7/19 - King's tower - unknown room

"In that case, how about a fast game: Tic tac toe."

A quick game that requires a good amount of strategy; placement of x and o. Since this thing might not know what it is, I’ll have the upper hand, and the quicker the less likely it’ll be able to beat me.

"I am not familiar with that game. What is it?"

This is good, I have the advantage. Even if I explain the rules, I still know what spots will guarantee me a win.

"It's a game with a box of 3 rows and 3 columns. One player is X and the other is O. The first one to fill three boxes in a row, vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, wins."

"Ah, a simple game. Acceptable."

The suit of armor spawns a stand holding a board. A sleek, wooden board with borders creates a 3x3 board.

"Since I am fair, I shall give you this. The first to two wins will be the winner. Understood?"

First to two, hmm… I’m sure that’s to get me relaxed, to think I can make a mistake or two, but I won’t allow that thought to trip me up.

“I understand!”

"Then let us begin!"

I’ll be taking the first turn. Placing an X on any spot other than the middle box would be careless. There, I’ll be able to control the flow of the game, and even if I get blocked in one part, I have other ways of winning as long as I don’t make it obvious.

"I see, then I shall pick here!" She picks the upper-left corner. Then I’ll go for the lower-left corner.”How obvious.” Seeing through me, she places a piece in the upper-right corner, shutting that avenue down. “What shall you do now?”

She’s holding over the fact that she shut me down, thinking of it as my defeat… But that’s so wrong, it hurts.

I place a piece in the bottom-middle of the board. “Looks like this round is mine.”

“Excuse–”

She realizes it a bit too late, seeing how my win is assured. Right now, I have two ways of winning. From the bottom of the board by going across, and with going straight up through the middle. On her turn, no matter what she does, I’ll win.

"The first game is mine."

"Yeah! Just one more and we're home free!"

"I will not allow it to end so soon! Let us continue with the next game."

We begin the next round with it going first. The game went on until the board was filled, ending in a draw.

"We'll have to play again," I told the statue.

"How come?"

"It was a draw."

"Are you sure you're not cheating?"

"No, I'm not, that's how it goes. If neither player was able to win a set, then they play again."

"Fine then, another set."

We played another match, then another, and another. They ended in ties. During another set, I was going to place an x on a spot.

"Are you sure there?" the statue asked as if it was teasing me. "Maybe it'll be a wrong move, maybe it'll have you mess up? Well...?"

Damn it, she was messing with me. I can't let it mess with me! I placed the x on the spot that I wanted to put it on. My opponent would have been able to get the upper hand if I hadn't done it before. We continued on with the ludicrous amount of ties. I couldn't get an opening. It was too risky. There’s gotta be a way to win, an opening maybe.

"These bouts are growing tiresome, but yet, that's what you want, right?"

What did that mean? I want to win this, so we can get out of here.

"There is a part of you that wishes to get out of here, however, there is a part of you that contradicts that desire. Your moves are safe, keeping me from winning a single set, but at the cost of you winning one."

"Just be quiet!"

"But more than that, the fear of disappointing your allies is great. So much so you can barely keep yourself from second-guessing yourself."

"Shut up!"

"Why are you here, why did you volunteer to battle me? Was this a mistake? All of these doubts swim in your mind, festering on your judgments, as well as showing how inadequate you are.”

"I said shut up!"

"...You do not wish to disappoint anyone else, or else they would want to have nothing to do with you. Just like your–”

The bottom of my fist hits the board, pushing up the pieces. "I SAID SHUT THE HELL UP!"

I’ll show this thing! There’s an opening I was aware of for a while now. If she wants me to break the stalemate, then I’ll do just that!.

“Foolish, impeccably foolish.”

An error, I made a gaping error! I didn’t consider the options my opponent had when I made that move. On the next turn, they would try to block it, but I already had another route set up for victory. However, my rage blinded me, and now…

“This round is mine.”

The ceiling drops, closing in on us. It stops right on top of us, nearly crushing us between the spikes.

