Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 9 - Chapter 1.1

  GRANDFATHER AND GRANDDAUGHTER

My apprentice is now officially the Queen Challenger.

Right after receiving that announcement, I –––Yaichi Kuzuryu got an even more unbelievable message.

“Akira!”

Kobe, Nada Ward.

Racing toward a manor built like a fortress at the base of Mount Rokkou, I call out to a woman dressed in a sharp, black suit.

That woman–––Akira Ikeda lowers her head in a remorseful bow and says, “…… My apologies, Kuzuryu-sensei. Summoning you here when you have matches to attend to–––.”

“That’s not a big deal! What I want to know is why you didn’t tell me before!!”

“………… By his request.”

Akira leads me inside …… I follow her toward the back of the building where the lord of the manor surely awaits.

A few steps behind her, I whisper in a quiet voice, “So …… What’s his condition?”

“Dire.”

“……!!”

A cold chill runs through my veins. I came here prepared for the worst, but it’s so much harder to keep it together now that I’m here.

“…… Have you told Ai?”

“How could I possibly inform my lady?!!”

Almost screaming, I see a look of Oh no! pass across her face before she clamps both hands down over her mouth.

She and I look up and down the hall in a panic, but luckily Ai Yashajin isn’t here. I guess she’s not back from Tokyo yet.

Akira lowers her voice and says, “…… My lady is still very young. To make matters worse, she must prepare for a very important title match. The world is watching her every move. I cannot allow the burden she bears to increase any further.”

“I’m sorry. Yes, you’re right.”

That was …… pathetic of me. I may be the Dragon King Ryuo, I may be talented or whatever, but Shogi is powerless at times like this. The feeling of absolute control I have in front of a board is nothing but an illusion. That’s painfully obvious right now ……

“Are you ready? You must act as if nothing is amiss, understood?”

“Yes.”

Standing in front of the lord’s room, Akira issues a warning. I nod, fully prepared.

“Kuzuryu-sensei has come to see you.”

Then, once she slides the door open–––.

“K-Kuzuryu …… Sensei ……”

…… There’s a bedridden old man with tubes sticking out all over his body and one foot in the grave lying there.

With his eyes sunken in and face deathly pale, there isn’t a trace of the killer instinct that radiated out of the man I first met at S&M author Dan Onizawa’s house last year.

He’s …… as good as ……

“Forgive me for my long absence.”

I suppress my emotions exactly the same way I do before a match, force a smile and give the old man a proper greeting.

Honestly, I didn’t think I could pull off a smile.

“My …… most sincere …… apologies …… for this …… sight ……”

Ai Yashajin’s grandfather struggles to get words out between labored breaths and then points to the room next door.

“A-Akira ……… T-T-That ……”

“At once.”

Akira kneels on the tatami mat in front of another sliding door and opens it.

It slides away to reveal–––.

“……!! A-Ai?!”

What’s Ai doing here?! Wouldn’t seeing her grandfather like this be a real shock to her system?!

I’m on the verge of a heart attack, but Akira says in a calm voice.

“Relax, Sensei. It’s a doll.”

“O-Ohh …… A doll. ………… A doll?”

For a doll, it’s surprisingly detailed. The skin texture alone is so realistic it’s scary. Soft and squishy, just like the real thing. What is it made out of? Silicone?

Poking the cheeks and getting more and more impressed by the moment, Akira says, “Sensei. It’s not what’s beneath the clothing but the dress itself I wish for you to see.”

“The …… dress? This white one?”

Ai Yashajin always dresses in black clothes fit for a funeral, so even though this is a doll, it feels strange to see her in white …… But, there’s one thing I can tell at first glance.

The dress was made by a Master seamstress with the best fabric available. It’s truly a work of art.

Ai’s grandfather props himself up on his elbow and explains with a trembling voice, “I …… was hoping …… for Ai to wear one like this once she had grown up a bit more, but …… Cough! Cough! …… It seems …… I will not live …… to see …… that day ……”

Making it that far, he breaks out into a coughing fit.

“Doctor! Call the doctor in here!!”

Akira yells with desperation in her voice. Moments later, a man dressed in white with a large bag in his arms accompanied by a young woman in nurse’s clothing burst in from the other room and rush to the old man’s side, forcing him back down.

