Chapter 77: Painful farewells

My hands scratched my chin as I sat down in the living room, staring at a chess board and thinking. Amelia sat across from me on the table. We both were having a really close battle.

I'm playing black while she's playing white. She placed her paw on her bishop and moved it.

"Here?" I asked her while moving the bishop for her.

"No, a bit further," She answered.

She somehow knew the basics of chess, even knowing how to play at an advanced level. Even for a dragon, I was surprised at her intellect.

Every move she made so far was not a fluke. She had eliminated a knight and multiple of my pawns. Though I didn't fall behind. I was able to catch her off guard and eliminate her queen.

I made my move, moving my queen closer to her king. Making sure it's safe to place before dropping it.

"Chess?" Alexander's voice called out. "Interesting!"

He walked into the living room with a bright smile on his face. After seeing the chess board, he became curious and came to us as we continued to go on with our game.

Alexander had been sleeping throughout the day. Pretty obvious from his messy curly hair. A style that he had ended up adopting as his own.

Felix had tried to wake him up but Alexander growled at him. He also tried to wake up Vincent but he was deep in sleep, still healing from last night

He took his usual seat to my left and spectated my match with Amelia. With curious eyes, he scanned the chessboard. Trying to decode the messy battlefield of chess.

Amelia tapped the rock to her left, telling me to move it.

I picked it up and moved it slowly across the tiles till she told me to stop. It was another move that caused me more suffering.

My queen was in check. The rock caught my queen in a trap.

All hope was not lost yet. I managed to find a pawn that could block the rock's path. Amelia yelped as I moved the pawn to block her rock. Something she hadn't calculated.

"Wha- I didn't see that!" She exclaimed in telepathy.

"Be more attentive," I advised.

"Hey, Artorius," Alexander spoke out. "What will you be doing tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure…" I muttered. "I have work to do but I'll be taking it easy tomorrow,"

"What about Zenith?" He asked with a skeptical glare. "I heard you wanted to talk to him,"

"He's with us. I have work that would go well with him,"

"What work?" Alexander raised an eyebrow.

"You will see in a month or two," I smirked at him.

Amelia places her paw on another piece. I go through the same process and place it in her desired position.

The game continued. It continued for far longer than I thought it would. Amelia put up a strong fight, keeping me guessing and thinking for the entire duration of the game.

We both grew tired of thinking. Slowly we began to lose interest in fighting each other. The game began to take a toll on the two of us

It came down to the final straw. After nearly two hours of back and forth, I finally controlled the beast that is this dragon's intelligence

I managed to get two queens while she still had one. All she had was a queen and a bishop. While I had the upper hand, having two queens and both of my rocks alive.

But, if I grew arrogant, this would be a lost game.

She moved her queen forward, trying to check my king. But, I managed to escape the check.

"Where do I move!?" Amelia shouted at me in frustration. "I'm out of moves!"

I paid no attention to her cries. Rather I made it worse by checking her king with my rock.

"Aah!" She exclaimed seeing the situation.

Our sides had changed. I moved to her side while she moved to mine. Rather strange that we managed to swap sides.

Amelia moved her king to a fatal position. It was wide open for a checkmate.

I moved my queen to checkmate her. The game finished in my favour.

"Noo!" She groaned. "That was such a close match!"

"You did surprisingly well!" I complimented her. "Never knew you were such a smart dragon,"

I put my hand forward and smiled at her. She does the same with her paw, and I gently grab hold of her paws. We shake and call it a game.

"That's it?" Alexander stretched his arms up and smiled at me. "Both of you were really in the zone,"

"Wanna play against me?" I smirked at him arrogantly.

"Maybe one day," Alexander chuckled. "I need to put my back into it if I do,"

I laid back on my chair and looked at the tall ceiling up above. A tired yawn escapes my mouth as my eyes slowly become heavier.

Amelia jumped onto my lap as usual. She curled up and rested along with me as I closed my weary eyes.

"Amadeus is emperor… Alaric is dying… Zenith is on our side and the train is coming along nicely," Alexander muttered to himself. "Yet, I feel like we are missing something…"

"What is it?" I asked while opening my eyes. "What could we be missing?"

"A sense of adventure," Alexander replied. "There's no adventure,"

"Adventure you say?" I leaned forward. "I think I have the solution,"

His eyes lit up in a sparkle. "Really!?" He smiled joyfully.

"Just wait and watch," I smiled back.

"How much longer," His smile faded as he groaned. "Since I've worked with you, I've seen you go on adventures. Finding dragons, speaking with deities. Playing chess with emperors. But, I never had the chance to do something as grand,"

A sorrowful frown fell on his face as he listed down my achievements. I felt bad for him as I never let him have the fruit of his work.

But I wished to change that.

"Have you wondered what's beyond the ocean?" I asked. "Beyond the deep blues?"

He turned to me and scratched his head. "Not really… I haven't since there are scary stories about sea creatures that eat whoever sails too far,"

"Do you wish to know what's beyond?"

He was still skeptical. "Won't we fall off the edge of the earth?"

"The… edge?" I asked with a confused look.

"Yeah, the edge of the world," Alexander looked at me with unfazed eyes. "There is an end to the world, how can we go so far?"

Seems like science and theories are far behind.

"Well, let me blow your mind," I chuckled. "The world is round,"

"Huh? What makes you think so?"

I held my laughter, trying not to burst out due to his ignorance. It made sense but it was hilarious to me nonetheless.

"What are you smiling at?" Alexander asked, flustered seeing me hold back my laughter.

