Kays Translations

Chapter 117: “Extra Edition: Mabel and Agnis, and the Secret ‘Reversi'”

This time, it seems Thor has taken an interest in a game from the Hero’s World…

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“Ahem, Mabel.”

“What is it, Thor-sama?”

“Actually, I tried recreating a game from the Hero’s World that I saw in the ‘Mail-Order Catalog.’”

“A game?”

“Yeah. It’s called ‘Reversi,’ and it uses stones with one white side and one black side.”

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‘Reversi’

A classic game that everyone knows—now in your home!

‘Reversi’ is a game where you choose either white or black and compete against each other.

If you sandwich your opponent’s stone, you flip it and turn it into your own color.

The winner is the one who dyes more of the board in their color.

Just when you think you’ve won—an incredible comeback.

The ever-shifting battle between black and white will have everyone on edge.

The rules are simple, yet the outcome is unpredictable.

Enjoy this magical and simple game with surprising endings!

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“This is a game where you take turns placing stones, and you change the sandwiched ones to your own color.”

“In the end, the one with the most of their color wins, right?”

“That’s right.”

I nodded.

“So, Mabel, here’s a question. Do you think this is just a game?”

“Not at all.”

“We’re on the same page.”

“Because it’s an item from the Hero’s World.”

“If it’s an item from the Hero’s World, then of course it can’t be ordinary.”

The heroes once summoned from another world wielded overwhelming power and changed the world.

There’s no way that items from their world are just simple games.

“I think there’s meaning behind the colors used in the game.”

I picked up one of the stones I made for Reversi.

They were disk-shaped, painted white on one side and black on the other.

“If it was just for playing, there wouldn’t be a need to stick to black and white. Red and blue, green and yellow would’ve worked just as well. But the Hero chose white and black. Why is that?”

“Maybe because the paint was cheaper. Or because it was easier to distinguish.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“No.”

Mabel smiled and shook her head.

“I can’t imagine the people of the Hero’s World choosing colors for such simple reasons.”

“The hint lies in this: ‘The Hero was human—he fought on the side with strong light magic.’ And some of them used magic that produced pure white light, like ‘Ultimate Vivid Light.’”

“So, white represents light.”

“Yeah. And if black represents darkness… then this ‘Reversi’ might symbolize the never-ending power struggle between light and darkness.”

When white dominates, the realm of light expands.

When black dominates, the realm of darkness grows.

In other words, the board represents the world.

The white and black stones can be seen as representations of their respective forces.

Ultimately, light or darkness—whichever is stronger—becomes the victor.

In that sense, this is like a proxy war between light and dark, conducted by the Hero.

And when the game ends—

“Perhaps this ‘Reversi’ completes a magical ritual.”

I pulled the Reversi board out of my ‘Ultra-Compact Portable Storage’ and placed it on the table.

It was made of metal, with a green-painted surface.

Black lines were drawn to form an 8×8 grid.

This is the battlefield of Reversi.

“The ‘Mail-Order Catalog’ also says, ‘A simple game with surprising outcomes!’ So maybe the Hero used this to perform a magical ritual by clashing light and dark magic on the board.”

“That’s plausible…”

“The Hero was obsessed with ‘strength,’ after all.”

“There were even people who referred to battles with magical beasts as ‘games.’”

“Then it wouldn’t be strange if a ‘game’ like Reversi was actually a magical ritual—or even a battle.”

“Indeed.”

“Right?”

Mabel and I nodded to each other.

“The issue is how we can discover the magical ritual…”

It might’ve been common knowledge to the Heroes, but not here in our world.

Besides, we’re just a human and an elf.

We can’t draw out the immense magical power that a Hero from another world could.

I mean, the ‘Mail-Order Catalog’ could’ve at least included instructions for the ritual.

Without them, we have no choice but to figure it out ourselves.

Thanks to that, we’re stuck in a cycle of trial and error—experimenting one by one to see what triggers the magic.

It’s a real hassle. Seriously, give me a break.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself, Thor-sama.”

“Not at all, really—?”

“Is that so?”

