Chapter 81: Seikoku
Bang!
She had an aggressive and unreasonable personality, but she also seemed to have common sense and pride.
And, luckily, her pride was greater than her anger. She didn’t attack me; she just slammed her fist on the counter in anger and frustration.
She looked at me with an expression as if she really wanted to rip a piece of skin off me, but she even seemed annoyed that I didn’t look away in the face of her intimidation.
And, as if she didn’t want to look at me anymore, she turned and walked over to the table.
After that, she just sat there facing the door with her back to me, as if she really didn’t want to waste any more time arguing with me.
I was struck by the way she moved her tail and ears; well, as far as I know, tigers share some of the body language of cats; maybe it’s more pronounced in her because of her mother.
“S-she’s really angry.” (Mashiro)
Shiro looked very nervous, worried about her sister’s state, but I noticed that, before her sister slammed her fist on the counter, she moved her mana. I don’t know what she was planning to do…
Anyway, this isn’t over yet.
“Yeah, I can see that. I really don’t know what’s wrong with me. I guess I’m actually a little resentful about what she said to my wife. Haaah~… But even though I’m just a rank one , I have the right to be proud and get angry, don’t I? Even if it means getting hurt.”
“I-I…’m sorry. Hmm… I apologize on her behalf. To begin with, I started all this, and it wasn’t right to say that to your wife, who’s also helping my other sister.” (Mashiro)
“Haah~… I’ve always thought people should take responsibility for their actions, but I guess your apology is the best I’m going to get.”
“💢” (Momoka)
“……M-Mr. Astan, are you doing this on purpose?” (Mashiro)
“Hmm… I guess I can’t hide it. I really swore to myself that I’d never be rude to a customer, no matter how they behave, but I really don’t like your older sister’s way of doing things—the way she seems to solve everything by force. But I guess that’s the only way she knows how to do things.”
“💢💢” (Momoka)
“M-Mr Astan, please!” (Mashiro)
“Ah! I’m sorry. Once I get like this, I can’t stop. Yes, I know and admit that it’s a little childish. I shouldn’t stoop to this level just to argue on equal terms with someone else.”
“💢💢💢” (Momoka)
“…” (Mashiro)
At this point, even Shiro didn’t seem able to say anything to mediate. Even I would give up if someone seemed to be practically begging for a beating.
But now I know that the very pride that makes her so annoying will prevent her from hitting me, unless I insult her very directly.
“So, Miss Shiro, since you don’t want a massage, why don’t we spend our time doing something else? Actually, I recently bought a game that caught my eye, and if the seller wasn’t lying, it originated in the Beast Kingdom. Ah… wait, you’re from there, aren’t you?”
“Yes… we were born there.” (Mashiro)
“Come to think of it, your last names are Kibershade, right?”
“Y-yes.” (Mashiro)
“Hmm… that last name, if I’m not mistaken…”
“…” (Mashiro)
“It sounds like a noble name. Are you nobles? I’m not really very familiar with Thrysskaar. Do you have a high status there?”
“W-well… hmm…” (Mashiro)
“Oh! If you don’t want to say, that’s fine. I was just curious. You know, since this place is here, it’s common for nobles and people of high status to come by, so I’m used to it, haha! Don’t expect a discount even if you were real princesses or something like that.”
“N-no, we’re just students here, I mean… hmm…No, it’s nothing..” (Mashiro)
“Yeah, that’s not the point. The point is that you guys are from there. So you must know it better than I do. The game is called Seikoku.”
I said this while pretending to pull something out from under the reception desk, when in reality I was buying it at the store.
While I was talking with the sisters, my doppelgänger was quickly learning the rules and other details of this game unique to this world.
Amarillys didn’t find it suspicious. She didn’t mind that my doppelgänger showed up out of the blue late at night with questions, and in fact, she seemed very happy to tell me everything she could about her daughters.
Although I have to say that there are many biased and inconsistent details now that I’m interacting with them directly, especially regarding the older sister.
“Yeah… we usually play it quite a bit at home. My older sister is very… n-no, it’s nothing.” (Mashiro)
“Oh! That’s great. I’m still learning the rules a bit, but even if it sounds arrogant to say so, I’m really good at this kind of thing. I think after one or two games I’ll be able to reach a good level.”
“~Tsk… show-off.” (Momoka)
That clearly audible whisper was directed at me, even though she didn’t look at me.
“So, Miss Shiro, would you like to play with me to pass the time? My wife isn’t very good at these kinds of games, and I’ve been looking for someone to play with for a while.”
