Volume 1 Chapter 2 (1/2)

The First Morning

“…U…nn…?”

Kok kok. Tok tok. I woke up to those sounds.

“…Smell of…miso soup?”

A homely scent reaches me, and I, who just woke up, am left confused

Strange? This is…where is this place?

“…Did I wander into Master’s house? Keika-san’s cooking…?”

Was I actually dreaming of the days when I was serving my disciples.h.i.+p? So I wondered, but it was not the case.

I opened my eyes, and found that it was the 2DK apartment I rented, the smartphone by my pillow indicating that it was almost noon.

“Ah…speaking of which, we played shogi until late into the night…”

Rather than late into the night, it would be more precise to say that it was almost dawn. My opponent was unable to withstand the sleepiness, and was drowsy, so we ended our match, and went to bed.

As for that opponent, I remember–

“Ah! Master! Good morning!”

I walked out of the bedroom, and an energetic voice immediately greeted me.

There was an elementary school girl dressed in an ap.r.o.n, standing at the kitchen.

“…”

I got to repeat this, since it’s very important.

There’s someone in the kitchen! In an ap.r.o.n!! An elementary school girl!! Standing there!!

“…Erm.””

“Ai! Ai Hinatsuru! I became your disciple yesterday!”

“Eh? No, I never said anything about taking disciples–”

“Breakfast is almost done here! Please enter the bath, Master!”

“B-bath?”

I entered the bathroom, with the elementary school girl pus.h.i.+ng me from behind, and found that there was already hot water inside.

Ever since I started living by myself, I would take showers, so this might be the first time I had a leisurely bath in my house. Also–

“There’s some nice smell from the hot water…”

“Yes! I brought some ‘Wakura Bath Salt’ from home! It’s a bath soap that contains minerals from our onsen! It can relieve fatigue and make people feel good♪”

Right, this kid’s family owns an onsen inn…

An inn, but it felt like a luxurious hotel. That place won the top prize in j.a.pan for consecutive years, and the Emperor himself lived there, or so I heard during Christmas Eve…

Huh?

Then, isn’t this kid…some rich princess?

“Please put your dirty clothes in the basket there. I shall wash them later. Shall I put your change of clothes and the towel here?”

“Ah, yeah.”

Before I knew it, this elementary school girl knew where the clothes and towels were at. This development surely isn’t normal, but as I had just woken up, my head was still groggy.

It felt as though I arrived in a hotel, having a towel fight. I soaked myself in the bath salted water, and continued to enjoy this gracious care.

“Master! Breakfast is ready!”

“Ah, yes.”

“I’ll serve it immediately.”

I had a nice good bath while the sun was high, and with much relief, sat at the short j.a.panese table as plain but intricately prepared, piping hot food was served before me. Such exceptional housemaking skills overwhelmed me,

“Sorry. I took the food from the fridge.”

“It’s fine…”

The scrumptious meal before my eyes stunned me, and I took the bowl. It was a hill of rice.

“Amazing. You prepared everything?”

“Yes! There was a lot of food in the fridge, so I can’t help but use that much.”

“What’s this black thing?”

“Seaweed! Simmered Seaweed!” (TN: Nori no Tsukudani. Nori, or the j.a.panese term for edible seaweed. Tsukudani is basically food simmered in soy sauce and mirin.)

“Why is there simmered seaweed here?”

“I made it. There’s dried seaweed and sauces here.”

“Eh? You can make that at home?”

“A frying pan will do though?”

“I-I see…itadakimasu…”

“Sorry that it’s just some simple dishes.”

With the elementary school girl seated in a seiza, staring at me, I reached my chopsticks for the dishes.

So, let’s see how it tastes–

“Um! This is delicious! You’re amazing!”

“Ehehe♡”

Upon hearing me praise her, Ai looked really delighted, grinning like a puppy.

At the very least, it was different from how tentative she was the previous day.

I guess this was her true nature. Shogi could show the personality of an opponent, and this girl was a feisty one who would not back down. 100% full offense. Most female shogi players are like this, like anedes.h.i.+, and anedes.h.i.+, and anedes.h.i.+.

“Hm? Ai-chan, you aren’t eating?”

