A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor
Chapter 1381 - 1381: Secrets of the Past - Part 11

Even though she didn't know the intrigues of the strategy that both Professor Volguard and Oliver were enacting, she knew enough to challenge him as such. Oliver had to grimace. That was the fundamental problem with his play. It was a bit too reckless to be called good.

The board continued to develop messily. Both sides were exchanging pieces at an alarming rate. Often, on the Battle board, Oliver found himself at a loss as to how to improve his formation or the like – here, for him and Volguard, that wasn't an issue. Both their formations had been left so messy by the continuous attacks that it was obvious for several turns how they might improve them.

But there wasn't any time. Their pieces were constantly in such close proximity that every turn resulted in blood being spilled.

Their spearmen had nearly all been annihilated. Those that remained were isolated, and especially vulnerable. An isolated pair of spearmen, belonging to both Volguard and Oliver, faced off against each other. It was Oliver's turn to roll the dice, and secure an advantage in taking care of another of Volguard's pieces.

It would have been the sensible thing to do, but Oliver was acutely aware of the remnants of Nila's influence.

He had no idea how long he would be able to hold out for. The fewer pieces there were on the board, the more certain Volguard's victory became. The endgame was an entirely different part of strategy, one that Volguard crushed Oliver so thoroughly in that he knew he would never stand a chance.

Nila's cavalry was still holding to its earlier encirclement. Though Oliver had broken through the encirclement itself, the net that existed still remained, placing pressure on the pieces that had yet to run beyond it. The cavalry piece was an important facet of that, though it was vulnerable. Oliver at least wanted to crush that.

He changed the course of his spearman, and sent it rushing towards the cavalry piece, even though it did not have enough movement power to reach it in a single turn. It put him in undeniable risk of an attack from Volguard's spearman to his side. Immediately, the Professor gave chase, but he wasn't able to reach Oliver in a single turn.

"Heh," Oliver said, capturing the cavalry piece, and smiling smugly at Nila. "That's another bit of hunting dealt with."

"Remind me never to play a game with you ever again," Nila said dryly.

"But it's soooo fun," Oliver said.

"I think you're the only one having fun. I'm not even playing anymore… I don't understand it," Nila said. "I don't understand how you can be acting so high and mighty against an opponent who isn't even at the board yet."

"I need every win I can wrack up, Nila," Oliver said, unashamedly.

"I've suddenly lost a great deal of respect for you…" Nila said. "How ashamed will your retainers be, when they see how dishonourable you are on the Battle board?"

"Honour has no place on the Battle board! I'm only here to crush the weak!" Oliver said, his grin growing wider, as he fell more and more into a character.

"What are you, half Yarmdon!?" Nila said. "I thought you were meant to be tired..? Now I'm tired of you…" She drew out another sigh, even longer than the last.

Volguard was sitting in thought. Oliver knew that he'd made a blunder, strategically, by taking his spearman as far away from the centre of the board as he had. Now he had nothing to stop the delicate position that he was in from spiralling out of control. He'd managed to destroy the cavalry unit, but his spearmen had been destroyed the next turn for it.

There was only a single final holdout, in the form of Nila's still advanced single remaining bow unit, that was the final remnant of the strategy she had enacted. If Oliver could destroy that, he determined that he would be content.

He doubted that would happen though. He had three turns, at best. He could see vicious tactics brewing for Volguard as a result of Oliver's single-minded play.

But then, three turns passed, and somehow, Oliver was still surviving. Central play stabilized, and Oliver's pieces started to come together, connecting with each other, and reinforcing their positions. Opportunity started to brew again, and suddenly, Nila's remaining bowman was looking increasingly vulnerable.

The Professor took longer and longer in between turns. He was clearly eyeing the Resurrection option – a way of reviving a piece, when a spearman made it all the way from one side of the board to the other. But Oliver's pieces were in the way, and he couldn't easily find the path towards doing that. Still, Oliver was content to let him try.

He opened a route for the Professor, offering it to him, in exchange for Nila's bow unit.

Volguard hesitated for a long time. Almost ten minutes. Enough time for a servant to come in with fresh tea for them, and for Nila to stretch, and throw fresh logs on the fire, before the servants had a chance to.

"Heh, Nila," Oliver said.

"…What?"

"Finally, I've got it."

"Got what?" Nila asked.

Oliver pointed at the bow unit. "You put this here, didn't you? It's the last one. Then, I'll have crushed them all.

"It doesn't even make sense at this point, Oliver! I did a handful of moves soooo long ago. You can't so excitedly claim that you've beaten me," Nila said, nearly stomping her foot.

"Ah… I have won," Oliver said, taking the bow unit, and leaning back into his chair, despite Nila's protests. "Maybe try again in a thousand years, Nila. This is the easiest battle that I've ever fought."

"Liar! It took you over an hour and a half to get to this point. I heard you say 'impossible' at least ten times as well!" Nila said. "And you haven't even won. The Professor is still playing."

"Well, at least I beat you," Oliver said.

"Can't you at least pretend to have some pride? You put all this effort into crushing me, and I haven't even played this game before…" Nila said, her lips pursed into a pout.