“Have you ever played dice games?”
When Velati first sat down with Emperor Arthur III, the words he pulled out were nothing short of cloud fluff to her, who was prepared for death.
“… Dice games?”
“Anything that uses dice. Board games are fine, and street dice games by street performers are okay, right? Or haven’t you seen anything like that in a casino? There should be gambling like that.”
“…”
Velati kept her mouth shut and glared at the emperor. Even after meeting that perverted woman in the fox mask, the emperor’s expression remained utterly unchanged.
Even with a cathedral knight with undeniable power right in front of him, the emperor maintained a calm smile, treating her like a child.
The gas lamp on the table flickered, casting shallow shadows on the emperor’s face.
If someone were to attempt an assassination, now would be a ripe opportunity.
Velati wasn’t even restrained in any way.
However, the fact that the emperor was having a one-on-one conversation with Velati was also a sign of his confidence that he could handle someone like her alone.
Fanggriffon.
There was no evidence that the myth actually existed. But as if trying to prove that the evidence was real, all the emperors throughout history possessed formidable power. Nobody thought it was possible with bloodlines alone. Because of that, some emperors were suspected of switching children or making others within the royal family the throne heirs.
Thus, the Papal State had speculated that Sylvia Fanggriffon might become the emperor—
“Don’t you know? It’s a game where you roll dice and compete for numbers. You can challenge with higher numbers, or roll multiple dice to get the same number, or in order of numbers—”
“I know that much.”
Ignoring the emperor’s attempts to lead the conversation as he pleased, Velati answered tersely.
That was not the kind of reaction to show to an emperor. But the emperor seemed to not care at all. That attitude annoyed Velati even more.
“Yeah, that’s right. Not everyone plays games betting money, but is there anyone in the world who hasn’t even touched a die once?”
The emperor nodded and continued, crossing his legs to shift comfortably. It was a pose you’d expect while treating an old friend. Of course, the underground chamber wasn’t exactly a comfortable setting.
“If the opponent is in a situation where they absolutely can’t notice your trick—no, wait.”
The emperor paused, thinking perhaps his analogy was a bit off, before continuing.
“If the opponent knows your trick but is completely at a loss, what do you think you should do to win?”
“… Well, I’d naturally keep using the trick I was using.”
“What if you know the opponent is using tricks?”
“Even if I know, I have no choice but to fall for it, right?”
“That’s true.”
The emperor laughed, seemingly satisfied with Velati’s answer.
“What if you were the one being played?”
“… I’d try to make the opponent eat dirt somehow. You do realize I’m aware of the trick, right?”
“Even if it’s said you’re in a situation where you have to fall for the trick?”
“That means I don’t know the trick, but it doesn’t mean I don’t know the opponent.”
The emperor chuckled, finding Velati’s reply amusing. The huehuehue laugh sounded like that of a wicked villain, yet could also be mistaken for the amused chuckle of a middle-aged man sharing a funny story with a friend.
“What if the opponent were a goddess?”
“What?”
“It’s a dice game with a goddess. You both use the same dice. The die you use is a glass die, made so thin and weak that just one roll can shatter it. You can barely confirm the result. But the goddess’s die is made from carved ivory. It won’t wear out or break even after multiple rolls.”
The emperor continued as he wiggled his fingers placed on his lap.
“The rules of the game are simple. The one with the higher value wins. The dice can be rolled as many times as they like, whenever they want.”
“That’s a ridiculous rule.”
Velati responded in disbelief.
“You say one roll and you’re out. So what’s the point of saying you can roll as many times as you want?”
“Well, can’t you roll a 12 with just one throw?”
“Even so, it’s overwhelmingly unfair for us. And if the game has to follow such rules, then we have no choice but to accept it from the get-go. If the opponent adds one or two more dice, do we have the right to refuse?”
“No, we don’t. Because it’s a goddess.”
“… That’s true.”
At the emperor’s answer, Velati let out a deep sigh.
“If the opponent truly is a goddess, then we naturally have to bow down. Is it even reasonable to think of playing a game with the ruler of this world?”
“Is that so?”
“… You may be fine with it, but I am from the Papal State. A knight and a nun. Even if my personality is a bit unruly, that fact doesn’t change.”
“Hmm.”
The emperor smiled as if he found her answer pleasing.
“So, why are you asking such questions?”
“Who knows.”
The emperor spoke slowly, as if he was mulling it over.
“It seems that we may have found the goddess you were guessing.”
“…”
Velati fell silent for a moment before asking.
“………………What?”
After a long silence, she finally spoke.
“You probably won’t believe it. But it doesn’t matter.”
“Ha.”
Velati sighed, incredulously.
“So, does that mean you want to say you found a goddess?”
“Nothing has been proven yet.”
“So, you wish to prove it?”
“Yes. For that, I need the cooperation of the Papal State.”
“What, are you asking me to send a saint? To sit down with the goddess and say, ‘Ah, this person is indeed our true goddess!’ Do you think the Papal State will allow that?”
“What, there’s no need for that. I just need you to lend me your treasure.”
“……”
Velati kept her mouth shut, but the emperor continued to speak.
“How can we understand the power of one who turns back time?”
“Why are we suddenly talking about that in relation to dice?”
“I’m talking about finding a way to prove that trick.”
“……”
“I’ve thought about prophecy and calculation. Or the idea that one has already experienced the future. And I realized that all three conclusions are similar. If that’s the case, what remains is to prove it.”
“What exactly is that proof?”
“I’ll plan something that the opponent wouldn’t like.”
The emperor explained with delight.
“If someone keeps rolling dice to get the value they want, the way to prove it is to do something to fix the dice value.”
“Still, they can just roll again, right?”
“The timing of their roll will change.”
The emperor casually dismissed Velati’s words.
“If I can ensure that a value of 2 will come up when throwing ten times, then the opponent will suddenly bring three dice or try to manipulate the value on the eighth or ninth throw. If we can confirm that, then we can see if the opponent knows our future or not.”
The emperor shrugged nonchalantly as he spoke.
“Just making a plan is not enough. To get what I want, I have to act greedily and move forward. If there’s something the opponent would want, I’ll step in and snatch it first.”
“But what if the opponent turns back time again?”
“If the opponent possesses that object while I’m none the wiser, that would prove they were using a trick. And if I can confirm that, I would be very pleased.”
The emperor spoke with a smile.
“At least, it would be proof that my plan could move the opponent.”
“……”
For a long moment, Velati stared at the emperor in disbelief.
… At least,
If she returned alive, she’d have something to report to the Papal State.
That fleeting thought crossed Velati’s mind.
*
“… You seem to be enjoying yourself?”
Bella, who followed closely behind the emperor, asked.
“It’s good, indeed.”
“But the thing you wanted to obtain escaped with that guy.”
“Treasure is meaningless unless everyone gathers. Besides, I gained more than I was trying to prove.”
As the emperor walked through the dense forest, he spoke.
“Even ivory dice can break on occasion.”
“… We still don’t even know who that opponent is.”
“Really? I have a pretty good idea, though.”
At the emperor’s words, Bella simply tilted her head in confusion.
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