Chapter 117 Advanced Tactics in an Ancient Board Game
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I’d been called out of the blue by Duke Vermillion—Cecilia’s father, my fiancée’s father—and now found myself being questioned in his heavy, fancy reception room. The portraits of past family heads lining the walls seemed to stare down at me, their painted eyes blaming, judging.
”It’s a misunderstanding, Your Excellency. I didn’t kidnap that ‘Angel of Asgard.’”
”…Hmph. So you’re saying it really wasn’t your doing?”
The Duke didn’t quite hate me, exactly. But “didn’t approve of me” was putting it mildly. The hate in his tone was sharp. Not that I could blame him—I’d been threatening him with those private videos of his, after all.
Still, having a man who might one day become my father-in-law question me like a state criminal wasn’t exactly doing wonders for my stomach.
It had been about a year since I got back my past-life memories. I’d thought I’d grown used to this world of swords and magic—but apparently, I wasn’t safe from a good old-fashioned mental squeeze.
Not that I could let him see that.
I forced a smirk to the corner of my mouth, showing an air of complete calm.
”Of course not. In fact, making a move on the princess at this exact moment would be a planned mistake for us. I wouldn’t play such a beginner’s hand.”
As it was, the princess’s kidnapping had given the Royal Family’s Holy Knights the perfect reason to raid the capital bases of nobles like us—anyone they thought might have issues against the current rule. If the princess wasn’t found soon, those raids would eventually spread to our lands in the areas.
”Hmph. So you understand that much. Perhaps you really aren’t the one at fault. When I first heard she’d gone without a trace, you were the first name that came to mind. But then—who is responsible? It’s clear that this bad situation serves none of our interests. Where is the princess now? Do you have any leads?”
The questions came fast.
The Duke was clearly very worried about this mess. And just as clearly, he wanted me to clean it up. Fast.
I felt the same way.
But then again.
The situation was already far beyond any hope of a quiet solution.
First of all: Princess Liliana, who was supposed to have been kidnapped, was currently living it up in my mansion, having the time of her life.
It wouldn’t have been that hard to put her in some empty building and arrange for her knight, Serena Crystalight, to easily “find” her.
The problem was that Serena—the “Explosion-Killing Angel”—was still after my head. And if she was saved and safely returned to the Royal Palace, she’d tell without any doubt: Xenos Grimlock is the one who took me and locked me up.
And that? That was a disaster.
Worst-case situation: the Royal Family goes to war with House Grimlock. My family’s border lands, which were already locked in constant small fights with the Eastern Empire, would suddenly be attacked from behind by the Royal Army. Even if it didn’t go that far, we’d be sitting on a hair-trigger, one wrong word from all-out fight.
And if the word got out that I’d sunk so low as to kidnap the kingdom’s young princess? Not a single soul would side with me. I’d be attacked from all sides.
Reason. In every time, having the moral high ground was what truly mattered.
That said, threatening Liliana herself into silence was a fool’s errand. Children were unpredictable—they’d open their mouths at the worst possible moment, with zero idea of risk, and say something that would ruin everything.
No matter how carefully I taught her, there was always a chance she’d say the truth without a second thought.
Which meant she’d be staying in my mansion’s very comfortable basement for a while longer.
”Unfortunately, I don’t know her exact location. But… I do know who the real one at fault is.”
I decided to feed the Duke the “truth” about this event. My kind, anyway.
”What!? You know who did it? Who is it!?”
”The one at fault is Princess Liliana herself.”
I was about to create a version of events that worked for my purposes, and in doing so, convince this stubborn old man.
”…The princess herself is the one at fault? What do you mean? Are you saying she’s hiding of her own choice? Without telling Prince Liam or anyone else?”
”Exactly. Princess Liliana used a plan known as the ‘Feint-and-Conceal Maneuver.’”1
I made the lie bigger with the most convincing-sounding story I could create.
”Feint-and-Conceal? What sort of plan is that? I’ve never heard of it.”
”Of course not. It’s one of the most advanced tactics from an old strategic board game.”2
”Board games? You mean that’s not just school nonsense?”
”Not at all, Your Excellency. Board games aren’t just copies of the battlefield. Think about the current state of play. By making herself vanish, Princess Liliana has given the Royal Family’s peace group the reason to do forced searches on the bases of political rivals like us—all under the cover of a noble cause. She’s making herself disappear, staging her own kidnapping, to move the situation in her favor. She may be young, but it would not be too much to say her planned cleverness and drive far go beyond normal standards.”
The Duke finally seemed to understand my thinking.
”…To think that angelic, innocent young princess would stage her own kidnapping. But even if that’s true, our position doesn’t get better, does it? What do you plan to do about this?”
”Nothing.”
My short answer drew a puzzled look.
”…What?”
”We have no use for allies who can’t get past a little trouble on their own. If anything, the princess is doing us a favor—thinning out the useless among our ranks. We should see it as her weeding out the incapable for us. Besides, the key issue isn’t whether the war group finally wins. The real question is what happens after—whether we keep our rightful standing no matter how the war ends. That is what truly matters.”