"I am generous, no? Another loss will result in death. Do take heed of that, boy."

Shit, shit, shit! I really screwed up! This was a mistake, a huge mistake. I shouldn't have been the one to do this! I'm not good enough to do this! I can’t do this!

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I thought I could do this, but… It’s impossible for me!”

Damnit, I’m so pathetic! Why the hell do I have to be like this!?

"The hell are you talking about!? Stop speaking bullshit!" Proxy's voice boomed through the room.

"Huh?"

"I said stop bullshitting, man."

"But, I-"

He stands in front of me, resting his arms on his side. "No, don't say another word. Don't make an excuse for yourself, you're cooler than that! I know you got this, so don’t give up before you can kick that hunk of junk’s ass!”

He slaps my cheeks with both his hands; softer than he normally hits, but they still kind of hurt.

"So don't sit here and tell me you don't have the guts to kick that shit lord’s ass in tic tac toe! Play the game, damn it!"

"Ow, ow, that hurts! I get it, I get it! Knock it off!"

I slapped his hands away from me.

"You didn't have to slap me."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am!"

I shakily fixed my glasses. Despite his aggressive way of doing it, he got me back into a better state of mind. He’s right, I’m better than this. And even if I’m not, I’m the one who volunteered for this; letting someone take this on for me wouldn’t feel right.

“Do you wish to continue, grave robber?”

"Yeah, let's keep playing!"

“That’s right! Get ready for round two, ya armor-wearing jerk!”

The game rages on. Several more rounds proceeded. Stalemate after stalemate, our pieces find their mark on the wooden board. No matter what moves we made, it would always end in a draw… That’s how I want it to be.

“You are still playing like a coward!”

Without a facial expression, reading its emotions would be difficult, and its voice hides every shred of emotion besides its condescending nature. However, no matter how you try to hide it, I can sense a change.

“How long do you think you can hold on to such a lowly tactic?” I ignore it, keeping a straight face as I make my move. Another draw. “What are you playing at!?”

Agitation is building; even the poker voice it had a moment ago is beginning to give way. I’ll keep going like this, just a while longer.

A new match begins only for it to end in a draw.

“Are you even attempting to win, or is this a pathetic method of escaping death?”

“It’s my turn to go first, right?”

“Answer me, you whelp!”

This, this is the moment I’ve been waiting for!

“I’ll go first then.”

I need to keep up this appearance. I’m almost there. Taking the middle part of the board to set the game on. The armor blocks me from the left. I go for the lower-right corner, in return, it places a piece in the upper-left corner. For my move, I place an x in the lower-left corner.

"Pointless!"

It sees my winning path, so it goes for the upper-right corner. It stopped my diagonal path and found a way to win by going across the upper row.

“Foolish, insanely foolish! No matter what, you were destined to lose to me, grave robber! So repent for your crimes, and I’ll–” It falls silent, holding its attention to the board. “No…how…how did I–”

“We stalemated over and over again for a reason. Cause I needed you to get angry.”

“What?”

“The moment I detected your agitation, I already won.”

“B-but how!? You cannot read my expression, nor would I allow you to read my voice! So how?”

“You’re not the only one with a special ability.”

“Special… So you are a Source-user as well?”

“Yeah, but I had this ability before I even knew what Source was. Despite my hatred for this ability, I will admit its usefulness. Especially in a situation like this…”

The pieces aligned in my favor and with its attitude shift, it was only focused on crushing me. The same anger that swelled in me built inside of it. So I knew it would make a mistake; the mistake of not thinking ahead! That leads me to place the final pieces in the lower-middle section. An across win.

“...I win.”

The board crumbles to pieces and the ceiling elevates. An unbearable pressure lifts from my chest, letting me breathe easier.

Proxy yells his lungs out, cheering for me in the back. “Take that, you tin-man! How do you like us now, bastard!”

Nearly gave me a heart attack there, but his cheering tells me we really won.