“…Anyway, will you help me with the experiment?”

I pointed to the board on the table.

“This game board has light and dark magic stones embedded in it. The black and white stones also have shards of magic stones inside. As we play the game, I think we’ll see all kinds of reactions.”

“That sounds fun! I’d love to try!”

“Yeah. Let’s fumble our way through and try to uncover the Hero’s magical ritual.”

We sat down facing each other across the board.

As an initial setup, there were two white and two black stones placed on the board.

This probably represents the beginning of the world.

Equal numbers of black and white mean that light and darkness are in balance.

We are about to break that balance and compete for dominance over the board.

…This is nerve-wracking.

“Well then, Mabel. Try placing a stone.”

“Y-Yes.”

Mabel reached into the bag and picked up a stone.

She placed it with the white side facing up, flipping a black stone that was sandwiched between two white ones—

And then—

A soft glow.

From the board, spheres of light floated up.

There were three of them. Each was about the size of a human head.

They attached themselves to Mabel’s stomach, back, and thigh, continuing to emit light as they did.

“Is this… light magic?”

“That’s right. This ‘Reversi’ is designed so that, depending on the number of stones, light and darkness spheres will appear.”

I placed a black stone on the board.

With my finger, I flipped a white stone that was between two black stones.

Then—one of the light spheres attached to Mabel disappeared, and this time, a black sphere rose from the board. Three of them.

Just like with Mabel, they attached themselves to my stomach, back, and thigh.

“That’s darkness magic, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. As the number of black stones increases, the spheres of darkness come out to surround the player.”

Light and darkness are basic forms of magic.

With magic stones and a simple mechanism, they can be activated.

This ‘Reversi’ is designed so that light and darkness are produced according to the number of stones.

The board is 8×8, so up to 64 stones.

The stronger each side becomes, the stronger the light and darkness grow.

White—the faction of light, will be enveloped in numerous spheres of light as the game progresses—

Black—the faction of darkness, will be enveloped in spheres of darkness.

As each player becomes one with light or darkness, I thought maybe that would complete some kind of magical ritual—while I was making it.

So I tried to make it a reality.

Of course, if the light or darkness were to completely engulf the whole body, you wouldn’t be able to see the board, so the spheres only go up to around the clavicle.

“This way, you can see the balance of light and darkness at a glance, right?”

“Indeed… you’re right.”

Click, Mabel placed a white stone.

Spheres of light flew out and clung to her body.

“When it’s like this, it feels like I’m summoning light myself.”

“Maybe this is what it feels like to be a warrior of light and darkness.”

I placed a black stone and flipped over one of Mabel’s white stones.

Mabel’s light vanished, and once again, the forces of darkness grew stronger.

…This is pretty interesting.

“By being enveloped in light or darkness, each player can fully take on the role of the ‘Light Faction’ or ‘Dark Faction,’ right?”

Mabel murmured quietly, holding a stone in her hand.

“The purpose of ‘Reversi’ is to simulate the battle between light and darkness, isn’t it?”

“As expected of you, Mabel. Sharp as always.”

“It’s because it’s you, Thor-sama. Besides, when I’m wrapped in this ‘light’ magic like this, I really feel like I’ve become a part of the light.”

“Yeah. And when I’m wrapped in darkness, I feel like I’ve become part of the darkness too.”

There are five spheres of darkness surrounding me.

They cover from my right knee up to my waist.

It certainly makes you feel like part of the dark faction, but—

“But… there’s one problem.”

“A problem?”

“When you’re wrapped in light or darkness, your appearance—mine and Mabel’s, I mean—gets hidden.”

“Isn’t that unavoidable? After all, this is a game where you become one with light or darkness and fight as one of the factions, right?”

“Yeah. But that’s not how heroes do it.”

I said.

“You know too, don’t you, Mabel? That the heroes who were once summoned to this world used to fight while showing their true selves…”

“…Ah.”

Mabel widened her eyes.

Looks like she understood what I was trying to say.

The heroes from other worlds had extremely strong self-expression.

Many of them loved flashy things.

