It was May 17th. Faraday, a wizard belonging to the Wizard Association, was out on duty after receiving an absurd order from the association.
“Approach Princess Theresa Squire and uncover the secrets of the dungeon.”
Thus, Faraday was attending the Valhalla Festival.
“How on earth are you supposed to find such a secret by approaching her on the festival day? Anyway, what are the ideas that come out of the head when doing desk work? I don’t even know anything about the situation.”
He approached the sign through the crowded crowd, swearing at the association’s rotten system.
“The location of Clybe… Here it is.”
He had heard of the absurd social club of young ladies who wanted to become the bride-to-be of the chairman’s grandson. No matter what he looked at, it would be a bunch of mindless young ladies gathering, playing the piano, and arguing over the taste of dessert. Everything that young ladies of that age did together was uncreative and boring. How can a grown-up man like him be in that place?
“Ugh. It seems like the alcohol I drank yesterday is coming back.”
Faraday sighed deeply with negative energy and headed towards the Clybe club room. But then, he stopped.
“…Is this the right place?”
He approached the entrance, glancing at a long line to enter the club room. It was to make sure whether this was really Clybe.
♩♬ ♩♬ ♩♬ ♩♬! In the club room, a song with a very strange and unique melody was heard, not something you would normally hear at a party. The regular rhythm made him feel like he was in a secret place.
As he was pacing around with a puzzled expression, a woman wrapped in a black robe approached him. His opponent’s face wasn’t visible due to her large hood and black butterfly mask that covered more than half of her face. She must be a Valhalla student…
“Welcome, Player.”
“…Pardon? Player?”
Faraday asked back in a dazed voice and blinked his eyes blankly. Meanwhile, the woman introduced herself.
“I’m ‘Black Butterfly,’ the game master of ‘Valhalla Arcade’.”
Faraday felt strangely overwhelmed and swallowed dry saliva. He felt something unknown was going on.
“Ah, yes. N-nice to meet you…”
The black butterfly pointed to the side. “If you want to participate in the game, please go to the ticket box and purchase the game money.”
Faraday moved to the ticket box as if possessed. At the ticket box was a woman sitting in a chair, wearing a black robe with a hood like the black butterfly and a goblin mask with horns on her face.
“I’m here to buy game money.”
The goblin said, pointing at the price tag on the table. “This card is game money, ‘coin,’ that can be used when you want to participate in the game. 1 coin is 10,000 guerlains. 10 coins is 90,000 guerlains.”
The coin wasn’t real money but a card with a beautiful butterfly.
Faraday wondered why she introduced such a cumbersome system. At that time, a noble lady approached and then burst out in admiration.
“Oh my, how cute. Are you selling these butterfly cards? Just give me one.”
“It’s 10,000 guerlains.”
“Yes, here.”
Only then did Faraday realize that the card itself could become a souvenir.
From then on, he could see nobles who weren’t interested in the game buying the cards one by one because they were pretty. But game money wasn’t created for just that reason. Considering the cost of hiring a painter, he thought it was a bit of a waste.
Anyway, game money was surprisingly reasonably cheap. Of course, it may have been because of the strict restrictions on profiteering in Valhalla. Still, it was too insignificant compared to the 300,000 guerlains for a ticket concert. In addition, if you buy 10 coins, you could save 10,000 guerlains.
This is why this club isn’t the number one club. He was familiar with the Hall of Fame, as its reputation had grown to the point where it was even known in the capital society.
“I’ll take ten.”
After purchasing game money, he went to the waiting line and waited for entry. At that time, he heard the group talking in the front row.
“If I had known this would be the case, I should have bought 50 coins from the beginning.”
“That’s right. If I had enough game money, I wouldn’t have to wait outside like this.”
“…”
Was 10 coins too few?
Faraday suddenly felt regret.
Huh. No. I’m not here to play games. I’m here to meet Princess Squire.
The waiting line quickly shortened, allowing him to enter the club room. The interior was very spacious, and booths were set up everywhere to play games. In addition, there was a suitable rest area with tea and refreshments being sold there too.
It’s a way for people to spend more time in the club room.
There was no reason to go outside as long as it was fun here. Then, you would naturally continue spending money, so it was a smart idea.
Are there any merchants among the club members?
He looked around. The number of game masters was quite large; they all seemed to be Valhalla students.
“The performance was also done by the game masters themselves. Huh.”
Except for the people who made and sold the food here, everything was run by the game masters themselves. It differed from other clubs where small tasks were left to the employees.
