Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 2 - Chapter 1.2

  MANSION

“Oh, wow, wow …… This mansion is huge ……”

“He said he had one of the old European-style mansions near the port moved out here.”

Made from bricks, it sits on a hill overlooking the town, which is filled with unique Western buildings.

You can see all the way out over Kobe to the ocean from the front door. Can’t beat this view.

“That being said, he’s made quite a few changes. Installing a tatami room for Shogi matches is a given, but he also turned the roof into a beer garden.”

“Beer garden!!”

She sounds surprised, like she doesn’t completely understand …… But, growing up at an inn with a hot spring, I’m pretty sure she gets the gist.

“So, who lives in this place?”

“A novelist.”

“Really?! Master, I’ve never met an author before!”

“Is-Is that right ……?”

“What kind of books does he write?”

“…… Romance novels, I guess …… For adults ……”

“How wonderful!!”

“……”

I really don’t know how to describe the master of this house to my sparkly eyed apprentice.

His name is Dan Onizaka.

The romantic novels he writes …… are bestsellers in the sensual novel genre.

His most famous work is called Net and Meat.

As for the content, I’d like to avoid going into too much detail, but I think you’d understand what a book with a beautiful woman strung up like a slab of meat on the cover would be about.

To be blunt–––he’s a master S & M novelist.

“Well, he used to be a grade school teacher, but apparently he would turn his classes into a study hall so he could write ……”

“Wow!”

To think he was writing S & M. That little anecdote became legendary.

“But, Master. Why do you know an author who lives in a big mansion like this?”

“Onizaka-sensei is a Shogi enthusiast and, as I said before, he helped me out a lot when I was in the Sub League.”

We call people who are particularly fond of games like Shogi and Go enthusiasts. Once they find a favorite player, they take his or her lessons as a way to support them.

In sumo wrestling terms: tanimachi. They’re patrons. Apparently, Ai’s grandfather was like that as well.

“He’s been supporting me like a benefactor since I first started learning under Master Kiyotaki. He heard that I took an apprentice and said he’d be delighted to meet you.”

“Meet …… me?”

“Yeah. So, you’re the one taking center stage today, not me.”

“I am?!”

“Your first job.”

Gently teasing my surprised apprentice, we step through the front gate.

Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about bringing an elementary school girl inside this mansion owned by a man who writes scandalous novels …… Well, probably safer than someone who writes light novels. All those guys have Lolita complexes.

Onizaka-sensei prefers mature women, most of his heroines are widows and he comes off as a normal friendly geezer despite writing what he does, I reassure myself as I open the front door and …… Right there in the entrance way!!

“Master! Look at that wooden horsey!”

Ai immediately spots the triangular torture device with a horse’s head on the front and jumps for joy. I’m on the verge of panic.

“Oooh! There’s a whip on the wall over here! Oh, wow! It’s so thick! Hey, hey, Master. We can pretend we’re cowboys!”

“……Yes, we could.”

“Huh, what’s this, Master? It’s all bumpy. And there’s something weird sticking up at the bottom. What is this?”

“L-Let’s go to the back room! It’d be rude to keep Onizaka-sensei waiting! Okay?!”

“Oh-oh! M-Master! This thing dances when you press the button?!”

“Just get moving!!”

I take the dancing bumpy thing from Ai’s hand and chuck it far out of sight before the two of us follow a red carpet to a room at the back of the mansion.

Then I scream at the grinning geezer sitting in the corner, “Onizaka-sensei! What was all that?!”

“All that? How do you mean?”

“The wooden horse, the whip, that bumpy thing! Why did you put all of that in the front hallway?!”

“I did a little redecorating.”

“When?!”

“This morning.”

“You did that on purpose?!!”

Perverted geezer! Lining up all that stuff for an elementary schooler?!

“Master? Is there something wrong with putting the horsey in the front hallway?”

“You should never leave toys around!!”

“I thought a kiddo would get a kick out of them.”

Oh, she got a kick out of them all right! That’s the problem!

“Oh, okay, that’s enough chitchat. I’m itching for a game.”

“……”

Onizaka-sensei cheerfully starts setting up a Shogi board. I can’t stay mad at him, not after seeing his innocent side. I turn to face my patiently waiting apprentice to address her.

“…… Ai. You remember what I taught you, right?”

“Y-Yes!”

Once she takes a fan out of her purse, Ai sets it down in front of her knees and bows as low as she can with both hands on the tatami mat. Then, she introduces herself.

“I’m Ai Hinatsuru, a member of the Kansai Shogi Association and the Kuzuryu Shogi family tree. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

“So, you’re Ai, eh?”

Onizaka-sensei’s gaze falls tenderly on Ai as my apprentice introduces herself without stuttering. I swear, that’s the face of an old man about to give his granddaughter some money.

“All right then. Shall we start without a handicap?”

“Sure! Ready when you are!!”

“You got spunk, kiddo,” said Sensei, narrowing his eyes as he made his first move. Seriously, any kid would be happy to call him grandpa when he’s like this. How could anyone so warm and friendly write perverted novels? Weird.

By the way, Onizaki-sensei is amateur 4-dan …… At least on paper. I’d say he is actually closer to 2-dan.

This disparity is because of his services to the association–––he donates so much money to help promote the game that they decided to promote him as a thank you. Doing that for famous people is an important part of the association’s diplomacy.

On the other hand, Ai is a genuine amateur 4-dan.

