Chapter 8 - A Bolt From The Blue

Even though four hours have passed since the beginning of the chess event, the guests feel the need for an extra minute of their time in a game of chess. While the sun is almost setting and its brilliant light is fading, it appears as though it will take only a few more minutes to set for the rest who are participating in the tea party.

This has led to nobles and commoners alike assembling around and challenging each other endlessly. Not only were they reluctant to remain seated with nothing to do, but they were also expressing desperation to compete as much as possible for the sake of their fortune.

In other words, Hermes and Plutus were now preoccupied with the constant flow of matches being formed left and right in the corner of their eyes.

Even if that was the case, Hermes and Plutus effortlessly observed everyone in the middle of other matches, spotting many who had traded their clever thinking for a hasty outcome to their game.

Due to this, the arbiters have witnessed more stalemates spiraling out of control than victories and losses, including despair on the faces of the people. 

Leaving the continuous draws aside, a few were fortunate enough to not fall under the pressure and stress of time as they started to achieve considerable wins thanks to their carefully planned strategies, unlike the others.

Under these circumstances, the few attendees are beginning to achieve sufficient victories to meet the requirements that Kore mentioned at the start of the event.

"Oh goodness. Lord Wilhelm, do you wish to challenge me?" Before Kore could lay out her question, she noticed a man treading towards her direction.

Upon Wilhelm's arrival, he stood upright next to the stairs that led up to the garden nook. After hearing Kore's words, Wilhelm took a couple of seconds to himself to gather his thoughts before attempting to speak to Kore.

"Yes. Shall we get on with it, Lady Kore?" He spoke after a deep exhale.

"Not quite yet. The chess you'll be playing with me is significantly different from usual. You must be well-informed before we begin."

"How different must it be, Lady Kore?"

"For starters, we only have 10 minutes to finish a game of chess. Either you or I must win during those minutes, or settle for a stalemate."

"10 minutes?!"

From Kore's perspective, she glanced at a nobleman who was overtaken by pure shock, not moving a muscle upon hearing her statement.

"I... Lady Kore, did I perhaps hear you incorrectly? This is a game of chess we are discussing. For it to be limited by time will honestly be plain and simple."

"Rightfully said, Lord Wilhelm. However, for this particular event to end, time is of the essence. If we were to prolong our chess matches, we would fail to announce a winner at sunset." Kore stated her reasons before continuing once more.

"We must declare the victor today. In fact, the Emperor has scheduled his time to spare a few moments for an audience, hence why we cannot afford to delay such an urgent matter any further."

"Lord Wilhelm, no matter how apologetic I am for the insufficient time, I undeniably stated the limit of this event at the beginning of my tea party."

Rather than sounding maidenly, Kore was specifying the truth of her words and reminding her guests of this information once more with her sharp and clear voice.

"O-Oh..." Wilhelm jolted slightly.

Kore gave everyone a modest smile when they were sneaking a quick glance at the hostess. And at the same time, the unexpected announcement of a 10-minute timer caught them off guard, which is why it set them in a daze with the unreasonable time limit for a game of chess when it usually should be a minimum of 20 minutes!

"Lord Wilhelm, since you're already well-informed about our match, let us make our way to the garden nook to commence our game of chess." Kore sounded overjoyed over a simple game.

"Ah… Yes, Lady Kore." On the other hand, Wilhelm looked disinclined at the thought of their match.

All at once, when Kore and Wilhelm set up their game of chess in the garden nook, the noisy crowd finally let loose their mouths to raise their opinions about the time limit they overheard from Kore and Wilhelm.

—Chitter-Chatter...

"My word… Can Lady Kore manage this all on her own? To have such a short match is unheard of since no one has ever limited themselves with time." A lower-rank nobleman questioned as he was bemused by the news.

"...Don't you think Lady Kore is planning to create a combative trend of chess for the near future?" A noblewoman discussed it with her friend.

