Chapter 20

Of course, it’s not because I’m scared that I spit out words so recklessly.

Previously mentioned, I’m a weak-strong-weak-strong kind of demon. Within calculated parameters, if not me, no one would dare to cross the mood of a demon stronger than myself.

And yet, here I am, cheekily mocking Duke King of the Southern Territory.

“Hmm?”

It was precisely for moments like this—to catch his attention.

“You’re quite the oddball.”

The old geezer who can’t die, King.

Having lived through countless storms and trials of the world, he possesses an even greater laziness than I do. He’s experienced events such as the Holy Demon War (神魔戰), where angels and demons clashed, and the Great Cataclysm (大激變) which twisted and separated the continent from the Demon Realm.

He served hundreds of Demon Kings and clashed with thousands of heroes. When those warriors were shedding blood in life-and-death battles, King chose to stay within his mansion, feeling everything was futile.

Even past Demon Kings didn’t treat King lightly. Even if a Demon King possessed more power, they respected King’s independent authority and treated him differently compared to other dukes. In fact, he was practically the unofficial grand elder of the Demon Realm.

“Guess what? Being called an oddball is subjective.”

“From a societal perspective, you’re certainly eccentric enough.”

“In a cruel demon society, being called an oddball might even be a compliment?”

“Do you often hear that you’re crafty wherever you go?”

“I plan to hear it frequently moving forward.”

King’s tomato-like eyes flickered as he stared at me.

With a glimmer of interest, he scrutinized me carefully. Though the glimmer faded quickly, it was necessary. To properly converse with King.

“What brings you to seek out this decrepit old man of the Demon Realm?”

“I have something to ask.”

When they say no one dares to treat King carelessly…

It means that for tens of thousands of years, King has always been treated this way.

Even the Demon King, the highest authority in the Demon Realm, treats him this way. What impudent demon would dare to act disrespectfully?

And then I, a mere brat, showed up.

Probably around eight years old?

A young demon like that showing off courage and composure no one else could muster—what would happen if they dared to joke around with him?

“Ho ho… You want to ask something…”

I don’t look that old, so I wouldn’t know, but…

Perhaps it’s incredibly intriguing.

Other demons with a hot-blooded nature wouldn’t understand, but thanks to King’s extreme laziness, this conversation is possible.

“Let me introduce myself first. I’m Oscar Lucifer, the youngest of the Lucifer Dukedom.”

“Oh, so you’re the youngest child of the Lucifer family that was born not long ago?”

“That ‘not long ago’ was almost ten years ago, but yeah, you’re not wrong.”

“Oscar Lucifer… The name sounds pretty good. Who came up with it?”

“My father, obviously.”

My father, the current Duke of the Northern Territory, is an extremely cold and ruthless person. That’s why King says things like that.

“But…”

King wiggled his lip made of flour.

“Did you think this old man would give away information for free?”

“Just asking, but did you ask for goods?”

“Nope? Then what should I do for you?”

“…”

Pretending to know nothing, I asked innocently.

After pondering for a moment, King smiled slyly with his plant-like face and replied.

“How about a game of chess?”

“Hehe.”

Expected answer.

“Why, don’t you want to?”

“Not at all. I love chess too.”

“Me too? That sounds like I love chess too.”

“Isn’t that right? But we just met today, and you already seem like a demon I’ve known for ages.”

“…”

King erased his smile and looked perplexed. I just grinned cheerfully.

Chess is King’s only hobby. Moreover, it was also our pastime in my previous life.

Whenever I didn’t want to follow the Demon King’s orders, I’d deliberately visit King to play chess. If the Demon King questioned why I wasn’t on the battlefield, I’d simply cut them off saying I was in the middle of battle.

Chess matches with King were always thrilling, regardless of the board situation.

“Let’s bring out the chessboard.”

“It’s been a while since I played chess with another demon.”

King waved his grape-cluster arm.

Whoosh—

Purple magic power swirled, opening the dresser in the corner. Soon, the chessboard floated towards us.

Sixty-four squares of stark black and white intersected on the chessboard.

“So far, I’ve played chess with countless heroes, but playing with a kid under ten is a first.”

“Really? How long has it been since your last match?”

“The previous hero Audrias. That guy was really good at chess.”

Huh, playing chess with the enemy commander. What would happen if the Demon King found out?

Anyway, an unpredictable demon.

“Well, let’s stop chit-chatting now. The language of chess pieces will guide our conversation.”

So, it’s time to focus now.

Because I need to somehow capture the interest of our lazy and lethargic duke.

Clack—

“I’ll take black.”

“You’re willingly giving up white?”

Starting by generously offering white, which statistically has a higher win rate.

***

Chess, according to the Southern Duke King, mirrors the player’s life.

On the chessboard, pawns, rooks, bishops, and knights move in turn across the 8×8 grid battlefield. Small wars clash violently, spilling tactics and strategies without restraint.

