55
Chapter 55
"Woof woof. Feed me. Scritch scritch."
Those three short phrases, totaling only six syllables, signaled the start of Aru's daily routine.
Regardless of whether it rained or snowed, she would wake Oscar, who faithfully practiced sloth by sleeping in, and demand her breakfast while he was still half-asleep.
But today was different.
"Woof woof!"
As she opened the lid of the bottle Oscar had left, a pungent, fishy scent tickled Aru's nose. Holding the bottle carefully so the contents wouldn't spill, she dashed around the area at high speed.
She wanted the scent of the Black Wyvern's blood to spread as far as possible.
"Kuaaaaaaaaah-!"
"Grrrr... Kyaaaaah!"
The monsters that sensed the smell let out loud roars. Even Aru, who had reached a certain level of power through a hundred years of training, felt her whole body tremble at their cries.
However, Aru did not stop. One specific fact remained clear in her mind.
"Woof woof woof! Woof woof!"
'Command! Assistant! First time!'
"Woof woof woof woof! Spread! The scent must spread!"
'Not hunting! Magic! Magic!'
Aru didn't know what magic was. The Oscar she knew had only ever hunted for a hundred years. Except for that one time he tamed her.
But Aru had a vague feeling. She sensed that Oscar was about to do something fantastic again. Just like when she was tamed a century ago. Remembering the thrill of that day, Aru raced forward in excitement.
Tucking two pieces of paper into her waistband and gripping the bottle firmly with her teeth, Aru ran frantically. Occasionally, a ferocious roar would make her hesitate, but to Aru, Oscar's magic wand was more terrifying than any beast.
Thus, the southern part of the Demon Beast Forest was plagued by an untimely commotion sparked by a single wolf.
*****
As I've mentioned before, everyone has desires. Lowly desires hidden deep within their hearts.
Usually, humans wear their own masks to hide those desires. Some exercise extreme restraint through morality and self-control. The saints of the Church typically fall into this category.
Beatrice Constantino, once a Holy Knight of the Holy Church, was no different. Beatrice had lived a life of extreme self-repression, which left her ignorant of her own desires.
Which was quite fortunate for me.
Now, that desire has become my tool. My tool to break Beatrice.
"Now! Please take a seat! You said you know the rules of chess, right?"
"I do, but..."
"Then that's enough! Dame Beatrice, you take white! I'll let you have the first move!"
"...Just when did you prepare that chessboard and the pieces?"
"I spent all last night carving them just to play chess with you, Dame Beatrice! Haha, are you touched?"
In truth, I had simply brought them from my family home to use when I was bored and alone.
"Come on, make your first move. I'm waiting for you."
"Chess... please understand if I am not very skilled."
Tap-.
With those words, Beatrice moved a white pawn forward two squares. A bold move. Charging ahead blindly was very typical of a Holy Knight.
Tap-.
I pushed a pawn forward two squares as well, placing it diagonally to Beatrice's pawn. Beatrice tilted her head.
"Are you trying to sacrifice your pawn? Why?"
"Haha, let's just call it a handicap."
"...I have no desire for such a handicap. Even if I am to lose."
Tap-.
In chess, a pawn can only capture an enemy piece that is diagonally adjacent. In other words, I deliberately offered my pawn to be taken, but Beatrice refused and moved another piece instead.
This revealed her rigid nature, a personality that refuses to accept any form of unfairness.
But I didn't stop. As Beatrice moved another pawn forward two squares, I once again pushed my pawn forward two squares. Beatrice sighed as if troubled.
"Stop this."
"Why? It's my pawn, I can do whatever I want with it, right?"
"I told you, I do not wish to receive a handicap."
"Hehe, actually, this isn't a handicap. It's all part of the strategy."
"Are you saying there is a strategy in chess that involves throwing away pieces?"
"I didn't think so either, but turns out there is! Right here in my head!"
As I shouted with a bright smile, Beatrice clicked her tongue softly. She moved another pawn forward two squares. I repeated the same process that had occurred twice before.
I gave up the first move just to do this; it would be a shame if she didn't take the bait. Beatrice's expression turned cold.
"Receiving unnecessary consideration is quite unpleasant. This is rude."
"Rudeness is subjective, isn't it? I believe I'm being quite polite in my own way."
