🎊🎊Labyrinth: Chapter 67/68

Chapter 67: Darkness, Why Is It Me Who's Embarrassed!!!

Chishiya continued speaking without the slightest blush or flutter of guilt.

"Let us all congratulate this brave adventurer!"

He deliberately raised his voice.

The point was to make it absolutely clear to all the adventurers nearby:

This wasn't some cheap publicity stunt or staged giveaway.

If you played the game, you won real prizes. No gimmicks.

As he spoke, Chishiya folded up the dress, wrapped it neatly, and handed it to the girl right there in front of everyone.

Sure enough—

A buzz rippled through the crowd.

"Holy crap! That really was a magic item worth 40 million Eris?!"

"Chishiya is a legend!!!"

"Damn it, now I want in too!"

"I'm so jealous right now!"

"Don't be discouraged. Even if you lose, you get a 20% discount coupon. If you win again, there's a 1 million Eris bonus! You're making money either way!"

Chishiya nodded, pleased with the response.

The hype train had officially left the station.

Today's sales were absolutely going to break records.

But then…

The cloaked girl on stage did something no one expected.

"I don't want the dress."

Iris gently pushed the bag back toward Chishiya.

Then pointed straight at him.

"Can I play a round with you?"

"Huh?!!!"

The entire square exploded.

"Is this for real?!"

"She just turned down a 40 million Eris item!"

"Oh my god, this girl is terrifying!"

"To be honest, I thought maybe this whole event was rigged, but now… yeah, I take that back."

Chishiya froze for a moment.

Play against me? What's this kid thinking?

He didn't know the first thing about chess.

Great Sage, you good at chess?

[...]

No answer.

But he could feel it.

A faint, competitive fire coming from his system.

Well, that was promising.

Chishiya smirked. "Very well. The customer is always right. Let's play."

—

Over on the left side of the stage…

Darkness was still enthusiastically arm wrestling someone.

Today was amazing~

All these men looking at her with such hunger in their eyes...

Mmm~

Darkness bit her lip, cheeks flushed pink.

It had been the right decision to hide her identity.

If anyone she knew saw her like this, it'd be mortifying…

She shivered just thinking about it.

The memory of Chishiya catching her in that forest came rushing back…

She really didn't want another soul-crushingly humiliating memory like that.

"Hrrrgh!!!"

The adventurer across from her ramped up his strength.

Darkness responded enthusiastically, shifting her arm into a fixed angle close to the table.

And just held it there.

"…What's with this woman?!"

"Are her muscles made of steel?!"

The man was drenched in sweat, teeth clenched.

Darkness's breathing was getting a bit… intense.

"Ahh… Chishiya, look how strong he is! I'm gonna lose~!!!"

"See? Look at this~!"

She turned her head, beaming.

Only to meet the wide-eyed gaze of…

Claire.

"Pffft—!!!"

Darkness instantly lost.

?????????

This world is way too small sometimes.

Darkness snapped back to reality and her face turned crimson.

"Eh…"

She instinctively clenched her fists in embarrassment.

Forgetting completely that she was still mid-match.

CRACK!

"AAAAAHHHHHHH—!!!"

Another poor soul screamed in agony on the strength-testing side…

Not that she noticed.

Darkness was red from her ears to her collarbone.

Claire?! When did she get here?!

"Did… did she hear all that I just said?!"

"Oh no… oh gods no…"

She clutched her head.

Then she saw the girl standing next to Claire…

Wearing a wide-brimmed hat…

That had to be—

Darkness swallowed hard.

It was obvious.

There was only one girl the Royal Knight Commander would personally escort.

Then the girl turned.

Pure, innocent eyes locked with hers.

And in that moment, Darkness's soul left her body.

Yep.

That's Her Highness Iris.

There are few things in life more mortifying than this.

Darkness wanted to dig a hole, crawl in, and never come out.

"Ghhk…"

Her eyes welled with tears.

"Just kill me. Please. End it now…"

"Why?! Why is it always me who ends up in these horrible situations?!"

—

Across the way,

Claire slowly turned her head, watching Lalatina's mental breakdown with a blank stare.

Yeah.

There was no more doubt.

That was definitely La Latina…

What the heck was she supposed to do with this?

Even Claire's ears had turned red.

She'd never dealt with something like this before.

Let's just… pretend we don't know each other.

She turned to Iris, seizing the moment.

"Miss, shall we continue the game?"

Iris blinked, snapping out of her daze.

She looked away from Darkness.

Right. Claire said that wasn't La Latina.

Yeah, that made sense. The real Lalatina would never say something so… bizarre.

Iris quietly reset the chessboard.

Although…

This was a good excuse to get close to a Hero Candidate…

Iris looked up at Chishiya with a bright smile.

