Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 2 - Chapter 2.3

  GRADE SCHOOLER PRACTICE GROUP AGAIN

“I’m hooome.”

I stopped by one of New World’s fried kebab places to pick up some food before going home. I was greeted by the excited voices of a few elementary school girls coming from the back of my apartment.

Mio’s head pops out of the tatami room as she calls out, “Ah! Kujuryu-sensei is back!”

The acting leader of their practice group, Mio Mizukoshi is in the fourth grade, like Ai. Also she’s my apprentice’s first Shogi friend: she’s a little ball of energy.

What’s more, the two are in the same class at school. It’s all thanks to Mio that Ai’s move from the north coast was so stress free, and she’s adjusted to Osaka so quickly. Such a good girl. Still she can’t correctly pronounce my name though.

“Grade Schooler Practice Group.”

It’s a practice group made up of Ai and her three closest Shogi friends.

It’s a simple gathering where the four of them come to this apartment to play Shogi two or three times a month. Unfortunately, neighbors started giving me strange looks and people say I have a Lolita complex (it’s worse on Internet chat rooms) because of these sessions. It hurts.

But I’m fine with it! I don’t care what they call me as long as my apprentice is improving!

The main thing is that all the girls here know that I’m not like that ……!

“Keeping your eyes on the board, everyone? I brought back a ton of kebabs, so dig in when you find a good stopping point–––.”

“Masta!”

Ahh, an angel♡

A golden, fluffy blur flies toward my legs as I lift the bag of kebabs out of the way.

Charlette Isoir, six years old now.

She’s a mind-blowingly cute little girl who goes to a school for French kids in Kyoto as well as a Shogi classroom over there.

She may be a little behind everyone else in terms of Shogi skill, but she’s a doll, tries really hard and is just so darn cute.

“Masta. Cha has a reqwest for Masta. Okay?”

“Ah! Charlette–––.”

“Wait, wait! We’re not done talking about it yet!”

Ai and Charlette’s guardian of sorts, Ayano Sadatou, comes barreling out of the room to chase down the angel.

Charlette is being surprisingly forward today. “Unf, ummf,” and making cute little noises as she tries to climb up my legs. Just what does she want to ask? She’s so cute I kinda want to grant her wish, no matter what it is.

“Master, to tell the truth …… Charlette, um ……” 

Ai is trying to say something, but it looks like she can’t put it into words. The look on her face is really strange. Besides being puzzled, there are some shades of anger and irritation in there too.

I set the bag of kebabs on top of the shelf by the door and pick Charlette up, holding her so I can look at the golden-haired angel right in the eyes and ask.

“What is it, Charlette?”

“Um, you see? You see?”

She seems embarrassed yet excited at the same time, like she’s about to tell me a big secret. Then, she finally says it.

“You see, Cha? Can Cha …… be Masta’s apwentice?”

Say what?!

“Charlette …… you want to be my apprentice?”

“Yep!”

“And, you want to live with me?”

“Yep!!”

She nods really hard in my arms. That smile of hers is so cute I swear it could melt right off her face. Such a little angel ……

I want nothing more than to give her a big hug, yell, “I’ll make you the happiest girl on earth!!” and take her as my apprentice right here on the spot. However, I come to my senses in the nick of time. Whew, that was close ……

Both she and Ayano go to Kayaoku 7-dan’s classroom over in Kyoto.

It would make a lot more sense for her to be her apprentice instead–––.

“Ayano. What about Kayaoku-sensei ……?”

“For the most part, Master Kayaoku lets students do what they want.”

Like a machine, Ayano answers my question right away. She’s got a good head on her shoulders.

“She told us that she’d be happy to be our Master, but she’ll put in a good word for us if there’s a different professional we’d like to ask.”

“Well, that’s nice of her.”

“Very much so! I love my Master,” Ayano proudly declares with a look of love and admiration in her eyes. Just from that, I can tell Kayaoku-sensei is a very good teacher.

She’s also connected to my Shogi family tree, four generations to be exact. Currently a member of the Women’s League and the titleholder, she’s one of the best in Kyoto, and that’s saying something because many titleholders live there. She’s the leader of the pack, if you will. Then again, we have a women’s titleholder among us too (grimace).

But that’s not important.

“I …… can’t take you as my apprentice.”

“Wha?”

I guess she didn’t think I’d say no. Her whole body flinches and her eyes fly open in shock as if I had just slapped her across the face. And I could swear that a bit of relief passed across Ai’s worried eyes as she watched.