I watch it all happen from the side, powerless to do anything–––.

“Se …………”

“Se?”

Mr. Yashajin looks at me and tries to get something across to me with all his might. I lean down to put my ear right next to him.

“I want …… to see …………”

“See what?! What is it you want to see?! If you want to see Ai with the title of her own, I swear I’ll–––.”

“A-Ai, in that dress ……… with …… Kuzuryu-sensei …… the altar …… I want …… to see ……”

“The altar?”

Is that a title I don’t know about?

“The church’s altar, Sensei. A wedding ceremony.”

Wedding? Me …… and Ai?!

Mr. Yashajin’s not looking at me anymore, more like up at nothingness as he wheezes out more words between shallow breaths.

“A-Ai …… Isn’t this …… wonderful …… With Kuzuryu-sensei at your side …… I know …… There’ll be nothing …… to worry …… about ……”

“He’s hallucinating,” says the doctor urgently. Biting her lip, Akira rushes up to me.

“Kuzuryu-sensei!! There’s no time!!”

“I-I understand! What do you want me to do?!”

“There is a white tuxedo in the other room! Put it on and get back in here!!”

“Right away!!”

I stumble over my own feet getting my shirt and pants off, but I find the white suit and change in the blink of an eye before standing next to the Ai doll.

Amazingly, the suit fits me like a glove. I know this is just a coincidence, but I’m thankful to whatever god is up there for making this happen.

“Ahh ……! Ahhhhh ……!!”

The tiniest of sparks pops up in Mr. Yashajin’s eyes as they fill with tears.

What a relief …… This could be what he needs to pull through, and even if he doesn’t then he can pass on with no regrets ……!

“And now we shall unite the bride and groom in holy matrimony.”

Reading the situation, the doctor takes on the role of the priest.

I gotta say, the man can make calm decisions under intense pressure!! Even better, his white clothes aren’t too different from what a priest would wear!

“Yaichi Kuzuryu. Do you take Ai Yashajin to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish her for as long as you both shall live?”

“I-I do!”

“Please, sign the certificate.”

Then, the nurse comes up to me holding what she’s pretending is a Certificate of Intent (actually Mr. Yashajin’s medical papers) and a pen.

Without so much as a second thought, I take the pen and write my name where she tells me.

Akira asks me, “Sensei. Do you have your official seal with you?”

“Ohh …… I’m sorry. I saw that you wanted me to bring it in your message, but I came straight here from the association. It’s still at home.”

“Tsk! Fine then. What about your professional stamp? You have that, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.”

Since Shogi players never know when someone will ask for an autograph, we always carry our stamps. Taking it out of my second bag, I make sure there’s plenty of ink on it before lining it up over the certificate–––.

Wait, hold up.

I was caught up in the moment, but …… Something about this seems off.

I take a closer look at the certificate (?) … medical paper (?) one more time.

Certificate of Intent

I, Yaichi Kuzuryu, solemnly swear to wed Miss Ai Yashajin once she has come of age on her 18th birthday. Until such time, I vow to treasure her above all others, never cheat or become distracted by other young girls. My life shall be forfeited should I violate any of these terms. Come hell or high water, I will never utter a single complaint.

Yaichi Kuzuryu Seal

………… Hm? Hmmm?

What is this?

Surprisingly detailed for a fake wedding ……

“Hurry up, Sensei. Stamp it before it’s too late.”

“H-hold on a second, Akira! This is just an act, right? We’re not performing an actual wedding right now, are we? In that case, I can just act like I’ve stamped it ……”

“Yes, this is just pretend. Which means you could stamp it with your official seal. Yes?” says Akira as she takes hold of my arm with both hands and pulls it closer to the certificate.

With quite a bit of strength.

“T-That’s true, but …… Something isn’t right about this. I know that a good act is in the details, but don’t you think actually stamping a certificate is too far–––?”

“Make him stamp it, Akiraaaaaaaaa!!”

Clatter! Snap, snap, snap, snap!!

Mr. Yashajin bursts out of the bed, breaking free of all the tubes connected to his body at once.

“Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!”

He’s just fine!!

“Wha?! Huuh?! You were dying, I saw you?!”

“Akira! Why do you hesitate?! Force that stamp down!!”