"...Fine, I shall take it. I look forward to seeing if you can remain so confident even after losing this game."
Burning with a competitive desire to knock me down a peg, Beatrice finally moved her pawn diagonally.
Tap-.
One of my pawns was taken by Beatrice's pawn. I didn't mind and made my next move. I left the 'three sacrificial pawns' I had played earlier—no, now only 'two' remained—untouched.
Tap-.
Tap-.
Tap-.
Tap-.
Four exchanges of moves. Two more pawns eliminated. All the casualties were mine. The tide of the chess game was shifting heavily. I simply kept a beaming smile on my face.
Tap-.
Tap-.
Tap-.
I continued to drive my pieces into the line of fire. Beatrice wondered at my consistency, but she systematically captured my pieces. She didn't get excited; she remained cautious.
Though she had the perspective of a chess novice, she didn't capture my pieces rashly, as if trying to gain an advantage without falling for any tricks.
It was admirable, but meaningless. I wasn't plotting any schemes right now. I was simply, with a pure heart, handing over all my pieces to Beatrice.
Until only the final two pieces remained—the ones that would stimulate her desire.
I silently discarded my pieces. But I didn't just throw them away. While pouring in all my pieces, I focused on capturing Beatrice's single white 'Queen.'
Tap-.
Tap-.
Tap-.
Tap-.
Tap.......
"...I really cannot fathom your true intentions."
Looking at the two black pieces left in my camp, Beatrice broke the silence. I maintained my innocent smile.
"What makes you think that?"
"At first, I thought you were plotting something."
"Is that so?"
"But with only two pieces remaining, what could you possibly do? You simply intended to let me win. Though I am not particularly pleased by it."
Hmm, she thinks she's already won.
Good.
That's the only way the surprise is fun.
"Since I am not well-versed in chess, I assumed that sacrificing your pieces was all part of some grand plan."
"Ahaha."
"I see you weren't. A victory handed to me on a silver platter. It didn't taste very good."
She's completely certain of her victory now.
The smile on my lips shifts. The atmosphere, the air, the entire situation changes. Wearing a sinister grin, I speak under the new light.
"That's a shame. But everything I did was based on strategy."
"...Stop talking nonsense. How could discarding your pieces be a strategy? No matter how little I know about chess, I know that calling a self-destructive move a strategy is sheer bullshit."
"Hehehe-."
Several pieces remain on the board. On my side, the King and Queen are alive, while on Beatrice's side, most pieces are scattered, having spent their time capturing mine—except for her Queen, which is gone. I had poured in all my pieces just to finally take Beatrice's Queen.
The stage is set.
I turned my head to look at the clock on the wall. About forty minutes had passed since Aru left. This meant I had about twenty minutes of leeway left to finish this game of chess.
I spoke, my voice now sounding ominous.
"Dame Beatrice, did you know?"
"Know what?"
"The point values assigned to each piece in chess."
Tap-.
My Queen captured one of Beatrice's pawns.
Since pawns can only move forward, Beatrice's pawn, which had already ventured deep into my territory, could never capture my Queen even in its wildest dreams.
"...This is the first time I've heard that there are points."
"Haha, think of it as a kind of stat. Or perhaps combat power? The combat power of each piece? Anyway, something like that exists."
"Why are you bringing this up now?"
"A pawn, with the most limitations, is 1 point. A Knight is 3 points. A Bishop is also 3 points. In this case, the Knight is more valuable when many pieces remain, while the Bishop is more valuable in the endgame when obstacles are gone and mobility is freed."
Beatrice cleared away her captured piece and made a new move. A filler move, simply because she had nothing better to do.
I continued, unfazed.
"A Rook is 5 points. The King, the most important piece in the game, is about 4 points if we only consider combat power. However."
Lifting my Queen to capture one of Beatrice's Bishops.
"This Queen is worth a whopping 9 points. She possesses the power of nine pawns on her own. And since there are only eight pawns in a camp, all the pawns combined are actually less valuable than a single Queen."
If the King is the piece that must be protected at all costs in chess...
The Queen is the piece that must carry out the most critical tasks. Or, the piece that must keep multiple enemies in check alone.
She can move in any direction—front, back, left, or right—and does not hesitate to attack diagonally. Since the Queen's range of attack is practically omnidirectional, some players even call the Queen the 'Joker Card' of chess.