episode_0044

Four days have already passed since we stayed in the duchy.

It was my first time meeting Lacia in a long time, and the Duke asked me to hang out with Lacia for a while.

From what I heard, dozens of board game players were called, but no one went inside the spire, let alone Lacia.

In the meantime, the Duke seemed to have some confidence when he saw that I met Lacia right away after returning after a month.

I am confident that I am the only one who can meet Lacia.

‘If you think about it, I did meet Sally and Adela.’

After the first day, Lacia said only I could come in, and Sally and Adela also said they wouldn’t go to the spire.

I thought those three had become close while I was working and playing spirit poker, but I guess that wasn’t the case.

Even if you ask Sally what happened.

──Ta, nothing special happened!

──Really?

──Well, don’t worry, master. I will definitely protect you, Master!

I’m protecting it. Even if Sally was originally my exclusive and escort maid, why did I have to say that while fiddling with my dagger?

For some reason, I felt like my scar was throbbing, so I thought that was it and ran away.

‘Anyway, I’m glad Sally is okay too.’

Is it because of that elemental magic? Additionally, thanks to Adela’s sleeping magic, Sally’s seizure was easily overcome.

Anyway, even if someone grabs me by the collar, I fasten the collar around my neck again so that the scar is not visible.

As I had done since the first day, I climbed the spire and played spirit poker with Lacia.

His win-loss record is 23 wins and 22 losses in 45 matches.

It was natural, but it was the result of my own control.

“This… … It’s the spirit of lightning.”

“… … That’s right.”

“That’s not true! This is my victory!”

“Why, at this timing… … … .”

He sometimes misspelled Lacia’s cards that he knew, and pretended to make a mistake while reciting the information on the cards to control his chances of winning or losing.

It’s right to look at it. But it was also necessary.

Lacia’s spirit poker skills… … To put it bluntly.

‘I’m really bad at it.’

I realized it when I first got closer to Lacia, but even after a month, Lacia’s skills did not improve at all.

Losing on purpose is something the opponent only notices if they have a certain level of skill. If I had played with intention, I think I would have lost 22 or barely 2.

Even considering that spirit poker is a psychological warfare game, I felt that Lacia’s skills were a bit harsh.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It wasn’t that I wasn’t having fun.

I’m just worried about playing board games with people other than me.

‘The spirits… … From what I see, it looks like they will entertain you unconditionally.’

Maybe I played a board game with Sally and Adela and lost miserably, so I got angry at them. It was a guess worth considering seriously.

Common sense tells us that if we play a board game with three people, we can’t help but become close friends.

Board games are divine and invincible. Unless you’re lifelong enemies or trying to kill each other, you can probably become friends through board games.

If that was the case, it would have been difficult for me to intervene. In the end, the parties have no choice but to resolve the issue well.

‘Should I recommend playing a board game again?’

It would be okay if I gave Sally and Adela a heads up and played a board game together again.

However, it was a bit embarrassing to ask Lacia outright, ‘Did your relationship worsen because you lost so badly in the board game?’

I was trying to take advantage of the opportunity to encourage the women to play a board game.

Lacia, who was sorting out the cards in Spirit Poker, looked at me.

“Kyle.”

“Yes, princess. I won’t lose next time.”

“Are you going to leave?”

“… … … … … .”

Yes, of course you have to leave. Because I can’t stay in the Duchy of Everts for the rest of my life.

I just didn’t know if Lacia would ask that first. The last time I left the duchy, I didn’t leave on a good note.

How should I answer?

“Princess, that is.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t mean to get angry like last time… … Still, I’m upset.”

“… … Princess.”

“Kyle, if you leave, I’ll be alone again.”

“Aren’t there spirits? And His Excellency the Duke… … … .”

“You said it right? I’m your board game friend. You may have many board game friends, but you are the only board game friend I have.”

“… … … … .”

A spirit who unconditionally loses to Lacia, a duke who cares for her but at the same time tries to pull her from the spire.