“I’m in your care.”(Mashiro)
“No, Miss Shiro. I’m at your care. Let’s have a little fun”
I quickly arranged the pieces.
From what I’ve read, the rules follow a logic similar to that of chess and shōgi, but with a theme centered on local constellations, and with pieces that have unique moves and situational abilities.
And the objective is to seize—or, in this case, destroy—the enemy’s constellations.
It’s truly a complicated and interesting game.
The truth is, I’m not one hundred percent sure that this method will be effective.
In my previous life, I never played these kinds of games professionally or at an advanced level.
I only ever played these kinds of games casually, just to pass the time.
And in fact, I never really developed an interest in them, but I played quite a bit because the person I always played with was my mother.
Chess and other games like that were among the few things my mother was interested in, and for as long as I can remember, she used me as an opponent whenever she wanted to play.
I didn’t really understand what my mother’s skill level was, but at least I couldn’t beat her for many years.
It wasn’t until I was nearing adulthood that I started to win and rack up more victories than losses, and eventually I was winning all the time—though every now and then I’d let her win, since I thought that was the right thing to do.
Come to think of it, my mother-in-law and Iris played too, but my mother-in-law wasn’t very good at it, and when she lost, she’d often flip the table over before accepting defeat.
Iris, on the other hand, didn’t follow the rules, even though she knew them.
Anyway, aside from them, this will be my first time playing with someone else, but I think I at least have a lot of experience and know how to adapt.
Because when my mom started losing to me, she began bringing home more unfamiliar games from other parts of the world, and after just a few rounds, I’d figure out how they worked and start beating her again.
If it’s a game that follows logic and rules, I think I can at least play decently.
Now the problem is that I never understood the difference in skill level between my mother and myself, so this could be like a gamble.
..
.
“Oh, I lost…. I see—so if the right conditions are met, the pieces can resonate with each other and make new moves.”
“Yes… you played very well. I came close to losing once.” (Mashiro)
“Yes, I couldn’t let that slip-up of yours go to waste, Miss Shiro. We can play another game. I’m really starting to enjoy this more and more.”
“Of course… if you’d like, I can set some restrictions for myself.” (Mashiro)
“No, that’s not necessary. It’s more fun this way. You’ll see how quickly I learn. My ability to adapt to this sort of thing is one of the few things I’m truly proud of.”
“…” (Momoka)
Yeah, I saw that—the way the older sister’s ears twitched. Even if she’s pretending to meditate or something, her attention is definitely on us.
..
.
“Ah!… I lost.” (Mashiro)
“Yeah, that was close. I’m glad Miss Shiro didn’t notice the trap I was setting—otherwise, I’d be the one who lost. It was a bit of a risky move.”
“Yeah… I didn’t notice it until I lost.” (Mashiro)
It was already the fourth round, and I’d finally won. Luckily, it really is a game I was able to adapt to quickly.
I’ve already grasped its unique mechanics and what sets it apart from games in my world.
,Like chess, it’s impossible to memorize every possible pattern—it’s more about recognizing them and, once you do, calculating and devising ever-changing strategies depending on how the situation unfolds on the board—things I’m capable of doing.
“Well, this game really is deep and has so many possibilities. It really was a great purchase. Miss Shiro, are you ready for another round?”
..
.
I kept playing with Shiro, and after a few games, it happened.
“I-I can’t beat you, Sir Astan. You’re too good.” (Mashiro)
“Ah! Sorry, I got a little carried away. I really get immersed in this kind of thing. I guess I did get really good without even realizing it, haha. I suppose Miss Shiro isn’t much of a match for me anymore. Hahaha!”
“…” (Mashiro)
“Ah… oh, I’m sorry. That said, Miss Shiro, that’s not a very good attitude to have. Anyway, it was a great experience, even though this game turned out to be easier than I originally thought.”
“💢” (Momoka)
“Hmm, now that I think about it, the salesman said something like this game was a ’kingmaker,’ haha! It really is nonsense—that being good at this was a requirement for heirs to be qualified. Haha, if that were the case, I guess even I’d be qualified.”
“💢💢” (Momoka)
“S-Sir Astan, I don’t think you should say t-that…” (Mashiro)
“Haha, well, it’s a joke. Yeah, if being good at this game were a real qualification for being a king, the beast people would be in trouble, since the standard for this game is so low… This game really isn’t all that great.”
“💢💢💢 Enough! I can’t stand listening to you spout any more of that garbage, you jerk!” (Momoka)
I’ve got her.
Finally, she stopped pretending to ignore us.
It’s really advantageous to be able to talk to Amarilly, because despite the way she tends to act, she’s very attentive to her daughters..