Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 4 - Chapter SS

REVIEW SESSION

“It looks like my apprentices’ll turn pro.”

I walk up to two young ladies in the Player’s Room at the association on a day in late August.

“Congratulations to you.”

“Meh, already knew though. I was watchin’ Mynavi.”

Machi Kugui claps her hands together to celebrate, but Ryou Tsukiyomizaka looks like she could care less. Both are big-name title holders and Women’s League mainstays. That … and they get bored easily. It’s best to steer clear of these two. Otherwise you’ll end up getting picked on, like me!

Since there’s a good chance my apprentices will join them in the Women’s League sooner rather than later, I came here today to give them a proper greeting …… But, I have another reason too. That’s–––.

“Present?”

“Yes. It might still be a little early, but I need to figure out what to give them for turning pro, something to celebrate the occasion …… Any ideas? Oh, and I’d like to get something for Keika too ……”

“A present? Gonna need a bit more to go on than that.”

“Setting Keika aside for the moment, your apprentices both attend elementary school, correct? I doubt you’ll find our opinions useful.”

“But both of you joined the Women’s League when you were in elementary school, didn’t you? Please, if you could tell me what your Masters gave you back then, that would really help me out here. Both of my apprentices are good enough to challenge for titles, so I think you two are the best ones to ask.”

I take a moment to brag a little and try talking to the Women’s King first.

“Ryou, did you get a present?”

“Me? Pieces. Moriage-Goma made with boxwood so they have that cool-lookin’ tiger skin pattern. They’re ryouko calligraphy style. I use them for studyin’ now.”

“M-Moriage-Goma ……? And, with a tiger pattern too ……?”

Moriage-Goma are Shogi pieces where the letters on each piece have been painted on in layers so they physically stand out. As they take so long to make, they’re extremely expensive and only get used for title matches.

In other words, they cost an arm and a leg. A complete set would be somewhere around 400 thousand yen.

Three of them would be–––Yikes! 1.2 million yen ……

“There’s a lot to like about pieces, and they make you want to practice! I love how crisp everythin’ is in the ryouko style. Best present I ever got. Just takin’ them out of the box and linin’ them up on the board made me feel like a real women’s pro.”

“I, uh, I see …… What about you, Machi?”

“Myself? I received a full kimono. That was my attire during my first title match.”

“R-Really …… A kimono ……?”

An ominous bead of cold sweat trickles down my back.

“P-Please excuse me for being rude but …… How much, um, do you think it was ……?”

“Let me think a moment. Price is no object when it comes to kimonos, but they’re not unreasonable.”

“Are they cheap?!”

“3 million yen, perhaps?”

“Thr-!”

No good. Her definition of unreasonable is completely different from regular people.

“Oi, what’re you gettin’ your feathers ruffled for, trash? Both your apprentices are title material? Yeah?”

“Y-Yes, they are but …… They’re still growing, so I think that can wait ……”

“Think about it: if they win their way into the Women’s League in the Mynavi Finals, they could go right up to the title match, yeah? There ain’t time to fix up a full kimono before it’ll start.”

“…… You have a point ……”

I received a traditional kimono from Master, as did Big Sis. Of course, he paid for it all. We aren’t even related by blood, but he dropped millions of yen on his apprentices all at once.

Masters never accept money from their apprentices, so the only way to say thank you is to do the same for your own apprentice ……

“Winning the Ryuo Title Match this year lined your pockets, didn’t it? It’s better to buy when you got extra cash, know what I mean?”

“Well ……”

“I have it!”

Clap! Hands together, Machi makes a suggestion.

“Why don’t I pull a few strings with a tailor I have close ties to in Kyoto and get a reduced estimate for you? The order will be for two nine-year-old girls and one twenty-five-year-old woman. So, three in total, yes? Would you like to include an obi sash? Make them full sets?”

“U-Um, yes. Well …… The two girls aren’t very tall so …… Combined, they’d need about the same amount of fabric as an adult ……”

Machi is already on the phone with the shop in Kyoto. Meanwhile, I’m running numbers through my head next to her. If one full set goes for 3 million, then 6 million should cut it ……

Hanging up, Machi turns to me and says.

“It’s all sorted out.”

“How much?”

“10 million yen.”

Where’d that extra zero come from?!

“Too much! Way too much?! I’ve seen what kimonos go for in department stores, and it wasn’t anywhere near that much?!”

“Long, hand-sewn kyo-yuzen patterned sleeves at this price is unheard of.”

“We’re talkin’ long sleeves, obi sashes, nagajuban under gowns, zouri sandals, tabi socks and handbags for everyone, yeah? The kimono set I got ran me 4 mil I’ll have you know.”

“I’ll go to the department store! I’ll buy the cheaper ones!”

“Idiot! You want your apprentices to show up in some plain ol’ drab? The whole Shogi world’ll think you found them out on the street?!”

“But ……”

“We’re only talkin’ 10 mil here!”

Ryou smacks me on the back with all she’s got.

“You’ll be rakin’ it in once the placement matches start, yeah? Quit penny pinching. Splurge on your apprentices, why don’t you!”

“But, no, I–––.”

“Don’t have that kind of dough? That ain’t gonna fly.”

Ryou taps on her smartphone a few times and thrusts it in front of my face.

“Anyone can see what the top ten pros make per match on the association’s home page. I know exactly what your bank account looks like. Oh, you’re number three in the country. Ain’t that nice. You really made bank with those Ryuo League Matches last time, yeah?”

“Ryuo, winning this year’s title match will yield 42 million yen, yes? And even should you lose the best-of-seven series, you shall earn 15-and-a-half million at the very least. There’s money to spare.”

“Oi, fork over your bank statement.”

“That’s a bit ……”

“Title holders get to skip all the preliminary stuff competin’ for other titles. Talk about an advantage over the usual route. Gettin’ another title or two should be a cinch.”

“Let me see, title matches are worth …… This title match pays that much and that other one pays about ……”

“The regular league matches should be in there too. Pro Shogi players have it so nice.”

“That’s only if you win! Lose and you’re just trying to get by! Wait a sec, you two have titles! You ought to be rolling in cash?! More than the average pro at least!”

“10 million yen for Mai-asa Tournament!”

“5 million yen for SB Tournament!”

“…………”

My seventeenth summer–––the day that I decided to never ask these two for advice again.

“You know, all this talk about kimono is making me want another one! Oi, trash! Buy one for me!”

“I would like one as well!”

“Why do I have to fork out the cash?! Quit picking on me and go buy them yourselves!!”