The Curtain Rises [1]

"I started moving that day after you told me about this whole marriage thing," I spoke up, at the same time I started writing something on the paper that I had placed on the desk.

"When you told me about this, a plan started forming in my mind but you know, my plan was not only to stop this marriage. There were three things I wanted to do, first was to stop this marriage of course, the second was to get you enrolled in the magic academy, and the third was to destroy Walric's family completely," I paused and took a glance at Anya.

"Hmm, I understand the other two reasons but why did you decided to enroll me in the academy?" she asked.

"Ah…that's because I wanted to go to the academy, I'll get into details later," I replied and then I continued my explanation.

"That day when you left after telling me about your situation, instead of going home I went to the bull's stage coliseum where the battle tournament was going to be held; and I knew about the tournament beforehand because I saw promotional posters of it. My main reason for going there was to check the structure of the arena and the place where the princess was going to sit.

At that point, I had the basic plan in hand and the first thing important thing was for you to participate in the tournament. I knew you won't have any trouble in getting to the finals but getting to the finals was a must.

Because that's where the main game will start, you know what that is right?" I looked in Anya's direction.

"Yeah, I know."

But she didn't know the entire thing that happened. When the final round of the tournament started and Anya engaged in a fight, I—who was sitting just beside the platform the princess was on—used elemental magic and destroyed the platform.

It was a piece of cake to do that; first I have to increase the temperature of the platform by using the fire element and then, in an instant, I had to cool it down using the ice sub-element.

I had instructed Anya to leave the match and run to save the princess when the platform gets destroyed. Of course, I gave her a signal before I destroyed the platform.

I had also made sure to create a dust cloud with the earth element so that I can protect Anya from getting injured and without anyone noticing, and by the grace of me, it worked out pretty well.

The main purpose of this act was to indebt the princess so that I can manipulate her into helping us later. She was the type of princess who usually plays the role of "good" and "kind" princess in the novels.

I caught onto this after stalking-no, after observing the princess for two days before the tournament began.

Many points indicated toward her *this* type of behavior and the first was that she was in the city even before the tournament began—I got this information after asking a few people here and there, mostly the participants of the tournament.

Even that is a far cry, the fact that she came to watch the tournament made it clear that she was the type who cared for her people.

A normal person wouldn't have noticed this slight detail, I did because I was familiar with these kinds of tropes, one of the benefits of being an author you can say.

Then there was a bit of luck involved, the princess visiting Anya was completely a choice she made, or I would like to say that.

I tried for the best possible outcome after calculating the maximum number of probabilities I could. That time when the princess lost consciousness, it was not a thing that happened naturally.

I controlled the dust using elemental magic and blocked her windpipe with it for a while to make her unconscious. It was the best to do as if the princess won't be able to thank Anya for saving her life then the chances of her coming here to do that were in majority.

Then I told Anya to not ask for anything if she said "I want to give you a reward" or something like that, instead, I said to make a troubled expression when you reject her offer.

All this was the framework for the main event. When she left our house I took the opportunity and went to talk with her.

She was already dissatisfied with not being able to reward Anya properly and then I increased the mental pressure on her by telling her about the hellish future Anya will have if she gets married to Walric.

She was already in dark and I pushed her even deeper, at the point of no return. For a person like her, knowing all this and not doing anything will be an impossible thing.

And that was the right time to attack, when she was mentally weak, when she was lost in figuring out how she can help Anya, figuring out a way to get out of this darkness.

At that moment, I showed her a ray of light, a way to help Anya with no bad side effects. I told her about my plan of helping Anya by getting her enrolled in the magic academy, on top of that I told her the way to do this that won't cause any political problems.

When humans are in a problem and unable to find any way out, then they cling to anything that shows them hope, disregarding what their decision may cause in future because at that time getting out of that problem is their first priority.

The same thing happened with the princess, first I pushed her into darkness and then showed her a way to come out into light; she accepted my plan.

"And then when then last night I talked with the princess and told her about my plan. She wanted to help you so she accepted it, that's how you get enrolled in the academy," I finished.

"Hmmm, I understand this much. But how did Walric's family lose their nobility? This is the thing I'm concerned about the most?" she asked.

That huh.