Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 17 - Chapter 1.5

  CHILD SUPPORT

The Shogi match came to a sudden end.

“2 Seven Knight?”

Empress Ika Sainokami plays that move without a second’s hesitation.

After seeing that, how could I not ask if she meant to?

“………… Are you sure?”

I didn’t get a response. Not in human words, anyway.

“Hi-hi-hi. HI-HI-HI-HI-HI-HI-HI-HI-HI!”

She lifts up that eyepatch and hones in on my King even as her pupil whirls around like it is caught in the drum of a washing machine. It seems that Miss Sainokami can’t hear anything from the outside world at this point.

Well, not that it really matters now that she let go of the piece.

“I see. Then please go ahead and die.”

I snatch up a different Knight of hers with a 2 One Pawn promotion.

The moment I take it, she leaps the first Knight forward to take my Silver without a single second ticking off her waiting time.

A contest of speed.

We both slash with swords, competing to see whose blade connects first. The endgame, as chess players would say, has thrilling and interesting elements different from Shogi proper.

Except this particular match is obviously decided. I’m nowhere near the edge of my seat, so to speak.

A 17-move checkmate.

It is not even a difficult one. All I have to do is line up the pieces.

If this is how the human who has taken down plenty of professional players, including Ginko, to become the first Women’s League player to come within one victory of taking part in one of seven major title tournaments plays …… then it is an extremely disappointing curtain call.

“…………………… Aha?”

The final move is 5 Five Gold.

My deploying it right in the center of the board completely shut down the defending King’s hope of escape.

Now, after playing this far, it seems Miss Sainokami has finally read her own defeat.

She’s frozen still, her pointer finger on top of the King and her mouth wide open.

“I-can-t-move?”

“Ms. Sainokami ……? You are surrendering, yes?” the match recorder asks hesitantly.

Her King is already helplessly trapped. In check already, she’d lose if she moved any other piece. That’s not allowed under the rules, so she would lose on the spot. Losing that way in a professional match would be horrible for her on many levels.

“Excuse me, Ms. Saino———”

“It’s fine. Please close the match, Mr. Setsuko.”

“That’s Karako, brat.”

The old guy taps the tablet a few times to officially end the match, muttering something like “I whipped your scrawny butt in the 3-dan division ……” under his breath as he leaves to print out the match record on the third floor. The 3-dan division? I’ve forgotten all about that ancient history.

Now it’s just the two of us left in the arena.

Miss Sainokami is just staring up at the ceiling, making small grunts and groans of despair.

A bit of drool drips off her chin and onto the tatami mat.

Reporters will flood this room in a few minutes.

There is something I want to confirm before then.

“Today’s Shogi will be remembered as a mundane match that failed to deliver on the hype. Something along the lines of the Women’s League player buckled under the pressure of the big stage when her ambush came up short and she couldn’t see the final check path. That, at the end of the day, that is all Women’s League players can do.”

Professional players will think so. I guarantee it.

Except———for me, Sota Kunugi.

“…… To be frank, I didn’t think you were anything special. Slightly better than Ginko, but beneath at least half of all professionals. But———”

This player named Ika Sainokami, still poking her trapped King with her finger.

I need to reassess my evaluation of her.

“This way of death made me see you in a new light. You ………… have completely abandoned your humanity.”

There were signs even in the early game.

How she used waiting time, too.

Playing so well despite obviously not reading anything.

Since my way of thinking is rather different from most people as well, I can pretty much tell just how far she has strayed from humanity.

“It’s discomforting, even for me. Aren’t you the least bit scared?”

“………… Ahaaa,” grins the stalker girl even though she lost.

Did Yaichi really date her? That is actually impressive. What are the chances this develops feelings for anyone?

“I can tell you’re not following any of this. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped after breaking to this extent. ………… But there’s still one question left unanswered ……,” I say mostly to myself.

“Um …… Sorry to interrupt your review session.”

The reporters are already inside the arena, and one representative is holding a microphone out to me.

“I’d like to get your thoughts on today’s match …… if that’s all right with you.”

“Oh, yes. Of course.”

The reporters must think Miss Sainokami spazzing out is from the shock that comes from losing to an instant death. They look so apologetic. Don’t worry! This person was a spaz to begin with.

“Then …… we’ll start with your comments as the victor, Kunugi 4-dan.”

“Sure.”

Huge waves of camera flashes wash over me if I so much as nod or blink. I look away to shield my eyes, but even that gets called refined on the internet, apparently. Public opinion is putty in my hand.

“Would you give us a quick overview of the match?”

“Hm …… Let me think. From the start all the way into the midgame, I thought my opponent played very well.”

First, praise the defeated.

This is very important, even if it is vague. People will eat it up, posting things like, “That’s our Sota-kyuuun!” on social media. It also makes defeat an easier pill to swallow for the loser. That way, I never make enemies no matter how many players I beat.

Well, it is true that something surprised me during this match, strategic quality aside!

“Especially the 46th move, moving the Promoted Pawn backward. I hadn’t considered that sequence, so my heart jumped a little ……”

“When were you aware of your victory?”

“Once I promoted my Pawn at 2 One, I had a feeling that I was starting to pull away ……”

“Thank you.”

Shogi specifics don’t do very well for audience ratings, so that line of questions gets cut off there. Which is nice.

“This is your 26th victory in a row. Now that the record of 28 is so close, what do you think are your chances of breaking it?”

“Rather than the record, I want to focus on the next match in front of me.”

“You are now the champion from Group 6 of the Ryuo Tournament. Please tell us your goals once the main tournament is underway.”

“I’ll be doing my best to secure 28 of 171.”

“171? …… What?”

“I want to play in the title match! That’s what it means. ♡”

A little mysteriousness is the key to becoming popular.

That, and a smile that jumps off the screen. As long as I have got those, notoriety will never be a problem. They are life hacks!

“Thank you very much. Now then———”

The reporter points the microphone at the upper seat and works up the courage to talk.

“…… Pardon me, Ms. Sainokami? If there’s anything you’d like to say ……”

“………… aa ………… pa … … … … … … …”

“U-Um ………… Since Kunugi 4-dan has already provided some analysis of the match, I’d like to get your opinion on another topic. A certain Women’s League player said she wanted to test into the professional league the other day. What is your view on ……”

“Hyeee ………… pa ………… pa-pa-pa-pa …………”

“………………”

Everyone can tell that she’s in no condition to do an interview.

The reporters give up and start getting ready to leave when suddenly.

“Pa-paa.”

“Huh?! What did you say?”

All of them turn back to face her at once to decipher what this drooling girl is babbling about.

The loser then says.

“I gotta get Papa to chip in more child support.”

…… That truly odd statement was cut from their reports and never saw the light of day.

No one except the people in this room knew she ever said it, and I’m probably the only one who thought anything of it.

Who is this Papa Ika Sainokami mentioned?

And what does child support mean in this instance?