She can hold her ground against 5-dan players now. People that hold amateur 5-dan are in a class strong enough to represent entire prefectures in tournaments. Since most of her experience has come from Shogi puzzles and playing against people on the Internet, Ai doesn’t know how to read between the lines during a match, let alone hold back.

That’s why she put Onizaka-sensei in checkmate with ease.

“Whew, you’re good! I don’t stand a chance without a handicap.”

Even after losing, Sensei chuckles and says, “One more! Can I ask you to take away your Bishop?”

“S-Sure! Ready when you are!!”

A new match was underway as soon as the pieces were set in place. However, Ai doesn’t have the Bishop in her ranks this time.

And not having a Bishop affects a lot more on the board than just being one big piece down.

“……?!”

Ai had to catch her breath as Onizaka-sensei advances much faster than before. A smirk crawls across his lips, curling deeper than I ever thought possible.

“Surprised, are you? I’m pretty good at playing with a handicap.”

Onizaka-sensei has been playing against pro players and Support League members for decades.

In other words, he’s played hundreds of matches as the shita-te, the lower player.

Therefore, he has far more experience playing with a handicap than in even matches, against the best and brightest of the Shogi world no less. No one is better at playing as a lower player than him. Every single pro and Women’s League player Onizaka-sensei has helped out over the years, including Big Sis and myself, have suffered at the hands of this hypocritical geezer in handicap matches.

I can’t remember who it was, but they gave him the perfect alias–––Uwate-Killing Demon.

“So, what’d you think? Can’t overlook my style, now can you?”

“Keh ……!”

“Then again, being good with a handicap is nothing to hang your hat on.”

This match turned into a heated battle mostly because Ai isn’t used to being the uwa-te or upper player. Her not wanting to lose in front of her master is only compounding the pressure, I’m sure.

Was this too much ……?

But she’ll be playing more matches as the upper player as she climbs up the Practice League ranks. It’d be better to have her go through baptism of fire here and now.

With those thoughts in my head and my eyes glued to the board, someone else comes into the room and takes a seat next to me.

“I will be observing for a while.”

“Ah, sure ……”

I nod without even thinking.

It’s a man about Onizaka-sensei’s age dressed in traditional Japanese clothing.

While not very tall, he’s distinguished. Being this close, I can almost feel his presence on my skin. He’s got an air that only a man who’s been through many trials and tribulations could possess … There’s no doubt in my mind he’s spent most of his life competing. Strange people who don’t identify themselves pass through Onizaka-sensei’s mansion all the time. Maybe he plays Go? I doubt anyone that plays mahjong or chess would dress like that ……

I wanted to ask, but I restrained myself because it’s rude to start a conversation next to the board in the middle of a match.

“Now, now. With this many pieces on my side, that King should be as good as mine ……”

The late game has arrived and Onizaka-sensei is in the lead.

Ai’s defenses have been decimated, and now her only hope of victory is to advance her King into enemy territory. However, that’s going to be extremely difficult. One slightly wrong move and this match’ll be over on the spot–––.

“…… Here, here, here, hereherehereherehereherehere …… Yes!!”

Ai confidently advances her King with a path in mind.

Once she safely advanced across the board, she promptly put the lower player’s King into checkmate.

“Woah …… You’re good! Really good!”

Onizaka-sensei tosses some of his captured pieces onto the board to signal his surrender. He’s got a smile on his face, but I’m sure losing in that fashion has him burning up inside.

“You’re a head above the rest once the pieces start clashing. Never thought I’d lose from that position. I’m stunned ……”

“Uh, umm …… If you had moved to this piece here, I would have lost ……” 

“…… You’re a nice kiddo, Ai.”

The elderly gentleman next to me and I watch them start a review session for a moment before he strikes up a conversation in a quiet voice.

“For one so young, a girl even, to defeat a grown man benefiting from a handicap …… Mr. Onizaka informed that me a talented child was coming today, but I had no idea she’d be this good.”

“That’s because she is talented.”

“Doesn’t having that talent at your mercy frighten you?”

“Very much so. Yes.”

My body leans in by itself as I agree with every word he says.

“I’m always worried that I might do something that slows down her progress or wastes her talent. I’m constantly wondering …… if there’s a better way to teach her.”

“However I do believe you possess the same talent as she. Why not raise her the same way you developed your own talent?”

“Everything would be so much easier if that were the case ……” 

I massage my forehand and reveal what’s been tormenting me. I could never say this stuff to someone in the Shogi world. After all, there are things you can only say to people you don’t know.

“There are many different ways to improve. There’s no guarantee that studying Shogi as much as you can will bear fruit.”

“You don’t say ……” 

“But, you’ll never get better without studying. In that case, you’ve got to find the right amount of studying for you personally, but everyone is different. In the end, I think that only the players who figure out what works for them will rise to the top of the Shogi world. That’s what makes teaching so difficult. She might regress because of how I teach.”

“Is that so?”

“But I don’t have an answer. I’m not cut out to be a Master ……” 

“Your concern shows that you care.”

“But I have to produce results. It’s that kind of world.”

“Is it now ……?”

The elderly gentleman folds his arms across his chest and looks to the floor, deep in thought.

“……To consider such details while still so young …… Now I understand why that honorable man was so insistent ……”

“What?”

“I have witnessed something wonderful today. Now, I shall take my leave–––.”

With those few words, the elderly gentleman left the room.

His farewell was so smooth that I lost my chance to ask him his name.