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Chapter 15: The Food of Gods

“That’s more chaotic than I imagined.”

I thought being a Count meant having a respectable status and a decent fortune, but that was just my misconception.

“I don’t want to eat this!”

“Aida, there are many starving people outside who have even less than this. Stop whining.”

Aida, my younger sister, tossed the bread aside and burst into tears, while our father, Count Bradley Somerset, scolded her harshly.

As I looked at the food in front of me, I realized that dining in a noble household might not be so different from an ordinary family.

On the table sat a thin, unidentifiable soup and bread that looked as hard as rocks.

Really, these dishes wouldn’t even appeal to a child.

Determined to eat, I dipped the bread into the soup, but just as I tore it apart—

Crack!

Did I just hear wood splintering?

—

Whether the game was a bizarrely complex one dressed as Go or come with brutal penalties, once the game started and you focused, you tended to forget everything else.

Gunder, barely regaining his shaky focus in the beginning, was deep in thought about how to secure a win and what the best moves would be.

Friede observed him closely, a subtle smile blossoming on her lips.

That kind of concentration must be what kept Gunder ranked at the top.

Even if he missed an essential move compared to famous pros, it was definitely a talent that would easily surpass most casual players.

In reality, if you had good concentration and could utilize it appropriately, you wouldn’t lose out in any game genre.

Of course, this was the ruthless world of competition.

If he lost, the cosplay penalty would happen in real-time during the virtual reality broadcast.

And it wasn’t even specified what kind of outfit it would be—a gacha-style cosplay.

Though it was an all-ages game, inappropriate outfits were unlikely, but it would undoubtedly be a heavy burden.

Gunder knew this all too well.

That’s why Friede had no intention of showing him any mercy.

She looked back down at the Go board.

Gunder had the black stones. And she had the white stones.

Yet, as the information perceived through his eyes filtered through his brain, the black stones morphed into demons, while the white stones transformed into heroes.

Gunder’s demons opened a dimension and built their base.

Each individual black stone transformed into small and large demons depending on its positional importance.

The situation wasn’t bad, securing bases and forming clusters to expand their territory.

It was their first time entering an unknown dimension, so they merely built a sturdy demon fortress and hid like turtles.

Did Gunder think he had the upper hand, having suggested that they play Go knowing Friede was better at Soul Warfare?

He had been chatting about being a novice, yet it strangely felt like that very inexperience made him cautious and laid a solid foundation that couldn’t tolerate shoddy work.

Friede lifted a white stone.

She slithered in between and captured the carefully nurtured plot at the top left corner.

The hard-earned territory was being violated by the Hero-led faction.

Of course, Gunder wasn’t just sitting around. Enraged at the loss, he immediately retaliated.

[Gunder, you idiot, think before you place a stone.]

[Oh, that’s not how you should place that.]

[What the hell? You said you were a Go beginner, but you really are a beginner, huh?]

[It’s cracked, it’s cracked. Let’s go, guys!]

The chat exploded with advice as the frenzy reached its peak.

Couldn’t he play a more cautious move, or should he have gathered the lost clusters instead?

But the real problem was that he didn’t have much knowledge of Go to devise a larger strategy.

No matter how good his concentration, if a solid foundation wasn’t laid, even explosive potential wouldn’t mean much.

Quickly toying with the black stones, he took over Friede’s empty house on the opposite side.

Even with visible losses, Friede’s white stones were executing rapid maneuvers, wreaking havoc everywhere.

Just as the devils of the black stones could no longer contain themselves and surged forward, the white stone heroes planted their flags deep within the fortress that the black stones had built.

If things went south, they would face utter annihilation in a surrounding ambush.

However, if he could extend his line from here, it would split through the black stones’ ranks.

Even the strongest rock, if pounded with fervor, would eventually crack and shatter.

In her eagerness excited by the sight of Friede’s attack, she made a crucial mistake.

“Oh no!”

At that moment, Gunder faced a realization as he tried to recover, but the once solid fortress now showed gaps, turning into tatters.

With cracks appearing in the frontline, the white stones revealed their hidden ace.

The Hero descended, splitting the ranks of black stone demons.

With a final blow, the Holy Sword struck the Demon King’s neck, sealing a true victory.

“… I lost.”

Finally lowering his head, Gunder accepted defeat.

The demon black stones, whose territory was ruined, screamed as they fell into the Go board, drawn into hell.

It was just a game of Go, yet as strange as it was, with feelings of victory and conquest stirred in her heart, Friede let out a triumphant huff.

“Hmph!”

This is fitting.

—

The match continued.

Surprisingly, the games progressed quickly, attributed to the fact that neither of them had learned seriously.

The encounter was nearing its conclusion, with victory in 2 out of 3 games deciding whether the observers’ minds remained intact.

“Ugh!”

Realizing that Gunder’s expression, previously focused solely on moving the stones, had now transformed vividly, Friede sensed that the end was near.

