episode_0143

The amphitheater is considered one of the empire’s most famous landmarks.

This place, where knights’ jousting tournaments and swordsmanship competitions were held in peacetime, was also familiar to Rupert.

‘It seems like it was just yesterday that we did Agora.’

Rupert felt a new sense of excitement because the Agora, which could be called a competition between nobles, was also held in this circular stadium.

Unlike the previous Agora parties he had been called to, this time he was here to prepare for the finals of the Dual City he was planning.

“Move carefully, this is very expensive custom-made glass!”

Hired workers were busy setting up a special glass booth in the center of the circular stadium.

This was a duel room specially prepared for the final four matches of the Dual City that would take place in reality.

‘You can make it like a game stadium on Earth.’

Since Rupert loved games as much as comics, he planned to make the stage from the semi-finals to the finals, which could be called the final stage of this Dual City plan, like a game stadium.

This decision was not just for show, but also for the quality of the game.

On game day, the stadium would be packed with spectators, so we had to prepare for anything that might happen.

For example, we decided to create a dual room considering that there may be cases where players unintentionally foul after hearing the noise from the audience, or where players may not be able to concentrate due to noise.

In addition, while the output of the previously created dual table was limited to implementing the image of the card illustration, this dual room was able to go beyond the image of the illustration and actually attack and implement field effects.

‘I spent a lot of money on this.’

Rupert went to Krun as usual with the plan for the dual room.

‘Are you really going to make this?’

What Krun said, which could be understood even without him omitting it, was that this thing would require expensive parts to make, and it was obvious that Rupert would be horrified again when he heard the price.

‘Why not just use good ingredients?’

However, Rupert seemed indifferent to Kroon’s words and suggested using expensive ingredients without hesitation.

‘What the heck! Who are you!!! What did you do to Rupert!!’

Krun was startled by the bold decision and for a moment he thought someone was imitating Rupert.

‘Father, I think I have finally avenged my family’s grudge.’

But whether Krun was surprised by his bold decision or not, Rupert was already content.

-I would like to lend a little support to Professor Rupert’s activities to develop the cultural life of the people of the empire.

After his private meeting with the Emperor last time, Rupert celebrated by drinking all night with Esteban.

One reason they were so happy was that their plan had received royal approval.

‘Someone else’s money!!! And it’s the royal family’s money!!!’

This was because the Emperor, who was satisfied with Rupert’s plan, decided to grant him financial support.

The two, who remembered how they had embezzled a large amount of royal support money when they first created the comic book and used it for their own business, spent a lot of time thinking about how they would embezzle the money this time.

‘But isn’t it a bit dangerous?’

‘That’s true. At least the Princess had a shield back then, but now we could just get hit directly.’

Of course, Rupert and Esteban also know that if they mess around with this grant, everything they’ve worked so hard to achieve could go down the drain.

‘Well then, should I just throw some money at a dual room?’

‘That’s really great! If we make it with grant money, we can show off our money even though it’s not ours anyway.’

Since they were the ones who liked eating other people’s money for free more than anyone else, it was the moment when they decided to build a dual room using subsidies in no time.

And there was demand that exceeded their expectations.

-I would like to purchase a duel table.

The dual table was originally intended to bring people together, not to sell.

This brought in unexpected revenue as demand was higher than expected.

‘The dueling tables in the Somerset Goods shop or the theater are too crowded.’

‘That’s right. I’m playing a card game, and people are staring at me all the time.’

‘Oh, it would be nice if there was a place where I could play games quietly.’

Some nobles were reluctant to go to the Somerset Goods Shop or the theater, where dueling tables were available for free, as they were always crowded with people wanting to duel.

Of course, in case you don’t have a duel table, they also sell a type of board game board called a play mat.

The nobles who had already seen the splendid features of the dual table were not satisfied.

And the people who tried to purchase dual tables to meet the demands of such nobles were the owners of the salons.

The salon was a place where nobles could socialize, talk, and drink alcohol.

After one of those salons ordered and installed a dual table directly in the Somerset workshop, their customers and sales doubled, and everyone else started installing dual tables competitively.

