Villainous Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 97: Stones and crowns

Chapter 97: Stones and crowns

Gale’s smirk widened ever so slightly, as if pleased by my willingness to engage.

"The rules are simple," he said, swirling the wine in his goblet. "Each class will select a representative to compete in a test of skill. The nature of the challenge will be determined by chance."

I arched a brow. "Chance?"

Gale gestured, and an assistant stepped forward with a velvet pouch. "Inside are tokens, each corresponding to a different contest. Strength, agility, strategy, and so on. Your student will draw one, and whatever is chosen will determine their test."

A classic setup. No way to prepare, no way to stack the odds in our favor beforehand. The kind of game meant to make people hesitate.

Unfortunately for him, I had no intention of hesitating.

I turned to my students. "Who’s feeling lucky?"

Julien shot up before anyone else could react, grinning. "I’ll do it."

Mira clicked her tongue. "You just want to show off."

"Damn right."

I waved him forward. "Go on, then."

Julien strode up to the assistant and reached into the pouch. A moment later, he pulled out a token marked with a crossed blade and quill—strategy.

Gale chuckled. "Ah, how fitting. A battle of wits."

Julien returned to my side, flipping the token in his fingers. "What’s the test?"

Gale motioned toward the center of the clearing. "A game of Stones and Crowns."

The crowd murmured at that. I felt my students shift uneasily behind me. Stones and Crowns was a game of pure strategy, played on a square board where two players commanded opposing forces. The goal was to maneuver one’s pieces to trap the opponent’s ’Crown’ while protecting one’s own. Simple in concept, but complex in execution.

More importantly, Gale was known for being exceptionally good at it.

He turned to me, his smile unreadable. "I assume you have no objections?"

I tapped my fingers against the table. A direct challenge, one-on-one. Not an impossible game, but one where experience mattered. Julien was clever, but Gale had likely played this for years.

Which meant it wasn’t about fairness. It was about humiliation.

A slow smirk spread across my lips. "Actually, I do."

Gale raised a brow. "Oh?"

I leaned forward. "You suggested this challenge because it’s meant to showcase our students’ strengths, yes?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"Then I propose a modification." I gestured toward Julien. "He plays the first round. If he wins, we take the victory. If he loses..." I placed a hand over my chest mockingly. "I’ll take his place and play you myself."

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder. A faculty member going against another in a public challenge wasn’t unheard of, but it certainly wasn’t common. It shifted the balance, turned the test into something more than just a student’s performance.

Gale studied me, considering. He knew I was baiting him, but he couldn’t refuse outright. Not without looking weak. Finally, he chuckled. "Very well. We’ll do it your way."

Julien shot me a quick grin before heading to the board, confidence in every step. I leaned back, watching as the pieces were arranged. This was Gale’s game, his battlefield.

But he’d made one mistake.

I had no intention of playing fair either.

Julien cracked his knuckles as he sat across from Gale’s chosen student—a sharp-eyed girl from Class A named Evelyn. She had the calm, measured look of someone who had played this game a hundred times before.

The board was set. The crowd hushed.

Gale folded his arms, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Best of three."

Julien nodded and made the first move, sliding a stone piece forward. Evelyn responded without hesitation. Their turns flowed smoothly at first, each testing the other’s tendencies, gauging reactions. But after a few moves, it became clear that Evelyn was no amateur. She played conservatively, forcing Julien into awkward positions.

He frowned, tilting his head as he studied the board.

"Problem, smartass?" I asked, arms crossed.

Julien exhaled sharply. "She’s good."

"Figure it out."

Evelyn made another move, pressing his position even further. A few murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Gale smirked. "Perhaps you should have chosen another representative."

I ignored him, keeping my eyes on Julien. He wasn’t panicking, which was good. He was thinking. The problem was, thinking alone wouldn’t be enough.

Julien exhaled, then moved a piece. A risky play. Evelyn’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she countered cleanly.

A few turns later, Julien’s crown was trapped.

"Checkmate," Evelyn said coolly.

Julien leaned back, blowing out a breath. "Damn."

