episode_0108
by fnovelpia“Have you ever played dice?”
When Verratti first met the Emperor, the words he spoke to her as she prepared to die were like grasping at clouds.
“… … Dice game?”
“Anything that uses dice. Board games are fine, and even the dice from a street vendor are fine. Or have you ever seen it in a casino? There must be some kind of gambling like that. ”
“… … .”
Verati kept her mouth shut and stared at the Emperor. Even after the woman in the bizarre costume wearing the fox mask left, the Emperor’s expression remained unmoving.
Even though he was standing before the knights of the cathedral, each of whom had a force that could not be ignored, the emperor remained still with a leisurely smile on his face, as if he were talking to a child.
The gas lamp on the table flickered and the shadow cast over the emperor’s face rippled slightly.
If someone were to attempt to assassinate the Emperor, now would be a good time to do so.
Because Verratti wasn’t even in separate custody.
However, the fact that the Emperor was having a one-on-one conversation with Verratti was also an expression of his confidence that he could subdue someone like Verratti on his own.
Pangriphon.
There is no evidence that the myth actually happened. However, as if to prove that the basis was true, all the emperors of the past had powerful military forces. No one thought that it was possible simply by bloodline. That is why some emperors were suspected of switching children or making someone else in the imperial family the crown prince.
That’s why the court decided that Sylvia Pengriffin might be able to become the emperor—
“Don’t you know? It’s a game where you throw dice and compete for numbers. You compete to see who gets a higher number, or you compete to see if you throw multiple dice and get the same number, or in numerical order—”
“I know that much.”
Verratti glared at the Emperor, who continued to speak as he pleased, regardless of whether he was on guard or not, and answered curtly.
It was not a reaction that one would expect from the emperor of a country. However, the emperor did not seem to care at all. Verratti found that attitude even more irritating.
“Yeah, I guess so. Not everyone plays for money, but who in the world has never touched a dice?”
The emperor nodded and spoke, then crossed his legs and changed his position. It was as if he was treating a dear guest whom he had known for a long time, and he was comfortable. Of course, this room was not a place that could give a very comfortable impression.
“If you say that the opponent can never detect this trick—no.”
The emperor paused and continued, perhaps thinking that the analogy was a little flawed.
“If you say that even if the opponent knows about your trick, you have no choice but to be fooled, what do you think you should do to win?”
“… … Of course, they’ll continue to use the same tricks they’ve been using.”
“Even if you know that your opponent is cheating?”
“Even if you knew, you couldn’t help it?”
“That’s right.”
The Emperor smiled as if he was satisfied with Verratti’s answer.
“What if you were the one being treated?”
“… … You’ll probably try to silence your opponent somehow. Even though you know it’s a trick, right? ”
“I already said that it was a situation where we had no choice but to accept it.”
“It means you don’t know how to cheat, but it doesn’t mean you don’t know your opponent.”
At Verratti’s answer, the Emperor shrugged his shoulders as if he found it amusing and laughed briefly. That laughter, heh heh heh, sounded like the laughter of an evil villain, or like the laughter of a middle-aged man who had just heard a funny joke from a friend.
“What if the other person was a goddess?”
“What?”
“You play dice with the goddess. You and the goddess use the same dice. The dice you use are made of glass. They are so thin and fragile that they crack and become unusable after just one throw. You can only check the result. However, the goddess’s dice are made of high-quality ivory. They don’t wear out or break no matter how many times you throw them. ”
The emperor continued speaking, flicking the fingers of the hand he had placed on his knee.
“The rules of the game are simple. Roll the dice and whoever gets the higher number wins. You can roll the dice as many times as you like. ”
“The rules are ridiculous.”
Verratti said incredulously.
“If you say you can run away after rolling the dice once, then it doesn’t matter how many times you can roll it.”
“But isn’t it possible to get 12 eyes with just one throw?”
“Even so, this side is at an overwhelming disadvantage. And, if we have to play by those rules, then we have no choice but to accept it from the beginning. If the opponent asks to add one or two more dice, do we have the right to refuse?”
“No. Because she’s a goddess.”
“… … Right.”
Verratti sighed deeply at the emperor’s answer.
“If the opponent is a goddess, then it’s only natural that I should bow down and go in. In the first place, how can you play a game with the master of this world?”
“Is that so?”
“… … I don’t know about you, but I’m a citizen of the law. A knight, a nun. Even if you say my personality is a little crazy, that doesn’t change the fact. ”
“Hmm.”
The emperor smiled as if he was pleased with the answer.
“So, why are you asking this question?”
“Well.”
The emperor spoke slowly, as if he was hesitating.
“I think I found the person who is supposed to be the goddess.”
“… … .”
Verratti remained silent for a while.
“… … … … … … … What?”
After a long silence, he asked that.
“You probably won’t believe me. But that doesn’t matter.”
“Huh.”
Verratti let out a breath of disbelief.
“So, that’s what you want to say? That you found the goddess?”
“Not proven yet.”
“So, would you like to prove it?”
“Yes. That requires the cooperation of the court.”
“What? Are you asking me to send you a saint? To sit down with the goddess and say, ‘Ah, this is our true goddess’? Do you think the court will allow that?”
“No, you don’t have to do that. Just lend me what you have.”
“… … .”
Verratti kept her mouth shut, but the Emperor continued speaking.
“How can I find out the ability of the person who can turn back time?”
“Why did the dice suddenly jump to that side?”
“I’m talking about finding a way to prove that trick.”
“… … .”
“I thought it was a prophecy, and I thought it was a calculation. Or I thought I had already experienced the future. And I understood that all three had similar conclusions. So, all that was left was to prove it. ”
“What on earth is that proof?”
“I’m planning something that the other person won’t like.”
The emperor explained as if he was happy.
“If there is someone who rolls the dice until he gets the value he wants, he can prove it by doing something that fixes the dice value.”
“But can’t the opponent just roll the dice again?”
“The timing of the dice roll will change.”
The Emperor nonchalantly denied Verratti’s words.
“If we make it so that the value will definitely come up 2 when we roll it ten times, the opponent will suddenly bring three dice, or try to manipulate the dice value on the ninth or eighth time. If we can just check that, we can check whether the opponent knows our future or not.”
The emperor shrugged his shoulders and said.
“Just planning won’t do. I have to act greedily to get what I want. If there’s something the other person might want, I have to step forward and snatch it first.”
“But what if the opponent turns back time again.”
“If the other person has that item without me knowing, then that would be proof that the other person is cheating. And if I could confirm that fact, I would be very happy.”
The emperor said with a smile.
“At least, it will serve as evidence that I can move beyond the plan I set.”
“… … .”
Verratti looked at the Emperor for a while with a dumbfounded expression.
……at least,
If I return alive, I’ll have something to report to the court.
The thought that crossed Verratti’s mind at that moment was something trivial.
*
“… … Looks fun?”
Bella, who was following closely behind the Emperor, asked.
“Good every time.”
“But the guy who was trying to get it ran away with it.”
“Because it’s meaningless if everyone doesn’t gather anyway. Rather, there was a harvest that was more than what I was trying to prove.”
The emperor spoke as he walked briskly through the dense forest.
“There are cases where the ivory stone breaks.”
“… … We don’t even know who our opponent is yet.”
“Really? I’m a luggage writer.”
At the emperor’s words, Bella simply tilted her head.
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