Motives

"Mariabell... I've never heard of anyone with such a name."

Ever since I woke up and had my breakfast, I'd been pondering the mysterious existence that was Mariabell.

It doesn't make it better that I currently do not have a way to obtain information of other people. There's the option of asking my father to help me out, but that'd only raise needless suspicion, something I don't need at the moment.

I heaved a deep sigh as I closed my eyes in frustration.

"Can't I just live my life without any more troubles?"

Never in my past life have I felt like this. Knowing that there are people out there that are aiming for your life, yet not having the power to do anything about it. It's a horrendous feeling.

If it's going to continue like this from now on everytime I go out, then I have to make a change to my plans.

Initially, I was planning to live a life of researching magic and going on adventures to fulfill my dreams of a former video gamer. But how will I be able to achieve that if my life is in constant danger?

This can't do.

I hate to even want to think this, let alone do it, but it seems that I'll have to speed run learning magic via Great Sage.

Kugh. It hurts my soul so much, but it can't be helped. My life comes first before my interests.

Just think of it as me not wasting time with magic that already exists and dedicating my efforts to learning new magic. Yes, that's what it is!

It is truly a travesty, but... oh well.

I walked to the desk that was next to my bed. An open book with illustrations was lying on its surface, with an ink bottle and quill sitting a short distance away from the book.

I sat down and analyzed the illustrations. They were images of the people I saw in the prophecy, drawn with the help of Great Sage.

I don't have perfect memory, and neither does Great Sage have a function like that, but what it can do is scan my memories and give me accurate details. With that, I'm able to recall almost any scenario by drawing it with some precision.

The drawings themselves weren't perfect, but they were more than adequate. I guess taking those art classes weren't useless after all.

The following pages were dedicated to fleshing out a description for each individual. That included their names, abilities, and any affilitiations they may have had. Any information I did not know was left blank.

This actually wasnt the first time I had done this. Besides this illustration, I also had the illustration of the people I encountered in the first prophecy. Though, I didn't really have any information about them besides their appearances. From that alone, I wasn't sure about their origins, but I think they are natural inhabitants of this world rather than being otherworlders.

Something like this might seem useless to others if they knew I had Great Sage, but it's dangerous to rely on it too much.

I'm a worry wart by nature. I always constantly worry about the worst situations possible, and attempt to adapt to it as much as I can.

This world is home to skills. If skills like my Fate Breaker exists, which upsets the balance of reality itself, it's plausible to think that there are skills out there that could steal, disable, or outright delete other skills.

While skills aren't exactly that common, it's still possible for skills like those to exist and for someone in the present to wield them. It's also not certain that they'd be allies or enemies, so I have to plan out my actions carefully and cautiously.

There could be an instance in the future where I no longer am in posession of Great Sage due to whatever reasons. Obviously, it'd be a catastrophic loss to me, but it'd be even worse if I had been relying on it until then. At that point, it might as well be the death of me.

Which is why, I, on my own volition, have chosen not to rely on Great Sage too much.

But don't get me wrong. That doesn't mean that I'm abandoning the skill, or will refuse to use when I'm in a sticky situation. By all means, I will use the skill, but I will not grow too dependent on it.

I closed the book and stood up from the desk, walking to my bookshelf that was a few steps away from it and placed it on one of the bookshelves.

The bookshelf itself was almost full. Some books there had been bought from stores, whereas others were written by me. Their contents were encrypted with a special coding system I and Great Sage had made, something which could only be decrypted by the both of us if they were to ever be stolen at some point.

All of the books that I wrote pertained information from my previous world. Only what I deemed valuable information had been recorded. Most of it had to with science, particularly the engineering and technology aspect of it.

I only have some superficial knwoledge on those subjects, but its more than enough for this world's standards. If possible, I would like to fuse it with magic to further increase my arsenal of trump cards.

But, that's way too far into the future. As of now, I must focus on the present. And that is figuring out what to do now that I know I'll probably be targeted when I am en route to the capital.

Fate Breaker is not an invincible skill. Sure, while it can essentially change the timeline, I'm still susceptible to death.

