"Tsukima Shouji! Prepare to die!"

Those were the word shouted by the King upon finding myself in the coliseum surrounded by many people watching. 

How did it all come to this? I thought back on the last thing that I could remember...

-Tavern-

That day I was playing chess as usual at my own village "Kayoo Village". As usual I beat the entire challengers that appear before me at the tavern. Usual people; usual place – I wonder when this routine would end. It's not like that this life is that bad — it is just boring to do the same stuff every day. 

"Checkmate" 

"Goddamnit! I lose again!" 

"Hahahaha! Nobody in this village can beat him."

As he put a couple of copper coin inside a jar next to me he stood up and walk back to his table. Yeah, I'm what people like to dismiss as a "genius," I'm not that good at inventing or studying – the only thing that I'm good at is chess. People have tried playing against me many times; it was fun. But as times goes they grew tired of losing and just gave up on me. These day less and lesser people play against me, only some random adventurer who doesn't know me would play. Whatever. I only play for fun and by making the game bet able —more people would want to play because of the money they could get if they won. Then it happened. 

A woman walks into the tavern accompanied by her maid. If there are such things as princess that woman are certainly qualified. 

She was more than just "cute" like a doll. She had long white hair as translucent as silver. It gave her a soft and strong aura. She looks to be about my age. 

Her light armor combined with the blue clothing underneath & short skirt fit her perfectly not too revealing but not hiding anything. The people around the tavern were surprised by her. She goes straightly to the bar table speaking with the owner. 

As I started to put the chess piece together. People start whispering to each other. 

"Isn't that princess Silica?"

"What is she doing here?"

The tavern suddenly filled with people whispering to each other. It does intrigue my curiosity of why she would come to this small village. 

As I put the last piece into its position. A shadow suddenly looms over me. It was none other than the princess. This beauty stared at me with eyes as blue as the ocean. 

Ah... I had a bad feeling about this....

"Are you Tsukima Shouji?" 

I nodded at her. She gave her lance to her maid and sit down in front of me. The people around the tavern suddenly got interested and started to piles up around. 

She put a couple of gold coin inside the jar. I was pretty happy and shocked at the same time. 

My heart was beating with excitement, one of the royal families tried to play chess with me and she is betting with gold coin!? This will be exciting & profitable of course! It's been so long that I've waited for this moment!

Chess are well known as a royal game throughout the land only the higher class could play. It's no secret if the royal families could play it well. She glared at me with confidence.

This is it! This is the excitement I've been waiting for! Goodbye boring world. 

That is what I thought at first. As times passed by I won the first, second and so on. The bet started to goes lower slowly from gold to copper coin.

Ah...What is this feeling... It feels like I have been betrayed by my own expectation. This girl! She is a princess or so I thought. She should be able to play chess well or even better than the people here. But it seems that she is even worse than the oldest granny at our village...

"Checkmate."

I could see her face pretty red. She seems pretty ticked and embarrassed losing 23 times in a row. She could not even win once, not even putting so much pressure on me. 

"Hey... Tsukima can you at least concede purposely for once?" The owner whispered to me.

"No no no, that will be disrespectful and with this gold I could eat meat more!!" I whispered back at him.

The owner looks at me with such a pitiful eyes . But I don't care, as long as I could gain profit with it. 

After the 24 rounds — some thought worries me. I raised my hand toask her. 

"Umm... How do I put this... Are you really the princess? Even my sister can dress like a princess and stated that she is a "princess"...."

I could hear the whole people at the tavern was shocked and stoned by my question. Truth to be told, I know that our country has 2 princesses but I never seen any of them. I mean if she is the princess she can't be that bad at chess, right?

The princess mouth started to pout and her eyes seems teary while looking down. I know that feels of losing in a row, the feeling of being useless.

"Hnnggh — " She tried to hold her tears.

The people around the tavern started to panic.

"W-wait! We know that you're the princess of course!Hahaha!"

"Yeah! We have seen you many times at the capital! Of course we would know!Hahaha!"

"Don't mind this kid! He never goes to the capital! He is just a chess freak!Hahaha!"

"She must be one useless princess then! Hahahah!"