In the end, I was the only friend that Lacia could open up to and play board games with.

… … It was also something I was constantly concerned about.

“But the princess.”

“I have no intention of leaving the spire. You’re okay, but… … If I follow you, I will see countless people. That’s so scary to me.”

Lacia, who said that, was smiling a very sad smile.

If she said she wanted to follow me, it seemed like the duke would agree after much thought, but Lacia’s own problem remained.

“So… … Instead, take the water tiger with you.”

“Water tiger, you mean?”

“Speak to her often as if she were me, pet her, hold her in your arms, smell her, and sleep with her when she sleeps. Oh, but that doesn’t mean you can forget the letter?”

“… … Okay.”

The water tiger must have returned to Lacia and told her what had happened so far. There are limits to the news you receive through my letters.

Even in that way, Lacia didn’t seem to want to break up with me.

Then, when you return to this spire later, Lacia will be able to know what happened.

“Anyway, it’s a coincidence.”

“Huh?”

“Up until now, I have slept with a water tiger, petted it, and even held it in my arms. It’s an interesting coincidence that the princess said that… … … Ah, did you hear from the water tiger?”

“… … It’s like that.”

“Anyway, I understand. But that doesn’t mean I’m leaving right away today.”

Chop rock.

I can’t continue to be in a gloomy mood.

He deliberately raises the tension and uses hand techniques to spread out the cards in a flashy manner.

“Then, shall we play board games all day today?”

“Yes!”

There will come a day when Lacia will go outside the spire.

But I was extremely disappointed.

Until Lacia leaves the spire.

That I was the only friend who would truly play board games with this pure and kind girl.

That was the only thing that was unfortunate.

*

“… … … … .”

Lacia, who was looking out the huge window with the sunlight coming in from the top floor of the spire, closed her eyes for a moment.

Because if I did that, I could only think of happy memories instead of reality.

Meeting with spirits, memories with my mother.

And memories of playing board games with Kyle Byron.

It only lasted a few days at most, but every moment I spent playing spirit poker with him was precious.

And that’s why.

“You’re here.”

“… … Because the princess called me.”

“Pa, just tell me the business quickly. Because I have to be by your side, Master.”

“It’s okay. Because it will be over soon.”

Just for today, I had no choice but to let those uninvited guests into the spire.

Awe, friendship, atonement.

It was only a few days ago that I checked each of my thoughts and feelings.

Why? Lacia felt discomfort and discomfort deep in her heart.

I had a hunch. Those two and Lacia can never be close friends.

And that goes for those two as well.

“I heard you are leaving today.”

“Yo, you figured it out, right? Yes, those spirits are stealing, right? W, like a disgusting stalker.”

“I somewhat agree with what the maid said. The princess will still be in the spire anyway. You’re ugly.”

“It doesn’t matter how you say it. Because I’m just doing my duty as a friend.”

Just for today.

“I think the warning I gave last time wasn’t enough.”

“M, well… … ?”

“… … This is.”

“So, let’s do it right again.”

Quad deuk.

In an instant, the room becomes dark.

It wasn’t because the light in Lacia’s room was turned off or the curtains were drawn on the window.

This was because the ‘something’ next to Lacia continued to grow exponentially in size.

[Growl!]

[Whirl!]

[Shut up!]

[Meow!]

Spirits.

Beings made of pure elements and taking the form of beasts.

Spirits such as tigers made of water, horses made of wind, and birds made of lightning have a relatively benign and even cute appearance.

But in the end, that’s just normal life.

The wild spirits, and the spirits that entered into a battle stance after contracting with a spiritist.

It was definitely not a cute creature.

[growl!!!]

It transforms the body in response to the spiritist’s commands, and dyes the body in color in response to the spiritist’s emotions.

Because of this, since ancient times, those who were hostile to the Spiritualist used the color of the Spirit to understand the Spiritualist’s emotions.

