Dinner had long ended, with Leona pecking at a slice of carrot cake on the table. Several chess pieces that had been knocked off the board sat beside her.

My eyes scanned the chessboard as I contemplated my next move, but my mind kept wandering.

I had gone through seven rounds, and yet I had made little progress. If anything, more dangers had reared up.

I sipped my warm chamomile tea and gazed out the large window. It was late. Outside, the town below was lit up like a starry sky, the dim glow of streetlights illuminating the winding alleys.

Sure, I saved Micah not only once but twice now. Yet, he and his fiancée were still in danger. And I suspected that Elda's life was prematurely at threat as well. Then there was Leona, whom I had to somehow prevent from the clutches of one of the most formidable mages on the continent. And then there was my own fate.

I was still scratching my head about who would send the Farmer after me. What did I trip up in the previous round, and how could I avoid that fate again?

And all this was before tackling the issue of the Kobar Empire's invasion, which none of the veteran Players that came before me were able to clear.

"Luca, it's your move," Grandma said, bringing me back.

I turned toward her and noticed her dark lips pursed together, hinting at impatience.

"Right, sorry." I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts and focus back on the board.

I reached out to move my bishop but hesitated. My eyes looked forward and noticed that by moving it, I was exposing my queen.

My fingers grabbed hold of a pawn instead and moved it forward. The sound of the piece sliding across the board echoed in the quiet room.

Tap.

Grandma moved her knight and took out the pawn.

I blinked.

I may have lost the pawn, but now I had a clean break to eat her knight with my bishop.

Tap.

"Luca, it appears that something is on your mind, and you're focusing on that instead of the game in front of you right now," she said. "Well, let me tell you something, the game of chess isn't all that different from the game of life."

I smiled at the irony of her statement. I was, after all, playing a real-life game at this very moment, with the lives of the people I cared about on the line.

"You can learn much about life if you understand chess," she continued.

"What do you mean, Grandma?" I asked.

"In chess, as in life, you must have a plan. You can't just move forward blindly, hoping for the best. You need to think several moves ahead, anticipate your opponent's moves, and be prepared to adjust your strategy if necessary."

Tap.

She moved her own bishop across the board.

Damn it.

I looked at the board and saw that my queen was now vulnerable.

Tap.

I moved it forward to the only available spot to avoid it being taken.

"Interesting," she said. "For example, take you moving your queen now; why did you do that?"

I frowned.

"Because I didn't want it to be eaten," I said.

Grandma nodded her head. "And why is that?"

I tilted my head. I didn't understand her question.

"It's my most powerful piece. I wouldn't want it taken," I said.

"That's where your logic is wrong," she responded. "Yes, the queen is the most powerful and versatile piece. However, because of this, it is also your biggest target that your opponent will attempt to capture."

"Are you saying I should have allowed you to capture it?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Perhaps. See, because you protected it, you have now allowed your king to be left vulnerable in a few moves for me."

I turned my gaze down at the board, inspecting what this possible game-ending move was.

"Ah." I found it.

Grandma smiled at my understanding.

"You have to comprehend each of the pieces when moving them. Each of them is unique with their own strengths and purposes," she said. "Sure, the queen can help you control large portions of the board and thus make it worthwhile to keep in the game. But you shouldn't get too attached. Sometimes the queen makes for the best sort of bait."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"You mean to sacrifice it?" I asked.

"Indeed," Grandma said. "Because at the end of the day, as valuable as the queen is, the game is nothing if your king is captured. And sometimes sacrificing your most powerful piece to get ahead is needed in chess, as in life."

I didn't like it.

"You don't approve?" Grandma's dark red lips widened.

"I understand maybe how that works in chess, but I can't see how sacrificing a queen in real life is possible," I said.

"Oh. I didn't mean to say it's easy," Grandma chuckled. "It's a very, very difficult decision, but sometimes, the only way to win is to sacrifice something. And sometimes it's something as valuable as a queen."

I frowned.

"Have you sacrificed any queens in life?" I asked.

She smiled wistfully. "More than I care to admit. But, I was able to protect my king, the piece I cared about most."

She tapped her black marble king on the board.

"Well, I don't intend to sacrifice anyone I care about," I spoke aloud my thoughts.

She nodded at this.

"Then you're taking a very respectable but difficult road. You're going to have out-think and out-strategize all of your opponents," she said. "You must learn to anticipate your opponent's moves and to plan several—no hundreds—of moves ahead."

"How do I learn to do that?" I asked.

Grandma arched a brow and tapped the black and white marble checkered board.

"Practice. There's nothing special to it. You'll get there with enough games studied and played," she replied. "But you have to focus when you do so. You can't let your mind wander as you did so earlier."

"Peep!"

Don't worry, I'll gladly practice with you, Luca.

Leona chimed in for the first time in a while. I had previously used the power of the Whispering Necklace and asked her to refrain from interjecting with commentary and suggestions during the match. Unfortunately, her constant interjections had become more of a distraction than of any help.

