Overwhelming Firepower

After he was done talking with his father, Lucen started thinking about how to make money. He had several ideas that he could do using his past life’s knowledge.

Thanks to years of gaming, anime, and a gloriously useless Bachelor of Arts degree, Lucen had more than enough odd trivia and half-useful knowledge floating in his head.

One of which was to create games. This world had only a few games. There was a single board game similar to chess, which only nobles enjoyed, and was twice as complicated compared to the chess from Lucen’s past life.

There were also a few card games and some dice games, but that was it.

The children mostly made up their own games, but there was nothing mainstream. Most of their playing was running around and exploring whatever caught their eyes. They would also do simple roleplaying, acting like a knight, a princess, and so forth. Those alone were already considered fun.

’These guys have so few games... If I were just trying to enjoy my reincarnated life peacefully, I wouldn’t last a week.’ Lucen rubbed his temple.

’Still, I guess I could try watching plays or something, but I doubt that’ll help. Wait, I’m getting sidetracked.’

Lucen decided it would be nice to create a few games similar to the ones in his past life. As a gamer, he had played quite a few games of different genres.

’If I introduce the right game, something simple yet addictive... I could sell boards. Host tournaments. Even make noble editions. I would be drowning in coin.’

Lucen, who was getting excited, rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

’So what kind of game should I make? It needs to be an easy-to-understand game. The people in this world have so little entertainment that they should be happy with something simple... Hm, what kind of game can I make with minimal resources?’

Lucen stopped in his tracks, mentally flipping through the easiest games to recreate from his past life.

”That’s it. I’m going to create Reversi... Wait, since I’m the one creating it in this world, I can change the name. I can call it something like black and white discs, or something like territory war, which sounds a bit better. Hoh, if I’m able to sell this, that name would be quite funny when a noble hears it. They might think we’re actually starting a territorial war.”

Reversi was a simple game in his memory, which many anime protagonists use to create to relieve their boredom or, like him, do it for coin.

The rules were simple:

Two sides: black and white.

A board of 8 by 8 squares.

Discs that could be flipped from one color to the other by surrounding them.

It was fast to learn but surprisingly deep, a battle of wits disguised as a child’s game. The kind of thing you could teach in minutes, then spend hours mastering.

Once Lucen made his decision, he quickly went to the craftsmen to ask them to make the board and the pieces he needed.

***

Lucen quickly made his way to the carpenters’ hall in Ironhold, a place that smelled of sawdust and resin instead of steel and fire.

Unlike the forge, where the blacksmiths were, Lucen only came here a few times.

He spoke to the best of the carpenters present, a rather old man with a nice body build that even Thalos would praise.

”Master Holz,” Lucen said with a grin, ”I need you to make me a square board. Eight rows. Eight columns. And sixty-four small round wooden discs, flat on both sides. Paint one side black, the other white. Each disc should fit snugly within a square.”

Holz, who’d grown used to Lucen’s sudden visits, wasn’t surprised by the request, just mildly baffled by its oddity.

The old craftsman blinked. ”That’s... a lot of discs.”

”I’ll pay handsomely for the first set if you can finish it by tomorrow.”

”Of course, young master, I can do anything you request.” The old man suddenly became enthusiastic upon hearing of the increased pay. ”But young master, if you would allow me to bring in a few other carpenters, we could finish your request in two hours.”

”Oh, then that would be better.”

***

As Holz barked orders to his apprentices, someone unexpected entered the place.

”Hey, I told you to meet me in the lab after you were done talking to the Duke. What kinds of interesting things are you doing here now?” Robert entered with his usual manic energy.

”I’m making a game.”

”A game? Why waste your time with such frivolities? You’re a person who should dedicate yourself to the truth of the world!”

Robert’s voice was growing a bit louder as he continued speaking.

”We could be making stronger weapons, changing the ways we understand the world, and we could be revolutionizing alchemy itself. WE could be doing a lot more, and here you are making a game?”

”Well, to make the things we want, we do need coins. I’m making this game to earn more so that we can make more things.”

The second Robert heard what Lucen said, his eyes were gleaming.

”If you just wanted to make money, then why choose games? We could invent something using alchemy. Something that many people would buy. Not only will that help us with coins, it will also help promote the yellow tower’s prestige.”

”Then tell me, do you have any idea of what to sell?”

”Hm, since we can’t sell the black powder, I need to make something brand new, or I can improve upon something that already exists. Hm, I can improve the formula for the healing potions... No, that would take too long and with little payoff. Last time we were only able to improve it by a single percentage point, and that took half a decade.”

Robert had once again started mumbling to himself, and Lucen then didn’t bother the other party as he continued to wait for the prototype for the game reversi, which he would now call territory war.

After less than two hours had passed, Holz returned to find Lucen waiting patiently, and Robert, who was muttering beside him.

Holz was already used to Robert acting like that since he had several interactions with the other party.

So he ignored Robert and walked towards Lucen. In his hands, he was cradling the finished board and discs like a relic. Lucen took one look at the board game and grinned.

”Time to spread some good ol’ games in this boring world.”

Robert snapped out of his muttering when he heard Lucen, his eyes locking onto the board and disc-like pieces in Lucen’s hands.

”Is that it? Hmph... Fine, let’s see what kind of unproductive game you’ve created. Though I must admit it does look a little intriguing.”