I succinctly relayed the information I’d gathered through the Principles of Magic to her.
I was well aware that my claims sounded like the ramblings of a madman. After all, I was suggesting that a figure as renowned as the Hero would infiltrate the Royal Castle—the most heavily guarded location in the kingdom—entirely undetected.
However, Princess Lucila didn't dismiss my words. That was likely because she already knew that long-distance teleportation was a reality.
"—That is the scenario I believe most likely to unfold," I concluded.
"…A lone attack on the capital by the Hero would be staggering enough, but do you truly believe such a future is coming?"
Princess Lucila looked at me with a mix of belief and doubt. It was only natural; no one could be expected to imagine a world where magic beasts overran the surface.
"I can't say for certain that it will happen. However, I believe the probability is extremely high. That is why I intend to take advantage of the situation."
"Tell me more."
"When this happens, chaos will grip the entire world. To stabilize the situation as quickly as possible, nations will need to unite."
"I agree," she said. "In such a crisis, infighting would only lead to everyone being wiped out by the magic beasts. Conversely, if the nations can join hands, we can overcome it. But…"
I nodded and continued her thought. "Yes. Uniting countries with such vastly different ideologies is no easy task. The longer it takes, the more people will suffer. Therefore, to force them into a quick alliance, I will provide a 'common enemy.'"
"A common enemy?"
"Yes. I’ll make it appear as if I was the one who caused this situation. The Cult—or rather, the Explorer Guild—likely intends to frame me from the start anyway, so I’ll simply play into their hands."
"…What? Excuse me? What are you saying?!"
"Things will move faster if the stampede of magic beasts is framed as a man-made disaster I caused, rather than an act of nature."
"But if you do that, Orun, you’ll—"
"I’m prepared for the consequences. In the original timeline, I was meant to lose almost everything precious to me. Thanks to my benefactor, I was given a chance to start over. I’m not looking for a 'better' ending anymore. I will struggle with everything I have to reach the best ending. And then, I’ll live to see that future with a smile. Because that’s what my benefactor wanted for me."
Just before Grandpa disappeared, he had smiled and said, “I truly pray that you, Orun, can spend the rest of your life with a smile on your face.”
I was only here because Grandpa had risked his life for me. His only wish was for me to be happy. If that was the case, then no matter how impossible or reckless it seemed, I had no choice but to pursue that future.
"…………I understand," Lucila said softly. "I will respect your resolve. It’s as you say—the Kingdom was originally destined to fall to the Empire, wasn't it? If this is the path to the best possible end, then I have no reason to object. I trust you, Orun. I happen to pride myself on my judge of character."
"…Thank you."
"Fufufu. You really are yourself, aren't you? Well then, let’s proceed with that plan in mind."
In the past, I’d always felt that Princess Lucila’s smiles carried some hidden meaning. But the smile she gave me now seemed entirely pure, without a trace of an ulterior motive.
◇
After that, Princess Lucila and I hammered out the details of what to do on the day the Hero was set to arrive at the capital.
"The general framework seems solid. Our biggest wildcard is Philly Carpenter, the Special Ability user of Perception Alteration. If she intervenes, things will get messy."
"I’ve considered a countermeasure for her as well. Princess Lucila, how many self-defense magic tools do you usually carry on your person?"
"I keep two on me at all times."
"If you can spare one, I’d like to borrow it. I believe I can incorporate a function to nullify Perception Alteration into the device."
"…Is such a thing even possible?"
My Special Ability, All Creation, allows me to use any ability once I’ve fully understood it. I’ve been subjected to Perception Alteration twice now. The first was when Beria and the Cyclamen Cult attacked my home, the Village of Dawn. The second was during the Hero's invasion last summer, when I was visiting the Regrif Territory on behalf of Count Eddington.
Through those experiences, I’d learned how to use Perception Alteration myself. That said, because All Creation has its limitations, I can’t use it recklessly. If I apply the function to her magic tool, I won’t be able to use the ability myself for a while.
"It is. However, I’ll only give this nullification tool to you, Princess."
