Act 2 Vol. 1 Ch. 1 Ep. 3: The Queen's Gambit

Prisoner 1192. You have a visitor.

And here I was, wondering who would visit me at this hour...

What brings you here, Acting General Student Council President? Dressed all cute too.

Judging by the fact that you even brought Schale's Sensei with you... Are you here to brag about your date?

...Not at all. Why does everyone keep jumping to that assumption?

I wanted to check in on you. And ask a few questions.

*sigh*

Chief Officer Rin. Wouldn't it be better for someone of your position to just send someone? Or leave a note?

I'm fully aware of how busy you must be as the Acting President. Do you really have time to dawdle here in the Corrections Bureau?

Thank you for the concern, but today's my day off.

I've left each department strict guidelines to follow, so they'll be fine, no matter what crises occur.

...

...So on your precious day off, you came to make small talk with an enemy? Are you actually an idiot?

Or does it fulfill some kind of sadistic urge in you to taunt a prisoner?

If you're uncomfortable with me being here, I'll leave and send you a letter instead.

H-Hold on! I didn't say that! Don't leave yet!

A-Ahem. I mean, I happen to have a moment, and you made the effort to come all the way out here. It'd be a shame if I didn't spare some time for you.

O-Of course. As soon as I wake up, I go for a run...

Then, before breakfast, I read self-help books on leadership...

Then, after breakfast, I...

...Okay, fine. I have no schedule at all.

It's rare to find something enjoyable to do, let alone someone to talk to, in prison.

I do appreciate that they separated me to keep me from running into any of the FOX Squad members, but that means I don't have anyone to talk to at all. I'm essentially in solitary confinement.

I have ridiculously limited access to outside news, and I don't get any visitors...

But I'm still not happy to see you, okay?!

...I'm glad to see that you're in good health.

Of course I am. I'm destined for greatness, a superhuman like me won't falter and neglect my well-being from a singular mistake.

I may have slipped from my path, but I will recover! And when I do, I'll stage a successful coup and regain my power!

I've thought this before, but I have to acknowledge your boundless confidence.

You don't seem to know what defeat is and march endlessly forward, no matter the obstacle or judgment.

I've never seen you lose a game.

...Which is why I want to ask you to play chess with me.

Rook, H8. Check.

Bishop, H3.

Knight, G6.

Rook, F7. Check.

King, H6.

Queen, G6. Check.

...I lost.

Your chess skills haven't dulled at all, Kaya. I've never met someone quite like you.

Like I said, there's not much to do here. I've been solving chess problems by myself. This is my first time actually playing against someone else since I started, but I think I've improved a bit.

...When chess is this simple for me, I still can't seem to understand why my tactics didn't work back then.

*sigh*

Wh-What is that look? What's wrong with what I said?!

You still don't understand, Kaya.

Tactics and perfect plans mean nothing in the real world. Life isn't like a chess board.

Because neither you nor your subordinates are superhumans.

People are not chess pieces. The harder you try to control them, the harder they become to manage.

For an ordinary person, one who couldn't become a superhuman, the best they can do is to maintain the status quo.

And you think YOU would have been able to succeed where I couldn't?

No. I'm no superhuman either.

There's only one superhuman we know of that can move people across the board like chess pieces.

...You're right. She could've done it.

But she never would have needed to in the first place. No one would've questioned her. The idea of having to prove herself is probably a foreign concept to her.

I've been chasing her shadow ever since she disappeared. Just like you.

I thought it was my chance to become a superhuman. I thought I could become the perfect replacement.

I read through countless records, thinking that if I just tried hard enough...

But here I am.

When Kivotos fell into chaos...

What was it that you had the FOX Squad bring to you from the Schale basement?

...

If there are too many people here, I can ask them to leave. I have the power to do at least that much, as the Acting President.

No, it's fine.

What difference does it make to me now?

I had them bring me a plain, old wristwatch.

More so, what appeared to be one.

Please elaborate.

After the General Student Council President disappeared, I secretly investigated everything she left behind.

Most of it was just personal belongings, things like school supplies and teacup sets. But what I was looking for was an artifact, one powerful enough to transfer the Sanctum Tower's control.

Sensei's Shittim Chest.

If an artifact powerful enough to control Kivotos' infrastructure with the swipe of a hand existed, I thought that there must be more. Maybe even one more powerful than the Chest.

And when I was going through the records of the General Student Council President, I found records of just that: another artifact, stored inside the Schale basement.

The Staff of Shaqed.

Based on the President's records, it's an object capable of discerning the truth.

Oh? You already knew, Sensei?

...You got my hopes up for nothing. How boring.

It was difficult to tell from the records just what "discerning the truth" meant, so I ordered the FOX Squad to bring it to me.

I figured that, if the Staff of Shaqed really was comparable to the Shittim Chest, it would benefit me not only in my coup, but also in controlling the General Student Council.

...But once I had it in my hands, the Staff of Shaqed seemed like nothing more than an ordinary watch.

I studied about it this way and that, but it really didn't seem to do anything but tell the time. And I'd forgotten about it by the time the coup began.

I put it back in the chest it was originally stored in and left it in the General Student Council building's storage room. Unless someone took it, it should still be in there.

I could never figure it out.

Maybe there's some special way to operate it, or I just don't possess the ability to control the artifact.

Or maybe the General Student Council President's records were wrong.

The user of the Shittim Chest might be able to get something out of it, Sensei.

...We'll investigate once we return to the General Student Council.

Don't worry too much, Sensei. Despite appearances, I've been enjoying my time off.

Enjoying a nostalgic meal and playing games with a long-time rival is an uncommon experience for me.

...So I should make the most of it while I can.

If you don't mind, Kaya, maybe I could make up for my embarrassing loss from earlier with a rematch?

I'm always happy to play chess...

...but I have no plans on going easy on you.

My first move... Pawn to D4.

Pawn, D5.

...Chief Officer.

This might not suit your style...

But sometimes, it's an effective gambit to sacrifice a pawn to strengthen your mid-game.

Pawn, C4.

...Pawn, E6. I'll decline.