The people around me suddenly rotate their neck stiffly and glared at me like a bear trying to kill their prey. 

"Wait!Wait!Wait!If she is the princess... She won't cry because of something like thi-"

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Uw..aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!"

"Huh!?"

The princess started crying while wiping her tears with her hands and started to run away from the tavern. While her maid sitting they're quietly drinking her tea. 

I stared blankly to the empty seat across me. I turn my head to the maid.

"Umm.. Aren't you going to chase her?"

"Nah... It's your responsibility anyway...Slurrp..."

"Wha—?" 

Before I could finish the sentence I could feel the gaze of peoples around me. Their gaze are haunting me for sure. 

I turn around at them. 

"Um... She couldn't be the princess couldn't she?"

"Tsuuukiiiimaaaaa!!!!!"

-Outside-

I walk through the village looking for the princess. The owner and the people at the tavern had taken my jar of profit and won't give it back unless I apologize properly to the princess. 

I can't believe her maid just sitting there drinking her tea. It should be her job to look for the princess, not me.

Our village is small. But looking through the entire place is such a hassle. Ugh.

I stopped at one of the butcher shop. This is one of the places where people will go through because it was located at the central. 

"Um.. Uncle.. Have you seen any girl with a silver hair goes through here...?"

"What? There is no one in our village had a silver hair... Oh, maybe what you meant is the princess?"

She is really the princess?

"I know that the princess came to visit us today, I saw her walking to the mayor hall with her guards. Why are you looking for her?"

"It's a long story..."

I couldn't tell him that I've made the princess cry. He would strangle me for sure with his macho body. Forget the butcher, the whole village could even kill me if they found out about it. 

"Tsukima.. Don't tell me you made another trouble?"

"Wha—? Me? Of course not! Haha....haha..."

The butcher looks at me with such a disbelieving gaze. 

"Honey! You wouldn't believe what I saw! Oh Tsukima is here!"

His wife who suddenly got home from shopping, waved and called him. 

"Hi auntie..."

"So what is it that you saw?"

"Oh! You won't believe it! I saw the princess running away while crying.... Maybe she is having an affair? Or maybe she broke up with her secret lover! This will be a hot gossip! Hihihihihihi...."

My face were sweating bullet. I can't turn myself to look at the butcher. I can feel his gaze that was addressed to me. I need to find her fast.

"Auntie! Where is she?"

"Oh my... Don't tell me... Yo-you're her secret lo-lover!?"

"Nope..."

"Really? She is such a beauty! If you're looking for the princess I guess she ran to the north.. Which mean—"

"The park! Thanks auntie!"

As I about to run straight to the north .The butcher called me.

"Hey Tsukima, I don't know what you did.. But you better do it properly or I will display your meat later."

"I will... and my meat doesn't taste that good... so please don't."

To begin with, it's not really my fault isn't it? I always expect royal people to be smart, calm, gentle and strong-willed. Maintaining their royal status, so the people beyond could look up to them. 

But I guess I was wrong. If our princess is like this, does that mean our king is also stupid? I hope not.

I ran through the city as my life depends on it. I ran, ran and ran until I have reached the entrance of the park. 

From afar I could see the princess being comforted by the kids near the bench. 

"Uw...aaahhh... He.. He said... That I'm not the princ...ess... Hik.... Becau...see...I..I... Lost.. at che-chess..Hik..."

"It's okay big sis...Don't you worry about stuff like this..."

"Yeah! Just fight him back at chess! You're our princess anyway!!"

"We are here for you big sis... Don't worry! We will train you to be the best chess player!"

"Uwaaahhhh!!! You guys!!"

She then proceeds to hug them and cried even more. One of them pats at her head so she would feel better. 

What is this? This feels like that she is the kid and the kids are the adults. I can only look at them with such a confusing looks. 

The crying started to clear up. She slowly opens her eyes and saw me at the entrance.

"Hm...?"

She blinks her eyes many times with such disbelieve.

"A....Arrghhhhhhhhhhh!!" she stood up and pointed at me. 

The kids were startled and look at the direction that the princess pointed. 

