Herald of Steel

When Gelene was moving her piece to the dungeon, she suddenly noticed it had landed on the 'King's Chance' space of the board.

And seeing it felt like she was seeing the slightest sliver of light in a deep, dark tunnel.

'Maybe one of the cards there can help me! Maybe there is a 'get out of dungeon' card!' She prayed against hope.

Thus she quickly pointed that out to Alexander, asking him if she could use that.

"......" Alexander did not immediately answer.

Instead, he traced his chin, thinking how he should resolve the turn order.

Should the 'Inquisiton' send Gelene to the dungeon right now, or does she get to buy property or draw cards before her turn resolves?

"Mmmm… okay draw the cards." Ultimately he decided on the latter since he felt it would make the game more fun.

"Yes!" And Gelene instantly cheered at having obtained this small advantage, and then quickly went to grab the topmost card from the deck like a hawk.

However, as she read it…..

Alexander had rarely seen a face go from being flushed red with excitement to being deflated like a popped balloon.

"Ahem… never mind." As the girl surreptitiously attempted to put the card back, her once loud, boisterous voice suddenly seemed to have lost all its luster.

"Read it." But Alexander of course was not going to let her get away so easily.

Thus Gelene was forced to comply, "You won first prize at a beauty contest. Collect 1,000 ropals."

"Ahhhahahaha," Everyone at the table could not help but burst out at this conclusion.

To think after so many fights and quarrels, this was Gelene's reward.

"Serves you right! Serves you right." And taking pleasure in her misfortune, Cambyses spat out these words with a curved grin.

"Haha, Here you go." While Alexander with a similarly warm laugh handed Gelene two crisp 500 notes.

"No! No! I do not want this evil money. All this bad money! Take it back, take it back."

Gelene's whining got another good chuckle with the crowd.

"To think I would hear crying about having too much money in a game about making money…. Hehehe." Even Ophenia chimed in with a grin.

It was apparent this version of Monopoly was proving quite popular.

As Gelene got sent to the dungeon with a small pout on her face, it became Mean's turn.

And here, upon taking the dice, in a rare moment of shrewd observance, the short girl suddenly stated in a somewhat unsure voice,

"Come to think of it, Gelene had more than 1,000 ropals before drawing the card. So she would have been in the dungeon regardless of whether she succeeded or not in landing on Tibias, right?"

It seemed being sent to the dungeon due to possession of excessive capital had momentarily awakened a sense of money in her.

"......."

Thus as she looked around the room after saying, she noticed the rest of the room descend into a deafening stillness as everyone went quiet at this innocuous bombshell of an observatoin.

They now understood that Gelene's choice had made even less sense.

Hence soon three pairs of scroching eyes descended on Gelene, while the latter only giggled at this prank.

She knew it all but decided to do it anyway.

Even Alexander could only mirthfully shake his head in lampooning amusement.

"Okay, it's just a game girls. Move on." Then, worried the girls were about to get physical, gestured to Mean to start rolling.

"Six!" The result was a double.

"I own that! It's 6 ropals."

No sooner had Mean moved her piece into the rolled space did Gelene's demanding voice ring out, her palms flipped forward.

'Pay up!' Seemed to be the message.

"Heh! Fuck off! You don't get to collect rent while in the dungeon." However the little pepper's sneering curse clearly revealed her thoughts on the matter.

"When did we decide on that?" But Gelene remained undaunted, confidently reposting this question, figuratively to Mean, but in reality to Alexander.

She was asking for his ruling on the matter.

"Mmmm…" And this made the man once again stroke his chin.

Like many features of regular Monopoly, the ability to collect rent while in prison was a togglable feature.

And then he decided, "Say what… while in the dungeon, the rent will go to me!"

Alexander's declaration caused many of the players to lampoon with a mirthful smile. With Cambyses even giggling, "Such a troll!".

