In a private audience with the emperor on the penultimate eve of the tournament, when confronted with the seeming absurdity of the likelihood that a novice with a mere two years of expertise at the game might systematically defeat gamers whose entire lives had been dedicated to its mastery, the protagonist comes to know that his proficiency is merely a reflection of his experience with strategic games of all sorts. By the point he arrives, he has grasped the sport however is not sure how he wil...