Road to be the Best Chess Player in the World!-Chapter 554: Second Round Begins!

Claudia had a headache right now.

Honestly, if there was one person she wanted to meet the least in this tournament, it would be Medina. Not only was the older woman currently in her prime, but she was also the best version of a player that Claudia wanted to aim for.

Yeah, in her mind, Medina was the ideal player she could become. The woman was good at positional warfare, a beast in the endgame, yet sharp in a tactical battle. More than that, she was flexible, could change her weapon at any time she liked, depending on the situation.

That was the ability that Claudia had been learning for, and while the little girl had met a little success here, that didn't mean she was satisfied with the result.

So, yeah, Claudia was basically a lesser version of Medina, and when she had to face the older woman, the girl somehow wilted, feeling her confidence seep away from her body.

It didn't help that Laysa just mocked her relentlessly, pitying her for having to face the final boss so early. Honestly, that girl was so infuriating, yet Claudia didn't have anyone to blame but herself here. After all, before this, she also did the same, even more cruel than she thought she would sound like.

"Don't worry, Ia, just stay calm and show the best version of yourself. You have trained so hard in the last couple of months, try to show Sister Medina your results."

Well, that was what her sister said, and indeed, remembering how hard she trained, the girl gained a little tidbit of her confidence back, even for a moment. However, the moment she sat on her chair, the moment she met Medina's sharp glance, that confidence evaporated in the air immediately, leaving only her cowardly side as she gulped in nervousness.

"Um… Sister Medina… Can you not glare at me like that?" She asked timidly. It would be a lie if she said that she wasn't intimidated here.

"What? Don't tell me that you cannot handle this little pressure?" Medina just chuckled, arms folding in front of her chest. "You need to grow some spines, Ia. Well, not just you, but also your sister and Laysa, you three are always timid whenever you meet someone you deem superior to you, always thinking about how to back down unconsciously against the opponent you thought was stronger than you. Honestly, with how hard Sheva trained you, I thought this problem would be solved. It seems I am still wrong here."

Claudia had a sweat drop on her face, not expecting to get berated out of nowhere like this. She also wanted to complain, because the girl felt like her results against the opponents rated higher than her were quite good in the last couple of tournaments she played. However, one simple glance from the older woman was enough to shut her up instantly.

'Urgh… With that kind of temper, how could she find a boyfriend in the future?' She grumbled inwardly.

"What? Are you thinking badly about me, Ia?" Medina smiled sweetly, but it only frightened the girl more.

"N—No, S—Sister! Just thinking about the game!" She shook her head hastily, not wanting to invite the woman's wrath before the game began.

It was the second day of the tournament, and unlike yesterday, when the game was played quite late, this time, the venue was packed with people already before it was 9 in the morning. This was the first double-header of the tournament, and even though the tournament was still far from climax, a lot of chess enthusiasts had come here, taking a photo with some players and even wanting to strike up a conversation with their idols.

Of course, as the best player in the tournament and also the biggest superstar in the country, the main focus fell on Sheva's hand, as right now, the boy was surrounded by so many young kids, all of them eager to chat or take a photo.

Claudia had to give a hat's off to the boy here. She could still remember how awkward Sheva was whenever he was being surrounded like this a few months ago, yet now, everything came so naturally as if he was a real big player. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

'Oh, wait! He is indeed a big player right now!' She slapped her forehead in exasperation.

Medina also sighed helplessly at the scene unfolding in front of her eyes right now. There was no jealousy in her eyes, only melancholy as she remembered the past.

'Who would've thought that he would rise so high and leave us to the dust like this… Dang, I still remember how fearless he was in challenging everyone before the Olympiad began. I should've known at that point that his ceiling would be higher than anyone else in that room…'

Well, that melancholic feeling didn't last long, and soon enough, it was replaced by annoyance. 'Why wouldn't anyone stop them?! Didn't the security team or the arbiter team notice how uncomfortable he is? Also, it is five minutes away from the game, get all those bystanders out of this place!'

Fortunately, a moment later, the security team started to calm things down, and within a second, Sheva finally managed to escape from the crowd. Looking at the boy sighing in relief, both Medina and Claudia couldn't help but also do the same here, and then, they were taken aback by their sudden action.

'Wait, why would I worry about him that much?'

It would've been funnier if they could look at each other's expressions right now. However, before any of them could think about it further, the alarm suddenly rang, and all the players who were still wandering around rushed hurriedly to go back to their assigned table, not wanting to be late to start the game.

Both Medina and Claudia also did the same. They shook their head quickly, trying to banish any unimportant thought from their mind. Once their eyes met again, a handshake was formed, and one last conversation was necessary here.

"Show me your progress, girl."

"Don't worry, Sister. Just sit still and watch how I beat you!"

And right after that, the first move was made, signalling that the second round of the tournament finally started.

-Author's note-

Hey, everyone! Thank you for supporting my story! I have written a new one with the hope of getting a contract for that story as well, the title is 'The Rise of the Iron Wall!'. It is a football story, so if you like, please give your support by adding it to your collection and giving your power stone to that story! Thanks!