"Soul Swap. It’s the only answer."
That was Patricia’s take on the situation.
"The Ancient Sage, whom the people of this kingdom worship, intends to hijack that idiot’s body to start over. He wants to reunite with the Saint he once loved—to finally make things right between them."
That was the fate ordained by history—or, more accurately, by the game’s original storyline.
It really was nothing more than a miniature garden.
"To do all that just to meet again... the odds must be astronomical," Alicia murmured.
"I suppose so," I said, nodding in agreement.
The souls of the deceased remained trapped within the Barrier, never to scatter. It was a closed loop of reincarnation restricted to the kingdom’s borders. Thinking about it, the scale of the magic was staggering. Such a feat was only possible because every citizen born within that Barrier was treated as a ritual offering.
"That Barrier bends fate, turning even the wildest coincidences into inevitabilities. It’s not a matter of probability. It exists solely to turn that creepy stalker’s delusions into reality."
Patricia glared at me as she spoke.
"Because I knew that, I was following the established scenario, only for this barbarian to interfere and ruin everything. Good grief."
"I don’t care. If I hadn't, Alicia and I would have been killed by you."
Was I supposed to just accept destruction because it was staring me in the face? Not a chance. House Brave didn't allow for that. We bite back even if we’re nothing but a severed head—that was the way of our house.
"Since your plan going up in smoke was better for me than the alternative, of course I was going to crush it."
"But I didn't kill you. Conversely, you killed Jelasis. As far as I'm concerned, the balance is in the negative. So take some responsibility and die. Then we’ll be even."
"Please, don't start bickering again. We’re going to find Mariana, aren't we?"
With Alicia stepping in, I decided to back down quietly. As usual, Patricia was a woman gifted in the art of sophistry. There is no plus or minus in human life or death; there is only the reality of the outcome.
"Well, fine. Let’s get moving. I’ve been watching the situation from a distance, and I have a good idea of where she is."
"Where is she?" Alicia asked before I could.
It was probably for the best. If I had been the one to ask, Patricia would have just snapped back with something like, "Why should I have to tell you?" and made things difficult again. God, I hated that.
Since I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of lording information over me, I decided to act as if I already knew.
The royalty were essentially spares, vessels for the Sage’s blood. Among them, Edward was the ideal form the Ancient Sage had been seeking. He’d gone bald, sure, but if he grew his hair back, he’d be his ancestor’s spitting image.
Given that Belial had manifested and snatched him away before he could be turned to ash in our duel, it was obvious they were trying to force the scenario forward. In that case, where would Mariana be? Or rather, who would have taken her away in the middle of the Academy Festival?
"She’s probably with Headmaster Volsea."
"She’s with Headmaster Volsea—hey, don't talk over me, you creepy, die!"
Patricia had been puffing out her flat chest with pride as she addressed Alicia, but I cut her off by predicting her words. Serves her right.
I kept the smugness to myself, but since both Patricia and I knew the game’s plot, we could easily deduce the situation.
"Look, she’s still not comfortable around other nobles," I noted.
"That’s true," Alicia agreed. "She’s finally reached the point where she doesn't faint around the Student Council, but in front of other students... yeah, she wouldn't just follow a stranger."
In front of nobles, Mariana’s first instinct was always to run. That was just who she was.
"So, for her to abandon her duties and vanish before checking in with us, it’s impossible unless the Headmaster personally called for her."
Volsea was the one who had brought Mariana to the Academy in the first place, despite Patricia’s various attempts to keep her away. He had provided financial support for her, so she couldn't exactly ignore a summons from him.
Volsea, the man they called the Current Sage, had spoken to me as if he knew everything. He knew the entire history of the Hero, the Saint, and the Sage.
"Hmph. Fine then, let’s get to the Headmaster’s Office already."
"Slow down. That’s likely a trap."
I stopped Patricia as she tried to storm off. In the game, Volsea was a helpful NPC. However, if he was acting according to the original Sage’s ideals in this world, there was no guarantee he was an ally.
"You deal with that. You’re friends, aren't you?"
"Good grief, you really do treat people like disposable pawns."
"You are a pawn. An excellent pawn who doesn't even die when his head is lopped off."
Patricia flashed a bright, mocking smile.
"Ahaha. Jelasis called you a monster, and he was spot on, wasn't he? Honestly, I can't even tell which of you is the real demon."
"That’s a hell of a thing to say."
Since it was technically true, I didn't bother defending myself. It was all well and good to inherit this Hero’s Power dwelling in my bloodline, but I still hadn't figured out what 'it' truly was, despite all my searching.
According to Sebas, the Hero, the Saint, and the Sage were all manifestations of collective human desires.
"Ragna isn't anything like a demon."
I was lost in thought when Alicia suddenly spoke up in my defense.
"House Brave isn't weak enough to need to borrow forbidden power," she stated firmly.
"Alicia..."
"Actually, it’s more that they aren't that 'soft.' A demon? If you relied on something like that in the Brave territory, you wouldn't survive a single day."
Wait. Alicia?
"When you’re surrounded by a literal sea of monsters and Dungeons, and you're thrown into the middle of it with a 'survive or die' shove... making a deal with a demon would probably be a vacation in comparison."
I thought she was going into a touching speech about my character, but she ended up just recounting the horrors of the Brave territory.
"Hey, Brave, what on earth did you do to her?" Clive asked, looking horrified. "You two went back to your hometown together, didn't you?"
"Yeah, we just did some standard training in a Dungeon. Like pushing her off a cliff into a monster pit."
She really had been traumatized. She was still nursing a grudge about the time I dropped her during our Dungeon Bootcamp.
"You... she’s your fiancée, isn't she?"
"And? Is that relevant?"
"..."
Clive looked at me as if I were some kind of apex predator he’d rather not acknowledge. What was his problem? She said she wanted to get stronger, so I helped her. I didn't see the issue.
"Whatever, it doesn't matter," Patricia said, facing forward again. "As long as you can handle the Current Sage and that annoying demon."
"You’re doing a lot of leaning on me for someone who likes to talk big. You should fight too."
"I have my own tasks to handle while you’re busy being a meat shield. Don't worry, though. I’ll make sure the things you want to protect stay protected."
We moved through the corridors until we finally reached the Headmaster’s Office. To be honest, I wasn't sure he’d even be there. Logically, if he were an enemy, he should have already moved on to the next stage of his plan.
"You've arrived."
I pushed the door open. Volsea was waiting for us, his back turned as he stared out the window at the sky.