13
Chapter 13
"Oh, I avoided failing."
I failed swordsmanship, spearmanship, archery, elemental magic, and holy magic, but I managed to pass by scoring high in political science, diplomacy, and the mock battle.
However, with an average of 41.2, I would have failed if my score had been just two points lower.
"That was a bit too close."
If an unexpected variable had occurred during the mock battle and I'd lost early... if I'd missed two more questions in political science... or if the examiners had decided I wasn't quite right and docked my points. I really could have failed.
Either way, there was no issue with the promotion exam. Charles Jean Rochefort succeeded in promoting with a margin of 1.2 points and would become a second-year student next year. It was a relief; otherwise, I might have spent the coming era of chaos just watching from the sidelines because I couldn't graduate from the academy.
Still, Charles felt a sense of crisis. He had avoided failure, but he'd come perilously close. To pass comfortably in the next exam, he needed to raise his scores further.
"Well... maybe I'll think about that later."
With that thought, Charles decided to lie down and rest for now. Too much had happened over the past two weeks. He needed a break.
But the peace didn't last long. Someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
As he asked, a voice drifted in from beyond the door.
"It is I."
It was a beautiful, high-pitched female voice. But who was 'I'? He opened the door to find Yuria Russell standing there.
"Yuria?"
A flood of emotions rushed through him. Had she come for revenge after losing the mock battle? He even wondered that. However, Yuria's words were not what he expected.
"Her Highness the Princess wishes to see you."
"At this hour?"
It was past ten o'clock. It was almost time to sleep.
"Her Highness is already waiting. I would not recommend making her waste her time."
Yuria glared at him as she spoke. Her loyalty was as formidable as ever.
Not that he was particularly afraid of Yuria, but I dressed and followed her. She led me to a tea house. Even though it was closed, the owner opened the door as soon as Yuria knocked.
Inside, the Princess was waiting alone, sipping tea. She was still reading the book I had written: [Tactics for a New Era: How to Utilize Gunpowder Weapons?].
I sat across from her and waited quietly while she read. Black tea and sweets were served, and I enjoyed the aroma of the tea. After about ten minutes, the Princess suddenly spoke.
"Interesting."
"Interesting? In what way?"
"The fact that such a tactic exists. Placing musketeers in the center and pikemen on the four diagonals to ensure the musketeers are protected at all times. It sounds so simple when explained in words, so why has no one thought of this before?"
I let out a small smirk. Does she not realize? I guess being a genius doesn't mean you know everything.
"Solving a problem from scratch using only deduction is far more difficult than solving it after seeing the answer key. Your Highness only finds this simple because you've already seen the solution."
The Princess thought for a moment and then nodded.
"Indeed. A problem is always easier when the answer is already known."
"Yes. It's a surprisingly simple principle, isn't it?"
"You are correct."
She let out a soft chuckle.
"Is that why you summoned me, to discuss this point?"
"Of course not. I am not that idle."
"Then why?"
"Yuria."
At the Princess's call, Yuria brought something over from another table. I wondered for a few seconds what it was, and then I realized. Though its design differed greatly from the modern ones, it was a chessboard.
"Do you know what this is?"
"In my hometown, it was called chess."
"It is called chess in the Imperial Capital as well. Then you must know the rules."
"I do."
She let out a sigh of relief.
"I told you before. I wanted to face you at full strength someday, in a place without spectators or distractions."
"You did."
"Fighting in a real battle is quite difficult to arrange, but surely we can manage a game of chess?"
She had a point. I smiled.
"Are you sure you're okay with that?"
"With what?"
"I'm actually very good at this."
"Hahaha!"
As I held up a pawn, Princess Leonia laughed heartily and said,
"I shall show you that there is always someone greater."
-----
Chess is much like war. You deploy a formation, advance on the enemy, and trade pieces one by one, with the more efficient side winning.
The reason chess resembles war is that positioning is everything; players seize key areas on the limited board to build a superior formation.
War is no different. By moving forces through a limited battlefield to occupy strategic points and establish a strong formation, victory is guaranteed.
This is why Charles loves chess. It allows him to test his skills against an opponent without anyone actually dying.
It is the purest way to determine who is the superior strategist.
