Episode 103 – Human Chess (2)

Human Chess (2)

After the first round ended with much to be desired.

I returned to the waiting room.

The others didn’t seem to feel as empty as I did.

“Wow, that was tough. Hey, Elise. But what happened? I just fought and won.”

It was Kain. His body was soaked in sweat and he seemed somewhat drained, but his face was full of joy.

“Wipe your sweat. We’re going straight into the next game after a short break. Keep managing your stamina. Don’t exhaust yourself too much. We still have three games left.”

“Oh, okay. But there are definitely a lot of tough guys in Sudme. When did that bastard Gulram get so strong? It’s intimidating. I need to work harder.”

The other top Artifacts, that is, the six ranks of Knight, Rook, and Bishop, gathered separately.

The Pawns also had a modest social gathering. Five of them were chattering amongst themselves on a sofa in the corner.

I quietly approached them.

“Hey. Was there anyone among you who didn’t move at all?”

When I asked, they all shook their heads.

“I moved just once.”

It was the reply of a man who looked quite naive. He was a bit cute.

“You didn’t fight either?”

“No? I did fight. I won! Against a white golem.”

The kid smiled brightly.

“…Good job. You’re strong.”

I sighed and turned away.

Well, in human chess, compared to regular chess, there’s a lot of back and forth since attacks can fail. One would usually fight at least once, or at the very least, be able to move.

Except for me.

“…”

I glanced at Elise. Elise was looking at some sort of tablet PC.

Could she know I had a higher score than her and deliberately excluded me?

─Hey, Elise. What’s that?

─It’s a scouting book. It was in the King’s waiting room. Just focus quietly.

“You mean, ‘keep quiet and focus.'”

As soon as I made a sarcastic remark, the entire waiting room went quiet. All 13 members. The whole team turned to look at me.

I didn’t back down.

“What’s this ‘keep quiet and focus’? Are you stuttering? Are you eating rice soup?”

“Hey, what’s that Lunatic saying, huh? Dude! It’s not important. The King led us to victory.”

Elise stopped Kain, who was about to stand up.

“Leave him be.”

And then she didn’t say anything else. She just stared at the tablet PC, the so-called scouting book.

I turned on my smartphone.

─But Elise. Among the summons, the Black Golem is surprisingly strong. Consider it. It’s placed as a Pawn, but it’s not Pawn level. There must be a Knight that could lose to it?

─I know. It seems to be set up that way on purpose.

─White is weak, but Black is strangely strong.

Black Golem and White Golem are common Pawn summons in all magic high schools, but Black is much stronger than White because it is made of obsidian.

“Hey. It’s common sense that Black is stronger than White, you know?”

“…”

Then, once again, the entire waiting room fell silent.

Kain shook his head and went into the shower room, and Elise didn’t even give me a glance.

“……So sleepy.”

Maybe it’s because I didn’t do anything. I feel sleepier than when I’m busy doing something.

I lay down on the sofa.

Yawning— I closed my eyes for a moment.

[Endex Team 1. The second game begins. The opponent is Devon Team 1.]

Before I knew it, the break time was over.

“Everyone, the arrangement this time is the same as the previous game.”

At Elise’s instruction, the waiting room bustled, and I trudged to the far corner.

______________________________________________________________________

The second game resumed after a 20-minute break.

-It was similar to the first game.

I didn’t move a single square.

Really, just one square.

I’m even doubtful now whether I can walk beyond this magic barrier.

“Why is it so hot?”

Moreover, I can’t even lie down and sleep. Whether it’s intentional or not, it’s crazy hot and the ground is hot when I lie down.

……Can I get a perfect score like this?

The reason for my impatience is, of course, grades.

I have to enter Edsilla National Magic University, and among them, I have to enter a top department. The Knight Department.

Of course, there is a department called Magic Studies, which is a higher department than the Knight Department, but it doesn’t suit me at all.

Anyway.

“What are they doing…….”

I turned on the SZX-9500. I watched the fight taking place on that distant chessboard.

─Kraaaaa!

The battle taking place 5 squares away based on the chessboard, 3km away based on this distance.

The attacker is Kain, the defender is Devon’s ace.

It’s a fight between Queens, so it’s incredibly fierce.

Bang—! Bang—! Bang—!

Kain swings a claymore as big as his body, and the opponent tries to control him with a sword and shield, but-

Crack!

Kain, who broke the shield, rammed his shoulder into the opponent. It was a simple and powerful body check. Devon’s Queen fainted on the spot.

─I won! I won again!

So Kain won, and I turned off the SZX-9500.

Beep- Beep-

Not long after, the smartwatch rang.

[Game over. Endex Team 1 wins.]

We won again.

“Yay, we won.”

I muttered soullessly as I entered the waiting room.

The good thing about not moving a single square is that I can return to the waiting room first.

I lay down on the sofa in the corner of the waiting room right away.

[Lunch time is from 2pm to 3pm.]

The waiting room speaker announced lunchtime. Soon, the team members returned in droves.

“Elise. It’s lunchtime, what are you going to eat?”

Kain asked Elise. Elise replied in a low voice.

“Just go and eat.”

“Huh? You’re okay not eating?”

“I’ll plan the strategy first. Later.”

“Well, okay…… I can’t wait. Hey guys! Let’s go! I’ll buy everything today!”