He had used every opportunity given within the timeframe, and despite squeezing his brain for more answers, nothing new emerged.

His eyes shut tightly.

Could it be that here, in front of everyone, he had to do a cosplay?

This Gunder, a Soul Warfare master?

While he had often heard criticisms about being overly confident during broadcasts, the shock was magnified since he had never engaged in such a demeaning act himself.

[Why did Friede win? Go isn’t based on physicality like Soul Warfare. That balance is a joke.]

[What the hell? Are we now debating balance in Go?]

[Is the white stone better for playing than the black?]

[Not a chance, dude.]

[Gunder got totally wrecked.]

[Gunder doesn’t need to cosplay.]

[Just a 1% chance. I’m betting everything on it.]

[That guy should never invest in stocks. He’d instantly sink.]

“Sweetman donated 10,000 won!

—Oh man, it’s cracked! Let’s go, guys!”

“yaSergei donated 5,000 won!

—Just don’t do it. I want to see Friede cosplay, not Gunder.”

With their desires turned into reality through donations, in the flow of contributions, Gunder finally gripped the console with trembling hands.

With a fanfare unfit for the tidy and serene space of the veranda, it marked the moment Friede secured her victory.

“Oh, Friede.”

“Yes, just to clarify, there will be no retreat.”

“Oh no!”

She left no gaps for him.

To the point of being icy cold, Gunder sensed she would not allow any leniency.

Checking the game info, thankfully, there were no swimsuits or revealing outfits, but… what could he do?

Every costume was just as lovely and cute for women, so no matter what he wore, it would still be the worst.

“Oh, Friede, please….”

“Nope! Now, it’s transformation time! Everyone, please keep watching Gunder’s pitiful form till the end!”

[Yeah~]

[Cough. Just this once.]

[If the gallery leader asks, we have to oblige.]

“Alright, here we go. Gunder, the hero transformed, kyaa~!”

“…….”

That peculiar chant didn’t match with Gunder’s usual image.

With a bright smile, Friede pressed the penalty button for the loser.

A white light enveloped Gunder, and in the moment of cover, his silhouette transformed rapidly.

Like Russian roulette, numerous cosplay outfits spun in quick succession.

But as the speed gradually slowed, finally settling into a single form, the light dissolved.

And there stood….

“Whoa!”

“… A foot.”

“What did you just say?”

“Oh, never mind….”

He caught himself in an awkward blunder, scrambling to recover, and his form aligned with the outfit’s timid demeanor accordingly.

Inspecting every corner, Friede nodded as if in agreement with the result.

“It suits you well. I guess it’s due to the technology, but Gunder, your build is rather slender. Let’s say it’s both?”

[Whoa, whoa, Johnson. Stop. That’s not it.]

[Tonight! We go hunting!]

[Oh my, there are so many fujoshis around.]

[So very manly ^^]

The outfit he wore was a gothic lolita dress, often seen in Japanese culture.

With contact lenses and a wig added, it was truly a complete cosplay piece.

At least it was a fully armored frilly outfit with less exposure, so that was a silver lining, but ultimately, it didn’t change the fact that he faced utter embarrassment.

“Manly? That fits perfectly.”

“What do you mean?”

He felt utterly confused, questioning what that even meant.

“No, you see.”

“See what?”

With wide eyes, Friede appeared slightly incredulous at the unexpected question, responding calmly.

“What’s the point of a girl wearing girl’s clothes?”

“…Huh?”

“Cross-dressing is something only a man can do, not women. So, Gunder in a dress is the most manly of all. Stand tall, Mr. Man.”

[Mr. Man? LOL]

[That’s true, he’s definitely a real man.]

[How can a woman cross-dress? Cross-dressing is for men only, haha.]

[Friede’s sensitivity to gender is rich.]

[Those people must be uncomfortable, haha!]

Gunder was left speechless by that miraculous logic, his mouth agape and refusing to close.

Whatever anyone said, the chat’s comedians were in stitches.

“Still, you shouldn’t be too pleased. There’s someone even manlier than you, Gunder.”

“Now I’m too tired to be shocked.”

With Gunder having given up entirely, now drained, he replied tiredly, looking toward the chat which had become enamored with the miraculous logic, while Friede wore a smile.

“The one acting manlier than Gunder? That would be me.”

“Huh?”

In a whisper loud enough for the audience to hear clearly, she told him.

“I’ve stripped mine off.”

[???]

[Friede… manly?]

[That Tenren’s up to something again.]

[What a wicked genius!]

[Is Friede from Thailand?]

[That’s actually possible… LOL!]

[Gunderman…]

[Gallery leader’s mom, did you have two holes? Was it actually a brother?]

[My lower half is shaking. Help!]

What kind of absurdity was this?

With Gunder adorned in shame from the cosplay, new controversial entries sprang forth on Friede’s wiki that day.

 

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