Chapter 4
Praise and Reproof at the Palace

Mayoko, with a thoughtful look, continues her story, plunging her listeners into an atmosphere of tension and unexpected challenges.

When I arrived at the castle, the gokenin, a high-ranking retainer, welcomed me warmly in a hall of sumptuous beauty, she recounts. He confided that not a day went by without his hearing of ōgi, and that he wished to congratulate me personally on the exceptional quality of the game.

Mayoko smiles gently, recalling the moment. He declared himself a lover of strategy games and expressed his desire to contribute to the renown of ōgi. Those words filled me with joy and optimism.

Her smile, however, gradually fades. But the gokenin then raised a delicate subject. He wondered whether it was appropriate to include the figure of the king in a game played mainly by villagers. He also pointed out that the name ōgi, meaning the King's Game, could cause confusion and ought to be changed.

The scene grows more intense as Mayoko imitates the gokenin's authoritarian gesture. Without giving me time to reply, he insisted that he was the one and only authority, and that his status should never be reduced to a mere element of a game.

She mimes the gokenin's gesture, sweeping aside with the back of her hand the very idea of having a free gold general. He also demanded that the gold should no longer be able to promote, arguing that it was absurd and unbalanced in relation to the other pieces.

In the room, a palpable tension can be felt. Mayoko, with quiet determination, goes on: It was not easy to refuse such a request, but I had no intention of altering the game we had created with so much love and passion.

She pauses, gathering her thoughts. I was preparing to answer him with all the tact and respect the situation required.

The listeners, captivated, wait impatiently for the rest of the story, curious to know how Mayoko handled this delicate confrontation and what it meant for the future of ōgi.