"Impossible, how could I lose!? I did not mean to lose, I swear! Please, please, do not tell me I have lost, please!"

Its fear feels oppressive as if a boulder is crushing my body all at once. I wanted to win so I can rub it in its face… Now, I can’t help but feel bad for it. But is there even a thing I can do for it? Whatever is going to happen to it will happen, and there isn’t a thing I can do…

“Excuse me.”

“What!? Do you wish to–”

“...Thank you, for such a thrilling match.”

“Thrilling?”

All the fear washed away, only a hint of happiness.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“It was… I hope we can play again.”

This is the best I can do. I can’t save people from their own burdens, and just because I can feel their emotions, doesn’t necessarily mean I know what’s wrong with them. So I swore I would never act like I knew how to help them. The only thing I can do is try to help…

“Yes… I would love that too.”

An abundant, tender joy overtakes my senses. A pure, raw sensation that warms my body that only genuine emotions can… The door that the suit of armor was guarding opens.

“You’re allowing us to go through… Hello?”

She no longer returns with a response, only standing tall as she stares at me. In my head, I see a woman with a radiant smile. She’s probably no longer with us…

“Richard, buddy! That was goddamn awesome! Playing mind games and all that, you some sort of evil genius?”

“That was a splendid victory, Richard.”

Proxy and Alex’s praise catch me off guard.

“While I was skeptical of your desire to volunteer, you managed to save us. Thank you.”

Even Legion is showing me respect. I really don’t like being in the spotlight like this; me being the one to go up seemed like the best idea to me, that’s all.

“Guys, you don’t have to…”

Seeing their exuberant faces catch my tongue. Maybe it isn’t so bad being the center just this once. Though, if I let it inflate my ego, then I’d be like Proxy…

“The way out is still closed,” Proxy announces. “...Guess we’re gonna have to head on to the next room. Unless you wanna bust this open, Legion?”

“I’d rather examine this place first, but I can open it for you all to escape.”

“I’m good. I wanna keep exploring.”

“If Proxy is continuing, then I shall as well.”

“What about you, buddy?”

“I’ll go too.”

“Then we should be on our way. Follow behind me.”

“Nah, behind me!”

Proxy leads on, bolting ahead of us. Alexander rushes along, trying to keep up with him.

“I just told them to follow me… What is wrong with that kid?” I honestly can’t blame him for asking that. Though, Proxy is just too hot-blooded for his own good.

“Do you pity them?” Legions asks me, glancing at the armored warrior.

“No. I had to win, and I don’t think she needs my pity. Besides, she seemed happy.”

I go after the others. People like her don’t want or need my pity, but I can’t help but feel a little inside myself. I guess you can say it’s a matter of pride that I don’t show them any. Rather, being thankful that I won. But if I could - without the high risks - I would have liked to play another game with her…

…

Rolling into the next room, a big– no, large door greets us. Blue flames light the room, spreading an azure glow inside the dim gray room. In front of the door, down a flight of stairs, standing in a small arena surrounded by azure fire, a steel suit of armor stands there, with a bastard sword in its hand.

"So, you've defeated Gwenyth, I take it?"

Its voice, metallic, vibrates throughout the room.

"We did. Are you the last of them?" Legion questions, drawing his sword.

“Yes, I am the last vanguard of this vault. A knight who defends the treasure of the king! I have forgotten my name, but my loyalty to my king! Now come, which one of you shall face my blade!"

Legion immediately goes up. “I’ll–”

“Hell no! I wanna fight now!”

He blocks my path with his sword, frowning like he’s already had enough of me. His strength is enough to hold me back and with his sword, he can keep me from slipping past him.

“Proxy, I did not forget that strike from before.” With the turn of his heel, he slams the back of his fist into my face. An unexpected hit and the power it was packing, he damn well knocked me off my feet. The little guy upstairs goes bouncing around as I’m trying to gain my bearings. "I shall be your opponent."

That…asshole…!