“Yes! I have to serve you, Master! I’m the disciple!”

“Enough with that, let’s eat together. You’re hungry now, right?”

I was very concerned by her service. Besides, I never agreed to take her in as a disciple.

I had her  sit opposite the table, and we faced each other as we had our meals.

“Then…erm, itadakimasu…”

“Yep.”

“…”

“…”

…Just awkward.

There was a strange feeling as I face her, having this meal…no, I’m not getting excited by an elementary school girl? I just mean that I’m nervous, you know? You get it, right?

It’s one thing if it’s playing shogi, but any other occasions, and it’s a common symptom for shogi players to get tense as long as we had to face someone of the opposite gender. Even if she’s an elementary school student…

“Erm…Master? There’s a lot of ingredients in the fridge. Do you cook for yourself?”

“Hm? Ahh, that’s not me, but my anedes.h.i.+…”

“Ane? Master, you have an older sister?” (TN: Ane: older sister)

“Not exactly…well, kinda.”

Anedes.h.i.+ would always come by my house to do some cooking to practice ‘living by herself’, so she said (at the very least, it looked like cooking). To be honest, the (what appears to be) cooking was hard to swallow, but if I did not eat, I would be whacked by the corners of a 7 inch board, so I could only force myself to swallow. A 7 inch board would normally crack a skull, and I still have some outstanding loan.

“Well, leaving that aside…I remember you saying that you have been playing shogi for three months? How did you study?”

“Ah, yes!”

Ai put her hands down, and sat properly.

“Back in our hotel, my dead grandp…grandfather loved shogi, and had a lot of books about shogi, so I read them. I couldn’t read when there’s a lot of kanji though…”

“That’s it?”

“And then, when I helped out at home, I would try to solve tsumeshogi. My household owns an onsen inn, and I needed to help in lots of things, so solving them took up the most time.” (TN: Tsumeshogi, shogi end game puzzles to checkmate the opponent. Unlike Chess, there’s no such thing as stalemate in shogi given that you can replenish your board, so all problems are considered mates)

I see, I see. Tsumeshogi; no wonder she displayed such ability during the end game.

It’s not that solving tsumeshogis will naturally improve one’s shogi abilities. There are some tsumeshogi authors that do not play shogi. However, this method might suit her.

“Anyway, I’m impressed. You managed to keep studying even while helping out with work.”

Normally, she would have angered others for playing shogi while helping, but this was my opinion of her as a shogi player. If you have the time to study, why not practice shogi? This is the world for us.

“Ehehe. It was tough trying to memorize the puzzles at first, but I can easily recite them now.”

Hm, memorize…the puzzles?

“…Wait a moment. You memorized the puzzles? You didn’t bring any book or copies along?”

“Yes. Erm, at first, I brought them along with me, but mama found them…but now that I remember them, I won’t forget, so it’s fine even though my book got confiscated!”

“An-anyway…how many puzzles can you remember at one go?”

“About 30 puzzles? If they’re long, 10 puzzles at most.”

Wait wait wait wait wait…

It’s already amazing that she’s able to memorize the puzzles and solve them in her head, but she could memorize 30 puzzles at once? And not forget after she memorize them once? What’s her mind made of…

“W-what kind of puzzles did you solve? 3 step tsumeshogi?”

“I just solved this recently.”

Ai took out an old book from the bag in the corner of the room.

And the words written on the book was ‘Shogi Drawings’ (TN: Shogizukou, 将棋図巧)

“I couldn’t solve the last puzzle at all, until I finally managed to do it while taking the train here! It’s really difficult.”

“Y-you really……solved that…one?”

“Yes, six hundred and eleven steps, right?”

…Correct. No way…

“Shogi Puzzles”, a famous collection of really difficult tsumeshogi puzzles by a shogi player in the Edo Period called Kanju Ito, and there are 100 puzzles altogether.

