episode_0047

Why did the game get to this point?

Obviously, in the beginning, all we did was roll dice and purchase land. There were no problems until then.

In the first place, there was more land without an owner than land owned by someone. Even if you sometimes land on someone else’s land, the rent you pay is not very high.

Lucesil briefly wondered if her magic had gone wrong.

Until then, Monopoly had been peaceful, far from ominous or sinister. Of course, there was nothing for the players to get excited about.

‘It’s just a board game, but maybe I was thinking too much about it.’

… … … And it gradually became clear that this was an extremely complacent idea.

“I purchased three pieces of land of the same color in the East, so this is now my monopoly. Let’s build a building here.”

It started with Kyle Byron’s monopoly and the purchase of the building.

According to the rules he explained, if you build a building, you can collect more toll taxes, but the land must be exclusive.

In addition, there is a restriction that multiple buildings cannot be built in one place, and buildings must be built equally on all lands.

I didn’t know why that kind of restriction existed, but once the producer said so, I just accepted it.

Kyle Byron was the first to monopolize, but he only had 3 slots. If you rolled the dice well, you could avoid it.

‘Rather, Kyle Byron ran out of money to purchase the building, so he was unable to purchase more land.’

But you can’t avoid it forever. The person who got caught was her assistant.

and.

“90 gold.”

“Yes… … … .”

Certainly, the land on which the building was built was quite expensive. Considering that the toll was 18 gold when there was only land and no buildings, the figure was five times higher.

Kyle Byron used the toll to build additional buildings on the exclusive land.

Next was the wizard of the Arche Tower.

“250 gold.”

“… … Two hundred and fifty.”

“Adela?”

“… … … Okay.”

‘Two hundred and fifty!?’

When I first heard that price, I couldn’t believe my ears. Obviously, the toll tax, which was 90 gold when there was only one building, increased by about three times just because there was one more building.

Only then did Lukesil take a closer look at the board game board. To be exact, other players’ lands.

Lucesil and his assistant had the most land. It was natural since I continued to participate in the auction. However, because there was not much land that was monopolized, buildings could not be built, so the gold earned was extremely small.

In contrast, the Wizard of Arche seemed to be focused on monopolizing the board game, as he was Kyle Byron’s companion. However, as efforts were being made to expand the land at the same time, the money was insufficient.

And Kyle Byron.

They rarely bought other lands and only focused on the three exclusive spaces. It seemed stupid at first but───

‘… … gulp.’

Lukesil felt a cold sweat break out every time he got closer to Kyle Byron’s land.

Saying that you only have to avoid that land is the same as saying that if you get caught in that land, it will be the end.

I want to avoid it by paying money if possible, but the only means of transportation is dice. Lucesil closed her eyes tightly, prayed to her tower owner again, and then rolled the dice.

Sigh.

“What came out was… … 8. Oh my, you’ve arrived in my land?”

“Ahh!”

I cursed the tower owner in my heart.

250 gold. It’s a lot of money. In Lucesil, where there is almost no land on which buildings are built, other players must reach the land more than 10 times to earn money.

Nevertheless, Lukesil, who still had some money to spare, tried to pay the toll.

“700 gold.”

“Yes, yes!? Until just now, it was clear… … !!”

“The area where Adella was caught earlier was a land with two buildings, but the place where Lukesil is now is a land with three buildings.”

“… … Ah.”

It’s 700 gold, but considering that the money you received when you first started playing Monopoly was 1,500 gold, it’s an amount equivalent to half of your initial funds. Lukesil didn’t have that much cash.

Am I going to be eliminated like this? Will I be eliminated just because I had no luck with the dice?

While I was thinking that, Kyle Byron said something.

“If you don’t have enough money, it’s okay to give land.”

“Still… … Will it work?”

“Didn’t I tell you at the beginning? Whether it’s a building or land, everything can be traded.”

… … thinking back.

I should have been eliminated then.

It was best to get eliminated cleanly, considering it was just the land we had.

If so.

There would have been no need to have false hopes after that.

“Good. Then shall we begin?”

