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27.27% King's Gambit / Chapter 3: Chapter 3 - Calm before the storm

章 3: Chapter 3 - Calm before the storm

The amphitheatre was eerily empty and silent as Cagnus entered. It was early in the morning, and only a few students had trickled in. He made his way to the corner, where he found an inconspicuous seat. As time passed, more and more students arrived, filling the rows with their chatter and laughter.

Despite the growing crowd, no one seemed to notice Cagnus sitting quietly in his corner. He watched as Lady Seraphine took her seat in the front row, and a young man with blonde hair sat down next to her. Cagnus couldn't make out his features from his vantage point.

Row B was almost empty, except for a petite girl with short blue hair. The rows behind her were filled with students of varying status, all belonging to youngsters with noble lineage. On the other hand row F was completely empty, while rows G and H had about ten students each. The last row, R, was occupied by a single person - the daughter of the president of the notorious Nori Merchant Alliance, with a mixed noble and commoner heritage.

Cagnus took note of the seating arrangements, knowing that they were a clear indication of each student's social standing. He yawned and stretched.

Cagnus sat in seat Z-01 of the bustling classroom, feeling isolated and alone as the students around him chattered excitedly amongst themselves. Despite the lively atmosphere, he could only muster a sigh as he leaned back in his chair, hands resting on his chin. As he looked around the room, he thought to himself, "Sigh, and here I am sitting in Z-01 with no one to talk to." But as he closed his eyes, a sense of calmness washed over him, a peace that he had never before experienced. It was as if the noisy classroom around him had vanished, and he was completely at ease, lost in his own thoughts.

Cagnus breathed deeply, taking in the moment and allowing himself to go with the flow. "I like it... this way," he thought to himself, feeling a sense of inner peace and tranquillity radiating from within. His doubts, worries, and fears vanished, replaced by a sense of clarity that allowed him to see details that ordinary people would miss. "Such is... happiness," he thought to himself, feeling content and at ease in the midst of the bustling classroom.

Unfortunately, such a state didn't last for long as Cagnus's thoughts were interrupted by someone: "Look at the back, in the corner, at Z-01!"

Immediately after, the entire class's attention was shifted to Cagnus's. Lady Seraphine was no exception as she followed the herd to look at him; perhaps the only person who stayed calm and collected was the young noble with blonde hair in seat A.

A hubbub of conversation echoed after.

"Oh my god, what is that 'thing'?"

"My father redeemed merits to enlist me in this academy; no way I'm studying with a peasant!"

"A lowlife is in this class? Guards!"

All sorts of demeaning comments were hurled at Cagnus; their voices were dripping with contempt. Cagnus stayed calm as though the insults meant nothing to him. Before going to the Imperial Chess Academy, Cagnus had a long talk with his grandfather Kanotoly Arpov.

Both discussed all sorts of things, and how Cagnus should be careful with his words, actions and even his facial expression. Because once he manages to offend a noble, his entire nine-generational family will be uprooted, and perhaps, they will face punishment worse than death.

Coincidentally, when Cagnus was looking at the "performance" in front of him, he accidentally made eye contact with none other than Lady Seraphine.

"Her eyes are so beautiful…", Cagnus thought to himself.

However, before he managed to take a good look and admire those hazel-like eyes, the girl immediately turned her head around and looked the other way.

"Crap, did I manage to creep her out? She's the daughter of a Duke; I have to apologise later!"

Knock. Knock.

"Silence!", a voice echoed out, silencing the entire amphitheatre.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, a woman managed to make her way to the theatre.

She stood tall with an air of confidence and poise. She had a straight back and held her head high, her gaze direct and unwavering. Her chestnut hair was pulled back in a neat bun, with a few strands falling softly around her face.

She wore a light grey blazer over a crisp white blouse and a knee-length dark skirt.

Her shoes were polished, and her glasses gave her a look of sophistication and intelligence.

This was none other than Section A Class A-1's tutor, Professor Elizabeth Harris.

Professor Elizabeth looked at the students with an angered expression. Clearly, she was unhappy with the previous hubbub.

"This is already the first day of the academy, yet you students show no respect for these sacred grounds!"