"I see, then allow us to skip. Let us skip introductions, let us dance!"

"It is an honor to fight you."

They engage, wasting no time with small talk. Their blades smash into each other, sparks fly high into the sky. Both their movements are lightning-fast, leaving a blur too fast for the untrained eye to see. All the details are fuzzy, but I'd say they're neck and neck with the other. One slip-up, minor error, or bad judgment, someone could end up dead.

Legion’s eyes follow the enemy’s sword, matching his movements with the enemy. He squares his focus on intercepting every strike. It keeps him from getting killed, but should use that ice to lock up his opponent.

“Why isn’t he ending it?” I ask myself, somewhat frustrated with his performance.

“There is no opening,” Alex answers, keeping his eyes on the fight, looking all serious. “...If he were to strike for a decisive blow now, he would be killed.”

“You can tell?”

“Yes. This is a battle between swordsmen. When the stroke of two blades are traded, a single mistake shall lead to death. They, as well as I, know this. Legion going as a combatant was a logical choice, as well as the correct one.”

“So what if I went out there?”

“...You would be dead.”

He ain’t flashing his usual smile, and he definitely wasn’t joking. I know the guy wasn’t trying to insult me, but… Shit!

Their battle rages on, the two of them struggling to find that opening Alex mentioned. My breath goes silent, thinning out the more this goes on. No matter how heated this is, they never break their focus. They haven’t shared words with the other, no taunting or even flexing their power. Just two men clashing with the other… This…this is a real battle! Everything I ever want in a fight is right here, happening in front of my eyes… I want this, my blood is pumping for it, and my heart is pounding from just thinking about it!

Then, in the blink of an eye, the decisive blow came. Legion swatted the suit’s blade out of the way, giving him the chance to land the blow. He cut clean through the suit, severing its torso and arms.

“That…was an excellent battle,” the armored knight whispers, expressing joy in its metallic voice.

“It was. You were a worthy opponent.”

Worthy, huh…?

“Please…inside the…vault…take care of…his treasure.”

There’s no strength in its voice, only a gentle tone to beg its opponent to fulfill its final request. Is it dead? It’s not talking anymore, so maybe it is; there’s no way it can just be playing dead.

“The door is opening.”

That large, metal door creaks open, letting out a waft of moist air from inside the chamber. Inside, a small chamber holding little to no gold or anything worth being called treasure. Wait, on the ground, is that a sword? Its handle is blue with a gold shine to the pommel and the guard. The sheathe is decorative, highlighting the sword’s significance.

“So, this is the treasure they protected…” Legion picks it up. He traces the handle with his right hand, examining it with a thorough eye. I ain’t all that knowledgeable about swords, but it looks pretty sweet. Drawing the sword, the blade reflects the blue flames from its silver blade; breathtaking, that’s the best way I can put it.

“What a beautiful blade…”

He puts it back instead of yanking it for himself.

“Ain’t gonna take that beauty?”

“No, they fought to protect it, I have no right to claim it.”

“I agree. However, I would wish to see it…”

Alex walks into the chamber, picking up the sword. He unsheathes it, then moves away from us. With a stance, he swings the sword, showing what he’s got. I don’t know if this makes sense, but his moves flow into the other, wasting no time in getting to the next swing, and they don’t seem random, but well thought out before he even swings. And it’s not like he’s lacking power behind those blows either; I can easily imagine him cutting down a bandit without a sweat.

“Amazing. This blade is truly amazing.” He puts it back into the scabbard. “...A shame we shall be parting with it.”

Content, he puts the sword back in the chamber.

“Why not take it,” Legion, surprised, asks Alex.

“I did not earn it, taking it would sully what those knights fought for, and I would not like to do that.”

“You respect them that much?”

“Of course. I respect any knight who fights for what they believe in. That’s the type of man I aspire to be.”

He’s got a point. If they were fighting to protect this sword for their king, then I gotta give respect where it’s due.”