Red is anger, purple is jealousy, white is forgiveness, etc.

Even the maids and wizards knew that much common sense.

And, the colors of the spirits now are───

“… … Black.”

“Ji, you really are a crazy bitch… … ?”

“Well.”

──Black, like pitch black.

There was only one emotion that color meant.

Hostility.

That too, an intense thing that is only seen when a spirit master encounters an enemy of the greatest magnitude.

[Growl.]

[Whirl.]

[Sigh.]

[Meow.]

The crying sound did not change. Rather, it was even more heterogeneous.

It changes its appearance from that of a beast to that of a monster, and its entire body is stained black, with only its eyes shining red.

The strength of a spirit can be judged based on the intensity of its shape and color.

And now, the spirits of Lacia are not much different from the ferocious spirits that have tasted humans that can only be found in the north.

What does it mean that it has a similar color and shape to the spirits that are locally called disasters?

That gave us an idea of what level Lacia had reached as a spiritist.

There are several, or even dozens, of spirits that can easily destroy a village with just one spirit.

Those huge bodies block the windows and block the light shining into the room.

The red eyes of the spirits shine in a somewhat darkened room.

Lacia laughed in front of him.

“I’ll warn you again. The eyes of the spirits are all mine.”

“… … … … .”

“… … … … … .”

“If you try to hurt Kyle or presumptuously covet him with such trivial reverence and atonement.”

[Growl!!!]

“Because my friendship will not leave you alone. Think carefully.”

A spirit in the form of a tiger roars. It was made of blue water, but now it turned into a black and ferocious wave, threatening the maid and wizard in its most gigantic form.

That was the appearance of a spirit that had been with a certain spiritist for the longest period of time.

In front of the water spirit, who had reached a similar level to the spirit king, the princess loved by the spirit laughed at the maid and wizard.

At most, a maid who uses a dagger, and at most a high-ranking wizard.

It was a smile that said they were indeed the same.

“Ah, maid. If you can, stab me in the neck again. Just like it was in Hwangseong.”

“… … Do you think I can’t do it?”

“You can do it. Instead, you will die.”

“… … … … .”

It was more than a provocation and a declaration of war.

All of this.

This happened while Kyle was carefully dusting off his board games… … …

*

Academy in the Imperial Capital.

It was established by the first emperor himself, and was created to show off the empire’s power after it became the continent’s hegemony.

In the beginning, it was just for show, but later, as the empire solidified its foundation, its location changed.

Nobles who wanted to impress the emperor sent their children, and those who wanted to advance to the capital also sent their children, and as connections and interests unique to the academy were gradually formed, more and more nobles gathered.

Now, more than 200 years after the first emperor, it is an educational institution in a unique position in the empire.

Although it is formal, an archmage serves as the dean, and as children of noble families flock to the school, the quality of education naturally improves.

Therefore, in the case of magic, each of the six major magic towers sends a high-ranking wizard to teach them, and depending on how many students attend which magic tower’s lectures, it can become a battle of wits between the magic towers.

And one of the academy’s wizards was writing a letter with solemn determination.

“Lu, Lukesil. Are you sure you don’t mind…? … ? I understand what the situation is right now, but it’s still okay.”

“Then do you think there is another way than this? This is the last time. Even if you don’t know if this letter will ever get delivered in the first place, you have to try.”

“Don’t you know the power of the Arche Magic Tower these days? In such a place, people who were not even wizards were designated as elders, even though they were exceptions! There is no way the Arkhe Magic Tower would send such a talented person… … … .”

“If he is that talented, he can solve our current situation.”

“Lucesil!”

“In the end, I just send a letter. If the tower’s prestige declines because of this, I will take responsibility. I need him more than that.”

The recipient of the long, verbose letter was Arche Matap.

The recipient is.

“Genius board game creator… … If so, definitely.”

“… … Lucesil.”

“You could help us.”

It was Kyle Byron.