Then, she pointed her finger at a man who sat in row G. It was the man who called out Cagnus earlier, "You! Stand up and speak; what's the problem?", her voice was authoritative and demanded an explanation.

"I-I w-was about t-to.", the man stammered, clearly frightened by the professor's behaviour.

"Miss.", a young man with handsome features in row C raised his hand, wanting to speak out. Professor Elizabeth's gaze landed on him as she permitted him to speak.

The handsome youngster stood up, tidied up his clothes and spoke in an eloquent tone, "Previously, I and the class were discussing the 'anomaly' that is the man in seat Z-01."

Hearing the word 'anomaly', Cagnus couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he questioned the man silently: "What do you mean! I'm an innocent man!"

Professor Elizabeth nodded as she said: "Continue."

As though he was imbued with courage, the handsome man continued: "As you can see, he is nothing but a peasant, a dreg of society, the lowest of lifeforms. How can we permit such an insect to study the profound domain of Chess with us, high nobles?"

"I hereby request Professor Elizabeth and the upper echelon of the Imperial Chess Academy to verify the man's identity and origins."

His classmates exploded in an uproar, happy to have their thoughts spoken out. They encouraged the handsome youngster enthusiastically.

The man in row G heaved a sigh of relief as though he dodged a bullet, he gave the handsome student a thumbs-up and then looked at Cagnus with a face full of hate and resentment.

To Cagnus's surprise, Professor Elizabeth agreed to the student's request as he called for the disciplinary guards outside to come and verify Cagnus's identity.

The doors of the amphitheatre opened as five armoured knights entered; they held spears and maces as they surrounded Cagnus in the corner.

It goes without saying that big beads of sweat were profusely trickling down Cagnus's forehead, "Hey! Hey! Hey! What is this??? Don't tell me my grandfather used exploitative and illegal ways to get me enlisted?", he lampooned as he frantically searched his pockets for the identification badge.

His face quickly turns pale as a scene surfaces in his mind.

His one and only identification badge were on the ground, right next to the luggage that was tucked under the bed.

"When I threw my luggage on the table, I accidentally threw my badge alongside it!"

When the students saw Cagnus's pale face, they seemed to find joy in his misfortune as they sneered haughtily: "Haha, I knew it! He is nothing but an impostor; it's a miracle that he managed to make it this far!"

"No way a peasant like him is able to afford enlistment in the number one academy in the world; now he will suffer consequences for his impudence!"

"Hmph, the guards should be punished for allowing his entry!"

"Flay him alive, so we set a precedent for all the lowlifes in the empire."

Similar comments could be heard as the amphitheatre descended into a chaos of chatter.

Lady Seraphine had a disappointed expression as she sighed. Who knew what was going on in her mind. As for the man next to her, his thoughts were unknown as he distanced himself from the hubbub.

The silver-armoured knights seemed ready to plunge their weapons into Cagnus's body, one of them even took the initiative to stab forward with his spear.

Instinctively, Cagnus closed his eyes as he prayed for a miracle.

The knight's spear seemed super close; in fact, Cagnus could feel the heat from the spear's friction heading towards his head. He felt the shadow of death looming over him, and getting closer inch by inch.

Just when the spear was an inch away from his forehead, the miracle that he had been waiting for finally arrived.

"Wait!", Professor Elizabeth said, "You, this is your final chance for redemption. Speak, where is your identification badge?"

Seeing Professor Elizabeth stand up for the Z-01 peasant, some nobles voiced out their protests. This matter didn't sit well with them.

"Professor, this is too merciful. We have to set a precedent!"

"Professor, don't tell me you are going to abuse your powers and forgive this peasant?"

Hearing the students' complaints, Elizabeth's eyebrows couldn't help but twitch as she spoke loudly: "Silence!"

The entirety of the amphitheatre went silent; the knights stopped in their places, as though they were nothing but mere statues.

Cagnus took in a deep breath as he marvelled at how precious life is, he vowed to himself that from now on, he'll meticulously keep his important documents on him at all times.

He opened his eyes, taking in the intricate armour of the knights that had many patterns on them. He looked at Professor Elizabeth with grateful eyes, and then he opened his mouth and spoke:

"Professor, uhhh, I forgot my badge over in my dormitory. If you would like, you can come with me and inspect my room together."