"Nothing… Sorry about that…" I said with a stupid smile on my face.

Alexander looked at me with an awkward smile. He was completely serious about this.

"The sun is round, right?" I asked him while holding back giggles. "So is the moon,"

"Yes, those are obvious facts,"

"Since a circle has no edge or end, doesn't that mean there is no end to them?"

"You are… correct…" He muttered softly.

"Since the moon and the sun is round, wouldn't it make sense for the planet to be round too?"

"Yes…?"

"Circles and circular objects have no end, therefore…" I strayed off.

"Therefore… the planet has no edge?"

"Correct!" I exclaimed with a proud smile.

As I finished my revelation, he stared at me with a blank expression. His brain malfunctioned.

"So… all the books about the edge of the world are… fantasy?" Alexander said with long pauses.

"Point on," I gave him a thumbs up.

"You, my friend," He pats me on the shoulder. "Have made quite the discovery,"

Seems like I have to change the world's astronomy as well.

I picked up Amelia and stood up from my chair. My legs felt relieved as I stood up and stretched them out for once. Popping noises burst out from my knees as they straightened up for once.

"I have no work for the rest of the day~," I said while yawning. "Do whatever you want today,"

Alexander flicked his hair out of his face and smiled. "I was already planning on sleeping through the day,"

Just then, Felix walked into the room and called me over. I nonchalantly head over to him with Alexander following behind me.

"Hm, what is it?" I asked while putting Amelia on my head.

"Lady Kathlyn is leaving," Felix whispered. "Perhaps you should say your farewells. Who knows when you two will meet again,"

For some reason, my heart sank when he talked about meeting her again. Maybe I hadn't realised till now how much I cared for her.

"Ah… right," My happy smile slowly faded. "Where is she?"

"At the foyer," He answered quickly. "You must hurry if you want to say your farewell,"

Amelia jumped off my head and started running out of the living room. Felix moved out of the way and let me run behind her.

We both ran into the foyer together but didn't find Kathlyn. I looked around frantically, trying to find her.

"Outside!" Amelia shouted in a rush.

She stood at the doorway and looked at me. I ran to her and turned to my right to look out the doorway.

Kathlyn was walking away, wearing the same white dress she wore the other day when we were on a walk. Ron stood by the carriage with the door open while talking with Zenith.

"Kathlyn!" I called out in a rush. "Hold on!"

She heard my call and turned around. Amelia and I ran towards her while out of breath trying to find her in the labyrinth that is the estate.

"Artorius!" Kathlyn exclaimed while hiding her mouth in shock.

I abruptly stopped right in front of her, panting and catching my breath.

"Sorry... I didn't know… when you're leaving…" I said while out of breath.

Amelia jumped back on my shoulder as I finished catching my breath. I looked back up at Kathlyn and couldn't help myself.

"Don't leave without telling me first," I told her before embracing her into a tight hug, "How mean,"

"Sorry, you were busy with chess I heard," She chuckled softly before hugging me back. "I didn't want to bother you,"

My heart continued pounding as I held onto her. My eyes felt heavier than usual.

Whenever I talk to her or be with her, I feel much more relaxed. It was a feeling I couldn't explain but didn't feel awful. It felt… blissful.

"I wish you could've stayed longer…" I whispered to her. "Amelia is going to miss you, you know?"

Kathlyn begins to laugh. "It's fine, she can always come over to my shop,"

"What about me then?" A teasing smile broke from my lips.

"Is that a question?"

I let her go and looked at her with gloomy eyes. I noticed the tears in her eyes as she looked back into my eyes. She didn't want to leave either.

"When will you be back?" She asked me with a melancholic smile.

"I'm not sure," I answered, restraining myself from saying anything sensitive. "I'll be coming back soon,"

"Maybe stop by at my house. If you're not busy that is,"

"Haha… I'll see," I awkwardly laugh. "Have a safe journey home! If there's any issue, talk with Ron or Zenith,"

"Hopefully there is none," She gave me a hopeful smile. "Farewell then," She said before turning around and walking away.

"Farewell…" I said, my voice slowly fading away.

A sense of deja vu. Weird.

I sigh deeply as I watch her get onto the carriage. Zenith followed behind her and entered the carriage. Ron closes the door and looks at me one last time. He nods and smiles at me before stepping onto the front of the carriage.

With that, the carriage slowly begins trotting away. Amelia and I watched as it slowly trots away. Her eyes, full of tears, finally burst out into tiny waterfalls.

Her tiny tears began rolling out of her eyes and falling onto my shoulder. I began walking back while looking down, feeling dull and like a potato.

"She's gone…" I muttered in my old world's native tongue.

"Huh?" Amelia questioned hearing my mumbling. "What did you say?"

"She's gone," I replied to her.

I made my way back inside the estate with a frown on my face. Feeling quite down for a reason I couldn't explain. Alexander stood to the right while Felix stood opposite to him, looking at me with a warm smile as I entered.

"How heartwarming," Alexander's eyebrows shot up. "I never knew how much you cared for her,"

"I'll skip lunch," I ignored Alexander and turned to Felix. "I'm tired,"

"As you say," Felix answered me with a small bow.

I had nothing to do today, and no energy to do anything either. Kathlyn left which meant my way of cutting time was also unavailable. I could only catch up on the sleep I'd missed.

Amelia controlled herself and stopped her leaking pipes. We both decided to not do anything else for the day.

"Let's go to bed," I told her in telepathy while walking up the stairs.

"Same thought," She replied.