Since then, duel tables have become a sort of basic option in places where the imperial nobility gathers.

***

The preliminary round of the official tournament is being held simultaneously throughout the empire.

The preliminary matches held at the top branches of each region were conducted in a unique manner.

“Look at that guy! He’s already winning.”

Everyone who participated in the preliminary round was given a card, which was titled ‘Victorian’s Glory’.

Naturally, as it was a card made in the Somerset workshop, it could not be counterfeited, and collecting at least 10 of these cards through duels was a condition for passing the preliminary round.

And now that the preliminaries have begun, there are already people who have started dueling and have their results out.

The winner who leisurely organizes the cards he used in the duel, and the loser who is frustrated and can’t believe his defeat.

‘Hmm, if this is the rule, then it won’t be disadvantageous to hold the preliminaries in the capital.’

The victorious man put the cards he had organized back into the deck case and thought.

At first, when it was announced that preliminary matches would be held in each branch of the upper Yuren region, it was expected that the capital and other populous cities would be the battlegrounds.

Because the rule only required collecting 10 cards, it was safe to say that there was no regional variation.

“That was a good match.”

“Ugh… How could there not have been rumors about this duelist until now?”

The man who had just lost the duel and had his cards taken away felt unreal.

He had a hobby of collecting and researching cards with his acquaintances in an aristocratic society called the Dojinhoe.

Although he was considered a skilled player among them who could duel at a high level, he was eliminated on the first day of the preliminaries after losing to the opponent he dueled with for the first time.

‘8 chapters left?’

Prince William received the winner’s glory card from the loser and thought about the remaining duels.

Up until now, storybooks and comic books had never interested him, but card games that featured fierce battles were exactly his thing.

Some people criticized it as a game of luck, but in his view, the most important thing in this game was to read your own design and the psychology of your opponent.

And it was William who was more confident than anyone in the empire.

***

“This card’s effect can be ‘used’ once per turn, so if the activation is nullified, it cannot be used again.”

The Imperial Guards were exhausted from their recent increased missions.

“No! Didn’t you rule last time that it could be used again?”

“Didn’t it say that it can be ‘activated’ once per turn? In that case, it says in the rulebook that it can be used again even if the activation is nullified.”

Recently, the preliminary rounds for the official tournament were in full swing, and the commotion was so intense that the security guards had no choice but to step in to mediate.

Normally, all parties involved in causing a commotion would be dragged away, but since this competition was held with the approval of the Imperial Family, the Imperial Guard was assigned to judge any controversy that arose during the match.

Because of that, the guards were given the special order to study the rulebook in addition to the Imperial Code they had already memorized, which was a headache.

‘The difference between these two, triggering and being triggered, is this big?’

‘What’s the difference between choosing and choosing!’

‘This is driving me crazy. Why are there so many exceptions…?’

In fact, it was normal not to know properly about the effects of the card.

Even those who enjoy dueling didn’t know the exact effects, and it was difficult to know all the effects that changed drastically with just a single letter difference.

However, since it was the Imperial Guard that had the role of making the judgment when a fight broke out during a duel, they were forced to memorize the rulebook, and now there were no duelists who did not follow the judgment of the Imperial Guard.

“This is a scam!!!”

And in the case of those who could not accept the verdict, they could be dragged to the security guard on the spot, so the security guard was truly the best judge.

“Rash! Collect all 10 of our cards!!!”

“Boom!”

Ada cheers while holding 10 cards in her hand, and Rash barks along with Ada.

“That kid is really good?”

“That’s what I mean. I thought you were dueling after seeing your opponent’s cards.”

“That’s it? How lucky I am, the cards I need keep coming out.”

After the man who had been causing a commotion as if he couldn’t believe that he had been so badly defeated by a young girl was dragged away by the security guards, the spectators watching the match unanimously praised Ada’s skills.

Somerset Manor was a region with many skilled card game players, and in that fiercely contested arena, Ada confidently secured her spot in the main tournament.

And the Marquis and Rupert, who found out about this fact,

‘You didn’t hit me and take it, did you?’

It was a peaceful day in Somerset, with a small commotion breaking out as Ada became suspicious.