A Chessboard Gambit

Lenix glanced at the jam-drizzled steak on her plate.

She pressed down hard on her cutlery, plunging a silver fork forcefully into the meat.

“Welcome, Lady Hillburg. I was beginning to think you’d run into some trouble and found it inconvenient to show your face…”

Saranya, of course, understood precisely what the dryad meant by “trouble.”

Ever since Kaelan had appeared by her side, the Truth Assembly’s patience with both of them had reached its limit.

Moving forward, Lenix and her cohorts would no longer be content with merely possessing Saranya; those spellcasters would also target Kaelan, eradicating the black witch who had become such an eyesore.

A wave of worry washed over Saranya.

She subtly extended her arm beneath the table, taking Kaelan’s hand in a reassuring squeeze.

Kaelan, sensing the touch, her eyes flickering, gently stroked Saranya’s hand with her pristine, delicate thumb.

“It’s alright.”

Kaelan turned her head slightly, her ethereal voice resonating directly into Saranya’s mind.

Then, her expression sharpened, her gaze shifting towards Lenix.

“Oh…”

Kaelan slowly twirled the dinner knife in her hand, her moist tongue tracing her upper lip as she retorted to Lenix’s taunt.

“That, for me, is hardly trouble. But you, Lenix, it’s quite fortunate you emerged unscathed after those rioters ransacked your territory…”

Once the little witch finished speaking, she and the dryad exchanged a chorus of forced laughter.

Suddenly, they seemed like the best of friends, conversing back and forth.

“Haha, yes, indeed, what a terrible bunch of rascals—”

“Mm-hmm~ So close! If they had found the non-humans and witches inside, Lenix, your situation would have turned very grim indeed…”

Kaelan’s tone was playful, yet her words held a veiled threat.

Lenix, who had been putting on an act, was stung by Kaelan’s jab and her face immediately darkened.

Seeing Lenix about to lose her composure, Lucius quickly intervened to assist his companion.

“Regarding this, it was clearly a misunderstanding. Ignorant commoners, swayed by rumors and deliberately misled by certain factions, ultimately triggered the riot. The accusations against Tidal Mirror Hall for harboring non-humans and witches are slanderous. I trust our Knight-Commander Mitchel will handle this impartially and clear Lady Lenix’s name.”

“By the Fire Spirit, purge all evil from this world.”

Mitchel brushed food crumbs from his attire, raising a fist as he uttered the invocation.

The scarred, burly man had just devoured a large plate of beef and was now picking his teeth, glaring menacingly at Saranya and Kaelan.

‘Clear name…’

Saranya pouted.

‘With Mitchel involved, they’ll likely just whitewash everything.’

Amidst the charged atmosphere, everyone continued to eat for about another quarter of an hour.

After the final round of toasts, the banquet finally drew to a close.

“Miss Haia, I believe you promised to visit my home after dinner?”

Indeed, after Kaelan’s sudden appearance had foiled Lenix’s scheme, Lucius remained undeterred.

He feigned elegance, smoothing his golden hair, then bowed to her and extended an invitation with an outstretched hand.

Saranya frowned.

Being completely lucid, she naturally intended to refuse such a request.

“I’ve had too much to drink today, Mr. Weinshield. Let’s reschedule for another day.”

“Oh dear… how disheartening.”

Lucius pinched his voice, producing a eunuch-like tone that he evidently found amusing and lively.

“Since everyone isn’t quite satisfied today, how about we find some entertainment right here? Dalia.”

“My lord…”

Dalia stepped out from the crowd, her demeanor fawning and compliant.

She bowed her head to Lucius, then drew a short staff for spellcasting from within her robes and began chanting an incantation.

‘It seems Dalia, this Moon-Marked Sect candidate priestess, chose to align herself with the Weinshield family after her bishop’s death, completely abandoning her former path.’

‘Bastard…’

Seeing the priestess’s stance, Saranya immediately grasped Lucius’s intention, a sense of dread rising within her.

Lucius intended for Dalia to cast a divine art, a trick designed to provoke them into using magic in response.

If conditions allowed, Saranya could have disrupted the flow of magic, or even severed its conduction, to prevent Dalia from casting.

The problem was the distance; if they didn’t want to leave it to fate, their only option was to use magic for defense and counter-attack.

However, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, what Dalia was commanded to perform was a “divine art,” which was entirely legal.

If Saranya and Kaelan dared to retaliate in kind, they would be branded as “witches,” providing the numerous Holy Fire Faction knights in attendance with ample reason to arrest them.

‘What a clever scheme, that little punk Lucius…’

Magic was an absolute taboo; if they were caught performing it, their reputations in Vero would be irrevocably ruined.

Citizens would view “Ranger Haia” as a witch’s minion, someone to be hunted down and killed.

