NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29
In our era, arcades were the places where romance and barbarism coexisted.
There was the romance of joyfully enjoying various games with friends and flaunting my skills to receive envious glances, alongside the barbarism of thugs extorting money and throwing chair shots if you dared to play -bleep- with them. Arcades were the places of these memories.
But who would have thought I would get to see that in another world?
“Doo-doo-dee-dah♩ Doo-doo-dee-dah♫”
“Yippee! Whew~!”
“This time, I’m going to beat it without dying once!”
“Ahhh! I messed up trying to go for Lucky Eleven!”
The arcade in this other world was similar to my past life. Several kids were enjoying games in front of wooden panels with crystal balls installed in the shape of arcade machines. Cheers erupted and groans of disappointment echoed. I could tell some kids were letting out curses, but thankfully, it seemed there weren’t any punches or chair shots…yet.
“Mr. Brown, how’s business going?”
“Oh! Yuren! Hahaha! I’m so successful, I’m worried!”
In this world, the arcade was shaped differently than in my previous life. A tavern I used for advertising had a blast with crystal ball games. As that rumor spread, many taverns began installing game crystal balls, attracting kids who had no money but wanted to play games.
Even without opening a tavern, store owners felt it; they realized they could make money. So they started creating dedicated gaming spaces and allowed people to pay by the hour or per game. That’s the background for the emergence of the [Game Centers] in this world.
And this wasn’t just happening in our village.
“There’s a ‘Game Center’ popping up in Zephia too.”
When I contacted Sylvia to ask, she said facilities like Game Centers were appearing all over Zephia and the Empire. To observe this surprising phenomenon, I often visited the local tavern to watch the kids. Plus, I occasionally tested out new games.
“This is the new one Jiren made; you should install it. The kids will love it!”
“Really!? Alright! I’ll start the installation right away!”
I handed Mr. Brown the crystal ball for “Sky Dragon” that Jiren made, chatting with him. Mr. Brown was like family, always taking care of us since our childhood when we didn’t have any money. Giving him this for free felt completely justified.
“Alright!!! Kids! A new game has come out! So, the name of the game is…”
I realized Mr. Brown had rushed over to install it without even asking the game’s name, and he was sweating bullets as he looked to me for help. I used wind magic to convey the game title just to him.
“Sky Dragon…”
“Sky Dragon!!! Yes, it’s called Sky Dragon! Hahaha!!!”
As Mr. Brown installed the Sky Dragon crystal ball in the makeshift wooden arcade, he shouted to the kids. News of the new game spread, and the children gathered around.
“Wow!”
“Is it a new game!?”
“I want to try it too!”
“Me too!!”
Watching the kids swarm with excitement for the new game made me feel warm inside. I too used to play like that in my past life, only to end up getting robbed plenty of times.
If arcade culture was beginning to form, it was time for a game that fit it perfectly. What kind of game should I make? I had many candidates but couldn’t decide. What would make a game well-received?
While pondering that, I received a call from Sylvia.
“Yuren, something major has happened.”
“Major?”
Sylvia contacted me directly, her voice trembling as if it was a big deal. What could it be? For her to be this serious, it must be quite significant.
“Yes, you need to come to our headquarters as quickly as possible; this is a big issue that you must hear about too.”
“Understood! I’ll be there shortly!”
After getting Sylvia’s call, I immediately used “Warna (Teleportation Magic)” to fly to Zephia. Half a day later, I arrived and hurried to the Edward Consortium’s headquarters, where a grand marble building welcomed me.
Inside, Butler Thomas awaited me with an extremely serious expression.
“Welcome, Yuren.”
“Hello, Thomas. What’s this big issue?”
“…You’ll hear the details from Sylvia.”
What’s going on? I hurried to the top floor where Sylvia’s office was. Entering the room, I was met not only by the soothing scent of roses but also a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
“You’ve arrived, Yuren…”
Sylvia was waiting, looking serious. And there was another guest present.
Sitting in the honor seat was a golden-haired middle-aged man in a flamboyant uniform, exuding significant authority despite not being muscular. I recognized him from the Foundation Day celebration; he had been beside the Queen…
“Is that person…?”
“Before we start talking, it’s only polite to introduce ourselves.”
