She had just reached this point when she suddenly noticed a chess set had already appeared in Lan Ze's hands.
Watching Lan Ze spread out the chessboard, Merlin could not help but freeze for a moment.
Afterwards, she cast a meaningful glance at Lan Ze. "This ability... is really convenient."
"You need to be a little careful, though," Merlin said softly. "If that princess sees you, you might get dragged off for research."
"A princess?" Lan Ze did not understand.
"It's just--"
Merlin paused, shook her head, and laughed. "No, it's nothing."
As she spoke, she changed the subject. "Arthur, why don't you play a game with him? Maybe it will be a form of entertainment for you in the future?"
Artoria glanced at the chess pieces on the board and shook her head slightly. "I have no interest in this kind of thing."
Lan Ze merely offered a mysterious smile in response. "Maybe you'll be interested in a moment?"
Artoria glared at Lan Ze for a couple of extra moments, then finally nodded reluctantly. "Then I'll accompany you for a couple of games just for fun."
As Lan Ze explained the rules of Chinese chess, he taught Artoria how to play, while Merlin sat to one side and listened with keen interest, her eyes gleaming with a hint of fascination.
The first game ended in Lan Ze's victory, but Artoria was clearly unsatisfied and immediately demanded a rematch.
In the second game, Lan Ze deliberately fished, making Artoria think she was just a hair's breadth away from winning. The girl truly took the bait, demanding a third game.
Then the third, fourth, and even fifth games simply continued on and off...
"Check!"
When Lan Ze once again put Artoria in check with the piece in his hand, the girl