Volume 7, Chapter 17: Post-Game Review (1/2)

“I dare say it’ll be impossible.”

The emperor’s Go instructor, an entity known as the Grandmaster of Go, said to Jinshi with a laugh.

“If you fail to beat me even once, you have no hope.” The elderly individual set down a white stone with a clink, his expression unreadable.

“Ngh.” Jinshi could only be at a loss for words.

He knew this. Jinshi seems to be a jack of all trades, master of none. He’s capable of doing most things, but performed only slightly better than others at the majority of them. In no way was he outstanding.

Even if he was known as a talent, he couldn’t be called a genius.

Even so, this was better than doing nothing.

“You read into established tactics, but when you encounter unfamiliar out-of-the-box moves that do not extend beyond the limits of the average person, you become too hasty.”

“…don’t mince words.”

“ Isn’t that what you wanted to hear?” The Grandmaster of Go munched on a steamed bun Suiren had prepared. The act did not match his outward elegance, but apparently, it’s common to eat sweets while playing Go. You tend to crave sweet foods when you think. Was that why a certain weirdo tactician eats nothing but sweet foods?

A couple of days after borrowing the Grandmaster of Go from the emperor, Jinshi was earnestly playing Go after work.

‘You have no talent.”“Your moves are too simplistic.”“Your playstyle is that of an honour student’s. Boring.”

He was scolded harshly.

Jinshi had told him to not show any mercy when they first met, but the grandmaster really didn’t go easy on him.

When Jinshi asked him whether he spoke to his other opponents in this manner, he replied, “A person who said he won’t punish me had chosen it.”

“Can you beat that weirdo at this rate?”

The way the grandmaster lit the fire under his feet was also good.

Jinshi, holding onto a black stone, set it down on the board while agonising over the correct answer.

The reason Jinshi had borrowed the Grandmaster of Go as his instructor was because he was the only one capable of beating the weirdo tactician, Rakan.

“Didn’t you just say that I can’t?” Jinshi asked.

“Yes, you cannot. The Prince of the Moon is too honest. Shall we say you’re honest to a fault?”

“So I’m looking for a way to win despite that.”

“You even have me as the teacher. But, it’s utterly impossible.” The Grandmaster of Go ate another steamed bun.

“Even if it’s a one in a hundred chance, make it so I can win,” Jinshi said.

“Even my chance of defeating Rakan-dono is cleaved by half when he is in peak form. Even when I’m at my peak.”

“….I don’t understand though.”

The Grandmaster of Go is stronger than Rakan, hence he was known as such.

“No, it’s not that you don’t understand. Does the Prince of the Moon think you can defeat a bear alone in unarmed combat?”

“That’s obviously impossible.”

“A wolf?”

“…I might be able to depending on the situation, but it’ll be difficult.”

“A dog?”

“I think I can manage that somehow.”

It was something he was taught when he was hunting. Humans are weak for their size. They could only win using tools, and when barehanded, their chance of defeating a dog is uncertain.

“What do you think you’ll need to win?” The Grandmaster of Go set down a stone.

Jinshi groaned again at the action that saw through his moves. “If it’s to emerge unscathed, I was going to say a hand cannon, but I’ll probably miss. I would prefer a sword I’m familiar with. Otherwise, a dagger and an armguard.”

He can fight with a sword in narrow spaces, but doing so in wide and open settings will be more difficult. He would lead the opponent to a place where it can’t veer off, have it bite his armguard, then aim for the head.

“Unlike your appearance, you like underhanded methods.”

“…It’s not that I like them. I’m just not that talented with a sword.”

Basen can probably do better. That guy might be able to square off against a bear.

“Hm, then, it would be easy for me to teach you a secret trick,” The grandmaster said.

“Secret trick?”

“No, it’s nothing major. I’m just teaching you about a condition that will make it easy to beat Rakan-dono.” The Grandmaster of Go grinned—unthinkable for the individual who usually walked with the mien of a cultured person. “It doesn’t break any rules. Since this, in the end, is a battle outside the legal board.”

Jinshi gulped.

“If you don’t use this move, you can never defeat Rakan-dono for as long as you live,” the Grandmaster of Go declared.

.

.

.

“…I lost.”

Even if he were to count the stones he picked up and positioned on the board, they were not as spread out as the white ones.

It was only a difference of two eyes. But it was a huge difference.

How great was his lead during the middle stage? Jinshi’s positions had been settled; he thought a reversal would be impossible.

Even though Jinshi didn’t mean to play so obviously terribly following that.

Currently, the individual who was munching on a baked pastry was filling in the differences with overwhelming speed.

Around them, stood Basen and a handful of guards.

Several days after the Go tournament, Jinshi was working in his office when the monocle tactician suddenly showed up and said, “Let’s continue.”

It would be a different matter if he was procrastinating from work, but it was lunch time.

A Go board along with stones were set up in a gazebo near the office. It was laid out with the formation of the interrupted game from the tournament a few days ago.

Although there were spectators watching from a distance, he had no reason to decline.

Since then, he had thought many times about how to take the lead and win.

He thought he wouldn’t lose with such a wide margin.

“…impossible.” Basen cried out in surprise.

Impossible—it was exactly that word.

Just what kind of mind does he have?

‘You can never defeat Rakan-dono for as long as you live.’

He recalled the Grandmaster of Go’s words.