Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 2 - Chapter 1.5

  THE 17TH

“Excuse me …… Ms. Oga?”

“One’s name is thus.”

Not really sure how to ask, so I tried to get some information out of the woman who was walking in front of me.

“Well …… it’s, you know? I was just wondering if you could tell me anything before I speak to the chairman to, you know, put my mind at ease a little bit ……”

“One is not privy to that information.”

Shot down right then and there.

However, I know for a fact she’s lying.

“Don’t be like that. There’s nothing in this world you don’t know about, isn’t that right? You’ll tell me, won’t you?”

“……”

Ms. Oga stops walking.

Since her position as the chairman’s secretary sends her back and forth between the Kanto and Kansai branches of the Shogi Association, rumor has it she knows exactly what’s happening in the Shogi world at all times.

Also, her position allows her to review all documents that the chairman needs to see due to special circumstances.

The chairman has so much faith in this former Women’s League player, who knows everything from the public face to the inner workings of the Shogi world, that it’s rumored she does most of the job herself.

All this leads to her nickname—the Shadow Don.

“Then I propose an exchange of information.”

She said with a quick turn to face me. Exchange? What information?

“A survey that involves you, Ryuo, has been secretly making its way around the association staff and registered players.”

“About me? What kind of survey?”

“Predicting who will become your bride.”

“Come again?”

“There are three candidates: your Master’s daughter, your elder sister apprentice and your elementary school aged live-in apprentice. Here is the data thus far.”

Ms. Oga holds out her smartphone like it contains every secret in the world.

Keika Kiyotaki: 2 Votes

Ginko Sora: 17 Votes

Elementary School Girl: 163 Votes

Well, looks like the elementary school girl is way out in front.

“Huh? What the heck is this?! Just what kind of survey is it?! And why is the elementary school girl crushing the competition?!”

“It’s designed to find your best match: your relationship with the candidates, how the candidates treat you and what type of woman you find most attractive. Those elements were all considered to achieve these results. It is one’s assessment.”

“So that means everyone thinks I’ve got a Lolita complex?! The entire Shogi Association?!”

“I’m saying nothing of the sort, only that it’s possible to draw that conclusion from the collected data.”

“What other conclusions are there?!”

“So? In reality, who would you choose?”

Ms. Oga asks as she leans in close to me. I can feel her breath on my face.

“A-A little space please …” 

“Heh-heh. So, one’s feminine wiles were too much for you ……?”

“No, it wasn’t that.”

“Now I see. So, it’s true you only show interest in elementary school girls.”

“Why’d you jump to that conclusion?! What grounds do you have?!”

“Keep your voice down. We’re in front of the chairman’s office.”

“……”

As the Shadow Don ignores me, I shut up and she knocks on the door before announcing our presence.

“This is Oga. I’ve brought the Ryuo.”

“Come in.”

A crisp voice comes from inside the office. Ms. Oga opens the door and I step into the chairman’s office.

And inside that room–––I stand before a legend.

“It’s been far too long. I don’t believe we’ve spoken since the Ryuo crowning ceremony.”

“I-It nothing! I, I failed! To keep up …… correspondence ……” 

“Please relax. I haven’t called you here today to scold you.”

A living, breathing legend directs me to a sofa and says with a tint of humor in his voice, “And besides, you outrank me now, yes? Ryuo Yaichi Kuzuryu.”

“Not even close …… Please, don’t even joke about that Eternal Meijin …” 

Eternal Meijin–––only people that have held the title of Meijin, one of the Shogi world’s titles that ranks as high as Ryuo, for more than five consecutive seasons are allowed to keep their title when they retire.

There have only been seventeen of them since Soukei Oohashi in the early 1600s–––and the man in front of me is number seventeen.

Be that as it may, he is still very much a pro Shogi player with an A ranking.

He should be about the same age as my 50-something-year-old Master, Kousuke Kiyotaki 9-dan, but his lean frame makes him look barely a day over thirty. Simply put, they don’t look the same age at all …

Moonlight.

That’s how people describe the chairman’s playing style.

His beacon of light first appeared on the Shogi scene when he became the second junior high school pro Shogi player in history. He then proceeded to advance through C2, C1, B2, B1 and A rankings in all leagues without losing a match and was approved as the fastest and youngest Meijin ever.

Attacking like moonlight seeping through the cracks of a wall, he always found the fastest way to checkmate.

It’s said that pro players hoped for a quick death rather than to hold out against the chairman when he went on the attack. 

That’s because it’ll leave behind a beautiful record.

