Chapter 108 (1/2)

Destiny was smashed into bits and pieces.

“……It’s over.”

After the debate ended, I returned to my room and collapsed onto the bed.

The soft bed gently accepts me in its embrace.

I, on the other hand, cannot accept the cruel reality.

The end of Destiny has been clearly announced.

To put it clearly, Mariwa has been an enemy of fate all along. At least, that was her judgment in the debate. The moment I tried to change my avenue of attack to insult Michelie’s personality, Mariwa stopped me right away. I never got the chance to play it according to the script.

Thanks to that, we ended up having an actually meaningful debate.

That’s not the problem though.

“I lost too……”

I, a genius, tasted defeat in the debate.

Of course, acted on the assumption that I was going to act as the villainess, so I lost to Michelie simply because I didn’t make a sound argument. If I took it seriously, I would never have lost to her, so my pride is still intact.

Leaving that aside, the real problem is what to do from here.

“Why didn’t it go well at all……”

I hug my pillow and grumble.

I did my best since Michelie enrolled into the Academy, and now I’m at my wits’ end. My three years of following the path of Destiny have all been a waste. What should I do now?

I don’t understand anymore.

Laying face down on the bed, I suddenly fell asleep for a little while.

For some reason, when I woke up, I saw Surfania already sitting on the chair in my room.

“Serves you right, Chris.”

She closes her book as if noticing that I woke up. She looks down at me with a cold stare.

“……What do you want?”

For a moment, I thought I was dreaming, but it’s reality without a doubt.

Who let her in?

No, I already know. It was probably the maid. She must have known that I was acquainted with Surfania, and hence let her in.

But what is she here for?

Not once has she ever proactively approached me since we enrolled in the Academy, so why did she come here on her own will? Is she here to insult me for losing the debate? Yeah, that’s likely.

That’s what I thought, until I saw the thing on the table.

“It’s been a while, so why don’t we play a board game?”

“……”

What exactly is she planning?

I doubt she came here just to have fun, just like old times. In the first place, she wasn’t even the one to approach me in the old times.

But that’s fine.

“……Alright.”

I reluctantly get out of bed and stop thinking.

Nothing matters now that I failed. I’ve lost the means to guarantee Michelie’s bright future.

“It’ll probably cheer me up a little.”

“I see. It’s good to see that you’re being reasonable.”

We’re sitting on opposite sides and setting up the board. It’s been a while since we played this board game together.

I thought she would let me go first, but she made the first move without saying a word. I gracefully make the next move.

We’re moving our pawns and pieces without making new or drastic moves.

“You know, I always thought that you were deteriorating each year. I always thought, Chris is going to become more of an idiot, and cause more trouble along the way.

“You really are rude by nature.”

“That’s only proper. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but I pride myself on being the most suitable person to criticize you.”

“You should think it’s a bad thing.”

We’re moving our pawns while talking just like we did in the past. It feels natural for some reason, as if nothing has happened in the past three years.

We’re entering the mid-game.

But I’ve noticed lately. It wasn’t that you were deteriorating or anything.

“Obviously. I am always improving–”

“No.”

She cuts me off, denying what I said.

“You simply haven’t matured at all.”

I stop myself just as I’m about to make my next move.

It’s not because of her words.

It’s because of the intensity of the mid-game.