49 Toll Gate
Araragi Hideki's POV
I'm back, fuckers! Unless Nejima Seikyou comes up with a terrific plan, he can't beat me. I'll admit that I panicked a little when I was removed from the winning streak but that ends now. Thanks to the Quintuplet Alliance, I managed to come back.
"Time for the showdown! The dealers will inspect your cards again."
At this point, I don't care anymore. I just noticed that the dealers actually wear gloves when they're inspecting the cards. Maybe to avoid leaving fingerprints?
"The dealers inspected the cards and we confirmed that the winner of this round, is none other than... Araragi Hideki."
With this, my comeback is now official. If Nejima Seikyou doesn't come up with a plan to kick me out of first place, then he will surely lose. He already has 20 Million Yen but not making it to the goal will be the same as 0.
In short, his funds are useless if he doesn't stop at the 100th Tile. Just in case, I won't let my guard down. Although I still don't have any countermeasures regarding the punishment tiles, I guess I'll leave it to luck.
"He's in the 24th tile, that means he will move to the 30th tile. The 30th tile is... a blank tile!"
A blank tile, huh? I guess this could happen ij Sugoroku too. But It's actually the first blank tile that showed up in the game, is it that rare? I took a peek at Nejima Seikyou for a bit, but he didn't do anything. He's just standing there, but I can't see his face. Is he constructing some kind of plan?
"This is the Discard Phase. Any one of you who wants to discard?"
No one discarded anything. Of course, including me. There's no reason for me to go to the elimination corner now. Same for Sanju Inami and the others. We just made a temporary alliance and that's that! Since we already achieved our goal for the alliance, I ended the alliance.
I might need the alliance again if some kind of problem arises. It's still the 14th Round so It's still too early to decide if Nejima Seikyou has some plan or not. I'm observing him for time to time but he's just standing there. Did he give up? or Maybe waiting for me to step in a punishment tile?
"Since no one discarded anything, we'll go to the Showdown! Form a circle and have your cards be inspected by the dealers!"
We did the same thing again for the 14th time and the result is still the same, I won the showdown.
"Araragi Hideki won the round and he will advance 6 steps from the 30th tile. That would be the 36th tile. The 36th tile is a... benefit tile... He will have a right to build a toll gate here at the 36th Tile."
Toll Gate? Is that what I think it is? In the game called Monopoly, anyone who steps in your toll gate will have to pay a certain fee. I see, so there are benefit tiles like this, huh?
"I'm going to explain the mechanics of a Toll Gate so listen closely. If you're going to build a Toll Gate in a certain tile, you need to pay 30 Million to us. After that, you could decide how much will you charge for players who enter your Toll Gate. Even If It's 1 Million, 10 Million, 100 Million, we don't care. A player can't pass in your Toll Gate without paying the toll."
Wait, what?! That's fucked up! You yourself could decide the toll!? But... if you step to this thing... It will be an unbreakable wall! An Iron Wall for the other players!
If you've got this thing and set the toll fee to something unpayable like 2.4 Trillion Yen, then... this game is as good as won! I've got this thing in hands! With this, I can surely win! No, I already won!
"So, are you going to pay 30 Million Yen?"
That's when It hit me, I remembered it all! I need to pay 30 Million Yen to have one in the first place! Shit!!! I only have 2 Million with me! Shit! Much worse, I'm in a disadvantaged position! Everyone here already knows where the Toll Gate is located!
That means... if I stepped into some kind of punishment tile and get kicked out to the elimination corner or as a first placer! They'll just aim for that Toll Gate, and set the price to an unpayable one! Any chance of comeback will be zero!
This is bad! Definitely bad! I need to protect my position at all costs! I have to protect my Royal Straights if I want to win this game! I'll go to the Defense!
+++++
Nejima Seikyou's POV
Chance! A chance! A chance for a comeback has bee made! I won't let it pass! I came up with the best plan I thought of in years! I hope all of this works!
Mistakes are not allowed! I will kick Araragi Hideki from 1st Place and win this game!
END OF CHAPTER 49
I'm going to take a break for 3 weeks, I think? My mother was tested positive for Corona Virus last week and all this time, I'm just posting the drafts. I hope you can understand me.
