, board games will become popular in the empire.

That way, I will be able to play all kinds of board games with new people until I grow old and die.

As I was raising my eyebrows at the happy old age I could only imagine, a voice echoed throughout the auditorium.

“”””Wow!!!!””””

The host was the student council president of the academy.

He was the first to challenge Monopoly to a duel and was also an avid player who played Monopoly every day.

“Agni! Agni! Agni!”

“Glesia! I bet on you! Be prepared if you lose!”

“How did Arche become a strong magic tower!”

“I am happy… … I am happy… … I’m happy because it’s Astron… … !”

“I love Astron’s Professor Lukesil!”

“… … what? Kyle Byron?”

“I am here… … ?”

Ah, it’s my turn.

After briefly pushing away the water tiger that was tying my legs, I walked towards the crystal ball set aside for the VIP section.

Then, my image standing in front of the crystal ball appeared as an illusion throughout the main auditorium.

“Really? Is this really Kyle Byron?”

“The devil is over there!”

“Bo, it’s me! I saw it last time I went to Arche Magic Tower… … !!”

“… … … No way.”

“Are you getting a big one? … ?”

Moment.

The entire auditorium became quiet.

“Fucking make sure to win!!!”

“If you lose, it’s a duel challenge!”

“Please come to our dorm… … !!”

Everyone in the audience gave their sincere support.

The meeting and Monopoly began.

*

“… … I’m going crazy.”

Astron’s representative, Fiona, closed her eyes tightly to threats made under the guise of cheering.

As a third-year student at the Academy and Professor Lukesil’s assistant, it seemed like there would be no more hardships for her as she graduated from the Academy this year and decided to become a graduate student.

The other representatives, whose eyes seemed to be burning brightly at Kyle Byron’s last words, could only sigh.

‘Of course, not everyone will like it.’

I know this because, as a representative, I played Monopoly with Kyle Byron dozens of times. Monopoly is a board game that not everyone, regardless of gender or age, will like.

However, do the representatives of each magic tower belong to the ‘disliked axis’? It couldn’t have been that way.

Rather, they were all crazy people who gave up studying magic and focused on Monopoly all week long.

Just look at the Monopoly board right now.

“I’ll put this land in the west up for auction. Professor, please.”

“Okay. Please tell us the amount.”

“Agni gives 10 gold.”

“Arke has 12 gold.”

“Glesia 20 gold.”

“Are there any more? good night. The winning bid is from Glesia for 20 gold.”

Everyone knows that it is important to secure as much land as possible in the beginning, so they purchase all the land they step on, but they are also cautious.

The person who put the land up for auction was the CEO of Glesia himself. If I had just purchased it, it would have been 25 gold, but I noticed that other people didn’t really want this land, so I intentionally put it up for auction and purchased it for 5 gold less.

Of course, 5 gold is a small amount of money in Monopoly, but it is also true that it saves unnecessary money.

Even the representative of Agni Magic Tower, who was famous for his temperament and profanity in dealing with fire magic, was maintaining his composure to some extent.

Agni, Glesia, Arche, Astron, Natura, Terra.

The name of the 6 Great Magic Towers, and also the name of the field of magic shared by the academy they attend.

All of the representatives are fanatical players and honor students who Fiona knows well. Especially ‘Byron’, the representative of Natura Magic Tower.

‘… … No, let’s focus on Monopoly for now.’

Before we knew it, we had already reached the beginning of the game and had established our own forces. But none of them achieved a monopoly.

It was natural. In a game that can be said to start with a monopoly, they actively kept each other in check.

Monopoly is possible only by purchasing three pieces of land of the same color, but everyone is stuck at one or two. The rest of the land belonged to other players.

A situation that could perhaps be seen as fixed.

But not everyone could maintain this situation.

‘In the end, if you keep going one turn at a time, 200 gold will accumulate. At some point you have to move.’

So, will you make a move after accumulating enough gold, 200 gold at a time? Or will he hit the player before then?

Fiona recalled Kyle Byron’s teachings.

──If you play with players who understand Monopoly to some degree, monopoly is difficult to achieve unless you are really lucky with the dice. Other players will keep it in check through auctions.

──Then what should I do?

──There are two ways. Either wait for someone to step forward first… … … or not.

──Or… … ?

──Even if you throw a gamble, make the first move.

“I will request a transaction from Terra’s representative.”

“Deal? Right now?”

“If you hand over one of the red lands in the east, I will give you one land in the north and 400 gold.”

“… … … !!”

East, South, West, North.

