Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 3 - Chapter 2.3

  RANGING ROOK

“What?! M-Master …… Are you going to join the Ranging Rook party?”

The first one to respond to my request was Ai.

Her clapping hands hanging frozen in midair, she screamed until she was blue in the face.

“Y-You wouldn’t ……! You always call it Failing Rook! You always say that you never knew what would make someone want to use such a useless strategy!”

“PWFF?! H-Hold on a second, Ai–––.”

“That the Ranging Rook party is a wretched lot stuck in the past who play without a plan, depending on lucky fingers and a prayer?! You’ve said that to me so many times that I try my hardest every day to never lose to someone who plays Ranging Rook ……!”

“Ai! Shh! SHHHHHH––––––!!”

She’s not making this up. I’ve poked fun at the Ranging Rook playing style before but … Coming here to the Ranging Rook capital and saying those things would be like cheering for the Giants at a Tigers game at Koushien Stadium here in Osaka, like wearing a New York Yankees jersey at Fenway Park in Boston. I-I won’t make it out of here alive ……!

The Shogi fans here at the classroom (all Ranging Rook party members) menacingly glare at me, the Ryuo, and start whispering among themselves.

“…… Kuzuryu’s only ever been Static Rook since he was a kid, right?”

“Yeah. Won the elementary school Meijin Tournament with Static, and was that way in the Sub League if I remember right ……”

“Word is he’s into little girls, too ……”

“Yeah. Into them ……”

They’re right about the Shogi part. Only the Shogi part.

“…… I can’t deny I’ve always played Static Rook. I’ve played hundreds, if not thousands of matches against Ranging Rook players, thinking of them as the enemy … I’ve studied and researched as hard as I could to wipe them out completely.”

As I put my hand over my squirming apprentice’s mouth to keep her quiet, I explain the reason why I want to give Ranging Rook a try. “However! It didn’t matter how outnumbered they were or how much research we did, Static Rook players have failed to eliminate the Ranging Rook party! Therefore, there must be something to the strategy that Static Rook doesn’t have! I want to learn what it is and use it myself! To become worldly, like you, Maestro ……!!”

There’s a deep divide between the Static and Ranging Rook players.

Even Big Sis, back when she was four years old and meeting Mr. Oishi for the first time, walked right up to him and said, “So, you’re Mitsuru?” As if rudely calling him by his first name wasn’t enough, she followed that up with, “Stop picking on Master!! All Ranging Rook players should just go away and never come back!!”

Master was shocked, and the Maestro could only force a smile.

No matter how many times in a row our Master had gone against Mr. Oishi in league matches and lost, to actually go up and say it to his face like that … It was quite the shock, and I was only a six-year-old bystander back then. She’s been a terror since before kindergarten.

Despite getting off on the wrong foot, Mr. Oishi has always been kind to Big Sis and me. I think it’s probably because we’re about the same age as his daughter. Asuka and I were in the same year in school.

That’s why he might help me out.

At least, that’s what I was banking on when I asked, but–––.

“…… Alright. I get where you’re coming from.”

“! So, you’ll–––.”

“And? Why do I have to teach you how to play Ranging Rook?”

“W-Well … I’m not asking you to do it for free, more like a give-and-take. I’ll let you in on the latest strategies that Static Rook players are using …… as a study partner ……”

“Partner? Someone who was so easily overpowered by my worldly symphony—my partner?”

“Ugh ……!”

“Not to mention, Yaichi. I saw you lost to Natagiri yet again.”

“…… I did.”

“Which would mean you’ve never won a single match against him.”

“…… I haven’t.”

“Pitiful …… Natagiri was the bottom feeder of my generation, I’ll have you know.”

Mr. Natagiri is thirty-eight years old. So is Mr. Oishi.

They may be the same age, but the timing of their pro debuts and accomplishments was completely different. Mr. Oishi went pro, rose all the way to the A League and even claimed a title in his twenties, while Mr. Natagiri joined the A League only last year and has only appeared in one title match.

While I think that’s a more than decent resume, Mr. Oishi is pretty harsh on Mr. Natagiri. Maybe it’s the rivalry between Kansai and Kanto?