“Alright, everyone, shall we be heading on then? It seems as if the other door has opened for us.”

Hey, wouldn’t you look at that, the way out is wide open. That probably means the way we got in here is open too.

“With the doors open, let’s make our exit.”

“Sure thing, boy scout. Come on guys, let’s mozy.”

“Wait, Proxy, we should head up to the top of the tower before leaving.”

Legion raises an eyebrow. “Why the top?”

“Cause when we came to this world, we were up there, fighting monsters.”

Legion’s face said it all; he’s beyond interested in what I just said. “Monsters!?”

“Yeah, they were evil-looking baddies. They were wearing robes, sounded like a chain-smoker, and were trying to kill us. Right, Richard?”

“It’s the truth. You have to believe us.”

He's still looking at us all confused and weirded out.

“While I am unable to say I was there, I believe their story.”

“No, it’s just… I believe it is time for you all to leave this tower for today.”

“Hang on, you said we can–”

“Now I think it’s best you leave.”

“Huh!? Who died and made you leader?”

“Didn’t you say you’d follow my orders before we came in here?”

“That was before you tried to kick us out of here, boy scout.”

“Quit calling me that.”

“Yeah, I should. Cause what boy scout sucker punches a guy?”

“What low-life punk hits a person…down there?”

“Maybe I should do it again!”

“Maybe I should loosen your jaw!”

Shit, now he’s getting my blood to boil… Been a while since I got to talk with someone like this. Can’t help but let out a hearty laugh. “Definitely not a boy scout.” I turn for the door. “Alright, I’m leaving.”

“Why the change of heart?”

“Eh, I had enough fun for one day, so I want to go back and mellow out for a bit. But…” Clenching my fist, I beat on my chest. “...Before then, I wanna fight you! Right here, right now.”

“No.”

HUH!?

“W-why not?”

“Because I have to investigate this tower. Also, I do not find joy in fighting, only when it is necessary.”

“Really? Aw, man!”

“Besides… No, nevermind… My answer will be no, no matter what.”

“Well, that sucks, but fine. I ain’t the type to force someone to fight me; I’d just be a bully at that point, and people like that are losers.”

“Still… If we were to ever fight again, I’ll pay you back for that sneak attack.”

Dude, I could’ve sworn he was just grinning there. Is he hoping we get into a fight, or am I reaching? Eitherway, I can’t just back down now.

“Same here. That punch of yours was solid, so I’ll pay you back one.”

This guy can say he doesn’t like fighting to just fight, but my gut is telling me we’re gonna go at it eventually…

“Hey, Proxy,” Richard calls me. “...I just remembered, but aren’t you on guard duty?”

Oh, right….

“Yeah, guess I do. Well, let's get the hell out of here. Marie is totally gonna yell my damn head off.”

I run off to the exit, but I stop before heading through. “Hey, where can I found you, Legion.”

“I’m taking residence in the Kingdom.”

“Okay, gotcha, peace!”

I dash off like there’s a fire under my ass. The kingdom ain’t a place I have easy access to, but at least we know where he is… If he can get us back home, then knowing where he lives is a need-to-know subject… But do I even want to go back home? I mean, I like being home, it’s got all the stuff I like, but being here ain’t so bad. I don’t wanna think about this stuff right now; right now, I gotta get back before Marie warms up her vocal cords.

Ruins camp - evening

Finally! Guard duty is so freaking boring. I couldn’t help but leave the camp to walk around and get my feet feeling some fresh grass. Honestly, it’s like she gives me this shit job to smite me or some crap like that! If Marie wants somebody to do guard duty, maybe she should do it herself… Hm, who’s grunting? Following the noise, I approach a small forest. The deeper I go, the louder the noise gets. At the center, I end up in a clearing. Tall trees surrounding the bit of land free from trees have the perfect view of the night sky.

And wouldn’t you know it, the one making all that noise is Alex. He’s swinging around his sword without a shirt on. Dude's got a good build, can’t lie.

