A New Game (1)
“Pardon the intrusion. Your game was simply so entertaining.”
Crown Prince Kyle's first impression was almost the complete opposite of the emperor's.
If the emperor was dignified and possessed a keen intellect, the Crown Prince was hot-bloodedness incarnate.
“So, what is the next game? Personally, I like things involving war or conquest. Even in ‘Civilization Development,’ I only aimed for Conquest Victory. Culture Victory and Science Victory are fine as well, but if you are a man, conquest is the way to go!”
And he was an incredible warmonger.
Was it really all right for someone like this to be the next emperor? I couldn't help wondering if he might actually start a war because he wanted to unify the continent.
“Um… My apologies, but nothing has been decided yet.”
“Damn! Was I too impatient? Well, what I said was merely my opinion, so do not concern yourself with it. More importantly… there is something else I would like to discuss with you.”
Something to discuss with me?
For some reason, I had a bad feeling about this.
What could the Crown Prince of an entire nation possibly have to discuss with a mere mage… no, a game developer now?
“What is it, Your Highness?”
“It is nothing else… Thanks to you, the military has been rather noisy lately. Ah, I am not saying you did anything wrong. It is simply that His Majesty's wishes and the military's opinion differ somewhat.”
The military?
I had no idea why the military had suddenly entered the conversation, or how I was involved.
But the Crown Prince's next words quickly explained what was going on.
“It is because of the guns. You made a prototype in the Development Department, did you not? The scholars completed it under His Majesty's orders, and His Majesty intends to introduce it into the military. However, conflicting interests have arisen because of several issues.”
“I see… Then how can I help you?”
Apparently, the emperor had been impressed by the armies equipped with guns while playing the game.
He had probably tried to introduce them into the actual military, only to run into opposition from the generals and knights.
If I had to guess, the knights were probably reluctant to accept the introduction of guns.
Guns were weapons that allowed commoners to stand against knights, and even in Earth's history, they had brought about the downfall of knights.
In that case, was the Crown Prince, who was close to the military, here to ask me to oppose their introduction?
“I would like you to help persuade the military.”
“What? Not the opposite?”
Instead, the Crown Prince asked me to help persuade them.
That was somewhat unexpected from someone who enjoyed considerable support from the knights and generals.
“At first, I also thought introducing guns was premature. But after playing that game you made… ‘Civilization Development,’ I changed my mind.”
“I… see.”
So it really was because of that.
Between the emperor and the Crown Prince, I was starting to wonder if tasting the power of corn and nukes had awakened them to something new.
“Although it is only a game, that game explained why guns are such powerful weapons. As you know, under the current military system, ordinary soldiers serve only as the hammer and anvil.”
That was true.
This world wasn't exactly the same as medieval Earth, but the role of soldiers in warfare was limited to about that level.
Soldiers fought with spears and swords too… but they weren't the main fighting force.
The main force was the knights.
Through years of training and discipline, they wielded superhuman martial prowess. Equipped with high-quality armor and weapons and mounted on warhorses, they were the ones who smashed through the enemy.
“But with guns, the situation changes. Even soldiers who have not trained as much as knights would possess weapons capable of facing them. Guns may require some effort to manufacture, but even that does not cost as much as training a single knight. If an army armed with guns were completed, the Empire's military strength would improve beyond recognition.”
Looking at that alone, he was right.
But the military must have had reasons for opposing them as well.
“And that is precisely why there is so much opposition. The knights do not view an increase in the strength of commoner forces favorably. It is a petty reason, but their own standing could diminish. Of course, it is not merely for such selfish reasons. There are practical concerns as well.”
In other words, while the issue was connected to the knights' vested interests, there were more realistic reasons too.
“To begin with, if the military budget is cut… no, reallocated because of the introduction of guns, there will be less funding available to hire and train knights. Even after guns are introduced, the knights will need to remain the main force for some time. If support for them decreases, their dissatisfaction will be a problem, but it could also lead directly to a decline in military strength.”