Let's use the prophecy I had just recently. In that instance, I died to the person called Souichiro while I was traveling to the capital. One would think that because the timeline is going to change because of the skill's effect, I won't have to die there. It sounds right, but there's much more to it than that.

Everytime the timeline is changed, a random change occurs.

For example, in this new timeline, I could once again choose to travel at the same date, at the same location, with the same people, and yet there'd still be a chance that I'd die the same way as I did in the previous timeline.

It all depends on what exactly changed in this new timeline. Instead of me dying by Souichiro's blade, I could die by Ryuga's hands, or even Sakura's. That's the drawback to this skill.

Those are not the only examples. The deviance in this timeline could be that they chose not to follow me and kill me that day, and instead chose to kill me the day prior or the day after.

Contrary to its description, this skill does not fully prevent my death, which is a bummer.

That's why the first time I activated the skill and saw my future death, I decided not to leave home for a period of time. I'd thought that it'd be much safer not venturing out the house rather than taking such a huge risk.

Of course, the change in every new timeline varied and was never just a minor one. There could be a major deviance as well.

So, there's really no way for me to know the severity of the deviance that has occurred in every new timeline unless I test the waters. But, that's too dangerous.

I've come to terms with the fact I'll have to use my skill Fate Breaker every day from now on until I reach safety in the capital. It's the only way to ensure my survival in my current state.

And there's one person who I know has part to take blame.

Who exactly are you Mariabell? And what are your motives?

The more I think about this whole mess, the more infuriated I get.

In the first place, why the hell am I even a target? Surely there's much more options available that can deal a significant amount of damage to my father's business besides killing his son.

Also, it doesn't seem like my older brother Nikhola has had any problems at all. It's strange how I'm the only one being targeted.

I don't want to point any fingers at him, but it doesn't look like a coincidence.

We haven't interacted much with each other, especially after my father started to favor me more than him.

Also, the only people who have known exactly when I decided and had stepped foot outside were the ones closest to me, that being my family.

Now that I've connected the dots, I'm more than positive that this is connected to my older brother.

"Haah, I don't know how to feel about this."

I don't exactly feel betrayed, just slightly disappointed at both him and I. I overestimated him in the sense that he wouldn't possibly betray me because we are family, but it seems greed, or maybe his inferiority, overcame his reason. And I was disappointed in myself for not noticing his feelings much earlier before they became a problem.

But, even when I knew all of this, it only made me even more suspicious.

The person or people that my brother had been working with have made one fatal mistake. And that was that they only targeted me and not him, nor my father as far as I know.

They could've at least made it seem like he was being attacked frequently to avoid any errors, but that's not what they did.

Furthermore, even if no one had targeted my father, I knew that he was not be suspicious of.

While he's a very greedy person, he wouldn't get so jealous of his son's talents if they could further improve his business. After all, he had mentioned that he wanted to pass it down to us, but didn't explicitly mention to who.

I've interacted with him far many more times than Nikhola because of how frequently he visited us individually. Usually, he would check up on us to see how our studies were doing, and he would have a cup of tea with us seldomly.

I saw no reason for him to target me, at all.

As for my mother, she was completely out of the question as she never left the house, not even to buy groceries. Mostly everything was done by the maids and butlers.

"Then... is it really him?"

A part of me was skeptical, but no matter how I looked at it, it was extremely suspicious!

There were many details that pointed at him being involved in this whole ordeal.

The problem was what I'd do next.

Should I expose him in front of father? No, that wouldn't bode too well for all of us.

If Nikhola had a way to connect with them via a skill or magic, and told them about how I found out about their existence, they'd probably make it their utmost priority to kill all of us except Nikhola.

Shit, why did he have to go and do something stupid? I didn't even want to succeed the business in the first place so his worries are all for naught.

That's right, why don't I have a talk with him intead?

Indeed, if I make it clear that the reason why I have decided to attend the Royal Magic Academy is simply because I want no part in taking over the merchant group, then the assassination attempts may stop.

Still, I thought I'd made it obvious when I gave out my reasons that day. I even mentioned that I wanted to be the group's personal mage, not it's owner.

