A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor
Chapter 1417 - 1417: Oliver Patrick - Part 4

"Which you're excited about, yes?" Nila said. "You always point at difficult things, and say 'that is what I will do'. And you're never happy unless you're aiming for one. Aren't you just, in truth, excited to have a goal?"

Oliver's lips parted in just the slightest crack of a smile. "…I suppose I might be."

"And you're thinking something grand, aren't you, like 'how nice it would be to defeat a General on the Battle board'?" Nila said.

His eyebrow twitched. "You see through me. That would indeed be the loftiest of aims I could dare to hope for. But in truth, just winning a single match would be an improvement. As I am now, I could not defeat a strategy-inclined Colonel in a Battle board contest, never mind a General."

"Well, it would not do to see you fail your ambitions at your own tournament," Nila said. "But what of the duels with the Generals that you were so set on?"

"I think I might have to abandon that…" Oliver said regretfully. "I can't concentrate on my sword properly as things stand. But I am excited to see you place in the marksman's competition. Professor Yoreholder has said that she would be excited to participate as well. I would be interested to see how you place against her."

"The lady who taught you archery at the Academy?" Nila said. "I don't think I'll stand a chance against someone that high standing."

"I'm not so sure," Oliver said. "At the very least, I'm excited to have the kingdom see just how skilful you are."

"You're showing me off?" Nila teased, trying to make him blush, as she often did.

"Naturally," Oliver said, owning up to it with a confidence that almost made Nila blush instead.

"Then you ought to show off in the melee too!" Nila fumed. "You would enjoy it, I know what you're like. You're punishing yourself into trying to perform better in your strategy again, aren't you?"

"I think I'm too simple a man to focus on two things at once," Oliver said.

"More excuses! Do you think that I don't see through you?" Nila said. "Enjoy yourself, Oliver. Who knows when you'll have another opportunity like this? When do you get to fight with your sword for sport, rather than with your life on the line?"

"…We will see nearer the time, but as of yet, I do not think I have the freedom of mind to think on that as well," Oliver said. "But in regards to my Battle training, I had thought that I might ask a favour of you."

"Really?" Nila said suspiciously. She'd been offering to help for a while now, but Oliver had always refused her with a troubled smile, and she'd know that he simply didn't have a use for her. Naturally, she could understand that, given that she knew nothing of the Battle board, but still she would have liked to have helped in some sort of way.

"Really," Oliver said. "I thought I might try teaching you what I know of it."

"…Really?" Nila said, leaning back in her chair, so she could study his face better, and wonder if he was not just lying for her benefit. "Isn't that just a waste of your time? I don't know anything about it, after all."

"Indeed, so you should make for the perfect pupil," Oliver said. "Dominus said before, that teaching was in large part what helped him break through. And given that I am all out of options, I thought I might try it. It would be strange to do it with someone else, but I think if it's with you, I won't mind so much. And I figure it'll be a good way of seeing where my own ideas have their weaknesses, if I'm forced to try and explain them to someone else."

Nila couldn't deny that she was excited. "You know I wouldn't say no to that. Should we get started tomorrow, as soon as you've done your lesson with Volguard? I should have finished what I need to do by midmorning."

"I was thinking we could make a start now," Oliver said.

"Now?" Nila said, casting an eye to the window. It was already pitch black outside. She'd known for a while that she ought to be heading home, but she had been far too comfortable to bother moving, and had kept putting it off. "It's too late to start now, isn't it? We might be courting, but we aren't married… People would talk if I were to stay alone with you so late."

"Let them talk," Oliver shrugged. "What more rumours could they spread?"

"I would not like such rumours," Nila said seriously. "I wouldn't want to cause problems between us where there don't need to be any."

Oliver studied her for a second, and then he reached out his hand to pat his head. "That is terribly sweet for you to worry that much, Nila. But my reputation shall be fine, you need not fear it. Solgrim is full of our people. There would be no such rumours spread over a single late night."

"I-I suppose you're right…" Nila relented. "But only a little while, okay? Any more than an hour, and it realllly will be too much."

"Naturally," Oliver said.

"Okay!" Nila clapped her hands together, and dragged her chair close to the Battle board. "So, how do we start? What does everything do? How do I even play?"

"That's a good question," Oliver said, stroking his chin. "I suppose we'll just use regular army compositions. But you see all those pieces in the box there? You can make your army out of whichever you see fit."

"So I could have an army entirely of cavalry?" Nila asked.

"Theoretically, but we don't have enough cavalry pieces upstairs for you to do that, so I'd rather you didn't. Besides, there are weaknesses to single unit armies. The cavalry are weak to spear units, spear units are weak to sword units, and archers are weak to everything. A balanced army like this is always preferable."

"Mm, okay," Nila said. "I shall be good and do what I am told for now."

"Ehhh… I wonder if it might not just be easier to play, and then I can correct you as you go," Oliver said. He drove a spear unit to the centre of the board to start off. Nila mirrored him, since it seemed like the most likely move to be acceptable.