Chapter 5

EP.5 The Princess's Teacher – 2

People with low self-esteem generally don't feel happy.

They are not kind to themselves and often speak negatively and self-loathing.

"...I am the blood, the lineage of the great queen, yet I can't do anything..."

That's what she says.

After calming down a bit and sitting in a chair, the girl, who was watching my reaction, didn't even drink the tea the governess had prepared, and just bowed her head.

The princess, Lucille, who should be in the highest position here, looked like this, and the maids seemed to already know about it, so they didn't react much.

But they were all worried about Lucille and concerned that I might spread rumors about her current state.

Of course, I had no intention of spreading rumors.

Unless I had some achievement like the king's ears being donkey ears, what benefit would there be?

The important part is what Lucille just said.

If she really can't do anything, this achievement might be more troublesome than I thought...

"Can't do anything... Really, can't do anything at all?"

"Um? W-well... Yes..."

"Then, how about we play a simple game?"

"Um? W-well, the lesson... is..."

When I suggested playing a game, Lucille hesitated, then looked at me cautiously and asked, and I nodded.

"This is also part of the lesson."

Saying that, I put my hand in my pocket. Lucille, seeing this, shivered and hunched her shoulders, but then looked puzzled when she saw what I took out.

"Would you like to play a card game?"

What I took out was one of the mini-games in this game, a type of TCG that is quite popular in this world according to the setting.

During my ten thousand hours of play, this mini-game took up about two thousand hours, showing how serious I am about this card game.

Of course, there are people who are even more serious, and some who only play the card game, but I've never heard anyone say I'm bad at it.

"I... I only know the rules a little..."

"That's enough."

I looked at the governess, who hesitated for a moment before taking a card pack out of her pocket. Lucille, seeing the strict and serious governess take out a card pack for fun, opened her eyes wide in surprise.

"Does the governess... know how to play?"

"Yes. It's not that difficult, actually."

"R-really?"

She saw the other maids, and most of them, after hesitating, took card packs out of their pockets. Of course, there were some who didn't know like Lucille, but it didn't seem like they had never seen them before.

"Let me show you an example. First, I'll explain the rules and the cards to you."

"...Yes..."

Because it was a game rather than a lesson, Lucille's burden seemed to lessen a bit. I started the explanation, and Lucille listened attentively with wide eyes.

After teaching her a few times, asking her about things she didn't know, and answering her questions, Lucille nodded cautiously after about an hour.

"Then, let me show you an example."

With wide eyes, she sat next to the table, and I shuffled the governess's cards and gave them back to her.

"...Let's start."

I flipped a coin, and it landed heads. I go first.

Following the rules, I drew five cards, placed a Guardian, and set magic and trap cards.

"Now it's my turn. I declare a Defense Position for the Guardian of the Wind Barrier and end my turn."

Slowly, the governess's eyes sparkled.

"Sir Sage. I'm sorry, but I'm quite serious about this card game... I'll do my best."

Hearing this, I drew a card and smiled.

I'm serious too.

The expressions of the maids and the princess watching were stiff, and the governess in front of me looked dejected as she put her hand down.

To her, I said,

"My turn! Attack! Summon a magic card! This is my turn again! Draw! Activate a trap card! Another attack! Activate the Link Magic card, Bell of the Night! Summon the White Night Link! Another attack! Sacrifice the summoned Guardian for another attack! Summon again! Attack again! My turn again!"

"...I, I lose."

This is my 'seriousness'!!

The governess, who couldn't do anything and just got beaten, looked at me with a pale face. Did you think I would let you win?

I'm a very reasonable man.

I only show my seriousness to those who show their seriousness.

"...Princess. Please take revenge..."

"Umm... I, I..."

Lucille, holding the governess's card pack, didn't know what to do. Of course, she would feel that way after seeing the flashy attack I just showed.

"It's fine. There's no problem just because you lost."

"Still... disappointment..."

"It's okay."

I tapped my card pack.

"Anyway, there's no one in this world who can beat me with this."

Hearing my declaration, the burden seemed to lessen a bit. Lucille hesitated, then nodded and flipped a coin. Tails. She goes first.

After shuffling our cards and giving them back, Lucille drew her hand and placed a few cards face-down on the field, then ended her turn.

And I did the same. When I drew a card, Lucille swallowed hard.

Let's start, shall we?

"Activate magic!! Return all the opponent's Guardians to their hand with the Hill of Wind..."