Through these chess games, one can glimpse their life, their approach, and their perspective.

Everything becomes visible.

Tock—

“Expected something, but when I opened it, there was nothing much.”

That’s why King had suggested chess in the first place.

What ideology drives this bold demon to behave this way toward me?

To uncover that.

“From the start until now, it’s been nothing but pawns… No brilliant moves are seen. Is that all there is?”

His casual demeanor when standing outside the mansion, throwing jokes left and right, seemed amusing.

It felt slightly interesting.

“Boring. Time to finish this quickly.”

Tock—

As soon as King moved a piece, his pace quickened.

Tock—

Thinking before each move is for amateurs.

Tock—

For King, who learned chess from the gods since the dawn of time, thinking is a luxury.

Tock—

Every time Oscar made a move, King immediately countered. This pattern continued for dozens of moves.

Some pieces fell, but neither side held a clear advantage. The balance on the chessboard remained equal.

…Tock.

King noticed something strange right then.

“Why… is it still evenly matched?”

When the young demon made his first move—simply advancing a pawn—he was confident.

King was sure this demon had little experience handling chess pieces; the slight awkwardness in his movements proved it.

The bravado of offering white and pretending to be an experienced chess player was just a facade. Once the mask was removed, the true self stood exposed on the genuine chessboard.

Or so he thought.

But then…

“And there were no mistakes on my part.”

Every move King made was the best possible given the circumstances. His uncorrupted memory confirmed it.

Yet, why is the situation still evenly matched?

By now, he should have at least taken one of the opponent’s bishops. All he managed to achieve after dozens of moves was capturing two pawns.

“Time to slow down a bit. Let’s be cautious… Just a little more careful.”

Tock—

With renewed determination, King made his move.

Tock—

Oscar instantly countered.

…Tock.

King hesitated briefly before making his move again.

Tock—

Oscar followed suit immediately, mimicking King’s earlier style.

…Tock.

Tock—

…Tock.

Tock—

Then, curiosity struck King, prompting him to ask:

“Why are you suddenly rushing?”

Oscar placed a finger on his lips and whispered:

“Shh.”

“What did you say?”

“The dawn before chaos must remain silent.”

“You speak meaningfully.”

Perhaps he’s not just peculiar but eccentric too, King thought, then returned his gaze to the chessboard.

At that moment…

“Huh?”

Things he hadn’t noticed while engrossed in the game started creeping into King’s vision.

“Weren’t things originally this… chaotic?”

The pieces on the checkered board were wildly mixed up, tossed around haphazardly.

Unclear when this state began, King shook his head to refocus and concentrated on the chess once more.

“First things first… I need to take one of his rooks. How careless of him to leave it wide open.”

Tock—

The rook, second only in value to the king and queen, vanished from the chessboard.

Tock—

In return, Oscar took one of King’s knights. Clearly, taking a rook over a knight was a significant gain.

“This bishop is sitting there unprotected. Let’s see… If I take it, he’ll probably kill one of my pawns… Why has he kept making these unreasonable trades since the beginning? Does he not understand how to read the board?”

Had it happened once, King might have dismissed it as a narrow vision error. Twice makes intentional manipulation suspicious.

But it didn’t matter. A gain is a gain, and even if he missed some moves, the bishop is worth the risk.

Still wanting to confirm, King glanced at Oscar’s expression.

The opponent was smiling mysteriously, enjoying something unknown.

“Strange kid.”

Tock—

Muttering quietly, King took Oscar’s bishop.

Tock—

As expected, Oscar took one of King’s pawns.

Thus, one of Oscar’s knights became vulnerable, and after a brief contemplation, King reluctantly took it.

Oscar promptly took one of King’s pawns.

Again, King felt a twinge of unease.

Tock—

…Tock.

Tock—

…Tock.

Tock—

…Tock.

About fifteen moves later, rapid exchanges unlike before occurred.

“What is this?”

King paused mid-move, troubled by the growing discomfort.

“Why… does it feel so confusing?”

Each exchange was undoubtedly advantageous. Every single one was a perfect gain.

“Disorienting.”

Something was off about the overall situation.

Chasing immediate gains led him deep into the game. It wasn’t dangerous, but strangely, the opponent seemed to have infiltrated his own camp.

If the positions were swapped, the situation would feel exactly the same.

“Why are my troops facing my allies?”

While both enemy forces confronted each other, ally versus ally faced off as well. Despite choosing only the best moves, King felt manipulated.

Despite clearly eliminating many pieces, the numbers remained similar. Though King had more high-value pieces, he started doubting if they truly belonged to him. Even though they were painted white.

Confusion.

Chaos.

Disorder.

Mayhem.

Bedlam.

That’s exactly what the chessboard represented now.

The calm of dozens of moves seemed distant, replaced by intense turmoil. Every move resulted in losses on both sides.

