Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 9 - Chapter 5

  THE LAST PEARL

“Huuuh?! Th-They’re …… going to play Shogi here?!”

I practically yell as I step inside the arena with everyone else for the inspection.

The third Queen Title Match will take place in Ai Yashajin’s hometown, Kobe.

The request was approved in advance. While I’ve never heard of the actual building, we should be very thankful that any place in Kobe was able to adjust to the tight schedule.

And I am, but ……

The problem is that the location isn’t a hotel or a traditional Japanese-style inn–––but a wedding chapel.

“…… This is unprecedented.”

“At a wedding chapel …… And using the top floor observation deck as the arena ……”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t a match take place in front of the big mural at an art museum somewhere in the past ……?”

“Yeah, in Tokushima. This one is right up there with that ……”

Association staff and media chat amongst themselves in disbelief.

The observation deck is encased by 360 degrees of glass, so you can see the city, the ocean and the mountains around Kobe all at once.

It’s an impressive view. This would be absolutely perfect for a wedding. A wedding, yes.

Unfortunately ……

What we’re planning to do here is …… um …… Shogi ……

“Master, Master! This is amazing! Playing a match at a wedding chapel, how romantic!!”

“You sure have a lot of energy, Ai ……”

“We’re at a wedding chapel!! Any girl would be excited to be here!”

Ai goes around the room like a happy puppy, taking pages upon pages of notes. She’s even going to the chapel staff asking questions like: “What’s the average price for a wedding?!” and “How far in advance do customers need to make reservations?!” …… Probably to get material for her article. There’s no other reason to take that many notes.

Meanwhile, the stars of the main event.

“…………”

Big Sis and Ai Yashajin are watching all of this with completely blank looks on their faces.

Actually, I’d say they’re trying to adapt to these novel surroundings by suppressing their emotions with all their might.

Saint Angelic Kobe.

Anywhere else, and people wouldn’t think it was a proper hotel. The thing is that I know how much Kobe people love fancy names, so I let my guard down.

But, a wedding chapel ……?

“Everyone. Please calm yourselves,” Chairman Tsukimitsu says in a tranquil voice with Ms. Oga by his side. 

Then he explains how this came to be.

“Finding a hotel to host a match during the peak spring tourist season in Kobe is impossible. However, since one match has already taken place in Osaka, Sora-Queen’s hometown, it would be unfair to the Queen Challenger Miss Yashajin for one match not to take place in hers. Ms. Oga was tasked with finding such a location and discovered this: the Saint Angelic Kobe Wedding Chapel.”

“Yes. One unearthed it.”

Ms. Oga then goes into further detail.

“The Saint Angelic Kobe is equipped with lodgings for overnight stays as well as the facilities to prepare food and sweets for large numbers of people. There’s plenty of space for microphones and a projector for big board analysis as well as all necessary equipment for Internet coverage. In other words–––….”

The Shadow Don clenches her fist for extra emphasis.

“In other words, wedding chapels are perfectly equipped to accommodate events with large numbers of people and are, in fact, better suited to host Shogi matches than hotels or inns!!”

“Whoa ……!!”

Her torrent of words crumbles everyone’s preconceived notions about this place. I can almost hear it happening.

“B-But how did you ever manage to book a wedding chapel at this time of year?!”

“What magic did you have up your sleeve to pull this off?!”

People around her immediately start firing questions one after another, but Ms. Oga silenced them with a few quick words.

“It is butsumetsu.”

“Ah ……!”

The Buddhist calendar points out which days of the month have the best outlook from a fortune standpoint. It also points out which ones don’t, and butsumetsu, Buddha’s Death, is the most unlucky. Choosing a wedding day is very important.

But that has no relation to Shogi whatsoever. The chapel owner must have decided that it was better to host a match on their day off rather than waste it out on the town or something. How resourceful ……!

Chairman Tsukimitsu thanks his trusty secretary.

“Indeed, it was a fantastic idea, Ms. Oga. Thank you so much.”

“One is not worthy of your praise, chairman.”

