VIP Chapter 245: Treya, The Checkmate
Two days ago, in the Royal Palace—
On a day like today, when it was raining—
Treya and Carver’s “game of chess” slowly progressed, accompanied by the soft patter of rain and the clinking of crystal pieces on the board.
“He holds so much power. For weak common merchants like us, that is precisely what is most terrifying.”
Carver, speaking with a rumble of thunder in the background, moved his pawn forward another step.
He didn’t immediately deploy more aggressive pieces, yet he wasn’t playing defensively at all. Every move was still a forceful “attack.”
Treya didn’t immediately reply to Carver’s statement.
With a cool demeanor, she moved her unplayed knight onto the board.
In a meeting where chess represented “attitudes,” Carver immediately understood that she was allowing him to continue speaking.
“The noble Royal Families loom over us like dark clouds, intermittently unleashing torrential rain or revealing the sun. For us, this is already unbearable.”
Carver moved another pawn, seemingly to emphasize that he had further plans.
“The rain will always stop eventually, because no dark cloud can forever obscure the clear sky. It must eventually yield to brightness.”
Treya didn’t move any pieces. She listened quietly to the rain outside, resting her chin on her hand, and began to ponder.
Although the advantage on the board was hers, Carver never ceased his relentless pressure.
—Whether on the chessboard or in the negotiation.
She was considering what each subsequent “move” should be.
She sighed, then moved her queen. It was clear that the next few moves would be directed towards the opponent’s “king.”
“The Entak Royal Family is not as you describe.”
Treya directly denied Carver’s statement.
“Do you remember? Will is my fiancé. We intended to cooperate three years ago. I believe… maintaining that kind of ‘cooperation’ is sufficient.”
Upon hearing Will’s name, Carver, for the first time, displayed an “unnatural” expression. The eyebrow on his right side twitched slightly upwards.
Before he could speak, he retreated his bishop back into his own territory.
Carver looked at Treya.
He sensed something different about this “Princess” compared to three years ago—if she hadn’t deliberately brought up the events of three years prior, he might not have even noticed.
She possessed a very, very strong “certain objective.” It was for the sake of achieving that goal that she sat here with him at this “chessboard,” which was in reality a “negotiation table.”
Her concessions and advances were both somewhat peculiar.
Carver had initially assumed she was forced into seeking his “aid,” hence this negotiation.
After all, it was common knowledge that amidst the fierce struggles within the Royal Family, this beautiful princess always seemed like an outsider, afraid to get involved.
This was also the reason Carver had ultimately chosen to “postpone” and forgo supporting her faction three years ago.
If she couldn’t “get her hands dirty” within the Royal Family’s environment and actively participate in the struggle, then there was no point in “supporting” her.
Even if she might be the one to ultimately “survive.”
“Your Highness, I hope you understand that the Entak Royal Family of today is not the same as it was before. The Adventurer’s Guild today is no longer the Adventurer’s Guild of the past.”
A threat.
While his moves on the board appeared defensive, what Carver said was a clear, overt “threat.”
The disconnect between the chess game and the “negotiation” was a deeply manipulative aspect of this encounter.
Treya gazed at the chessboard, falling silent for two to three seconds.
The next move was simply to continue the attack, but she did not do so.
She seemed to be analyzing the meaning behind his actions.
“Are you choosing to make ‘this move,’ Mr. Carver…?”
Treya understood. This was precisely what her Will had repeatedly emphasized about Carver’s difficulty to deal with. Though she herself was only here…
He was not merely a top merchant, as he appeared on the surface, unwilling to easily sacrifice his “interests” in a negotiation.
Treya’s ice-like expression finally seemed to reveal a hint of a smile.
Treya moved her “knight” forward.
“That being said, Mr. Carver, the tremors caused by changes in the Royal Family are not something you can withstand unscathed. Don’t you want a ‘win-win’ situation?”
But after showing weakness, she was now showing strength.
And she seemed to have just sidestepped the question he wanted to know by using her chess moves.
What was she…
Doing all this for?
As a merchant, he knew clearly that behind any negotiation or trade, one must first understand the other party’s “demands,” know what they want, and understand why they sit on opposing sides of the negotiation table.
Carver castled his king.
“Is that so? But the current… no, perhaps future adventurers might give the Entak Royal Family some surprises?”
Treya moved her bishop.
Carver quickly moved his queen.
He could tell that Treya’s play had become even more aggressive than before.
She seemed to be losing “patience.”
Now, one side was Treya seeking the economic support of Carver and the “Hysterm Family” he represented.
On the other hand, Carver was “dissatisfied” with Treya’s demands, or rather… he had more faith in the “future” potential of the Adventurer’s Guild.
“What if, Mr. Carver, I said that ‘later’ is now?”
Treya’s piece once again delivered a check. Of course, in the mid-game, a check was not yet a checkmate; there were still ways to counter it.
It was just…
“…”
Carver felt that something was amiss.
She was not as “detached from worldly affairs” as described.
Could it be…
Could it be that she not only had a “trump card” but also possessed “information” that Carver was unaware of?
In a negotiation, the most terrifying thing is not achieving an unwanted outcome, but rather…
That the other party is hiding “unknown information.”
Was she using this information to negotiate with him now?
Was Treya’s initial show of weakness—no, her weakness over these past few weeks—all a ploy to conceal these things?
Even now, at this stage of the negotiation, was she still hiding her hand?
Especially this statement. The certainty with which she uttered it…
Could it be that the current stirrings within the Royal Family were not the “beginning” but a sign that they were about to “end”?
Strange, according to the Hysterm Family’s information channels, even with the wildest rumors, no such “information” had emerged.
What was she so “certain” about?