"Let's begin, shall we?"

—

Back at the other table…

Darkness had completely lost her mental footing.

She kept sneaking glances toward Her Highness.

She couldn't concentrate on anything else.

She knew full well that Chishiya wasn't someone to take lightly.

And she didn't know what he might try to pull next.

"Sorry, I'm not feeling well."

Darkness finally stood up, no longer able to sit still.

She looked at Shion beside her.

"Miss Shion, please take over for me. I need to step away."

Shion nodded.

Darkness hurried into the store.

Then returned shortly after with a teapot and a tray.

She walked over to Chishiya and Iris's table.

"Please… allow me."

She carefully placed the teacups down.

And then…

She started winking at Chishiya. Like, a lot.

Clearly trying to signal something.

Chishiya glanced up. "What, are your eyes itchy?"

Darkness: "???"

I'm gonna kill him.

Then I'm gonna kill myself.

"..."

She forced herself to keep smiling.

"Ha… haha… Chishiya-san, always joking."

"Come here for a moment. I need to talk to you."

She reached out to pull him away.

Chishiya slapped her hand aside.

"Hold on. We're at a critical point. Don't interrupt."

"Checkmate."

He looked at Iris with a polite smile.

"I'm sorry, dear guest. I win."

"…Huh?"

Iris froze mid-move, chess piece still in hand.

She had lost?

I actually… lost…?

Darkness pressed a hand to her forehead, sighing in despair.

The worst possible outcome had occurred.

Chishiya had beaten Her Highness Iris.

This was going to get very complicated.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Kds89 for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 68: Princess Iris’s Complete Collapse

Chishiya calmly stated, "Even though you lost this round, you were the first to win earlier."

"As a bonus, we're offering you 1 million Eris."

Sigh... There are fewer and fewer conscientious, morally upright businessmen like me these days…

Chishiya was deeply moved by his own generosity.

At that moment—

Iris finally snapped out of the shock from her loss.

A bright, competitive smile spread across her face.

"I don't want the money! I want to play another game with you!"

Again?

Great Sage…

Chishiya barely got the thought out when the response came instantly.

[No problem.]

He turned toward Claire and flashed his practiced business smile.

"In that case, the fee for another match applies."

"You're her guardian, right? Please pay the registration fee."

Claire blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

Something about Chishiya's smile seemed… unsettling.

But he was a Hero Candidate after all.

She still believed in his character.

So the second round began.

"Checkmate."

Chishiya's voice came moments later.

Iris froze again, her hand still hovering over the board.

Already over?!

Chishiya smiled politely. "Apologies, dear guest. I win again."

"If you'd like to continue, please pay another registration fee."

Darkness immediately grabbed Chishiya.

"Ha…hahaha… Chishiya-san must be tired. Let me take you inside for a short break!!!"

She was one step away from hauling him off like luggage.

Chishiya looked back at her calmly.

"What are you doing?"

"If you keep interrupting, I might just tell everyone your little secrets."

Darkness clenched her teeth.

One good choke… just one good strangle…

Did this guy not realize the person in front of him was a princess?

Disrespecting royalty was punishable by death!

Claire watched the two with disbelief.

Little secrets?!

Just how far have they already gone?!

At that moment, Iris sat silently, studying the final board state.

"Claire, can I play again?"

Claire snapped out of it.

She gently patted Iris's head.

"Yes, Miss. As many times as you'd like."

Princess Iris truly was a child—adorable in how unwilling she was to lose.

Still…

She glanced at Chishiya.

To think he could beat Her Highness.

He must be extremely skilled at chess.

It seemed Her Highness had finally found a worthy opponent.

And being challenged like this wasn't a bad thing.

It could even help her grow.

Claire smiled softly.

——————

No one could tell how much time had passed…

Click… Click…

It was unclear if the sound was from clenched teeth or a sword hilt rattling in its scabbard.

Claire gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.

She was this close to drawing it and slicing that smug bastard across from her into ribbons.

Twenty-nine matches.

Twenty-nine!!!

He didn't let Iris win a single one!!!

She had hoped, at some point, that he might let her have one.

Just one.

Given the massive difference in strength, surely he'd go easy?

But no.

Instead, he'd become increasingly brutal, cunning, and merciless!

Claire's expression had gone pitch-black.

Her glare was sharp enough to set Chishiya on fire.

This bastard…

This absolute, unrepentant bastard!

I actually thought he was a good person?!

I was so wrong!!!

She grit her teeth so hard she was about to break them.

If not for the fact they were incognito…

She'd have arrested him, tied him up, and had him executed by now!

And now…

The 30th game began.

Iris's hand hovered in the air, trembling slightly as sweat rolled down her forehead.

She took her time.

