Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Ari is standing on such a reckless and desperate line. If she wants to realize her wish, she must show her resolve, treat herself as a gamble, and try to break through the deadlock with confidence.

It was Aly who made a mistake.

She got the premise of the whole thing wrong.

She realized that what she was facing was not "Varsha".

The person she, as a "king," was to challenge, the person she had to demonstrate her awareness to, was actually the goddess before her.

"!!"

Ari strengthened her resolve.

How could I continue to behave so pathetically in front of my goddess?

She sat in the chair opposite Freya, looking radiant.

The goddess gazed into those pale purple eyes that were looking at her, narrowed her eyes, and deepened the smile on her face.

The girl (Ari) has made up her mind.

She wasn't prepared to become a "cornerstone" of the nation.

Instead, he decided to risk everything like a hero and proudly uphold the "royal way."

The young girl faces this "gamble" head-on with the goddess.

*

Wargame (halvan)

This is a very popular board game in the Caios Desert region.

The eight types of pieces are: King, Princess, General, Chariot, Elf, Soldier, Thief, and Slave.

The chessboard has 10x10 squares, and like chess or shogi, the winner is determined by capturing the opponent's king.

The rules of halvan games have two main characteristics.

It refers to "arrangement" and "sacrifices".

"Formation" refers to the ability to freely arrange flags within a designated area before the game begins.

"Sacrifice" means giving up a move, but can be exchanged for another specific piece. For example, a pawn can be "traded" for one thief and one slave.

Based on the two game rules mentioned above, halvan has a more complex and varied gameplay compared to ordinary board games.

The first player can move their pieces first, but the second player can only begin placing their pieces after observing the first player's formation. After all, having one's formation analyzed by the opponent is quite disadvantageous. Some even say that in high-level games, the "winner" is determined long before the game even begins.

"Do you want to attack first or later?"

"...attack from behind."

Freya leaned back in her chair, a faint smile on her face as she asked the question. After a moment's thought, Ari answered as follows.

In this era where halvan tactics have been thoroughly studied, it is generally more advantageous for the player to attack later.

This is true, at least for the lower realms.

(Because this is one of the essential aspects of royal upbringing, I've played countless halvan games in the palace and know the game rules inside and out. Although I don't think I can defeat this goddess just by relying on the game rules... I'm familiar with the long history of halvan, so I should be able to find a way out!)

Although not intentionally showing off, Ari's halvan skills are second to none in the Sharzad Palace.

As a member of royalty, Ari is indeed quite outstanding. Even though she has a somewhat inflexible side, she is proficient in all the knowledge and manners she learned in the palace. As a woman disguised as a man to play the "prince," Ari shoulders an extraordinary burden, and therefore she believes that she has put in an equal amount of effort so far.

The game of halvan, popular among royalty and nobility, was also part of this.

"Then I'll start setting up the chess pieces."

Freya picked up the black chess pieces and placed them neatly on the chessboard.

The goddess's "formation"... is to arrange the pieces symmetrically in her own camp, which is basically the "basic arrangement".

This formation is the most basic of all. Ari watched with bated breath at first, and although she felt her worries were unfounded afterward, she still dared not carelessly stare at the enemy's formation. Next, it was Ari's turn to "set up her formation," so she carefully arranged it.

Yali used the goose formation.

This is an attack formation that concentrates the pieces on the right side, using the mobility of the spirits to force the enemy to expose multiple weaknesses.

Ari had great confidence in the fairy's spells, which were also her most proficient formations.

"Abandoning defense and focusing on offense... Heh, your awareness is admirable. I'll let you attack first."

"W-What?"

"Go ahead and make your move."

Faced with Ari's displayed will, Freya made this declaration with nonchalant ease.

Not only did they deploy their forces later, but they also allowed the opponent to attack first. Needless to say, Ari had every advantage.

Is it because he looks down on his opponent? Or is he trying to limit himself?

(No—none of that matters! The important thing now is to win this game! If she underestimates me, I'll seize the opportunity and take the victory!)

Ari was like a lurking tiger, hiding her claws and fangs, waiting for her chance to strike.

Freya, in a cheerful mood, faced the girl's regal gaze head-on.

Otto waited quietly at the table, and the game officially began under his watchful eye.

To carve a path through the enemy lines, Ari moved her minions forward. Because Freya used a basic formation and allowed her opponent to attack first, she was a step behind in defense. This move allowed her minions to charge forward, or her fairies to attack from the cleared path, and she could infiltrate the enemy ranks based on the opponent's actions.

Next up is Freya.

Under Ari's extreme vigilance, the goddess's first move was—

"—Huh!?"

She used the neighboring princess to eliminate her own king.

"King slaying!?"

This is one of the ways to play in halvan (a strategy game).

However, based on tactical and cultural considerations, no one would take such action; it is almost a taboo.

This is understandable; in a desert world filled with numerous kingdoms, this act would be tantamount to blasphemy against the royal family. In the royal palace, such a move would certainly be considered disrespectful to royalty. The key point is that, from a tactical perspective, no one would make this move.

When "King Killing" occurs, the piece that captures the king will take the king's place.

The advantage is that you can obtain one of each piece except for the King and Princess. However, the cost of obtaining a large number of pieces is different from that of a normal "sacrifice". You must also allow your opponent to make three consecutive moves, which means you have to pause for three rounds.

