Nice chest…
Ahem—what a fierce move!
Samael lowered his gaze to the tense chessboard, moving his pieces with calm precision.
Against Astraea's bold and sweeping attacks, he countered with sticking and blocking, adopting a slow, grinding strategy, cutting away at her position bit by bit.
Gradually, Astraea's brows knit tighter, each move taking longer as she weighed her options.
With her blindfold removed, the goddess appeared solemn and composed, radiating an air of austere dignity.
And yet, the sway of her generous chest and the elegant curves of her figure stirred a dangerous allure, teasing at primal instincts.
Ascetic restraint and sensual temptation, order and transgression—conflicting traits that fused together into an impulse to profane.
More than once, Samael's early mistakes had come from being distracted by that "evil abundance."
He scolded himself harshly, resolving to temper his willpower.
Thus, the so-called "wise and rational" serpent pressed on, prolonging the game, his slit pupils glimmering as they studied every move Astraea made.
"I lost…"
After half an hour of stalemate, her pieces nearly wiped from the board, Astraea finally tipped her king in defeat.
"Sorry for taking up so much of your time."
She lifted her head slightly, her gray eyes glinting with apology as she glanced at the empty house and the sun sinking southwest outside the window.
"I was just idle anyway. It's still early—how about a few more rounds?"
Catching the eager look on Astraea's face, Samael chuckled, gathered up the black pieces, and gestured in invitation.
The blonde goddess nodded with delight, setting up the board once more, eager to challenge the game's creator again.
After all, a victory won against a worthy opponent was the sweetest.
Compared to Daphne's half-baked, playful attempts, the man before her was the true summit she sought to conquer.
What Astraea didn't realize was that after only a few games, Samael himself had already been impressed by her growth.
His chess skills were nothing special—what kept him steady now was experience. And most of that came from being beaten down in Mesopotamia.
The first to introduce a game resembling chess had been none other than the King of Heroes.
With Clairvoyance to glimpse the future, Gilgamesh had crafted a miniature game in the Divine Tower of his palace, modeled after chess rules for his own amusement.
Those assorted pieces used to display battle on the palace sand table had been his creation.
Back then, Samael often found himself dragged into games when Gilgamesh wanted entertainment, sometimes alongside Merlin.
But that sly Incubus always fled faster than a rabbit, leaving Samael—the other of Uruk's Twin Kings—to sit across from Gilgamesh and suffer crushing defeat.
To survive longer, Samael had been forced to sharpen his memory of chess principles, scraping together what little advantage he could from understanding patterns and strategies.
Even so, his tricks usually worked only once or twice before his opponents adapted, turned them around, and crushed him with his own methods.
So it was with Gilgamesh. So it was now with Astraea.
That's why I hate playing against intuitive prodigies—it's never fun.
Samael glanced at the board as the exchange grew sharper, muttering in his heart with a faint curl of his lip.
Of course, though both relied on instinct, their ways were different.
Gilgamesh delighted in stepping outside the board, challenging the rules themselves, forcing loopholes open to bend the system.
Astraea, by contrast, respected the rules—yet within them, she pushed ever deeper, innovating as she played.
"If only the affairs of the world were as simple and orderly as this board, following clear rules… perhaps there would be far fewer conflicts."
As the pressure Samael had exerted gradually eased under Astraea's steady play, the blonde goddess finally found a moment of reflection, gazing down at the board with a soft sigh.
"The prerequisite is finding someone who can set rules for the world."
Samael replied casually as he pushed a piece forward.
Astraea picked up the giant Magical Beast representing the chariot to block his attack, admiration flashing in her eyes.
"I've heard a lot about you from Daphne..."
"The disputes you've mediated, the answers you've given—most of them left both sides satisfied. That's truly impressive."
Samael shook his head slightly, his expression carrying a trace of helplessness.
"I've already told her. If something doesn't involve her, she shouldn't be dragging people to me. And as much as possible, she shouldn't be asking me to arbitrate at all."
"These days, you could be killed just walking down the street by a single swipe from a Magical Beast. Even staying at home, you might get caught in the clash of gods and monsters."
"Stepping forward to arbitrate is a thankless job. Sooner or later, the side that lost will come looking to settle the score with me."
As the ancient serpent spoke, he swept Astraea's chariot from the board, lifted his gaze toward the golden-haired goddess, and offered a weighty warning.
"I can tell Daphne respects you, and she likes you a lot. If you have the time, I hope you'll talk to her. Tell her not to stir up trouble or draw too much attention to herself right now, or she'll bring disaster on her own head."
Astraea's fingers stilled. Thinking of Daphne's personality, she couldn't help but smile softly and nod.
"I will..."
She cared deeply for that child. And with her faint sense of destiny, the Titan goddess had an indistinct feeling that Daphne's future might not be a happy one.
If it came to that, she could always take the girl with her, make her a divine attendant, and keep her safe.
"Checkmate!"
Just as the atmosphere between the two players grew more congenial, Samael glanced at the sun outside the window and launched a sudden, forceful attack, cornering Astraea's king.
In the end, despite her great improvement, the golden-haired goddess finished with one win, one draw, and eight losses—her face shadowed by defeat.
And even that one win and one draw left her wondering whether her opponent had gone easy on her.
Still, the back-and-forth battles of wit had been thoroughly enjoyable for both sides.
In this Titan-ruled age, where disputes were usually settled with fists, Samael hadn't had such a patient opponent to play chess with in a very long time.
As the time came to return and prepare dinner for Tina, the ancient serpent rose, stretched his limbs, and smiled as he took his leave.
"I'm very interested in how you've handled those disputes."
"If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me more next time?"
Before he could depart, Astraea spoke, her gaze gentle and earnest.
Samael paused, turning slightly. His brows knit as his expression grew serious.
"Will there be tea? Dinner included?"
Astraea blinked, then covered her lips with a hand, a faint smile softening her face.
"Of course."
After the light jest, the two exchanged nods, and Samael's figure gradually faded into the mist.
This child is cautious. He can already see the risks in advocating justice and arbitration.
If I want to learn more, I'll need patience.
But Astraea...
His reaction to that name was peculiar.
Standing before the clear waters, the golden-haired goddess gazed at her blurred reflection and instinctively touched her cheek.
And "recently"...
Could it be that he already senses something major is about to happen?
...
(50 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon(.)com/PinkSnake