Strife in the dining hall

"Geheheheh! I'm gonna take us all the way, eh. Gonna be a Canadian sweep, eh," a large hairy mountain of a man declared as he raised a jug of maple syrup into the air.

Following the end of the 1st round, most of the teams had opted to dine at the hotel's grand dining room. This meant teams could meet to discuss strategies, but it also meant they could mingle with other teams... or other teams would decide to start beef with one another.

"That fat hairball's making my ears hurt. Could someone knock him down?" Ginji grumbled.

"Then just leave," Okisato snarled.

"Oi, oi, why the cold shoulder, Oki-chwan?"

"You didn't pull your weight."

"But I did. Since you all won, the result of my game mattered not, so I just accepted the draw. Oki-chwan, you might not know this because you're a wittle boy, but draws in team events can be good and strategic."

As much as Okisato hated to admit it, Ginji was in the clear and was right about the importance of a draw in team events. However, that didn't mean he could let his guard down as it was unknown just how much Ginji would try to sabotage the team in future rounds.

"But sucks for you guys. We went 4-0, and you only went 3.5-0.5. We win," Iori snickered.

"Iori-chan, this isn't a competition," Mimoko glared.

"Sure it is! Me n' Zago are now one win apiece, and whoever gets the most wins here wins," Azenira grinned.

"Mimoko, there's no harm in a friendly competition like this. Besides, it could even help us motivate each other," Daria smiled.

Mimoko let out a sigh before smiling and nodding in agreement.

"That being said, proper sportsmanship is STRONGLY encouraged," Daria noted as she shot Iori a glare.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm already getting heat online from Frenchies, but I spit facts; we absolutely wrecked them."

"Yes, but it's best not to make enemies instead of friends."

"Then in the spirit of friendship, care for some mingling?" a voice asked.

Everyone turned to notice Amelia Stavanger along with the other members of the Norwegian women's team.

"Amelia, I take it your team won?" Daria asked.

"Yes, both did. Though only we achieved a perfect 4-0 victory just as you did."

"Against who?"

"New Zealand. My girls performed spectacularly."

"Hell right we did!" a muscular woman with long blond hair and side shaves grinned as she flexed.

"This here is Tove Bondevik. She's our resident meat heat so to say. In fact, ladies, care to introduce yourself?"

"Sure thing. I'm Jaana Øksendal and this is my daughter, Inga," a well-dressed woman smiled as she shoved a scantily-clad girl forward.

"Ugh, mother! I want to eat!"

"Inga, it's proper manners to be respectful to your opponents as well as your own team and family."

Inga took a glance at everyone and scowled before flipping the bird and storming away.

"My apologies. She only became an adult a few days ago, but as you just saw, she clearly one in age alone."

The final girl stepped forward and introduced herself as Unni Castberg. She was the reserve member, but due to maestros only being allowed to play for 8 games, a lot of pressure was on her to help the team do well when Amelia couldn't play.

"I did the best... I mean, did my best!"

Everyone quickly introduced themselves before the Norwegians sat across from them.

"So is the men's team gonna show up?" Iori asked.

"Hoping for a glimpse of Magnus? Unfortunately he won't be starting until Round 3. Not to mention, he's staying at a different hotel," Amelia stated.

"Lame."

As everyone chatted and ate, trouble soon arose at a nearby table.

"Um, just why are you hogging the whole table!?" a girl with long white hair snarled.

"Because I need the space for my manicure," a woman with long purple hair sneered.

"Um, THIS IS A CAFETERIA! Do your damn manicure somewhere else!"

"Not in your life. I'm having a manicure here and now."

"Oh, and ya gonna have a pedicure too?"

"Oh good thinking, seems you are a smart one. Marta!"

A middle-aged woman with long curly hair nodded and began removing the purple-haired woman's high heels.

"THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU!?"

Marta frowned and turned to face the white-haired woman. "Niña, this is Sophia Andalon, Spain's national treasure. Whatever she requests, we honor."

