Chapter 165: Inroad (2) (1/2)

Of course, the officials of the Imperial Palace were learning Go. To put it bluntly, it was at the level of scrambling before an exam. In the Empire, the Emperor’s favor was no different than royal benevolence, and the only hobby that the indolent Emperor enjoyed was Go.

“Let’s start.”

Therefore, all the ministers watched this match with nervous expressions. This professor was the only one who was a match for Sophien.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Deculein, on the other hand, nodded, far from nervous or anxious. Sophien handed him the stone’s box. The Emperor would be black, the Professor white. The two, each pulling their stones, faced each other.

“Referee.”

“Yes.”

At Sophien’s call, an old man in a uniform appeared. He was a master from the archipelago who could write commentary and notations.

“I’m Aldo, the interim referee. Then…”

He looked to Sophien and Deculein, amused, and announced the start of the match.

“Let’s start the third match of Her Majesty Sophien and Professor Deculein.”

Tap-!

Simultaneously with the game’s opening, Sophien, the black side, placed her stone in the lower-left corner first. Deculein, the white side, chose the upper right corner. Next, the black stone at the lower right corner and the white stone at the upper left corner… it was an ordinary exploration, but everyone watched it breathlessly.

“…Surely. It seems that Professor Deculein is a match to Her Majesty.”

“Look at Her Majesty’s seriousness. It’s very impressive, and it deeply moves me. She grew up so well…”

The ministers admired it, but the old vassals, including Romellock, were quite displeased with Deculein’s show of force.

Tap-!

“Your Majesty. I have a question.”

Suddenly, Deculein spoke. Sophien slowly raised her head to look at him. Facing that cold gaze, Deculein asked.

“Why is Your Majesty so passionate about Go?”

Then he placed the thirtieth move. Sophien felt a little annoyed, wondering if it was bullshit to distract her, but she answered.

“It’s because it’s fun.”

Tap-!

Sophien made the thirty-first move. It was a move combining offense and defense to penetrate the gap in the upper right corner.

“Is that so?”

Tap.

Deculein skillfully blocked it; Sophien’s brow trembled. This guy, the gesture with which he just placed the stone, was extremely light. Was he always this relaxed? It wasn’t only about the gesture or his posture. His whole energy relayed his comfort.

“Why are you curious about that?”

Sophien made the thirty-third move while asking back. The black and white stones on the board were forming a tight match.

“Because Your Majesty’s passion is moving.”

“…Bullshit.”

Deculein was silent for a moment and focused on the game. The stones on the wooden board slowly formed their ranks. So, when they reached the 54th move-

“Now, you will pour that passion into national affairs, the continent, and the development of yourself. That’s what I believe.”

Deculein spoke again. Sophien grew uncomfortable with those words. At that moment, she held a slight advantage over Deculein, but the actual difference was so subtle that a single mistake could overturn the game. Both were walking on thin ice, but Sophien didn’t want to admit it. So, she answered calmly.

“Arrogant bastard. Do you dare bring your passion to me? Okay. I’ll ask you this time.”

Sophien stared at Deculein, her gaze cutting into him. However, Deculein didn’t avoid her eyes.

“Professor. You know who tried to poison me in the past.”

A cold stillness fell over them. Deculein and Sophien looked at each other with the board as a wall between them. They were calm, but the ministers between the two were thrown into a spectacle.

Ugh- Ugh-

From the moment Sophien uttered those surprising words, they began to look more like toads than humans. Their eyes dilated as if they were about to pop out, and they couldn’t breathe properly. The only other sound was the stones rattling against the board.

Tap—

White’s 76th move. It happened like a ripple across the water’s surface. But then, Sophien wasn’t looking at the board but Deculein.

“That poison has given me the gift of boredom and sloth.”

Sophien’s voice lacked even the slightest bit of emotion.

“I just let it since it was too cumbersome to look for it, but….”

Deculein watched Sophien.

“Look.”

“What?”

His tone was one of arrogance. Sophien cut off his words, but she belatedly looked down at the board.

“!”

The crimson eyes judging the situation filled with astonishment. A single move destroyed the balance between the sides.

“…”

All thoughts in her head were erased, and her hand holding the stone trembled. Sophien blankly looked at the board.