“That certainly isn’t the case. This simple praise isn’t worthy of how much time and effort you committed to solving this dilemma. In order to bring it to fruition, you visited a great deal of chapels in Kobe yourself to conduct inspections and negotiations.”

“Huh?! You went on chapel tours yourself?!” I ask, totally stunned. 

But Ms. Oga simply nods with a look that screams “but of course” written all over her face.

“Yes. In order to be certain that a chapel would be suitable for a title match, one had to confirm it with her own eyes. Along with the chairman.”

“Although, we looked very much out of place due to our ages being so far apart.”

“That isn’t so! Remember how our guide and planner went on and on about how we make such a good couple and should get married right away?!”

“…………”

No one said a word, but we’re all thinking the same thing.

“That’s because you went on a wedding chapel preview tour with the chairman.”

Yeah.

Ms. Oga got to do whatever she wanted so long as a match got set up in Kobe.

I thought something strange was going on from the start …… I mean, seriously, the Shadow Don wouldn’t have apologized that profusely to Ai Yashajin or me over a simple scheduling problem.

“…… Do you like it, Ryuo?” the chairman whispers into my ear while I’m still trying to decide how I feel about the whole thing.

“…… I’m not sure, now that I know the organizer’s ulterior motives.”

“…… But this is a great location, yes?”

“…… I can’t deny that ……”

The stage is striking.

On the other hand, Ai being able to play in the city where she was born and raised will be a definite plus for her.

“The facilities and equipment are not the only reason I have taken a liking to this location. Since I could not confirm it myself, I needed Ms. Oga to tell me if it was true.”

“Oh? And what’s that ……?”

“That it’s possible to see the place where her parents were laid to rest from this very observation deck. Therefore, it is theoretically possible for them to observe the match themselves.”

“!”

“I have visited their grave, you know.”

Chairman Tsukimitsu sounds like he’s enjoying himself as he whispers into my ear.

“Miss Yashajin was, originally, going to become my apprentice. I had to inform them.”

–––So, he saw through everything …… I’ll never measure up to him.

And, since he can’t go there alone, Ms. Oga knows the situation as well.

“…… Thank you very much, Ms. Oga. For …… everything.”

“…… One doesn’t mind.”

She has a rather surprising response to my saying thank you.

“Personally, one would much rather see Ai Yashajin emerge victorious.”

“Personally? Why ……?”

“Boredom. The entire Women’s League has had enough of Ginko Sora.”

“……!”

“There is no malice toward Miss Sora herself. However, as one who used to belong to said league, one has a constant desire to find ways to retaliate against her.”

As shocking as her words are, I understand where she’s coming from.

If Big Sis keeps bulldozing her way through the Women’s League as a member of the Sub League, people are going to start saying things like: Who needs Women’s League players? They can just train themselves up in the Sub League.

Women’s Legend Rina Shakando, who has been a cornerstone of the Women’s League since it was founded, told me point-blank that Big Sis turning pro could bring an end to the current system.

But that’s just what Ms. Shakando thinks.

Women’s League players who are still fighting, having their hearts torn apart and suffering day in and day out will certainly have a different opinion about it.

Since Ms. Oga was pretty much forced out of that league, I’m willing to bet her feelings are more complex than I can imagine.

But, rather than get them off her chest, Ms. Oga continues with the preparations for tomorrow’s match.

With the board and pieces chosen, cameras set and lighting figured out, the only thing left is what to order for snacks.

Ms. Oga says with absolute pride, “The bestsellers here at Saint Angelic Kobe are their incredible lineup of wedding cakes and other delectable sweets. Both players may choose their favorites from a wide selection.”

“Whoooa ……!!” 

A chef rolls out a trolley covered with a treasure trove of cakes and pastries.

She might not look like it, but Big Sis has one heck of a sweet tooth and Ai, being from Kobe, more than likely likes the sweet desserts the city is known for. Snacks are really the only thing to look forward to during a brutal title match. The girls have to be thrilled.

But….