“Cha …… can’t to be Masta’s apwentice?”

“…… No. It’s not possible.”

“Why?! Why not?!”

She wraps her arms around my neck, clinging to me and asking “Why?!” again and again like a broken record. Those big blue eyes of hers are tearing up.

Her pure-hearted disappointment feels like a knife in my chest.

“You said yes to Ai, but why no to Cha?!”

“Charlette ……”

Ai heard everything, but the tiny voice that came out of her mouth sounded like she did something wrong.

Here’s the reason why Ai got a yes, but Charlette got a no.

Simply put: discrimination—the distinct difference in talent between them.

Charlette is still only six years old, but that’s not the issue. I mean, I was six when I moved in with Master to become his apprentice and Big Sis was four when she got accepted. Youth is often treated like potential in this world. It’s certainly a positive.

So, what doesn’t she have?

As of now: skill, the will to train and–––talent.

I came to the decision that Charlette doesn’t have enough.

It’s said that skill is everything in the Shogi world. Without skill, you can never succeed. I can’t drag someone down this path knowing they won’t have a chance to succeed and be happy.

Of course, everyone has a shot. I might just be blind to her true ability.

If I started training her now, she could go on to be a big success in the Women’s League. I can’t completely rule that out.

But that’s where I’m not good enough. Someone with Ai’s level of talent and determination might be able to improve just by being around me, but ……

No.

Even with Ai’s talent and determination, I’m still …… the truth is, I can’t help her improve on my own.

“She’s getting worse.” Big Sis’s words that night killed my confidence.

“…… I just can’t take you as an apprentice, Charlette.”

I repeat myself.

But if I leave Charlette like this, that innocent spirit of hers will be forever scarred. And it won’t just be Charlette, Ai’ll be cut pretty deep too. Who knows what effect that’ll have on her.

–––I’ve got to find a way to avoid that at the very least.

I need to turn Charlette’s request down and yet have her leave happy–––is there even a way to pull that off?!

I read the situation for just a few seconds worth of waiting time and come up with a move that just might work …

“I can’t take you as an apprentice. But–––.”

“Bwut ……?”

Charlette looks up at me with big, watery blue eyes that could burst at any moment as I set up to hit this problem right out of the park!

“I can’t take you as an apprentice, but …… I can take you as a bride!!”

Ai’s eyes go wide, her jaw falling halfway to the floor the instant those words come out of my mouth. For some reason, Mio and Ayano are turning pale.

Meanwhile, Charlette blinks those big eyes a few times and tilts her head.

“…… Bwide?”

“Yep. Bride. My bride.”

“Cha, can be Masta’s bride?”

“That you can!”

“Wha♡”

She’d been on the verge of tears just a second ago, but now she’s happily rubbing her cheek against my chest.

“You see? Bwide is much better than awpentice for Cha!”

“Isn’t it?! So much better?!”

“Pwomiss kiss! Mwahh♡”

“Hahaha! Such a precious bride I have. But remember, not till after you graduate high school, okay?”

I joke around with Charlette, responding in kind when I suddenly feel my apprentice’s eyes looking right at me as if to say, “What the hell does that mean?!” 

Hey, I’m good at dealing with spoiled kids.

Have a look for yourself! Now bask in the Dragon King’s resourcefulness and all its glory!

“Master darabuchi! Lolita complex!! Loli King!!”

Huh? This is a disaster.

“Offering to marry a little girl that just started elementary school, what are you thinking?! Pervert!!”

“J-Just calm down, Ai!” She’s right! Spitting at the heavens will just get spit in your eye!!

Mio and Ayano rush in to restrain my first apprentice. How did it end up like this?

Then again …… since I was so quick to turn down Charlette, it’s going to be a lot harder to bring up Ai Yashajin.

What’s worse, judging by my apprentice’s reaction to this whole thing, she wouldn’t be open to the idea of me taking another apprentice at all …… Actually she might outright refuse (me taking a bride even more so).

It’s true that apart from being my apprentice, Ai lives with me. She’s in a position where any decision I make about the living situation also affects her. Thinking about it like that, taking an apprentice or a bride without getting her permission beforehand might be out of bounds, maybe even dangerous.

Well, it’s not like I’m taking Ai Yashajin as an apprentice anyway. She’s just a short-term student, so that’s fine …… right? Right?!