An independent quest usually meant a quest dedicated to a character. Therefore, while not all Named possessed one, important Named characters usually had one or more associated with them. Among them, Sophien’s independent quest had never been seen in any scenario.
“I will grant your wish.”
I looked at Sophien, mulling over her declaration.
“Your Majesty. Still, a wish is-“
“Hmph.”
At Kreto’s reluctance, Sophien grinned and raised her finger.
“But.”
The long, white index finger pointed at me. As if she had taken the provocation quite seriously, an aura was waving from her fingertips.
“What if you lose? What will you do?”
I pondered for a while. I still didn’t know if I’d be able to beat Sophien with just ten days of polishing my skills, but I wouldn’t know until I tried. However, as long as this was Sophien’s Independent Quest, the challenge must not be avoided.
“There’s nothing to do.”
“What?”
Sophien frowned.
“After saying such arrogant things, you-“
“As a member of the Empire, I have always sworn allegiance to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty wants anything from me, I am ready to give it to you. My wish is always in Your Majesty’s heart.”
“…”
Sophien was left speechless for a moment. She moved her lips soundlessly, and then she pushed her face forward. It seemed like she was trying to understand my feelings and the truth, but now I wasn’t lying.
These words were thanks to his natural character. Deculein’s consciousness of choice meant that he believed in the class system, and he disregarded and despised those of lesser blood than him, but in the end, showed infinite respect for those who were nobler. Therefore, my heart for Sophien was sincere.
That was how he was designed.
“…Forget it.”
Sophien, clicking her tongue, leaned against the backrest. Then, she opened the lid of the Go box.
“I will see your energy. Deculein, white or black. You choose.”
“I will choose white.”
I took the white piece. Kreto looked at Sophien and me with interest.
“Good.”
Sophien rustled and took out her pieces.
“I will start with this.”
Tap-
Sophien put a piece. She made the first move by placing her piece in the lower right corner of the board.
Tap-
I put mine in the upper left corner, and Sophien placed it again in the lower left corner.
“Hmph.”
Sophien chuckled in disdain, and Kreto, taking out a notebook, began to record it.
Tap-tap-tap-
The stones embroidered the wooden board like rainwater falling, and the game started without anything special…
* * *
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!”
Epherene and Sylvia ran like crazy as a huge earthquake caught up behind them.
Boom-! Boom-! Boom-! Boom-!
The tiger’s four legs produced a series of terrifying bursts, using muscles that appeared on the verge of exploding. The majesty and magical power of the tiger, which Epherene was seeing for the first time in her life, was the cause of fear across the continent. This was why it was so infamous, why there were so many fairy tales and myths about them…
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!”
A light flashed across Epherene’s mind as she screamed. At that moment, someone hit her across the head.
“Be quiet, idiot.”
It was Sylvia. She built a wall behind them. It looked like she was trying to stop the tiger, but with one swipe of its arm, it tore like paper.
“Whoa-! That crazy orange monster—!”
“Be quiet.”
But the wall was just a trick. The wreckage scattered in all directions and covered the tiger’s eyes for a very brief moment. Sylvia erased the road they stood on to take advantage of that chance. The floor disappeared cleanly as if an eraser had gone through it. The next thing everyone would expect would be the tiger falling through it.
Grrrr-!
But the tiger stood still in the air. He soared higher, climbing upward using his four paws.
Boom-!
A roar accompanied by a shock wave. Epherene almost fainted watching it. The tiger was soaring.
“Come here.”
However, Sylvia didn’t fall behind. She cleared the road they stood on next.
Boom-!
The tiger’s hind feet swiped a hair’s width away from their heads.
“Follow me.”
The tiger immediately smashed through the ceiling and followed, but Sylvia calmly pierced their way out. She confused the tiger by scattering her footprints, scent, and mana in every direction she ran. She placed dolls everywhere and turned the area into a maze with numerous walls but refrained from traps that could provoke the tiger.
If you provoked a tiger, it wouldn’t end well.
“Hah, haah…”
“Phew.”
So, the two barely escaped. Epherene and Sylvia each let out a heavy breath, finding a brief respite.
“Wow. Wow. My heart… oh, right.”
After only 15 minutes of running, Epherene, covered in sweat, pointed to Sylvia’s condition a little later. Specifically, her badly torn fingers.
