At that moment, the outcome had been decided.
The Noble House students held their heads high in triumph.
The Knight Academy students were utterly dejected.
Dulong asked curiously, "How did you find Magic Chess pieces in the secret passage too?"
Dark replied airily, "Who knows?"
After putting away the last piece, he closed the chess box and said to Robert, "Well then, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Robert replied, suddenly feeling much lighter in the chest.
Soon after, both sides said their farewells.
The Noble House students crowded around Dark as they left the classroom. The moment they stepped outside, they erupted into noise, as excited as soldiers returning from a victorious battle.
The Knight Academy students left behind in the classroom were much more subdued.
Then, no one knew who said it first: "There was nothing we could do. That Vampire piece was just too strong!"
The atmosphere immediately eased.
Someone then sighed. "Yeah, you can't blame Robert either. That piece was found in the secret passage—it's practically a hidden treasure."
The Knight Academy boys all began to speak up. Some comforted Robert, while others comforted themselves. In any case, the mood gradually livened up again.
As for comments mixed in among them, such as—"Even if that overpowered piece accounted for 99% of the reason, doesn't Robert still bear 1% of the blame?"—they were selectively ignored.
Surrounded by the others, Robert felt as though he had rejoined the group. Suddenly, even this defeat did not seem so hard to accept.
Victor, standing beside him, instead seemed like an outsider.
That night.
Dark politely declined Dulong's invitation to play another match and quickly returned to the dormitory.
All in all, with Robert's cooperation, this match had achieved results beyond his expectations.
Not only had it spread news of the