“That is an accurate analysis. I think that could happen as well. But in that case, would it not be better for me to oppose introducing them?”
“No. Guns are weapons we absolutely must introduce despite those problems. Which means we need to persuade the generals and knights. I would like your help with that.”
I understood why he'd come looking for me.
But how exactly was I supposed to help persuade the military?
As soon as that question occurred to me, the Crown Prince's expression turned serious.
“So, regarding that… could you perhaps make another game that would help persuade them?”
“A game…?”
“Yes. After playing Civilization Development, I opened my eyes to it just as His Majesty did. But to be honest, even if the generals and knights play it, they may have some difficulty. Civilization Development does not depict the actual process of combat in much detail, does it?”
That was true.
There were simple combat animations between units, but since it focused on ‘strategy’ rather than ‘tactics,’ its depiction of combat was barely different from chess.
The generals might understand it, but the knights might not be particularly impressed.
Even the generals could dismiss it as nothing more than a game represented through numbers.
“So if you could create a game that objectively demonstrates the power of guns and the tactics suited to them… I thought it would make persuading them easier.”
“I see…….”
After hearing the Crown Prince out, I realized his reason for seeking me out was fairly reasonable.
At a point when the introduction of guns itself was being opposed, it would be difficult to properly conduct field deployment, research, or training with them.
The weapon itself could easily be undervalued for political reasons.
But what if I created a game capable of captivating the generals and knights, just as the previous game had captivated the emperor?
If I could make them fully understand the necessity of guns, it would be nothing but beneficial for the Empire.
The problem was whether that was actually possible…….
“Well? Can you do it?”
“…I think I can.”
“Yes, I thought it would be difficul… Hm? You can? Truly?”
I had only thought about it briefly, but a good idea quickly came to me.
“Yes. There is one game that would be perfect.”
Among the games I'd played in my previous life, there was one that suited this situation exactly.
Blade and Mount 2: Honorlord.
Also known as the ‘Swordmasters' War Game.’
***
Honorlord, the sequel to Blade and Mount 1, was a masterpiece that fully inherited the reputation of its predecessor.
There had been many games about warfare even before it, but because of the nature of war as a subject, most of them focused heavily on ‘strategy.’
In other words, the specific process of combat was simplified, and most battles consisted of units represented only by values such as attack and defense fighting one another.
Actual combat in war obviously wasn't like that.
A single soldier might struggle to kill even one other soldier, while a hundred soldiers might struggle to bring down a single knight.
Combat at that ‘tactical’ level was difficult for a ‘war’ game to implement.
If it tried, the game could easily turn into an action game, and more importantly, there had been technological limitations.
“But Blade and Mount was revolutionary in that regard.”
It boldly introduced a system where every individual unit actively attacked and defended on its own.
It depicted battles where hundreds of soldiers physically clashed with one another.
The player could become a commander in those battles, or fight as a single warrior and personally kill hundreds.
“More importantly… the veteran players were literal monsters.”
Veteran players wearing nothing but underwear and carrying a single longsword would casually clear the highest single-player difficulty, then slaughter newcomers and weaker players in multiplayer.
Some were so absurdly skilled that they could even crush cheaters through sheer control.
Ironically, the veterans became so overwhelmingly good that the game's multiplayer population actually shrank.
What would happen if I showed a game like that to the knights?
I was certain they'd go wild for it.
It was practically a game that reflected their own profession, so they'd undoubtedly immerse themselves in it completely.
If I used that properly, persuading them shouldn't be difficult.
“The problem is whether we have the development capability…….”
‘Civilization Development’ was simple enough in structure that I could reproduce it by myself.
It didn't require incredible graphics. I only needed to implement the various game rules and text.
But ‘Honorlord’ was different.
Visual realism was extremely important.
I could manage that myself, but the problem was that my development team was still at a beginner level.
No, even that was something I could somehow solve if I worked them hard enough.
The real problem was ‘authenticity.’
“The original game's action alone won't be enough…….”