"Fascinating! Fast-paced chess is quite intriguing! I never thought Lady Kore was trying to revive chess as a whole and shine some light on it." Spoken with respect, this noble lady seemed pleased.

"Truly, what a brilliant person Lady Kore is!"

"Is that so?" A man of noble birth expressed doubts.

—Mumbling…

"Did I hear it right? Lady Kore is asking us to play quickly. I mean… I can think fast at chess, but heck! Not that fast!" A young adult man makes a complaint.

"The nobles look to be praising her for this. I can guess why they're excited, since chess is finally getting some recognition that it deserves." A fellow male commoner spoke of reasons while nodding to this thought of his.

"Oh, you're right. I adore chess. It was my way of passing the time with coworkers and friends." A passerby joins in with her thoughts.

—Bustling…!

"This will spark some interest in chess! I must invest in the carpenters to make more chess boards!" An eager merchant cheers.

"Shh! Keep quiet, sir! You can't just tell them about your ideas! How are we going to earn money if you just spoil our plans?!" In a panic, this merchant's assistant shushes.

—Chattering…

"I should have known Lady Kore would pull such tricks out of her sleeves."

"It certainly is. She must be wishing for time to pressure her opponent to better her chances."

"Simply put, Lady Kore is scared of failing, and that's why she set a timer. Why else would she choose this? She once said it was for the Emperor's sake, yet if that was the truth, then sufficient time would have been granted without a hitch."

"How cunning of her. I knew I didn't fancy her from the very beginning. To think my intuition was true brings a smile to my face."

"Haha, I must say… I ponder if Lady Kore will make a fool of herself during this event."

The ill-natured words that were flowing out of these ladies' unfiltered conversation had sullied this exceptional atmosphere, leaving a bitter aftertaste to a certain someone's tea.

—Clink.

When a subtle motion of a teacup settled down on its saucer, the noise alone resounded piercingly to everyone's ears, grabbing their attention in the process. At which point, they quickly found themselves looking at the culprit before discovering it was an individual who deemed this particular situation unfondly.

 

"L-Lady Hermes…"

"Did we perhaps spoil your break?"

The perturbed ladies who had ruined the perfect ambience for teatime, were so bold as to try and lighten up the mood of the upset Hermes. Instead of a frown or a scowl, Hermes did the opposite and smiled from ear to ear in order to wash away the annoyance of everyone's gossip.

"Pardon me, ladies. Did I happen to ruin your mood? Goodness, it isn't my desire to taint this wondrous atmosphere." Hermes finally said.

"O-Oh… Is that so..?"

Engulfed with fretfulness, these women were unable to return to their previous conversation, which prompted an uncomfortable silence. All for the reason that Hermes is now keeping her glance upon these ladies without another word exiting from her scarlet lips.

For the time being, their silence remains unchanged until the sudden voices from afar arise and spread throughout the quietness, cramming these ladies with unsolved riddles.

To begin with, these women weren't staring at the source of their surprise when they overheard everyone's awe, hence why they were expressing their speechlessness towards the front of their views!

"Hey! Look at that! Did I see it right or did I go blind?!" A common woman startlingly utters.

"My dear words! How can Lady Kore do that?! She's opening a path for her rook to be captured! This is nonsense!" A humble nobleman let out a gasp.

Managing to exceed everybody's expectations, Kore and Wilhelm finished collecting their thoughts before Plutus flipped the hourglass upside down to initiate the start of their game.

On one side, Kore is demonstrating her extraordinary tactics in surviving for this long against a formidable foe, while on the other side, Wilhelm has eleven wins under his belt to withstand Kore's strategies without any trouble.

It comes to no surprise that this game of chess has become something of a momentous occasion for the audience who had laid eyes on it. And out of the blue, it appears as if Wilhelm is the one suffering from the loss of words, feeling bothered by the methods Kore is using.

