episode_0082

Like any board game, Life Game had victory conditions. When one circled the board after crossing countless spaces, the person with the highest happiness or honor score won the game. Each concept also had its own dedicated victory conditions.

Currently, Grace had the highest honor score. Bearing the name of a Duke, she roamed the battlefield, receiving praise and loyalty from countless people.

In terms of happiness score, Asel and Ellen had the highest score, tied. It was truly an unparalleled level.

The reason was simple.

-Mom!

-Dad!

Because there were over five children between the two of them. Asel had amassed a tidy sum through his mercenary work, and Ellen’s business had hit the jackpot, so the two of them did nothing but keep having children. On the space the two were currently on, a large family of seven, including the two of them, was placed.

What’s more, one more was in Ellen’s belly.

“……A trashy life. Damn commoners.”

Elena muttered that with a cold face, glaring at Ellen’s lower abdomen. Ellen met that gaze and hugged her protruding belly.

“Nya, nyaa.”

It wasn’t actually a swollen belly. It only appeared that way temporarily due to the illusion magic embedded within the board game. There was no life inside, nor the unique pressure of a pregnant woman. It just swelled.

That alone was enough to make her prey. Grace and Elena stared at Ellen as if to kill her, their eyes wide and blue. Unconsciously, Ellen hid behind her husband (Asel) and lowered herself. She too had been consumed by the concept for a long time, so there was no hesitation in her actions.

That made the two of them even hotter under the collar.

Regardless. Saya was diligently making the Philosopher’s Stone, and Selene was solidifying her position within the church. The two of them were fully focused on the game.

Asel was the same. However, his direction of focus was slightly different.

‘The magic is quite elaborate.’

Ellen’s swollen lower abdomen. To be the result of illusion magic, it was quite realistic. Instead of disappearing when touched, it was only soft, like a ‘real’ one, and made Ellen and Asel feel maternal and paternal love, respectively.

Illusion of a considerable level that went beyond interfering with reality to even manipulating emotions. Perhaps it was a miracle possible because the creator of this board game was a high-level illusionist.

Asel gently stroked Ellen’s belly and smiled softly.

“Don’t overdo it. You’ll get sick.”

Surprisingly, Asel had a peculiar habit of sticking to a concept once he decided on it, no matter what happened. So this time too, he put on a mask to be a retired mercenary, the father of six children, and the husband of one woman. At the same time, Grace and Elena’s faces crumpled, and Ellen, with tears welling up, hugged Asel.

“Darling…… nyaa……”

“Damn it.”

Grace muttered hoarsely. She clicked her tongue and somehow rolled the dice. She had to finish the game quickly, if only to stop watching that damn farce.

But the space she landed on was, coincidentally, misfortune.

[Betrayed by your trusted lieutenant, you have lost about half of your power. But don’t worry. Because the other half still remains.]

“Ah.”

“Now it’s my turn.”

And so the turn came back around. Saya traveled around the kingdom drawing transmutation circles to make the Philosopher’s Stone, and Elena disposed of the royal family using every kind of cunning and scheme. The first to be murdered was her older brother, who had forced a political marriage upon her.

“I’m only looking at one person! All other men buzz off!”

She was truly a woman like a devoted sunflower, pure and unwavering. However, her affection did not reach the married man who now had five, soon to be six, children.

Asel held Ellen’s hand tightly and rolled the dice together.

“Let’s go.”

“Nyan.”

Ellen smiled shyly and checked the dice roll.

The space they landed on was love again.

When a pregnant couple lands on a love space, a childbirth event is automatically triggered. Ellen’s belly suddenly deflated, and a token shaped like a newborn baby abruptly appeared next to their tokens.

-Waa! Waa!

The crying sound of a newborn baby subtly echoed across the game board. Ellen leaned her upper body slightly forward with a benevolent expression.

“Mommy is here, nyan.”

As soon as she said that, the crying strangely stopped completely. Instead, the expression on the token that had been crying changed to a smiling face.

“Whew……”

She stroked her empty belly and wore a wistful expression. With the child who had clearly been here suddenly disappearing, she felt an inexplicable loneliness and emptiness. Her extremely developed maternal love had extended in a strange direction.

It might have been different if she had felt the pain of childbirth. It was a side effect caused by simply repeatedly getting pregnant and giving birth. She buried her face in Asel’s shoulder and quietly murmured.

“……I want a seventh child too, nya.”

“What.”

This time, Asel was quite taken aback. It wasn’t simply words spoken while immersed in a concept; they contained considerable, no, a great deal of sincerity. Her voice was serious enough to instantly awaken his mind, which had been focused on the game.

The other participants also felt it and flinched. Only Selene smiled wryly and clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

“Ah, O God! May there be blessings upon that couple!”

But sadly, blessings did not come upon Asel and Ellen. This was because they were all sacrificed by Saya’s hand, who activated the transmutation circles spread throughout the entire kingdom. It was, so to speak, a national transmutation circle. Asel met his death calmly, feeling somehow compelled to utter the law of equivalent exchange.

“Ah, our children, nyan……”

Ellen hugged her six sobbing children and her eyes welled up with tears. Then, they instantly turned into smoke and scattered entirely. This was because the alchemist’s victory condition had been met and the game ended. All the cards that had been flipped over returned to their places, and the tokens corresponding to each participant were standing at the starting point again.