Now, when should I approach him. Let's see...

Knock, knock.

As I was thinking of setting up a schedule between me and my brother, a person knocked at the door.

"Yes, who is it?"

I asked for the person behind my door's identity.

"...it's me, Nikhola. Would you like to have some tea?"

To my surprise, it happened to be my older brother.

Speak of the devil.

I walked to the door and opened the door, and was greeted by the visage of Nikhola being a bit distraught. I was curious, but did not point it out.

"Why, I would love too, older brother."

A light shone in his eyes upon hearing me accepting his request.

"Ah, great, then shall we go? Or perhaps you want to change into another set of clothes?"

"Oh, not at all. In fact, I was about to go and ask you the same thing."

I looked at him to see what reaction he had, but he had quite the pokerface. Instead, he let out a smile.

"Oh, what a coincidence! Then, I will ask you to accompany me, Zerua."

I merely nodded at him and we began walking down the corridors leading to my room, onto the set of stairs.

Walking down on them, we arrived at the first floor, and entered the living room, sitting down as we waited for our cups of tea to be brewed.

"So, what's the matter, Nikhola? It's quite rare for you to call me put on your own, let alone have a cup of tea."

We sat cross-legged on two opposite lying sofas, with the only obstruction between us being that of a small table.

"Yes, for that matter, I sincerely apologize. It's not like I was ignoring you, it's just that I have been so busy with my studies, after all, you out of all people will understand how harsh our father is."

Would you look at this guy. When did he become so sly?

"Whatever do you mean, older brother? Sure, father may have been strict on me, but has he not been as equally harsh to you?"

"No, no, surely you jest, younger brother. You had finally showed an interest in something, that being magic, but father had tasked you with something possible. He knows fully well how difficult it is to become a mage, yet he still decided to say that. It seems that he's not very happy with your decisions, and I'm sure you know of this."

Ah, I see what he's getting at.

However, I'm many steps ahead of you!

I heaved a sigh of exhaustion as I slicked my hair back and closed my eyes in desperation.

"As expected, it seems that I cannot hide it from you brother. Yes, it is true that I know of the absurdity of his request. But, I cannot do anything about it. If I attempt to rebuke him, he will take it as my defeat, and I will not be able to attend the academy of my dreams. Really, just how cruel can father get? Even after I told him that I have no intention of becoming a merchant like him..."

The last bit of my words piqued his attention as I noticed his ears perking up. Just a little bit more.

"What do you mean by those words? As far as we know, you have been studying for the sole purpose of entering the line of merchants, am I not correct?"

I shook my head sideways and continued.

"The truth is, I've never had an interest in becoming a merchant like father. This might seem quite childish to me, but I found it boring. That's why I became enthralled with magic, it was the opposite of that. It looked fun and interesting."

Nikhola rubbed his hands together back and forth, like he was anxious, but his face showed that he was not convinced.

"Young masters, the tea is ready."

Just then, a butler came in to bring the tea. In his hands were two small plates that held a teacup with a spoon in it. He placed them on the table, bowed, and walked away.

We both grabbed a cup and took a few sips as we continued conversing.

"On that note, I also wanted to ask you why suddenly made the decison of wanting to attend the Royal Magic Academy and become a mage. Surely it's not because it's interesting, right? If so, that'd be greatly disappointing to father."

From his voice alone, I could tell he was getting agitated. Why?

"Yes, that may be true. But, why are you asking the same questions that father had asked me, and which I had already clearly answered. You were there, were you not?"

That seemed to be the last straw for him as he stood up briefly and slammed the table which held our teacups, spilling tea on the carpet.

"How could I possibly believe such a flimsy story like that?! Do you think I'm a fool? Huh?!"

He got extremely close to my face, so close that I was able to see his eye bags and bloodshot eyes. The hair that was neatly combined to the side of his head came undone and covered a part of his face.

What's with him?

I was a little startled by his reaction, but still kept my composure. I called out his name slowly in an attempt to calm him down.

"Nikhola. Please calm down. You are making a mess."

