The Nebula's Civilization

Chapter 329

Typically, games were assumed to be played under identical conditions. It was about fair play. Fair rules, fair play, fair games. This was true from sports to PC games. Any unfairness was either a limitation of the game or a problem with an unfair system.

On the other hand, war was different. Wars were almost always fought under uneven conditions, and there were times when one had to engage in war even in situations where defeat seemed inevitable.

‘That's why any means are considered acceptable.’

First, hacking the Sanctuary was out of the question. Unlike Sung-Woon, Wisdom, or Tael, who could make that possible, Hegemonia admitted she lacked the capability to do so. However, there were still many ways to win besides that method.

The Mafia game was essentially about persuading randomly changing team members. Then one could simply threaten the game's participants to assist in their victory before the game began. Yet, Hegemonia had also decided to set aside that method for the time being.

"But aren’t you engaged in a greater war?” asked Salkait.

"I know," replied Hegemonia.

"The Constellations are comrades in the great war that you are part of."

"I said I know."

"Also, regarding Nebula and the other Constellations...."

"I told you, I know. Salkait, stop. I'm not gonna threaten the other Constellations. Don't worry."

After that conversation with Salkait, he seemed to have given a knowing smile, but Hegemonia erased it from her mind.

‘That puppy has become wily since becoming a Constellation.’

Salkait, once an Apostle of Hegemonia, became the second Constellation of Avartin after Lakrak.

If Lakrak mentioned Salkait becoming a Constellation later than himself, Salkait would claim that, although true, as the Constellation of Martial Arts, they were stronger, which would lead to childish quarrels, such as Lakrak threatening to imprison Salkait under the title of the Constellation of Judgement, often causing the secretaries of both Constellations to clear their throats awkwardly out of embarrassment.

Anyway, there were plenty of ways to win the Mafia game besides hacking and threatening. And Hegemonia was recording the highest score through such methods.

‘Nebula, you must have thought of your own method too.’

Hegemonia looked toward Lakrak, Sha-Cha, and Yummy. Hegemonia saw the participation of the three players in the game as naturally due to Sung-Woon's persuasion. If the teams kept changing, the relationships before the game inevitably influenced the game.

‘So he must have put those three in the game.’

Seeing that Lakrak, Sha-Cha, Yummy, and Sung-Woon weren’t actively presenting themselves as a team, it seemed Sung-Woon had not actively asked the three to assist him. However, their behavior appeared to be in support of him.

The three had clear motives. Lakrak was Sung-Woon’s Apostle, Sha-Cha wanted to repay a debt to Sung-Woon, and Yummy was burning with revenge against Hegemonia.

Therefore, Lakrak and Sha-Cha acted to save and protect Sung-Woon, while Yummy moved to kill Hegemonia.

‘There must be a reason they didn’t actively form a team, but it's ultimately a mistake. The consistent pattern of behavior makes it easier to infer.’

Of course, Hegemonia could have pointed out before the game started that Lakrak or other players playing together was not fair.

However, she didn’t do that. Since Sung-Woon and the other players implicitly agreed on the participation of biased players in the game, this Mafia game became a game of a larger scale that did not guarantee any fairness or neutrality.

‘But in the end, the winning method will not be Nebula's but mine.’

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And that method was...

***

"Bribery."

Sairan Muel repeated what Hwee-Kyung said, puzzled. "Bribery...you say?"

The city named Little Orazen was one of the most famous places in the Hall of Myriad Stars, precisely, in the Prairie of Beginnings which belonged to the Hall of Myriad Stars. Although it was called Little Orazen, the name was just adopted from what Krampus called it. Now, it had little to do with Orazen, becoming a gathering place mainly for those from the empire of Avartin.

Those who wished to continue their lives as before or remember such lives gathered in this city, so it was common to see individuals from the old empire, before the unification, gathering here.

Though Hwee-Kyung and Sairan, being from Black Scale, felt closer to kingdoms or tribes rather than the unified empire or previous empire, making Little Orazen not a place of nostalgia for them, they found its atmosphere of an unfamiliar past enough to visit occasionally.

It also had plenty of good bars.

"I’m certain. It's bribery," Hwee-Kyung affirmed again, pointing at the monitor.

The monitor displayed the Constellations playing the Mafia game, with Hwee-Kyung pointing at Hegemonia.

Sairan then pulled up a chair and sat down, asking, "But Hwee-Kyung, aren't assets useless in the Hall of Myriad Stars? I mean, I've heard it's trendy these days but...."

"Hmm, Sairan," Hwee-Kyung said after she spun her chair around to face Sairan.

Hwee-Kyung squinted. It was a look Sairan had seen often. It was the look of being drunk, with unfocused eyes. But considering Hwee-Kyung's drinking limit, she hadn’t had enough to lose her cognitive abilities.

Sairan listened seriously to Hwee-Kyung's words.

"The Constellations created all this. But do you think all of it is fake?"

"Not really."

"It's actual reality. And constructing this reality took significant effort and resources."

"I know that."

"Having limited resources means they can be traded."

"And being tradable means value is generated. Hmm, I understand."

The various elements composing the Hall of Myriad Stars were created through the consensus of the Constellations. However, some spaces had the distinct taste of their creators, making it possible to discern who they were.

Hwee-Kyung, as an Apostle, was one of those closest to the Constellations and knew that transactions of some sort occurred among them. Previously, exchanges would have been like those of early civilizations, through barter or promises for things like the size of a space, but now with the use of currency, it was likely that the Constellations also used it.

‘The assets of the Constellations are not limited to space alone. The power they possess can also be seen as an asset, or even the time they spend together.’