“Sylvia, that…”
“…”
Silvia silently stirred her mana and brushed over her mangled hand. A new finger was drawn over where blood still flowed freely. She clenched and extended the finger a few times and then nodded. Epherene’s eyes widened.
“Is it going to last?”
“It is part of my body. It heals faster than mana consumption so that it will last.”
“It must have been very painful. Are you okay?”
Sylvia didn’t answer. Epherene looked closer into her eyes.
“…Where are we?”
“The Voice.”
“Voice?”
“The world entered through the medium of voice.”
“Oh! A demon?!”
It was what she heard from Rohakan. A world of demons where unspecified people could enter at random times.
“Then what about the tiger?”
“The tiger must have come here with someone else’s voice.”
“…Oh.”
Indeed, even the sound of an animal was a voice.
“Right.”
With a sudden thought, Epherene rummaged through her pocket until she produced two coins. It was the gift Rohakan had given her before.
“Where did it come from?”
Sylvia looked at the money with surprise.
“Rohakan gave it to me. What is this?”
“It’s the currency of this world.”
“…Oh. I see. Here. I have yours too.”
Epherene handed her one of the two coins. Sylvia accepted it without a word.
“Where can we use this?”
“Follow me.”
Sylvia stood, pocketing the coin, and began to guide Epherene. The two first walked through a hallway with a sign on the ceiling reading [Non-Combat Area]. They passed a few people along the way. They didn’t even bother looking at them, but Epherene warned each of them, ‘beware of the tiger.’
“Here.”
[Store]
They arrived at a noisy place decorated like a market square. Sylvia led Epherene into the crowd. Eventually, they reached a place called the [Soul Store].
“You can use the money here.”
The shop was selling some very strange things. 「Mana Elixir」, 「Maturity Elixir」, 「Perfume of Charm」, 「Woodward Puppet」…
But Sylvia’s eyes were fixed on a single shelf.
“Voice of the Dead”
“…”
Epherene looked at Sylvia.
“You know.”
Sylvia stared at Epherene expressionlessly.
“What.”
“That. Um, did the Professor…”
Did Deculein kill your mother? She wanted to ask about the scene she had watched, but she couldn’t finish the thought. Epherene quietly lowered her head.
“I forgot.”
“…Huh?”
“My mom’s voice.”
“…Oh.”
“I want to hear it. I think I will remember it when I hear it.”
She could relate to that harsh voice. No, the word relate was a luxury. Epherene had been able to feel her father’s traces for quite some time through the letters he left.
“…Yeah. I understand, too.”
Epherene placed her hand on Sylvia’s shoulder, but she shook it off right away. Then she glared at her.
“Ahem. My bad.”
Epherene, coughing awkwardly, closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them—
“I think I found something. Look. The magic code is embedded in this stone.”
—Drent said.
“…Huh?”
Epherene looked around blankly. Sylvia disappeared, and she was back on the special floor of the tower, not in the Voice’s World.
“Look.”
Drent held out a notebook.
“I’ll explain.”
“…”
One of the coins was in her hand. Since there was only one, not two, it meant that it was not a dream.
“No, Beef. Look.”
Epherene grinned and looked up at Drent. Her veins took the form of a cross popping out on her temple.
“Damn, I said don’t call me Beef. Do you know what just chased me? I saw a tiger, a tiger!”
“…What are you talking about all of a sudden? Still, I’m your senior, cursing is….”
“I didn’t curse. I just told you not to call me Beef.”
“That’s-“
“Don’t call me Beef. I don’t like it.”
“…Yeah. I’m sorry.”
* * *
Sophien scanned Deculein up and down. His posture was as noble as a crane, and his every gesture in placing the stones was imbued with dignity. In the archipelago, Go was a new game, but he somehow resembled the figure of a master from the East seen in illustrations.
“…”
His energy was also unusual. His strategies, tactics, and unique spirit. Was this a guy who had been training for only ten days? In only ten days, he achieved this level of energy?
Tap-
Even while playing, his skill developed. Now that they had crossed 98 moves and reached the middle, Deculein’s spirit was very different from the start. It was a little softer and more natural. Such an abnormal growth. Of course, Sophien felt she could still win. But…
Was it ten days? You mean only ten days?
Tap-
Sophien grew nervous in front of Deculein’s plays. Rather than the fear of losing, it was because, for the first time in her life, she felt the difference in talent. She had never seen a talent that was superior to her in magic, swordsmanship, or academics. Although there were wizards, swordsmen, and scholars who were better than her current self, the ceiling limit didn’t exist for Sophien.