They wore gleaming polished metal armor, preferred sheathed weapons and staves adorned with gems. Some even wore bikini armor. There were those who wore cloaks embroidered with gold and silver thread, shouting their victories from high places.

That’s how they bared themselves.

“But when playing this ‘Reversi’, you end up hiding yourself with light and darkness spheres, right?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Doing that—hiding yourself—contradicts the hero’s way of ‘revealing oneself.’ As a magical ritual, something feels off. If only there were a way to resolve that contradiction…”

…This is difficult.

As expected of a game from a hero’s world.

Just like the ‘Mail Order Catalog’ said: ‘Simple rules but unpredictable outcomes. Deep strategy.’

It looks like I still have a lot of analyzing to do.

“For now, why don’t we just keep going?”

Mabel clenched her fist with determination and said:

“There’s no mistake in anything you create, Thor-sama. If we keep playing, I’m sure we’ll discover some sort of hint!”

“You’re right. Let’s continue then.”

“Yes!”

And so, just as Mabel and I were about to continue playing ‘Reversi’—

Knock knock knock.

“It’s Agnis. Thor Canaan-sama, may I come in?”

Along with the knocking came Agnis’ voice.

“You can come in, Agnis. What’s up?”

“E-excuse me, then…”

The door opened, and a nervous-looking Agnis stepped in.

She bowed deeply to me and said:

“My father told me to summon Thor Canaan-sama. He wants you to hear the Demon Lord’s words together with him.”

“Got it. I’ll be right there.”

I stood up.

Can’t be helped if Rukie is calling for me.

But what about the ‘Reversi’?

Since it’s an item meant for a magical ritual, stopping midway wouldn’t be good.

…Which means—

“Agnis, do you have time right now?”

“Y-yes. I do.”

“Then would you play this ‘Reversi’ in my place?”

“‘Reversi’? Is it the thing related to those light and darkness spheres attached to you both?”

“That’s right. It’s a game that simulates the struggle between the forces of light and darkness in the hero’s world.”

“…Amazing.”

Agnis’ eyes sparkled.

Looks like she’s interested.

“Mabel, can you explain the rules to her? You can continue as is or start over if you like.”

“Understood, Thor-sama.”

“Alright then, I’m off to the throne room.”

And with that, I headed to Demon Lord Rukie’s side.

—Mabel and Agnis’ perspective—

“Well then, shall we continue the game, Agnis-sama?”

“…The responsibility is heavy.”

Mabel and Agnis sat across from each other with the game board between them.

The territory of white and black pieces was split evenly. The number of pieces was still in the single digits.

The battle was still in its early stages.

“This is an important task entrusted to us by Thor-sama. We must uncover the secrets of the magical rituals of the Heroic World at all costs.”

“Agnis is also prepared to do whatever it takes.”

“Before the next move, let me explain what Thor-sama said.”

Mabel began explaining the rules of “Reversi” to Agnis.

“—As I mentioned, with every increase in one’s territory, the number of Light and Darkness spheres also increases. As a result, players become either enveloped in light or swallowed in darkness.”

“I see… I understand now.”

Agnis nodded with a serious expression.

“And since this game is a ‘proxy war of light and darkness,’ there’s a possibility that it involves a magical ritual.”

“Thor-sama believes that, in the end, some kind of magic will be activated.”

“That’s amazing.”

“However… Thor-sama also said, ‘The problem is that when Light and Darkness increase, the players’ appearances get obscured.'”

Mabel touched one of the spheres of light clinging to her body.

Already, the light was covering her from the stomach down to above her knees.

By the time the game ended, the light would likely cover her up to just below her collarbone.

“As you can see, both of us have our thighs obscured.”

“That’s true.”

“However, heroes are people who reveal themselves. Thor-sama thinks that this act of hiding contradicts the nature of a hero.”

“Indeed, fighting while hidden doesn’t feel very heroic.”

“There might be a way to resolve that contradiction.”

Mabel said this as she picked up a Reversi piece.

It was disc-shaped, white on one side and black on the other. It appeared to contain a small amount of magical stone fused inside.