“The Ryuo, losing to that? Losing to that talentless wannabe …… I played against him all the time in the Sub League’s 3-dan division and never lost once.”

My apologies. I’ve already lost three times.

“Natagiri finally turned professional after I was gone. My happy-go-lucky Gokigen always had his number.”

“So, what’s your point?! Master is the Ryuo! He is the best there is!! He doesn’t need to learn how to play some Ranging strategy with a weird name! We’re the ones turning you down!!” Ai broke away from me, gasping for breath before jumping to her feet and unleashing that tirade. HEEEEEEY?!

“Listen, Ai …… I’m not the best player, and if I don’t learn Ranging Rook–––.”

“Why?! You’re the best just the way you are! Your aigakari is unbeatable! You don’t need to learn any kind of Ranging Rook!! Isn’t that right?!”

“Ai ……”

Seeing me use aigakari in the Ryuo title match is what inspired her to play Shogi in the first place.

That’s why her first move is always to advance the Pawn in front of her Rook …… Basically, she has a bias for Static Rook.

That’s because she idolizes my playing style and why she stubbornly claims that I’m the best.

Hearing her say that makes me really happy … But, that bias needs to go.

She won’t be able to keep winning in the Practice League if she doesn’t get rid of it.

“…… Ai, what’s your strategy if you go first?”

“Aigakari!!”

“And if you go second?”

“Aigakari!!!”

“So, let’s say that you perfect aigakari to the point that you always win with it if you go first.”

“Yay! No one could beat me on offense!!”

“But, you’d always lose on defense, yes?”

“……?”

Ai, in the middle of a happy dance, comes to a sudden stop.

“M-Master! There’s a problem! I’d have nothing to play on defense!!”

“Let’s take it a step further. Do you think you could successfully defend against a strategy that has been determined to be unbeatable?”

“Huh? Of course, I don’t think I could … Oh no?!”

“You see my point?”

“M-Master! There’s an even bigger problem!! I’d have nothing to play on offense!!”

“That’s right. The defensive player will always avoid playing against a style once that particular strategy is determined to be unbeatable on offense. Therefore that strategy never shows up on the board again. In other words, an unbeatable strategy is pointless.”

“The pro world is rough ……”

“Perfection is just a dream.”

Men, no matter who they are, want to have that one ultimate weapon: a strategy that guarantees victory.

But the moment they get it, it becomes moot in the pro Shogi world.

That man, who should’ve become the greatest of all time, has his one and only weapon taken away and falls back to the bottom.

“That’s why it’s too risky to specialize in one strategy or another. At the very least, very few of those players make it to the top.”

Shogi strategies come and go in a very short cycle.

Players who were dominating with a certain strategy in the spring just can’t seem to win once summer comes around.

“When I have the first move, I play aigakari. When I move second, Move-Loss Bishop Exchange is my strategy of choice. However, my opponents can easily avoid those patterns if they want to. That’s why I never get a chance to play them when I’m on a roll and get targeted when I’m on a losing streak. I need more variety to get good at several strategies.”

It’s just like baseball.

A pitcher might have a slider as sharp as a razor’s edge, but the batter’s eyes will adjust if that’s all that comes their way.

“There’s a chance that might work in a sudden-death tournament, but the league matches start soon …… And the placement matches too. In C-2, where I am, the competition is so fierce that I’ll have to win out to have any hope of advancing. I want as many cards up my sleeve as possible. Especially ones that my opponents won’t see coming.”

“And that’s why you want …… Ranging Rook?”

“Yes. It will be quite a surprise if someone who’s played only Static Rook like me were to use Ranging Rook, and–––.”

“Playing Ranging Rook is a great idea!”

Mr. Oishi had been quietly listening but suddenly jumped into the conversation.

“Static Rook only has three patterns: the yaguras, Bishop Exchanges and Aerial Battles,” Mr. Oishi explains while holding up three fingers. 

On a side note, aigakari and Side Pawn Capture fall into the Aerial Battle category because big pieces like the Bishop and Rook fly around the board as if locked in a dogfight.

