The next day, Camelot decided to start the search with the simplest one.
He went to the services.
If the old chess set really existed, someone probably had to remember where it was put.
The first one he came across was an elderly maid who was just carrying a basket of laundry.
Camelot stopped her:
«I’m sorry.
Do you happen to know where Aurelius Canham’s chess set is?»
The woman froze, looked at him.
Then at the basket, and back at him.
«Young master…
do you want to know where the chess is?»
«Yeah.»
«Chess pieces?»
«Exactly.»
She frowned.
«Why do you need a board?»
Camelot was silent for a few seconds.
«To play chess.»
«Then you need the figures too.»
«Yeah.»
«What if I find the pieces but I don’t find the board?»
«Then we’ll look for the board.»
The maid thought about it.
«And if we find the board, but we don’t find the pieces?»
Camelot closed his eyes.
«Then we’ll look for the pieces.»
«And if…»
«Thank you.»
He turned around and left.
The first interrogation ended in defeat.
But ten minutes later, he was already talking to another servant.
Then with the cook.
Then with the old gardener.
Then with the groom, who confidently stated that Aurelius had never played chess because he “respected horses too much to waste time on wooden horses.”
Camelot didn’t even bother to ask if that made sense at all.
Finally, he managed to find an old butler who had served the family during Aurelius’ lifetime.
He scratched his chin for a long time.
«Chess…»
«Yeah.»
«Black and white?»
«Most likely.»
«Maybe brown.»
«Do you remember?»
«I remember seeing a board once.»
«Where?»
The old man thought about it.
«In Mr.
Aurelia’s bedroom.»
Camelot froze.
«In the bedroom?»
«Yeah.
But after his death, the room was closed.»
«Why is that?»
The butler looked at him with an expression on his face as if he was about to tell a terrible legend.
«Because your grandfather forbade you to enter there.»
«During his lifetime?»
«Yeah.»
«And after death?»
«After death, he could no longer forbid it.»
«Then why didn’t you come in?»
The old man shrugged his shoulders.
«No one wanted to check.»
Camelot slowly smiled.
Aurelia’s room was located in the old wing of the estate.
The door was covered in dust, and there was an old metal seal on the lock.
Camelot touched her.
The book immediately responded.
[Object found: Seal of the old Canham family.
]
[Condition: Weakened.
]
[Purpose: Access restriction.
]
[Reason for installation: Death of Aurelius Canham.
]
Camelot frowned.
«Of course.
Why not just write “come in”»
He pulled the door open.
The lock suddenly gave way.
The door slowly opened.
Inside, it smelled of old paper, wood, and something sweet that had long since faded from the room.
Almost everything here remains the same as it was decades ago.
Bed.
Desk.
Bookcase.
An old armchair near the window.
And a huge chest against the wall.
Camelot went straight to him.
There was a faded Canham logo on the lid.
He opened the chest.
Inside were old documents, clothes, several books and a wooden box.
There was no chess.
Camelot was about to close the chest when he noticed a strange detail.
There was an envelope under the box, but there was no name on it.
Just a small green seal.
Camelot carefully took the letter.
[An item related to an additional task has been found.
]
[ Green Kiss on the Chessboard ]
[ Connection: High.
]
[ Recommended to open.
]
Thank you, grimoire.
At least sometimes you’re useful.
He opened the envelope.
Inside was a piece of old paper.
The handwriting was elegant.
Almost too neat.
Camelot began to read:
«Aurelius.
I know you’re going to say again that this party doesn’t mean anything.
Still, I want to play with you one more time.
Last.
You always said that chess shows a person his true face.
Then let me see your face before our party ends.
I won’t be coming back after this evening.
But I’ll leave you with one little mystery.
You will find your queen under an oak tree.
If you’re really the Aurelius I knew, you’ll understand what I mean.
Until the last move.»
Camelot slowly lowered the letter.
«Under the oak tree…»
He turned the page over, and there was nothing there.
Camelot held the paper closer.
There was a distinct lip mark on the white sheet.
Green lipstick.
A new page of the book appeared instantly.
[Evidence has been discovered.]
[ Confirmed: the woman with the green lipstick existed.
]
[ The probability that the letter belongs to her: 98.7%.
]
[ Identity: unknown.
]
[ Relationship status with Aurelius Canham: unknown.
]
But Camelot hardly looked at the messages anymore.
He reread the last line.
«You will find your queen under the oak tree.»
«The queen…»
He thought about it.
If the woman was really talking about chess, then “queen” could mean a piece.
“But why”did she say “her own”?
Not “you’ll find a queen”.
Namely…
Your queen.
Camelot slowly looked out the window.
There were several oak trees on the estate.
One near the old chapel.
The second one is at the east wall.
Third…He froze abruptly.
Outside the window, almost hidden by overgrown branches, stood a huge old oak tree.
The one the gardener mentioned several times.
Camelot folded the letter.
And suddenly I heard a soft sound.
“Click.”
He turned around.
There was a small chess piece on the desk.
Camelot was sure she hadn’t been there a second ago.
It was a black horse.
He came closer.
There was a tiny inscription under the figure, carved right into the wood.
«The queen is not always a piece.»
Camelot smiled slowly.
«So you don’t want me to look for a chess piece…»
He looked at the old oak tree.
«And it’s the human?»
At that moment, the grimoire made a soft beep.
[Additional task has been updated.
]
[ The Green Kiss on the Chessboard.
]
[New goal: Find the “queen” under an old oak tree.
]
[Hint: “The queen is not always a piece.” ]
[ Warning: The target may be alive.
]
[ Difficulty: Unknown.
]
Camelot looked at the window.
The old oak swayed gently in the wind.
And somewhere under its roots, something flashed green.
Camelot frowned.
«It looks like Aurelia’s chess game is not over yet.»