Waahhh── Kain! Kain! Kain!

The team members cheered for Kain and went outside in droves.

Except for me.

“…….”

I sent a message to someone while lying on the sofa.

[“Boss, I think I’m going to The Wayward Meat, the Rotten branch. Is there a seat available? It’s near the Remireitz Stadium.”]

It’s not that it’s not, but if you walk for 10 more minutes from here, there’s a branch of [The Wayward Meat].

[“Of course! I happen to be there right now? I’ll prepare a place for you, so hurry up! Bring your friends if you have any!”]

A cheerful and hearty invitation.

I quickly got up. I grabbed the doorknob while dragging my slippers.

Then.

“Where are you going.”

Elise said. She was concentrating like a grandmaster. Was it fake concentration?

“I’m going to eat.”

Elise’s eyes were still anchored on the tablet PC. She flicked the screen with her finger and spat out indifferently.

“Why didn’t you say anything.”

“What didn’t I say. Going to eat? Do I have to tell you?”

Is she also hungry?

Then Elise bit her lip. A voice that had cooled down through her teeth flowed.

“You, you know him. Yael.”

Not a question, but a certainty.

I was quite surprised at that moment, but I maintained a poker face. I pondered without saying a word.

Tick- Tick- Tick-

The sound of the second hand moving.

“Answer.”

Elise lifted her eyes as if she would not even allow silence.

“It’s better to do it when you can.”

Her gaze was already sharp as a knife. Why is there a beast that looks like a cat?

I calmly faced her.

I’m not scared. It’s not threatening.

She’s not the old Elise, that is, the tremendous Elise before regression.

“Answer……”

There’s no need to worry.

I will not say anything about Yael now.

“Why should I.”

“……What?”

But I have some idea why Elise is suddenly doing this.

Probably Yael first sowed ‘some words’ about me.

He’s not normal either.

But the reason Yael said that ‘some words’ is ultimately, if you think about it, it will not contradict the last will he left.

The will that said ‘please protect Elise’.

Even before regression, even now when I’m not as strong as I was then, Yael thinks of me as ‘someone who can protect Elise’.

I’m still curious about what to protect her from.

More than anything, if I ask Elise whether she desperately wants to live or die, I’d rather hope she dies.

“Think carefully. You could die.”

Elise put a naive edge in her voice. I laughed and shook my head.

It can’t be helped.

I really hate Elise, but my desire to help Yael is much greater than my hatred for this woman.

This regression would have been impossible without his help.

Because people who sacrifice themselves for me are precious.

“Let’s just say I like you. Yes, I like you.”

I just said that. Elise’s brow furrowed fiercely, but that was it.

She clenched the corner of her tablet PC, and I went back outside, dragging my slippers along.

Gurgle-

Suddenly, a sound that didn’t fit the situation quietly rang out.

It’s not mine.

…….

The chain store of the popular restaurant [The Wayward Meat].

“Oh~ Shion! Nice to see you. But… why do you seem to keep growing?”

The boss blinked his eyes, placing his hand on his forehead.

“You used to be much smaller than me, but now you’re almost reaching me?”

“Haha… should I help you with something? I can finish washing the dishes in 5 minutes.”

“No, no. Customers should eat. I’ve reserved a VIP private room, so go eat.”

“Ah, yes.”

I sat down in the seat the boss guided me to. It was a real private room. Even the appearance of the grill was golden. Is this also a premium strategy?

“Oh…”

While wiping my hands with a wet towel, I casually looked out the window.

“What… are you doing?”

Suddenly, someone was spotted.

A guy lurking around the barbecue restaurant outside. Elise, wearing a cap on her head and a tablet PC on her side.

She doesn’t seem to have followed me.

If she was tailing me, I would have noticed.

Rather, it seems like she really came to eat….

“Here’s a whole pig. You eat a lot-”

I asked the boss who just served the food.

“Boss. Outside. I have a friend. Can I bring her?”

“Ah, then. Go ahead.”

I went out the back door. I approached Elise, who was standing on tiptoe in front of the barbecue restaurant.

“What are you doing?”

“!”

Elise trembled as if she had been electrocuted and backed away.

“Why are you here? Did you follow me?”

“I came first? If you’re going to eat, follow me. There’s only one seat.”

“……”

Elise narrowed her eyes thinly. I shrugged my shoulders.

“If you’re not going to eat, then don’t.”

“Lead the way.”

But surprisingly, she obediently followed me. It’s like treating a servant.

We entered the private room and sat side by side. We were not facing each other. Our positions were diagonal.

I grilled the meat on the table, and Elise immediately asked a question.

“How did you find out?”

It seems like she followed me to ask about Yael.

“Why don’t you eat some meat?”

“……Hmph.”

I grilled the meat, and Elise moved her chopsticks without a word.

So for about 10 minutes.

“You eat whatever I grill.”

“……”

Elise, who had been devouring the meat, swallowed with a face that seemed to have lost the taste of the food. Then she reached out her hand.

“Hand me the tongs.”

“No need. You seem like you’d burn everything.”

“Hmm… that’s right. It must be nice to grill meat well. It must be very rewarding.”

“It’s better than not being able to do anything on your own.”

“……Just grill. I’ll pay.”

“Deal.”

A sudden deal was struck, and I called the boss to order 20 servings of the most expensive cuts.