The tournament of sixteen people was done in four rounds.

The opponent for the second round had similar skills as the first round opponent. When I made last move…

"I lost." (??)

That was said…

"Ehehe, you show no mercy… that's what I've imagined…" (??)

The girl said something vague. However, the opponent this time left without feeling too disappointed.

—

I advanced to the semi-finals.

"Nice to meet you." (??)

"Nice to meet you too." (Yuri)

The opponent was still a woman. She was a lady with a very calm atmosphere.

'So far, all the opponents are women, but what are the male Knights doing…?'

The woman rolled the dice without saying anything. I rolled in the same way.

It was four to six. I started first.

"Well then, I'm going to start." (Yuri)

"Go ahead." (??)

I pointed to the first move.

—

As I got to the middle game, I started to lose control.

The other party was so strong that I couldn't help thinking about it. She was obviously as strong as me.

She used a strategy of 'losing something to gain another thing' up to the middle phase. Thus, my strategies were disturbed. While counting the number of moves that were usually taken to end the game, the board was still chaotic.

The reason why I was still not in the advantage or disadvantage situation made me confused, but my opponent made a reasonable sacrifice to do so. The opponent had lost a strong piece of Rook, and although she had an advantage over me in term of the number of pieces, she lacked the momentum.

When I moved my strong piece, the opponent spoke to me.

"You're quick at playing this, is it?" (??)

'And… Quick at playing means that rus.h.i.+ng the opponent since there is no time limit. However, I'm also thinking a little bit, so I make a move after a while so that it wouldn't be rude to the other side.'

"I was taught by my father not to make women wait." (Yuri)

'Father didn't say that though. It would be safe to say this.'

"Is that so? I think that's a good idea." (??)

"I'm sorry if you feel bad." (Yuri)

"I have no plans to give up. However, being able to make a move quickly means that my plans are being read. I'm losing confidence." (??)

'Surely, that was what this woman said. Quick pointing refers to the next move as soon as you look at the opponent's hand. If it's a complete bizarre hand, you need to think about it too. If the time limit is approaching, even if you aren't sure that it is the best hand, you have to point to an appropriate one, but that's not the case. If I have to say it, I have already a.n.a.lyzed where she's going to move her piece during her turn. Since I have finished thinking something like 'if she points it that way, I'll point in that way', I can just point it right away.'

'On the other hand, if the opponent doesn't think long, it's not possible to do such a thing. When I play against Myaro, we think in a similar way. Since Myaro and I point quickly, I can't put my thoughts together during the opponent's turn.'

"I'm also surprised by your real intention, you know. Fortunately, it doesn't appear on your face." (Yuri)

"Oh really?" (??)

'I'm going to do this seriously, and since I don't care if I lose, I can relax.'

—

"…I give up." (??)

The moment I was told that, I felt very tired.

"Thank you very much…" (Yuri)

'It has been a long time since I have to use my head until it gets hurt.'

"Me too. It was fun." (??)

With a simple thank you, the woman got up from her seat. I was still mentally exhausted, so I didn't feel like standing up.

"Above all…" (Yuri)

"Well then, sorry to say this but let me excuse myself." (??)

The unknown opponent just disappeared into the audience.

'The sun had already set, so if I'm going to have a rest, I should go back home.'

"Good work, Yuri-kun." (Myaro)

I heard a familiar voice from my back. It was Myaro. She was behind the fence.

"Did you see it?" (Yuri)

"That's because of the semi-finals. So, everyone came here to support you." (Myaro)

I didn't notice it, but when I looked around, there were Carol and others. There were a lot of familiar faces, and there were many people who were wearing the uniform of Knights.

'Come to think of it, it was the semi-finals. I thought that there was a lot of support on the other side, but it seemed there were a lot of my supporters as well. Does that mean that I become an antic.i.p.ated star from the school of Knights?'

"A person with a lot of spare time…" (Yuri)

"I wanted to see your elegant appearance, so I did that." (Myaro)

'Speaking of that, is that why you deliberately lost the match? Isn't because you had other errands or it was troublesome?'

"Congratulation." (Carol)

Next was Carol. She was at the front line of the fence and she was looking at us.

'It's really an exaggeration.'

'Now, since they are so many people watching, I have to do my best to thank them. I'm the eldest son of a General household, and Carol is the eldest daughter of Her Majesty. If they are people which aren't our acquaintances, there is a thing called a commensurate att.i.tude.'

I immediately stood up. When I went to Carol, she also came to me. Then, she held out her hand.

"Thank you, Your Highness." (Carol)

I knelt down, grabbed Carol's hand, whispered over the fence, and kissed the back of her hand. When I gently released her hand and stood up, I saw Carol looked either angry or appalled, and she had a confused face.

'What, I thought you were giving me your hand for that purpose.'

"I-it doesn't matter." (Carol)

Speaking of strange words, Carol turned her heels and her back.

'Come to think of it, here is her house.'

"Pfft… hehe…" (Myaro)

"What are you laughing about?" (Yuri)

I said it to Myaro.

