Book 7: Chapter 13: Ruthlessly… (2/2)

”At this point, Miss Norton's victory is almost certain. However, her opponent is not willing to admit his defeat and keeps struggling…”

”…He's desperate to bring the match to a stalemate. Since he would lose all his face if he lost in 20 minutes after had gone out of his way to lower himself to be the front player from the captain, so he's trying his best to buy time…”

”Poor him…”

Glenn cast a pitying look at Barney. Next to him, Lana, who had been silent until now, folded her arms and snorted with pride.

”Yep, Monica's different today.”

”… then how come you're the one who's so excited about it?”

”Of course I will be excited since my friend was the one who wins the match. If it was me, I would be happy and proud if someone complimented me on something I like.”

Lana lifted her slender chin as she said so, followed by a quiet declare of checkmate made by Monica.

＊ ＊ ＊

”Checkmate.”

So Monica declared, and at the same time, Barney was shaking violently and ruffling his bangs.

Monica was looking at the board blankly. All she saw were the black and white pieces, completely oblivious to Barney.

She had always been like that. Always engrossed with magic, never paid any attention to Barney.

Actually, he had realized it. Monica was a real genius, and he was just an ordinary guy who was a little bit better than everybody else. And he knew that there was a solid wall he would never be able to overcome.

”Shit…”

When Barney stood up yanking on his chair and ran out of the venue, Monica did not chase him, nor did she call out to him. Even up until the last moment when Barney off out of the venue, her eyes were still fixed on the pieces on the board. That's what reality was.

Shit, shit, shit!

Back in the waiting room, Barney slammed his fist against the wall. He knew what he did was not clever at all. Even so, he couldn't help looking for something to blame.

”…Umm, Jones…”

Knocking discreetly on the door, Pittman approached Barney. Apparently, he had followed him all the way from the venue.

”Look, I know it's frustrating to lose, but you can't keep staying here, you know. I mean, you need to greet other participants at the end of the match.”

”…I'm sorry. I'll be back in a little while.”

”Alright… But don't be too late, or that scary-looking teacher will stare at you…”

He was probably referring to Boyd, the chess teacher at Serendia Academy, who had a scary face. Indeed, he had a feeling that that terrifying mercenary gaze would make him begging for life when it cast at him.

…wait.

Barney suddenly felt an odd discomfort.

No, he had been feeling it before, and it was not the first time—he hadn't noticed it because he was too busy worrying about his match, but this had happened before when he was in the staff room.

Once Barney suppressed his anger toward Monica, he turned to face Pittman.

”… Professor Pittman, may I ask you to teach me chess again when we return to Minerva?”

”Well, sure, if it's okay with you.”

At those words, Barney was convinced.

”…who are you?”

Pittman rounded his eyes in disbelief at Barney's question.

”Eh? What do you mean by who? I am Eugene Pittman. The teacher of Minerva.”

”Professor Pittman I know is an advisor for the Chess Club who's terrible at chess. He himself always said that there was nothing he could teach us because of how terrible he is.”

”Well, there are times when I'd like to show off my skills in front of my students, you see.”

”Then can you tell me what subjects do you teach? What is your specialty in magic?

Pittman fell silent as the questions came at him in a barrage.

Now he was thinking about this, it felt strange.

As a former student of Minerva, there was no way Pittman didn't know McGreggan, who had been teaching practical spells at Minerva for years when they arrived at the staff room.

And yet, that time he said this.

—”Do you know this old man?”

The same was true regarding Professor Boyd. It was odd that Pittman, who has participated in the chess tournament as an advisor, forgot about his name.

”…I will ask you again, who are you?”

When Barney asked in a critical tone, Pittman's unreliable smile peeled away and his lips lifted in an arc.