Chapter 559-560: Laughing in defeat

Chapter 559-560: Laughing in defeat

A few minutes later, a bewildered Sol was playing chess with Khali. The game was already underway and Khali seemed to be filled with glee as she set this up.

In the first place, where did she even get this? Was something Sol wondered as he watched the small crimson witch.

In the end, as confused as he was, Sol had a guess. But why guess when you could simply ask the culprit?

“So. Care to explain why we had to stop the discussion for you to go take a chessboard and come back?”

Khali's eyes were twinkling as she moved her piece. Her joy was for something else very different, “The mood! My dear friend. The mood! It’s a law that an evil mastermind's plan must be explained while moving chess pieces. Now come! I am ready.”

She looked at Sol up and down, “Sadly your clothes and the room are a little too bright but heh in a way this is even better. The prince filled with light is in fact an evil mastermind behind the scenes.”

“I say this is pretty cliche.”

“Well. Is there anything not cliche nowadays? So shut up and no whining. You are currently the evil prince about to reveal his mastermind plan to the audience in the most dramatic way possible. So now, we play.”

Sol had a headache just watching Khali move. He knew very well that once she became like this, there was no way to stop her.

‘Well...I guess one match won’t be bad?’

He had been so busy lately and the way things were going made him uneasy and fidgety. Every time his plan moved ahead, he was waiting for the sword of Damocles to drop.

Force brought counterforce and the more he tried to manipulate fate, the bigger it would be.

“You do know that as a prince I have been trained all my life in this, right? Don’t cry later on.”

“I have been living for nearly 100 times longer than you. Heh, trust me. I am no slouch. You will be the one who cries.”

“Bet?”

“Kay, what do you want?”

“Hum. If I win, you will work as a Maid again for a week and call me master.”

“Oh. I didn’t know you had such fetishes...No scratches that. I should have guessed. With Milia and all the maids you nailed.”

“Heh.”

“Okay. When I win, you will be my maid for a week as well.”

“...Butler you mean.”

“No no. My Maid.”

“You evil monster.”

Khali cackled, “Game?”

Sol shrugged as he took one of her pawns, “I am in.”

“Gah~ Okay. This is just the start.” She focused, “Now, would you mind sharing your evil genius master plan?”

“When you say it like this, I feel like I am the bad guy.”

“I mean. Wratharis may have been the one to declare the hostility but Lustburg was the one who baited them on it. Starting with Camelia’s Saint Fall. Everything started from there.”

A kingdom without a supreme daughter could not erect the Holy Barrier that served as the last bastion. So for other countries, attacking Lustburg at that moment would have been the best if Camelia had indeed lost their power.

Wratharis was merely the first one to rise to the bait.

“We are the victim you know. We threw the bait for the Wing of Freedom. Not our fault others fell for it. It’s like attacking a woman who is wearing sexy clothes for her husband or boyfriend.”

“Weird analogy. But whatever. Now, my evil plan. Fast.”

“My plan–”

“Evil plan.”

Sol simply took another of her pieces and continued, “ —Is honestly very simple.”

“Continue.”

“Not 100%”

Sol gave a small smile as he moved the chess piece on the board, “The day I can see 100% might be the day I await the most and the day I dread the most.”

Even now, the world in his eyes was changing, shifting. Like a long river, like the trunk of a large tree. The strings that were attached to everything and the sounds of gears turning as if a machine was regulating everything.

Sol did not show it on his face but...It was maddening.

What would it feel like to be truly omniscient? To know everything that could happen and would ever happen before they even happened.

Sol could not imagine it but he thought...

“This might be a very boring life filled with madness. Check.”

“Ah...”

Khali groaned before chuckling, her King piece was currently made in check by the Queen piece of Sol, “You timed this so perfectly. So now; what should the King do since it’s in check?”

“Ideally surrender. Though the King is in check he can still escape, chances are narrow. Surrender might at least give a peaceful and respectable death. Thankfully, the King this time is pretty stupid.”

“Oh. Are you talking about me or a metaphor?”

“Guess.”

He laughed and they continued to play, “Honestly, the Queen could checkmate the King any time. Sadly this would mean more chess matches and more sacrifice I am not ready yet for. Furthermore...Some intruder might act.”

“Oh...An acquaintance of mine?”

“I do not know. I cannot see that far. This is mildly surprising but not so much as a deduction is possible. Either way...”

He took his king piece and started fiddling with it as he watched the board, his eyes glimmering slightly.

“It’s time for the King on this side to move.”

“...So, it’s finally time...”

“Indeed. The war has lasted long enough. The pawns, the two knights, and even the rooks and a Bishop all moved to reach this particular result.”

Sol looked at the two rooks. They were very surprising. Both the White Knight and Nuwa had brought good things in this war. Aurora was also a very good surprise. Clearly, he would not have to threaten her more for the time being.

“What about the last bishop? Will it stay in defense? It seems like it’s the only piece that was not used at all.”

“No...”

Sol looked at the remaining bishop with hesitation. His relationship with her had been slowly going back to normal and stabilizing after their discussion when Lilith escaped.

But because of the war, he had been living in his office. Thankfully, Milia would sometimes help him “relax” in some interesting and let’s say very imaginative way.

“I guess before moving the King needs to visit the Bishop.”

“Visiting, heheh...”

Sol ignored the very obscene movement Khali was making with her fingers and finally moved his last piece,

“Checkmate.”

Khali looked down and exploded in laughter, “I am pretty sure that there are no rules in this game that say two knights, one rock and one King can surround another king like this.”

Sol stood and patted Khali’s head, “Nowadays...I believe making the rules is much better than simply following them.”

He started walking, “Also, I already had you check mate you one move ago. So, I didn’t cheat.”

“Hah...”

Khali could indeed see that.

“Your maid uniform is still ready. See you later.”

Khali once again laughed. This had truly been a spectacular defeat.

She wondered if the King of Wratharis would be able to laugh like her.