Each of them are famous in their own right, but the last three, ‘Naked Gyoku’, ‘Smoke Mate’ and ‘Long Life’ are hailed as three of the biggest masterpieces in tsumeshogi history, artistic, and unbelievable in difficulty. It’s definitely not something an elementary school kid can simply solve and then say “It’s difficult, that’s all.” (TN: ‘Naked King’, or Naked King, where you literally beat the opponent with just a king: /watch?v=6Um5AyyD2UI, ‘Smoke Mate’: /watch?v=zeQgNRA8cYo))

Just to note, the follow is an ordinary tsumeshogi (mate in 3 steps)

(TN: Just a note to all readers, there is a rule unique to shogi called Drop. Instead of moving a piece, you can use a turn to place one of your captured pieces onto the board. Answer: Drop gold generals down 5-three and 5-two)

And this is the final puzzle ‘Long Life’ in the ‘Shogi Drawings’.

(TN: 611 steps. …kids, just watch the video, though there is somehow one additional piece. /watch?v=TQv4i3tfvCc)

A terrifying board, isn’t it?

Unbelievable, right?

This is tsumeshogi, and then…

She solved it in six hundred and eleven steps, inside her head, without using any board…

“I spent 2 weeks solving every puzzle in this book, but I was really happy when I was done! I feel like making my own tsumeshogi too♪”

Seeing that innocent, delighted face on that elementary school kid, I couldn’t help but feel a chill up my spine.

This kid is…way too weird.

Her talent’s definitely extraordinary. A pro player will need several months to solve the ‘Drawings’. There was a saying in the past that anyone who can solve this ‘Drawings’ and another really difficult tsumeshogi collection called ‘Shogi Unrivaled’ can become a pro player. (TN: literally, Shogi Musou, written by Soukan Ito III, the older brother of Kanju Ito)

A girl who only started shogi three months ago, while helping with housework, solved it in 2 weeks…

It was too startling, and I could only stare at the simmered seaweed, while Ai-chan was probably worried by my att.i.tude, as she worriedly asked,

“Erm…Master? Is 2 weeks too long?”

The opposite.

“W-well…it’s rather amazing for an amateur, I guess? A pro can solve it on one glance though.”

“…I guess.”

“This ‘Long Life’ has six hundred and eleven steps, but it’s still a work from the Edo Period. There are modern tsumeshogi puzzles that are longer.”

“Like how?”

“‘Micro Cosmos’. one thousand five hundred and twenty five moves.”

“Eh?”

“One thousand five hundred and twenty five moves.” (TN: /watch?v=7iZQdP7nPOg)

“Hii…hiiiiiii…!”

“All pro players can solve it.”

If I’m Pinocchio, my nose would definitely be longer than the Abenos Harukas. (TN: Located in Osaka, the building is also known as Harukas 300, for the 300m height, the tallest skysc.r.a.per in j.a.pan.)

“Pro players are amazing!” I tried my best to shun from the elementary school staring at me with glittering eyes as she commented, and asked,

“…And? Any other methods you learned with?”

“Ah yes. I played shogi on the school internet.”

“Internet shogi?”

“Like ‘Two Four’ and ‘Wars’.

So Shogi Club 24 and Shogi Wars. That’s basic.

“I would borrow a smartphone or tablet from my friends if they brought them to school, and play after cla.s.s. During cla.s.s, I’ll reflect on the match and think of which moves were wrong.”

Hohoh, playing internet shogi on the tablet in school huh?

Times have changed…this might make a teenage brat sound like an old geezer here, but I did not continue my education after graduating from Middle School, and it had been a year since I left school, so everything felt nostalgic.

“…I’m full.”

“Yes! I’m full! Ah, I’ll brew tea for you now.”

She cleared the cutlery and utensils, and brewed tea. She really was a girl thorough with what she does.

Once she skilfully brewed tea for me, Ai washed the utensils at breakneck pace, and asked me,

“Sorry, Master, may I borrow the washroom too…?”

“Ah, yeah. Take your time…and also, I’m not your Master.”

“Yes! Master!!”

A cheerful sound echoed from the bathroom, and I could only drop my shoulders weakly.

VERSUS

I had a sip of tea, and started to change my mind about accepting Ai as a disciple.

“Talent-wise…she does have it.”

Tsumeshogi can improve a person's shogi abilities, for one can learn how to 'checkmate'.

”This method…was the same method to solve that tsumeshogi.”

This remedial-like lessons would seem to be very helpful for shogi, and if one is able to play to an end game situation through instincts, one would be able to reach out for victory further and faster than the opponent.