In fact, if you think about it, people have been caught in Kyle Byron’s land less than five times. Considering the number of turns that have taken place so far and the fact that Lucesil has received tolls more than 20 times, it was a very small number of times.

However, Luke Sil received a small toll, and Kyle Byron received a large amount of toll.

‘Monopoly… … … I said it meant monopoly.’

Luke Sil’s strategy in this game was wrong.

The moment the land was monopolized and a building was built, the land, which was just a lot, could never keep up with the monopoly.

With the money he earned, Kyle Byron literally did a cash grab.

“Twenty gold!”

“Thirty gold.”

“Four, thirty-five gold!”

“Forty gold.”

“Fifty gold!”

“Seventy gold.”

“Ugh… … … .”

He boasted of overwhelming financial power at the auction.

“Adela, wouldn’t you sell a piece of land over there?”

“If you sell this, won’t you be creating a monopoly? Absolutely not.”

“50 gold.”

“No.”

“80 gold.”

“Are you trying to buy me with this money? I’m disappointed.”

“120 gold.”

“… … … not… … Yes.”

“150 gold.”

“… … … … … .”

“200 gold.”

“The land document is here.”

“Thank you, Adela.”

Buy any land you want.

Meanwhile, if any of the three players were caught in Kyle Byron’s land, he had to pay 700 gold, so it seemed that Kyle’s funds were not drying up.

Isn’t it buying land at too high a price? Lucesil thought that, but realized that it was a meaningless thought anyway.

In the current board game board, there are not many monopolized lands. This is because Lucesil and her assistant purchased land at random.

Meanwhile, most of the exclusive land belongs to Kyle Byron.

In the end, the players were paying Kyle Byron more in toll fees than they received for the land.

and.

Kyle Byron’s land, monopoly, and buildings are increasing.

“… … … … Please.”

Later on, I almost prayed that I wouldn’t get caught in Kyle Byron’s land every turn.

Suddenly, Monopoly was no longer a game where players had to collect tolls from each other, but a game where one player had to avoid monopoly.

“Sally, can you give me 3,000 more gold? Everyone has no cash.”

“Do, Master. Now, Tuesday, the imperial family has no money… … … .”

“Already? I can’t help it.”

While other players were struggling with only a few hundred gold, Kyle Byron only had a few hundred gold. To kill time, I borrowed thousands of gold using land as collateral, and all the fake money I had prepared was almost gone.

Could this be called a board game?

Having come this far, it felt like it could easily be called torture rather than a board game.

I hope my turn doesn’t come. I hope I roll the dice and don’t get caught in Kyle Byron’s land.

I can’t dream of a future where I can purchase more land, monopolize it, and build buildings.

Days spent desperately trying to avoid Kyle, who had become an overwhelmingly wealthy man.

like that.

“Don’t worry. You won’t feel any pain. I’ll kill you in one breath.”

“Ah, Adella!?”

“I felt it last time too, but this devil’s board game should be eliminated immediately. If you don’t want to die, destroy this Monopoly board game… … … .”

“You’d rather kill me.”

“… … … … … .”

The game is over. Since the beginning, Kyle Byron has maintained an overwhelming first place position.

I couldn’t even dream of a reversal. A board game that is so miserable, unpleasant, and upsetting that you feel a little envious of the teaching assistant who was eliminated first.

Lukesil realized why she felt ominous about the name Monopoly.

‘The players are just a little excited?’

Lucesil thought of Kyle Byron’s words and inadvertently let out a laugh. Especially since I’m somehow holding back the thought of wanting to use magic like the wizard of Arche.

Something like this, something like this.

“What would happen if this was made a meeting event at the academy?”

“… … … Kyle.”

“Lukesil. Do you remember the demands written in the letter Lucesil sent?”

“Of course.”

When I sent the letter, I asked for a board game to be produced and also included a special ‘condition’.

That was the minimum measure for Astron Magic Tower to escape 6th place this time.

“It must be a game that can be played by 6 players. Since all players are wizards, this is a game that uses your brain rather than your body. It is a game that can be somewhat left to luck.”

and.

“There… … … If possible, it should be a game where you can overwhelm other players when you come in first place.”

“… … … … .”

It was a condition that included defeat and revenge up to now.

