Predictions, and Results (2)
“Are you suggesting a duel?”
“Take your weapon in hand, Swen.”
Cutting off my words with a sharp gaze, she seemed uninterested in hearing any protests. Reluctantly, I drew my rapier.
“Are you ready?”
“…Yes.”
“Let us begin.”
With that, she lunged at me with elegance and speed that was nearly invisible to the naked eye.
I barely managed to dodge her rapier’s thrust.
“Wait, please! Your Grace, just a moment-”
Attack after attack came without giving me a chance to strike back, and before I knew it…
I found her blade pointed near my abdomen, having lost the strength in my knees, I collapsed.
I couldn’t have avoided it; my evasion was purely due to luck, and I was unable to follow her movements with my eyes.
I examined Serpina, who said nothing, and felt no malice from her.
Was this merely a sparring match? Then why suddenly engage in this?
“…I admit defeat.”
“Do you yield?”
“It’s not my style to cling to a battle I clearly cannot win.”
One thing became clear: my physical capabilities were abysmally low. Witnessing Serpina’s movements reaffirmed that I had no talent in combat.
Had Airen not been by my side, I would have frequently faced peril.
“…I appreciate you indulging me.”
“It’s fine to indulge, but may I ask why all of a sudden?”
Looking directly at me, she asked in a dry tone, “What do you think is the reason?”
How should I interpret that? I typed the question in my mind only to receive ‘unknown’ as an answer. Unable to predict anything unrelated to the state affairs, I had no way of knowing her thoughts.
Without waiting for my response, she stated, “…For amusement.”
For amusement? It hardly seemed so, but it was clear she had no intention of explaining further.
“Is the reason you called me here… for this ‘amusement’?”
“Follow me, and you shall see.”
Leading on, she rehung her weapon and started walking elsewhere. As I watched blankly, she turned and asked, “What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
“Ah… Right behind you.”
Hearing me, she turned back and resumed leading the way. Despite her swaying hips once again catching my attention, I shook off the carnal thoughts and slowly followed her.
*
Reaching another room, we found a large table with a familiar game board and pieces set upon it—a chessboard.
“This is…?”
“I wished to share a game with you, Swen.”
From a duel to now chess?
Puzzled by her intentions, I remembered that a soldier’s duty is to comply with their lord’s commands.
“You know the rules, right?”
“I understand the basics. But I must admit, I’m not confident in chess. I haven’t played much, so I’m unsure if I can provide a worthy challenge.”
“Then it’s fortunate. You won’t be hurt in defeat.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you’ve hardly played, you can lose without damaging your pride, can’t you?”
She playfully chuckled at her own comment.
Provoked by her obvious taunt, a sense of rivalry stirred within me. Despite my limited knowledge of chess, including a few openings, a strange confidence grew, thinking I wouldn’t be utterly outclassed.
“Nevertheless, I’ll give it my best.”
“Come then, Swen.”
And so, we began an unexpected game of chess.
*
“…There seems to be no move left for you, Swen. What will you do?”
Facing a situation where any move would lead to a mistake, I conceded once again.
This made it five consecutive losses to her.
The difference in our skills was so evident that losing so decisively almost cleared my mind.
“I lose.”
“You made quite a few mistakes from the mid-game.”
“I wouldn’t know which of my moves were mistakes.”
I responded with a resigned laugh.
She looked at me for a moment, then stood up.
“Thank you for accommodating me today.”
“Is this the end?”
Her face lit up with a smile, seemingly amused.
“Do you wish to spend more time with me?”
Her ability to make such remarks made me think that Serpina might enjoy joking more than I thought.
Well, why not engage in a bit of social nicety?
“Of course. What could be more honorable for a subject than to spend time with their lord?”
“Then let me give you a piece of advice. If you truly wish to win my favor, stop saying only what you think I want to hear.”
Her words didn’t carry much weight; if it was a casual remark, then I needn’t assign it too much significance.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Serpina slowly rose from her seat.
