DTBTHS Chapter 34

Axel Valentine heard the news that his master had changed not long after becoming a piece.

"Is changing masters even possible?"

When the boy asked in confusion, Bishop answered nonchalantly.

"Of course. I was originally Blue Bishop too. Before that, I was Amber Knight."

"What does that..."

"It means Black is my third master. This time the previous master retired and a new master is coming, so we don't need to move, which is convenient."

Axel didn't understand.

Weren't piece and master in a relationship between sponsored and sponsor?

Could that change this simply?

Since he'd rather liked Robert Black, he felt even more resistance to the news that his master was changing.

But on the other hand, that man seemed irresponsible.

'To leave like this without a word before even giving a first mission?'

Had his words about seeing potential in him been a lie? He felt disappointed and betrayed.

Bishop handed a book to Axel, who was standing with an ambiguous expression.

"Take it."

"What's this?"

"The new master said to give it to you. Said you must read it before your first mission."

"Has my first mission been decided?"

Axel asked with expectant eyes. Bishop looked him up and down, then said:

"No. But it's obvious what kind of mission you'll get."

"I really don't know. Please tell me."

"You'll find out when the time comes, so why bother?"

Bishop giggled. He didn't seem inclined to answer.

"Can you at least tell me approximately when?"

"I don't know either."

"What should I prepare?"

"Who knows."

"...When is the new master coming?"

"Not coming."

"Pardon?"

"Only the agent came and went. Said they'll give instructions through the agent from now on too."

"What's that supposed to..."

"Well, I've relayed what I was told to relay, so I'm leaving."

Bishop cut off Axel's question and left.

He tried not to be near Axel as much as possible. The red eyes seemed to bother him.

Since the master left, he hadn't been training him properly either.

Axel still didn't know much about life as a piece.

He looked down at the book he'd been handed.

It wasn't a very thick book. The title was The Red-Eyed Boy.

The boy unconsciously frowned. It was a book he knew.

The story of a red-eyed boy who kept starting fires around him until finally the entire village burned down and he wandered alone.

It was a children's book his father had bought when Axel was young to teach him about red eyes.

His father's choice, unable to tell his son with his own mouth that these were cursed eyes.

Axel had only understood why fires occasionally broke out around him after reading that fairy tale.

And as soon as he finished reading it, he'd shoved the book in a corner and never looked at it again.

'He wants me to read this? Why?'

He was glaring viciously at the book cover when someone suddenly entered.

"So you're the kid called Axel."

It was an unfamiliar middle-aged man. He sat at the table on his own, then set down a heavy bag.

Axel gripped his sword handle, on guard, and asked:

"Who are you?"

The man answered while pulling out a thick book, paper, pen, and other items from the bag.

"I'm the person who will be your teacher from now on."

"What? Says who?"

"Your sponsor's orders."

"You mean the master."

"Yeah, that's right. Adrian Black hired me."

"Adrian Black?"

"Don't you even know your sponsor's name?"

So the new master's name was Adrian Black.

Black wasn't a surname but apparently some kind of title.

While Axel mulled over that name, the man calling himself teacher opened his book and called to him.

"Come sit down. There's a lot to teach."

"What are you planning to teach?"

"History, geography, mathematics, spirit theory, demonology, monster studies, etc. By the way, how long are you going to keep talking casually to your teacher?"

"...Why do I have to study those things?"

Demonology and spirit theory at least made some sense, but he couldn't understand why he needed to learn things like history, mathematics, and geography.

"I don't know. I'm just hired. Shut up and sit down."

The teacher jerked his chin. Axel had no choice but to sit.

After that followed the first proper lessons he'd ever received.

For Axel, it was quite an ordeal.

'What does the new master even want from me?'

Lessons that seemed like what nobles would receive.

It would be better to spend this time training in swordsmanship.

And why had he given him that annoying children's book?

The current Axel couldn't guess his new master's intentions at all.

Ariadne had already decided on the first mission to give Axel.