"But I'll lose many times before I win," I said, exasperated. "Perhaps I can do it in chess, but not in real life."

Technically, even if I was experiencing a "Game," and life reset after each round, it didn't make it any easier watching my loved ones die.

I swallowed, remembering Jarvis's cold, dead hands. I couldn't stomach burying him in the ground again.

"Hmmmm." Grandma looked at me with her piercing gray eyes. She appeared to be inspecting me.

"Luca, I can tell you have matured from the last time I saw you. So I hope I don't have to explain this to you. Still, as you will inherit the Frey Merchant Guild from your father, you will step into a world that requires tough choices and sacrifices."

I rubbed my temples.

I had already stepped into that world once before and failed miserably, losing everyone I cared about. However, I wasn't even thinking that far ahead yet. I was stuck thinking about the dangers only days and weeks away.

"My days are numbered, but if there's one thing I hope to instill in you, it is the ability to strategize. Start by asking yourself, what's your ultimate goal?" she said.

Grandma leaned back in her chair, her gaze still fixed on the board. She continued speaking.

"What pieces do you need to protect to achieve that goal, which ones are you willing to sacrifice, and how can you position the board to do that? Note that what you choose to sacrifice is just as important as what you choose to protect. And if you don't decide what you're willing to surrender ahead of time, that choice will be made for you."

"There are too many pieces and too many possible moves," I responded, my mind still thinking of all the dangers I had to navigate my family members, friends, and myself out of.

"Yes, there are many pieces," Grandma nodded. "And a near-infinite number of moves. However, that's where patience and planning come in, Luca. In both chess and life, you can't just react to what's happening in front of you. You must anticipate your opponent's moves and think several steps ahead."

"But what about when something unexpected happens?" I asked, feeling overwhelmed by the thought of trying to predict every possible scenario.

There were aspects to each Round that remained the same. For those, I just needed to remember and plan better next time. Still, I could have never anticipated unexpected shifts like the Farmer coming after me, Leona's capture, and Chase Daylan's reveal as an Awakened.

"Ah, but that's where adaptability comes in," she replied with a knowing smile. "Sometimes things won't go according to plan, and you'll have to adjust your strategy on the fly. It's not always about making the 'perfect' move but rather making the best move possible with the information and resources you have at the time. You must expect the unexpected and plan accordingly."

I nodded, feeling like I was starting to understand. "And what about sacrifices? How do you know what to give up?"

"That's where your priorities come in, Luca. You need to decide what's most important to you and be willing to make sacrifices for it. And sacrificing something doesn't mean you lose it forever. Sometimes you have to give up a piece to gain a better position; just like in life, you may have to make temporary sacrifices to achieve long-term success."

I sighed and slouched back in my chair.

That still meant needing to sacrifice something, even if it was temporary.

"Don't be discouraged," Grandma offered. "Mistakes are the building blocks of success, that is, as long as you take the time and learn from them."

"Peep!"

Luca, if it makes you feel better, even though you lost, you did play better than in the previous life round.

<> I responded using the power of the Whispering Necklace.

"Well then, since this match is as good as done, we'll end the game here." Grandma waved over a servant.

The servant cleared up the board and placed the pieces back in their starting positions. Once they had left, Grandma leaned over the board with her fingers crossed.

"So, Luca, let's review the match. Tell me, what did you do wrong on this round? Where could you have moved differently?" she asked.

***

I leaned back in the warm, lavender-scented bath Remlend had prepared. The luxurious bathing room was fit for a monarch, with polished marble floors and a mirrored ceiling that reflected the room's opulence, making it seem even more expansive than it already was.

As I gazed up at the ceiling, lost in thought, the steam from the bath rose around me, creating a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere. I sighed, sinking deeper into the water, letting it envelop me. The tension in my body began to melt away as I thought about what my grandmother had said.

My goal, or king as Grandma put it, was clear: to ensure the safety of my family and friends and to save Adovoria from the Kobar Empire.

I sighed.

But what was my queen? Or rather, what was I willing to sacrifice to achieve this goal?

This question weighed heavily on my mind as I tapped the tub's edges with my fingers. It wasn't something I had ever really thought about before.

I closed my eyes. It was a tricky question I didn't have an immediate answer for. Of course, I couldn't sacrifice my loved ones—that was a given. But what about the loved ones of my loved ones? That was an immediate no as well. But what about the loved ones of those?

Tch.

I dunked my head under the water, trying to shut out the world and focus on my thoughts. The sound of the water lapping against the tub's sides was soothing, and I began to relax.

Wait. Did it have to be people? No. Because sacrifice didn't always involve others. It could be something I had myself. Time, energy, money, reputation… the list went on. If it was something that I had, that made it easier.

However, when I surfaced, I still didn't fully have my answer. But as Grandma said, if I didn't decide on it myself, the decision would be made for me.

I wonder what Micah is willing to sacrifice for his goals.

I had a feeling that my older brother, in his meticulousness, knew precisely what he was willing to give up to get what he desired.