But.
Tap-
Sophien felt something for the first time in her hundreds of years of life. Maybe, at least in Go, this guy could be better than her…
Tap-
Sophien deliberately showed a hole in the connection point between the right side and the midfield, steadily building up. It was a trap that looked like it would benefit him. Anyone would think it was a delicious mistake, but before they knew it, they would be surrounded the moment they set foot there.
She buried her body back in her chair and waited for her opponent’s move.
“…”
And Deculein caught on to what Sophien had induced.
“Hmmm…”
The white piece was placed, and Sophien leaned further back. A small smile spread across her lips.
Tap-
Deculein relentlessly bit the bait, unaware that he had been caught in a trap. Sophien was giving away her flesh, but she captured the bastard. That was the end of it. Deculein’s white stone stopped moving. No, it had no room to move.
“Is it over?”
Sophien asked in a very subdued tone. The man who had been thinking quietly-
Tap—
- eventually placed a stone of defeat on the corner of the board. It was a very clear acknowledgment.
“Whoa!”
Kreto alternated between looking at Sophien and Deculein. Since he was still a beginner, he could not watch Go, but he knew what had happened through Sophien’s reaction. Deculein fought well.
“…You’re already at this level in only ten days.”
Black’s victory by a wide margin with 153 moves. Sophien won, but she wasn’t very happy. She realized that the arrogance displayed by Deculein just before the game of Go was, in fact, the confidence he deserved.
“You’ll be pretty good in two months.”
“Is that so?”
Deculein answered calmly. Sophien frowned slightly.
“Go back now. It seems that you had a reason to fight me, so I will not punish you.”
“How about five series?”
Kreto spoke up, prompting Sophien and Deculein to look at him at the same time.
“Five series?”
“Yes. Your Majesty and the Professor are not satisfied with just one match. Three-out-of-five series. I also want to learn Go while watching the match between Your Majesty Sophien and Professor Deculein.”
Sophien tapped the board. Deculein silently looked at the wooden board on which the black and white stones were placed.
“…What do you think, Deculein? If it’s a best of five, can you beat me?”
Then Deculein raised his eyes. His blue eyes shone with a dark light.
“Yes. If I learn by losing one more time, wouldn’t I win three times in a row?”
“…”
Sophien enjoyed his arrogance. For the first time in her life, she thought she was going to lose. However, she wasn’t a coward who would refuse the challenge.
“Good. However, if you lose, be prepared to give up your head.”
Sophien wore a smile, and Deculein nodded calmly.
* * *
On the way back to the car, Kreto bombarded me with questions from the seat beside me.
“…Oh. If so, was this move what caused you to lose?”
I nodded. Move 143, pointed out by Kreto, was Sophien’s Trap. It wasn’t in my data. However, since I succeeded in learning, I would never be caught by the same move again.
“Whoa… you’re good at using your brain. It’s admirable.”
Mmm- Mmm-
Kreto, who was nodding with satisfaction, suddenly trembled. Then his expression stiffened.
“But, Professor.”
“Yes.”
“Can I ask you one thing?”
“Yes. Anything.”
Kreto coughed. Swallowing hard as if his mouth was dry, glancing out the window, looking into the driver’s seat…
What was it that made him so agitated? He turned to me again after implementing a spell called silence.
“Do you, by any chance, admire Her Majesty?”
It wasn’t even a special question. I answered briefly.
“Of course. I’ve always respected her.”
“No, not like that. All citizens of the Empire are like that. But what I’m asking is…”
Kreto took a deep breath.
“As a woman.”
“…”
I was speechless for a moment. What followed was even more shocking.
“… Like a marriage contract. They said you were preparing for your disengagement.”
“…”
“…”
We looked at each other without a word between us.
“…”
“…”
As the silence grew longer, Kreto’s face slowly turned red. As red as a tomato about to burst. I chimed up before that embarrassment exploded.
“How could I?”
“Hahaha. Right?”
“Yes. But why are you asking such a question all of a sudden?”
“…Well. Her Majesty ordered me to ask you about it directly. If you admire her… well, that’s kind of a problem.”
I honestly thought it was ridiculous. I shook my head.
“Her Majesty seems to have misunderstood a little. Not at all; I don’t have even a single drop of such a feeling.”
“Ah. I’m glad.”
It was then.
Meow-!
I heard a cat cry from somewhere.