The once idyllic atmosphere that has simple yet genius tactics, has turned out to be distorted by the unanticipated mindset of Kore's! It's enough to say that it prompted the rest to have a dumbfounded and disappointed look on their faces when Kore makes a move!

"How can one be… What might you be thinking, Lady Kore?!" Fazed as Wilhelm should be, he was losing faith in his eyes.

"This… can't be real!" He let out a bawl.

In mere seconds, this moment had caused the well-mannered nobleman to stand up from his seat abruptly. Wilhelm was found clutching onto the table with a tight and firm grip, unable to grasp the full image of Kore's scheme.

In spite of the unforeseen, Kore wasn't in the slightest startled by Wilhelm's sudden behavior. Not to mention, she carries on having a grin on her face without a care for the puzzled glances of others.

‘She's not surprised by how.. she's playing?’

With that thought, Wilhelm had realized that his opponent, Kore, had shown no astonishment towards her play. 

But that isn't the point! Kore had just pushed forward her central pawn, which gave Wilhelm an opportunity to capture her rook! It's no wonder everyone is displaying their bewilderment at this play!

"Lady Kore doesn't look surprised at all!"

"What is this?!" 

"She.. did what?! Feeding her rook for nothing?!"

"This is honestly insensible!! How could a noble be so dim-witted!?"

In the blink of an eye, the sight that has been witnessed by all, has become the origin of everyone's disbelief! This is a move that no one has ever laid hands on nor have they ever approached chess in such a manner!

Excluding the audience's bustling noises, there was someone who was beaming with excitement, rejoicing as though the result was already set in stone.

"Haha… Lady Kore, is this perhaps your way of informing me of my victory?" Wilhelm comments in a joyous manner after calming himself down.

"I wonder.." Kore smiles subtly. 

The only ones who are capable of understanding Kore's intentions, are the most open-minded individuals who can perceive such a skillful underlining! 

Therefore, from the viewpoint of a certain girl, she seems to be engraving a smile on her face from a distance. After all, this person has been ceaselessly examining the entirety of Kore's unique gameplay!

‘These people can't see the well-hidden reasons behind it all.’ 

‘It was an intentional sacrifice where Lady Kore provided her main pieces a line of sight and set up outposts for her knights.’

‘Once Lord Wilhelm captures her rook, which will in turn weaken his king's side, his officials* will have no choice but to make a path for their king's demise.’

( *Official in Chess: Rooks, Knights, and Bishops. )

One might wonder who these thoughts belonged to, and without a doubt, it was certainly Caissa who had a contented grin on her face.

‘None has ever come up with such a brilliant play before, not even a similarity of it could match this level of ingenuity, which is why no nobles or commoners have ever caught my attention.’

‘And competing against Lady Kore will surely make my time here worthwhile..’ Caissa genuinely gave it some thought.

At that instant, Caissa lends her glimpse of Kore's image with a pondering thought. Not only does Kore have a connection with the Emperor through her status of being the only daughter of Duchess Thesmophoros, she also possesses a dignified presence as well as a virtuous voice.

There's not a time when rumors about her talent at chess have come to light, and Wilhelm is in the process of facing an opponent like her. 

And during this current moment, his profound shock is beginning to skyrocket into space after Kore has deliberately fed her queen to him!

Taken by surprise, Caissa couldn't believe her eyes despite predicting this heart-rending move inside her head beforehand. 

Could it be that Caissa had never expected Kore to make this peculiar move? It won't take long for Wilhelm to undoubtedly lose his passion over this unforeseen game!

Thus far, Kore had the best counterattack measures in place, and she would have been capable of checkmating her opponent in a matter of six moves. In other words, Kore chose to induce Wilhelm with devastation through this painstaking game of chess!

In the eyes of Caissa, she doesn't have the heart to execute this painful endgame for her slow-witted opponents, nor has she ever borne witness of someone who could perform this type of tactic on purpose!