Vireta, Cecilia, Aivy, Phillo… everyone connected to her would suffer, and the Redwater Gang would become public enemies.

Saranya considered all this, but her master beside her paid no heed to such concerns.

Seeing Dalia prepare to act, Kaelan instantly grew wary, stepping forward to shield Saranya.

She instinctively unleashed a spell, her body enveloped in a swirling aura of grey-black magical light.

“Master, no, don’t!”

Saranya, quick as a flash, turned and embraced Kaelan.

Using her height advantage, she shielded her master’s body, preventing anyone from witnessing the magical surge around her.

Dalia’s short staff gradually became wreathed in a brilliant silvery magical glow.

The priestess chuckled softly, casually swaying the staff in her hand.

“What’s wrong? Lady Hillburg seems rather strange… are you feeling unwell?”

“Miss Dalia, you are the strange one. What are you trying to do?”

Phillo, who had remained silent until now, could tolerate it no longer.

The Divine Guard raised his hand to the hilt of the sword at his hip, advancing step by step towards Dalia.

“A misunderstanding, surely a misunderstanding! Please, don’t get agitated, Divine Guard!”

“Dalia, put down that staff! Lucius, what exactly are you trying to achieve?!”

The situation rapidly spiraled out of control.

Dalia likely hadn’t expected Phillo to be so courageous as to confront her staff and approach, causing her to momentarily panic.

Before Saranya could react further, the situation took another sudden turn.

“Hey!”

The grand doors burst open with a resounding ‘bang,’ and a furious blonde woman stormed into the hall.

Trailing behind her were over a dozen Divine Guards from the Holy Temple, who swiftly surrounded Lucius and his faction.

It was Aivy!

Dalia’s short staff shot forth, launching a massive orb of light directly at Phillo, startling Aivy into a scream.

Aivy’s long staff conjured a shimmering barrier of light, extending to protect the distant Divine Guards.

The inn servants cried out in terror.

The intense light emanating from the divine art forced everyone to squint.

As it turned out, Dalia’s speed was superior.

In the blink of an eye, the orb of light materialized before Phillo, then abruptly split at the Divine Guard’s nose, transforming into countless light arrows that arced into the air.

From the tails of these light arrows, specks of luminous dust drifted down, instantly blanketing the entire hall.

Once the dust settled, silver bands of light crisscrossed the floor, radiating outwards from the Divine Guards, forming an evenly spaced square grid.

‘A chessboard…?’

Kaelan slowly crouched down, her fingertips tracing the silver lines on the ground.

Indeed, what was drawn on the floor was a chessboard for international chess.

Lucius’s face fell when he saw Aivy, but he quickly spread his hands, adopting an infuriatingly smug expression.

“I told you, it’s all a misunderstanding…”

Saranya had no patience for his nonsense.

She raised a hand, signaling the inn’s servants to open both doors and usher all her reinforcements into the hall.

“Do you play chess, Miss Haia?”

“Why would I play chess with you?”

“If you win, I’ll never mention the engagement again. If I win, let me think… you’ll have the Moon-Marked Sect surrender Lenix’s Tidal Mirror Hall, and then disband the guild alliance…”

Well, now Lucius’s true intentions were laid bare.

“Don’t you think you’re being a little too greedy?”

Saranya clicked her tongue.

Truth be told, having not engaged in any intellectual activity for quite some time, the sudden sight of the chessboard beneath her feet made her feel a little antsy.

“If I win, you should at least return the Holy Temple to the Moon-Marked Sect Church, and then lift the blockade on Vero, allowing the Redwater Gang free entry and exit from the city.”

“Alright, acceptable. In that case, allow me to add one small condition…”

Lucius narrowed his eyes.

“Haia, if I win this game, you must come to my home today, and you must come alone…”

Saranya’s gaze sharpened, and she pressed her lips together, looking at Kaelan with an inquiring gaze.

After all, she had pledged herself as Kaelan’s property; such a matter… she couldn’t decide on her own.

“I… allow you to decide for yourself.”

To Saranya’s considerable surprise, Kaelan actually avoided her gaze, her eyes wavering as she uttered those words.

Saranya froze, and for the first time as Kaelan’s s*ave, she caught a scent of freedom.

She wondered if it was her imagination, but her master’s demeanor towards her seemed subtly different since her return.

‘Master… seems a bit softer?’

Saranya tilted her head, observing Kaelan with a puzzled gaze.

Her eyes paused on the faint marks around Kaelan’s neck, and her expression subtly shifted.

‘Such a master, how adorable…’

“I understand—”

“But don’t misunderstand… if you lose, I will absolutely snatch you back…”

As if to correct her image, Kaelan took a deep breath, gently raised her hand, and clutched Saranya’s sleeve.

Perhaps due to shyness, the little witch’s movements were slightly trembling.

“I… won’t leave you alone again…”