Napoleon of Another World!

Chapter 11 - Farewell

"A true character always manages

to stand out in the great moments"

There was a game on Erthea called Madara that was very popular, especially among the aristocracy, similar in some respects to the game of chess of my old world.

It was played on an eleven-by-twelve board, with two ten-sided dice and a nine-piece set, and mastering the art was considered a vital part of any noble scion's education.

The interesting thing about this game was that there were no predetermined pawns, and each player could create the piece that wanted, give it a name and deploy it at any time on the game board at the condition of assigning it to one of the categories into which the pieces were divided. Each move was distinguished by attack points, defense points, and life points and had to be placed on a square in the first two rows, called Castles, which represented the base from which the player, in the role of ruler, led his army.

Unlike chess, the ultimate goal of the game wasn't to checkmate the opponent, but the defeat of all his pawns –alternatively, a pawn could be brought to occupy the golden square placed in the center of the two Castles, the Throne Room.

Learning the rules had been child's play for me, and over the years I had taught hard lessons to all the players who had dared to challenge me, earning money and prestige.

Now it was finally time to begin the biggest and most memorable game of Madara that Erthea had ever seen.

Everything had been set up in the right way.

I had chosen the board, analyzed my opponent, and created my pawns.

All the pieces I needed were there: the Merchant, the Monsters, the Commoners, the Captain, the Wise, and the Dragon.

Now all that was left was to bring the last piece, the General, onto the field and start the game.

It had been almost six years since I had awakened in that world – six years spent weaving plots, creating alliances, and carefully planning my every single move – both those already made and those I was about to make.

I knew my opponent better than he knew himself, and I could read his soul like an open book.

Only the last piece was missing, the first domino, the one that once overturned would have started the unstoppable chain effect destined to forever change the fate not only of Erthea, but of that entire world.

And I had that card right there, closed in my fist.

A simple piece of paper.

I had never before experienced such a sensation of literally holding in my hands the instrument capable of changing the course of history.

I'd be lying if I said that I never considered giving it all up at least a couple of times in all those years.

What was the point of all that?