"To ensure she doesn't realize her ability is being countered by seeing it fail on others, I assume?"
"Exactly. Though, to be honest, I can't say for certain if it will be enough to stop her."
"In that case, we should decide on a secret sign. Words might be difficult if things are frantic, so a physical gesture would be better."
"I agree," I said. "A movement is easier to work in naturally."
"Understood. Let's see… how about hiding the left eye with the left hand? It’s not something you’d do in daily life, but it’s not so unnatural that it looks suspicious."
"That should work perfectly."
"Then let’s make that our secret sign. Fufufu, sharing a secret is quite thrilling, isn't it?"
Once the business was concluded, her playful side came out again.
"I'm more worried than thrilled," I admitted.
"It will be fine. I’ll have your magic tool, and I won't forget the sign. However… if I should happen to forget, feel free to cut me down without hesitation. Just… please, save the citizens."
She bowed deeply to us as she spoke.
"I understand. I care about this country, too. I’ll do everything in my power to save as many people as possible."
"Hearing you say that puts me at ease."
When she looked up, her shoulders were relaxed with genuine relief.
◇
"Well, Orun-san, we’re heading back to Tsutrail now!"
Having finished the preparations with Princess Lucila, I went to see Sophie and the others off. Just like last time, they were heading back to Tsutrail ahead of me.
"Be safe, everyone. I know I don't need to worry with this group, but keep your guard up."
"We’re more worried about you, Orun," Selma-san said, her expression clouded with concern. "You said this was a secret mission for Lucy, but is it really safe?"
Like the previous timeline, I was staying behind under the pretext of a secret assignment from the Princess.
"Yeah. It’s not a dangerous job. I’ll finish up and be back in Tsutrail before you know it, so don't worry."
"I see. If anything happens, contact me or the clan immediately. I’ll come running."
"We will too!" Log added. "I know Master can handle anything, but if you do run into trouble, please don't hesitate to rely on us!"
"Thanks, Selma-san, Log. That means a lot. If something goes wrong, I’ll be sure to call for help."
"Shisho, come back soon! I want you to see our progress from the front row!"
"I will. I’ll work as fast as I can so I don't come home to find you’ve all surpassed me."
I kept the conversation identical to the one I remembered to avoid deviating from the timeline. But internally, my emotions were different. In the past, I’d been preoccupied with the anxiety of learning about my heritage. Now, I felt a deep sense of longing as I watched them go.
But this was the path I’d chosen. Even if regret waited at the end of it, I’d sworn not to stop walking.
As the members of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky boarded the carriage, Luna paused at the step and looked back.
"…Orun-san."
"Hmm?"
"…………No, never mind. I just… felt like I needed to say something." She seemed to be searching for words that wouldn't come.
"It’s okay, Luna. Like I said, I’ll be right behind you."
Her expression softened at my words. "You’re right. Well then, we’ll see you back in Tsutrail."
"Yeah. See you."
I watched the carriage fade into the distance until it was just a speck. Then, the sound of four sets of footsteps approached from behind.
"You're here."
I turned to see Fuuka, Haruto-san, and Carol’s siblings, Lueria and Frederick.
"…Orun Doura," Lueria said, acting tough despite her obvious restlessness. "So, am I right to assume that’s how it is?"
"Yeah. I’m taking custody of you all. I won't mistreat you, but I expect your cooperation."
They had been under Fuuka’s supervision since yesterday. In the previous timeline, I hadn't met up with them, but this time I intended to take them to the Hitia Duchy. As subordinates of the Doctor and as Carol’s siblings, they were too important to ignore. With the Doctor gone, they had no place in the Cult, leaving them in a precarious position. If I backed them, even the extremists in Amunzaas would think twice before touching them.
Fuuka had told me they were barely able to walk yesterday, but they seemed to have recovered somewhat. They probably couldn't handle a real fight yet, but that didn't matter for now.
"We don't exactly have the right to refuse, do we?" Lueria muttered. "As long as you guarantee our safety, we’ll give you whatever information we have."