… … It wasn’t just for Lucecil’s personal feelings.

More than that, it was for the wizards who chose Astron.

‘You can’t say in front of the kids that they’re only applying one-on-one because your skills aren’t good enough.’

At first, Lucesil taught with more enthusiasm, and the students also worked hard to escape last place this time.

Since this has been going on for five consecutive years, the overall feeling that it will not work anyway is slowly spreading.

‘I heard that he is secretly ignored by wizards in other fields.’

How much damage will that cause to your self-esteem? How much resentment must have built up?

To turn this situation around, simply escaping last place or coming in first place is not enough.

Overwhelming, first place that unilaterally crushes other places.

Lucesil wanted that.

It could have been such a big dream as I had to worry about whether or not I would come in last place again this year, but wasn’t Kyle Byron the last rope I held on to?

“Lukesil, what do you want to do? Monopoly… … Would you like to select?”

If those words sound like the devil’s whispers, is it because of my mood?

What the wizard of Arche said was correct. This board game called Monopoly is truly the devil’s game. This is a game that shouldn’t exist.

Nevertheless.

“We… … Can you win?”

If only her students could break away from that defeatist, gloomy atmosphere and be happy.

Lukesil could even hold the devil’s hand.

… … As a bonus, she saves money for her retirement.

“I like fair board games. Originally, I would not have done anything to help one side separately.”

“… … … Those words.”

“If you follow just one condition, I will give you several tips to help you get first place in Astron. Of course, I am only giving you strategies, so I cannot be confident that you will come in first place.”

“It’s enough.”

This is a strategy taught directly by the producer. It may be magic, but if it was a competition with brains, the current Astron had a good chance of winning.

That’s what Lucesil thought.

‘But what are the conditions…? … … ?’

Kyle Byron, no, what are the conditions under which the devil would speak?

The moment when Lucesil trembled at the inexplicable ominousness creeping in.

“────, how are you?”

“Well, what is that!?”

“If you don’t accept it, I won’t give you any advice.”

“But… … … … .”

Kyle Byron, who had gone from being a genius board game creator to a truly devilish person, was laughing inside Luke Sil’s head.

Perhaps it was because of his mood, but it seemed to Lukesil like a devilish smile.

In fact, Arche’s wizard, maid, and water spirit were also shaking.

“Wait a minute. You, please think again. Are you out of your mind?”

“Ma, that’s right! Master, are you serious… … ?”

[Rung!]

“I’m serious. Wouldn’t that be the only way to call it ‘fair’?”

“… … … … .”

“Lucesil, in the end, it is your choice. What would you like to do?”

“… … … I.”

iced coffee.

All students of the academy.

“I will accept it… … … .”

“Very good!”

I ended up bringing the devil.

Blame me… … …

*

next day.

Astron announced the event for this academy meeting.

“Monopoly? What game is this?”

“I heard it was made by Kyle Byron? It’s trustworthy like this.”

“Who is that?”

“Don’t you know the Abracadabra of Arche Tower? That’s the person who made it. To be exact, it’s not a fantasy, but a board game.”

“What… … ? He was designated as an honorary elder in Arche despite not being a wizard? I didn’t know your name.”

It was a board game called Monopoly.

“So what is this game in the end? If it’s a meeting sport, shouldn’t you at least practice in advance?”

“Look here. I heard it was installed in the Astron dormitory hall.”

“Oh, then would you like to go during break time? I guess we won’t be representing the meeting anyway, but I’m curious, right? That Kyle Byron game.”

“Wait a minute, Byron? From what I remember, Byron is definitely the head of Natura… … … ?”

Under the ‘condition’ set by Kyle Byron, Monopoly was installed in Astron’s dormitory and opened to the public, so any academy student could experience it.

Naturally, many students flocked to Astron Tower after the lecture.

… … … so.

“You bastard!? Why are you buying that?”

“Is there a rule that says I can’t buy it?”

“Then I can’t have a monopoly!!”

“If you ask me, I will buy it again. I’ll sell it for exactly twice the auction price.”

“This bastard!!”

The Academy is also in chaos.

Perhaps it had already been decided.