A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor
Chapter 1383 - 1383: Brilliance - Part 2

The Professor, though, seemed unconvinced. "I cannot teach you conventionally," the Professor had concluded. "There are more theorems I could have you study, more past games I could run you through, more ideas for you to memorize – but we have seen that those things do not move the boulder that you are currently fighting to push uphill. And I do not understand why.

Your intention at poking fun at Lady Felder, for reasons we do not understand, provoked better strategy from you than we have seen in hundreds of hours of relentless effort. It is my job as your teacher to find out why."

Nila had left after their first game, far more excited than Oliver was at his victory. "This'll mean you can finally cheer up, right? This is something that has been bothering you for the longest time, isn't it? Now you've finally broken free of it."

"I wouldn't go that far, Nila…" Oliver said. "Rarely are things so simple. But at the very least, it was fun."

"I wouldn't mind playing you again, you know," Nila said. "Even though I don't realllyy know how to play. It was fun for me too. And if it helps you, I could take some time away from business, even."

"You don't need to do all that. It was just a fluke. But I appreciate you humouring me regardless," Oliver said. "I'll see what I can do, but you have other stuff to attend to now, don't you? Don't leave everyone waiting. I'll see you later."

"Okay," Nila said, nodding. "I'll have you tell me all about it later on then. Also, make sure to actually sleep tonight!"

On that front, Oliver had to confess that he'd been unable to obey Nila's want. It was late into the night already, and despite having missed sleep the previous night, he once again found himself unwilling to drift off.

Professor Volguard had taken the battle that they'd played to Skullic. The Professor's memory was such that he had no trouble at all remembering each of the moves, and recreating the battle once more for the General.

Oliver had been there to watch Skullic as his reaction unfolded. He saw his eyebrows raise higher and higher as the battle proceeded, and then he saw the expression transform into a thoughtful one, as he stopped Volguard from playing the moves back, to consider the position himself. He attempted to predict what Oliver's next move might be, only for Oliver to do something else entirely.

"Gods be praised, this is sickening to watch," Skullic said, holding his head with a groan. "Even the Yarmdon don't battle this recklessly."

And then, bit by bit, Skullic had seen the battle transform in Oliver's favour towards the endgame, and he'd grunted. "Madness, is what that was," Skullic had said. "I sympathize, Volguard, that you've been tasked with teaching him. It makes me dizzy just the one game from him – and you have to play him continuously."

"I'd say that was a good sign," Volguard said. "If he could confound even you enough that it makes your head hurt, that seems to be the beginnings of quite a tolerable strategic sense."

"The trouble is, he would never fight like this on the battlefield," Skullic frowned. "It's a bit of a waste, frankly."

It was the sort of comment that would naturally come from a man like Skullic, who thought of the true battlefield first and foremost.

"Perhaps. But it is a foundation for a solid sense of strategy," Volguard said.

"I couldn't call this solid, Professor. This is deranged," Skullic said mercilessly.

"Well, quite so… But at the very least, it is improved," Volguard replied.

"I suppose. It's better than the two-bit drivel he usually throws my way. A madman is far more dangerous than the earnest student style that he uses against me at the moment," Skullic said.

"Is that how you see my battling?" Oliver said, not in the least bit keen on the idea.

"Aye – and you're not even a good student at that," Skullic said. "You're just looking for the same patterns that Volguard has taught you, transparently guiding the direction of play towards there. I hate to be the one to tell you this, boy, but there is a reason they're so easily used against them – everyone knows those patterns of play. That's why you're being taught them.

They're well studied areas of theory. You're not the only one that knows how to read a book."

"Daemon, dear, you are coming across as a tad too harsh," Mary interrupted, as she went about serving tea. Even after becoming a noble, Mary still never seemed to like leaving such tasks to the likes of servants.

"Am I?" Skullic sniffed.

"Has your day been that poor?" Oliver asked.

"It has been fine," Skullic snapped. "Though it would have been better if you'd cleared out of the downstairs room sooner, and given me a chance to read what I'm here for…"

"Aha, the heart of the matter. Withdrawal symptoms," Oliver said.

"Tsch. You're the same way," Skullic said. "Anyway, how did the rest of Patrick's games go? Did the progress that he was supposed to have made stay?"

"Well… I didn't catch a glimpse of it in the following games, no," Volguard said. "But I am not particularly disheartened by that. If one is capable of doing something once, they are capable of doing it again."

"It might just be the girl," Skullic said. "Patrick is showing off to her."

"Perhaps. I think him to be more teasing her, than showing off to her…" Volguard said, eyeing Oliver with a certain – barely reserved – degree of amusement. "The two of them are closer than I had imagined that they might be. It has none of the stuffiness that our noble relationships have. I find myself quite envious."

"Heh, is that right?" Skullic said, with a sly grin. "Well, can you imagine Patrick trying to keep up a stuffy relationship? I suppose it's only natural that he'd have something more childish and messy."

"You're full of criticisms today," Oliver noted. "I suppose I'd better make sure not to get in the way of your reading in future."