"You’re pretty good at that,” I comment, leaning up on a tree.

Alex stiffens up, turning his attention to me. Is he embarrassed?

"Oh, Proxy. I did not expect you… Sorry for not having my shirt and vest donned."

“You ain’t got nothing to be embarrassed about. Not like you’re fat or anything.”

“Well, I have gained some weight, and it might have affected my physical build.” Yeah right, I wish I had muscle like that; I would be more awesome looking than I am already. “But how did you find me?”

“You grunt too loudly.”

“Truly embarrassing. I am sorry for my offish behavior.”

“Dude, it’s cool. It doesn’t bother me one bit. I ain’t Marie you know.”

“Thankfully enough. She really hates it when I train without my shirt. She insists that I will fall ill, and that I have a tendency to be forgetful about my belongings.”

“Sounds just like her.”

“My sister means well, but she treats me much like a child.”

“And she treats me like a workhorse.”

“My sentiment exactly… What is a workhorse?”

“It’s just a saying where I’m from, don’t sweat it.”

“I see…”

Alex sits on the grass, and I take one next to him.

"You know, when I was in prison, I dreamt of seeing and doing many things again," Alexander opens with.

"Like what?"

"Feasting on wonderful food, feeling nature with my own hands and feet, gazing at the night sky like this, and reuniting with my sister again.”

“I have you all to thank for rescuing me.”

“No problem, but why were you in there in the first place, and why did the bandits want to keep you locked up?”

He faces away from me, “...I’m sorry, but I cannot tell you.”

“Nah, I shouldn’t have asked. It’s cool.”

The wind pushes through the glade, whistling a silent tune for the both of us.

"Proxy, soon we will confront a bandit camp army. For most of the people in the camp, this shall be their first battle… If I make a mistake tomorrow, or if I was not adequate enough of a trainer, then their deaths will be on my hands…" He’s so nervous, and here I thought he was all set about kicking some bandit tail. Maybe I should– "Regardless, I will not back down now. We will be victorious, no matter what!"

Just like that, this guy just steeled his nerves, like it was nothing. He’s pretty damn brave, as well as determined. There’s no way I can’t respect that…

"Well, my break is over… Do you wish to join me, Proxy?”

“I’m good. Feeling pretty sleepy now.”

“Yes, sleep is important, especially for a child your age.”

“What does that mean?”

“Sleep helps you grow bigger, so sleep as much as you need.”

“I’m not that short, and I ain’t no kid…! But does it really?”

“That’s what my father told me.”

I gotta get Richard on this. But wait, milk is also good for growing taller, so– What the hell!? What am I saying, I’m tall enough already! I ain’t a shorty or anything like that.

“Aight, I’ll see you later.”

“See you in the morning.”

Man, he’s gonna keep training into the night? Talk about dedication. Whatever. All I gotta worry about is getting my ass to sleep. I don’t know about getting taller, but getting the necessary amount of sleep is good for the eyes and skin; no one likes having bags under their eyes.

King’s tower - top level - evening

After Proxy and his friends left, I came to the top of the tower. Nothing out of the ordinary, and especially no monsters. I made it to this altar after constructing a bridge of ice. So far, there is nothing worth reporting on. However, I have noticed a trace of Source on top of the altar. The quantity is large, and it’s…strange. It feels jumbled, as if it belongs to multiple people.

“Bizarre.”

I am uncertain what it was used for, but it must have been used to pull off a powerful technique… Or perhaps… No, Richard’s Source was restrained, so he must have not found “it” yet, and Proxy had almost next to none wrapped around his body. Then is this where the Grimoire landed? If it did, does that mean they have the grimoire?

“Damn!”

Guess I’ll have to track that down while I am here. But since they know I’m in the kingdom, either they’ll come to me, or I’ll find them; it’s only a matter of time. I just hope this doesn’t turn into a pain in my ass.

“But if they saw monsters, then does that mean “he’s” on the move?”

If he is, then this could potentially be a pain in my ass.