Chapter 20: One year has passed, and I'm playing chess!

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Winter, 1922 (Aurelian Standard), Felsburg Capital, Kronfeld.

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"It's your turn now, Uncle."

"Wow, as always, your moves are truly unpredictable, Little girl."

Amidst the bustling activity of the market district, I and a middle-aged man sat facing each other across a chessboard laid out on a table. We were, essentially, playing chess, trying to focus on the game before us.

The man so insistent on defeating me was actually the grocer who always supplied my family whenever Mom sent me to buy groceries. His name was Arnulf, and I often called him Uncle Arnulf. His most striking feature was that he only had one arm. From what he once told me, he used to be a Felsburg soldier when King Albert II still sat on the throne, and he lost his arm while on duty suppressing a rebellion in Veldenmark.

Honestly, it reminded me of my previous life, where I also lost an arm during a war. And although I was still quite annoyed at being reborn with a different gender, at least I was grateful enough to be able to feel what it's like to have complete limbs again.

"Haha, looks like you're stumped again by a 10-year-old girl," remarked a man standing nearby.

"Quiet! I'm focusing, don't disturb me!" Uncle Arnulf snorted.

I didn't know who this old man was who kept trying to disrupt Uncle Arnulf's concentration, but I noticed he had always keenly observed our previous games as well.

In fact, it wasn't just that old man who watched our game; several other people were gradually drawn in by our chess match. Perhaps it was the sight of a mere ten-year-old girl calmly moving pawns against an opponent old enough to be her grandfather that made passersby stop and watch the unusual spectacle.

"Who is that girl? Isn't she amazing?"

"I don't know myself, but when I walk around here for shopping, I often see her playing chess with Old Man Arnulf."

"Wow, maybe she's a prodigy?"

"Hmm, could be, or Arnulf is already too old to play chess."

Whispers of praise from the crowd reached my ears, even though I pretended not to hear them and remained focused on the game. To be honest, it was quite enjoyable, hehe.

I was quite experienced with this, ever since my previous life. Usually, when we had no missions and were just idle, we, the tank crew members, would kill boredom by playing chess. I even sometimes joined inter-unit chess tournaments, though I always fell short in the final round.

Initially, I felt like I was cheating, using memories from my previous life and still possessing the same skills. But eventually, I convinced myself it wasn't cheating, considering Uncle Arnulf himself was older than me, even if you combined my lifespan in both my previous and current worlds.

I thought that if Uncle Arnulf and I had met in my previous life, we would surely have become close friends.

"Hey, hey! Don't just watch! Is there anyone here willing to bet with me!?"

And of course, there was the very familiar face of the gambler, who always showed up during our games and was the most enthusiastic in the crowd.

"Hmm, I'll bet 10 Eisenmark and put my money on old man Arnulf."

And naturally, sometimes there were people who had never seen my game before and would doubt the truth of my skill, falling into the trap set by that gambling addict.

"Oh! Finally, a brave man, unlike the others!"

"Alright, as usual, I'll be the bookie. All participants, gather your money to me."

And yep, that's how our chess game transformed into a field for illegal gambling, as usual. Sometimes I wondered what would happen if a military police patrol showed up, and what fate awaited these these guys who don't have anything else to do. Though it seemed military police patrols had been rare lately; they seemed busy with something else.

Honestly, it had become common knowledge that the war situation was currently stagnant, so many citizens were worried about what awaited them in the future. Although the government had imposed strict censorship on information from the front lines, it was ultimately futile because the populace could already feel the impact.

So, seeing that situation, I couldn't entirely blame these men for forgetting their heavy circumstances for a moment, and I was somewhat glad to contribute to that.

"Alright, it's your turn now, little girl."

"Hmm, you've taken quite a while to think, Uncle."

"Haha, a man never underestimates his opponent."

I observed the board, my eyes analyzing Uncle Arnulf's position. His knight's move—a maneuver that, to a casual observer, looked like a clever attack—was actually a trap that was too easy for me to read. He relied too much on direct attacks, a mindset that could be easily dismantled.

Uncle Arnulf's tactics, though old, could still fool most opponents. But not me. I saw three moves ahead, then five, and finally, all seven moves leading to an unavoidable checkmate.