This is the end game ability.

Typically, end games patterns can only be experienced through feeling, but Ai's extraordinary memory managed to acc.u.mulate a precise and vast set of information.

”In other words, if that kid…keeps playing shogi, and solves more tsumeshogi, she'll get stronger.”

If I'm asked if she can be an outstanding female shogi player,

”Certainly. No problems.”

And if she was groomed carefully, attaining a t.i.tle wouldn’t be difficult for her. There’s only a few of such female shogi players I knew who had such talent.

And–

“She only played for three months…”

Ai’s 9 years old.

But if she wanted to aim for the top of the shogi world, she’s a little late when it comes to age.

“Normally, they’ll get the rules memorized before entering elementary school, and by now, they should be starting with actual cla.s.ses.”

There’s a vast difference in shogi ability compared to my anedes.h.i.+, twin t.i.tle holder Ginko Sora, at age of nine.

Then again, anedes.h.i.+ was the devil's child, able to memorize all the rules of shogi at the age of two. Looking at potential, I can't deny that Ai, who managed to improve so much in 3 months, has the talent to possibly surpa.s.s anedes.h.i.+. Also, there is a trend of females starting off later than male shogi players.

If one were to ask me if I wanted to groom her,

”Of course I want to groom her–”

She had outstanding talent.

Personality wise, she might be straightforward, but her defiant personality makes her suited to be a shogi player. She’s good at cooking. Hearing the humming from the bathroom, I suppose she’s good at singing too.

Furthermore, she has that angelic face that would likely peg her as a new idol in the world of shogi. Maybe millions of people would be added to the population of the world of shogi.

And all I want–would be to see what kind of shogi she would play in the future with that talent of hers.

“…Which means I can’t be her Master.”

Right.

I’m the ‘Sc.u.m Ryuuou’ who had difficulty handling my own business, so how could I possibly take care of an elementary school kid, a girl at that?

It’s impossible for me to have her as my disciple. It’s for her sake.

“In other words, I need her to be in someone else’s care…hm, who do I leave her to? Someone related to the Hokuriku–”

And right when I was wondering about that.

Ding Dong♪

The doorbell chimed.

“Yes? Who is that?”

“Me.”

“Eh?”

“Me.”

Ane…des.h.i.+…!?

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Hurry! Got to get there fast!!

I rushed to the door at full sprint, grabbing the door handle firmly with both hands.

Anedes.h.i.+ has the spare key, so normally, if I did not respond or was not at home, she would enter on her own. I did not mind, since I gave up on trying to explain to her, but this was a terrible situation! There’s an elementary school kid showering in my house!!

“Wh-what brings you here, anedehi!? Wh-wh-wh-wha-what do you want!?”

“VS”

“So I seeeeeeeeeee!!!”

We promised this last night before we went home! I forgot about it! So many things happened!! An elementary school kid just entered my house!!

“Hurry up and open the door. It’s hot.”

Anedes.h.i.+ prompted me, sounding really impatient. This ‘Snow White of Naniwa’ with white skin who’s weak to sunlight really hated waiting outside.

“No, erm…I’m a little…busy, right now…?”

“What?”

Anedes.h.i.+ let out an impatient, and skeptical voice.

“Y-you see! I haven’t been in top form, right? Though I didn’t want to say this!”

“And so?”

“So I wanted to try a playstyle during our match today that I never did! I think I spent too much time…”

“You can try the Cheerful Central Rook or the Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook all you want, but why do I have to wait outside?” (TN: Cheerful Central Rook: ゴキゲン中飛車, a formation with the Rook on the Central tile. Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook, 角交換四間飛車 , also shortened to KKS, is where the rook moves to the Fourth Tile to the lateral opposite side, fourth tile, while preparing moves to exchange bishops. Both openings are for offenses)

“Erm…I needed to prepare…”

There’s an elementary school kid bathing in here, so please wait! There’s no way I could say that, and I got increasingly unable to fend for myself.

I was unable to say anything, so anedes.h.i.+ said,

“…Yaichi, are you bathing?”

She probably mistook because of the shower sounds. The bathroom window’s right next to the corridor.

“Y-yeah! Th-tha-that’s why I can’t open the door now!!”

If she were to see an elementary school kid she didn’t know of showering, then no matter what excuses I might find for myself, anedes.h.i.+ would simply kill me without a second thought. If she’s not going to use the 7-inch board, she’s probably going to stuff my mouth, eyes, ears and a.n.u.s with shogi pieces and drop me to sink into the Dojima River. (TN: That is, a subsection of the Kyu-Yodo River in Osaka…)

“I see. A shower.”

“Y-yes.”

“I’m relaxed then.”

“What?”

“…I thought you hate me, Yaichi.”

“Anedes.h.i.+…”

If she knew that there’s a nine-year-old kid living in my house, and bathing right now, there’s no way she would relax, but it’s cute when this ignorant her said such words.

However…what I said was half the truth.

Just two years ago, on October 1st, when I became a pro player, I fought my way from the lowest division of the Ryuuou battles, the 6th group ranking battles, to the main battles, and from there, continued to beat down top players with top abilities, becoming the challenger. By the time I noticed, I charged up from the bottom of the shogi world to the top in the shortest distance possible.

I attained the honor of the youngest champion in shogi history at the age of 16 years and 4 months, and me attaining it 1 year and 2 months after being a pro was the fastest record in history. Most shogi players would fight on for thirty years or so, and retire as a 7th dan. In a year, I managed to catch up to their thirty years of hard work, and got a dream sequence for the Ryuuou battles. Even when eating cup ramen, it tasted like a Ryuuou, and the takeout food of the ‘Yamagi Soba’ opposite the road of the a.s.sociation tasted like Ryuuou too, yep.

And then, h.e.l.l began.

3 months after I obtained the t.i.tle of Ryuuou, I never won an official match. I suffered 11 straight defeats, and the losing streak just kept increasing. My win rate fell below 30%; my dream became a nightmare.

“And then, I finally realized, I managed to win the Ryuuou battle because I was too weak.”

“Yaichi…”

“As someone who just turned pro, there’s insufficient data on me, and so everyone let their guard down against me when they played me. I was the one who thoroughly a.n.a.lyzed the data on them, and planned strategies, and because I’m ranked lower, I could play with whatever style, whatever despicable methods. In fact, I played every match by hara.s.sing them to the point that they got impatient, and I came back to win…”

But after becoming Ryuuou, the situation changed completely.

My shogi skills were thoroughly a.n.a.lyzed, exposed in front of everyone, and n.o.body held back from attacking the weaknesses I laid bare.

And not only that. Once I got to the highest position in the world of shogi and got everyone’s attention, shogi fans would demand high quality shogi befitting of the position.

“That’s why I need to a.n.a.lyze all kinds of strategies and play shogi people will agree befits the position of the Ryuuou, and aim for the flawless shogi so that I won’t get criticized by others–”

“Yaichi.”

“What?”

“You suffered consecutive defeats not because you’re too weak. You aren’t weak at all. This isn’t–“

Right when anedes.h.i.+’s explaining this,

“Master. Please get me a towel.”

Ai just had to choose this perfect timing to walk out from the bathroom.

Her hair was dripping wet, and she was smiling away, not wearing anything at all. As the daughter of the onsen hotel, she had no issues going around naked, I guess♪ But I’m troubled!”

“Wait!? Hey! Why did you come out while naked?”

“Sorry–(>_<>

I forgot my towel. So Ai said carelessly. Why aren’t you panicking!? You’re fully naked!?

“…Did I just hear a girl’s voice?”

“N-no-no-no-not at all!? Sh-should be the TV, I guess?”

“But you don’t have a TV at home, Yaichi.”

“Master? Is there someone outside?”

“Not at all~! n.o.body’s out there!!”

I yelled, loud enough for both anedes.h.i.+ outside and Ai inside to hear. And then–

“…”

I could hear some rustling from outside the door.

This is bad! Anedes.h.i.+’s looking for the key!?

“n.o.body! n.o.body’s inside here!”

I held the handle firmly, yelling as loudly as I could.

“Anyway, Master, what are you doing here?”

Ai asked, wondering that it was strange for me to be at the corridor. She’s still naked.