Gale chuckled. "A commendable effort, but it seems Class C—"

I was already stepping forward. "We’re not done yet."

Julien stood up, stretching. "He’s all yours, Professor."

I took his seat, rolling my shoulders as I examined the board. The pieces were reset. Evelyn studied me carefully. I gave her a slow smile.

Gale leaned in. "I hope you’re not expecting a different outcome."

I glanced at him. "Of course not."

He frowned slightly at that, but the game had already begun.

I played my first move.

Evelyn countered.

For the first few turns, I mirrored Julien’s approach, lulling her into the same pattern of play. But then, I started shifting, making unorthodox moves that forced her to adapt.

She adjusted well. Smart, methodical. But that was the problem.

I played unpredictably.

A bait move here. A misdirect there. She didn’t realize she was being cornered until it was too late.

Ten minutes later, her crown was trapped.

Silence.

I leaned back, stretching. "Checkmate."

Gale’s expression didn’t change, but there was a tension in his jaw.

Evelyn blinked, then sighed, rubbing her temple. "That was... frustrating."

I smiled. "Good game."

She nodded, then stood.

Gale’s eyes met mine. He knew what was coming next.

I gestured toward the board. "Your turn."

Gale exhaled slowly, his smirk returning as he settled into the chair across from me. His fingers drummed once against the table before he reached for his first piece.

"You’re quite confident, Drelmont."

I shrugged, resting my chin on my knuckles. "I find it helps."

The board was reset, the crowd murmuring in anticipation. This was no longer just about a student proving their worth—this had become a clash between faculty. A spectacle.

Gale’s first move was swift, efficient. A textbook opening, one meant to secure early board control. I responded, mirroring it, but just off enough to make him reconsider.

He frowned slightly before continuing, his fingers moving with the ease of someone who had played this game countless times. His pieces formed a defensive net, positioning for a slow but methodical entrapment.

I played carelessly—at least, that’s what I wanted him to think.

A misplaced stone. A vulnerable crown. He took the bait, pressing forward with calculated aggression.

I let the game flow that way for a while, allowing him to believe he had the upper hand. The crowd, keenly watching, had mixed reactions. Some muttered that I was out of my depth. Others, those who had paid closer attention, were waiting for the moment the game shifted.

It didn’t take long.

Gale moved a piece forward, attempting to lock my crown in a three-move checkmate. A confident play—one he had no doubt executed dozens of times before.

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Ah, Gale. You really are predictable."

His expression twitched. Just slightly. Just enough.

I moved my piece.

A single shift in position, seemingly harmless. But in three moves, his aggressive push turned into a fatal weakness. A single overextension in his structure, one he hadn’t noticed until it was too late.

His fingers hovered over his next move. Stopped.

I tilted my head. "Go on."

His jaw clenched, but he completed his turn. I followed up immediately, locking his crown into an irreversible spiral. Three moves later—

"Checkmate."

Silence fell over the clearing.

Gale stared at the board, expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he leaned back, exhaling through his nose.

Julien let out a loud laugh, clapping me on the shoulder. "Damn, Professor. That was brutal."

Mira smirked. "Almost felt bad for him. Almost."

Felix, ever the coward, whispered, "Are we going to get punished for this later?"

Gale straightened his posture, smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles on his sleeve. Then, after a long pause, he chuckled.

"Impressive."

I met his gaze. "I do my best."

He stood, dusting off his coat. "Class C’s victory is well-earned. I trust this won’t be the last time we cross paths."

"I’d be disappointed if it were."

A final glance, a quiet nod, and he turned away, walking back toward the other faculty. The moment he was out of earshot, Julien grabbed my arm.

"Professor, teach me how to do that."

I smirked. "You couldn’t handle it."

Mira nudged him. "I think what he means is, try not to get baited next time."

Julien scowled, but I could see the excitement in his eyes. He had lost, but he had also learned something.

As we turned away from the game board, I exhaled quietly. Gale was dangerous, not because of his skill at Stones and Crowns, but because he had taken the loss with grace. That meant he was already planning his next move.

Fine. Let him.

Because so was I.

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