And after a long pause—

Finally made her move.

[Checkmate.]

The voice of the Great Sage echoed calmly in Chishiya's mind.

He raised his hand. Moved.

And gently announced—

"Checkmate."

"…Again?"

Iris looked devastated.

Chishiya smiled with the same deadpan professionalism.

"I'm sorry, dear guest. I win again."

"..."

Iris pursed her lips and clenched her tiny fists under the table.

Her shoulders trembled.

"If you'd like to continue… please pay the registration fee."

Claire snapped.

She was this close to leaping over the table and choking him.

But before she could…

Iris broke.

"I… I don't want to play anymore!!!"

Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes, dripping onto the back of her hands.

"… Claire, let's go! Waaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

Claire gently patted her head, trying to soothe her.

Then she turned—

And shot Chishiya a glare filled with pure murder.

"You bastard!!! I'll remember this!!!"

"See you in the capital!"

Capital?!

Chishiya froze.

That wasn't just a figure of speech, was it…?

The two of them turned and left.

Only a pair of backs remained.

Claire…

Wait a second.

Could that be… the Knight Commander of the Royal Capital?

And the girl she's guarding is…

Princess Iris?!

Oh no.

If he'd just made the princess cry…

Then every single future business deal with the royal capital was toast.

The Great Sage went full murder-bot and didn't even warn me!

Why didn't Darkness stop me before I made the final move?!

Chishiya turned his head.

Darkness sat at the side, her soul long gone.

Chishiya scratched his nose awkwardly.

Okay, maybe she wasn't entirely at fault…

Darkness's eyes were empty.

Dead.

I should've strangled him first… then killed myself…

Thirty games…

Every single one a blowout…

Even Her Highness Iris couldn't take that kind of emotional trauma…

And judging by the crowd's reaction, they weren't any calmer.

"Incredible… absolutely incredible!!!"

"The boss is a real man! Not even a single pity round! What willpower! I respect him so much!"

Reporters nearby had taken detailed notes of the entire scene.

They already had headlines in mind:

[Shocking! Mysterious Girl Crushes Suspected Cursed Sword Hero, Breaking His Spirit in Public!]

[Unbelievable! 40 Million Eris Magic Item Rejected! Princess Iris Challenges Chishiya—Only to Be Utterly Destroyed 30 to 0!]

—————

Later. Store Closed.

The crowd had dispersed. Customers were gone.

Inside the room—

Darkness grabbed Chishiya by the collar and shook him violently.

"What the hell were you thinking—!!!"

"She's a little girl!!!"

"You beat her 30 times!!! Not even one mercy win?! Has your heart become that twisted?! That cold?! That perverse?!"

Wait. Thirty?

Chishiya blinked.

Yeah, maybe that was a little much…

But Chishiya replied, totally serious.

"A player sitting at the chessboard is an opponent worthy of respect."

"You want me to go easy on her just because of her age? That's more insulting."

Darkness froze.

Her hands slowly loosened.

She didn't want to admit it… but he was right.

If Her Highness found out he had let her win, she'd be furious.

Phew…

Chishiya exhaled quietly.

Crisis averted… probably.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Kds89 for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 69: Most Beautiful?

Forget it. No use thinking about it now.

After prying the deranged Darkness off his shoulders, Chishiya finally took the account book from Wiz.

Time to tally today's gains.

...Huh?!

Chishiya flipped through the pages, brows twitching.

After reading through it carefully, he realized, he had severely underestimated the spending power of female adventurers.

Seriously.

Never underestimate a woman's desire for cute clothes!

Every single outfit Shuna and the others brought today was completely sold out.

And the best-seller?

The exact same outfit that Wiz was wearing.

I am a genius.

Chishiya increasingly felt that letting Wiz dress up and model the merchandise was a divine decision.

A walking billboard.

He was now confident that their shop would single-handedly redefine fashion for female adventurers in this new era.

Black stockings!

Fishnet tights!

Someone actually questioned his judgment earlier?

Idiots!

This was good for society!

Once these revolutionary outfits were walking around on beautiful women in public, those crusty old weirdos would finally realize his brilliance!

Just then, Wiz came over.

"Chishiya-san, how was it? How's the profit today?"

Chishiya smiled. "Outstanding. Absolutely outstanding!"

He turned around and raised his voice.

"Everyone!!!"

"Our store's single-day sales have officially broken 60 million Eris!!!"

"Tomorrow's a full company holiday. I'll treat everyone to a beach dinner!"

"Seriously?!!"

Milim's eyes lit up like firecrackers. Her hair practically stood on end.

Shuna quickly chimed in.

"Then let me help prepare the meal!"

Shion nodded, face solemn.

"Chishiya-sama, leave your lunchbox to me tomorrow!"

