Who would have thought that things would end up like this for me?
Son of a minor noble, I started early to lay out my career as a state official in the office of outer affairs.
After all, this is where you can gather accomplishments, and therefore, merits.
My talent in analyzing events, with an eye for the greater picture, as my abilities in logistics and organization were recognized early by no other than Lord Gioras Zion.
The man responsible for all secret affairs in Tarsona.
Of course, the position I was offered by his side, and the power I'd thus be able to wield were tempting; nonetheless, I'd have rather declined and pursued a more officially recognized position, instead of the, oh so obviously, shady business I'd without a doubt be involved in.
Yet try to refuse a man who has probably ordered more assassinations than he gave formal greetings.
Therefore, I was one of the first to know when the war started that things wouldn't end pretty.
Yet never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I would end up like this.
Yes, now I am the personal attendant of an insect princess who right now beats me at Kingmaker.
Yep, my troops are cut off, and the prince is approaching the center space.
I could start some distraction attacks, but ultimately this would be just pointless.
Also, it's deemed tasteless to prolong an already lost round.
Sigh.
I should've never shown her this game.
As one of the most popular leisures among nobles, I thought it would be beneficial to her if she were at least to learn the rules so she may use this knowledge to establish some common ground.
After all, it's a game of wits, seeing patterns, and of course, knowing the abilities of each figure, which makes it fairly expressive for individuals in a leading position.
Not a small number of important accords were decided upon over a game.
Yet I couldn't have fathomed what I called forth with this action of mine.
After I beat her once, due to my far greater experience, this princess became utterly obsessed with it, challenging me whenever she could and otherwise going on about every single aspect of this game in every waking moment.
Even now that she managed to beat me, with impressive consistency even, she doesn't seem to have any intention of stopping anytime soon.
It's at a point where she started discussing daily business during these occasions.
Was difficult to get basic courtesy into that mandibled head of hers, but at least that she got down.
In other areas, she might still be lacking, but I appreciate that hard-working attitude of hers.
I start with a classic opening.
Three footmen in a spearhead formation towards the center.
It seems she anticipated my defense, opening her lines and bringing her knights into position.
I have my mage and rogue advance, backing up my footmen.
She counters with her pawns advancing as well, in a layered formation.
My mage goes another step forward, still covered by the pawns.
I'll have to wait one round to make use of his devastating attack, but it also allows my archers to move into position.
(C)
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She wants to play it safe and sends more pawns in.
I guess now it's time to bring my knights forward.
(C)
She says so, while having her knight take down a flanking pawn.
That's nothing new from this princess.
She always wants everything at once, not being prone to make concessions.
My mage fires, destroying everything in a two by three field before him.
A footman falls, but the losses inflicted are worth it.
Yet he’s quickly picked off by one of her archers.
This is my chance to finally bring my guardian’s into the game.
With their peculiar ability, they can prevent the archer’s damage.
Quickly picking off my remaining footmen, her knights get into the fire of my archers.
I didn't even know that was possible.
Drones are usually fanatic to their respective broodmother.
That much I learned by now.
She puts an emphasis on the latter, while bringing her prince closer to the central field that he may claim her victory, stating her claim in a way that makes me question how much Princess Erys would concur with this statement.
The guardians I manage to send at best disrupt her arrangement a little, yet can't stop the advance, and her rogue has cut off all means of attack before I bring in further figures.
Chera answers by sending the prince just one step away from the central field.
Just as expected.
"Tock"
And with this, my knight removes her guardian, in a way that I can see that next round the archer will take him down, rendering the game unwinnable for her.
(C)
I probably should be proud of her that she got this down as well.
Not like it was like this in the beginning.
She was a rather poor loser.
(D)
We reset the pieces on the board.
This won't end anytime soon if I don't do anything about it.
As it worked before, I try the same early build as before.
To be honest, I'm possibly one of the better players.
Not an elite, but decent at least.
Maybe I'm making it a point to show her, by repeating the same steps as before.
Contradictory, I again bring my mage forward, which may be the preparation of a devastating attack.
Her archers start threatening the center.
My prince won't be able to approach, and the knights have their difficulties to take her pieces at her current pawn setup.
Her rogue comes forward, threatening my archers.
So this time no open attack with the knights.
Not quite her style, to go for indirect approaches, but this is what makes it impressive.
I have to readjust my archer, or I'll lose them to the rogue, and with them the center.
(C)
Her mage takes the center.
That came as a surprise.
She holds quite the disdain for this piece, but the way she placed it, I can't approach the center anymore.
I might concentrate on getting it killed, but the rogue will disrupt any sudden adjustment.
All the while, her prince is right behind.
A bold move that exposed her, but now I realize she set everything up to keep her central piece alive for long enough to claim the king's throne.
I lost.
Sigh.
I never should have bought her this game.
I really shouldn't have.