Once again, the entire class descended into chaos as the male students' eyes reddened with anger, disbelief and other complex emotions.


クリエイターの想い
BishopsNemesis BishopsNemesis

Remember that this is the start, so people are underestimating him. We will get to the real thing.

Don't forget to support me by leaving a comment, review or a throw that stone at me ;)

章 4: Chapter 4 - The turning point

"Shameless! Give him an inch, and they'll take a mile; I can't withstand these peasants and their unsophisticated behaviours!"

"How brazen of you, peasant! Even the death of your nine ancestral families is not enough to atone for your sins. Your filthy blood and flesh will get tortured for eternity in the Imperial Underground Prison!"

"Professor, this is clearly sexual harassment. We demand justice to be served!"

Cagnus turned a deaf ear to the students' complaints as he looked at Elizabeth with expectant eyes.

"Huh? Why are her ears red? And she also seems to be hiding her face… Does she have a fever?", Cagnus asked worriedly; naturally, he wouldn't dare to voice out his thoughts.

However, when the students saw the professor's expression, even more chaos ensued.

"Impossible! Absurd! What's happening with Professor? Is the peasant using voodoo magic to bewitch her?"

"Outrageous, not only does he dare to sneak into the Imperial Chess Academy, he actually dares to bewitch the Professor using his witchcraft means and forbidden techniques."

"Truly audacious. I've never seen someone as shameless as him. In fact, he goes as far as seducing Madam Elizabeth with his wanton words and devil magic."

Contrary to people's expectations, the knights did not take action.

Professor Elizabeth took a moment to recollect herself as she looked at Cagnus sternly, and then she issued a series of orders to the knights.

"Accompany him to his dormitory."

"Search his room for the identification badge."

"Check its authenticity."

Then her gaze turned sharp as she stared at Cagnus. She continued: "if it's not authentic, follow protocol."

Gulp.

The entire amphitheatre gulped as they felt chills run down their spine. The Imperial Chess Academy's internal protocol is known for its strictness and harshness. One wrong word here will get you expelled; if you commit a relatively light crime, such as disturbing the peace or littering the sacred grounds, even your noble status will get stripped.

As for destroying property, fines were as rampant as mice in the capital's sewer system; even taking off a leaf from a plant would get you a fine of up to three thousand pounds.

As for impersonating a student of the academy, or sneaking into learning grounds without permission or authorisation, even if you had all the money and status in the world, you wouldn't be able to escape paying a visit to the Imperial Underground Prison.

In some cases, death is way better than spending a night over in the Imperial Underground Prison.

Naturally, Cagnus was aware of this. Before he came to the Academy, he did sufficient research with his grandfather to make sure his journey went unhindered.

He silently prayed to the Fide Empire's current Empress, Karry Gasparov.

"O' great Empress of Humanity and Chess."

"I come to you with a humble plea."

"Please guard my belongings and keep them safe."

"So no one takes them away from me."

"Fill my home with your divine presence."

"Protect it from all harm and ill."

"Let no thief come in and steal away,"

"And keep my identification badge safe and still."

"Thank you for your kindness and care."

"And your watchful eye on me."

"Amen."

The Empress Karry is one of the Fide Empire's living gods; both the Ascetics Knight Order and Ecclesiastical Mage Corp fall under her command. These two are considered one of the empire's most potent forces and played an essential role in fending off the various races from invading humanity's grounds.

As one of the Empire's living gods, the Empress naturally has a Holy See, cathedrals and many churches spread throughout the country. Almost every human believes and prays to her daily, and Cagnus is no exception.

When he finished his prayer, the knight wielding the spear grabbed him violently by his shoulder and escorted him all the way to his dormitory.

The residence hall that spanned hundreds of metres soon came into view as both Cagnus and the knights passed by the lobby. Because it was class time, the recreational rooms were empty, with no person in sight.

Soon, they made their way into the staircase that led to the bottom floors. Then they opened a wooden door that led to an obscure area in the dormitory.

After taking two turns to the right, both Cagnus and the knights finally arrived in front of his room.

Their noses couldn't help but twitch as the pungent smell of the nearby bathroom assaulted their nostrils, but the six didn't care. Cagnus looked at the plaque that wrote "23-51" and couldn't help but lampoon his dilemma.