With deadly precision, I moved my pawn to H6, a seemingly insignificant move. Uncle Arnulf frowned, trying to understand the intent behind that inconspicuous Pawn. "A pawn?" he mumbled, his hand hovering hesitantly over the piece. He moved his Rook to defend the rank, a predictable defensive response.

"Haha! What did he do!?" exclaimed the gambler, excitement blazing in his eyes, confident he would see a good show.

I just smiled faintly, a cold satisfaction spreading within me. A pawn might seem simple. But that pawn was bait. I now knew exactly where Uncle Arnulf's Knight would move in two steps, and how I would force him into a fatal blunder. I had calculated all of it.

As I expected, Uncle Arnulf, after long thought, finally captured the pawn with his Knight. "A free piece, huh?" he mumbled, a faint smile gracing his lips, certain he had gained an advantage. However, his smile quickly faded when I, without hesitation, moved my Queen.

"Check!"

A gasp of surprise sounded from the crowd. Uncle Arnulf stared at the board, his expression twisting into a familiar bitterness. He had seen the Queen's threat, but he was too focused on his Knight. He had fallen into a simple but deadly trap.

One by one, Uncle Arnulf's pieces fell, like defenses collapsing on the front line. I continued to press, moving my pieces with merciless precision. Every move was a hammer blow breaking his old strategies.

Uncle Arnulf moved his King, trying to find an escape. But I had already calculated all possibilities. I moved my Rook to G8.

"Check!"

Again, the atmosphere around the chessboard grew tense. Spectators whispered, the gambler held his breath, hoping his bet money would double.

Uncle Arnulf stared at the board, his single hand trembling slightly. He tried one more move, desperately. A futile move, an emotional, not logical, response.

And then, I moved my Bishop to E5.

"Checkmate!"

Silence enveloped the area, a silence deeper than usual. Uncle Arnulf's eyes widened, his jaw slackened slightly. He stared at the board, then at my calm face, as if in disbelief. His King was cornered, with no way out.

"Y-you... how?" Uncle Arnulf stammered, looking at me with eyes mixed with awe, defeat, and deep frustration.

I smiled faintly. "A pawn might seem simple, Uncle. But it can open the way to victory," I said, a classic tactic—a small sacrifice for a grand victory—always effective.

"This little girl... she's truly a prodigy," mumbled the old man with the white beard from the crowd, his voice full of surprise. Whispers of admiration and defeat spread among the crowd. The gambler smiled widely, rubbing his hands together in delight. "Oh, this is it! The surprise I always hoped for!" He started collecting his prize money from the bookie.

"Whoooah!"

Sounds of awe and hearty applause filled the air among the crowd, as if they had just witnessed a famous circus act.

Many of them congratulated me and even offered me a little money for the entertaining show. Initially, I tried to refuse, but they eventually forced me to accept it—I mean, is still money, right?

"Damn, I lost 10 Eisenmark...." complained the man who had bet on Uncle Arnulf, his voice laden with regret.

"Hahaha! My apologies, friend. Game is game," replied the gambler, his grin widening.

"Alright, with this, I'm entitled to a 10% commission from the winner," interjected the man who had been the bookie, his voice firm like a debt collector.

"You damned sly old man!" Of course, the gambler was not pleased, his face turning red.

"You fool, every service must have its commission!" retorted the bookie, his tone mocking.

"You old geezer, who are you calling a fool!?!?"

"Don't you have a mirror? You're not much younger than me, you dirt-smeller!"

Believe me, this wasn't the first time they had debated this; the outcome was always the same in every game. I myself didn't know why the gambler kept using the old man as a bookie, but it seemed they already knew each other, bound in a strange relationship.

If you asked their names, I wouldn't know either of the old men's names, but I always called them The Gambler and The Bookie.

Truly, did they have no shame, having just used a little girl as an object of gambling? If there were such a thing as a child protection commission here, they might face a case. Well, I myself didn't care—as long as it didn't involve me.

The surrounding crowd only watched them, laughing and treating it as a free comedy show, because in the end, the two men never physically fought.

"Hey, stop it! You two always fight like this!"

And of course, as always, Uncle Arnulf was the one to break up the two men who were arguing like children. Uncle Arnulf himself, though he had lost his right arm, still had a very masculine and well-built physique, standing firm like a soldier. So, the two men who had been arguing immediately tensed at Uncle Arnulf's booming, angry voice.