Anyway, where is Princess Squire?
Faraday wasn’t the type to be associated with parties, so he didn’t know what Theresa looked like. All he knows is that she’s a great beauty that doesn’t match her bad temper. However, the game masters were all hidden behind large masks, so it was difficult to see who was the beauty.
At that time, another game master approached him. “Hello, Player. Is this your first time here?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Please write your name here.”
“Yes.”
Faraday’s name tag was created in an instant.
“Now you can choose the game you want to play. If you have a hard time choosing, we will make recommendations based on level of difficulty.”
Faraday was unknowingly nervous in an unfamiliar situation and somehow felt relieved. That’s very kind. Although he was a bit apprehensive about adapting to the rules of this club room, the game masters quickly noticed his discomfort. They approached him to let him know what to do. They provided the game tutorial so that he could adapt naturally. Maybe that’s why, for the first time in a long time, he felt pleasant excitement instead of the sharp tension he felt when dealing with something unfamiliar.
Instead of ignoring the young lady, Faraday asked her in a polite manner. “I want to try an easy game first. Can you recommend it for me?”
“Of course. Please come here.”
Faraday realized something new as he was passing the booth. Not all games use only 1 coin. Depending on the type of game, you had to pay 2 or 3 coins at once.
The game he was guided to was ‘Tower of Hanoi,’ which cost 1 coin. A detailed description of the game was written separately on the table.
“Hoo. You can’t put a big disk on top of a small disk?”
“That’s right. You can move the three disks to the other pillars until the sand in the hourglass runs out.”
Faraday put out one coin and moved the disk to another pillar.
“Wow!”
“That guy is so fast!”
Perhaps because it was a game aimed at adults, all the people gathered were children. He awkwardly moved the disk and looked at the game master.
“That’s amazing. Very few people have moved a disc at such a high speed.”
“It’s just something like this. Cough.”
Honestly, it was a boring game for him to play, but he couldn’t help but feel good hearing the praise.
Faraday asked as he gained the courage to try a more difficult game. “What is the most popular game here?”
Then, the game master pointed to the back. By all accounts, it was the place where most players and spectators were gathered.
“It’s a card flipping game.”
Faraday felt his curiosity piqued and went there. The association’s instruction to approach Theresa had been completely erased from his mind.
The smooth walls contained only three large panels wrapped in black velvet. The pure white cards on the board were stuck in rows and rows, ignoring gravity, and it seemed like adsorption magic had been used.
The rules of the game were simple. All you had to do was memorize the positions of a pair of identical picture cards for a set amount of time and quickly flip them over.
The game had three stages.
[4×4]
[8×8]
[12×12]
The number of cards increased from the left board to the right board, and the game fee was 3 coins. In addition to the explanation, a large warning sign was posted here.
[Anyone who gives advice will be punished with silencing magic. Please understand that you may be kicked out if it’s severe.]
“Wow. It’s a good game to give advice.”
Because it was a simple memorization game that didn’t require any special intellectual ability, there was a risk that anyone would reveal the location. So, there was also a reason to thoroughly avoid such actions. It was because of the ranking system.
Faraday confirmed the [12×12 Ranking] board.
[1st place Reini Rose.]
[2nd place Felix Lockhart.]
.
.
.
The goal wasn’t simply to beat the game but also who could flip all the cards the fastest. When their record was broken, several people were seen purchasing many coins to create an even more overwhelming record.
Hmm. Simple memorization is easy. He confidently tried to challenge [12×12]. But was stopped by the game master.
“[12×12] is only offered to those who have cleared the previous two stages. This rule was created because otherwise, the play time would be too long, so please cooperate.”
Faraday was convinced that it was a reasonable rule. He started the game from [4×4]. And.
“…20th place?”
He thought he had flipped over the cards at a satisfactory pace, but his ranking in [4×4] ended up only at 20th place.
“I’ll do it one more time!”
Then someone talked to him from behind. “Mister, can’t you see someone waiting behind you?”
It was a boy with black hair and light green eyes. Even at first glance, he had an unusual appearance and was dressed in flashy clothes.
Faraday shyly stepped aside. The boy sighed with an expressionless face and started playing the game.
“The end.”
“…?!”
The game master spoke. “Congratulations on winning first place.”
The boy shrugged his shoulders cheekily. “That’s boring.” Then he immediately moved to the [8×8].
Faraday hurriedly checked the boy’s name on the ranking board.
[1st place Giuseppe Squire.]
