A riddle reward

With Dude Damsel Requiem vanquished, everyone that could warp, was able to warp away. The others still had to leave the old fashioned way, but at least they were able to get tickets easily.

"So there really isn't any chess centers or secret puzzle cafes in this entire country?" Okisato asked.

"Look, kid. I'm not really supposed to say things bluntly, but here, cuz of Dickhead, we couldn't really establish a presence here. Maybe we will now that the ghost is gone, but no guarantees. This place don't even have an official representative. Are you planning on searching every nook n' cranny here for shit that don't exist?" Bruno scowled.

"Might as well. Might even be some Desperados hiding that I don't know about."

Bruno scoffed and turned to Mimoko. "Stick around here for a bit. I'm gonna see about getting a chess center here so you can at least warp back n' shit."

Okisato's gaze narrowed as Bruno warped away. "There's definitely something here."

"How can you be sure? He sounded sincere," Mimoko frowned.

"Then why not let you warp back home? Without a chess center or secret puzzle cafe here, you can't warp back, you'd have to come back the old fashioned way, which would be a waste of time and money. If there truly was nothing here, then you wouldn't have anything to worry about, but if there was, that would be agonizing, especially since you single-handedly beat the boss here so to say."

"I wonder, was the Jobberslayer League-"

"-Tied to the ghost? Sounds like it. That means the league is pretty much gone if Bruno's word is hard fact. I'm remaining cautious, but I'm sure the truth of the matter will be revealed soon."

Sure enough, Raymond himself soon appeared along with a robot that was the standard model at the chess centers. "Mimoko Inoue, congratulations are in order. We've been longing to properly set up shop here, yet that ghost has had us at a stalemate. However, now he and his Jobberslayer League are no more," Raymond stated.

"He founded the league?" Mimoko gasped.

"Correct, but he himself was consumed. Now as a special token of our thanks, we'll allow you to witness the creation of a secret puzzle cafe."

"You're building one here!?"

"Correct. This city is the most populated place in the nation, and as a rule of thumb, we always tend to open up secret puzzle cafes in a nation's most populous city, and capitol if said capitol isn't said nation's most populous city. There are some exceptions, but I won't bore you with the details Maestro Himitsu could explain at any time. Now follow me."

Mimoko nodded and followed Raymond as he and the robot walked through the hotel, eventually stopping before a large picture of the beach outside. Raymond then removed the picture and tapped the wall with his cane, leading to the wall crumbling away. This led to the outside, however, Raymond began tapping his cane against the ground, causing a structure to erect. Seconds later, Mimoko was in the familiar secret puzzle cafe setting.

"To enter, one will need to place a king atop the scale," Raymond declared as he stepped back into the hotel and tapped his cane some more.

Mimoko watched as a scale appeared and the picture slid back into place, covering up the entrance to the cafe. Raymond then procured a king and placed it on the scale, causing it to flash green and the picture to slide aside, revealing the secret puzzle cafe within.

"And now, it is operational. At the very least, it can act as a warp point and hangout spot until we appoint a DSPCM proper. In the meantime, this robot here shall manage it. Once a DSPCM is appointed, the robot will be transferred to a chess center somewhere else in the nation," Raymond stated.

The moment he finished saying that, a plethora of people suddenly exited from the back room and looked around.

"Okaa-chan!?" Mimoko cried as she recognized Daria amongst the crowd.

"Ah, Mimoko. Seems you took care of the ghost problem," Daria smiled as she walked up to Mimoko.

"Why are you here?"

"Standard protocol, nothing more. We're just making sure everything works from the back end. Not to mention, we'll need to familiarize ourselves with this place in order to properly select a DSPCM."

"And as this is the opening day of this secret puzzle cafe here in Weno, we'll be gifting bonus points upon completion of the daily puzzles for today only," Raymond declared.

"Then I guess I know what I'll be doing right now," Mimoko smiled.

"Let us know if there's any glitches or bugs. Sometimes things get wonky when a secret puzzle cafe first becomes operational," Daria called out as she prepared to play some of her colleagues in chaturaji.

Mimoko gave a thumbs up and headed to the pods in the back. Everything went smoothly, and now with more points in her bank, Mimoko was ready to warp home for a good night's rest, before being stopped by Raymond.

"I have one more reward to give you, or rather tell you. This here is a riddle that will help you find the 7th maestro. To meet them, you must journey in a set path across the globe gathering all 7 necessities to play chess. Here is the clue to the first piece; Upon isles of micro, the capitol of none houses one that will never be king."

Mimoko nodded and thanked Raymond before deciding to warp back to the chess center in Kawaguchi. Upon arriving, she surprised both Utami and Iori, who just so happened to be playing a match.

"Mimoko-sama!?"

"Mimo-chan!?"

"Hi, how have things been?" Mimoko smiled.

Both Utami and Iori blinked for a few seconds before descending into the chatter, making it impossible for Mimoko to make out what either of them were trying to say. "One at a time! Utami-chan, you go first."

"Are you unharmed?"

"Yes. Tanabe-kun is fine too as is Yuusuke-kun."

"He didn't botch it? I thought he was up the creek," Iori scoffed.

"He'll probably be back home in a few hours, while Tanabe-kun will be staying there for a few more days."

"Why wasn't I invited! Why do you get an exclusive date with Oki-kun!?"

"I didn't go there for pleasure. In fact, the plan was for me to return once the Jobberslayer League was dealt with and we found a chess center or secret puzzle cafe. After I rest up a bit, I'll be warping back there for some treasure hunting of sorts."

"NO FAIR! I WANNA GO TOO!"

"If you wish to travel to Micronesia, we are running a little special in celebration of the nation's liberation from the specter," Compass bowed.

Iori spun around instantly and began scrolling through her point menu.

"Is it imperative that we all go there?" Utami asked.

"I'm not sure, but it seems there is a clue there that leads to the 7th maestro. Though to be fair, I feel I'll still need to beat the other 6 first before I can play the 7th," Mimoko smiled.

"Tanabe better do all the searching while you relax."

"I don't mind, in fact, I want to search together with him."

"Nooo! I gotta get my ass to Micronesia! Where the hell in it is Oki-kun!?" Iori cried.

"I believe the city was Weno-"

Iori was gone in seconds, presumably running home to pack her bags.

"Perhaps I will travel there too to guard you from those two lunatics. Will Shousen also be joining the treasure hunt?" Utami asked.

Mimoko began to frown as she shook her head. "No, and from what he told me, I think he might be quitting the club, and chess altogether."