Chapter 7 - Chess Tournament

Chapter 7 - Chess Tournament

With the unprecedented intrusion out of the picture, the Imperial Palace has been preoccupied with the reconstruction of the Emperor's office, alongside the preparation required for the abrupt Chess Tournament that'll soon take place at the Olympic Stadium.

Apart from all the commotion, no further incidents have emerged during the span of time it took for the arrangements to be completed, including the announcement being spread across the whole Olympus Empire.

As unbelievable as it was, when the official announcement strikes the ears and eyes of the people through the words of mouth and the bulletin boards covered with messages, it wouldn't be an overstatement to assume that everybody had heard of the mere mention of the Chess Tournament.

Even if one isn't interested in this event, the prizes alone have allured everyone to participate in this grand occasion.

Sooner or later, the stadium's entrance has become exponentially crowded with multitudes of people. It got to the point where Hermes, the Temporary Organizer, and Somnus, the Imperial Knights' Commander, have to step in and thoroughly survey the individuals who'll be entering.

Under these circumstances, Somnus was to be stationed at this location for over 24 hours straight without any rest after the announcement was made.

"How are you faring, Somnus?" Hermes only looked over to see the gentleman, yet she spotted him persisting on his duty with a sleepless face.

"It is as you see. I'm doing well. Please focus on the task at hand, Hermes."

'How does he look worse than me?' She ponders with a little bit of concern for her co-worker.

—Fwoosh..

Far exceeding the nobles' expectations, the Olympic Stadium's sudden rise in popularity is due to the masses engaging in conversations which spread the news to the far corners of the outskirts.

As a result, the majority of the civilians arrived to form a massive audience in the Olympic Stadium. It was a day to be remembered as it became a historical moment where the audience has grown in numbers since its previous years.

—BUSTLING!

"Hm, what a breath-taking day."

Standing amidst the crowds with his head held high, there lies a person who's adorned in holy attire with appealing glasses while dark gloves elegantly covered his hands.

One glimpse of his appearance gives everyone the impression of a reliable and well-mannered Pontiff. His hair bears a resemblance to a charcoal gray hue as well as his irises of yellow chrysanthemum shimmering under the sunlight, he embraces the presence of divinity in its entirety.

With that aside, he was expressing an enthusiastic smile on his face once the scene of the Olympic Stadium's entrance came into view!

"Huh? Ah, Sister Rhamnousia. You got us ice cream." With a soothing tone that appeals to the mortals, the Pontiff turns his eyes to a lady behind him.

Even though her height can be mistaken for her age, she's actually much older than she seems. In clothes that befit her role as a Sister, Rhamnousia looks to be faithful and innocent in the eyes of many.

At the moment, she's among the horde of people, desperately trying her best to nudge through them carefully in order to preserve the ice creams in her hands without a spill.

As she makes her way, her short hair in shades of black flutters under the slightest movement while her eyes shone like the red shade of an Alstroemeria flower in her irises towards the Pontiff.

"Are you alright?" The Pontiff, who had reached out his hand to Rhamnousia, pulled her towards him while keeping his distance.

"Thank you, Father. Here, have an ice cream." Handing it to him, the lady grins in anticipation.

"Hmn."

And as a thank you, the Pontiff's left hand rests itself onto Rhamnousia's head, caressing her midnight shade of hair. Due to the sudden gesture, her hair soon became an obvious mess which forced the Sister to speak.

"Father Mors, can you pat me gently, please? I'll end up looking messy in front of everyone when I enter the stadium." Rhamnousia asks, unbeknownst to the cute image she displays.

"Aha, my apologies." Withdrawing his hand, Mors kept his eyes on Rhamnousia; seemingly used to the adorable sight.

"I wonder if we'll get to see 'him' later on. I miss hanging out with 'him' and I cannot wait any longer." Rhamnousia grumbles with a pout.

"How about we file a complaint? Then we'll be able to reunite again." Mors resumes his walk as Rhamnousia follows him side by side.

"I wouldn't inconvenience 'Sephy' for something like that. Yes, I long for a reunion, but if I did what Father said, it would leave a bitter aftertaste, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, that's right. We have to be patient, and in the end, it'll make our reunion much more memorable."

In the meantime, the two enjoy their moment of peace while having a taste of their strawberry ice cream. On the other hand, people began to enter the Olympic Stadium in a rush, attempting to get into the gate as soon as possible before the tournament commenced!