"Yeah, no. I only serve Princess Leyla. Which is why I'll drag your national treasure to the dump so that Princess Leyla may sit here!"

A green-haired woman along with a woman with short curly hair immediately surrounded the white-haired woman. The white-haired woman didn't appear to back down, however, a woman with short pink hair that obscured her right eye, arrived to stop her.

"Jane, the princess requests you cease hostilities."

"Huh? I ain't believing jack from your mouth, Wendy!"

"Then how about mine?" Leyla glared as she stepped forth alongside a blue-haired woman.

The white-haired woman's entire demeanor changed as she trembled and kneeled before Leyla. The woman was Jane Fantasi, a member of the Danish women's team as well as Leyla's self-proclaimed knight and lover. The pink-haired woman and blue haired woman were fellow members of the Danish women's team as well as Leyla's servants, Wendy Lillerød and Anne Ravnetræ.

Anne let out a sigh as she began to pull Jane back. "Julia's already got her hands full dealing with Jern's temper tantrum, we don't need any more problems."

Jane clicked her tongue and stood down. However, the conflict was still far from over.

"Hey blondie, I need a footrest for my pedicure. Kneel," Sophia sneered.

Jane quickly spun around in fury, but soon found herself pinned to the wall with a knife shoved in her mouth. Perhaps the only thing more terrifying than the situation, was the girl wielding the knife.

The girl had dark blue hair that obscured one of her orange eyes and a face painted, or perhaps even tattooed to look like a Mexican sugar skull. Her name was Esperanza Malo, a dangerous individual originally hailing from Mexico before being incarcerated and subsequently bailed out of prison by Sophia, under the condition she become her servant. She surprisingly accepted the offer, and since she was also good at chess, she made the Spanish national team thanks to Sophia's insistence.

In fact, all the members of the Spanish women's team were Sophia's cohorts in some way shape or firm. Marta Madre was Sophia's chief maid, though her casual attire might not make that very apparent. Vovô Basabe was also one of Sophia's servants, but the same age as Sophia at 21, unlike Marta who was nearing 50.

Finally, there was Paulina Paula. She was Spain's second best female chess player and just 2 years older than Sophia. She used to be the top player, but after being surpassed by Sophia, she began kissing her ass and became a pseudo servant of hers.

"Blondie, if you don't want your bitch to be down a tongue, kneel," Sophia snarled.

Leyla clenched her fist, but complied much to her teammates' horror.

"Hmm, I ordered a moaning footrest, did I not, Marta?" Sophia sneered as she slammed her feet down on Leyla's back.

"Yes you did. But I don't hear moaning. Perhaps the company will compensate with the tongue of a Danish girl?"

Leyla quickly began moaning and submitting to all of Sophia's demands. Once she was satisfied, Sophia allowed Esparanza to release Jana.

"Now, bitch, your queen is to retire for the night. I'll be back tomorrow for my daily regiment, so I expect you here naked. Fail, and perhaps one of your teammates will take your place."

Once outside, a group of three men in red robes, knelt before Sophia.

"Asegúrense de que juguemos contra Dinamarca mañana. Quiero ponerlos en su lugar [Make sure we play Denmark tomorrow. I want to put them in their place]."

The men nodded and quickly dispersed.

Sophia Andalon was an arrogant and selfish woman. Born into Spain's royal family, she had been fed from a platinum spoon since birth and given generous amounts of authority. She was also a chess prodigy, and thanks to the rise of chess' importance in the world, she quickly gained more power. Her goal was to become queen not just of Spain, but Europe and the world at large, and what better way to start than by intellectually humiliating all the other nations of the world in chess.

"A shame I can only crush 11 nations, I'd love to crush them all. But if I can only do 11, then they'll be nations ether hailed as the strongest or ones I simply wish to step on. Denmark like Portugal, will fall into the latter."