What had transformed Treya of three years ago into the person she was now?
With no other choice, Carver could only move his king back a step.
Treya’s bishop, meanwhile, advanced, capturing a piece.
“Mr. Carver, I’m not unwilling to make concessions. Just as I could have done for you three years ago, I can defeat your other competitors and make the Hysterm Family the sole controller of the Adventurer’s Guild. How about that?”
Treya seemed somewhat “agitated.”
She was a person rarely prone to becoming “agitated.” Even when playing such a long game, she would maintain her patience, just as she patiently listened to Will’s lessons, just as she patiently honed her swordsmanship, just as she patiently set up…
This entire situation.
But now she was getting impatient.
Perhaps it was the face before her, so similar to Will’s, yet probing her limits time and again.
Because she knew, Will would not do this.
Carver had no choice but to use his bishop to capture the advancing piece.
“Oh? You mean to say that the Hysterm Family is not the sole controller right now?”
Treya sighed softly again and used her queen to capture another piece.
“Not just in the current domain. For example… with your support, we could restructure the current system, giving you… no, giving *you* the opportunity to sit at the table and enjoy a feast?”
Carver listened, falling into thought.
This statement was a simple metaphor, yet Treya had practically laid it all out.
This was something he had wanted to achieve through marriage three years ago: to elevate the “Dungeon-centric” elements of the Adventurer’s Guild, allowing them to stand as a genuine force in politics, with the same decision-making power as the old nobles and the Entak Royal Family… even to rival them.
He lightly moved his rook, bringing it closer to the opponent’s king, a move that slightly signaled an attack.
“That is indeed a tempting proposition, Your Highness Princess Treya.”
But agreeing to this condition meant he would support Treya, and not just “support Treya,” but also…
Implying that the “future” Adventurer’s Guild would remain stagnant in an awkward, in-between position.
Treya watched this move and shifted her “king” to evade his subsequent attack.
“If you agree, we can conclude our meeting here today. Not all games need to be played to the very end.”
But Carver moved his bishop again.
Most importantly, they had the ability to push an action that would oust the Entak Royal Family while they were at their weakest. Why should they listen to her?
“But Your Highness, I believe there can be further concessions. For example…”
Treya silently watched this move and also advanced her rook.
As both began to move their rook pieces, the chessboard seemed to be gradually approaching its endgame.
“Yes, but that is the future. Mr. Carver, do you know that Seven and Eight are out due to injury? And Four and Five, Mr. Carver, you should understand whose side they are currently on.”
Carver frowned and picked up his knight.
“…What?”
“Let’s do the math. In a few days, the Fourth Prince will be exiled. But what you perceive as ‘dark clouds’ are not leaderless.”
Treya’s queen attacked with extreme force.
This single move almost signaled Carver’s impending defeat.
Carver stared at the board, falling into silence.
If Prince Seven and Prince Eight are out of the picture—Carver didn’t even know this information. Who had kept it from him?
She…
Could it be that she was the one who had ultimately gained control of most of the “military power”?!
Although there were other choices, Treya was overly confident at this moment.
If… if she was the victor from the very beginning, then why… why reveal so many benefits to him through a game of chess like this, seeking his support?
It was…
It was a ploy to extract his “hidden cards” and the “information” he possessed.
He was wrong.
He thought this was a “negotiation,” but in reality, Treya had already arranged his position, and only wanted to know if he had any other trump cards.
If there truly was a “future,” Carver didn’t believe he would lose, but at this particular moment, it was precisely when Carver was not at his strongest.
Therefore, his only choice now was to cooperate with her.
What did she want?
The conditions she offered were too good, not fitting for someone who had gained complete advantage.
“Your Highness Princess Treya, what are you implying?”
“You’ve understood my implications. You just need to make your choice.”
Treya spoke calmly.
Carver looked up. Only then did he truly see Treya’s eyes, hidden beneath her somewhat disheveled silver hair.
In her haste, she had pushed her hair aside.
“I can only support you, Your Highness Princess Treya.”
Carver, with no other recourse, moved his king.
Even so, he knew this game was over.
He had encountered an opponent who had gained complete advantage at a very unfavorable time. His defeat was natural.
What puzzled him was that despite being suppressed, he had also received quite a few “benefits” promised by her. Why was Treya doing this?
“Your Highness, what I want to know is, why, when you are so strong, you give me so many benefits and tell me this information in advance?”
A hint of disappointment flashed in Treya’s eyes.
“Mr. Carver, you don’t understand. There is only one thing I desire. One thing you can give me right now.”
She picked up the queen piece that was capable of delivering the decisive “checkmate.”
The white queen, under the indoor lights, shone unexpectedly.
It was out of place with the dim, overcast sky and the oppressive atmosphere.
But it was indeed the “Queen,” a beautiful and powerful existence belonging to the “King.”
Her queen piece landed. Her index finger rested on the tip of the queen, not leaving, and her eyes finally fixed on Carver.
“I only want to know, where is he?”
“He?”
“You know who I’m talking about, otherwise you wouldn’t have the right to be sitting here.”
“…So that’s how it is. I see. It’s truly something I didn’t expect.”
Carver gave a light chuckle, not a full laugh, as if he were maintaining his last shred of “calmness.”
“That makes sense. I indeed know where he is. He is currently in the capital.”
Carver saw a flicker of surprise and joy in Treya’s eyes, eyes that had remained composed throughout the entire game.
“In a short while, he will come to see you.”
Carver stood up and bowed to Treya, his “opponent.”
“However, Your Highness Princess Treya, I would like to add one last thing…”
“If you wish to give him a surprise, perhaps covering your left eye with an eyepatch would be advisable.”