That was likely what reacted with the board to activate the Light and Darkness magic.

At this point, eight spheres of light were already clinging to Mabel’s body. The same applied to Agnis.

From Mabel’s perspective, Agnis’s midsection looked like it was melting into the darkness.

From Agnis’s point of view, Mabel likely looked hidden within the light.

How to reconcile this ‘concealing effect’ with the hero’s trait of ‘revealing oneself’—that was the challenge given to Mabel and Agnis.

“I’m always being helped by Thor-sama, so…”

Mabel nodded seriously.

“As his attendant, I need to be of use from time to time. I, Mabel Refrain, am ready to risk everything to uncover the secrets of Reversi!”

“A-Agnis feels the same! I’ll do anything!”

“Let’s do our best, Agnis-sama!”

“Yes! I’ll do my best too!”

Mabel and Agnis exchanged glances and nodded.

Tor entrusted the magical item “Reversi” to them because he believed in them.

They had to live up to that expectation no matter what.

With that thought, the two renewed their resolve.

“The issue is how to reconcile ‘hiding in light or darkness’ with ‘revealing oneself.’”

“A difficult problem…”

“If only there was a way to reveal oneself while enveloped in light or darkness.”

“Um… Mabel.”

“What is it, Agnis-sama?”

“The light surrounding your body… doesn’t it resemble something?”

“Resemble?”

“That thing you told me about before… uh, the ‘fizzy bath’?”

“Ah, yes. The ‘Noble-exclusive Fizzy Bath’ that Thor-sama created.”

“That’s it!”

“That bath uses steam and mysterious light to conceal the body, so yes, they’re quite similar.”

“This game uses spheres of light and darkness to hide the body.”

“So it’s a matter of whether it’s spheres of light and darkness, or steam and mysterious light. But it’s no surprise they’re similar. The ‘Noble-exclusive Fizzy Bath’ is also an item from the Heroic World—”

“Exactly. The ‘Noble-exclusive Fizzy Bath’ hides exposed skin—”

““—Ah.””

Suddenly, Mabel and Agnis widened their eyes and looked at each other.

“Revealing oneself.”

“Reversi has a similar effect to the mysterious light from the fizzy bath.”

Those were the keywords they had arrived at.

And from that point, the conclusion they reached made both of their faces flush bright red.

Mabel instinctively held her cheek, and Agnis checked the response of her “Health-Enhancement Pendant.”

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Their hearts beat faster.

“N-No way, that can’t be it, right?”

“Y-Yes. It’s just a game—there’s no way it would go that far.”

“If it were Lord Tor, he’d surely find a completely different answer.”

“Of course. I’m sure our thinking is completely wrong.”

“…………”

“…………”

““But it might be worth trying (maybe)… (maybe not)…””

The two murmured, as if bracing themselves.

And so they resumed the game—and took action toward the magical ritual.

—A dozen or so minutes later, from Tor’s perspective—

“This way, Your Majesty. Please, come in.”

“Hmm. So this is the Heroic World’s game. Let me see it.”

I had returned to the room. Rukie in her Demon Lord outfit came with me.

In the throne room, I was asked about the Reisenga territory.

They wanted to hear my impression of what the general’s land was like, from my perspective.

The conversation ended quickly, and then shifted into small talk.

After that, Rukie decided to come see “Reversi.”

“Mabel, Agnis. How’s it going… oh, looks like it’s already the endgame?”

At the far end of the room, with a table between them, Mabel and Agnis faced each other.

Both of them had serious expressions.

As if their lives depended on it, they stared at the game board.

You could tell the game was in its final stages because spheres of Light and Darkness surrounded the two of them.

There were probably more than thirty each.

They covered the two from below the collarbone to above the knees.

Their bodies were almost completely hidden within light and darkness. Only from the collarbones up and knees down were visible. It looked as if their bodies were being swallowed by light and dark.

Amazing… So this is what it looks like when the game reaches its final stage.

“Ooh. Things seem to be heating up.”

Rukie muttered with interest.

“Looks like both Mabel and Agnis are struggling with their next move.”