Looking out the window of the annex, she spoke.
“A conscription notice has been sent to Amir Castle.”
“We will fortify the defenses based on your opinion. We’re preparing to counter Aishers’ invasion.”
So, she decided to take my advice?
I didn’t respond, waiting silently for her to continue.
Shortly after, she turned to me with a sovereign’s gaze and asked.
“Swen, do you still believe Aishers’ forces will attack?”
After being brought to this annex and indulging her in what seemed like a whim, she’s now asking if I still hold to my “insufficient evidence” opinion.
Perhaps this was her way of testing me.
Then, what should I say? That Aishers’ forces will ascend the river and attack?
Frankly, that was merely one hypothesis drawn from the absolute result of “keeping the troops stationed at Amir Castle is most efficient.”
It sounded plausible enough when I said it.
But how could I be 100% sure in a situation where even I couldn’t predict where my “infallible foresight” would lead?
Perhaps she thinks I’m hiding something?
Playing chess and engaging in a duel might have been her way of assessing my abilities.
While I don’t know exactly what she’s thinking, if she believes I’m concealing something—then it’s worth exploiting that misconception.
“Your Grace.”
I bowed my head and wove together a plausible-sounding statement.
“There are things beyond hasty judgment. We are all travelers, navigating towards the highest possibilities, searching for direction in each moment. Inevitably, there are times when we must perceive the unseen. For what is clear may not always be within sight. I believe this answers your question.”
“Times when we must perceive the unseen?”
“Yes.”
“Perceiving the unseen.”
I tried to articulate my situation, where I must somehow trace the invisible process.
The metaphor “what is clear may not always be within sight” meant “I know the outcome, but not much else.”
Rather than hinting at my abilities, I simply aimed to make an impression with plausible words.
In other words, without concrete evidence to convince her, my goal was to wrap it in the most convincing package possible.
The conclusion is predetermined. The forthcoming future will validate my predictions, so all I needed to do was drop plausible hints.
She didn’t ask what I meant by that. Fortunately, she seemed somewhat convinced and fell silent, pondering my words.
She desperately tried to interpret them.
If she knew that my thoughts were merely “Serpina looks beautiful in contemplation,” I wonder how she would react.
“Is that your answer?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
After further contemplation, Serpina extended her hand to me.
“I enjoyed today. I hope you’ll join me again.”
Though she might have found it amusing to dominate unilaterally, I didn’t particularly enjoy it.
But well… such is social life, isn’t it?
“Call on me anytime.”
I grasped her hand, smiling lightly.
At least for now, I thought I had managed well.
* * *
After Swen left.
Alone in the annex, Serpina sat, lost in thought.
“It doesn’t seem like he has the ability to see the future.”
During the duel, his movements did not suggest he was anticipating her attacks.
It seemed safe to conclude he lacked any sort of foresight magic.
One could tell by his movements whether he was hiding his capabilities or genuinely lacked talent.
At least in the duel, Swen seemed more the latter.
Was it his strategic acumen, then?
That too was unlikely.
Chess, while a game, serves as a mild test of one’s tactical prowess. It’s common knowledge on the continent that those skilled in strategy excel at chess.
Though Swen showed surprising moves occasionally, the lack of cohesion between them suggested he was choosing the best move in the moment rather than executing a grand strategy.
In essence, he was genuinely doing his best rather than concealing his abilities.
His answer to the last question seemed to lack solid backing, resorting to vague responses.
“Bluff?”
But it didn’t seem like mere bluffing.
Serpina considered herself good at reading people. She could usually tell who was bluffing.
Swen’s conviction… felt based on some rationale. A belief that it would indeed happen.
If that was just a bluff, then she might as well have been wrong about people all her life.
“Must perceive the unseen, huh?”
Serpina murmured to herself, alone in the annex, contemplating Swen’s words.
For the first time, she had to admit she was strongly drawn to an opinion she hadn’t fully grasped.