Duke Vermillion fell quiet, thinking over my words.
Cutting loose incapable allies, sorting out the weak—that was the kind of thinking the Duke would like.
I figured that ought to convince him.
After a moment, Duke Vermillion spoke quietly.
”…Keeping the Eastern Empire at a constant state of tension, keeping those border fights—that’s been our best choice. But if we ever reach a point where winning seems impossible… then you’re saying we should change and move as the situation demands.”
”Exactly. And if the Royal Family keeps pushing these forced searches, they’ll naturally push back from the other nobles. It’s not all bad news. Our best move is to sit back and watch from above.”
With that, our private talk came to an end.
I left the reception room.
I’d managed to convince him, at least.
But that Liliana situation was still slipping through my fingers.
I needed to deal with it. Soon.
And quietly, I was… worried.
—
Summary:
The protagonist is called by Duke Vermillion and questioned about Princess Liliana’s kidnapping. He turns away suspicion by making up a lie that Liliana staged her own kidnapping as a planned move, showing himself as innocent. Despite convincing the Duke, the protagonist is still stuck—Liliana is still in his basement, and Serena Crystalight is actively hunting him.
—
Trivia:
Xenos is blackmailing Duke Vermillion with private videos, which is why the Duke tolerates his boldness.
Princess Liliana’s “kidnapping” is a staged event—she’s actually staying in Xenos’s basement willingly.
Serena Crystalight, the “Explosion-Killing Angel,” is a major threat who would tell on Xenos if saved.
The Eastern Empire and Royal Family both pose military threats to House Grimlock’s border lands.
Xenos’s “game script” knowledge is mentioned but not used in this chapter—he’s making it up as he goes.
The “Feint-and-Conceal Maneuver” is a completely made-up plan invented by Xenos on the spot.
The Peace Group is using Liliana’s disappearance as reason to raid political rivals.
Duke Vermillion is Cecilia’s father and Xenos’s future father-in-law, making the questioning personal.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Duke Vermillion – Cecilia’s father and a powerful noble. Disapproves of Xenos but is being blackmailed with private videos. Represents the old guard of nobility and is concerned with maintaining political stability. Grills Xenos about Princess Liliana’s disappearance.
• Cecilia – The eldest daughter of the Vermillion Duchy and a former saint, she is Xenos’s fiancée and one of his romantic interests. Known for her flame-red hair, blue eyes, and pet, Lumiá, she possesses a cold yet playful nature. Though she rejected Prince Liam, she adores Kuuko and teases Lizel. Lilia shows no jealousy toward her. She occasionally uses a ring to adopt a revealing dancer’s disguise.
• Liliana – Known as the “Angel of the Asgard Kingdom” for her golden hair and sky-blue eyes, this princess is the younger sister of Prince Liam and Elenor. While maintaining a refined, angelic public facade, she is a manipulative mastermind who wields explosion magic. As Serena’s liege and the true culprit behind recent assassination attempts, she carefully hides her dark nature behind whispered, noble asides.
• Lilia – Xenos’s fiercely loyal, trauma-resilient Head Maid is a lovely, pale, busty woman with long dark hair, a chest tattoo, and a nullified crest. Dressed in a black uniform, she maintains refined, icy elegance when disciplining others, especially Elenor. While formal and efficient with guests, she masks deep, jealous anxiety for Xenos, finding her greatest joy in serving him and sleeping by his side.
• Serena – A competent, intellectual knight of the noble Crystalight family, this personal guardian to Princess Liliana is distinguished by long silver hair and an elegant, formal bearing. Deeply devoted to the princess yet easily flustered by unexpected advances, they have just arrived earlier than expected to the VIP room.
• Grimlock – Xenos’s family name.
• Xenos – Job: Heir to a high-ranking noble house; Relationship: Owner of Lilia; Has romantic connections with Elenor, Cecilia, and Lizel; Item/Magic: Summoning magic, [Substitution Collars]; Note: Was caught up in a Royal Palace explosion and missed three days of school. Pragmatic and calculating personality. Job: Noble of Grimlock family, protagonist; Relationship: Manipulator of Princess Liliana, pursuing Serena; Item/Magic: [Ring of Transformation]; Note: Reincarnated villain with game knowledge, calculating and arrogant. Job: Theater Owner and noble of Grimlock family; Relationship: Fiancé to Cecilia; Item/Magic: Game knowledge/metaknowledge; Note: Reincarnated villain protagonist who knows the original game script.
• Liam – Liam Asgard, the golden-haired, emerald-eyed First Prince of Asgard, is Liliana’s older brother and the liege of Elliot and Aldrick. Betrothed to Elisabeth, he is an arrogant yet fundamentally kind man who speaks with elegant grace. Though he underestimates his rival Xenos’s Zero Mana status, he shows consideration toward him, even as his obsessive pursuit of Cecilia threatens his political standing.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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