"...Trap magic... C-can I use this? Magic Plunderer."

"...Huh."

"The effect of Plunderer... When it's magic... it..."

"...You got a good hand."

Lucille, perhaps excited by her success, blushed and placed a card from her hand.

It was a pretty good card, Seal of Fire.

"Um... With this, I exclude two cards from your hand from the game... and you have to draw three cards."

"..."

"And... I summon Elect Witch and end my turn... No, I summon Drake and... combine Drake and Witch to summon Dragon Witch..."

For a first-timer, she was doing a pretty smooth combo.

She hesitated, wondering if she could do it or not.

Like a crawling baby trying to stand up, she was calmly following the description of the cards she drew.

"I, I end my turn... here."

"...Reducing my points by half in one turn. Not bad. Then, my turn..."

"Activate quick-play magic."

"What?!"

She blocked my draw and dealt more damage, and I saw a small smile on Lucille's lips.

In the end, I won.

Of course, it wasn't an overwhelming victory like against the governess. I barely defeated Lucille just before my life points hit zero.

Maybe because she lost in a game she could have won, Lucille looked more dejected than before.

"Phew... Did you see that, Princess? That no one can beat me?"

"...Yes."

Lucille was holding her card hand tightly. The governess smiled at her.

"Still, you did great. Princess, I didn't expect you to push Sir Sage like that."

"...Just got a good hand."

"Isn't luck also a part of skill? But in the end, I won."

"...If only I could have blocked that last attack..."

"Anyway, it's your first time today, Princess. Let's play often."

I stood up and bowed while organizing the cards. It had been quite a while.

"Then, I'll see you next time. Next time, let's... play properly."

"...Yes..."

When we first met, Lucille's eyes were filled with fear of me. But now, it was different.

There was a deep regret for letting a sure win slip away and a small spark of competitiveness.

"Sage."

"Yes?"

After finishing the meeting with the princess, the governess followed me out and asked. She led me to a secluded spot and asked quietly.

"The princess's hand... was too good. Could it be that..."

You noticed. Well, a governess of her level would have that kind of insight. My skill isn't perfect like a real person's.

Of course, the princess and other maids didn't seem to notice.

"Of course."

Anyone who has played this mini-game once would know. It's impossible to do such a combo with just a couple of hours of learning.

The reason Lucille could skillfully push me with a combo was one.

During the shuffling and the game, I used the skills of a thief and a jester to manipulate the cards.

"That's cheating, isn't it?!"

"I'm offended. Let's say I dominated the game."

It's not cheating if you don't get caught.

"...No... Ugh... But why didn't you let her win?"

"Winning the first game might be worse. She might doubt herself or the victory. Especially someone with low self-esteem."

"I see...?"

"I think this is why I became the princess's teacher."

To boost the self-esteem of someone with rock-bottom self-esteem.

Of course, I did manipulate things, but the fact that she could follow the rules and card effects and do a combo in just a couple of hours shows that Lucille isn't stupid.

Since I can't teach her other types of knowledge, I thought it would be good to give her a sense of accomplishment this way.

"Everyone wants to win. Even with low self-esteem, the victory that slipped away right in front of them... they will always think about it."

Especially against someone as strong as me.

Of course, it's a problem if I keep winning, but it's also a problem if I lose too easily.

I need to maintain a delicate balance, making it seem like she almost won, and then let her win.

Of course, I was confident.

"I'm worried you might get addicted to card games."

"Don't worry. There are other ways to boost the princess's self-esteem."

"Ah... Yes. I understand. But, Sir Sage. The king has prepared the best guest room for you in the palace. Would you like me to show you the way?"

The best guest room.

I remembered what the hero party members who had visited the palace before said.

They definitely stayed in the best guest room in the palace.

Thinking about meeting their traces and possibly encountering them, I smiled.

"Yes. Thank you."

It wasn't a big problem.

***

Her heart was still pounding. Lucille, sitting on the bed, replayed the game in her mind.

If she had played that card there, if she had interrupted the sage's combo earlier.

She might have won.

The sage's life points were low enough to be defeated with just one attack.

She could have made excuses for her loss.

She hadn't known the game well enough.

The cards weren't hers.

There were many reasons for her loss, but there were also many opportunities for her to win.

If she had used the Whip of Darkness instead of the Staff of Light?

If she had played the Water Sprite instead of the Fire Giant?

Lucille, spreading out the cards she received from the gover