Selene, who had been bowing her head continuously, straightened her stiff neck and opened her mouth.

“Ah. Oh, my speech is back.”

“Ah, it’s true! Haa…! I don’t have to use that weird way of speaking anymore!”

Elena jumped up from her seat and exclaimed. Then she ran towards Ellen, who had a look of enlightenment, and positioned herself behind her.

Her side was instantly grabbed. Elena lifted Ellen up abruptly and opened her mouth with a smile that was both fierce and cute.

“Ellen. Was it good? Getting married to Asel and even having babies, huh? Was it good?”

“……All my children are gone……”

“Ah, this is severe.”

Elena quickly realized the reality. She immediately set Ellen back down and gently stroked her hair as if comforting a younger sibling.

“Ellen. That was all a game, a game. It’s not reality. You never married Asel, never had children, and never even dated him in the first place. Yes. That’s reality.”

“No!”

Ellen rejected Elena’s gaslighting and crawled out of her embrace. Then she hugged Asel, who had a reluctant expression, and shouted.

“What in the world are you talking about when my husband is right here! And my children live on in my heart! They haven’t disappeared!”

“Wow.”

Selene exclaimed in admiration.

Asel smacked his forehead with his palm.

It was spring.

***

“I’m sorry.”

Fortunately, Ellen quickly came to her senses. She bowed her waist at a right angle towards everyone gathered in the living room and continued speaking with all sincerity.

“Well… it might sound like an excuse, but I’ve always had a tendency to get excessively immersed in novels or plays. When I was little, I would read novels and act as if I were going to be a princess, and there were times I acted like a knight. I even told my parents I would become an actor after watching a play. This disgraceful behavior is probably also something that happened because of that immersion of mine. I am truly sorry for showing you an uncomfortable sight.”

The explanation that continued for a while. Saya and Selene accepted her apology without much fuss, and while Grace and Elena were somewhat sulky, they still nodded.

Asel grinned while tidying up the board game.

“Honey, where are you going? I’m still here.”

“D-Don’t tease me.”

“Have you forgotten me already? Have you forgotten all six children we had? That’s impossible. Something like that can’t happen!”

As Asel shouted loudly, Ellen bit her lip tightly. At the same time, Grace hugged Asel from behind and placed her hand on his head.

“Stop it, Asel. Unless you want to see me go crazy.”

“Yes.”

At the rather fierce touch, Asel immediately tucked his tail. If the atmosphere had been serious and fierce, Asel would have responded seriously as well, but there was no need for that now. He glanced sideways at Grace, who had her head resting on his shoulder like a cat leaning its head, and then handed the tidied-up board game back to Saya.

“Here. We had fun playing.”

“Thank you. I had fun too.”

A warm conversation passed between the two.

In contrast, a chilly conversation passed between Grace and Elena.

“……Aren’t you too close, Grace? Asel might be uncomfortable.”

“Asel isn’t saying anything though?”

“Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to make you feel awkward?”

“Hmm… Just say honestly that you don’t want to see it. Why, don’t you like me being like this?”

“……Ha.”

Elena wore a twisted smile. Grace also grinned, her eyes hardening coldly. Unable to watch any longer, Asel pushed Grace and Elena away and got up from his seat.

“Why are you suddenly fighting? Just get along.”

The moment Asel spat that out.

“……After all, six children would be good.”

Ellen, who had been standing still, suddenly muttered that. In an instant, everyone’s gaze turned to her. Ellen waved her hands frantically with a flustered expression.

“Th-That was just thinking out loud. Don’t mind it.”

“……”

“Ah, ahh. The weather is quite hot. I should head back to the dorms and wash up a bit. Then, I’ll take my leave now.”

Without waiting for a response, Ellen packed her clothes and left Asel’s room.

“Hoo…”

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the door she had left through. Asel mulled over it, moving his lips.

‘Having six children with that physique would be quite a struggle.’

It was quite a wizard-like thought.

***

After finishing the board game, the newly welcomed weekend.

Asel bought ingredients, thinking he might cook for the first time in a long while, and strolled around the academy grounds as if taking a walk.

Perhaps because it was the weekend, there were quite a few people on the streets, but it wasn’t so crowded as to make walking uncomfortable, so he moved his steps feeling quite refreshed, browsing the shops outside.

While doing so, he discovered a familiar face inside a shop.

“……Hmm.”

It was Ellen. Simply dressed in a shirt and leather pants, she was quite carefully observing the items on display.

Normally, he would have dropped by the shop for a moment, if only to say hello to her.

He definitely would have, if the shop hadn’t been exclusively a newborn supplies store.

“This pacifier, until what age can it be used?”

“It’s usually used until age 2 or 3.”

“Hmm… Would it be a problem if the six children took turns using it?”

“Excuse me?”

His unintentionally enhanced hearing eavesdropped on the conversation between Ellen and the shop owner.

Asel, to personally protect her dignity, emptied his mind completely and walked on his way.

“Um… As we’re both women, I was wondering just in case. If one has small breasts, does breast milk not come out well?”

The season was still spring.