"Ummm…So…" While Mean somehow appeared to be in a dilemma through his rule,

Specifically, she was having a hard time making change, as all she had was a 100, 50, and 5 ropals note.

And as Cambyses put it, "Oh, remember Mean, Alex does not make change."

"I know, I know!"

It was this fear that could explain how Mean was making this awkward movement of simultaneously giving and taking back her note from Alexander.

At some point, Mean even suddenly decided to offer the 5 ropal note, thinking a deficit of only 1 ropal was not that big deal.

"No! You don't want to underpay the king." However, she was stopped by this chuckle from Cambyses.

Mean too understood the folly of that attempt.

Then finally, seemingly run out of all options, Mean produced her most 'sexy' smile, and flashing the largest note, claimed, "I'm sure for a note as large as 100 ropals, the king will reconsider."

"Thank you!" Alexander only accepted the entire thing with a light grin and then clasped his hand shut like the matter was done and dusted.

"No! No! Can I at least have some please?" Mean could only whine and whimper, stamping her feet lightly and putting her hand forward like a beggar.

"Haha haha," The gesture made the rest of the room break into another bout of laughter.

Even Alexander jokingly giggled, "I don't make the rules!"

"*Sniff*, fine!" Mean gave a fake sniffing of her nose as she took her dice again since she had rolled doubles.

"King's Chance!" This time fate seemed to smile on her as,

"I get to use my powers!" The 'bullied' girl cheered as she then started to rifle through the deck.

"Hehe, oh god… Alex… haha haha you sick… sick man… so good…" And as she went, judging by the chuckling commentary she was giving, it was apparent the girl was very amused by many of the things written there.

"I can't wait for some of these to out!" It was with this last ominous note that Mean finally put the deck down grinning, having chosen her card.

She read it aloud for the rest, "Favorite Minister! You have earned the king's favor. Collect 200 ropals from each of the players."

Her voice sounded sweeter and sweeter with each word, filled with pleasure, as she then quickly put the card on the board, "So pay! This 'shaheeb' is running low on cash, haha!"

Alexander found the short girl imperiously glaring down at her much taller opponents quite cute.

"Dammit! Why does it have to be us to pay for the king's favorite minister?" While others paid their dues relatively quietly, Cambyses appeared to be far more begrudging of the act.

And the reason was clear.

Her wad of cash was looking pretty thin by now.

It seemed she had indulged a bit too much on her spending spree.

Something which even caused Mean to poke her with.

"Heh heh, you do not look so well mistress. Running a little short it seems. *Tsk*, *tsk*, You should really pace yourslef. Well… I do not make the rules, hehe"

There was a smug look few had ever seen.

The girl even swung her now heavy, replenished bundle of cash in front of Cambyses, just to show off.

And why shouldn't she be?

She had gone from a mere 55 ropals to 855 ropals in a single turn.

"Wait! Let me see that card." However, the sudden ringing of this voice from the game master's seat instantly caused Mean to skip a heart, as she felt the threat of rain on her joyous parade.

She knew from past experience that whenever Alexander decided to put his nose into the game, it was usually bad news.

"Wha… what… why do you want it? There is nothing there." Thus Mean attempted to quickly push the card back into the deck.

But alas!

She was not fast enough.

Alexander snatched the rectangular piece of paper from underneath Mean in one fell swoop and started to scan it.

For his memory had been jostled by that one innocuous comment Cambyses made.

The king's favorite minister should indeed receive a gift from the king.

Alexander could have sworn he had added that when he was writing that card.

Because as far as he could remember that card was meant to screw the player over, not give them free cash.

So he decided to double check.

"I knew it!" And moments later he finished reading, came this whispered, confirming his suspicions.

It made Mean's heart tremble.

And then it started to beat wildly as Alexander announced,

"Mean did not read it properly. The card says the players collect 200 ropals from each player and the king! So it's 1,000 ropals! Not 800!"

"No! Alex you pit me!" Mean's high pitched cry could be heard throughout the house as she cursed her own hastiness.

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