I’m the King but it’s Chess.

We skipped touring the bailey, if it could be called that… underground and all.

From the gates we visited the dungeons. Dreary places with only a vulgar songbird in a birdcage.

“Will he age faster?” the only notable question brought forth by some notable face with a not so notable name and title.

Then we visited the nine Lookout towers

They were not so much towers as they were carved voids up the mountain

I don’t really know why Hilda was in armor but the poor girl was going to be getting leg day and cardio,

A little bit of pain in my legs was igniting the itch I had to be active. Maybe I should wear armor more regularly.

The first two towers, I found refreshing

The third tower I found myself trying to boost Hilda up the stairs.

She was too gracious to be left behind at the bottom of the stairs. Something that more than one more official military man had elected.

I like the construction and these sections of the mountain or not so sedimentary and soft as the entrance

Still, these carved spiral staircases were avoids under crushing stone.

So small was humanity and so narrow, where the stairs it was not hard to imagine the mountain itself holding up the walls

But even still from spiral staircase to wall sometimes I ducked to avoid knocking my head upon a web of brick or stone or bronze bar. No doubt placed to add some semblance of structure. I couldn’t help but imagine the mountain itself crushing us in the staircase.

At the top of each tower the rook gave a short report on why he thinks an enemy might be visible from the view ports that always emerged from a great stone in the side of the mountain.

“Is there a reason you don’t clear the trees out this viewing station?” I asked.

“For a better view? We needn’t the wood, and part of this fortress’s strength is the remote and rugged terrain that surrounds!”

The rook always had an answer.

I would stump him soon. One way or another…

His lackies had waited for Hilda and I who had begun to lag behind.

A little bit of cardio felt pleasant to me.

But poor Hilda was clearly not so used to it. And was also wearing armor.

How far had we climbed total? Eight hundred feet? six hundred feet? Honestly impressive she had made it so far, impressive I had made it so far.

But where I could keep going if I had a drink of water…

“Hilda you need a drink by now don’t you? climbing is thirsty work!”

“Non- nonsense” she stammered. Looking down after her father who had begun back down the staircase.

“Sir.Marble” I called.

“Your daughter craves hydration and rest!”

A few murmurs from down the staircase. Then the spry man bounded back up.

“The lookouts have rations… perhaps it is time for a break.”

The cramped “tower” or observation tower became an impromptu locker room as various individuals removed parts of their armor to consume a neat array of heavily sterilized watery wines and ales.

******.

I could taste citrus.

That would be an awesome sports drink brand.

“******”

I’m filing the trademark right now.

I naturally the modern world would be a little more hostile to using alcohol as a beverage sterilizer.

But I savored the small victory.

Two weeks ago that had been when I had tried to make the change?

Had my word really become action in such a short time.

Or perhaps, this was a way for the rook to show that he followed my orders.

That would be like him wouldn’t it?

“I like the new rations father!” Great and I had a focus group that gave a glowing review! “ nobility under 30! Movers and shakers!”

Oh, that was the demographic you needed to hit!

They had the most disposable income.

I wish I had brought some armor eight hundred feet up and down? I like it, but I needed something more.

A good workout I had not yet endured even if faintly, I felt it in my legs.

“What is for dinner?” I prompted. “I wish to see the Larder.”

“Yes father, I am starving!” Hilda made my point better than I did.

How convenient.

Really I’m not sure why such a man would give me such a lever as his own daughter to hold over him.

And why was she an armor anyway?

Sure she had cast some off, but it had only revealed that the still modest gambison she wore underneath was sweaty and soon to be stinky.

Seemed impractical for a tour.

Why was I here anyway? I was hungry, needed to train, and I hadn’t had a good opportunity to express myself by bashing in someone’s armor in a few days.

I was going to waste away at this rate.

“I organized an elk hunt in your honor O lion. We shall have much to satisfy ourselves with soon!”

Well that put my stomach at ease but I never like eating what others cook.

