Kanzen Kaihi Healer no Kiseki - VOL 3 CHAPTER 11

Chapter 11 – An Imitation of Game of Life In The Demon World

“…Then let’s play a game. That’s something we can’t do alone.”

“I’d be happy to.”

The Demon King rang a bell in the room to call the maid, and had her clear the table. Presumably, the table would be needed for the game. A side table was brought out and used to serve tea along with the fried confectionery we brought as a gift.

I gently bowed my head to the maid who prepared it, and when I looked back at the Demon King, he was spreading out a big piece of paper. It looked like some kind of board game.

“I’ll help.”

“We just need to spread this out on the table, right?”

“Yes, thank you.”

The Demon King handed the ends of the paper to us and we spread it across the table.

It was…

“A board game?”

“This is a board game played in the demon world called Game of Life. Does Pizznut Kingdom have something similar?”

“I don’t know about Pizznut, but my hometown does.”

“I see.”

There were boxes like in sugoroku [1], each with something written in it. Some numbers were also marked, and it appeared the richest player would win in this game. The rules the Demon King explained to us were about what I expected. Lusha didn’t seem familiar with it, so she listened to the explanation seriously.

“So, we’ll roll one die and move forward according to our roll, right?”

“Correct.”

“The rules don’t seem to be a problem. Every time we reach the finish line, we’ll get money, and the person with the most money is the winner!”

Lusha, already having a good understanding of the rules, seemed to be having fun.

The game board depicted a spiral made up of 55 boxes, taking two revolutions to reach the center, which was the goal the players were trying to reach. It wasn’t as complicated as some of the games we used to play in Japan.

The game could have up to five players. The player in first place would get 10 million Rico, 8 million for second place, 5 million for third, and 1 million to the fourth place player. Fifth place got nothing. Everyone started with 10 million Rico.

I was the blue piece, Lusha was yellow, and the Demon King was red. Just when I thought it was time to start, I heard a familiar voice.

“Are you about to play Game of Life? Alright alright, count me in!”

“Sure, we don’t mind.”

The Shop Fairy came out of nowhere. She already had a black piece in her hand.

This is the Demon King’s private room, can you really just waltz right in? Well, they seem to have a great deal of mutual trust, so apparently it’s not a problem.

“Oh, there are some delicious sweets, too!”

“That’s some fried confectionery we brought as a present. It’s nice to have something to eat while playing, right?”

It was a simple dish, just a fried dough ball sprinkled with sugar. In spite of that simplicity, I thought that the Demon King, who seemed like he’d usually eat the finest dishes, might like to have something different once in a while.

It went about as you’d expect. The Demon King looked at the fried sweets with interest, and he picked one up, sniffed it, and looked it over.

“Thank you. We’ll have to try some.”

He took a bite, and said it was delicious with a little more enthusiasm than before. Apparently, he really liked these sweets. That was how our Game of Life session started, with the four of us around the table.

“Okay, let’s decide the order with rock-paper-scissors. Jan, ken, pon!”

As a result of the rock-paper-scissors match, by the Shop Fairy’s command, it turned out that the order would be Lusha first, then the Shop Fairy, then the Demon King, and finally me.

“No way, I have to start it? I really don’t like being first…!”

“If you’re going first, your chances of finishing first will also be a little higher, you know,” I advised her.

“Maybe so, but…”

She looked at me with doubt. It’s just a game, you know, so you don’t have to be so stiff… that said, I’m not going to lose either.

“Please, give me good numbers!”

Lusha made a wish as she rolled the die. It landed on 5.

“Oh, that’s a good number…”

Lusha cried out quietly.

“…isn’t it?”

I thought it was a great start, but Lusha… seemed kind of terrified for some reason. Ah, you have to pay attention to the script on the box where you stopped, huh? She read the contents to us.

“Ride a pacaloo around the courtyard. Collect 1 million Rico.”

“What’s wrong with that? Isn’t that good since you didn’t lose money?”

“What are you talking about? I have to ride a pacaloo!”

“…Yeah?”

Wait, do we really have to do what’s written in the box? In the real world? That seems so dangerous. How horrible. I can’t read the writing, so I won’t know what’s on the square I land on and will have to ask Lusha to read it to me.

“Alright then, let’s go to the pacaloo!”

“Is that okay? Won’t it bite me?”

“It’s a good kid, so it’ll be fine.”

The Shop Fairy went out, followed by Lusha, the Demon King, and me. When we got outside, the pacaloo was munching on the leaves. It was a bit of a relief to realize it was herbivorous.

Lusha took some deep breaths to calm herself down, and said, “Okay, I just have to ride it one lap around this courtyard, right?”

“It seems that way. Are you okay, Lusha?”

“Maybe. I used to be good at dealing with animals.”

“My my, do your best.”

Lusha stretched out her arms timidly to the pacaloo’s mouth. It seemed to take a sniff to check her scent, then rubbed her hand. It must have acknowledged her. Lusha slowly got on the pacaloo’s back, straightened her posture, and looked forward.

“Wow, I’m seriously riding it! Thank goodness. Pacaloo, let’s make one one lap around the courtyard.”

“Palulu.”

“Good pacaloo.”

It seems like the mission was completed successfully.

“Ah, good riddance, it’s a success.”

“That’s right.”

“If you fail, it’ll be minus 5 million Rico, you know.”

“That’s a rule?”

As you might expect, the game would be pretty hard if your funds were cut in half right at the start. After Lusha’s mission, we went back to the Demon King’s room.

“My my, I’m next. Aaaaand… three, huh? Um, wait, eat a lot of sweets and pay 1 million Rico… what bad luck.”

The Shop Fairy ate the fried sweets and paid 1 million Rico. Next was the Demon King’s turn. The die thrown from his small hands rolled on the table and landed on six.

“…Alright!”

The Demon King moved his piece, and Lusha read the contents of the box.

“Umm, you’ll receive a present worth 3 million from the previous player.”

“My my, a 3 million Rico present, huh? I’ve hit last place in one go.”

The Shop Fairy dejectedly searched for something from her bag, and took out an Apricot fruit and offered it to the Demon King. Apparently you really did have to give a present for that kind of mission. I mean, an Apricot fruit is a rare item. (T/N : I don’t know why she can pay with an item.)

“Thank you.”

The Demon King received it, so it was my turn now. I rolled the die… and it came up on five.

It’s the same as Lusha, so that’s meant, I’m going to walk one lap on the courtyard riding the Pacaloo. It was certainly scary when I looked at it the first time, but Lusha’s experience had proven that pacaloo can easily become friendly. I can do this.

“Shall we go over to the pacaloo now?”

“Hiroki, do your best! It was a good pacaloo, so I’m sure you’ll be fine!”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

After hearing Lusha’s support, I went to the Pacaloo.

Behind me, Lusha, the Shop Fairy, and the Demon King are looking at me. Everyone doesn’t seem to be worried nonchalantly.

“Pacaloo, please go around the courtyard with me.”

With a smile, I bring my hand to the Pacaloo’s mouth just like Lusha’s before, to keep from scaring it as much as possible.

There was a whoosh as its attack failed to land.

…Huh?

More misses.

“Why is it attacking me?!”

The pacaloo tried to bite my hand and I quickly retracted it. There was no damage because I was avoiding it, but I was a little shocked because I thought it was a cute animal, and that we could just easily take a lap in this courtyard. The pacaloo exhaled loudly through its nostrils. Does it hate me?

Lusha came over to me and looked at the pacaloo. “No way, it was so obedient when it was with me!”

“Did I handle it the wrong way or something?”

“I didn’t think you did, but…”

Was it just in a bad mood? When Lusha approached, it happily went over to her.

That’s… weird.

“It was so cold to me, though; does that mean it’s a male…?”

“I don’t know about that, but…”

Since Lusha was here, maybe it would be fine. With that in mind, I reached out to the pacaloo again.

A missed chomp.

This isn’t good.

“Well well, then we’ll confiscate 5 million Rico from Hiroki.”

“Damn it! I thought the Shop Fairy would always be at the bottom!”

I’d lost half my money in just one turn. We went back to the room and kept playing.

In the second round, Lusha advanced three boxes, performed a song, and received 1 million Rico as a thank you from everyone. The Shop Fairy advanced four boxes, talked about her recent failure, and received 3 million Rico as a reward. The Demon King advanced five boxes, got acquainted with a rich person, and received 5 million Rico.

I advanced 5 boxes, met an aggressive adventurer, and lost another million Rico.

“………..”

“Hiroki’s lost a ton already considering we’re only in the second round…”

“Damn it, I’ll start making a comeback after this round!”

The game continued, and everyone was close to the goal. Lusha and the shop fairy were six boxes away from the finish line. The Demon King was four boxes away, and I was five boxes.

