Chapter 10: Does he care more about me than his daughter?

"Is this the memento you mentioned?" Xia Xia Xia Mujun pointed to the book of chess records Kondo Miyuki was holding tightly against her chest.

"Um... um, yes." Kondo Miyuki's cheeks were slightly red, and she nodded somewhat awkwardly.

She knew in her heart that Xia Xia Xia Mujun pointing at the chess records was just to cover up his burning gaze from just now, but she didn't point it out.

After all, she was an adult and had to give the young man some room to step down...

It was just that she hadn't expected that after the two were alone, Xia Xia Xia Mujun's gaze would be so ardent.

Could it be that he cared more about her than her beautiful daughter?

That shouldn't be...

However... it didn't seem entirely impossible.

Kondo Miyuki remembered that Xia Xia Xia Mujun's mother had passed away very early, and he was basically raised by his father alone.

In a single-parent family environment, she had heard that many boys would instinctively be attracted to mature women due to a lack of maternal love.

In the current situation, perhaps that was exactly the case...

Thinking of this, Kondo Miyuki felt a mix of emotions—both pity and heartache for Xia Xia Xia Mujun's situation, mixed with an indescribable shy palpitation, and for a moment she didn't know how to face the young man in front of her.

After all, her initial plan was to set up her daughter with Xia Xia Xia Mujun.

But who could have expected that things would develop into what they were now...

Xia Xia Xia Mujun saw her head lowered in thought and couldn't help but ask:

"May I take a look?"

"Oh... of course you can," Kondo Miyuki snapped back to reality, and with a bit of shy panic, she handed over the chess records in her hand, "Actually, I was planning to give it to you anyway."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun took the chess records, his fingertips brushing over the slightly worn cover.

Opening the pages, what met his eyes were dense, detailed knowledge about Shogi, records of classic chess games, and ingenious methods for solving endgame puzzles.

He knew basically nothing about Shogi.

After all, he had never studied it seriously before, so how could he understand the profound meaning within?

However, this was no longer important.

[You have obtained ownership of this item. Do you wish to register this equipment?]

[Yes/No]

The moment this message appeared in his mind, Xia Xia Xia Mujun felt a surge of wild joy!

He had originally just come to retrieve a memento of his father's, who would have thought that the memento itself was a piece of special equipment?

It was truly a case of "searching high and low, only to find it without any effort"!

But he was still a bit curious about the origin of this memento.

"Aunt Kondo, why did this memento end up in your hands, and why did you want to return it to me?"

A flash of nostalgia crossed Kondo Miyuki's eyes, and she explained gently:

"I mentioned it to you before, I was your father's junior in school."

"At that time, we were both in the Shogi Club."

"Before he graduated, he gave three Shogi-related items to us juniors as keepsakes."

"What I received was this book of chess records."

"The other two people received the chessboard and the Shogi pieces respectively."

"The explanations about Shogi in here are very profound, but unfortunately, I don't have much talent for Shogi..."

"Thinking that since I met you, perhaps you might have talent in this area, I felt it would be more appropriate to return it to its rightful owner."

"I see." Hearing this, Xia Xia Xia Mujun finally understood the cause and effect.

In all honesty, he really needed this special equipment right now.

As long as he registered it, he would only be one piece of equipment away from obtaining a precious attribute point!

Combining this with Kondo Miyuki's words just now, a bold guess suddenly popped into his mind:

"Um... according to what you said, besides the chess records in my hand, are the other chessboard and Shogi pieces a complete set when put together?"

Kondo Miyuki blinked and nodded in confirmation:

"Yes, these three were originally a whole set."

"I heard your father mention that it seems they were purchased at some roadside stall."

"As for a more specific origin, I'm not very clear."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun understood.

Just as expected!

Since the piece in his hand was special equipment, the other two were very likely the same.

His panel showed that the synthesis condition for this equipment was exactly that it required three pieces of equipment of the same type.

If he could collect the whole set, perhaps he could synthesize even more powerful equipment!

"Um... actually, my sister is very concerned about our late father's mementos," Xia Xia Xia Mujun weighed his words, "If possible, I would like to collect the other two pieces as well. Could you please provide me with information about the other two holders?"

Kondo Miyuki thought for a moment and shook her head with some difficulty: "They were classmates from a long time ago, and I've basically lost contact with them now... How about this, I'll try to help you look for them, and if I find them, I'll let you know, but it's best not to get your hopes up too high..."

"Thank you, thank you so much!" Xia Xia Xia Mujun said from the bottom of his heart, "Being able to meet you today, Aunt Kondo, is absolutely the greatest stroke of luck I've had in these past few days!"

"There's no need to be so polite, I'm just returning it to its rightful owner." Kondo Miyuki said this, but her cheeks blushed involuntarily.

Returning a book of chess records and helping to ask for some news, why would it make him thank her so sincerely and be so ecstatic?

He even said it was his "greatest stroke of luck"...

Hearing this, why did it feel like there was more to his words...

Just at this moment, the corner of Xia Xia Xia Mujun's eye swept over the storage room shelf, and his breath suddenly hitched—

A magazine emitting a strange, faint light was standing quietly in the corner!

[Collector's Fighting Magazine]

[Quality: Green]

[Effect: After equipping, you have a probability of discovering the weaknesses on an opponent's body!]

[Introduction: I... have already burned out, turning into snow-white ashes.]

[Synthesis Condition: Requires at least three pieces of equipment of the same type!]

Xia Xia Xia Mujun's pupils shrank—this was actually green-quality equipment, a higher quality than the chess records?!

But the effect was "have a probability of discovering weaknesses"?

Although Xia Xia Xia Mujun didn't like fighting or anything, this equipment was undoubtedly the highest grade he had seen so far.

Special equipment was rare and hard to come by, so since he had encountered it, how could he miss it?

He had to take it!

The prerequisite for obtaining special equipment was to get the owner's consent.

This meant that if he wanted to get this magazine, he had to get the approval of Kondo Miyuki or her husband, Kondo Masaaki...

"Um... are the items in this storage room usually managed by you, Aunt Kondo?" Xia Xia Xia Mujun tried to probe, pretending to be calm.

Kondo Miyuki was a bit confused, not understanding why he suddenly asked this, but she still explained: "Yes, my husband basically doesn't care about the things here; they are all left to me to manage. Is there a problem?"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

Fortunately, the items were managed by Kondo Miyuki, and she was an old acquaintance of his father, and her attitude was much friendlier than her family's.

There was still a chance!