"Thank you."
"…It’s weird being thanked so sincerely by the 'King of Special Ability Users.'"
"Right?" Frederick chimed in. "The people in the Cult talked about the King of Special Ability Users like he was the source of all evil. It’s hard to shake that image."
"The source of all evil, huh? I guess from their perspective, that might be true. But August-san and I are different people."
I gave a wry smile. I didn't particularly care what the Cult thought of me, but that reputation might actually be useful. I made a mental note of it.
Lueria looked sheepish. "…I shouldn't judge a person just by their ability. Sorry for saying something weird."
I was surprised by her honesty. Having been in the Cult since childhood, I’d expected her to be more warped. But she seemed to have a perfectly normal moral compass.
"Don't worry about it. It’s a fair assumption given the circumstances. I’ll just have to work hard to prove I'm not him."
With that settled, Haruto-san spoke up. "So, what’s the plan?"
"First, we go to the Downing Trading Company's headquarters in Hitia to meet up with Shion. After that, we’ll sit down with Christopher-san and coordinate our next moves."
Our destination was Celest, the capital of the Hitia Duchy—the same as before.
"…? But isn't Shion still in a coma?" Fuuka asked, tilting her head.
"She might be, but I suspect she’s awake by now."
In the previous timeline, Shion had been asleep on this day. It was logical to assume she’d be the same now, but Shion—with her Time Rewind ability—was an exception.
I believed the reason she’d been asleep was to organize the information she’d absorbed. Before falling unconscious, she’d touched both the "external mana" and the "core of the principles" almost simultaneously. Either one would have been an overwhelming amount of data. To process it, her body had likely shut down everything else.
However, after being cast into the Hidden World and meeting August-san, she had learned the truth of those two concepts directly from him. That meant she no longer needed to sleep to process the information.
"I see. If she’s awake, I can’t wait to see her." A tiny smile touched the corners of Fuuka’s mouth.
"If we’re going to Hitia, teleportation is the fastest way," Haruto said. "The nearest teleportation circle is in the capital of the Tsahaliv Kingdom."
"No, that’ll be too slow."
"Too slow? What do you mean?"
I had shared some of my information with Fuuka and Haruto this morning, just as I had with Lucila. In the previous timeline, they had timed our arrival in Hitia to coincide with the Cult’s attack on Tsutrail. This time, however, they seemed unaware of the impending assault. It made sense—Grandpa had been the architect of those plans.
"Exactly what I said. If we go that way, the battle will be over before we even arrive."
"Maybe, but there isn't a faster way, is there?"
"There is. I’m going to teleport us to Hitia from right here."
"…What?! No way! Long-distance teleportation only works from one fixed circle to another, doesn't it?" Haruto exclaimed.
"He's right," Lueria added. "The Cult can jump between circles, but I’ve never heard of someone doing it without one."
"The principle of long-distance teleportation is basically just using the principles and the ley lines," I explained. "I can construct a makeshift circle on the spot."
As I spoke, I began weaving the Principles of Magic to form the ritual site.
"He makes it look so easy…" Frederick whispered, sounding exasperated.
I was only able to do this because of August-san’s teachings. It wasn't without risk, of course. Normally, building a circle takes years. The ones Amunzaas uses are heavily modified, whereas mine was raw. That meant the Cyclamen Cult would be able to detect the jump.
Beria would find out eventually that I’d jumped to Hitia. But right now, speed was everything. I had to finish what needed to be done before he caught on.
"Now you see a glimpse of why the Cult considers me so dangerous. Everyone, get inside the circle."
I waited for the four of them to step onto the shimmering pattern, then activated the spell. The world around us began to warp.
Thank you for reading!
I have a quick announcement: Volume 7 of the light novel is now on sale! The cover features the five characters who will be driving the story forward from here on out. Also, the digital version includes a special short story focusing on Titania! While the side stories usually don't impact the main plot, this one delves a bit deeper into the lore. If you're interested, please check it out via the Amazon link below!
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