For every vision she had, I was always there. It meant I was present when Princess Myrcella was killed. Perhaps I tried to save her, but how did she still end up dead? I wasn’t overly confident in my ability to defend her, but I had some faith in myself. This implied whoever was going to kill her must have been exceptionally powerful.
“Can you provide more details?” I inquired. “If you want to prevent that future from becoming reality, you need to give me more information, don’t you think?”
Hertrude locked eyes with me, then closed them briefly, taking a deep breath before reopening them. “Okay,” she finally said.
With that, she proceeded to recount everything she had seen in the vision. Every detail.
The vision began at the dock, followed by me posing a question to her, then the others failing to return on time, despite the night having fallen.
“I can’t control the vision. I only see what my skill allows me to see. It sends me fragments, never the whole picture. That’s why I jotted down everything I saw on my smartphone,” she explained.
She could only saw fragments. Meaning that the vision wasn’t showing her everything. To what reason that specific fragments happen, the vision didn’t show it.
“Also, that’s why I’m glued to this phone. It allows me to record everything that happens, giving me a comprehensive view of each specific incident and its causes. So far, three of the events I foresaw have occurred. Now, I’ll tell you about the remaining fragment.”
Fragment? She didn’t use the plural form. There were five events listed on her phone, so logically, there should be two fragments left, right?
As I pondered that, she took a deep breath before speaking.
“Tomorrow, two events are on the cards. I don’t know who we’ll encounter, but both the princess and I will be in danger. You’ll be the one to save me in that scenario.”
As she spoke, it all clicked into place. I finally understood why I hadn’t been able to save the Princess. Hertrude’s use of the singular form made sense now.
“Let me guess, when your life was in danger, it coincided with the moment the Princess was also in danger, right? And in that critical moment, I chose to save you instead of the Princess,” I surmised.
Hertrude nodded in confirmation.
Ah, I see. But still, how was that possible? If it were up to me, I’d have saved both simultaneously. I wasn’t one to boast, but I was confident in my abilities. If that’s the case, then something must have compelled me to choose only one person. The circumstances must have been exceptionally dire, forcing me to make a split-second decision. But if that’s true, then what were those circumstances?
Changing the future seemed like a daunting task, especially without knowing the circumstances that led to it. Was altering destiny even possible?
“Let me ask you something, Miss Hertrude,” I began.
“Go ahead,” she replied.
“You mentioned needing my help to save the Princess and prevent the dire events that would follow her death,” I said. “What exactly do you need my help with? And why me? Why not inform the Princess herself so she can seek safety? And furthermore, is changing the future truly within our grasp? Can we really avert the course of fate?”
I didn’t fully comprehend the workings of fate, but I knew it was the most absolute and enigmatic force of all. Fate had snatched away my parents in an accident, led my childhood friend to choose someone else over me, and drove my sister to take her own life. Yet, fate also brought me into this world and introduced me to the beautiful women I have now. It was both powerful and perplexing. Fate dictated events as ordered or “inevitable,” shaping the course of our lives. This concept stemmed from the belief in a fixed natural order to the universe. If that were true, then everything that happened to me was predestined and unavoidable. Hertrude’s ability to see her fate implied that her visions were immutable, unable to be altered. I hoped my understanding of fate was flawed, though.
“I honestly have no idea,” she confessed after a moment of silence. “I’ve never attempted to alter the future before, not once. This is the first time I’ve encountered a future so dire, which is why I’m determined to change it.”
So, this would be her first attempt at defying fate, huh?
“Leon,” she called out to me. “Fate is predetermined. Actually, everything in this world, and perhaps even in other worlds, is predetermined. Nothing occurs by chance. Every event unfolds according to the laws of nature. Even as we speak, I believe this conversation, me telling you all this, is simply nature’s law at work. We could be hurtling toward that bleak future regardless of our discussion.”
She was spot on. Even with her warning, we might still be hurtling toward the Princess’s demise. In fact, this conversation could be the catalyst for it.
“Our dilemma is our lack of understanding of nature’s laws. We’re oblivious to what lies ahead, and we act accordingly. However, until we grasp the essence of these laws, we must strive for a deeper understanding. We need to unravel the mysteries until everything is laid bare, revealing the complete picture of nature and its unfailing order. I want you to observe every event, every detail, and try to discern the circumstances that lead to that future. I’m entrusting you with this task because I believe you’re capable,” she concluded.
I blinked in surprise. “Why do you think that?”
“Because you have the capability to fight fate, Mephisto,” she replied, her tone casual enough to catch me off guard.
I couldn’t help but ask, “How do you know that…?”
“I saw it in one of my visions,” she revealed. “I also know about your ability to copy the skills of women you’ve had sex with.”
“So you knew all of that, huh?”
“If we succeed in saving the Princess, I’ll be willing to let you have sex with me to copy my skill,” she stated.
That was perhaps the most surprising thing I’d heard from her today. She was actually willing to do that?
“And please, be gentle with me,” she added. “I’m a virgin.”
Just when I thought her previous offer was the most surprising thing she could say, she proved me wrong.
After staring at her in surprise while she blushed, I heard a rustling sound from behind me. We both spun around, ready to confront any potential attackers, but the source of the noise revealed itself.
“Leon? What are you doing here?” inquired a man with a strikingly handsome face. It was Johanne. Behind him stood Hereon, lugging a hefty boar over his shoulder, and Shredica, carrying a basket brimming with what appeared to be food. They had clearly gathered a considerable amount, oblivious to the possibility that we might not be staying on the island for long.
“We’ve been searching for you,” I informed him.
“Apologies, but we ran into some trouble along the way,” he replied.
“Trouble? Enemies?” I inquired.
Johanne nodded solemnly.
“We handled them,” he affirmed. “However, it was a formidable skirmish. It appears that some of them realized collaboration was their most viable strategy for victory.”
“Well, provided everyone is unharmed, let us return to the cave,” I suggested.
As we wrapped up, we made our way back to the cave. The anticipation of the King’s Game hung heavy in the air, but the first day seemed to be a bit of a dud. Yet, as we ambled along, a prickling sensation crept up my spine, like someone’s gaze burning into the back of my skull. With a quick pivot, I caught a glimpse of figures soaring above us, dancing among the clouds. Two of them, dancing through the air like ethereal specters. And there, nestled in the arms of the flying one, was the one who had fixated their gaze on me. Their presence pulsated with power, sending shivers down my spine.
I shot a glare at the one eyeing me up.
“Something bothering you, Leon?” Johanne asked.
“Nah, just zoning out,” I replied, turning away and falling back into step with them. But those eyes stayed locked on me, like they were trying to read my mind.
***
Lilia’s POV
“Did you see that, Laurel? That boy just shot me a glare. How adorable,” I remarked. We were cruising through the sky, taking in the view of the island below. Laurel was hauling me up with her Flying skill, which pretty much does what it says on the tin—lets her fly. As we soared, I happened to spot that black-haired, red-eyed boy who bore a striking resemblance to the stunning yet icy Veronica.
“You’re more surprised by that than the fact he managed to spot us, even with us being way up here and dressed in dark gear to blend into the night?” Laurel questioned, eyebrows raised in disbelief.
I found it quite surprising, indeed, that a young man from the academy managed to locate us here.
“I’m curious about his identity. He appears to be rather intriguing,” I remarked. “Could you conduct some inquiries regarding him, Laurel?”