Though not gods, to those at the very bottom, the Constellations still held a status akin to that of gods. In fact, those who ruled over a world were still called gods, so the Constellations continually contested with them.

"...Anyway, the Constellations will need money in some form, whether it's in the form of a shop, gold, or coins."

Gold had been consistently used as currency in the Prairie of Beginnings. Although the Prairie of Beginnings was now virtually the size of a planet, being artificially created by the Constellations meant unnecessary elements weren't deliberately made.

For example, there was no need to create mines for extraction of resources through labor. Thus, most metals came from the disposal of already made ornaments, with gold being especially rare.

Coins were a nickname for credit scores issued by Redmars. This currency, created in the main Hall of Myriad Stars, became popular there after the Apostles of Redmars learned they referred to it as such.

There were tales of the Constellations having complex expressions at the mention of this term, but the other members had no way of knowing as Earth stories were prohibited unless the Constellations themselves spoke of them.

Sairan thought Hwee-Kyung's words were plausible but still had questions.

"But to bribe the Constellations, it would require an immense amount of funds. Wouldn't it be more plausible to persuade rather than bribe, if it came to that?"

Hwee-Kyung, looking back and forth between Sairan and the monitor, muttered as if unsure what to say, then finally said, "With Hegemonia?"

"Ahem, Hwee-Kyung, someone might hear you."

"Oh, my bad. But who would want to be on the same side as Hegemonia?"

Sairan nodded in agreement.

Hwee-Kyung didn’t have any ill feelings toward Hegemonia.

The general consensus on the Constellation of War was that she was extremely competent, yet troublesome. Her personality couldn't be deemed evil, but she wasn't someone one would particularly want to befriend.

In strategies, she was a reliable ally, but during sabbaticals, one could wonder why she acted the way she did.

Jerome of the Grand Library and Noah of the Ark, who had suffered direct damage from Hegemonia, had even hosted meetings proposing to ban her from certain spaces. Although it was resolved somewhat by Sung-Woon’s mediation, with Hegemonia agreeing to be more careful, she also held grudges.

Fortunately, Hegemonia being a Constellation meant that there was little occasion to be near her unless one went to the main Hall of Myriad Stars.

Sairan said, "Then how could the Constellation of War have arranged the funds? Of course, if she had received donations from her followers in the past, the amount would be considerable...."

If such an event had occurred, it would have been a major issue throughout the Hall of Myriad Stars. As far as Sairan knew, he had never witnessed such a thing.

However, it was also difficult to see Hegemonia as having accumulated a large amount of funds.

Unlike with merit points, it was impossible to tell who had the highest credit score, but it was well-known that Hegemonia was a Constellation that had little interest in such earnings up to that point.

"Well, nothing comes to mind immediately. Even if she guaranteed a victory, that game itself doesn't offer a prize... Oh."

As Hwee-Kyung exclaimed and stood up, Sairan looked at her, puzzled. "Did you think of something?"

"Sairan, let's go out."

"Huh? I like the quiet atmosphere here, though."

Hwee-Kyung whispered in Sairan's ear, "Shouldn't we help Night Sky win?"

***

‘I just need to win two more times.’

Hegemonia thought this before the eleventh game.

‘Then, I win.’

She knew that winning this game wouldn't bring significant honor.

Even if someone granted a favor, Hegemonia had nothing in particular to ask of other Constellations, let alone Sung-Woon. Hearing ‘I lost, Hegemonia’ as a favor would only feel good for a moment.

To Hegemonia, winning over Sung-Woon held incomparable value in itself, but that value wasn't recognized by others. Compared to that, the price of winning was quite high.

Specifically speaking, things would become troublesome if she didn’t win.

[...The mafias have been chosen. Night has fallen.]

[Mafias, please confirm each other.]

Hegemonia slightly raised her eyebrows.

‘And the other mafias?’

It was Wisdom and Aldin. Neither was a player Hegemonia had bribed.

‘No problem. Actually, it's good.’

The more the bribed individuals were on different teams, the better. That way, they could sway public opinion as citizens.

Moreover, these two weren’t like Lakrak, Sha-Cha, and Yummy, who could be considered on Sung-Woon’s side. So they wouldn’ interfere with Hegemonia's strategy.

Hegemonia knew without question that, of course Aldin, and the other players from the third continent, were close with Sung-Woon, but Wisdom was always strict when it came to games.

‘As expected.’

Wisdom immediately pointed to Sung-Woon, and Aldin nodded in agreement.

However, Hegemonia shook her head.

Then Wisdom asked,

-Why?

Hegemonia replied,

-He died in the first round too many times until now. It’s likely that the doctor will save him.

-Well, I guess that could be true.

Wisdom agreed, but Aldin still thought Sung-Woon should be killed.

Aldin asked,

-So, is there someone to kill?

Hegemonia smiled on the inside. The person to kill was already decided.

Being able to involve players related to oneself in the game or bribe players with money, naturally, the Constellations could use their security systems for communication. The players and the Sanctuary hadn’t created a rule prohibiting the use of this internal network, which required even the Sanctuary to go through procedures in order to access it.

The following conversation took place in the internal network entered by Hegemonia and the three bribed individuals:

Hegemonia: I'm a mafia.

Krampus: I'm a citizen.

HumanTacker: Citizen.

Ovenwave: Um...it says I'm the police. What should I do?

This was a favorable opportunity.

Hegemonia: Pick anyone.

Ovenwave: Anyone?

Hegemonia: You're going to die today anyway.

Ovenwave: What?

Krampus: May your soul rest in peace.

HumanTacker: Byeee.

Hegemonia then said to her mafia partners,

-Let's kill Ovenwave.