In front of the entrance, three lines of civilians can be easily seen and distinguished. The first represents the common folk, while the second is the nobility with their carriages and servants.

Last but not least, the next line is a complete mix of merchants, travelers and so forth who have come this far to spectate the fate of the Olympus Empire. Moreover, the thoughts of betting on each match's victors will give some of them quite an earning in their perspectives.

Be that as it may, it appears everybody is thinking of the same thing when they bear witness to a fourth line being made by two individuals.

—CLAMOR!

In the blink of an eye, the sight of two religious individuals entering the Olympic Stadium without waiting in line, Pontiff Mors and Sister Rhamnousia were immediately greeted by kind-hearted cheers from the common folks!

Prayers were made and smiles were formed!

It was as if their presences alone soothed the people's discomfort. And as a response to that, Pontiff Mors raises his hand and waves at them with an honest grin while Sister Rhamnousia beams a pretty smile with closed eyes.

Among the merry crowd, some took this opportunity to waltz right into the entrance, which caused others to realize and carry on their way to enter the Stadium.

—WHOOSH!

Not long after, everyone returned to their hasty movement, giving Pontiff Mors and Sister Rhamnousia a break before they continued to head in.

—BUSTLING!

"This ice cream needs to be sweeter." Mors comments while finishing the cone.

"Shall I retrieve ice cream from 'there' and bring it to you later on?" Rhamnousia was already done with her snack, unaware of the cream on her cheek.

"There isn't a need for that."

Slowly but surely, Mors extends his hand towards Rhamnousia's face before wiping away the cream with a quick swipe of her cheek. Yet, in the middle of it all, the Sister's eyes caught a glimpse of something in the center of the commoners' line!

'Huh?' Her glance didn't wander around to locate this peculiar person who had the nerve to spy on her. Rather…

'We're being watched.'

Rhamnousia kept her glance at Mors to remain unsuspected and ordinary while giving Mors a clue by removing his glasses, which surprised him just a bit.

"Please allow me to clean this, Father." She lies.

By using this short instance of removal, Rhamnousia was able to capture the image through the glasses' reflection, mirroring a teenage girl with platinum blonde hair who appeared averagely normal, and overall typical of a commoner without a hint of spying?

"Was there something in it?" Mors speaks casually, seemingly off-putting with his speech, as though there were secret meanings behind it.

"There was a 'bug' on it, so I was trying to get a closer look, Father."

"What was it?"

"It was just a sneaky 'fly'. Here, I'll put it back for you."

"I see. It seems like the 'bug' has taken a liking to my glasses. Oh, how many were there?"

"Just one. It was a smart 'bug' because it flew away before I could get to see it clearly."

"At least it wasn't a 'mosquito'. I wouldn't want to suffer through a mosquito bite during our visit here."

—FWOOOSH~!

In the end, Rhamnousia and Mors soon reached the inside of the Olympic Stadium where they'd be staying in the VIPs room to view the event through the thick wall of glass; a perfect place for 'sightseeing' the audience and participants.

"I haven't seen the 'bug' yet." The Sister utters upon sitting down to relax.

"Then that implies it's one of the contestants who we'll see eventually. By the way, you can stop the pretense. I have already surveyed the vicinity."

"Good, I can finally take a breather. It's been such a long time since I could relax like this!"

"Haha, keep it down. We wouldn't want to attract attention."

"'Sephy' mentioned this before, but is it really possible for us? She said there's someone who's extremely intelligent and isn't on anyone's side."

"If no one incredible shows up, it only leaves our 'Counselor' to deal with the match since she's the smartest of all and… Nevermind."

"Hmph.. Even if it doesn't go as planned, I'm sure 'Sephy' can make it happen. She's always been that way!" Rhamnousia beamed a genuine smile with pure affection, far exceeding the awkward grin she showed to the crowds earlier.

"Yes, I understand you. She always has the most desirable plan, and sometimes crazy, in fact. Ah, perhaps I should treat her later."

"Unfair. Bring me along as well~! I miss the scent and aroma of the delectable dishes over 'there'." Rhamnousia's belly grumbles as though it was waiting for it, causing Mors to chuckle for a short moment.

"Uhm, it appears I should treat you first. I'll have the servants deliver refreshing beverages and fulfilling meals for us. So wait for a bit longer."

"T-Thank you.." Rhamnousia covered her face after her cheeks turned bright red, embarrassed by her awful timing.

"Oh, it seems it's already time."

—CHEEERRRRRR!!

And, alas, the Chess Tournament is about to begin!