“How do you suppose we resolve this impasse?” Menerva asked.
Niflheim took a few moments to mull it over. He did not know much about Menerva outside of what he learned about her over the past few days; however, Niflheim knew from the moment he met her that she was not your typical player.
He was also reminded of what occurred during the Protectors of Amaharpe event.
At the time, Niflheim was unaware of Menerva’s existence. But, he learned that she was the person behind the events that led to the beginning of Sage Falls’ decline and the rapid rise of the Headhunter Syndicate.
She was also almost responsible for causing a massive all-out war to occur between the top guilds. And perhaps the most terrifying aspect was that no one even knew that she existed. That is, outside of a very select few members of the Headhunter Syndicate.
Of course, there was one thing in particular that caused Niflheim to give it some deep thought, and that was the fact that Izroth personally recruited her.
Niflheim understood that this was the biggest warning of how he should not take Menerva lightly. That being said, he was confident in his own abilities and experiences. Not to mention, he was not the type to back down from a challenge.
“I assume you don’t want to settle things with PVP combat. So, how about we keep things simple?” Niflheim said.
He then held his fist out and continued, “Rock, paper, scissors. First to lead by two wins. How about it?”
Menerva’s brows rose as she was a little surprised by Niflheim’s suggestion. But, his choice revealed quite a bit about him.
“Rock, paper, scissors… Very well, I accept,” Menerva confirmed.
Once Menerva agreed, the two stood before each other and prepared to begin.
“For the first match, I am going to throw rock. The second match, I will throw paper. And, in the third match, I will throw rock again. But, no matter what, I will never throw scissors.” Niflheim commented.
“Is this your attempt at throwing me off, Lieutenant Niflheim?” Menerva questioned as she narrowed her eyes.
If Niflheim never threw scissors as he said, then all Menerva had to do to guarantee her victory was throw paper every time. As a result, the only two outcomes for her were to win or tie. Naturally, this would place Niflheim at a disadvantage that could not be overcome.
“If you want to take it that way, it’s fine. But, whether you believe it or not, I am telling you the truth. Then, shall we start? We throw on the count of three.”
Menerva nodded without averting her gaze as she stared right into Niflheim’s eyes.
Niflheim met Menerva’s gaze and said, “1… 2… 3.”
Woosh! Woosh!
The instant Niflheim completed his count, he, along with Menerva, had both chosen rock.
“I’m a bit hurt that you didn’t trust me,” Niflheim said in a joking manner.
“Trust is different from blind trust, would you not agree?” Menerva noted.
“No, you’re not wrong. Again.” Niflheim stated as he started yet another countdown.
As for the results of the second match, this time, the two had chosen paper and ended up tying once more.
“You are rather honest, Lieutenant Niflheim,” Menerva said indifferently.
“And you’re rather trusting. Unfortunately-” Niflheim replied as a light smile found its way onto his face.
He then continued, “You’ve already lost.”
A slight frown found its way onto Menerva’s face.
“Unless the rules of the game have been unknowingly altered without my knowledge, we are still tied,” Menerva reminded.
“No, the rules have not changed. And, you’re right, we are still tied. But, I finally figured it out—the fundamental difference between the two of us. That reason is why no matter how many times we play, you won’t be able to win. If you don’t believe me, that won’t be an issue. After all, I will show you what you’re lacking.” Niflheim stated without mincing his words.
“Please, enlighten me,” Menerva responded casually; however, there was an underlying coldness to her tone.
“Then, I’ll be starting. 1… 2… 3.” Niflheim counted down as the third match swiftly concluded.
As for the results of the match, Menerva had chosen rock.
“I take it back. It turns out you are not honest, after all.” Menerva stated.
“And, it seems you aren’t all that trusting. I suppose we both have our flaws.” Niflheim replied calmly.
At the moment, Niflheim’s hand was open in a palm—he had picked paper!
Izroth silently observed the match between Niflheim and Menerva. So far, things were going just as he predicted.
‘I expected it to go this way, but this match up… He really is the worst kind of opponent for her to face.’
There was a reason Izroth sent Menerva to Xanaharpe to meet up with Niflheim in advance. He wanted them to spend a few days together, which would undoubtedly lead to them observing each other. However, the way the two of them analyzed things was vastly different.
In terms of pure intellect, there was a huge gap that existed between Niflheim and Menerva.
Niflheim could be considered above average in that regard; however, Menerva was an intellectual anomaly. She was someone capable of thinking ten steps ahead and following the most logical choices that would yield the highest results.
But, it was because of this gift and her unique upbringing that Menerva acquired a glaring weakness.
If one had never met her before, it would be almost impossible to discover. However, for someone like Niflheim, he saw right through it. And it was the first two matches that helped to reaffirm his initial suspicions.
At first glance, it may seem like all she had to do was play paper to eventually win, but that was far from the case.
“Was this his plan all along? Just what kind of monster is he trying to create?” Niflheim thought to himself as he glanced over at Izroth.
Niflheim returned his gaze to Menerva as he released a small sigh and said, “Are you ready to carry on with the final match?”
“Are you looking down on me?” Menerva inquired with a distant gaze.
“Not at all. It’s just that the current you can’t win. At least, not when it comes to this. That’s all.” Niflheim answered calmly.
“Then, let us end the conversation here and undergo the next round,” Menerva stated.
“Sure. Though I should warn you, this time—I will throw scissors.” Niflheim said.
However, Menerva’s expression remained unchanged as she did not say a word.
Without wasting any time, Niflheim started the next countdown.
3…
2…
1…!
Woosh! Woosh!
Niflheim and Menerva’s hands arrived simultaneously at the center point in between the two of them.
This time around, Menerva selected rock. And, as for Niflheim…
“I guess it’s just my lucky day,” Niflheim said with a light smile.
In the end, Niflheim played paper, putting him up two wins against Menerva and making him the victor of their challenge.
A momentary look of disbelief appeared on Menerva’s face as she saw the results.
“How…” Menerva uttered to herself.
This was her first time losing a game of rock, paper scissors. And, she did not lose once, but twice! However, no matter how much she racked her brain trying to figure out how she lost so flawlessly, Menerva was unable to reach a logical outcome.
“Sometimes, you just have to play the person, not the odds. I’ve noticed for a while now that you are incredibly meticulous when it comes to details. You also like to think several steps ahead. Neither one of those traits are a bad thing, but you lack the gut instinct to balance them properly. As a result, I presented you with my choice, giving you the odds ahead of time, allowing you to play against yourself.” Niflheim stated.
Like Izroth, Niflheim quickly found out that Menerva could not go against the most logical choice presented to her. This made it easy for Niflheim, with his experience and sharp instincts, to manipulate the results of the matches.
In the end, Niflheim was the type to follow through with his guts. But, against Menerva, all he had to do was make the path and let her walk down it on her own. Of course, there was still a chance she would eventually catch on to what he was doing. But, by then, it would be too late to change the results.