"It seems Lady Kore doesn't show mercy to her opponents, let alone her guests…"

"How merciless, either he captures it or not…" Caissa continues to observe and puts down her teacup.

"The outcome remains the same."

Contrary to Caissa's bafflement, others had a different view of this particular match and were displaying the opposite of what Caissa is currently expressing. As a matter of fact, commoners and nobles alike were exhibiting emotions from anxiety, distraught, disappointment, frustration, and so forth. 

To sacrifice all their time at chess simply to gain an opportunity for an audience with the emperor was merely all for naught. Once every guest in this tea party realizes Kore is intentionally attempting to lose, they feel dishonored, betrayed, and disheartened by a dull-witted hostess.

And all of this became a result of the sudden outburst of voices proceeding to overthrow the silence, filling it with people's concerns and countless untold emotions inside their voices!

—Murmur..!

"Is Lady Kore forfeiting this game?!" The ordinary lady was speechless.

"That can't be! The emperor wouldn't allow such an undeserving winner to compete for the imperial family!" A man in modest clothing bellows in awe.

"If he wins, then our hope to meet the emperor will…" A passionate boy felt devastated by Kore's gameplay.

—Bustling!

"That ain't it, man! Lady Kore must have made the wrong move!" Denying reality, this common man shouts at full volume.

"Look! Even Lord Wilhelm is as shocked as us! If he was a gentleman, he should allow Lady Kore to undo her move!" Putting the fault on Wilhelm, this nobleman dares say.

"Indeed, or else this will be an unbearable match to watch. What are your thoughts on this, Lady Hermes?" The lady who is sitting next to Hermes, asks for the arbiter's thoughts on this, hoping to understand the secret behind Kore's method through the mindset of the chess arbiter.

In this current situation, most nobles as well as commoners were speaking at the same wavelength, conveying how befuddled everyone was! If that's not clear, this chess game alone is enough for common folks and nobles to form a mutual agreement with the status of incompatibility out of the way.

"..." 

Hermes remains quiet, as though not to ruin the intriguing atmosphere, increasing the curiosity of the ladies beside the former.

"Lady Hermes?"

"Yes?"

"Aren't you going to state your opinions?"

"Certainly not. I wouldn't wish to spoil the result, would I?"

"But the outcome is rather obvious. Are you perhaps assuming Lady Kore may win this match?"

"Do not judge a book by its cover. That's all I have to sa—" 

"What?!!!! How?!!!"

On the spur of the moment, Hermes' voice was outshined by the voice of an astonished man. And immediately, the audience couldn't fathom the source of bewilderment behind this voice, since it belonged not just to anyone, but to the astounded nobleman named Wilhelm!

Seeing as everyone is at a loss for words because of how their expectations were completely surpassed by a maidenly noble lady's gameplay, the sheer amount of stupefied expressions caused the tea party to be overwhelmed with nothing but silence! 

"Checkmate." 

In her final move, Kore spoke with an astute tone of voice while expressing her visible amusement at her opponent, Wilhelm's lack of credence at this very moment.

—Chitter-Chatter……

"She won?!"

"Oh my gosh!! Lady Kore won!"

"Goodness gracious! How could this be?!"

—Bustle! Bustle!

"She managed to beat him after all of that?!"

"I didn't even expect that?! What was that!?"

"How in the world was she able to consider all of the pieces' moves in advance?! There's absolutely no way!"

—Chatter…

"Yes, yes! Now I can go against her!"

"Oh no, you don't! I, a noble, should be going against her! For a commoner to wish for an audience is futile!"

—Chattering…

Seemingly entertained by this current turn of events, Kore forms a pleasing grin towards the speechless Wilhelm.

"To make this an equitable event, you will now have to wait 15 minutes for your next match, Lord Wilhelm. I do hope you reconsider this match during recess." Kore gave her words in a polite manner, watching her opponent succumb to his defeat.