Mayhew and Konrad approached the group of old heads, both wearing a polite smile.
The detective walked just a step slower than Konrad, to make sure that he would be the one to start the conversation instead of him.
Last time Mayhew had tried to befriend these people, it had not gone so well. But maybe since Konrad was a local here, he would have an easier time.
Konrad waved a hand and spoke with a cheery tone.
"Hey gramps, got a table for us?"
As soon as his voice was heard, every elder that was busy playing chess turned their heads without hesitation. And one old person in particular seemed to have turned faster than the rest.
The excited voices rolled in almost immediately:
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the champ himself."
"Hey boy, took you long enough. Should have been here an hour earlier."
"Arriving late, ey? Don't go and become cocky now."
And then there was the old head that sat in the middle of the chess group, his voice the most creaky and noticeable out of all the old people there.
"If it isn't the monster I created myself. You got some nerve calling me gramps, boy."
Standing just a few meters away, Konrad chuckled at the words of the old men and replied in a light-hearted tone.
"Sorry—sorry, maybe I'm getting a bit overconfident. But I actually do have a good reason for being late, though."
Stepping to the side, Konrad pointed a finger behind his back where the brown-haired detective stood.
Seeing him, the old heads immediately began to shift uncomfortably, and a few showed a frown on their faces.
Mayhew hid his own worry behind his usual small smile.
There was a short moment of silence, where no one really knew what to say. The group of old men had rejected Mayhew just yesterday, and that made the interaction today very awkward for both parties. Konrad, meanwhile, was completely oblivious to what had occurred yesterday, at least that's what the detective thought.
The silence was broken by none other than Konrad. Placing a hand over the detective's shoulder, he explained:
"I know you aren't the biggest fans of outsiders, especially ones from the west. But let me tell you, Mister Mayhew... is just like me. Remember when I first got here? His situation seems so similar, no?"
The group nodded their heads with hesitation, but still showed no intention of allowing Mayhew in.
Eventually, though, the old head sitting at the center decided to be the voice of reason.
"Look Konrad, we appreciate you bringing your new friend here, but we are having some very competitive matches right now and we just don't have time for fun. How about you and Mister Mayhew go play on your table. You did say that he reminded you of your younger self, so why not take him to the table where your chess journey began, ey?"
Konrad sighed and waved a hand.
"Well, alrighty then. We'll go play there for today. Let's go, Mister Mayhew."
After the duo had moved some space away from the gathering of old men, Mayhew decided that it was time to ask some questions about that weird interaction.
"So, Konrad. Kind of a random question, but was that person you called 'gramps' actually your grandpa, or were you just playing around?"
Konrad chuckled and waved a hand dismissively.
"No—no, he's not my actual grandpa. Though he is the closest thing I have to one."
The detective raised an eyebrow.
He wanted to ask follow-up questions, but doing so could risk Konrad getting suspicious. So Mayhew would take his sweet time, there was no need to rush.
"Well, I'm glad that he managed to fill that spot for you. Every family member plays a role in shaping who we are, after all."
Konrad threw a side-eye at the detective, but didn't say anything.
The two men walked for quite some time, making very generic small talk along the way. But eventually, the table that Mayhew and Konrad were going to play at became visible in the distance.
"That must be the table, I presume. Your friend said that this was where your chess journey started, right?"
He nodded.
"Yea, this is where it all started. It honestly feels as if it was just yesterday."
The two sat opposite each other. Konrad taking the black pieces and Mayhew taking the white. Everything had been set before they had even arrived, so the game started almost immediately.
The detective looked at the drawn board with an interested gaze. After a few seconds of staring, he moved his hand over to his pawn.
[Pawn d4]
"So, you guys just leave the pieces on the tables? Isn't that a little risky, someone could steal them, you know."
Konrad shook his head as he made his own first move.
[Pawn d5]
"I think you might be overvaluing the chess pieces, Mister Mayhew. What could someone possibly gain from stealing a bunch of small pieces of wood?"
As he responded, Mayhew also continued his opening, now moving his knight.
[Knight f3]
"Well, they might not be valuable to others, but aren't they valuable to you and your friends?"
Konrad chuckled.
"I can't speak for my friends, since I have never asked them such a question. But I myself do not find any value—"
[Pawn c6]
Only after making his move did he finish his sentence.
"In these chess pieces."
The hazel-eyed detective finished his own opening.
[Bishop f4]
Looking at the board, he smiled.
"It seems that this will be quite an interesting game. I don't think I have ever played against this opening before."
Konrad responded with his own bright smile.
"A game like this is what I was hoping for. It's only the opening and I can already tell that our styles are the complete opposite of each other. This is going to be an interesting game indeed."
The next few moves were played in rapid succession, as both Mayhew and Konrad seemed completely confident in their opening strategy.
[Knight f6]
[Pawn e3]
[Pawn a6]
[Bishop d3]
With each move, both players noticed the difference in their gameplay. A vague picture of the middlegame was already forming in both of their minds.
Even though they were focused, Konrad and Mayhew did not neglect their conversation.
[Pawn b5]
Seeing Konrad's move, the detective found the time to talk as he also pondered his responding move.
"That's a very aggressive move. Do you perhaps take inspiration from the phrase: 'offense is the best defense'?"
Konrad shrugged his shoulders.
"Never heard that phrase before, Mister Mayhew."
Mayhew took a moment to glance at him with slight surprise, before shifting his gaze back to the board.
'This should be both a good and safe move.'
[Short Castle]
"I have got to say that I'm a little surprised that you don't know that phrase. Maybe I'm saying it wrong."
[Queen d7]
Konrad shook his head.
"No, you pronounced it exactly right, Mister Mayhew. I just never heard of the phrase before."
[Pawn c3]
The detective smirked slightly as he looked at all the pieces.
"I don't know if I'm being overconfident, Konrad, but my structure is looking much more stable than yours. Your aggression leaves you very vulnerable and exposed, and your attack is not really going anywhere due to my defensive wall. Are you sure that it's going to pay off?"
Konrad chuckled as he moved his knight forward.
[Knight e4]
"Oh, don't worry, I'm very certain that it will work, Mister Mayhew. My attack might seem like it's heading straight into a brick wall, but there is an element that you're being ignorant of."
The game picked up speed.
[Knight bd2]
[Knight xd2]
[Knight xd2]
The first exchange of pieces had finally happened, and one knight was lost from both sides.
Mayhew looked at the board with focus.
'What did that small attack accomplish? My defensive wall is still alright, and his structure looks even weaker than before. What's his game plan here?'
Konrad, on the other hand, seemed calm—relaxed even.
"Hey, Mister Mayhew, can I ask you a question?"
The detective looked up and nodded.
"Sure. What is it?"
Konrad paused.
He made sure to make his move before asking.
[Pawn e6]
"How did you lose your parents?"
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