Chapter 106
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Human Chess (5)
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"This is..."
Elise stared silently at the chessboard. Even she no longer knew how this reversal of fortunes had come about.
A defeat that had seemed certain was overturned by a mere pawn.
...Sion Askal.
He had devoured the enemy's black golem and even triumphed over the rook, Kieley.
Not only had she not expected it—she hadn't even hoped for it.
"Advance one square."
Elise issued the order for Sion to move forward.
Now he was the pawn deepest in enemy territory.
Just two squares away from traversing the board from end to end.
A pawn was the lowest piece on the chessboard, but a pawn that slipped under the opponent's throat was different. A pawn that reached that position held value comparable to any higher piece.
Because of the "promotion" rule.
Upon reaching the end of the board, Sion Askal could promote from pawn to queen and charge ahead.
From the weakest piece to the strongest, capable of slaying the enemy king.
"...We win."
And so Elise was certain of victory.
Gerkken had lost two turns of attack rights with only five pieces left, and his black golem had been destroyed.
His "rook," Kieley, was still alive, but he had no chance to defend. Even if he did, he couldn't kill her in the two turns before Sion promoted to queen.
Sion Askal would definitely promote to queen, and therefore...
[Gerkken Team: Forfeit]
[Elise Team Victory.]
[All matches concluded.]
[No closing ceremony.]
[You've all worked hard through countless battles. Great job.]
[We cheer for your Evaluation Exam performances.]
[Disperse.]
A perfect 4-0 sweep. The assignment ended in total victory.
All the mana barriers dissolved, and Elise staggered back to the waiting room.
"As expected of Elise!"
The chess pieces—no, her teammates—who had arrived early in the waiting room praised her without knowing a thing. They had no way to watch the chess game's progress, so they reacted only to the fact of "victory."
"Everyone, shout it out! Elise!"
"“““Eliseeeek—!”””"
Despite their zombie-like cheers, Elise stared off into space without reacting.
Soon, the door in the farthest corner opened, and out walked Sion Askal—the one who had survived the longest, penetrated deepest into enemy lines, and turned the final game into a win.
Elise's gaze locked onto him.
No other sounds reached her ears, and all other figures blurred out of focus.
But he left the waiting room.
"Hold on. Gotta hit the bathroom."
"Shout for Elise!"
"“““Eliseeeek—!”””"
Seizing the moment while they celebrated among themselves, Elise hurriedly chased after Sion. She grabbed his shoulder as he trudged down the corridor, stopping him.
"Whoa, you scared me. What's up?"
He turned to her, blinking.
Elise got straight to it.
"How did you do it?"
"Huh...? Oh, ahem."
Sion shrugged with a smug look.
"How about that? Putting me in as the first pawn was your best move, right?"
"..."
Elise glared silently. Best move or not, give a proper answer.
"...I had full stamina since I didn't move for three games. Kieley seemed injured somewhere, right?"
Only then did Elise release his arm.
Sion chuckled and walked down the corridor.
She watched his retreating back in silence.
"Strategy. Impressive."
But then another voice drifted from behind.
This time, it was Gerkken.
"Did you deliberately hold Sion Askal back for nine hours?"
"And you... what do you want?"
Elise shot back tiredly. Gerkken calmly raised an eyebrow.
"I half-expected you to pick Sion Askal as the first pawn."
"What're you..."
Her reason for picking Sion first as a pawn was simple.
To put him on her team and probe for info on Yael when the chance arose.
"Why didn't you pick him then, Gerkken? Not as a pawn, but a higher piece."
"Too risky for a higher piece. From what I've observed, Sion has an oddly glaring weakness in stamina. The guy who collapsed mid-Swordsmanship Studies class."
Gerkken had analyzed Sion Askal, it seemed. Well, he was suspiciously eye-catching.
"Higher pieces had to move crucially across all four games, so stamina was priority."
"I see."
Elise looked up at Gerkken, arms crossed. Her lips twisted involuntarily.
"If not for that 'stamina issue,' what piece were you planning to pick him as?"
A question tossed out in irritation at his tone acknowledging Sion.
Gerkken answered instantly.
"Queen."
"...?"
With that bizarre declaration of placing him as queen, Gerkken walked off.
Elise blinked, then returned to her team's waiting room.
───Eliseeeeek!!
Inside, the Elise-less Elise party raged on.
─Nobody's going home today! I'll buy everything! I'm blowing 100,000 ren tonight and getting yelled at by Dad!
─Woooaaah!
