Seeing the blind girl exhausted and off her game, even Meruem knew it was time to let her rest and regain her strength before continuing.
Even a Chimera Ant knew that winning in a game of Gungi required a fair and proper approach.
But some, by nature, don't understand or simply don't care.
Just like now, the Ant King had begun to actively discuss tactics with the blind girl across the chessboard.
The blind girl was more than happy to exchange strategies with an equal opponent.
"Advancing without fear requires an understanding of timing and circumstances."
She immediately pinpointed the problem with the Ant King's strategy: "A path of constant attack is easy to break."
The problem had been identified, but changing it was certainly not an easy task for the Ant King.
"Being passive is not in my nature."
He stared at the board, pondering a better solution.
At this time, Shaiapouf came gracefully and knelt in front of the Meruem:
"My king, I have something to report."
The blind girl, who had been preparing to play, paused and courteously felt it best to step aside.
However, Meruem did not treat her like an outsider: "It's fine, speak directly."
"Yes..."
Shaiapouf subtly glanced at the blind girl, then immediately continued.
"The national assembly will be held in two days. The number of people that need to be processed in the capital is far more than we initially estimated."
"Also, the weather that day seems favorable, so the assembly will proceed as planned."
Shaiapouf spoke respectfully.
"So?"
Meruem responded nonchalantly: "Just tell me the key points."
"I hope his majesty can quickly draft a schedule for when the selection will conclude."
"Ah, so this is what you meant. You decide."
"Yes..."
Shaiapouf hesitated before continuing: "Once the election is over, we can leave immediately..."
"Don't make me repeat myself!!"
Meruem suddenly raised his voice.
He turned coldly toward Shaiapouf, his crimson eyes locking onto the kneeling figure.
"I've already said I've given you full responsibility for this matter."
"Unless I call for you, don't come in again!!"
Clearly, in Meruem's eyes, nothing mattered more than his game of Gungi at the moment.
However, to Shaiapouf, this was an example of losing focus on important matters.
Originally, they had planned for the king to lead the army after the selection, marching out to conquer the world, crushing everything beneath them.
But now, it seemed that the king had been completely distracted by this small thing in front of him!
"Finally, even you got kicked out by his majesty."
At the entrance, Menthuthuyoupi sat on the steps, watching Shaiapouf, who had also been dismissed and was now reading by himself. He tried to comfort him.
Well, to Menthuthuyoupi, this was his way of offering comfort.
"Just bear with it until his majesty wins the game."
In Menthuthuyoupi's eyes, none of this was a problem.
There was no need to worry. All they had to do was wait for his majesty to win the game, finish the selection, and then conquer the world.
Simple.
As for whether his majesty could win the game... That was out of the question. After all, he was his majesty!
The all-powerful king!
Even if the selection didn't finish on time, it would only be a slight delay.
His majesty would win eventually; it was only a matter of time. The delay was just a few more moments of waiting.
However, Shaiapouf, with a more complex view, couldn't agree with this simple way of thinking: "While his majesty has been progressing at an astonishing rate, that woman's Gungi skills are also getting stronger."
"The situation now has exceeded all our predictions."
He spoke with the book still in his hands, trying to keep his tone as calm as possible.
Even he couldn't predict what would happen next.
Meanwhile, as time passed, night approached.
Gon and the others took advantage of the night to head toward the palace.
Morel's purple smoke troop would likely be detected by the enemy, so it was up to them to take action.
In this way, the Catwoman, who was monitoring the surroundings with En (Circle), would be given the impression that the enemies were starting to take action.
Then, on the day before the assembly, they would all hide their auras.
This way, the Royal Guards would believe that a disguised intruder had blended in with the citizens.
Naturally, the focus would shift from the palace to the mass of citizens.
That's when the opportunity would arise.
They would use the exit Knov had set up in his 4-dimensional apartment to launch a surprise attack.
At that time, the Ant King would certainly be observing the entire selection process from the palace's third-floor hall.
Such a plan seemed perfect, but would things truly go as smoothly as they imagined?
Time passes slowly, and there is only one day left before the final battle.
Unlike the tense atmosphere of the Chimera Ant Extermination Team, the Ant King remained completely absorbed in his Gungi game.
His eyes were still locked on the board and on the blind girl opposite him.
She continued to relentlessly attack, pressing on the Ant King's weaknesses without giving him a chance to catch his breath.
Although still in a passive position and having yet to win a single game, Meruem was thoroughly enjoying himself.
He stared at the board, continuing to contemplate: "This situation... She's guiding me deliberately."
"In other words, her skill is still far beyond mine."
Even as a Chimera Ant king, when he picked up a piece, a thought lingered in his mind: "How strong will this woman become?"
Snap
The Ant King placed a piece on the board.
However, this time, the blind girl remained still, with no response.
"I think... Something's not right."