“They’re completely serious.”

“They haven’t even noticed I’m here.”

“It seems they’re fully focused on the ‘Reversi’ experiment. Please forgive them for not greeting you.”

“It’s fine. I’m the one who intruded during their experiment.”

As expected of Rukie. Such a generous heart.

With this, Mabel and Agnis can continue the experiment without worry──

“…This is troubling.”

“…Wh-what should I do… from here…”

──No, they don’t look relieved at all.

Both of them were blushing deeply, with sweat on their foreheads.

What’s going on…?

“…Your Majesty the Demon Lord. Please forgive us for not greeting you.”

Mabel slowly turned toward us and bowed her head.

“I cannot stand up from this spot right now. I’m terribly sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. If you’re in the middle of testing a magic item, such things happen.”

“…Y-yes.”

Mabel murmured as she rubbed her feet together under the chair, fidgeting.

“…Your Majesty. Thor Canaan-sama.”

Agnis, trembling, looked toward us.

“Please forgive my rudeness. I simply… cannot move right now…”

“I understand. So, how is the ‘Reversi’ coming along?”

The Demon Lord Rukie tilted her head at Agnis’s words.’

“Were there any magical reactions? Or any clues about the Hero World’s rituals?”

“U-um… It makes my heart race.”

“I see. So it raises body temperature?”

“Even though it should be chilly… staying like this makes me feel warm…”

“Interesting. Anything else?”

“I feel like… I acted too hastily.”

“Hastily?”

“If I place the next piece, I feel like something terrible will happen…”

As Agnis said that, she picked up a Reversi piece.

She raised her hand to place it on the board──then stopped.

Just like that, Agnis froze completely, as if turned to stone.

“What’s wrong, Agnis?”

“The board’s half white, half black. Wouldn’t the next move decide everything?”

““……””

Even when Rukie and I spoke to them, Agnis didn’t move. Mabel was also frozen in place.

Both were still sweating from their foreheads, trembling slightly.

…Just what is happening?

“…Your Majesty. Thor-sama.”

“What is it?”

“What’s wrong, Mabel?”

“If Agnis-sama places her piece, two-thirds of the board will turn black. The white pieces will be reduced to one-third. The spheres of Light will also shrink to one-third of their current number.”

“That sounds right.”

“But if I then place my next piece, almost everything will turn white. The black pieces will probably drop to about three. The Darkness spheres will be reduced to just three.”

“So that would mean Mabel wins, right?”

“No. There is no victor in this battle.”

Mabel declared that firmly.

“The moment I place my next piece, Agnis-sama will be defeated by the move after that. There is no winner in this battle.”

“Is that so?”

“…Yes, it is.”

Mabel whispered with a trembling voice.

Agnis was still frozen in place.

Could it be that the two of them have discovered some secret of ‘Reversi’ that I don’t know about?

“…We have a request.”

“…Your Majesty. Thor Canaan-sama. Please, we beg you.”

““Please allow this game to end in a draw.””

Mabel and Agnis, with teary eyes, said that.

“But wait, isn’t it just two more moves until the game is over?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then why not just make the moves?”

“We can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because we can’t show such an embarrassing sight to Your Majesty and Thor-sama!”

“You care that much about winning and losing!?”

Rukie raised her voice in surprise.

I was surprised too.

Mabel said she was too embarrassed to show herself losing…

I never imagined the two of them would get this into the match.

Is this the power of Reversi…?

“In that case, let’s call it a draw for now. You’re okay with that, right, Rukie-sama?”

“Y-yes, that’s fine. Let’s end it then.”

““……Yesss.””

At our words, Mabel and Agnis let out a sigh of relief.

Then, with a synchronized “ready, set,” they stood up.

The two of them lifted the Reversi board together while keeping it level.

“Then, if you’ll excuse us.”

“We’ll reset the Reversi board in the next room.”

“…You could do it here, you know?”

It’s not like it’s difficult.

All you have to do is tilt the board and put the stones back into the bag.

But Mabel and Agnis shook their heads and said,

““…Because we can’t let you see us in such an embarrassing state.””