“This…”

She struggled to understand the sudden upheaval. He had a trick planned that she hadn’t even thought of, but with Deculein’s 76th move, the thin ice below her began to crumble.

“…”

Sophien felt the rope tightening around her neck. It was the first time in her life that she felt this way, but she had nothing to worry about. From experience, Deculein lacked the ability to lead the game until the second half. If she simply responded calmly without being shaken, he would show his flaws.

Tap, tap, tap.

Sophien didn’t give up. Her Go stones fell like drops of water. The composition and power were reversed in an instant. Black, who had a bit of advantage, now had to chase after the white side desperately.

“…”

In this state where her ruin was predestined, Sophien mobilized everything she could plan. The match wasn’t over yet. The way out must be somewhere. There was no certain loss in Go, so she hadn’t lost yet…

But.

Tap, tap, tap—

The sound of the Go stones stopped at some point. Sophien’s hand halted. The white stones she couldn’t catch up with had already become an impregnable fortress dominating the midfield.

Sophien clenched her teeth and raised her eyes to reflect Deculein. Her lips twisted, and fire rose from the bottom of her heart. But she tried not to lose her composure.

“Is that it?”

“That is the difference. I won.”

“…”

Sophien stared at Deculein. Her eyes slowly broke, and a trembling breath escaped between her purple lips.

“…Hah.”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I feel like I have grown a bit.”

Sophien didn’t show her expression, but the sound of something breaking in her head was clear.

“This-“

Sophien’s hand went under the board. Deculein watched with calm eyes.

“This fucking-“

Crash-!

Sophien threw the board high. The woodblock soared like a rocket and stuck to the ceiling. Around the split board, numerous stones sank and scattered. In the black and white that fell like snow—

* * *

“Are you angry?”

Thirty minutes later, I managed to question the calmed Sophien.

“…”

Sophien leaned her body against the back of her chair without a word. We were once again in the teaching room.

“Your Majesty?”

“…I thought I might lose. But when I lost, a really strange feeling surged up.”

Sophien put her fingers to her temples and murmured.

“Independently, your 76th move was great. Of course, it’s still annoying that you scratched my nerves by saying strange things before that, but it’s also my fault for falling for that psychological battle.”

I smiled a little.

“Why are you smiling? That makes me want to break your head.”

“I’m glad.”

“…”

Tap-

I placed another Go stone on the board. It was the review of the great match that was just played.

“What do you mean glad?”

“Because the emotion you just felt is not anger.”

“You cheeky bastard. Who are you to judge my feelings?”

I shook my head. The emotion Sophien showed as she flipped the board was far from anger. That was what Sophien needs the most right now, that thing that sparked a passion.

“It’s not anger. It’s the desire to win, Your Majesty.”

Sophien closed her mouth for a moment. After staring at me for a while wearing a stern face, I immersed myself in studying the record again.

“The next match will be in two months. I will not lose then.”

“Yes. Neither will I.”

“Go away.”

I stood. Watching Sophien studying Go and overcoming defeat, I took a step backward and left the bedroom.

* * *

…Two months was not enough time to convince the continent. But it was enough to force them. It was a thought that came to mind while traveling almost all over the continent.

Do I need to persuade them like this? Do I need to explain the principle of a lighter to a chimpanzee? Shouldn’t I just make them use it? The villain’s dominance and terrifying image were effective in this case. I pressured those who wouldn’t listen to my predictions. Emperor Sophien accepted my methods, so there were many ways to go about it.

An investigation that mobilized the royal guards, the Imperial Palace books, a threat through Yukline’s bank funds… these were just the tip of the iceberg.

“Professor! Expenses beyond this run the risk of bankrupting the estate. Please…”

Because of that, some pretty annoying guys had shown up. I forced them into saving their estates, but the lord and nobles were begging. I stared at the nobleman standing in the doorway of my mansion.

“Is it Gehan?”

“Yes, Professor. Our family can’t afford-“

“It’s better to go bankrupt than to be destroyed and to use the assets you wasted on something good.”

“…Ah.”

There were only thirteen local lords who came to my mansion, each of which were scumbags who neglected the defense of their territory below the basic level.

“Professor! Please. I’ll do anything-“

“Go away.”