“But Ranging Rook is different! First, there’s the Central Rook strategies, Third-File Rook, Fourth-File Rook and Opposing Rook. That’s already more patterns than Static Rook!”

“Ooo?!”

Ai has sparkles in her eyes.

“But wait! Ranging Rook also has defensive formations like the mino gakoi and anaguma! Combine them with the other strategies, and that’s eight different patterns! More than double what Static Rook can do!!”

“OOOO!!”

“There’s more! Whether or not you execute, a Bishop Exchange plays a major role, so double those: sixteen different patterns! Not to mention the wild frontier known as Ai furibisha where both players use Ranging Rook strategies! That’s seventeen patterns altogether!! Six times the options compared to what Static Rook can do!!”

“Master! Ranging Rook is amazing! So many possibilities!!”

“Wait, wait, wait. Just hold on a second. That’s not how it is.”

I pull my very nearly brainwashed apprentice back down to earth. I’ve heard some weird logic before, but this was ridiculous …… 

“If you follow that line of thinking, then Static Rook has five patterns: yagura, Bishop Exchange, Move-Loss Bishop Exchange, aigakari and Side Pawn Capture—not to mention the limitless defensive formations you can add it to each of them.”

“Oo …… Ooo?”

Ai looks up at me in confusion, head tilted as if there’s a big “?” floating over her. Adorable.

“So, in the end …… Static and Ranging: which one is better?”

Mr. Oishi and I speak at the same time, our voices drowning each other out.

“Static Rook, of course.” 

“Ranging Rook, without question.”

“Cough.” I clear my throat as the two of us exchange cautionary glances before I give my apprentice a straight answer.

“…… It’s not about which one is better. It’s being able to use both that makes someone the best.”

“Both ……? But, can that–––?”

“It can be done,” I say with as much authority as I can muster. Finally, I have a strong image of what I want to become in my head.

“At the very least, players who can do both are in the best position.”

“The best? But, you’re the best, Master …… You’re the Ryuo, aren’t you?”

“I don’t even come close. It’s not just me. No Shogi player in history measures up to him.”

“And …… Who would that be?”

“The Meijin.”

Twenty-five years before I turned pro, he appeared on the scene as the third junior high school pro Shogi player in history … A genius who conquered the Shogi world in the blink of an eye.

He claimed all seven titles, a few of which he still has, and became someone who everyone had to recognize as the best.

“It’s true that using both Static Rook and Ranging Rook is very difficult. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it … But only a handful of people actually can. I think you need to be as talented as the best Shogi players and need to train so much that Shogi gets engrained into your blood in order to pull it off. I don’t know if I have it in me. But–––.”

If that’s the path that leads to being the best.

If that’s how to break my wall. If that’s the way to improve.

The way to become a player who can perfectly execute Static Rook and Ranging Rook strategies–––.

To become someone everyone recognizes as the best, like him–––.

“I will become–––an All-Rounder!!!”

Mr. Oishi looks stunned. He’s not the only one. Everyone in the room looks at me with wide eyes after my declaration. Becoming an All-Rounder is a dream that’s hard to fulfill.

No amount of determination will guarantee things will work out the way you want. Making that kind of claim is bold, for sure.

But I’m the one who turns that determination into reality. It’s all on my shoulders.

That determination, that courage …… probably came from seeing my apprentice improve so quickly.

As for that apprentice, Ai looks at me and says, “M …… Master ……… That was so cool …… ♡”

Hands on her cheeks, she looks up at me after my All-Rounder declaration like she’s in a trance.

“D-Do you really think so? Is it?”

“You can do it! I’ll become an All-Rounder with you!!”

She follows behind me like an innocent little puppy, but suddenly looks concerned and says, “Ah, but …… How would you play Ranging Rook?”

“All you need to play Ranging Rook is a heart filled with burning passion,” interjects Mr. Oishi with confidence. 

Crap, now Ranging Rook sounds cool …… 

“Why not learn how to play Ranging Rook right here if you’re interested? I’ll even teach you myself.”

“Really?!”