This is the order you go through when making one turn in Monopoly, and the cost of the land itself and the tolls increase exponentially as you go further.

The northern land that Fiona said she wanted to hand over had a pure land price of 50 gold, but the eastern red land she wanted was the cheapest land located right after the starting point.

The pure land price is less than 20 gold.

‘But it’s still this land.’

However, already Fiona already owns two pieces of land.

In other words, if this deal goes through, it would mean that a monopoly would be established.

Of course, as the representative of Terra, there was no way he would not know that, so the representative male student was troubled.

‘The deal will be rejected.’

According to what I heard from Kyle Byron, there is no chance of this deal going through.

Nevertheless, the reason for proposing the deal was to leave an ‘impression’.

The impression is that Astron’s representative, Fiona, is active in land transactions.

Fiona was the first person in this game to actually request a trade. Even considering that Monopoly is still in its early stages, it was a pretty sweet offer.

‘Kyle Byron… … I told you not to rush.’

Monopoly is, after all, a game that takes hours to play. This is not a game that ends with one transaction or one purchase of land.

Moreover, trading is the core and most important function of Monopoly.

Therefore, unless you are playing with people you know, how you are perceived by other players is very important.

Now, Fiona had just taken the first step toward that recognition.

Therefore, even in transactions that are likely to be rejected───

“Good.”

“… … … Huh?”

“Take the land document and give me the gold. I’ll give it to you right now.”

“Huh? Yes, yes.”

──What?

Even as she handed over the land document and gold in a dazed state and received the land document from Terra’s representative, Fiona’s head was filled with questions.

Even if I wondered if I had said something wrong or if the other person had misunderstood, the red ground I received was correct.

“Now Astron can build buildings exclusively.”

“… … Yes, Professor.”

Moreover, even the declaration of the professor who played the role of the imperial family.

Don’t you know what it means to be the first to achieve a monopoly in Monopoly? But are they all kids who play Monopoly like crazy?

For a moment, I was wondering if this was the other person’s trap.

“Astron CEO, why did he deal with that? Are you stupid?”

“Of course, we should leave the northern land behind and aim for an expensive monopoly… … This is why Astron.”

“You’re in last place for 10,000 years. Rather, has anyone ever seen that representative? I don’t think I’ve ever come here to play Monopoly.”

“I’ve never seen it. Why did Astron appoint a guy like that as its representative? Is it because Astron is in last place anyway?”

‘… … … ah.’

Only then did Fiona realize another variable that existed in this meeting.

A variable called ‘Astron’s image’.

Astron has been in last place at the meeting for the fifth year in a row. In other words, among the students gathered here, there is not one who has never seen Astron not in last place.

The academy lasts until the 3rd year. Of course, Fiona only saw Astron finish in last place for three years.

That’s why the students and even the president looked down on Astron and Fiona.

The CEO of Terra, with whom I had just made a deal, was also raising the corners of his mouth as if he was laughing.

It seemed like she had no idea that the deal she proposed was part of an elaborate strategy.

‘If you think about it, it’s not a wrong idea.’

If Astron had not received lessons from Kyle Byron, Astron would not have been able to use much power in the board games they brought.

The thought that they were going to lose anyway was widespread, and those cheering for Astron were only joking and not truly cheering.

There were very few students who said they would directly represent Astron, other than Fiona.

‘Besides, I’ve never been to the Astron dormitory to play Monopoly.’

In fact, Fiona herself was a student who never stood out that much. The reason I became Professor Lukesil’s teaching assistant was because she was the better student.

There, all week, Fiona received private lessons in Kyle Byron’s room. Of course, Monopoly was created as an illusion by Arche’s high-ranking wizard, and it was never played in the Astron dormitory like other students.

What this means is that other students may view Fiona as a representative who ‘didn’t even play Monopoly properly.’

Only Luke Sil knew that Fiona had received private lessons from Kyle. There was no way the students knew.

“… … We will build a building. One house each on all three lands.”

“Good.”

Create your first monopoly, build your first building.

It was a very advantageous start, but thanks to Astron’s image, it was easily obtained.

All the tips and strategies I heard from producer Kyle Byron.

An image of Astron that even the representatives ignore.

Above all, the monopoly achieved for the first time and the construction of buildings.

‘perhaps.’

Astron’s first place finish may really be possible.

The miracle that even Fiona herself had doubts about.

Fiona’s fists clenched under the table tightened.

And that look.

“… … … … .”

The representative of Natura was watching.

… … Looking up at the VIP room above as well.