The community leader, Koal, was a tall and elderly man. He already had gray hair and dark gray stubble on his chin. He exuded a commanding yet friendly aura. Nero quickly stood up and extended his hand to the man.

Koal looked Nero up and down with a disdainful gaze. After a brief hesitation, he firmly grasped Nero's hand and shook it vigorously.

"Good day. I'm Koal. Sebastian Koal. I am the community leader in this area. And you are...?"

"Hello, my name is Nero Nihil. I'm here for math tutoring."

Koal smiled broadly,

"Excellent! Please have a seat. Let's have a little conversation."

Nero nodded and sat back down on the sofa. Koal took a seat across from him on an armchair.

"So," he began, "How long have you been at this Ascension Camp?"

"Only since today. This is my first assignment."

"Ohhh..." he murmured softly, "You're knowledgeable in mathematics?"

"Yes," said Nero, "I was taught basic and advanced mathematics by my parents. I come from afar, so there might be some differences in the mathematics here."

"I see... Who are your parents that are so skilled in mathematics?" Koal asked with interest.

Nero's expression grew paler, and a hint of sadness appeared in his eyes, "My parents were highly esteemed magicians where I come from. Unfortunately, they are no longer alive..."

Koal looked at Nero once again. Compassion was evident in his eyes,

"What happened, if I may ask?"

Nero shook his head, "I don't know... I can barely remember my childhood."

Koal raised an eyebrow, "You can't remember?"

"I only recall a few details from my youth. Whenever I try to remember, they seem to fade away even more. Besides my name and a few basic memories, I know almost nothing."

Koal furrowed his brow, "But how will you teach my daughter mathematics then?" he asked, confused.

Nero had anticipated this question and prepared a suitable answer.

"I'm not exactly sure why, but I can still remember languages as well as mathematics. I also remember many other small details."

After some time, he leaned back in his chair and looked at Nero in a new light.

"Do you know how to play chess?" he asked after a moment of silence.

This question surprised Nero. He hadn't expected to encounter the board game of chess again on this planet, which he had played so often with his sister during his childhood.

"Yes, I remember the game. I learned it recently. It offers a brilliant mix of strategy, tactics, and logical thinking. The game requires patience, planning, and the ability to think ahead. It's a great way to train the brain and develop cognitive skills. When you lose at chess, it's solely your fault and has nothing to do with luck or anything like that. Overall, I find it to be an enjoyable pastime."

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Koal laughed heartily, "I'm glad I found someone who also appreciates chess like I do."

He stood up and retrieved a small box from a shelf in the back of the room. He brought it forward and placed it on the small table between them. With a soft click, the two locks opened, and the box revealed a chessboard embedded inside.

Nostalgia washed over Nero as he saw the typical pattern on the board. Koal placed it on the table, and beneath it lay the pieces of the game.

Nero recognized the pieces. He hoped that the rules of the game hadn't changed from what he knew.

The setup appeared to be the same. Nero let Koal play as white and make the first move.

"So... let's play a little. We can chat while playing."

Koal opened the game with Pawn to e4. Nero responded with Pawn to c5. Koal looked surprised at this move.

"This opening is very interesting," Koal said, placing his Knight on f3.

"Well, Nero, you should know that my daughter means a lot to me. It's solely for her sake that I came here in the first place."

Nero placed his knight on c6, asking curiously, "What do you mean?"

Koal placed his second knight on c3 and shook his head in disbelief, "I have been here for fourteen years. When my daughter was born, unfortunately, she didn't pass the test and had no affinity for magic."

Nero moved his pawn to e5, asking, "What is affinity?"

Koal moved his bishop from f1 to c4, shaking his head, "Seems like you've forgotten everything. Every child undergoes a test at birth that reveals their affinity. Affinity indicates if and how strong your God-given talent for magic is. Everyone in this camp, including you, probably went through this test, but unfortunately, none of us have any magical talent. Only the great lords can grant us their power and cultivate magic within us."

Nero pondered, starting to grasp the situation of this camp. He moved his bishop to e7 and asked, "But you seem to live quite well here, don't you?"

Koal moved his pawn to e3, leaning back in his chair and looking at Nero,

"Yes, we live decently. As the community leader, I receive a lot of credits, and we don't have to work much. However, this is not life. We are imprisoned like livestock, with no possibility of leaving this place. As you may have noticed, there are no children in this village. While you can marry, as soon as you have a child, it is taken away and you are not allowed to see it again. I want my daughter to have a normal and good life."

Nero moved his pawn to d6, asking, "How can this be allowed? We can't even leave this camp?"

Koal leaned forward and moved his knight from f3 to d2, "Have you also forgotten that? Every mortal entering this camp must sign a contract beforehand. This contract takes away all your rights to freedom. Not only that, you must agree to give your offspring to the magicians. Essentially, you give up your entire freedom. I don't want that kind of life for my daughter. I want her to be happy, and she won't be in this camp."

Nero moved his knight to f6, saying, "I understand. How long has your daughter been put up for selection?"

Koal moved his knight to f1, "She has been put up for selection for seven consecutive years now. That may sound like a lot of time, but some mortals have been put up for decades in a row and got never chosen. I hope my daughter doesn't suffer the same fate..."

Thoughtfully, Nero observed the board for a while and then moved his knight to d5, asking,

"What is magic? I hear so much about it, but no one can really explain it to me."

Koal moved his knight from d7 to b6. He patiently started explaining magic to Nero, but it seemed he didn't know much more than Lars. Nero was disappointed; he had hoped to learn more. Meanwhile, the game continued. They were now on the twenty-ninth move. Nero responded with Rook to f8 in response to Koal's move, Queen to c7.

"You're not bad," Koal acknowledged.

Nero had always been talented in chess, and this game was already decided in his favor. He had gathered some information from Koal, but he was quite disappointed.

Koal moved his pawn to h3, and without hesitation, Nero captured it with his pawn. Sweat formed on Koal's forehead as he moved his pawn to g3. Nero captured it with his second pawn. Koal sadly smiled and leaned back, flicking his king and resigning.

"A good game, young man. You have talent. I can now be certain that you will be a good teacher for my daughter."

Nero smiled faintly, "I'm glad to hear that. When should I start?"

Koal waved it off, "Later, Christina isn't available right now. I bet you're hungry."

Nero hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

Koal smiled and left the room, "I'll get us something good."

After Koal left the room, Nero's expression darkened. He had been sitting here for an hour and had learned hardly anything about this world. While the man was higher than ordinary mortals, he seemed just as ignorant. Nero leaned back and sighed. He was still no closer to understanding magic.