"Killing the emperor" comes with such risks.

However, the goddess he was playing chess with did it with complete ease.

"I can't stand it when someone steps on my head and issues orders to me."

"...!!"

Seeing the goddess smile radiantly like a queen (Vanadis), Ari desperately suppressed the tremors in her heart.

With Freya allowing her to attack first, Ari effectively gains four more moves.

It actually allowed Ari to make four more moves in a row.

From the perspective of various board games, this behavior is quite deadly.

The reason is that no matter what, we will always fall behind others, and no amount of ingenuity can change that fact.

Despite these thoughts, Aly didn't readily accept these three unexpected moves, nor was she unaware of how to make good use of the opportunity. Taken aback by Freya's actions, she covered her mouth with her hand and fell into deep thought.

As Otto respectfully adds pieces to the goddess's game, Ari picks up her own piece.

She used her soldiers to eliminate the enemy's slaves and easily invaded the enemy ranks, thus being promoted to "cavalry".

Then it captured another piece.

Then, the cavalry remained in place while the demons charged in from another direction, launching an attack from both sides.

Finally, it was Freya's turn to play chess.

Ari can now attack from the left or right depending on the situation, as if she were in an empty field.

Freya's situation was quite desperate.

Even so—the goddess still smiled.

"Then I'll begin."

The goddess picks up one of the chess pieces she obtained after killing the king.

As if sending her most trusted warrior to the front lines, she moved the most powerful general on the chessboard in one fell swoop.

*

The desert was silent after nightfall.

And it was extremely cold.

Even with an oasis, the temperature is still much colder than during the sweltering daytime. The same is true for "Leod," whose market has been burned down. The bright moonlight shining down from the night sky seems to freeze the entire world.

However, Alyssa has no idea whether her body is hot or cold.

An emotion, indistinguishable as hot or cold, surged through my entire body.

“Hmm…!?”

Before you lies a battlefield composed of black and white pieces, resembling halvan pieces.

The battle, which should have initially been won overwhelmingly, has now been completely reversed.

Despite having the upper hand throughout and with no chance of turning the tide, the battle became evenly matched by the time Ari came to her senses, and then the goddess launched a fiery invasion.

Faced with such a horrifying truth, Ari couldn't utter a single word.

Freya, as if it were a matter of course, as if following some kind of law, overturned the entire situation with just one move. Ari didn't make a single wrong move, and even made a series of brilliant moves, but her attacks were repeatedly thwarted, and all her defenses were breached.

Unprecedented.

This kind of halvan was something Aly had never heard of before.

Ari thought Freya had grasped the situation, but Freya merely moved a single piece, and that piece was transformed into a creature Ari had never seen before. At first, it looked like a colossal beast, and later even dragons appeared—advancing relentlessly like a raging tide.

(The enemy's central defenses were breached by a powerful general, and the enemy was ravaged by the unstoppable chariots. The archer spirits were also forced to abandon their defenses, and the battle line was eventually destroyed by the endless coordinated attacks of the soldiers!)

The pieces that stormed into the camp seemed to transform into swords, spears, arrows, and axes, hacking at Ari until she was covered in wounds and bruises.

Ari looked at the chessboard in front of her.

It creates an illusion that is as real as it could possibly be.

It seems there is a group of tyrannical and fierce warriors (Einheriar) who are completely at the beck and call of the Empress (Vanadis).

(Luring the enemy's powerful general over with our chariots... No! Our forces have already lost a wing to the enemy's demons! Even if we wanted to destroy the attacking enemy chariots, the soldiers occupy the best positions, preventing us from doing so!)

Ari has unilaterally shifted to a defensive posture. Her opponent's tactics are completely illogical and incomprehensible. The scenarios she simulates in her mind are always thwarted, collapsing like a fortress built on sand.

Ari clung to her last glimmer of hope, truly fighting tooth and nail. But wasn't everything under the goddess's control? Was the outcome already decided? Was she merely being toyed with? There was no way to save her country anymore, and Ari would forever become the goddess's puppet, wouldn't she?

Faced with this hopeless scenario, Alyssa could not suppress the fear in her heart.

After considering and comparing various factors, I believe the game is not over yet and I can continue to fight. That's the right way to go.

Such self-reproach was as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.

"...!...!...!"

When Alyssa came to her senses, she realized that her lungs desperately needed oxygen.

So she opened her mouth wide and gasped for air, as if pleading for help.

The result was a laughable breathing sound that resembled a clear, whistling flute, but Ari had no time to care.

There was no one in the room to recite the chess score.

The only boarman warrior standing by seemed to be observing the chessboard from a neutral perspective, quietly watching the outcome of the game.

Only the sound of moving chess pieces remained on the scene, but as time passed, it turned into a monotonous melody that drove Ari to the brink of despair.

Each move of the chess piece felt like a slice of life being slashed away. It was as if the blood in her body had frozen, and she couldn't control her hands and neck. The goddess never condemned the girl's endless reverie. To her, it was perhaps a form of entertainment to watch despair gradually creep onto her face. Sweat beaded on Ari's forehead; she had to admit she was pushed to the brink.

The game is nearing its end. If Ari doesn't come up with a countermeasure soon, Freya can checkmate the game in three moves, forcing it into a deadly situation.

Is there really no way out? Is there really no way to survive? Or are we already trapped in an inescapable death trap?

Ari could no longer see anything.