"You two should realize you're in front of a child and act like adults!"

Despite that, he continued to scold the two men intensely, making them only able to bow their heads like powerless cats, a strange sight given their age. Sometimes I forget that they were in their 60s. Well, many people say that as you get older, your behavior reverts to that of a child—a theory that seemed proven true.

"Hello, may I speak with you, Little girl?"

Suddenly, just as Uncle Arnulf was busy scolding and advising the two old men, a stranger in a neat black suit approached me. He gestured to remove his fedora and spoke to me, a professional smile etched on his lips.

"...Umh, yes?"

"Excuse me for bothering you, and no need to be too wary," the man continued, his voice calm and friendly, attempting to alleviate any tension I might feel. "Actually, I am a talent scout from Popov Chess School."

"Popov Chess School?"

I could only repeat his words out of curiosity, as I didn't fully understand what he was saying or his purpose. New information needed processing.

"That's right, this school is the largest and most renowned chess school on the Vestara-Saintmere continent. This school is also not just any ordinary chess school, because we were founded directly by the legendary former Grandmaster, Leonti Popov!" the man explained with burning enthusiasm.

"I-I see....."

Hearing the enthusiastic explanation from the stranger, I could only reply awkwardly. He even seemed to still be glorifying a chess legend whom I didn't even recognize.

"My purpose is to invite you to join our school. It's true that for now, chess tournaments are suspended due to the ongoing war, but precisely because of that, we can focus more on polishing your skills in our dormitory!"

"Hey! What are you doing!?"

Suddenly, another stranger appeared, his voice filled with anger, interrupting our conversation. He also wore a suit almost identical to the first stranger's, staring at him sharply.

"I've been observing her for a week already! How dare you try to take her away!"

"What do you mean!?" asked the first stranger, a frown appearing on his forehead.

"Quiet!" shouted the second stranger, then he completely ignored the first stranger and turned his face to me. "Hi, little girl, I'm from Kuzparov Chess School! This school was founded by the true chess legend, Gabriel Kuzparov, unlike Leonti the imitator!"

"You're from Kuzparov! And how dare you ignore me and insult Master Leonti!" growled the Popov man, veins bulging in his neck.

"Heh, isn't that just the truth then?" retorted the Kuzparov man cynically.

"Did you forget that Mr. Popov's statistics show more wins than your Kuzparov?"

"What statistics!? Don't make things up!"

I didn't quite understand the situation unfolding in front of me and could only stand frozen. The two men claiming to be talent scouts from Chess Schools were now embroiled in a fierce argument, mutually insulting each other's idols. To make matters worse, Uncle Arnulf was busy scolding the Gambler and the Bookie, oblivious to the scene unfolding around me.

But, a chess school, huh?

Honestly, it was an appealing offer from the perspective of skill and potential development. However, on the other hand, I wasn't too interested in it, as it sounded very troublesome. I myself was already quite content with my current life, and since Dad's death, Mom was now busy working to make ends meet. I didn't want to make her any more troubled.

Furthermore, one of them mentioned a dormitory, meaning I would have to live far from Mom. I myself felt uneasy leaving her alone. In fact, sometimes when I wanted to go to the kitchen for a drink at night, I would accidentally hear her crying from her room since Dad's death.

"Excuse me, sir, but actually I—"

Suddenly, even before I could finish my sentence to the arguing strangers, I felt something at both my waists.

"Ah-wuahahaha! Stop it-hahaha!"

"You naughty girl! Didn't I tell you to go straight home but instead you're busy playing chess? Take that!"

A familiar voice sounded from behind, and at the same moment as her words, she tickled me hard. I immediately knew it was my Mom.

"Please-hahaha! Forgive me! Wuahaha! So stop!"

"No! I'll do it untill you learn the lesson!"

She truly showed me no mercy, even though we were now in a public place. I could feel many gazes turning towards me, probably because my loud laughter filled the surrounding area.

The strangers who had been arguing now stopped and looked at me with confused faces, stunned by the odd scene before them. It even seemed that Uncle Arnulf finally stopped scolding the Gambler and the Bookie, his eyes wide in disbelief at this chaos.

This was truly embarrassing! being publicly humiliated by my own Mom!

"Help me!"