Please don't…

Chishiya felt a chill.

He turned and patted Megumin on the shoulder.

"Everyone worked hard."

"You really helped me out today."

"Sensei…"

Megumin lowered her head, clutching her skirt with both hands.

It didn't really matter that she lost.

Her opponent was the princess of the kingdom.

Having royal blood, maybe she just had a naturally high INT stat...

Chishiya ruffled her hair.

"Alright, stop overthinking. Without all of you, today wouldn't have been half as successful."

"Thank you. You were all a big help."

Yunyun hesitated for a bit, then stepped forward and raised her voice.

"Megumin! My strongest rival!!!"

"You're acting all defeated over one little loss. That's not how my opponent should behave!"

"…Huh?"

Megumin blinked, stunned. Then a small smile crept onto her lips.

"Yunyun, honestly…"

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and struck a proud pose.

"Who said I lost?"

"Chishiya said we all helped. So it's a draw, got it?"

Yunyun: "HUH?!"

"How is that a draw?!"

"Obviously I won!!!"

"Nope! A draw!"

Megumin shook her head fiercely, completely refusing to concede.

Vanir, sipping tea, gave a dry chuckle.

"Wait—"

Chishiya suddenly froze.

Because he saw that same cursed grin creep across Vanir's face.

That troublemaking, chaos-brewing smile.

Before Chishiya could stop him, Vanir struck.

"What a shame. Seems there's no true winner this time."

"Well then. Let me ask you a question."

"Which of the six looks the most beautiful today?"

"Whoever you choose will be the final winner."

Chishiya: ?????

By the time he processed the words—

Shuna and the others had stopped moving.

They were all looking at him.

"Oh my~!"

Milim struck a power pose with her hands on her hips. Her cat tail twitched aggressively behind her.

"My dear friend, you'll choose me, right?!"

Shuna stepped forward, gently holding Milim back. "Milim-sama, please calm yourself."

Shion crossed her arms. "No, I should be the one picked. I'm Chishiya-sama's bodyguard and secretary."

Shuna gave her a pointed look.

"Oh? Miss Shion, are you planning to use your cooking to poison the enemies that threaten Chishiya-sama?"

Shion: "Huh?!!!"

And just like that, Shuna and Shion were back at each other's throats.

Megumin turned to Yunyun. "Let's use this to decide who's better."

Yunyun nodded seriously. "Fine!"

"But if you lose again, Megumin, don't call it a draw!"

The two turned their heads simultaneously, staring at Chishiya with hopeful eyes.

Meanwhile…

A certain knight was huddled in a corner, mentally spiraling.

Question: What do I do in this situation?

Please reply quickly, it's urgent…

"Great Sage, how do I answer this?"

[...]

…Hello?

What does that silence even mean?!!!

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Vanir laughed like a demon king winning a bet.

"Such exquisite negative emotions! Ahh, little devil, it's more fun hanging around you every day!"

————————

Meanwhile. Alderp's Mansion.

"Lord Alderp, the report has arrived."

A servant approached and handed over a sealed file.

Alderp set down his wine glass and opened the folder.

He meant to skim it—but one line caught his attention immediately.

"That brat actually invented a new material that can resist higher-tier magic?!!"

Higher-tier magic—just below super-tier spells.

Only extremely rare materials could block something of that level.

And now there's a fabric that can resist it?

Not only that, the file said. The material is incredibly thin.

That was outright heresy.

"Not only that, Lord Alderp," the servant continued. "That Hero Candidate even gave that 'divine weapon' away—for free."

"WHAT?!"

Alderp shrieked in his oily duck voice.

"He gave away a tool that resists high-tier magic?!"

"Is he insane?!"

The man replied, "Please keep reading, my lord."

He stepped forward and turned the page for Alderp.

"…A maid game?"

Alderp sneered.

So the brat was just some shallow degenerate after all.

Didn't seem nearly as serious as the rumors claimed.

But then he saw the rules of the game.

Chess. Arm wrestling.

Alderp blinked.

"???"

"What kind of 'interactive game' is this supposed to be?"

Chess was one thing.

But arm wrestling with a maid?

What kind of deranged marketing plan was this?

Alderp read more.

"Are these people out of their minds?"

"Civilians are actually lining up for this?!"

Disgusted, he tossed the report aside.

"Summarize it. I'm not reading the rest."

The servant picked up the report.

"In addition to the civilian crowd…"

"The Cursed Sword Hero and Princess Iris both participated."

"PFFFFT—!!!!"

Alderp's eyes went wide as he spat red wine all over the floor.

He didn't even bother wiping his mouth.

He jumped to his feet, screaming.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

"WHO PARTICIPATED?!?!"

(To be continued.)