From Charles's perspective, the Princess was an exceptional strategist—an orthodox master who pressured her opponents with meticulous, flawless tactics.
Charles's style, however, was quite different. While the Princess focused on her own pieces, Charles focused entirely on the enemy.
He constantly posed difficult problems, driving the opponent into a corner with every mistake, preferring to unsettle them over polishing his own structure.
At first, the Princess seemed flustered by his erratic approach, but she gradually adapted and employed a specific strategy to counter him.
She simply maintained her own pace. Most nobles trained in orthodox chess panic when facing an unconventional style, but the Princess remained centered.
Regardless of Charles's erratic plays, she kept her composure and steadily increased the pressure on him.
This mirrored their respective ways of living. Charles always adapts his behavior to the situation, while the Princess always sticks to her own pace.
Charles realized that chess might just be a reflection of life itself.
The match was a stalemate. Sometimes Charles won, sometimes the Princess did.
As the hours passed, the wins piled up. By dawn, they had both reached double digits.
Neither bothered to record the score or ask for a referee, as neither of them was too dim to remember the tally.
"You are a person completely opposite to me."
It was a sudden remark, but I could understand her meaning; if her strategy was the royal road, mine was the path of the heretic.
"Your Highness is someone who radiates her own light."
She utilized her talent for the most effective path, a luxury I did not possess.
"But I am someone who can only survive by hiding in the shadows. I have neither the power nor the background to stand alone, which is why I forfeited the mock battle—to avoid shining too brightly."
"You once said that not everyone is born into the Imperial family."
"But not all royals are equal. As a third daughter, I had to shine desperately to be noticed by my parents, working harder and being more competent than anyone else just to keep my place in the succession."
"Your Highness, could it be..."
"Stop right there. I realize I've said something embarrassing."
I realized then that her power and political acumen weren't just natural; she had to struggle to survive the Crown Prince's future purges.
I revised my evaluation of Leonia. She wasn't just a silver-spoon free spirit, but someone struggling to survive, just like me.
'Perhaps our methods were different, but our goal was the same...'
She radiated light desperately to survive, while I hid in the shadows. We ran toward the same goal, though our methods were polar opposites.
Meanwhile, as their conversation continued, the match pressed on. Yuria Russell watched the game in utter disbelief.
She had never seen anyone who could match the Princess in chess. Even Isabel de Poitiers was a step below her.
Yuria had even scouted the chess club, but no rival existed. Yet, the unexpected Charles Jean Rochefort had proven to be that equal. Isabel watched the game, unable to close her mouth.
Then, dawn broke.
"Your Highness, it is time."
Yuria Russell spoke. The clock had already hit 5:30. Soon, the other students would be waking up.
"What a shame."
"Indeed."
Charles and the Princess sighed in unison. It wasn't surprising; the score stood at a dead heat, 13 wins and 13 losses each.
"Let us play just one more game before we part."
"Very well."
They played their final match. This game dragged on longer than the others, but a clear winner still didn't emerge. After a grueling struggle, it ended in a draw.
With a lingering sense of regret, Charles and the Princess returned to their respective dorms. Charles looked in the mirror and laughed at the dark circles under his eyes.
It had been a long time since he'd pulled an all-nighter—not since the nights spent on the Age of Gunpowder and Magic. He spent some time reviewing the match, still buzzing from the thrill of meeting a true rival.
-----
Meanwhile, Princess Leonia summoned Isabel de Poitiers to her room.
She chose Isabel because she was the second-best chess player she knew. The first was Charles.
The Princess played against Isabel, but it was a complete landslide, ending 5 to 0. Isabel was in awe of the Princess's moves, which were sharper and more flawless than ever.
"It seems your skills have improved once again, Your Highness."
"Do you think so?"
"Yes. You are stronger now—on a completely different level than before."
The Princess knew why. Twenty-seven games against Charles. Every single match had felt like walking on thin ice.
"Isabel. Chess is much like war."
"Is it?"
Isabel respected her, but she didn't quite agree. Chess was just a game on a board, while real war was full of chaotic variables. She kept the thought to herself, however.
"If I were to meet that man on a real battlefield, it would not be easy."
Despite the Princess's words, Isabel had no idea who she was talking about. She could only continue playing chess until the Princess was satisfied.