Plan ; agreement - 07

Lucian was surprised. He didn't expect this person to know his identity right away. With a quick and measured movement, he opened his cloak, revealing shimmering silver hair under the light. Then, he took off his mask, showing his face. "Surprising, I was planning not to reveal my identity here," he said, his voice calm but slightly shocked.

"It's not hard," the person said, a faint smile visible behind the mask, though her voice remained flat. "That cloak you're wearing, isn't it from the Hale family? The stitching, the fabric... it's a signature of the Hale family's personal tailor." She moved a chess piece, her movements smooth and measured, like a strategist planning the next move.

"I'm careless," Lucian admitted, regretting his clumsiness. "It just looks like a regular cloak to me." He let out a short sigh, realizing his mistake. He needs to be more careful in the future.

The blue-haired person seemed to chuckle softly, her voice like a whispering wind. She was still playing with the chess pieces, her movements calm and skillful. Sbe placed the King pawn in front of the pawn, a move that showed confidence and dominance.

"From what I've heard, the Young Master from that family never takes off his mask..." She said, her voice still calm but meaningful.

"No, that family has two Young Masters, are you Julian Hale?" Her question was sharp, indicating that she had done her research on the Hale family.

"Too bad your guess is wrong," Lucian replied, a thin smile spreading on his lips. He was enjoying this game. "I'm Lucian Hale." He stated his name firmly, confidently declaring his identity.

"You finally revealed your identity, didn't you say a few minutes ago that you wanted to keep your identity a secret?" asked the blue-haired person, her voice remaining calm, but there was an amused tone implied, as if she had found something funny in this situation.

She moves a chess piece with fine, measured movements, as if she is enjoying every second of the game that unfolds in front of her. The soft light from the lamp on the chessboard reflected the shine on her long blue hair, adding a mysterious impression to her figure.

"Well, I've already found out, why hide it again?" replied Lucian, smiling faintly while looking at his co-star. His smile contains a mixture of relief and a hint of challenge, as if he is ready for whatever comes next.

"That's true," said the blue-haired person, their sharp eyes closely observing Lucian as if assessing something deeper than just appearances. "I've always been curious why the Young Master from both families always hides his face with a mask." She smiled slightly, her smile warm, but there was a hint of sarcasm behind their words. "Turns out you have an interesting face, huh."

"There's no point in you saying that," Lucian said, his voice flat. He doesn't care too much about praise about his appearance. He felt that there was something more important than that. "Your chess strategy is interesting," he continued, his eyes fixed on the arrangement of chess pieces on the table. He carefully observed the arrangement of the pieces, analyzing the strategy that the blue-haired man had devised He sees a pattern, a complicated and calculated strategy.

The blue-haired person smiled faintly, her eyes flashing. "Young Master," she said, her voice calm but meaningful. "Which strategy do you think is good? King protecting the pawns and other pieces, or other pieces protecting the King?" The question is not an ordinary one; It is a metaphor, a question that concerns life strategy and leadership.

"Actually, both are good strategies," Lucian replied, his eyes still focused on the arrangement of chess pieces. He thought for a moment before continuing, "If a pawn protects the King, it's like building a system that relies on the strength and loyalty of the people or subordinates. It creates a sense of unity and shared purpose, where each individual feels they have an important role in maintaining the stability and sustainability of the kingdom. The King's strength lies in the collective strength of his pawns." He analyzed the strategy calmly and measuredly, showing his deep understanding of political strategy and leadership.

"On the flip side, if the King protects the pawn, it's like a leader taking full responsibility to keep the kingdom stable by looking out for the people and his troops, building loyalty and trust. A leader like this becomes the center of strength and protection, inspiring loyalty and devotion. But if he focuses too much on protection, the King could become vulnerable to unexpected external threats or internal tensions. He might get caught up in the details and lose sight of the bigger picture," Lucian continued his analysis, showing his deep understanding of both strategies. He had considered all the positive and negative aspects of both approaches.

"If you were asked to choose, then I would answer King protecting the pawn," Lucian said, his gaze fixed on the arrangement of chess pieces. "Although vulnerable, this strategy is more effective in the long run. A king who shows courage and sacrifice to protect his people will build stronger loyalty and trust. This system creates stronger and more durable bonds than the system in which the people must always protect their king." The reason shows his deep understanding of the dynamics of power and leadership.

The blue-haired person nodded slowly, a faint smile expanding on her lips. "You understand it well," she said, her voice sounding amazed. "In a game of chess, people usually focus on protecting King with pawns and other pieces. They rarely thought of letting King protect her pawn. You're thinking outside the box." She looked at Lucian with interest.

"Checkmate!" She declared her victory in the chess game, her moves smooth and measured. "Sorry if this conversation sounds boring, let's get back to the main point," she said, returning to the main topic of discussion. "Previously, I was known as Alpha here." She introduced herself formally, showing that she was the leader of this guild. "So, what brings this Young Master Hale to the Servant guild?" Her question was direct and straightforward, indicating that she didn't like beating around the bush.

A slight smile, almost invisible, spread across Lucian's lips. It wasn't a satisfied smile, but a sly one, full of calculation. His eyes, usually calm and measured, now sparkled like stars in the night sky. He watched Alpha closely, analyzing every little detail, the way Alpha arranged the chess pieces, how he moved his hands, even the way he breathed. Lucian read more than just words; he read body language, the subtle emotions hinted at behind every movement. And from all that, he drew conclusions.

"Bingo," he muttered quietly, his voice only audible to his own ears. The word came out like a whisper, a secret acknowledgment of victory. Not a victory in a game of chess, but a victory in a much bigger game, a game of manipulation and strategy that he had planned from the beginning. He has managed to lure Alpha into his game, provoking Alpha to open up and talk more than planned.

"This person was interested in talking to me," he continued, his murmurs still soft, like a mantra affirming his success. "This is too fast in the game plot, but it fits perfectly," he murmured again, as if talking to himself recalling his experience playing The Luminous Hero of Avandor. He compared the current situation to the storyline in the game, finding amazing similarities. He had anticipated Alpha's move, and now he was ready for the next step.

"Alpha's character is really hard to talk to when I was still playing The Luminous Hero of Avandor," he thought, a confession that revealed he had previous experience with this character. He had learned Alpha's traits and habits through that experience, and now he's using that knowledge to outsmart Alpha in this real game. A sly smile widened a bit, showing his high confidence.