The topic taking over the discussions during the inspection isn’t the two young female prodigies or even the sweets.

It’s–––the boy who is going to be the match recorder.

“Kunugi 3-dan! Would you tell us your thoughts as the match recorder going into this Women’s League title match?!”

“Will you be wearing a kimono?!”

“Are you feeling nervous at all?!”

Sota Kunugi happily answers each and every question the swarming reporters throw at him.

“I have done pro title match records before, so I’m not nervous at all. It was the Emperor Title Match between the Meijin and Shinokubo-sensei. And I stayed overnight because it was summer vacation. My parents felt better about me working late into the night at a nice hotel rather than the Shogi Association, too.”

Not even flinching at the fact that there’s a bigger crowd of reporters around him than either of the players, Sota looks like he’s enjoying himself as he takes a trip down memory lane.

“I don’t get much of a chance to record matches for the top Kanto players, so it was a valuable experience for me,” says the boy who could very well be the first grade-school-aged pro in history.

Since Sota will be recording for the girl who could become the first female pro in history, Big Sis, the media people are focusing almost exclusively on that one storyline.

The association’s plan to use the Queen Title Match to draw attention to the 3-dan division seems to have worked like a charm.

–––…… Other than the fact that it feels like the winner’s already been decided.

Face as bright as a ray of sunshine, Sota keeps fielding questions like the future star that he is.

“But I’ve never recorded a Women’s League match before. I won’t have any chance to do one once I’m a professional at 4-dan, so I thought I’d do it at least once before then!”

“Is there anything that a prodigy like yourself can gain by watching this match, Kunugi 3-dan?”

“I certainly think so. The Women’s League Senseis play a unique style that professionals and Sub League members can’t duplicate. They’re free from the trends …… Free, like amateurs are!”

Sota keeps missing what the journalists are hinting at each time.

Getting impatient, they start taking a more direct approach.

“There is a chance you will play against Sora-Queen in the upcoming 3-dan division season. Is this an opportunity to study her playing style?!”

“The matchup schedule hasn’t been announced yet. As for this match, if I’m going to work as a match recorder, I’d like the Shogi to be interesting at least.”

“But, Kunugi 3-dan, Sora-Queen is your biggest obstacle to promotion, is she not? If you do end up facing her, isn’t there a possibility you will have to play against her multiple times?”

“Ahaha! I don’t need to worry about that … because–––,” Sota says with the same smile on his face, “I’ll win the next time we play anyway.”

He doesn’t sound like he’s issuing a challenge or trying to talk tough.

It’s more like he’s stating facts, the way you would read them out of a textbook.

“……”

Big Sis is pretending she didn’t hear him, but she’s obviously pretending. Her hand is hovering in the air as she goes through the cake selection.

–––Normally, she’d have chosen anything with fruit on it without needing a second of waiting time ……

Sota is going to be watching her play all day tomorrow. That could put a lot of pressure on Big Sis.

Meanwhile, Ai Yashajin is pointing at everything with chocolate in it next to her.

By the time the inspection and all the equipment had been checked, Kobe’s beautiful night skyline sprawls out all around us.

“The opening-night party will be a small, invitation-only gathering in the chapel garden. It may be modest, but the chairman and I can personally assure you that the food is spectacular. Please relax and enjoy.”

Her arm wrapped firmly around the chairman’s, Ms. Oga’s greeting sounds like an announcement right before a wedding reception. She’s milking this for everything she can get ……

Since Ai Yashajin lives so close, she heads home for the night and will be back in the morning.

Akira, who came to pick her up at the chapel by car, escorts her out as Ai Hinatsuru sees her off. Just before going out the door, my first apprentice says in a hushed voice, “Ten-chan ……”

“Hm? Is something wrong, Ai?”

“She didn’t say a word all day.”

“Ah ……”

I was so distracted by the inspection and everything going on today that only now that she brought it up did I realize Ai Yashajin’s demeanor has been completely different from the last two inspections.

Is it because she’s against the ropes?

Or is it ……?