“Welcome to the Masquerade!” Nem appeared in noble attire of his own, though he wore no mask. “Your Trial is to play a game! A simple game…”

  Nem held out his hands and three images made of light appeared before him. “Every Noble has one of three Regalia. Crown, Scepter, and Ring. The game is to take Prestige from others by challenging them to a ‘Clash’. Crown beats Scepter. Scepter beats Ring. Ring beats Crown.”

  “Winner takes half of the loser’s Prestige, and both Nobles are shielded and prevented from engaging in further Clashes for 10 seconds after participating in one. A Truce of sorts.”

  [ Gilgamesh ]

  10 Prestige - Baron

  Ring

  [Ring]

  ‘Perceive the Prestige of other Nobles.’

  “It gives me an Ability?” Gilgamesh assessed. “Do all Regalia do the same, or do the others give something different?”

  Gilgamesh glanced around at those near him as subtly as he could, and found the number 10 floating above their heads. He also found that his own head had tilted up just slightly to see those numbers, even though just the movement of his eyes would suffice.

  "Must be an effect of the Ring..."

  [Baron’s Right]

  ‘You may trade Regalia with a willing Noble.’

  ‘You may ally with other Nobles.’

  ‘You may give Prestige to another Noble.’

  [ Alliance ]

  ‘The cost of losses is shared among all Allies.’

  ‘You will receive 90% of an Ally’s Prestige if you win a Clash against them.’

  Gilgamesh’s eyes narrowed. He had not taken Nem’s words with a shred of belief in the first place, and this confirmed his suspicions. “This Trial is easier with Allies, but also far riskier.”

  “If it all gets too much for you, you can always escape to the Hallway. It takes 9 seconds to reach it, no matter where in the Ballroom you are. Also…”

  “Be sure to conduct yourselves like respectable Nobles.” Nem advised. “Violence will get you thrown in the dungeon for three hours. A steep sentence considering this Trial only lasts the night. And if you go too far…”

  Nem gestured a swipe of his hand across his throat.

  Gilgamesh glanced over at the Puppet King that sat on the throne at the end of the grand Ballroom. Puppet Knights lined the walls all around the great hall that stretched to the horizon, and a Puppet Executioner of imposing build, dressed in a black hood and wielding a great axe, stood near the King.

  "Don't bother trying to use all those Talents you've gained so far. They hold no authority in the house of the King."

  "Oh, and be on the lookout for Traitors. Exposing Traitors to the King will earn you all of their Prestige. But be warned…” Nem eyed them like they were bugs. “The King does not suffer Treason.”

  [ Eighth Trial - Masquerade ]

  ‘Elevate yourself.’

  Gilgamesh waited at the start of the Trial, as did most others. But soon the most eager, foolish, and brash started to act, and most of the rest reacted in turn. As soon as the Ballroom had broken into frantic activity, Gilgamesh made his move.

  He walked briskly through the crowd while maintaining as low a profile as possible. Everyone’s exact identity was indistinguishable from one another within the various archetypes. There were four in total: Noblemen, Noblewomen, Noble Boys, and Noble Girls. All looked exactly the same within each category, and from what he overheard, even their voices were identical.

  Gilgamesh’s immediate goal was simple. He sought to challenge people and amass Prestige before the majority could adapt themselves to the situation. As such, he needed to find those with Crowns.

  He looked for people who did not focus blankly above the heads of others and for those who seemed unsure, and confronted one such person.

  “You have a Crown.” Gilgamesh suddenly accused. But the man looked back with confusion as though he were a madman, so he immediately moved on.

  “You have a Crown.” Gilgamesh accused a Noblewoman this time, and she reacted with some shock.

  “Challenge.” At his words, the images of their Regalia formed in front of them, and her Crown shattered.

  [ Gained 5 Prestige. ]

  [ 15 Prestige. ]

  Gilgamesh strode through the Ballroom as fast as he could. It seemed the Trial prevented him from moving any faster than a brisk walk, and the upper limits of his speed were no different from anyone else’s.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “You have a Crown.” He repeated his strategy of interrogation on a second Nobleman, who flinched in response.

  “Challenge.”

  [ Gained 5 Prestige. ]

  [ 20 Prestige. ]

  Gilgamesh continued on his way before the man could react. Up ahead, he saw another Noble with a Ring challenge someone with a Scepter and lose. His eyes grazed over the crowd nearby and found what he wanted. A spectating Noble stared at the Scepter winner with ambition, which meant he possessed a Crown.

  “Challenge.”

  [ Gained 5 Prestige. ]

  [ 25 Prestige. ]

  Gilgamesh moved on, but he took note of multiple people who now paid close attention to him. Some even followed behind. Gilgamesh strode through the Ballroom in search of a new target before his period of ‘truce’ ended.

  Someone caught his notice up ahead, a man who stared just above the heads of others for a few moments at a time, as though he had a Ring.

  [ 30 Prestige ]

  “30 Prestige… That isn't possible for an obvious Ring. He’s no fool. He’s pretending to have a Ring to bait a Scepter challenge, which means he has a Crown. It’s unlikely there are more layers of deception than the surface this early in the Trial since it will still be filled with the kind of incompetents that would fall for the trick.”