The Maestro’s offer makes Ai’s eyes sparkle. Hey!

“Hey, hey, Mr. Oishi?! Didn’t you just refuse to teach me–––.”

“I just didn’t see any real benefit to you playing Ranging Rook, but a cute young lady like her? Ranging Rook will become more popular overnight, don’t you think? That’s what give and take is all about. So, tell me young lady, what’s your name?”

“Ai Hinatsuru, I’m in the fourth grade! D-1 in the Practice League!”

“Ai, meaning love …… A great name. Half the world is built on love ……”

“What about the other half?”

“Ranging Rook, what else would it be?”

So then, where’s Static Rook?

“She’s got a lot of spunk. Osakan?”

“No. She’s from Ishikawa Prefecture …… Wakura was it? Her family owns an inn with a hot spring there. That’s where last year’s Ryuo title match was held, and seeing that is what got her into Shogi in the first place–––.”

“Wakura hot spring ……? Hinatsuru?”

The cool as a cucumber look on Mr. Oishi’s face was gone in an instant.

“Hinatsuru! Are you talking about Hinatsuru?! As in the best hot spring inn in Japan?!”

“I believe so.”

“Slow down … How would a young lady with that kind of background end up as your apprentice ……?”

“Well, it’s hard to explain. Going with the flow? I guess?”

I’m not exactly sure how it came to this myself.

“And the Ryuo title match was last Christmas, yes? And she’s already in D-1? You’re pulling my leg, right?”

“No, that’s true. She finished Zukou three months after learning how to play. All by herself too.”

“Zukou …… Shogi Zukou, that book of Shogi puzzles? Yaichi, if you’re going to lie, at least make it believable–––.”

“Ai.”

“Yeees?”

“King’s line, 8 One King, 9 One Lance, 8 Three Pawn, 7 Four Bishop, 9 Four Gold. Attacking line, 5 Two Rook, 5 Three Promoted Bishop. Silver on the piece stand.”

“5 Four Promoted Bishop, 6 Three Silver, 9 Two Silver, taken by the Lance, 6 Three Promoted Bishop, taken by the Bishop, 8 Two Silver to checkmate.”

“?! A-all that in her head in the blink of an eye … For real?”

Mr. Oishi wasn’t the only one gawking, everyone was looking at Ai with their mouths hanging open … I’m not sure when she came upstairs, but Asuka is in the crowd with the same shocked look on her face.

The problem I just gave Ai is called a High Road Shogi puzzle. Just to clear up any confusion, it’s one of the puzzles that stumps a lot of people. The sequence is pretty short, but it’s hard to figure out.

And this tiny little girl did it in no time flat …… Add in the fact that she did it all in her head, it’d be impossible not to be surprised.

“………”

Mr. Oishi looks like his brain is going a mile a minute as he lights another cigarette and takes several long drags.

“Hmm …… I see. Yes ……… Alright then.”

One quick glance at his daughter and a satisfied nod later, Mr. Oishi put out the cigarette and turned to face me and Ai. 

“Yaichi.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve got a lot on my plate with A League placement matches right around the corner. A good sparring partner could be just what I need to get the competitive juices flowing, and I want a particularly skilled someone to help out around the bathhouse. To be blunt, I’d gave an arm and a leg for a young gun type player to join the Ranging Rook ranks. Therefore, I’d like to hire a part-timer.”

“Say what? …… A part-time worker?”

“Very much so. Someone to help run the bathhouse and work as a classroom assistant. If it’s alright with you, I’ll set the terms right now.”

“H-Hire a title holder as part-time help?!”

“No. I’m talking about Ai.”

“Huh?! Then what about me?!”

“You're part of Ai's deal, an extra perk.”

“Whaaat ……?”

What happened to me being her Master?

“No bellyaching. I’ll train both of you at once. Over the next two weeks, I’ll make you into perfect Ranging Rook players, so much so that you’ll feel like something’s missing if the Rook doesn’t travel side to side. Oh, and one more thing–––.”

“One more thing?”

The Worldly Maestro grins as Ai and I ask the same thing at the same time.

“You won’t need to be paid, right?”