Two of the knights at the front shook their heads tacitly, and then they took three steps back and raised their legs.

BOOM!

Cagnus' eyes widened in astonishment as he questioned his entire existence, "What is this?", "Who am I?", "What am I doing here?".

The already-fragile wooden door plummeted to the ground as it was broken into pieces; shards of wood embedded themselves deep into Cagnus' bed.

"My door!", he couldn't help but scream pitifully as his heart bled.

The Imperial Chess Academy's rules were clear, any damages done to the property assigned to you will be borne solely by you and you alone. Even if the knights were the ones to break the door, Cagnus would have to pay the corresponding reparation fees on top of a disciplinary fee.

For his pocket money, his entire family amassed ten shillings after exhausting all their options. From where is he supposed to gather thousands upon thousands of pounds? Although that number sounds absurd, there have been cases in the academy of people plucking leaves from a random tree on the academy grounds only to get slapped with a fine amounting to three thousand pounds.

Like robots, the knights made no comment as they entered the cramped room. They furiously turned the furniture upside down, breaking the table in the process.

"The badge is right there! It's over there!", Cagnus's heart bled as he thought of his ever-increasing fine to pay.

The identification badge was on the ground; its position was as clear as ice. Even a blind person would not miss it, yet these knights pretended as though they didn't see it as they laid ruin to the bed, table and dresser.

"I'm done! My life is over!", he can already see the fine exceeding the ten thousand pounds threshold.

After they felt that it was enough, one of the guards looked at Cagnus and commanded:

"Bow down and grab the identification badge."

Although Cagnus' heart was filled with indignation, he had no choice but to comply.

Would he dare go against the orders of an Ascetic Knight? Of course not!

After grabbing the badge and handing it respectfully to him, the knight wielding the spear looked at the luggage that was tucked under the ruined bed and spoke: "Your luggage too."

"What?", Cagnus thought he was mishearing things.

"I said your luggage, be quick. Are you defying orders?"

Cagnus sighed silently as he grabbed a bag of cloth that was his luggage. It had his clothes and other miscellaneous items he had brought from home.

He handed the bag respectfully to the spear-wielding knight, then stood to the side and silently observed.

One knight was using a magnifying glass to verify the identification badge's authenticity while the other was frantically throwing out his items, one by one.

His clothes were strewn all across the ground, and then they were "accidentally" trampled on by the rest of the men. After the spear-wielding knight was done with his clothes, he started grabbing the miscellaneous items and breaking them one by one.

A hairbrush crafted by his long-deceased mother.

Snap. Broken in half.

A small wooden box with intricate carvings on it was gifted to him by his grandfather.

Shattered to pieces.

A good luck pendant that's considered to be a family heirloom.

Snapped in half.

A spoon and a bowl his deceased father used to eat porridge in.

Reduced to rubble.

Cagnus' heart bled more and more; he looked at the carnage that was in front of him and blamed himself for forgetting the identification badge.

"If only I'd brought it with me…"

Just when the spear-wielding knight was about to break the last items in the bag, his expression changed as it quickly turned pale. However, because of his helmet that covered all of his face, his teammates and companions did not know.

His entire body shuddered as he grabbed a seemingly-ordinary looking toothbrush from the bag.

It was hand-crafted from oak wood and featured complex patterns and engravings. It had a sturdy handle that looked polished and clean. The bristles were surprisingly soft and gentle; they were made of boar hair as it was the best material to get rid of food bits and other pieces of debris.

However, when you compare this toothbrush to what the nobles use. It looked extremely ordinary and in fact, some would say it looked crude. Whichever angle you look at it, this toothbrush was nothing special.

"F-f-from w-where d-did you get this?", the spear-wielding knight asked in a shivering tone; he held the toothbrush with both arms as his hands shook violently from fear and trepidation.

His companions were oblivious to his behaviour, as they were either busy inspecting the identification badge or trampling on Cagnus' clothes.

When Cagnus heard the spear-wielding knight's question, he replied hurriedly as he looked at the items on the ground with a pained expression: "I handcrafted it."


クリエイターの想い
BishopsNemesis BishopsNemesis

The legendary toothbrush hehe.

Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.

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