The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] novel Chapter 807

Chapter 807: The Sacrificial Lamb

Given the Duke’s strong desire to live, he probably would.

But for everyone else who had been given the daunting task of playing while knowing exactly what they were playing for, it quickly became clear that this was the kind of matter that made people want to sit on the ground and rethink their future plans.

Princess Tharkira had been rather thorough.

Painfully thorough.

Before they were told they were good to go, she made them memorize several key rules. Not suggestions. Rules.

First, everyone with access to the activity center was granted complimentary entry to all activities, with the sole exception of the mecha polishing competition. That one required a small fee to cover the component used during participation, which she clarified was really more of an investment since they would get to take it home.

Second, each guest was limited to five terminal swipes for the arcade games before needing to recharge if they wanted to continue playing.

Third, while there were no restrictions on which games one could play, there were restrictions on how one behaved.

No hogging machines.

No cutting lines.

And absolutely no cheating.

The last point was delivered with a frightening level of emphasis.

Especially cheating through spiritual energy.

The princess made it very clear that the games were meant to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of background or ability. Anyone caught tampering with the machines or the gameplay through spiritual means would be escorted out.

Personally.

By her.

The way she smiled while saying it ensured that even those watching the livestream instinctively straightened in their seats.

Nobody doubted her.

And honestly, considering everything that was at stake, who in their right mind would want to be thrown out when the rest of the Empire was desperately trying to get in?

Certainly not Reeve Solin.

He was breathing a little heavier than usual as he followed Princess Kira through the activity center, his gaze darting between unfamiliar machines that beeped, flashed, and spun in ways that felt deeply personal.

Some of them looked innocent.

Some of them looked hostile.

All of them looked expensive.

Thea walked beside him, eyes wide but sparkling with curiosity. After a few moments of silent observation, she did something brave.

Or reckless.

"Um," she said carefully, looking up at the towering orc princess. "Your Highness?"

Princess Kira turned instantly, grin already forming.

"Yes?"

Thea swallowed. "Do you... have a favorite game?"

Reeve nearly stopped breathing.

He half expected the question to be ignored, brushed aside, or answered politely and vaguely.

Instead, the princess’s face lit up like someone had just offered her a weapon.

"HAHAHAHA!" Princess Kira laughed, clapping her hands once. "This! I love all the games here, but this is my current favorite!"

She pivoted sharply and led them to a machine boldly labeled:

WOBBLE STACK

Reeve stared at it.

The machine was deceptively simple, at least according to the Orc Princess. The objective was to simply create a vertical stack of perfectly placed blocks within the set timer.

It sounded doable.

Princess Kira leaned forward, eyes shining. "So who wants to try?"

Her words didn’t feel like a question, and somehow everyone’s gaze shifted directly onto Reeve.

He felt something inside him accept its fate.

"Well," he said weakly, lifting a hand. "I guess I can go first."

Princess Kira beamed.

He stepped forward.

And the moment the game activated, Reeve realized, with absolute clarity, that he had made a terrible mistake.

Because just what kind of game was this?!

__

The intern stepped onto the platform with the kind of caution usually reserved for unstable bridges and suspicious elevators.

All around him, people held their breath.

He lifted his terminal, skimmed the floating prompts once, then glanced toward Princess Kira, who nodded encouragingly as if she were about to watch someone wrestle fate itself.

"Whenever you’re ready," she said brightly.

The machine chimed cheerfully.

Ready? Start!

Reeve barely had time to process the words before his finger moved.

He pressed the button.

A block dropped.

Gasps rippled through the crowd as it slid into place, aligning cleanly atop the base. The platform beneath Reeve’s feet hummed, but remained steady.

A beat passed.

Nothing exploded.

"Oh," someone whispered. "He got it."

Reeve exhaled and pressed the button again.

The second block dropped.

Perfect.

Applause broke out immediately.

No. Twentieth.

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