Our money was:

Lusha: 19 million Rico
Shop Fairy: 7.4 million Rico
Demon King: 141 million Rico
Me: 6.1 million Rico

“How the heck did it turn out like this…”

I was in last place.

“My my, Hiroki is weak in games, huh?”

I replied to the giggling shop fairy with a reproachful look. “I don’t want to be told that by someone who barely has any more than I do.”

Actually, the Demon King was overwhelmingly strong. Could he control the die’s number to some extent or something? As expected, the shut-in was involved in playing an analog board game.

I wanted to win, and I really didn’t like being at the bottom. However, I can’t control how the die will land, so I had no choice but to leave it to chance.

“Okay then, I’m rolling… alright… it’s six! Ah!”

“Congratulations, Lusha.”

Lusha finished in first place. Next, the Shop Fairy also finished safely. The next player was the Demon King, but I was sure he’d finish just like that. Still, the Demon King rolled a three, and landed one square before the goal.

“… It’s said, we need to have a betting contest on something against the person who’s in the box behind us.”

“… Is it me?”

I’m the only one who hasn’t finished that has a piece behind the Demon King.

“Even if you say you’re going to have a contest, you have nothing to bet with, right?”

I didn’t have any rare items, and even though I’d accumulated a lot of money, I wasn’t rich, either. When I was thinking about what to do, the Shop Fairy made a proposal.

“Alright alright, how about the winner being able to ask for one thing?”

“I’m fine with that.”

“Me too.”

I was a little worried that I didn’t know what it would be, but it was just a game, after all. He wouldn’t make me do some terrible favor for him, after all.

“If I win… right, can I invite you to dinner?”

“Dinner?”

“So that we can be good friends.”

“I understand.”

I was relieved that he accepted it. It might really be nice to hear about magic, but I felt like it wasn’t suitable to make a bet over, or it would sour his opinion of me. I’d have to ask him about that properly.

“But Hiroki, what are you going to do with the game?” Lusha asked, confused.

“The method of the contest hasn’t been decided yet. Do you have any suggestions, Tito-sama?”

“…I will use magic. Can you avoid it, Hiroki?”

“Oh! Of course.”

If the Demon King cast a spell at me and I could avoid it, I’d be the winner. If I couldn’t avoid it, he’d be the winner. I mean, my evasion can even avoid magic, too ― unless he uses some kind of really amazing magic, I felt like I wouldn’t lose. Once I see it, I can avoid it.

“Okay then, let’s go out to the courtyard!” The Shop Fairy said excitedly.

Once outside, I posed a question. “Come to think of it, how many times will we try this? One round?”

“My my, it’s no fun if it ends that quickly. How about three times?”

“Sure, that sounds good!”

The Demon King and I took a distance from each other, with the center of the courtyard between us. As Lusha and the Shop Fairy watched, the Demon King took a deep breath and put his hands forward.

I thought he’d use a wand… but, it was only a game, so it didn’t have to be like that.

“Please begin whenever you want, Tito-sama.”

“Well then, let’s go… [Water]!”

Not a drop touched me.

“You really avoided it, huh.”

“I’m an evasion Healer, after all.”

I was wondering what kind of magic he would use since he’s a Demon King, but the magic he just threw at me was like a beginner’s skill that seemed better suited to his age. The Demon King shot the same spell at me again, with the same result. I avoided it without even doing anything.

“Well then, how about this?”

“Hmm?”

“[Fire].”

When I thought about what kind of skill he was going to use, he just changed the attribute. I thought he was making too light of me ― but the fire expanded as it flew at me.

“What the…!? Damn, [Heal]!!”

Avoiding it was impossible, and I tried to recover quickly with Heal.

“Hiroki, are you okay!?”

“What was that just now…!? Isn’t Fire an equal skill to Water?”

Lusha was worried and ran up to me, but I looked at the Demon King, as that spell’s power was incomparable to his Water spell.

“Since I’m the Demon King, it will be easy if I get a little serious.”

“Right…”

Did that mean the water was just to make me let down my guard after the first and second shots? Indeed, if that was his strategy, it would be a very successful one. To be honest, I thought it was just a small fire spell, so I was careless. When it’s coming from a Demon King, I had no choice but to admire that he could come up with this trick.

“It’s my loss. I’ll do what Tito-sama says. So, what do you want?”

“I want you to have dinner with us.”

“Of course, with pleasure!”

I nodded, pleasantly surprised by his request.