Getting along with little Ayaka could be said to be very pleasant.
In less than half an hour, Cid the old uncle had roughly grasped the rules of shogi.
He then immediately started a match against little Ayaka.
Now it was beginner old uncle versus the sheltered little milk bun of the Kamisato Clan in a shogi showdown!
One was a battle-hardened legendary adventurer, the other was a child raised indoors receiving proper education from the Kamisato family!
Just looking at it, anyone could tell how the outcome would go!
No regrets after placing a piece!
And then...
"Check~"
The legendary adventurer lost to little Ayaka in less than twenty minutes!
The speed of the loss! The beauty of the defeat! It was simply jaw-dropping!
The old uncle, face serious, looked at the board. He wasn't surprised by this result at all.
After all, little Ayaka had been learning shogi since she was small. If he could win on his very first game, that would be the strange thing.
Still, seeing little Ayaka smiling so happily—and getting to witness this classic famous scene—the old uncle felt quite satisfied.
"Mm-hmm, little Ayaka won. You're really amazing."
The old uncle nodded.
Perhaps because she had noticed that her parents were being unusually lenient with her today, little Ayaka had become a lot bolder.
Her voice was noticeably louder than usual.
"Mm-hmm!"
Experiencing curb-stomping her opponent for the first time, little Ayaka was very excited and immediately pulled the old uncle into another game.
And then...
"Check~"
The old uncle lost even more decisively.
Looking at the board where defeat was already set in stone, the old uncle felt that it was time to get serious. He couldn't keep treating this like casual playtime with little Ayaka anymore.
Otherwise, little Ayaka might start thinking he really was terrible.
"Alright, next game the old uncle is going to get serious!"
Cid the old uncle entered serious mode! The moment his stern demeanor appeared, the entire room filled with an aura of tiger roars and dragon pools...
"Check~"
The old uncle...
The old uncle realized he seemed to have lost even faster.
The old uncle decided it was better not to get serious.
If he got serious and everyone realized how bad he was, how was he supposed to keep his dignity?
"Uncle, were you really being serious? Why do I feel like you became easier to read?"
Little Ayaka spoke innocently and without malice, stating the fact that the old uncle really shouldn't have gotten serious.
Lies don't hurt people—truth is the sharpest blade.
The old uncle...
"Alright, I admit I'm trash."
Stubbornly insisting he was invincible was pointless.
Didn't he know his own level?
Better to be honest, take the L, and rest.
"Little Ayaka, how about you explain to me first how I just lost? I can understand a little, but I feel like every time we trade pieces, I'm the one coming out worse."
"Hehe~ Then let Teacher Ayaka teach you!"
Perhaps because she realized Father and Big Brother were outside and Mother wasn't minding her, little Ayaka acted a bit arrogantly, putting her hands on her hips.
At this moment, Ayaka's mother said nothing. She simply drew, quickly sketching down little Ayaka's current pose in a swift outline.
The old uncle gave this a thumbs-up in approval.
Then, after learning a bit, the old uncle started another game with little Ayaka.
Although he was always losing, there were also times when he won.
"Check! Hehehehehehe! Little Ayaka! This round, the old uncle wins!"
Looking at the old uncle laughing freely and unrestrained, little Ayaka felt something strange. Clearly she had lost, yet she didn't feel sad or frustrated at all.
Instead, there was an indescribable sense of helplessness, and even a bit of happiness.
This was probably the satisfaction of seeing one's student surpass the teacher, right?
"Mm-hmm, old uncle won. Let's play the next one~"
Previously she had still been politely calling him "Uncle," but now she unconsciously started calling him "old uncle."
At this moment, little Ayaka's eyes were extremely lively. Although her family's upbringing still kept her from fully letting loose, the joyful atmosphere had spread throughout her entire body.