Chaldea Game Night - Let's Play with Altria 1

A doujin battle between the Normalization Committee and the Anti-ServantFes Alliance...

Very well then. As one of the pillars holding up this alliance, I would like to make a worthy doujin for this battle.

In fact, I am very excited to do so! Very!

However, that being said...

...the Chaldea Gaming Division is no more than a ragtag group of Heroic Spirits, not a proper organization.

You said it.

That's true. I'm just here because games are fun, so...

Indeed.

In this group, I can play all the modern consoles I want!

I especially like the one where you go around mowing down armies of foot soldiers single-handedly! I consider it practice for my next great oni rampage!

Action games ARE pretty great, aren't they?

Yup!

(Staaare)

Gah! Wh-why are you staring at me?

Back on the beach, didn't you say you didn't know much about the alliance?

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Urk!

And now we find out you're a full-fledged member of the Chaldea Gaming Division!?

We could've made our way to the Chunchun-tei ages ago if you'd just told us then!

Wh-what are you talking about? (Innocent whistle) Yeah, I hang out with these guys, but I'm not part of their alliance!

I just play their games 'cause they're fun! Mwahaha, besides, I'm not even human! I'm an oni!

And obviously, no oni would have anything to do with the human world, let alone join a human group! Kuhaha!

Kuhahahaha! (Copying Edmond Dantès)

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Yeah. I sense the same iron will from her that rebellious teens who like reading but absolutely refuse to make their own library card have.

Not at all. We are just as happy to welcome oni as we are anyone else. Besides, this Game Division club was my idea.

Nnnn.

If you like, Ibaraki, I would be happy to make you your own member's card.

F-forget it. I don't want one. Hmph.

Are you sure? I know I wouldn't turn down a free gift, no matter what it was.

Exactly. You always get every collectible you can when you play a game, right, Ibaraki?

Well, everything in this world is mine for the taking anyway, so...fine, I guess I can take one of these member card thingies if you want. Go on then, make me one.

Hehe. Coming right up.

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Yes, Master. It is my humble honor to serve as the leader of this group of gamers.

Our club roster consists of...

Ibaraki-Douji. She is especially fond of action games.

Hell yeah!

Lady Hildr and Lady Rún. I believe action games are their favorite genre as well?

Ahaha. I just saw Thrúd playing them one day and got the urge to try them myself.

You like fighting games too, right, Rún?

I, uh, thought they might be useful as a kind of live combat simulation.

Oh reeeally.

Lady Thrúd and Lady Rindr. They are fond of dating sims.

Lady Ortlinde used to be as well, but she has begun to favor different games as of late.

Y-you think I like dating sims? W-well, you're wrong. It's not like that at all.

I only engage in them as a means to gather information and further my understanding of human emotions.

It's all so I can help Sister Brynhild as best I can! There is no other motive at work whatsoever!

Every other Valkyrie I sync up with can vouch for that. Right, Rindr?

Yeah, that's true. That all lines up with the data I've received from you in our regular sync-ups.

But I do wonder, Thrúd: Do those sync-ups include ALL of your data?

Hngh!

Th-they include all the important primary data, yes. Anything that isn't included can be chalked up to insignificant individual differences!

Is that so?

Lady Ortlinde and Lady Irs.

Lady Ortlinde has been fond of somewhat scary games as of late. The kind with dark screens, monsters, ghosts, and so on.

And I believe Lady Irs frequently watches Lady Ortlinde play these games next to her.

Me? I'm not observing the games. I'm observing Ortlinde.

Incidentally, in addition to horror games, Ortlinde also likes to play games of tag, with herself as "it."

Why is that, Ortlinde? Is there someone you want to catch?

...Games are just games. It's not like they're reflections of reality.

(Glance)

I mean, that would just be ridiculous.

Hey, Fujimaru. Wasn't that girl looking at you just now?

Was she?

I knew it.

No? Hmm.

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(It's kind of hard to make out the Valkyries' emotions... I wonder why that is. Makes things easier for me, though.)

And last but not least, we also have Lady Ushiwakamaru and Lady Taira-no-Kagekiyo.

They have only come to frequent the rec room as of late, and they both enjoy games that involve lopping off the enemies' heads.

Hi Master! I'm joining the game division this summer!

I have to say though, I thought that would involve lots more head chopping in video games. I was surprised to hear we'd be making a book!

What is there to be surprised about? My role remains the same: to slaughter every last Genji.

Wow, she means it! Wait. Isn't that going to cause problems!? Should someone like that even be out in regular society!?

It's okay. That's just what those two are always like. Right?

Yes, that's true. This is very much how they always are.

...

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Me? I am fine. Although, I suppose I do have one problem on my hands...

Lord Blackbeard said that a club is made up of like-minded individuals coming together to form a group.

So I resolved to create my own club and applied to join ServantFes this year.

All that remains now is to make a book.

But, as I said earlier

I get it. Your club is kind of ragtag, right?

Indeed. There are so many things to do that none of us have ever done before.

We have been discussing various possibilities with much excitement, but we have not been able to decide on any one of them...

Um, just to make sure, you do know that the doujin genres are restricted this year, right?

Oh, yes. A member of the committee informed us of that earlier.

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Yup. The rule that this year, every book is by Altrias, about Altrias, and for Altrias!

I'm so sorry. I still have no idea how this even happened...

Not at all! You have nothing to apologize for.

The word "restriction" may sound limiting, but in practice, I think it will be a great boon!