With those words, shrouded in light and darkness, Mabel and Agnis bowed.

After making a motion like lifting something from their chairs—

Still keeping the board level, and still wrapped in light and darkness, they entered the next room.

A few minutes later, Mabel and Agnis rushed back into the room in a panic.

The two of them bowed deeply to Rukie and me.

“We deeply apologize, Your Majesty, Thor-sama.”

“We’re terribly sorry for not being here to greet you properly…”

—That’s what they said.

Of course, I didn’t mind at all.

After all, I was the one who asked them to help test Reversi.

And I could tell they were taking it seriously.

“So, did you two notice anything?”

“…My heart was pounding.”

“…I realized how dangerous it is to expose yourself while being hidden in light and darkness.”

““We think it’s better to just play this game normally.””

Mabel and Agnis said this in unison.

I understood what they meant.

If you focus too much on replicating a magic ritual, you can’t enjoy the game purely.

Rather than force ourselves to uncover the secrets of Reversi, maybe it’s best to just play it normally.

Eventually, through repeated play, the magical ritual might activate on its own.

“Then, Mabel, Agnis, would you teach me how to play Reversi?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“We’ll teach you the safest way to play.”

After that, Mabel and Agnis began explaining Reversi to Rukie.

Of course, Rukie chose black—the side of darkness.

I was the opponent, and honestly, it was fun.

When the board was half black and half white, I thought something like what happened with Mabel and Agnis might occur, but nothing happened.

No tension, no pounding heart.

Just me wrapped in light, and Rukie in darkness.

Rukie laughed and said, “This is delightful!”

The game progressed normally, and ended with Rukie’s victory.

And wow, even though it was her first time, she was incredibly strong. Rukie.

“No, that was fun. I had quite an enjoyable time.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Rukie-sama.”

“By the way, you mentioned this might be a magical ritual tool… Mabel, Agnis.”

Demon Lord Rukie turned to the two of them.

“Thor and I didn’t have the same experience as you. Is there some trick to it?”

“…W-well…”

“U-um, umm…”

Mabel and Agnis lowered their heads, their faces bright red.

And then—

“That still requires a bit more research, Your Majesty.”

“When we find a safe method, we will let you know.”

“I see. I look forward to it.”

Saying that, Rukie left the room.

Mabel and Agnis followed after her.

Apparently, since they couldn’t properly see her off, they were going to escort Rukie down the hallway.

While waiting for the two of them to return, I decided to tidy up the room.

I put the Reversi stones into a bag and gathered the tea set in one place.

Ah yes, I need to return the spare chairs to the storage room.

When I came back to the room, there was a spare chair placed at the far side of the table.

It was probably Mabel who had put it out.

While the two were battling, it seemed like they were using it to hold something—though the light and darkness obstructed my view. I wonder what they were using it for?

While thinking about that, I entered the adjacent room—

“…Huh? Something’s dropped here.”

In the cluttered corner of the storage room,

a white cloth was lying there.

It was underwear.

…Huh?

…Why would something like this be lying here?

Hypothesis 1: It got mixed in with the laundry.

Hypothesis 2: The Reversi magical ritual summoned it.

Hypothesis 3: It belonged to either Mabel or Agnis.

“…For now, I’ll ask Mabel and Agnis.”

Normally, “Hypothesis 1” would be the most reasonable.

“Hypothesis 2” would be amusing though.

Mabel and Agnis had been having such a serious match.

It wouldn’t be strange if their concentration completed the magical ritual. Although a magic that summons underwear is just nonsensical.

And “Hypothesis 3” is… even more nonsensical than “Hypothesis 2.” Yeah.

Well, I’d understand once the two of them returned.

So, I went back to the room and waited for Mabel and Agnis—but then—

“I-I’m back, Thor-sama. So—”

“T-Thor Canaan wasn’t in the next room… or the storage room…?”

“There’s something I want to ask you two about that matter—”

—What I later learned from them about the Reversi experiment became a top secret matter, kept strictly confidential at Mabel and Agnis’s request.

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