─But isn't the evaluation exam next week?!
─...Okay, party till midnight!
─Woooaaah!
Listening made her exhausted.
In the end, Elise left the stadium. Standing on the street, she called someone.
─Yes, miss. Luren speaking.
She was curious. Suspicious, too. Gerkken had just confirmed it.
Sion Askal.
There was definitely something about him.
He was connected to Yael and hid certain aspects.
Among them, "Yael" was too dangerous to the family, so she could no longer afford mercy.
"Tomorrow... no, prepare a vehicle right now. It's time to leave."
─Understood.
Edshila's northernmost Armang Orphanage.
The outfit helping Sion Askal launder money.
Elise planned to raid it first.
The College Board holds evaluation exams at the end of the first and second quarters. Similar in name to midterms and finals, but far more practical and dangerous.
Safety measures are minimal.
Yet because it allows for the most precise evaluations, the university association sends invitations every year—to university staff, scouting families, corporate HR teams, and even celebrities.
Libra is, of course, included.
[College Board: 1st Quarter Evaluation Exam Invitation]
[Target: Libra's Jahanna Gong]
"..."
The eldest daughter, Jahanna, pondered the invitation.
Libra doesn't bind itself to young prospects. The continent teems with talented commoners, and the Libra family is practically their dream.
But the bar for Libra's selection is impossibly high.
The most recent was Bellingham.
A 6-star prospect from elementary school, deemed generational talent, so Libra gladly chose him. Accepted him into the family.
Of course, rumors swirled that this College Board class had a deep talent pool.
Even excluding Soliet and Elise from other families, there might be 2-3 worthwhile ones.
But among them, Jahanna only knew one senior.
Sion Askal.
Tap... tap...
A sluggish knock echoed.
The only one in this bloodline mansion who knocked on her office door like a sloth was one person.
Jahanna brushed back her hair and spoke.
"...What is it, Zia?"
A letter slid under the door, fluttering onto her desk. Jahanna eyed it.
[Could you lend me some money...?]
Her eyes narrowed.
She'd heard Zia was running her own ventures. Having received not a single coin of Libra inheritance—just scraps like millions in cash, stocks, and some real estate.
To maintain noble life, she had to grow it as much as possible.
"You out there?"
─...Yeees.
Zia's voice was predictably languid. Like sagging tape.
"Business again?"
─They're late on construction payments...
"How much?"
Self-sufficient efforts weren't bad. Zia was excluded from all succession anyway.
─2 million ren... Can pay back next month...
Not even able to cover a mere 2 million ren note.
As Jahanna wrote the check, she said,
"Zia, did you get an evaluation exam invitation too?"
─Yeees... One...
Her voice was annoying to hear. Stretching one-second words to three.
"Take a remote look. There's a senior who wants under you."
These days, with tech advances, exam observation was mostly remote.
─Under meee...? Must be a mistake...?
Jahanna smirked faintly.
"Watch once in a while. You need people for you. Your guard knight quit again, right?"
─Ahh... Salary... backed up...
Jahanna slid a 3 million ren check under the door. The extra million was living expense aid.
─Kyaa...!
Zia yelped in surprise outside. Jahanna shook her head with a smile-like expression.
"...Must be nice living like you."
Including Jahanna, the three Libra siblings didn't even know Zia's exact age.
Zia had always been that kid.
When Jedric was in college, and peers Jahanna and Jade snarled at each other, Shylock suddenly brought her, declaring her the youngest.
A "bastard child."
Her appearance prompted a truce among the three.
Jedric had planned to kill her then. Jahanna and Jade intended to help.
Fourth direct Libra line. No matter how young, a clear threat—and they couldn't accept a bastard as direct lineage.
──But.
When the three entered the nursery with murderous intent and first faced Zia.
As they tried smothering the arm-sized infant with a pillow.
They couldn't deny it.
The purest, bluest eyes. Hair like the sea on an infant not yet one.
Proof of Libra bloodline. The thickest inheritance anyone had seen.
Zia seemed born purely to survive.
"The senior's name is 'Sion Askal.' Check him out when you have time."
─Siooon...
"Know him?"
─From the orphanage... once...?
"Yeah. He told Bellingham he wants under you. Now go. Talking to your slow voice will make my hair fall out."
─Mmm... Yeees... Thanks, sis...
Thud... thud... thud... Even Zia's footsteps were slow.
At that pace, could she survive this harsh, fast world?
"Casino revenue's stagnating lately."
Jahanna returned to her work.