“At once, sir!!”

Issuing orders, Mr. Yashajin turns his back on me and gets a boost from the bed springs to pull off a somersault wrestling move!

Old man, flying through the air with his arms wide like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Then–––.

“Gwah ……!!” 

Coming down hard on my shoulders, I collapse under his weight.

The doctor and nurse, now out of their costumes, pile on. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.

“Seriously?! The nurse and the doctor too?! So, all of you are in on this?!”

All four of them are trying to get me to stamp that certificate!

I resist with all my might, but I’m only human.

Face down on the tatami mat, my inked-up stamp makes contact with the certificate and gets pressed down hard against my will.

“Agh! Damn! I stamped it ……”

“Yessss!!”

“So now I can …… Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

“Nooooo–––!!”

Letting them think they accomplished their mission made the four conspirators ease up for just a moment, and I use that opportunity to tear the certificate to shreds! Now this thing is void. I found the Reverse Check Path.

Then, I turn to Mr. Yashajin and Akira and scream, “You were pulling a fast one, weren’t you?!” 

“Hah! Hah! Hah! I can still contend with the youth.”

“I was in charge of the makeup! Good, no?”

Sparkle! I ignore Akira triumphantly posing like a superhero with a makeup kit pinned between her fingers and instead ask a question to the person laughing so powerfully that it’s hard to believe he’s the same old man who was bedridden just moments ago.

“Why put on this stupid act in the first place?!”

“Because I will die one day, leaving my granddaughter completely alone.”

“……”

He said those heavy words with that smile still on his face. I don’t know what to say.

“I may be in good health for now, but that may not be the case next year. I am old. A sudden ailment could take me to the other side tomorrow and it wouldn’t be all that out of place. What will Ai do should that come to pass? Would you not take pity on her? Would you not welcome the girl who has no one else in the world into your family?”

“I would take care of her even without you going through these antics. I’m her Master.”

“…… Her Master, you say?”

“…… Sigh ……”

Both Mr. Yashajin and Akira are obviously not satisfied by that answer. What’s worse, even the people posing as a doctor and a nurse are giving me the same look ……

“…… Listen to me, okay?”

I take a deep breath and start explaining.

“Bonds between Master and apprentice in the Shogi world, especially in my Kiyotaki Shogi Family lineage, are considered stronger than bonds between actual siblings! I understand where you’re coming from when you say you’re worried, Mr. Yashajin, but Ai can support herself as a Women’s League player already and I’ll be there to support her even after she’s made a name for herself until the day I die. Even after I’m gone, my first apprentice Ai Hinatsuru will be there to support her more than a real sister would. Knowing that, are you still worried?!” Getting all that out in one breath, I quickly added, “And… Ai wouldn’t agree to it anyway. Marry me? Yeah right.”

“Are you certain? Surely, that’s impossible to know without asking her yourself.”

“Huuuh? You can’t be serious ……?”

Maybe Ai says good things about me when she’s here at home? Because whenever she’s with me it’s moron or trash or whatever name she wants to call me that day. 

I hate you! You piece of trash! You stupid Master! I hate, hate, hate …… Love you! Marry me!!

Could that actually happen? I’ve heard of having a warm heart beneath a cold shell, but damn ……

“It matters not. Asking her directly will solve this.”

Now that I know Mr. Yashajin is just fine, I don’t have to tread lightly anymore.

Taking off the white suit, I give him a piece of my mind.

“Yeesh! I get a message saying Ai’s grandfather is terminally ill not five minutes after my match finishes up and race over here from Osaka all for a bad comedy routine ……”

“Which reminds me, I haven’t congratulated you on today’s victory,” says Akira out of the blue.

“Kuzuryu-sensei, a most heartfelt congratulations on your four consecutive victories in the Crown League White Conference! I cannot wait to see you claim your second title!!”

“In that case, please don’t distract me! I’ll be helping Ai in her own title match any way that I can, but I’m extremely busy because I have my own matches to worry about, too!”

It’s hard enough thinking about who my next opponent is ……

Getting all that off my chest, I ask Akira, “So? What’s Ai doing right now?”

“Informing her parents of the upcoming title match.”

That was all I needed to hear.

I know exactly where she is and what she’s doing.