It was May 17th. Faraday, a wizard belonging to the Wizard Association, was out on duty after receiving an absurd order from the association.
“Approach Princess Theresa Squire and uncover the secrets of the dungeon.”
Thus, Faraday was attending the Valhalla Festival.
“How on earth are you supposed to find such a secret by approaching her on the festival day? Anyway, what are the ideas that come out of the head when doing desk work? I don’t even know anything about the situation.”
He approached the sign through the crowded crowd, swearing at the association’s rotten system.
“The location of Clybe… Here it is.”
He had heard of the absurd social club of young ladies who wanted to become the bride-to-be of the chairman’s grandson. No matter what he looked at, it would be a bunch of mindless young ladies gathering, playing the piano, and arguing over the taste of dessert. Everything that young ladies of that age did together was uncreative and boring. How can a grown-up man like him be in that place?
“Ugh. It seems like the alcohol I drank yesterday is coming back.”
Faraday sighed deeply with negative energy and headed towards the Clybe club room. But then, he stopped.
“…Is this the right place?”
He approached the entrance, glancing at a long line to enter the club room. It was to make sure whether this was really Clybe.
♩♬ ♩♬ ♩♬ ♩♬! In the club room, a song with a very strange and unique melody was heard, not something you would normally hear at a party. The regular rhythm made him feel like he was in a secret place.
As he was pacing around with a puzzled expression, a woman wrapped in a black robe approached him. His opponent’s face wasn’t visible due to her large hood and black butterfly mask that covered more than half of her face. She must be a Valhalla student…
“Welcome, Player.”
“…Pardon? Player?”
Faraday asked back in a dazed voice and blinked his eyes blankly. Meanwhile, the woman introduced herself.
“I’m ‘Black Butterfly,’ the game master of ‘Valhalla Arcade’.”
Faraday felt strangely overwhelmed and swallowed dry saliva. He felt something unknown was going on.
“Ah, yes. N-nice to meet you…”
The black butterfly pointed to the side. “If you want to participate in the game, please go to the ticket box and purchase the game money.”
Faraday moved to the ticket box as if possessed. At the ticket box was a woman sitting in a chair, wearing a black robe with a hood like the black butterfly and a goblin mask with horns on her face.
“I’m here to buy game money.”
The goblin said, pointing at the price tag on the table. “This card is game money, ‘coin,’ that can be used when you want to participate in the game. 1 coin is 10,000 guerlains. 10 coins is 90,000 guerlains.”
The coin wasn’t real money but a card with a beautiful butterfly.
Faraday wondered why she introduced such a cumbersome system. At that time, a noble lady approached and then burst out in admiration.
“Oh my, how cute. Are you selling these butterfly cards? Just give me one.”
“It’s 10,000 guerlains.”
“Yes, here.”
Only then did Faraday realize that the card itself could become a souvenir.
From then on, he could see nobles who weren’t interested in the game buying the cards one by one because they were pretty. But game money wasn’t created for just that reason. Considering the cost of hiring a painter, he thought it was a bit of a waste.
Anyway, game money was surprisingly reasonably cheap. Of course, it may have been because of the strict restrictions on profiteering in Valhalla. Still, it was too insignificant compared to the 300,000 guerlains for a ticket concert. In addition, if you buy 10 coins, you could save 10,000 guerlains.
This is why this club isn’t the number one club. He was familiar with the Hall of Fame, as its reputation had grown to the point where it was even known in the capital society.
“I’ll take ten.”
After purchasing game money, he went to the waiting line and waited for entry. At that time, he heard the group talking in the front row.
“If I had known this would be the case, I should have bought 50 coins from the beginning.”
“That’s right. If I had enough game money, I wouldn’t have to wait outside like this.”
“…”
Was 10 coins too few?
Faraday suddenly felt regret.
Huh. No. I’m not here to play games. I’m here to meet Princess Squire.
The waiting line quickly shortened, allowing him to enter the club room. The interior was very spacious, and booths were set up everywhere to play games. In addition, there was a suitable rest area with tea and refreshments being sold there too.
It’s a way for people to spend more time in the club room.
There was no reason to go outside as long as it was fun here. Then, you would naturally continue spending money, so it was a smart idea.
Are there any merchants among the club members?
He looked around. The number of game masters was quite large; they all seemed to be Valhalla students.
“The performance was also done by the game masters themselves. Huh.”
Except for the people who made and sold the food here, everything was run by the game masters themselves. It differed from other clubs where small tasks were left to the employees.