"No… no… pfft. Just now… hehe… she didn't offer her hand. She actually tried to tap your shoulder." (Myaro)

"Is that so?" (Yuri)

'My bad. Did she look confused because I kissed her hand when she tried to tap my shoulder? That said, it shouldn't be a particularly strange response to the public.'

—

When I got out of the castle, it was already night. There were many high-cla.s.s carriages in front of the castle.

Looking at the place where the students were getting on one after another, it looked like a bus from the school.

I didn't get on it, but I got on a black-painted carriage that Myaro came with.

'Is this a carriage from the Gudanvier Household?'

"You've made one of the best moves of the day in the last match. As expected of you." (Myaro)

Myaro said that in the carriage. The cobblestone pavement caused the wagons to shake terribly, but the chair was so soft that she was able to speak normally.

"Even though it's a best move, it's only among the amateur students." (Yuri)

'Just because I won the student compet.i.tion, that doesn't mean that adults aren't better than that. It is similar to Shogi. From the point of view of an expert who won a professional match, he will only see me as one of the many amateurs who become a champion in a student compet.i.tion.'

'I'm doing this as a hobby, so I don't plan to compete with them. If I want to do that, it must take the effort to sacrifice life.'

"That's true." (Myaro)

"However, she was really strong. If it's at that level, I'll probably lose after several attempts." (Yuri)

"I guess so. It's not like you can win all the time." (Myaro)

"I don't think she is better than you." (Yuri)

'Although she was good, it was easier to handle compared to Myaro. I was made to dance into her tunes, being screwed up and my pace was disturbed, and yet, I didn't feel like I had lost control. 　In Myaro's case, if I think she's in control, that's it.'

"It feels strange when you said that. It makes me want to work harder." (Myaro)

It wasn't visible in the dusk, but Myaro seemed to smile happily.

"If you get stronger, it will be harder for me, you know. Give me a break." (Yuri)

"I'm not talking about Togi. I mean you are really good at your words." (Myaro)

'What is she talking about?'

"I wonder about that… Aah, can you bring send somewhere nearby?" (Yuri)

"Eh? Aren't you going to take a break today at your parents' house?" (Myaro)

The carriage was approaching the road near the secondary residence.

'Rook and Suzuya aren't here, so I have nothing to do.'

"No. I have a minor business with my company." (Yuri)

"Aah." (Myaro)

'Speaking of the company, it's not the watermill. Actually, I rent a building across the street from the secondary residence.'

Myaro opened the window to the coachman. She gave an order to stop, and the coachman immediately stopped the carriage.

I opened the carriage door and went down onto the cobblestone road.

"You're going to stay in the dormitory, is it?" (Myaro)

"Yes, that's my plan." (Yuri)

"Then, I'm going to wait here for a bit." (Myaro)

"Are you sure?" (Yuri)

'Although I said earlier it's fine if she wants to leave…'

"I can wait until midnight." (Myaro)

"It's not that long. I'm just going to leave a message. I'll be back soon." (Yuri)

'Let's get things done quickly.'

I stepped into the company immediately, and left a message to Beaure. Then, I returned to the carriage again.

—

When I returned to the Academy and arrived at the dormitory, there were some unfamiliar students hanging out in the corner. These unfamiliar students have a large physique and looked like senior students.

'Well, it doesn't mean that they are going into the junior's dormitory. How curious.'

"Aah, you have come." (??)

One of the considerable large Onii-san said so when he found me. Those, who had their backs at me until now, also turned around all at once and looked at me.

'Hmmm… seven people, huh?'

'Aah. It's those guys who I saw at the opening ceremony. Three of the seven were acquaintances whose name I don't know but we were together in lecturers and training.'

"Hey. Come here. Sit down." (??)

A geeky Onii-san beckoned me.

'Uhm, you know you don't have a right, yes? Rather… they smell like alcohol.'

'These guys… did they come to the junior dormitory and drink here? It's fine to lose, but why are you coming to my dormitory and drink?'

"Uhm, sure." (Yuri)

I went up close, and greeted him without any motivation.

"h.e.l.lo. I'm Yuri." (Yuri)

"You look tired. Is it bothersome?" (??)

The bulky Onii-san asked.

'It's bothersome, you know… I'm not tired, but I think that I don't want to go and have a drinking party in an uncomfortable place like this.'

"I haven't had dinner yet, and I'm hungry." (Yuri)

"Is that so? Then, do you want to go to a restaurant?" (??)

'Oi, give me a break.'

"No. To begin with, what is this all about?" (Yuri)

"It's to celebrate you." (??)

'To celebrate me?'

"Isn't it too early?" (Yuri)

'If it were a celebration party just because I manage to get to the final, that means their expectation is too low. If they do it after I win, I don't mind.'

"You may not know, but the opponent you won today is the woman who has been defending the champions.h.i.+p for the last three years. Her name is Lilica Kuclilson. So, winning the champions.h.i.+p has been decided." (??)