“Do-don’t worry about that! Get a towel and put on your clothes!”

“But the floor will get wet though?”

“It’s fine! It’s fine even if it gets wet! Wear some clothes, bring your stuff along, and hide in the cupboard!”

“Eh? Why do I have to hide?”

Gacha gacha gacha! Thud!!

“Yaichi! You’re holding onto the handle, right? Didn’t you say you’re showering!? Open up!”

“Eeeekkk!!”

“Master? Did someone come by?”

“Eh, this is…”

“…A woman?”

Ai’s voice got lower out of a sudden. Eh, sounds scary.

“Master! Who’s that outside!? Were’s that woman from!? Explain clearly!!”

“No! You’re not wearing anything!!”

“Not wearing anything!? There’s a naked girl there?”

The end game came without warning.

“Look at me!” Ai pulled me, causing me to fall to the floor, and at the same time, anedes.h.i.+ opened the door–

This was the setup. Surely it was checkmate.

“Yaichi…who, is this young girl…?”

“Master!? Who is this woman!?”

If this was shogi, this could be ended with a surrender. Unfortunately, the game called life has no option to surrender, and no reset b.u.t.ton. Seriously, this is a really s.h.i.+tty game.

The back of the Shogi Board

“…Anyway, didn’t I say so just now? It’s an unfortunate accident, and I didn’t do anything bad or anything that I should be guilty about!”

I was forced to seat in a seiza in the j.a.panese room (without a cus.h.i.+on), trying my best to fend for myself.

Anedes.h.i.+ asked.

“And then?”

“‘And then?’ Look, anedes.h.i.+, did you really hear me out? I didn’t call this girl in here, she forced her way into my house! She insisted! Alone! From Hokuriku!”

“And then?”

“And! It’s the daughter of the hotel owner who invited us over to the t.i.tle match, so if there was any slip-up, it’s not good for the Shogi a.s.sociation, right? For the time being, I’ll take care of her, and it’s ensuring her safety at the same then.”

“And then?”

“A-and then, didn’t you say that I should try the Cheerful Central Rook or the Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook? So–”

“So you want to try it on a little girl?”

“That’s not it!!”

Anedes.h.i.+ looked at me as though I was a a lowlife, slandering my honor, and I solemnly protested.

“I have no intention of having her as a disciple, but I find that it’s not a bad thing to be teaching her shogi!”

“Ho? Yaichi, since when did you start being so pa.s.sionate about learning shogi?”

“I-I just felt a little more responsibility after winning the t.i.tle…”

Ai was seated in seiza, hiding behind me. Of course, she was already dressed up.

“..Pff.”

And troubling me was that Ai wasn’t terrified of anedes.h.i.+ at all. Those two looked like they’re sizing each other up. Elementary schools kids sure don’t know what fear is…

“Yaichi.”

Anedes.h.i.+ called my name, and pointed her fan at the corner of the room.

“Bring that 7-inch board here.”

“Yes…”

“Turn it around.”

“Like this?”

I turned the table upside down. Once done, I saw that there were the four legs and a strange ditch at the center, but I did not comprehend anedes.h.i.+’s intentions. Ai, hiding behind me, reached her neck out worriedly, looking at the back of the board.

“Yaichi, do you know what kind of shape do these legs of the shogi board take?”

“Legs? Hm…it’s probably some fruit…”

“Gardenia fruit.”

“No mouth? (TN: 梔子 and 口無し, both read as kuchinas.h.i.+, with respective meanings).

“In other words, stop finding excuses before the shogi board.

I lowered my head, and bit my lips.

It’s not my fault that Ai came to my house, lived here, showered, and got naked; they’re all beyond my control. Well…my excuses certainly are unfitting for a shogi player. Shogi players are forbidden from doing things like saying ‘wait’.

Anedes.h.i.+’s more furious about me trying to make excuses than about Ai living in my house or being naked, so she brought the board out to teach me, the junior, a lesson. (TN: Junior, or otoutodes.h.i.+, Junior disciple, or in this case, little brother disciple. Too lazy to type out the j.a.panese t.i.tle, 6 letters vs 11)

Shogi taught me lots of important things…

“Also, over here. There is a ditch, no?”

“Yep.”