-77- The Gaming Addict of Chaldea

Mount Tengu.

It is a high mountain located southwest of Otaru city in Hokkaido, Japan.

From the summit of Mount Tengu, one can see the panoramic view of the city, making it one of the three famous nightscapes in Hokkaido, alongside Hakodate's Hakodate night view and Sapporo's Moiwa night view.

As the prestigious family of this far eastern island nation, the Izanagi clan has its stronghold on this mountain, holding absolute power in the country.

Unlike the Akabane clan, which has been on a path of turmoil, the Izanagi clan has been deeply connected with the aristocratic society since the Heian period. To this day, they reign as the highest nobility, even influencing the country's policies, and their existence directly impacts the life and death of the nation, showcasing their exceptional status.

To visit such an aristocratic family, one must not act rashly.

On this day, the Akabane clan formed an impressive convoy, with ten luxurious carriages marching along the road, raising the sound of wheels and a billowing cloud of dust.

Members of the Akabane clan were spread around the caravan, releasing their controlled puppets, which filled every corner of the convoy, exuding a grand presence.

These puppets were not like the wooden dolls that Rozen manipulated.

The so-called practice dolls were just puppets made of wood, with little value.

The puppets controlled by the Akabane clan, on the other hand, looked exactly like humans, and their movements were so agile that they seemed far from being inanimate objects. They were equipped with various weapons and armors, their level of intricacy was astonishing.

Of course, even these puppets were nothing more than wooden dolls covered in fur.

Real automatons were entirely different. They contained Magic Circuits, could use magic, and had a life mechanism, possessing will and being similar to artificial humans.

Using such puppets would truly make them adept in the concept of "Automaton Magic" and become puppeteers.

Although the Akabane clan possesses the secret technique of manipulating puppets and the mastery of "Crimson Wing Formation," if they were to debut as puppeteers, it would undoubtedly shock the world. Unfortunately, in this far eastern island nation, the widespread use of automatons has not yet begun. True living puppets are still more commonly seen in various Western countries. It will take some time for them to become popular in this far eastern island nation.

However, when that era of widespread automatons truly arrives, it will be the Akabane clan's genuine opportunity to shine. With the exceptional secret technique of the "Crimson Wing Formation," the Akabane clan can ascend to the top of the country when the age of automatons is fully realized.

Izanagi Clan saw the potential in the Akabane clan, which led to the idea of forming an alliance with them. This is the explanation given by Akabane Kuukan to the members of the clan.

Whether there are hidden motives behind this decision, no one knows.

At least, apart from the high-ranking members of the clan, very few know the hidden truths.

The clan members believe that Izanagi Clan truly values the Akabane clan's potential, which is why they have chosen to have the princess marry into their family. Thus, each of them has a proud and triumphant demeanor, leading the caravan with their heads held high as they make their way towards Mount Tengu.

Naturally, both Rozen and Akabane Raishin are among them, sitting together in one of the carriages, second only to the central position where Akabane Kuukan is located.

Inside the carriage, they are currently... playing cards.

"Well, I win again."

Rozen draws one of the two cards from Akabane Raishin's hand, making a pair, and places it in front of him, declaring his victory.

"Darn it, I lost again."

Akabane Raishin looks frustrated.

Since they departed, they have played dozens of rounds, yet Akabane Raishin has not won a single one.

"There's no reason why I haven't won even once. Is there some secret technique that I don't know?" Akabane Raishin asked Rozen.

After all, this entertainment was created by Rozen and taught to the three Akabane siblings.

Of course, Raishin doesn't know that it's just a simple game of poker.

"Just playing poker, practice makes perfect. There's no secret technique to it," Rozen shrugged and said, "It's just the simplest game. If it weren't for this era not having computers, I wouldn't bother playing."

Being in this world for a whole decade, the only thing that Rozen finds dissatisfying is the backwardness of this era, with no computers and no games to play. This disappoints Rozen, who was already known as a gaming addict in Chaldea.

Even though the main purpose of coming to this world was to improve himself, when his mana was depleted and he couldn't do any training, Rozen still wished he could play games and relax. Otherwise, wouldn't he be bored to death at home?

As a result, this world doesn't even have computers, and Rozen can only invent these small games during his free time and teach them to the three Akabane siblings for entertainment.

Since it's just for fun, Rozen naturally wouldn't hide any tricks to win.

"Or maybe you used some magic..." Raishin still seemed unconvinced.

Indeed, using Heaven's Eye, Rozen could easily know what cards Raishin had in his hand.

But Rozen still said, "I don't need any magic to deal with you. Back in the day, when I was playing games, you hadn't even been born yet. How could you possibly beat me?"

"Sure, sure," Raishin replied dismissively, "You always say things others don't understand. We're the same age. How could you have played when I wasn't born?"

The two of them continued to play and banter inside the carriage.

As they played, the conversation turned to the purpose of their journey.

"To be honest, Narugami, don't you want to marry that princess?" Akabane Raishin asked, "If it succeeds, even though you're an adopted son, your status within the clan will not be lower than Ten-nii, and might even be higher."

"What about you?" Rozen raised an eyebrow and said, "The benefits are so obvious, why don't you go and marry her?"

"I don't want to marry a girl I've never met," Raishin replied directly, "Besides, I'm going to be a man who practices martial arts in the future. I don't want to become some official."

"I feel the same way," Rozen asserted, "I want to study magic seriously and improve my strength. I don't want to play house with a ten-year-old girl pretending to be married."

"You..." Raishin got annoyed for a moment but then calmed down, saying, "Forget it, in the end, she will definitely choose you. I'm not a genius, I won't be chosen."

"I'll give you back the same line," Rozen laughed, "I'm sure the young lady of Izanagi won't choose an adoptee with an unknown background. She'll definitely choose you, who have the 'Crimson Wings Blood'."

With this mindset, the two of them came here for this occasion.

As for the final result, only the heavens knew.

Soon after, the Akabane clan's convoy arrived at the top of Mount Tengu and eventually reached the magnificent mansion of the Izanagi clan.

There, they were already awaited by their hosts.