“Hilda what’s your favorite food?” I asked, making light conversation. The girl opened up and listed a variety of common foods. All of them pleasant and the list defeated the purpose of the question.

Her voice was ok, but nothing special to me.

Gosh I hate myself.

I was finding her cute. Just as another man designed.

Just to help the family relax I told myself…

Where was my queen when I needed her?

The tour wasn’t over and had a nice sparing match in the training hall.

The damp and slightly burnt of the cave made me think of lung cancers and bronchitis.

Still though, every floor was sloped. And the rook said it was for fear of toxic spirits born of flame.

Interesting that he knew of such things

I suppose a miner has always known of such things if he simply digs deep enough.

Hilda became warm quickly after we ate.

When the rook was not rhyming about the grand design of his favorite of fortresses. Hilda was gushing about how great a father he was and how unlike other girls she trained as a shield maiden of old…

Blah blah blah…

Is this normal for kings? I’m already married. I feel guilty regarding that monster we call my wife.

But if I did decide to enjoy too much of the company of others, would the queen occupy them? Or…

A chess king could have multiple queens.

Did pawns magically become more competent by the time they were promoted?

Nothing against Hilda Two out here, but the poor girl was noob tier. No hero’s journey had she undergone.

Well I guess that journey was across the board. Pawns suffer a high casualty rate though.

Casualties not necessarily death I guess…

Strange to think that Fleur Secundus and De Pheboe were potential future wives

I wondered at their character arcs, they were having an adventure. I was tormenting middle management.

Sailor moon on the other hand… that girl had a proper hero’s arc.

Why was Sailor Venus blonde?

Stones and Planets.

The halls of this marble fortress under limestone hid veins of serpentine. A beautiful but useless rock. My hometown or at least one of them enjoyed the blessing of Nickel quarries which were betrayed by green.

A green I see again today.

Is it a problem that everything I see I either want to hit with a hammer, chew on, or grab before curling up and sleeping?

Maybe it’s all this walking and talking about the fortress.

Maybe it’s my growling stomach, maybe it’s Hilda now more liberally giggling and talking my ear off.

Why do I care what my wife thinks?

I’m king. A once in a lifetime opportunity to follow my instincts!

But a king and a vagabond were the same in my home country.

Complete with worried infrastructure to prevent them from harm.

Sponsored by the taxpayer.

I just had cuter girls and more of a military.

But how much havoc could one handgun in the Middle Ages really cause?

Also a fun isekai.

I had wanted to teach my queen to lift only a few days ago and here was Hilda, already interested in the art of martial training.

She probably already had great legs.

And she had shed the armor back in the training hall for a more traditional and no doubt softer and more comfortable cotton based dress.

Nothing special or gaudy, she almost looked lowborn in a muted and somewhat baggy around the upper body green and white flecked dress.

Suppose the dye was what marked her as somewhat noble.

She was still at my arm.

I fought the urge to pick her up and play with her.

Who would stop the king?

Probably not Hilda.

Stupid rook. If not for him I would.

I needed a distraction, my cycling mind dimly remembered that the rook was trying to distract me from inspecting his castle too closely.

Right? That’s why he tried to set me up with his daughter?

Was I always this distracted by women? Or was the Lion just insatiable like this?

It had been a few days…

“And this is the central temple of the mountain, naturally we cannot drill all the way to the sun above. But we have an interesting source of light sacred bright.”

The cavern was dark but suddenly I was snapped out of my daze and brought to the real world.

Could I meet all Hilda’s friends?

Almost to the real world….

Thank you rook, you know not what you do for your sweet daughter.

I thought Hilda was cute in Fire Emblem Three houses… a breeder too.

But good lord, I was the fool who got attached to everyone who gave me attention now.

Doesn’t do for a king.

The rook was speaking and I had his daughter hostage on my arm.

I resolved to meet his wife first out of spite.

Am I or my queen more evil?