I knew these kids. I taught them about chess, almost everyone in this village was taught by me.

"He is the one!!!!!! The jerk that beat me and said mean things to me."

"You mean big bro Tsukima?"

The kids look at the princess then look at me with such confusing and disbelieving looks. They then look back at the princess. 

" No, no, no... You can't beat big bro Tsukima even if we train you." The three of them said that altogether while moving their hand denying. 

"Wha—..."

The princess who stood up then fell back to the bench behind her. Looking at that I could only sighed and proceeds to walk to the bench. 

"You guys go play, I will handle the rest."

"Okay big bro!"

"It's not good to make a girl cry you know..."

"Yeah! Especially the princess!"

What are they? My parents?

"Okay-okay! Got it! You guys go play...."

They then ran and played at the nearest seesaw at the park.

Even they knew that she is the princess. I guess I was wrong. 

I then sat near the princess. She clearly is beautiful and cute even when she is angry. She pouted her mouth. 

Yep! She is still "Angry" with me alright. 

What am I supposed to say..!? At that moment I just realized everything that came out of my mouth would just piss her off. 

Should I just say I'm sorry for beating you at chess and saying that you're not the princess? Nah, that won't do. I need some offering to be forgiven. 

I reach my bag and took some chess piece out of my bag that I've carved out from wood this morning. It was the queen pieces. 

I put it in between us. The princess who saw that was confused at what was I doing. 

"Go on..." I put my hands positioned like offering her something. 

"Wha—what are you doing!?"

"I'm giving you an offering so you can forgive me."

"Huh!!"

"Big sis! Tsukima may be a genius, but he is pretty stupid at this kind of stuff!" One of the kids who had been watching from afar shouted at us. 

"Shu-shut up!!" 

"Pff...fftt.."

I turn my head to the princess, it seems like she was holding her laughter while facing the other way. 

"Ah! He made the princess cry again!"

"Shut up you Jamal!! Just play your seesaw!" I stood up while trying to chase them. 

"Hahahahahaha! What the hell is this.. It seems that you're really just good with chess related stuff." She suddenly burst to laughter. 

She wiped her tears of joys. She took the queen and put it in front of her face while investigating it. 

"Nope! This won't do!"

"Hu—"

"To be honest... I'm still not suitable yet to be the queen. The piece you gave me is to perfect for me... I still have a long way to be one."

To be honest, I never thought that you could speak like princess for a while. 

She hands the pieces back to me, in front of my face. 

"Fine..." I took it from her hand. 

I sat down beside her and reach my bag and took some sculpting equipment. The princess eyes were sparkling, I believe she had never seen something like this before. 

"In my opinion you're still immature. " 

I scrap some of the piece away with my chisel. 

"Crybaby, impatient..." 

The list goes on I had scrap most of it away.

"And last but not least stupid.." As I scrapped one more time. 

The piece is now smaller; it's like the mini version of the previous queen the size of pinky finger. 

The princess seems down about the words that come out from my mouth. I tried to soften the piece with a sandpaper. 

"But! No matter how imperfect you're, you are still our princess."

I reach out my hand to grab her soft-delicate hand; her face is blushing. I place the mini piece into her hand. 

"You have the requirement to be our queen, and you still have time to improve. So I guess it is nothing for you to be sad about."

I took my hand off her palm. The princess looks at the pinky size piece at her hand. Her eyes were sparkling and look amazed by it. 

"It this okay?"

"Yup. This will do hehe...."

I can see her smiling cheerfully and happily with her new chess piece. 

-Tavern-

I managed to bring the princess back to get my profitable jar. But what do I get!?

The owner and the people agreed to give back the money back to the princess. Of course I can't complain, if I do they would kill me. 

I hug my empty jar as I cried like losing my only child. Someone then tapped on my shoulder. 

"Umm... Thank you for today...So here you go.." 

Clank

She put something into my jar. I was happy for a moment until I took a lot at it. It was a piece of stone. 

"That's what you get for defeating me...Hmph!"

She smirks at me and walks back to her maid. I guess today is not that bad, everyday I always got a copper or gold coin, but not today. Today I got a piece of stone for once.