'In the early original work, Axel's missions were all about isolating him and watching whether fires broke out or not.'

Members who'd heard about red eyes flocked in curiosity and placed many bets.

Whether fires would really break out, and if fires did break out, whether that little pawn would come out alive or dead—things like that.

'The master rakes in money, but for the protagonist they're useless missions.'

Robert Black had only given that kind of mission. His attitude was that it didn't matter if Axel died.

But after a certain mission as a turning point, he started using Axel for different purposes.

That mission was an event absolutely necessary for the protagonist.

She'd only given Axel basic education until that time came. Focused on knowledge that would be useful later.

'Right now I don't need to specifically teach swordsmanship.'

The adoptive father who'd trained Axel was the Captain of the Royal Guard Knights of the destroyed Creta Empire.

Just studying the swordsmanship he'd taught on his own was enough to build skill. If it was the protagonist, he'd train well on his own.

And the time she'd been waiting for came.

"Miss, a Blaze Apparition appeared!"

Lucy, who'd rushed into her room in a hurry, said in a fuss.

Axel opened his eyes in his sleeping bag.

As soon as he got up, he pulled out his water pouch and took a sip. The water was lukewarm.

His throat felt stuffy, so he briefly tugged at the necklace with his hand.

It had been cold metal when he'd left the mansion.

This black necklace, a finger-joint's width, was an item all pieces had to wear when departing on missions.

He'd heard it was an item that recorded all his actions throughout the mission.

It must be quite expensive, but for every piece to wear this on every mission meant the Association had a lot of money.

Axel pulled out jerky for breakfast and chewed it while looking around once.

The scenery was exactly the same as yesterday.

A desert of endless white sand. White rocks jutting up here and there.

The boy had just woken from sleeping in the hollow shade of one of those rocks.

After confirming there was nothing unusual, he leaned against the rock and pulled out a letter envelope.

On the outside of the high-quality envelope was written in elegant handwriting: 'Black Pawn, Axel Valentine.'

The wax seal he'd already broken bore the Chess Association mark.

The letter inside was very short. He already knew the contents, but he read the letter once more.

Mine seven-colored crystal at the Crystal Oasis in the Great Desert.

At the end of the letter was a signature in the same handwriting as the envelope.

Adrian Black.

The name of his master who hadn't shown his face even once while giving the first mission.

'Strange fellow.'

He put away the letter and gathered his luggage.

The travel supplies his master had sent were of very good quality.

Actually, not just the travel supplies. Everything given to Axel was high-grade.

He hadn't known at first, but he caught on quickly since Bishop was so blatantly jealous.

Saying he'd never seen a master give things like this to a pawn. That they were better than his own things. He'd even tried to swap them with his own.

'What I learned is unexpectedly useful too.'

While learning geography, he'd learned what kind of place the Great Desert was. The Crystal Oasis and seven-colored crystal had all been covered in lessons.

He'd also properly learned how to read maps, so he hadn't lost his way even once while coming this far.

All the things he'd wondered why he was learning turned out to be useful. It was a strange feeling.

'At this rate, it'll really end easily.'

Walking through the desert was painful and hard, but it was about a hundred times easier than wandering in a blighted region.

He just had to walk while holding a compass and checking rock shapes carefully.

The monsters living at Crystal Oasis were creatures that became docile if you gave them food. Different from demons that unconditionally antagonize humans.

He also knew the trick for mining seven-colored crystal, so as long as he didn't make mistakes, it would be an easy mission.

'Why did he give me this when assigning such an easy mission?'

Inside the envelope his master had sent, there was one more small, thin black envelope.

Only open in dangerous moments.

The phrase written on the outside kept bothering him.

No matter how he looked at it, there was nothing that would be dangerous.

The boy, tilting his head in puzzlement, suddenly felt hotter and wiped sweat with the back of his hand.

At the edge of his vision, on the horizon, something rippled like a heat haze. It was bright red.

'What's that?'

Axel squinted and examined it, then suddenly felt goosebumps.

It was getting bigger.