  “Challenge.”

  Gilgamesh confronted the man and their Regalia formed in front. His was a Ring, and his opponent’s was a Crown.

  [ Gained 15 Prestige. ]

  [ 40 Prestige. ]

  Gilgamesh headed straight towards the Hallway which seemed to follow him along the wall wherever he walked, and found himself nearing it far sooner than it seemed the distance would allow.

  “Ahhhh!”

  The cry of a masked stranger pulled his attention to the side as he walked past, and he witnessed a Nobleman with 0 Prestige perish into nothingness.

  But Gilgamesh’s stride did not slow. He stepped into the hallway before his Truce reset, and the Nobles following him stopped just at the boundary before heading back into the Ballroom.

  “...I’m nearing the limit of what I can gain in the initial chaos.” Gilgamesh thought. “The foundation of this game is to plunder the Prestige of other Nobles. Therefore, it is about discovering what Regalia others hold while concealing one’s own. That will be difficult without an accomplice.”

  “I need an ally to trade Regalia with after each Clash. But that exposes me to a great deal of risk… The cost of betrayal is too high. I need someone I can trust. Someone I can control.”

  Gilgamesh looked around the Hallway and found more than a few Nobles panicking and looking helpless. Nearly all had 5 or 2 Prestige.

  “I’ll need to assess them all carefully until I find someone suitable.”

  Gilgamesh suddenly walked ahead, inadvertently stepping into a Noblewoman’s path. Though what should have been an ordinary occurrence of no note became one of far more significance, when the Noblewoman panicked and tripped to the floor.

  [ 1 Prestige ]

  Gilgamesh watched as the Noblewoman got back to her feet with an air of embarrassment and continued past him.

  “Heroine.” She startled at the sound of her name and spun around to face him with caution. “We should help each other again.”

  “I refuse.” Heroine bluntly rejected, though she did not leave.

  “You’re in no position to reject with such dire circumstances.” Gilgamesh pointed out.

  The eyes of Heroine’s mask seemed to light up. “You have a Ring.”

  “How could you fall for such obvious bait?” Gilgamesh chastised bluntly as he stepped in closer. “Now I know you have a Scepter.”

  Heroine panicked for a moment, but then a realization dawned on her. “...the only way you could know how bad it is, is if you have a Ring.” She reaffirmed her accusation.

  “Determining that much should be instantaneous.” Gilgamesh moved in even closer as he spoke with forceful authority. “You have no chance of doing well in this Trial if this is the extent of your abilities.”

  Heroine fidgeted in place as the conflict of a truth she did not wish to accept and the desire for a retort she could not muster swirled within her. Gilgamesh let her simmer in the discomfort for a while before he changed to a more soft-handed approach.

  “Your only chance to survive, no… excel in this Trial is to ally with me. Let’s help each other reach the top.”

  Heroine hesitated long as she often did, but ultimately she agreed. “...okay.”

  [ Alliance: 2]

  “Good. I’ve met the first requirement.” Gilgamesh thought. “What power does a Scepter have?”

  “Huh? Oh… It allows me to teleport to the Lounge at any time…” Heroine answered.

  “Lounge?” Gilgamesh inquired.

  “It’s a room… further down the Hallway…” Heroine explained without much detail.

  “I’ll need to inspect it myself later.” Gilgamesh mused. “Regalia have different powers, and not all directly relate to the game… I need to find out what a Crown does.”

  “We have a Ring and a Scepter so an aggressive offense is the best strategy.” Gilgamesh laid out his plan to her. “The people who will have the most Prestige early on will be those with Rings or Crowns. You can beat Ringbearers and I can beat Crownbearers. But first…”

  Gilgamesh held out his hand to her. She hesitated for a moment, then tentatively took it. Gilgamesh transferred half of his 40 Prestige to her without warning, an amount that shocked her.

  “With our Prestige spread between us, we won’t need to fear losing so long as we win more than we do… Hey.” Gilgamesh took note of Heroine’s strange silence, and spoke bluntly without a hint of worry. “You aren’t thinking of just running off with that by yourself, are you?”

  Heroine averted her eyes.

  “Surely, you aren’t so incompetent as to spoil your chance to dominate this Trial for such meager scraps? That cannot be the case, can it?” Gilgamesh’s calm firmness unnerved her and his subtle sarcasm stepped on just enough of her paradoxical pride.

  “O-of course not. Who do you think you’re talking to…?” Despite her response, Heroine still could not meet his eyes.

  “Is that so?” Gilgamesh said as he held out his hand. “Then return 1 Prestige to me.”

  Heroine hesitated.

  “What’s wrong?” Gilgamesh asked as though nothing was. He waited like that with perfect stillness until the silent pressure mounted on Heroine enough that she took his hand again.

  [ Gained 1 Prestige. ]

  [ 21 Prestige. ]

  “She is obedient and dependent enough to be trusted as a pawn.” Gilgamesh noted that Heroine’s demeanor did not hide a single shred of the regret she felt for the point she had just given up. “...At least for now.”

  “Listen closely.” Gilgamesh pulled her attention from the lost Prestige point. “I’m going to explain our plan.”