The hierarchy and importance of the pieces seemed to vanish. Despite the queen being better than the rook, the rook better than the bishop, the bishop better than the knight, and the knight better than the pawn, the chaos rendered them powerless.

Thankfully, he observed from above. If he were a soldier trapped in the chaos of the chessboard…

He’d likely be wandering aimlessly, unable to distinguish friend from foe or discern his own territory from the enemy’s.

There’d be no command structure visible anywhere on the chessboard. Everyone on the battlefield would be hacking away mercilessly at anything in sight, driven by survival instincts.

“Huff, huff…”

Of course, all this assumes “real warfare.”

Currently, they’re commanding a chess game, not a real war. They can oversee every situation from above and wield omnipotent control within the rules.

…Tock.

“Why does my head feel so tired…”

Yet, his breathing grew noticeably rougher, showing how deeply immersed he was in the game.

Tock—

…Tock.

Tock—

…Tock.

As the game progressed, the tension mounted.

“Do you know something?”

“Hm?”

Suddenly, Oscar smirked and spoke.

“The greatest virtue of chaos.”

“Are you trying to strike up random chatter during the game?”

“It’s fairness, fairness. Defined rules and order create ranks and hierarchies that become meaningless in the face of chaos.”

Upon hearing this, King chuckled mockingly.

“True, perhaps. But in this chess game, your words won’t hold.”

Tock—

Placing a confident move.

“In this chess game, I finally see the end approaching.”

“Is that so? I don’t see it.”

Tock—

“Now it’s over.”

Tock—

King’s bishop captured one of Oscar’s remaining pawns.

Now Oscar had only three pawns and one knight left.

Meanwhile, King still had a rook, bishop, and queen.

King was certain of his victory.

Even with just a rook, pawns are powerless. That’s a basic rule of the chessboard.

Pushing forward would secure his victory. Any lingering doubts disappeared with the looming triumph, strengthening his confidence.

Tock—

“Checkmate.”

Before Oscar’s lone pawn reached his most important piece—

Moving right revealed a knight perfectly positioned to block.

Moving left showed his own king two squares away. Kings cannot approach each other within one square.

Behind him stood his strongest piece, the queen, but it faced away, offering no help in this situation.

Surrounded on all sides.

The weakest pieces had penetrated through the defenses of the most valuable pieces, encircling his king. In reality, they had been closing in for quite some time, hidden by the chaos and mayhem.

“Ho ho…”

No escape was evident, no matter how he looked.

“I lost, it seems.”

Somewhere along the line, when exactly had he lost?

Chess isn’t a game that changes with a single move. Dozens of moves accumulate, building towards a possibility as players continuously set up and strategize.

“I told you. In chaos, distinctions between high and low disappear.”

“At what point did you orchestrate this scene?”

“Orchestrated? What do you mean?”

“When did you plan this? While I was indulging in overconfidence about my victory? Or when you guided me to capture your pieces one by one? Or when the board descended into mayhem?”

By now, King’s face brimmed with curiosity and questions.

Living over a hundred thousand years, storing all worldly knowledge in his mind, this King now displayed insatiable curiosity towards a young demon.

“Was it when we exchanged those boring moves earlier? Or… Was it even earlier than that?”

Oscar maintained his enigmatic smile.

Watching him, King muttered incredulously:

“Could it have been from the very first move? Was your awkward hand movement meant to lull me into complacency?”

At that, Oscar giggled and replied:

“Eh, how could a mere demon foresee and plan that far ahead?”

“Then?”

“Just focusing on the immediate situations. How could I shake things up more? How could I make the battlefield as chaotic as possible?”

“Nonsense… Did I really lose because of that…?”

King muttered to himself, dumbfounded.

Oscar found the current situation immensely enjoyable.

‘This is something I’ve done thousands of times with you, thousands of times. Maybe after a few more rounds, it would have balanced out, but how could I lose the first round?’

To Oscar, playing chess with King was as natural as breathing.

Whether aware of Oscar’s inner thoughts or not, King continued expressing admiration.

‘This isn’t the wisdom or execution capability of a child.’

King was still replaying the previous game in his mind. The notoriously lazy demon was nowhere to be seen.

‘Similar to… encountering a monster that’s seen it all. He claims to play randomly, but this kid led me all along. Those early dozens of moves were probably setups for the final phase.’

Continuing this train of thought, King began harboring deeper doubts.

‘Could someone at this age possess such intellect?’

No need to delve too deeply.

Ultimately, intelligence is a fusion of knowledge and experience.

An eight-year-old demon couldn’t possibly possess such knowledge or experience.

“Perhaps… Are you a reincarnator?”

And indeed, living over a million years, King had encountered a few individuals who were young yet wise beyond their years.

All of them were bizarre, seeing the future clearly and acting accordingly.

As if possessing the omniscience of foresight. Even without exceptional intellect, they moved with information others couldn’t access.

The peculiar child before him exuded a similar aura.

“Are you… a reincarnation?”

---