>>6335206“I’ll gladly remove my badge and hand it to you. I want nothing more to do with this tournament. I had simply come here to ensure that my lord, Oswald Martyn, had emerged victorious. But now that he is defeated, slain at the hands of that cowardly boy, I am bereft of purpose here. I simply wish to return to Fodlan, bury my lord, and put this terrible matter behind me.”
“Hmm…no, that won’t do.” Uriyan crosses his arms in protest.
“Pardon?”
“I can’t simply take your badge. That’s too boring. Like it or not, you’re a competitor. One of the elite few that managed to make it to this stage. That means you’re a rival. And I won’t take your badge without defeating you! This is something that surrendering will simply not settle!”
“...My lord, I am clearly no match for you.” Lucien says slowly, holding his hands out as if to ease Uriyan back. Suddenly, an idea dawns in the priest’s head. Reaching into a satchel that had been at his side, he retrieves what looks to be a folding board. He places it on the blood-splatted ground before him and Uriyan. Another reach inside his satchel, and this time he retrieves a small bag. Dumping the contents onto the board reveals several pieces, each with intricate markings.
“What is the meaning of this?” Uriyan muses, hand on his chin.
“It’s a game played here in Morfis.” Lucien says. “The locals call it ‘Shogi’. I cannot best you in battle, but what if we were to play this game instead? Whoever wins earns the other’s badges.”
“Hmm…Shogi, you say.” Uriyan sits opposite Lucien. If the glass shards on the floor bother him, he does not show it. “How do you play?”
“It’s easy. Well, not really. But I’ll show you.”
“Very well. But you must give this your all. If I sense you are holding back or simply letting me win, we’ll settle this the old fashioned way.”
12 hours pass in a flash. A few other confused looking contenders pass by the Shogi-playing pair, however, none dare to interrupt the warlord’s game. Eventually…
“I resign.” Lucien concedes. The priest was exhausted, and a part of him wondered if facing Uriyan’s axe might have been a more preferable outcome.
“Hahaha! Well fought, priest! After this tournament is over, let us play again!”
Panic flashing across Lucien’s face, he removes his badge, disappearing in a flash. The badge numbered 32 clanks to the ground.
“Well, that’s enough progress for today.” Uriyan yawns, stretching out his tired limbs. “Best to take a quick rest before continuing the climb.”
Choose a tale:
>A): May>B): Adeline>C): Cassius 