Especially in our case, as we have been so excited we have not been able to decide on anything!

I see, I see. So having a set theme can actually make it easier for you to begin creating.

Is that what you mean, Tomoe Gozen?

Yes, Lord Lancelot, that is exactly right. That is very astute of you.

A true knight always takes a lady's feelings into consideration. All the more so for especially fair ladies like yourself.

Oh my. That is...very flattering...

By the way, Sir Lancelot, you DO remember why you're currently on probation, right?

Uh... Of course I do. Forgive me. I'm afraid my honest thoughts slipped out there.

I assure you, I was acting strictly in a chivalrous fashion, just like any other knight would.

So please stop taking up that stance that reminds me of Galahad's Britain Impalement, okay?

Okay, okay, let's get back on track. The point is, as a newly formed club, you're glad to have the theme chosen for you, right!?

Indeed!

Well, as long as you stick to the Altria theme, you can make a book in any genre you like.

So as the Gaming Division, I think you'd probably want to make one in

Right!

The gaming genre! That makes sense!

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Good point. I mean, it'd just be weird if we came this far and you suddenly decided on a travel guide or something!

Very well!

For our book, we are going to make...

...an Altria-themed video game anthology!

Hmm, I see. An Altria-themed video game anthology.

Indeed!

In other words, an anthology for a video game that's all about Altria?

Exactly!

All right, in that case, what game will you be referencing?

Um...

... ...

...Good question.

A Lady Altria-themed...

...video game?

Let's see...maybe there's an existing game that focuses on King Arthur?

Hmm. Would that really qualify as Altria, though?

I mean, they said something about it all being Altria-based, didn't they?

And the King Arthur of legends is thought to be a man, right? So I don't see how that would count as being about Altria.

That's...a good point...

I see...

That does make sense... Indeed, I think you are correct! Oh gosh, what are we going to do?

Games about King Arthur are rare enough as it is, but a game about Lady Altria is even more so!

...There's definitely nothing like that in Chaldea's library.

Well of course not. People know who King Arthur is, but nobody knows about Altria.

...Maybe an Altria game just doesn't exist at all.

!!!

I'm afraid Irs may be right. A game about Altria just seems like

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Y-yes?

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Someone who knows everything about me...?

And you came to me because...why?

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Well, okay, I know I'm basically Merlin's little sister.

I mean, I'm basically EVERYONE'S little sister, so that of course goes for Altria too, but still.

At any rate, I don't believe we've had the pleasure, girl from Faerie Britain. I believe you go by Alcas?

U-uh, yeah, that's right.

(That's the lady who always runs away in a flash when she sees the male Arthur. So she's Merlin from Proper Human History's...)

(...Wait. Does that mean...? Ugh, this is all so complicated!)

I can see that "Ugh, this is all so complicated!" look on your face, you know. If you happen to overhear anything, would you mind keeping it to yourself?

Otherwise, I'll turn into sea-foam and disappear.

Thanks☆

!

(So I was right...)

So how about it, Lady Avalon? Do you have any ideas?

Mm? Hmm, good question. There are plenty of games out there about King Arthur...

...but it would just be boring to use one of those. Plus, they wouldn't have any connection to your adorable Alcas there.

...

The Normalization Committee's the one who decided on the Altria theme, right?

So I think you just need to find a depiction you like that fits that particular theme.

We did make it that far. It's what to do next that we're having trouble with.

Even if we just do a strategy guide or playthrough journal, there don't seem to be any Altria games we can make a book about.

Hmmm.

Oh, all right. It's still just a prototype, but I do have something that might do the trick!

Look!

A TV and console just appeared on one of the lobby tables! Is this one of your spells, Lady Avalon!?

They're both Mystic Codes! I've got a TV Mystic Code and a game console Mystic Code I put together with magecraft!

Naturally, they don't play digital games, but magical games!

I threw it together one day when I was bored. I never thought I'd actually have a chance to show it off.

So what kind of game is it?

Basically, it's a board game where the purpose is to reach the goal.

And of course, you play as Altria. The blue one!

There are also three NPCs who act as your rivals and try to stop you from reaching the goal:

The red Altria-face...

The white Altria...

And the Altria in black!

You compete and fight with your rivals, and the winner is whoever manages to live their best life!

I call it "The Game of Can You Make It in Life?"

But of course, a picture's worth a thousand words, and a gameplay session is worth at least ten thousand! Go on and try it for yourselves!

"The Game of Can You Make It in Life?" I see. So this is what sort of game it is!

I see what is going on now!

This is essentially a rip-off of "The Game of Li"

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Yup! It's a game where you try to live a life!

"Try to live a life"? That...sounds kind of unsettling.

If you have to try to live, does that mean there are things preventing you to begin with?

Sure are.

There are!?

Yeah. Take the sacred sword spaces. If you land on one...

...you end up drawing the sacred sword.

So...what happens if you do that?

You become the king, of course.

And once you become the king, you can't live your own life anymore, which means it's game over!

Not only are there sacred sword spaces all over the game board, they look like the goal at first glance too, so you really need to be careful!

Then again, I guess you could arguably call them a goal in their own right.

That...

That's complete trash!

What an actual dumpster fire of a game! Landing on a sacred sword space means your whole life is over!? Couldn't you think of any other way to phrase that!?

Aah! Lady Avalon just collapsed!

W-well, at least they got to play a real Altria game, so all's well that ends well! All right, let's move on!