Anyway, where is Princess Squire?
Faraday wasn’t the type to be associated with parties, so he didn’t know what Theresa looked like. All he knows is that she’s a great beauty that doesn’t match her bad temper. However, the game masters were all hidden behind large masks, so it was difficult to see who was the beauty.
At that time, another game master approached him. “Hello, Player. Is this your first time here?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Please write your name here.”
“Yes.”
Faraday’s name tag was created in an instant.
“Now you can choose the game you want to play. If you have a hard time choosing, we will make recommendations based on level of difficulty.”
Faraday was unknowingly nervous in an unfamiliar situation and somehow felt relieved. That’s very kind. Although he was a bit apprehensive about adapting to the rules of this club room, the game masters quickly noticed his discomfort. They approached him to let him know what to do. They provided the game tutorial so that he could adapt naturally. Maybe that’s why, for the first time in a long time, he felt pleasant excitement instead of the sharp tension he felt when dealing with something unfamiliar.
Instead of ignoring the young lady, Faraday asked her in a polite manner. “I want to try an easy game first. Can you recommend it for me?”
“Of course. Please come here.”
Faraday realized something new as he was passing the booth. Not all games use only 1 coin. Depending on the type of game, you had to pay 2 or 3 coins at once.
The game he was guided to was ‘Tower of Hanoi,’ which cost 1 coin. A detailed description of the game was written separately on the table.
“Hoo. You can’t put a big disk on top of a small disk?”
“That’s right. You can move the three disks to the other pillars until the sand in the hourglass runs out.”
Faraday put out one coin and moved the disk to another pillar.
“Wow!”
“That guy is so fast!”
Perhaps because it was a game aimed at adults, all the people gathered were children. He awkwardly moved the disk and looked at the game master.
“That’s amazing. Very few people have moved a disc at such a high speed.”
“It’s just something like this. Cough.”
Honestly, it was a boring game for him to play, but he couldn’t help but feel good hearing the praise.
Faraday asked as he gained the courage to try a more difficult game. “What is the most popular game here?”
Then, the game master pointed to the back. By all accounts, it was the place where most players and spectators were gathered.
“It’s a card flipping game.”
Faraday felt his curiosity piqued and went there. The association’s instruction to approach Theresa had been completely erased from his mind.
The smooth walls contained only three large panels wrapped in black velvet. The pure white cards on the board were stuck in rows and rows, ignoring gravity, and it seemed like adsorption magic had been used.
The rules of the game were simple. All you had to do was memorize the positions of a pair of identical picture cards for a set amount of time and quickly flip them over.
The game had three stages.
[4×4]
[8×8]
[12×12]
The number of cards increased from the left board to the right board, and the game fee was 3 coins. In addition to the explanation, a large warning sign was posted here.
[Anyone who gives advice will be punished with silencing magic. Please understand that you may be kicked out if it’s severe.]
“Wow. It’s a good game to give advice.”
Because it was a simple memorization game that didn’t require any special intellectual ability, there was a risk that anyone would reveal the location. So, there was also a reason to thoroughly avoid such actions. It was because of the ranking system.
Faraday confirmed the [12×12 Ranking] board.
[1st place Reini Rose.]
[2nd place Felix Lockhart.]
.
.
.
The goal wasn’t simply to beat the game but also who could flip all the cards the fastest. When their record was broken, several people were seen purchasing many coins to create an even more overwhelming record.
Hmm. Simple memorization is easy. He confidently tried to challenge [12×12]. But was stopped by the game master.
“[12×12] is only offered to those who have cleared the previous two stages. This rule was created because otherwise, the play time would be too long, so please cooperate.”
Faraday was convinced that it was a reasonable rule. He started the game from [4×4]. And.
“…20th place?”
He thought he had flipped over the cards at a satisfactory pace, but his ranking in [4×4] ended up only at 20th place.
“I’ll do it one more time!”
Then someone talked to him from behind. “Mister, can’t you see someone waiting behind you?”
It was a boy with black hair and light green eyes. Even at first glance, he had an unusual appearance and was dressed in flashy clothes.
Faraday shyly stepped aside. The boy sighed with an expressionless face and started playing the game.
“The end.”
“…?!”
The game master spoke. “Congratulations on winning first place.”
The boy shrugged his shoulders cheekily. “That’s boring.” Then he immediately moved to the [8×8].
Faraday hurriedly checked the boy’s name on the ranking board.
[1st place Giuseppe Squire.]