But his sense of aesthetics goes far beyond other players. He’s even thrown in the towel, joking that he “let the fastest checkmate get away” before in a must-win match.

He introduced speed into a Shogi world that valued strong defense above all else, a genius that practically built the foundation of the modern Shogi scene by himself. None other than Seiichi Tsukimitsu 9-dan.

But the god that granted him this light also took light away from him at the same time.

Blind Shogi Prodigy.

What’s even more impressive and awe-inspiring when talking about Seiichi Tsukimitsu than becoming the youngest and fastest Meijin in history is the fact that despite being blinded by an illness in his twenties, he still maintains his position as a top Shogi player.

Even professionals who have a Shogi board in their mind struggle to defeat another pro without being able to see the board all …… It might be better to say damn near impossible. But he took on that impossibility with a crisp, calm face and continues to compete at the A level to this day. While the current Meijin has a considerable lead on him in terms of titles, there are many who still swear that Seiichi Tsukimitsu is the best to ever play the game.

What would a living legend like him want with me–––?

“I would like you to accept an apprentice.”

…… Did I hear that right?

“She’s the granddaughter of a man who has made many generous contributions to the Shogi world for many years. The girl is nine and in the fourth grade.”

“W-Wait just a minute please! Why me ……? Why would you ask me?!”

“You like them, right? Elementary school girls.”

“Wha-wha-wha-what are you talking about?! I’m not like that at all?!”

“I’m only joking. He made the request.”

Joking around with a stoic face like that’ll give me a heart attack. Please, no more …

“It seems the girl in question refuses to become an apprentice to anyone without a current A rank or title in their possession.”

“R-Rather high demands …… 

There are only three people registered with the Kansai Association with titles right now: the man in front of me, Chairman Tsukimitsu, Worldly Maestro King Mitsuru Oishi, and me, the Ryuo.

Now if we were talking Women’s Titles, Big Sis has two of them and there’s Yamashiro Ouka and Machi Kugui, but they don’t even seem to be part of the equation. Well, Big Sis couldn’t take an apprentice anyway because she’s in the Sub League.

“My duties as chairman keep me very busy, so accepting an apprentice would be rather difficult. Mr. Oishi is currently on a ritual journey through Kyushu to prepare for his A rank league placement matches. He’s unreachable.”

“Oh … Is it that time of year again?”

Mr. Oishi has been going on these temple treks ever since his Sub League days and has become something like a seasonal clock for the Kansai Shogi world.

The league that determines who will challenge the current Meijin–––the placement matches start in June.

There aren’t many matches at all in April and May, so it’s a long spring break for pro Shogi players.

“That and Mr. Oishi isn’t the type to take an apprentice.”

“So, me?”

“I heard that you recently took an apprentice of your own. An elementary school girl at that.”

“Well, yes but …… I don’t think I could handle another ……” 

Ai is a great girl, a Shogi whiz kid that can cook and clean. Basically, she’s the super apprentice. But even still, she’s in elementary school girl, so I need to be very attentive. The fact that she is a live-in apprentice further complicates things.

Like a much younger sister … Nah, I’d say it’s more like I suddenly have a daughter.

Trying to imagine adding another one into the mix is making me dizzy. And there’s no doubt that everyone would think I’ve got a thing for little girls …… I deny it, but more girls keep showing up …… I can’t talk my way out of that one ……

“Please don’t think on this too hard.”

The chairman asks the impossible with a face as crisp as the moon in the night sky.

“A two-hour lesson once or twice a week at her residence in Kobe will suffice. Consider it an extra lesson on your schedule. That’s not much of the change, is it?”

“Two two-hour lessons a week ……” 

“Just until the placement matches in June, or even until she takes the Practice League test in May. That is fine. She can be registered as my apprentice on paper.”

“……”

It’s bound to work out okay … Right? 

It’s practically unheard of for someone to take a live-in apprentice like Ai these days. A “dry” relationship between master and apprentice where the only connection is on paper and they never play against each other is actually pretty common. If I fit her into my lesson schedule, it won’t be that big of a deal.

“They’re offering a bonus for accepting the job. I will handle the public side of things, but would you be willing to meet the girl at the very least?”

“…… Understood. I’ll go have a look for myself.”

I can’t possibly say no to the chairman if he’s going to push this much. He’s cleverly cut off all my escape routes.

This conversation would turn out to have a great impact on my life as well as the Shogi world as a whole …… but I had no idea at the time. No one could’ve ever predicted what was about to happen.

Except for one person–––Seiichi Tsukimitsu.