Of course, not everyone chose to join this bewildering duel. Three princesses chose to forfeit the ga, two of whom were quite young, and Jenkins understood their choice. But the last to withdraw was the eldest princess, Yani Stuart, a woman with considerable strength in the competition for the throne.
She smiled at Jenkins but didn't intend to explain her choice. Salsi II didn't want to wait for any more discussion. He clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention. The lights in the reception room were dim, and in the play of light and shadow, His Majesty the King's face had the weathered, resilient quality of carved marble.
His voice was still hoarse, but it sounded a little stronger than before:
"Let's confirm the rules one last ti. Tonight, I will engage in a fair and just duel with Viscount Jenkins Redemptor Williams. You will serve as the ga pieces for the two of us to use. The setting for this duel is the night of the 26th of the Month of Stars and Long Nights, Universal Calendar 1866. As mbers of the royal family, you will take part in a series of incidents occurring tonight in Ruen. The final victory conditions will be decided by the Viscount and . If a piece dies in this duel, it is a true death. But do not worry. After the duel begins, you will still be the ones directing your own actions. The Viscount and I will rely provide so necessary assistance."
Seeing no objections, he announced the official start of the duel. Pointing to the chessboard, he said:
"Now, you may enter."
For a mont, no one understood the aning of his words. Finally, Sarrot Stuart stepped forward and plunged headfirst into the board. He entered Ruen, drifting down from the sky above the city like a feather. But upon landing, he didn't blend into the sprawling tropolis. Instead, he was represented by a red star, a symbol of his identity.
Seeing this, the others entered the board one by one. All of Salsi II's pieces were identified by red stars, while Jenkins's three pieces were all blue stars.
The two n at the table stared at the night scene on the board in silence. The three princesses standing beside them dared not disturb them.
"So, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Jenkins was the one who finally asked. He placed his cat on an empty corner of the board, and the black-and-white kitten imdiately lay down, craning its neck to peer curiously at the city reflected on the board's surface.
"I am simply teaching them one final lesson—if you must be a ga piece, you must at least have the insight to choose the right player."
The king sighed and looked at the board along with Jenkins. He spoke, his voice booming as if he were reading from a docunt. Not only could Jenkins and the three princesses in the room hear him, but so could the mbers of the royal family who had returned to distant Ruen in this unconventional manner:
"On the night of the 26th of the Month of Stars and Long Nights, Universal Calendar 1866, you awaken from a heart-pounding nightmare. It is an ordinary night, yet your instincts warn you that sothing is bound to happen. You decide to go out and see, to at least find out what is going to unfold tonight."
The red and blue stars representing the pieces' locations began to move within a small area. Salsi II made a gesture with his hand over the board, and the board's perspective zood down, finally settling beside Sarrot Stuart.
The view was perfect, almost like watching a realistic docuntary. On the board, the eldest prince stood blankly at the bedroom window of a mansion, but he quickly turned, went downstairs, and began shouting for his servants.
Their voices could also be heard by those outside the board. Sarrot Stuart first confird whether this was the real Ruen. After his old butler asked in surprise why His Highness had suddenly returned, he received a definitive answer.
A series of commands issued forth from the mansion in the city center. The eldest prince was summoning all the manpower he could muster for the night; he knew this was no ti to hold back.
"You and I will take turns issuing commands to our pieces. A command can suggest an action to them for the next half hour, but whether they follow the suggestion depends on the reasonableness of the command and their own thoughts. Before dawn, whichever side gains complete control of Ruen will be declared the victor. From the winning side, I will choose my successor."
This was what Salsi II said to Jenkins; the people inside Ruen on the board could not hear his voice. Jenkins hesitated for a mont before asking:
"And if neither side gains control of Ruen before dawn?"
"Then let Yani be queen."
The dying king said nonchalantly. Jenkins turned his head to look at the eldest princess by the table. Her Highness was struggling to keep a straight face, clearly trying to hide her emotions.
"Shall we begin, then?"
The king inquired. Seeing Jenkins nod, he took the first turn:
"My son Sarrot is a man of exceptional leadership. After a brief mont of confusion, he understood the situation very clearly. The first thing he did was not to send people to gather intelligence around Ruen, but to have his servants notify his brothers and sisters—who are also pieces—to co and discuss a plan. Naturally, they will gather. Sarrot knows that the key to this ga is for his side to win, not to engage in a life-or-death struggle within his own faction."
"So, what your pieces will do for the next half hour is gather and discuss a plan?"
Jenkins asked. Ruen was a large city, and everyone's residence was scattered. Gathering together and then devising a plan might take more than half an hour.
"Yes. But at the sa ti, I will use an item."
Salsi II declared.
"An item?"
Jenkins was baffled. He watched the king opposite him reach a hand, adorned with a golden signet ring, into the pocket of his thick red cotton coat and pull out a miniature flag.
It was a square wooden flag, consisting of a pole and a banner. The pole was of a simple design, while the banner bore the image of an exquisitely detailed blue snowflake against a solid red background.
His eyes flickered, and he identified it as a numbered item. Jenkins searched his mory for the inventory list of the Stuart royal treasury that Dolores had once provided him. It seed to include this item: B-05-5-2947, the Bloodstained War Banner of the Ancient Ice Kingdom. Its effect was to summon a wooden soldier of the sa height as the wielder. The soldier's combat strength was roughly equivalent to that of an ordinary person, making it a rather useless item.
"Yes, I am using an item."
With that, Salsi II placed the flag on the empty edge of the board on his side.
"I am using a war banner from ancient tis. This banner will strengthen the unity of my faction. When commanding troops in battle, the soldiers will fight with greater valor and skill."
"Is that what this thing does?"
Jenkins wondered doubtfully, then asked with suspicion:
"Wait a mont. Please explain what's going on with these items. I don't recall you ntioning them.
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