It wasn't that Honorlord lacked action or good controls.
The problem was simply the difference between Earth and this world.
On Earth, no matter how much a knight trained, they couldn't surpass the limits of an ordinary human being.
But in this world, there were people who trained for years and literally developed superhuman skill and physical ability.
Of course, even among such knights, there were masters and lesser fighters…
But action based purely on Earth's standards probably wouldn't be enough.
“It'd be better to incorporate this world's martial arts, but the problem is that I know nothing about them.”
I was a mage.
Naturally, I didn't know how the knights' martial arts worked.
In situations like this, I obviously needed someone to help with authenticity.
Fortunately, finding people itself wasn't a problem.
“You want me to recruit knights to help with martial-arts authenticity? No problem. Leave it to me.”
The Crown Prince, who had plenty of connections in the military, eagerly cooperated.
The problem was that he was too eager.
“You said you needed martial-arts instruction? There is no one better suited to such work than I, Ricard of Guardia.”
“Ricard, you have spent far too long serving as an instructor. I, Roland, a fierce commander from the northern front, will help you.”
“The northern front? You mean the place where you fight those barbarians? My friend, the Empire's true front line is the Demon Realm front. I, known as the Demon Slayer, am the one most suited to advise this project.”
“What?! Are you looking down on the Northern Corps?!”
“Hmph. I look down on it because it deserves to be looked down on.”
“You bastard! Then I challenge you to a duel!”
“Fine! Do you think I would back down?!”
A whole crowd of muscular knights who practically reeked of sweat just from looking at them had gathered.
And they were even fighting among themselves over who would handle the martial-arts instruction.
They caused such a commotion inside the Development Department that some of my team members became frightened.
When I gave the Crown Prince a slightly resentful look, he cleared his throat and explained.
“Well, when I said I wanted to recruit the finest knights for your new game, everyone volunteered. That is how great the reputation of your games has become.”
“My game is that famous?”
There definitely hadn't been enough copies released for all of them to have played it.
“That is exactly why it is even more famous. In high society, anyone who has not played the game is already looked down upon, so everyone is desperate to buy one. Only a handful of knights have actually played it, but even they have heard quite a bit about you. You are the man who created a game that captivated His Majesty, after all.”
In other words, this was an opportunity to have their names attached to the production of that man's next game.
For knights who lived and died by honor and fame, it certainly was something worth fighting desperately over.
“Even so, having this many gather here will be troublesome. I will choose a suitable number and send the rest back.”
“No, I don't think that'll be necessary. Let's have all of them come with us.”
“Hmm? You intend to make use of all of them? Their opinions may become rather chaotic.”
They undoubtedly would.
They were all people with very strong opinions.
But at the same time, they were also the sort of people who were most straightforward toward someone they acknowledged.
Refusing to accept defeat after losing a proper duel or contest would itself be dishonorable.
“I'm not planning to ask for their opinions. First, I'm going to make them listen to me. Through a duel.”
“…Were you skilled in swordsmanship as well? You do not look it.”
“Of course, I'm not talking about actually fighting them. I'll face them in the game.”
“You will face them in a game? Is that possible?”
The Crown Prince asked in surprise.
Right, ‘Civilization Development’ still hadn't had a multiplayer feature.
But not long ago, I'd improved its performance so multiplayer was possible.
Of course, without the internet, proper online multiplayer was impossible. All I'd managed was allowing nearby devices to link together for multiplayer.
“Yes. I have a simple test version. I guarantee not a single one of them will beat me. Once that happens, they'll probably give their opinions a little more seriously.”
“Hmm, certainly. Even if it is only a game, if you become the ‘best,’ they will all quiet down. But are you truly confident you will not lose? A knight's adaptability is far from ordinary.”
That was probably true.
Even if they'd never played a game before, they had spent their entire lives honing the art of combat. Once they learned the controls, they'd probably become proficient quickly.
But beating me would still be difficult.
I had been one of Honorlord's veteran players too.
It was time to become a Swordmaster again.