'What? That opponent was so great, huh? Well, she was strong.'

'However, if her skills are considered at monstrous cla.s.s, there would be two people in this dormitory who have monstrous cla.s.s skills. Speaking of winning-losing ratio, Myaro is slightly on the upper side. So, this is an extraordinary situation. What is this?'

"Even so, I don't want to relax, so I will refrain from the celebration." (Yuri)

'I don't drink alcohol.'

"That's admirable. It's troubling if you can't." (??)

'What's with this guy? Somehow, he seems extremely natural. Rather than natural, it seems to be a unique way of talking. Does he have high status?'

'Actually, I've done sparring with this guy. Who is this guy again?'

"Well then, just listen to me about the opponent tomorrow." (??)

The geeky guy said so.

'Well, I guess I should ask something.'

"Your tomorrow's opponent is a woman named Jura Lacrama.n.u.s." (??)

"It seems so." (Yuri)

'I knew it already.'

'Her match was over shortly after my third match, and it seems that she advances to the final. I heard this from Myaro.'

'The final opponent is Lacrama.n.u.s. She is a woman from the household who hara.s.ses the Hou Household spiritually and mentally. I feel bad since I didn't watch any other games, but that's it.'

"Yeah. She is the grandchildren of the current head's eldest daughter, Suzy. In other words, she is the eldest daughter of the current's head eldest daughter." (??)

The bulky guy said so.

'Speaking of Jura, she would be the next of the next head if they do it in order. However, if the head changes quickly in a short time, it will cause confusion. Hence, I know that the Witch households usually opt to skip one generation and pa.s.s the position to a grandchild. I heard this from Myaro.'

'In other words, if they choose the second option, they will skip Suzy, and Jura Lacrama.n.u.s will become the next head.'

'That said, it's just the way it goes. The Witch households have many options since the survival of the firstborn is not absolute. They seemed to be families of plots and they basically emphasize abilities.'

'If the eldest daughter is incompetent, the next head would be the second daughter. However, while waiting for that to happen, if the eldest daughter gives birth to a child, and that child seems to be excellent, that child would be made as the next head.'

'Such a decision change is made by the head of the Witch households, and it's left in the will prepared by the head in preparation for an unexpected accident. But, from the perspective of how the surroundings look, unless she is clearly bad, she would still be the next of the next head.'

'I knew Jura Lacrama.n.u.s very well. Her age is 22 years old and she is very beautiful. Her faction in the Silver Birch Dormitory is the second largest faction. The mother is in charge of the parchment guild and several other guilds in the Lacrama.n.u.s Household business, but she has no control over it.'

'Considering the age and position of the mother, it is common to control several larger guilds. In the first place, she quit the government post, which was a.s.signed at the same time as the graduation from the school of Liberal Arts, in a few years. In fact, she was made to quit because she didn't do work.'

'In short, she is incompetent, and this is the same for the two younger sisters of Jura's mother. All three sisters were 25 years when they graduated from the Academy. If they are good at study, they should be able to graduate from the Liberal Arts when they are 17 years old. Therefore, it doesn't look good when they took full time to graduate.'

'Because of that, it seems that the only one who holds the government post is the current head of the Lacrama.n.u.s Household. Given the poor management of the territory, it's reasonable to say that the Lacrama.n.u.s Household is short on talent.'

"The most common tactics are the opening of Cornered Pinwheel, Jamico Siege Battle, and the Eagle King Swap Lance. In particular, she often uses Lance presses from the Cornered Pinwheel. In the next turn, she uses Higgs Charging Lance, Marco Detour Battle and occasionally uses Sarouan Own Camp Siege." (??)

'…What is this guy talking about? I don't even know half of it.'

'These guys are quite good.'

'Even in major battles, the treatment in the actual battle will vary from person to person. There are people who want to attach the proper noun further to the transformation usage which changes so to speak.'

'Speaking of taxonomy, it's like attaching a unique name to the part which is done by the proper nouns. If you try to remember everything, there will be no end.'

'These guys probably like Togi so much. If you like Togi so much, I wish that you defeat Jura along the way. Isn't that a problem?'

"I see. I've learned a lot. Thank you." (Yuri)

I bowed down.

"Alright. We can't stay too long. Shall we head back?" (??)

When the bulky guy said so, he stood up.

Then, everyone else agreed.

'That's great. This will make the dormitory peaceful. They aren't old boys, but the situation where seniors are sitting in the dormitory doesn't make anyone feels good.'

"I haven't introduced myself yet. As you may already know, I am Lio Rube. I'll be rooting for you tomorrow." (Lio)

The bulky Nii-san said so and asked for a handshake before he left.

"Of course, I know. Thank you very much for your support." (Yuri)

When I lied to breathe, he shook my hand with a strong hand.

'This guy is the Rubes. I don't remember his name, but it is one of the five General households. If I have to say it, isn't he the same kind of person as me?'

—

After shaking with other guys, I ate and went to bed.

—

TLN: