One of Gilgamesh’s Soldier Assassins assumed his post near the Hallway as he was ordered, and with the next command, he marched right towards a lone Baron. But as the Soldier did, he saw that another had marched with him without a word. The Soldier eyed him for a moment, then turned his focus to the target ahead, and the other Noble thrust a Dagger into his side.

  Gilgamesh watched as all of his Soldiers were killed, and the fleeing Bandits escaped into the Hallway.

  “They adapted too fast... And those weren’t the actions of independent pawns. The Bandits are clearly following orders given by a central command. That isn’t possible unless the one giving the commands is here in the Ballroom.” Gilgamesh realized.

  “It’s not impossible for it to be the Leader’s pawn, but this Bandit Faction is more akin to a mob than an army. Far easier and more tempting for Vassals to betray and scheme against him.”

  Gilgamesh delved into contemplation.

  “The safest thing would be for the Leader to remain in the Lounge and act as a Treasurer, but that is also restrictive. He’s managed to make it this far and gather that many Vassals. Such a risky strategy can only be performed by someone truly bold. So then… would a bold person really hide away, scheme from a distance with his eyes covered?”

  Gilgamesh delved deeper.

  “If it were me, I would pretend to be a Bandit in order to keep watch on the Vassals and the state of the Ballroom. I would keep my own Prestige just as low to avoid attention and risk, but never participate in any plans. Which means the Treasurer is just his accomplice.”

  “If my suspicions are true, then there is an opening.” Fire flared within Gilgamesh as he traded his Ring with Sereth’s Scepter once again.

  “Are you leaving again? I want to come with…” Heroine said, not because she harbored any desire to help, but because she didn’t want to be around Sereth’s mindreading any longer than necessary.

  “Alright.” Gilgamesh allowed it. Sereth could manage the Faction on her own just fine, and Heroine could be of use to him.

  In truth, he would have rather brought Sereth with him to learn how best to manipulate the Treasurer, but Sereth must remain at the base at all times. That was the only way his Faction would remain under his control.

  Heroine traded one of the Stewards for a Scepter and the two of them teleported to the Lounge. Gilgamesh wasted no time in searching for the Treasurer, and found the same Duke from before at the same spot, managing the same stream of Nobles.

  “Now…” Gilgamesh thought. “The problem is how to eliminate him.”

  Gilgamesh held no leverage over the Treasurer. There was no threat of death or theft in the Lounge, nor could he force him to leave with any tools of the game.

  “In that case, the solution is not fear, but greed.”

  “Drop down to Baron, switch for a Crown, then go get a Dagger. Message me when you get back.” Gilgamesh told Heroine.

  “O-okay…” Heroine did so with her usual reluctance, and Gilgamesh returned his focus to the Duke Treasurer and patiently observed.

  ---

  [ That’s a smart strategy. ]

  Gilgamesh suddenly messaged the Treasurer.

  [ I’ve been watching you for a while. Controlling the game from within the Lounge. I wish I had thought of that. ]

  The Treasurer did not respond.

  [ But you won’t make it past Duke with that. The only way to win this game is to get into the Treasury. ]

  [ What do you want? ]

  Finally, he replied.

  [ Usurper: Your help. ]

  [ Why me? ]

  [ Usurper: Because you’re the only Duke here who isn’t one of those Magi. ]

  [ You’re sure of that? ]

  [ Usurper: I told you. I’ve been watching. ]

  Gilgamesh sank the next hook into his target while the conversation still flowed as he wanted.

  [ Usurper: I figured out how to make flowers bloom in the Garden. ]

  [ So what? ]

  [ Usurper: Haven’t you ever been to the Gallery? There’s a painting of a great battle. Everyone thinks it’s about the Ballroom but it’s not. The land they fight on is meadow and you can see flowers bloom from the blood on the ground. Golden flowers bloomed from blood. ]

  Gilgamesh gave him several seconds but there was no reply.

  “He’s probably ordered someone to go and confirm the painting exists. I have his attention and he doesn’t want to expose how little he knows.”

  [ Usurper: The Garden is the only area in the Palace where flowers can bloom. Everyone is killing so many in the Ballroom, but it’s pointless. You need to kill them in the Garden. ]

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  [ So just do that, then. Not hard to convince some stragglers to follow you there. ]

  [ Usurper: I already did. Golden flowers did bloom and a path opened between the hedges that led straight into the Treasury. ]

  [ What was inside? ]

  “The hooks are lodged in deep.”

  [ Usurper: A stone coffin with the sculpture of that Puppet Princess carved on the lid. You’ve read the book, right? I’m certain the Golden Dagger is in that tomb with her. Whoever gets that Dagger can kill the King and win this Trial. ]

  There was a long pause. “Checking the authenticity of my story again?” Gilgamesh smiled.

  [ So how do you open it? ]

  [ Usurper. Reenact the battle in that painting. A battle between two Dukes, so the masks match the jade crowns. Blood must be spilt at the tomb. ]

  [ And then what? There’s only one Dagger, right? Who gets it? ]

  Gilgamesh smiled.

  [ Usurper: I do. In return, I’ll give you all of my Prestige. ]

  [ Up front. ]

  The Treasurer demanded.

  [ Usurper: A funny joke. Let’s not treat each other like fools. I’ll give you 21,000 prestige up front. That’s all I can spare since we both need to be Dukes for the battle to work. I’ll pay at the Garden when you show up. Through a proxy, of course. ]

  [ How can I trust you will pay the rest once you get your hands on the Dagger? ]

  Gilgamesh paused a moment, intentionally.

  [ Usurper: You can test me with a Clash after the battle to see I don’t carry a Scepter. Then once I have the Dagger, I’ll send a proxy to deliver the Prestige. After you get your Prestige, you’ll allow another of my proxies to deliver a Scepter to me. We both get what we want. ]

  Treasurer paused again.

  [ Prove you’re a Duke. ]

  Gilgamesh revealed himself to the Treasurer in person, accompanied by 100 Baron Vassals he had gathered before the first message.

  [ Alright. I’m in. How many Soldiers do I need? ]

  [ Usurper: 100 exactly. Don’t bring anyone important. They won’t be returning with you. ]

  Gilgamesh wasted no time in taking his leave from the Lounge.

  [ Usurper: I’ll be waiting in the Garden. Don’t be late. ]

  Gilgamesh walked through the Hallway under the protection of random strangers straight towards the Garden, knowing full well that the Treasurer didn’t believe him in the slightest.

  Their agreement was a sound plan, and the logic behind his tale held up well enough. But it was all a charade, evident by one crucial flaw; the Clash between them to ensure that he did not carry a Scepter.

  Gilgamesh had essentially challenged the Treasurer to a duel. A game where whoever guessed what the other actually has will win half of their Prestige.

  As per their deal, Gilgamesh was not to hold a Scepter. That left only a Ring or a Crown as a possibility. Thus, challenging with a Ring was the dominant strategy as that would result in a win or a draw.

  Of course, the obvious conclusion then was that all of that was merely a scheme to manipulate him into that challenge. Thus, if Gilgamesh actually did have a Scepter, then he would win against the Ring and be able to return to the safety of the Lounge. In such case, the dominant strategy would be for the Treasurer to challenge him with a Crown.

  But maybe Gilgamesh was counting on that. Or maybe he intended to simply assassinate him and flee. Or maybe he just wanted to make him think he would in order to bait a False Accusation. The layers were endless, but that too, was just another charade.

  Gilgamesh wanted the Treasurer to think that he was absorbed in the charade, but he knew that what the Treasurer really aimed for was the 21,000 Prestige he promised up front. Once he paid up, the Treasurer would surely just teleport back to the Lounge and resume his normal duties.

  Gilgamesh had no expectation that the Treasurer would betray the true Liege. The fact that the Leader gave him a position of such immense leverage meant that he had a reason as to why he could expect loyalty. Whatever that was did not matter to Gilgamesh. But he did expect it to spur the Treasurer to reach out and take a large sum of Prestige when it was offered to him.

  That then left only the method by which he would arrive. To ensure safety, he’d need to trade for a Scepter right after a Clash. But as a Duke, he would be a fool to trust Bandits. Gilgamesh could practically see what Treasurer was doing right now.

  First, he’d have the Bandits that return to him remain in the Lounge. Then, he’d use Servants to take any Daggers they might have on them. It was the same method Gilgamesh had used on his own current band of pawns.

  Leaving the Lounge as quickly as he had after revealing himself was another layer of deception, one that had two intended effects. The first was to make Treasurer feel emboldened by the fact that Gilgamesh was no longer watching him and could no longer communicate with anyone in the Lounge.

  The second was even more important. He had lingered just enough for Treasurer to have enough time to message those hired pawns. In doing so, he would have learned that they were merely recently hired stragglers, none of whom were armed with a Dagger. That was the proof that the plan of a battle was all a lie, and that Gilgamesh aimed for nothing more than his Prestige.

  Given all of that, Treasurer must assume that Gilgamesh most likely carried a Scepter and intended to assassinate him. But of course, Treasurer likely had no intention to put himself at such risk. He would collect the 21,000 Prestige and simply return.

  Gilgamesh arrived at the Garden with the company of his pawns, and waited. Treasurer had surely sent spies ahead to report to him whether Gilgamesh truly did as they planned. Without that confirmation, he would not go.

  Treasurer believed he was one step ahead, that he held the advantage. People were more likely to fall for a trick if they thought they were tricking others.

  [ Hallway Scout: Someone just killed a Duke! ]

  The moment Gilgamesh received the confirmation, he teleported back to the Lounge. Once there, he walked without the slightest hesitation to the predetermined meeting place, and found Heroine with a brand new green mask.

  “I did it…” Heroine reported.

  “Yes.” Gilgamesh smiled. “Well done.”

  It was a simple scheme. He had merely bribed some Bandits to learn of their passwords and practices, then he had Heroine pretend to be a Bandit at the exact time when Treasurer would be recruiting them. After that, it was an effortless matter of slipping her a Dagger via a Servant after hers was taken.

  Servant commands could be surprisingly detailed, down to their exact movements and timing. He had tested its limits before, most notably with the mass of Servant activity during the second Liege Alliance meeting.

  All of it, the entire charade, was nothing more than a means to make the Treasurer leave the Lounge and be within Heroine’s reach. He trusted that she could move subtly enough to ensure a kill even as a nameless face among a crowd.

  A slight laugh slipped from Gilgamesh again, more from enjoyment than pride, which made Heroine nervous.

  “The Bandits won’t be able to maintain their strategy now. They’re crippled, at least for long enough that they won’t be much of a threat if they return. Unless, of course…” Gilgamesh sank deeper into the thrill. “Their master replenishes them. Now let’s see just who that is.”

  Gilgamesh laughed a little harder, and Heroine took an anxious step back. “Alright…”

  His sudden word made Heroine flinch.

  “Let’s defang another group of pawns and return to our Faction-”

  [ Lost 28,379 Prestige. ]

  [ 80,256 Prestige. ]

  Gilgamesh came to a stop with just the first step and calmly read the Messages, alerting him of his share of a lost Clash. Someone had challenged Sereth and won.