He set down his teacup and began to speak, his deep voice filling the room.
“I am [Herness Serban]. You probably already know the rest.”
His name was Herness Serban, the Queen’s right-hand man and the current Chancellor of the Empire.
*
Sylvia’s office was filled with an exceedingly heavy atmosphere. Sylvia sat beside the Chancellor at the head of the table. It felt like being scolded by a teacher in a past life.
After sipping his tea, Chancellor Herness spoke.
“Do you know why I came here to summon you through Sylvia?”
Herness was said to be a patron of the Edward Consortium. In other words, he was a higher superior than Sylvia’s father, and given my ignorance of the specifics, this situation felt like sitting on a thorny cushion.
“Uh… I don’t know?”
“I thought it would help you feel the seriousness of the matter.”
I was feeling it alright. If it were my previous life, a minister descending upon our company layoff was the situation. The government is a bothersome entity.
Even if they didn’t bring us extra money, they had the power to ruin us. I cautiously opened my mouth.
“Is there a problem with the game I made?”
“Indeed, there are quite a few problems.”
The Chancellor set his teacup down. Then he pulled out the Super Thomas crystal ball from his coat and placed it on the table.
“This product you created drew a lot of attention during the Foundation Day Festival.”
However, Chancellor Herness’s tone was surprisingly not that grave.
“It brought joy to many citizens and conveyed our Empire’s pursuit of peace to the high-ranking members of neighboring countries. This achievement deserves recognition.”
Wait, are we being praised? Hearing about the award made me feel a little relaxed.
“But because of that, problems arose.”
That was a mistake. Regaining my composure, I cautiously asked, “What problems arose?”
“Because of your game, the Empire’s image has weakened.”
Chancellor Herness pulled out a newspaper that appeared to be from the Yura Republic, placing it before Sylvia and me. It read: [The Mustached Uncle’s Country, Zephia Tourism Guide], with the image of Super Thomas.
“Neighbors are starting to call our Empire the Mustached Uncle’s Country.”
Chancellor Herness looked at me, genuinely troubled, rubbing his forehead. I couldn’t meet his gaze.
“The Empire has worked hard to cultivate an image of [the Country of Strong Men] for a long time. To have that change in just three months; your work has truly amazed me, Yuren.”
“I… I’m sorry.”
I hadn’t intended for the country’s image to turn out like this. My own head began to throb.
“If possible, I want to ban those games, but since the Edward Consortium has a long-standing relationship with me and the Queen holds your games in high regard, I’ve decided to seek another approach.”
“Another approach…?”
Chancellor Herness looked at me with an intensity reminiscent of a corporate boss during an external meeting. I had to keep avoiding his gaze.
“I’m thinking of giving you a [commission].”
“A commission?”
He stared straight at me, his eyes fierce, and I braced myself firmly.
“I will commission you to create a game that can rebuild the Empire’s image of strength.”
“An image of strength…?”
“A game that embodies the Empire’s overwhelming strength and violence, restoring it to being [the Country of Strong Men].”
I now understood why the Chancellor had summoned Sylvia and me. He genuinely intended to utilize games. If the image of the Empire had weakened so quickly because of a game, then it might be possible to rapidly rebuild a stronger image through another game.
But…
“Uh… can I decline the commission?”
“You can refuse, but I cannot recommend that.”
Not one for heavy responsibilities, I attempted to decline but was flatly rejected. Refusing would likely lead to a lot of annoying business, just like my past life.
“If you succeed, I promise a corresponding reward.”
“May I ask what the reward is?”
“I’ll grant a 50% tax reduction for a year. You should know how significant that is.”
50% off on taxes!? I rushed to calculate the reward amount based on my recent tax bills. This was… an amount I couldn’t possibly refuse.
“I accept!”
“Good, wise choice. Now, what kind of game will you create?”
As soon as I accepted the commission, the Chancellor began to scrutinize me like a hawk. But what kind of game should I make…?
Wait!?
[Strength] and [Violence]…
Arcade…
Violence…
Strength…
Chair shot…
Suddenly, the keywords aligned in my head.
“Yuren… do you have a game idea coming to mind?”
The moment Sylvia asked that, all the keywords clicked together and a familiar voice echoed in my mind.
“Hadouken!”