He still kept breathing heavily, but some clarity returned to his eyes, and he sat back down and picked up the teacups that spilled.

"...I apologize for this unsightly behavior, especially coming from someone who's supposed to be more mature."

He paused for a second before he continued.

"However, I meant it when I said that I can't accept thisーyour actions, that is."

"I know that you're not an idiot, you must know what I'm getting at here, Zerua. For many years now, I've been constantly getting compared to you, your intelligence and natural talents. Do you understand how much I had and will have to endure because of you?"

Before I could respond back, he snapped.

"You do not! So, do not act like everything you have done so far has amounted to nothing and suddenly decide to pursue something useless like becoming a mage, when we all know these are not your true intentions!"

Huh, what the hell is he talking about?

"Wait a minute, Nikhola, you'reー"

"No, I'm not! I know what you want to say, but you won't decieve me as you have done to father and mother! I'm sure you plan to learn magic in order to usurp the family business without any troubles, right? I won't let you!"

It was actually really sad seeing him go off like that. Not being used to conversations like these, I could not bring myself to say the right words.

He wasn't like this recently, just what had occurred for him to change so drastically?

"Haha, from how speechless you are, it seems that I wasー"

His face burst into a smile as he laughed crazily thinking that he saw through my 'facade'.

"No, you're wrong. You may not believe me when I say that I don't want anything to do with being a merchant, but it's the truth. If you refuse to believe that because you cant accept my reasons, then thats solely your problem."

"Huh?"

"Habe you ever thought that I'd actually just wanted to be a mage? I ask that you not disregard my feelings, and I must remind youーalbeit harshーthat not everything must be about you, Nikhola."

I was once like him, so I understood how he felt, but it's best if call him out on it.

"If you had not initiated a conversation first, I would have done so. You were right that I knew of how father felt about me, that he wanted to make me his successor. Which is why I wanted to tell you firsthand that I wanted no part in such a situation, and had decided that you'd take that spot."

Hearing those words come out of my mouth must have been a shock to him. I hope he snaps out of this outrage and thinks carefully about the feelings of others around him rather than ignoring them.

However, his reaction did not fall to my expectations.

For some unknown reason, he laughed. It wasn't an ordinary laughter, it was laughter that was devoid of joy and full of mockery.

"Huhu...hehe...ahahaha! I see, I see! It's just as they said... even until the end, you still attempt to decieve me. Good, I'll remember this, foolish brother!"

And with that he stormed out of the living room, hastily returning to his chambers. Leaving me alone in deep thought.

Well, that didn't go as I'd thought it would.

I had hopes of clearing any misunderstandings between the two of us, but I've only happened to make it worse.

Still, his last words confirmed something for me.

"It's just as they said...", was it?

I was right about suspecting my brother to be affiliated with the people that have killed me in my prophecies.

I also now slightly understood their motives.

"Great Sage, what do you think?"

Notice. The unknown people attempting to murder you are making use of your brother's inferiority complex.

I had thought so. But do they really have to go that far? I'm sure they could've killed me, or our father for that matter, with relative ease.

It's probably because of your father's status within the country, and other surrounding countries as one of the pillars of Falmuth's economy.

Hmm, continue.

Yes. To put it simply, if you're father, whose company has a deep influence on the economy, were to suddenly die and have no person to take over his business, it is safe to assume that the kingdom of Falmuth will be destroyed financially, which will then create a domino effect with the other nations as Falmuth also hold a great influence on the world's economy.

Oh, that makes sense. So, what exactly are they trying to achieve?

From their actions, it seems that they plan to control Vilkhon Merchant Group by taking advantage of your brother, Nikhola. That, or they plan to slowly make the group lose its influence and destroy it in the process. The former is more likely.

I see... then is it safe to assume that this 'Mariabell' person is the mastermind behind all of this.

Yes.

So that's how it was.

They're taking advantage of my brother when he's currently in a vulnerable state, and plan to make him their puppet.

How terrifying. I vastly underestimated them. To have such schemes in play... just even wanting to know how much power they posess makes me a little scared.

"As expected, politics are not for me."

At this pace, I wouldn't be able to catch up if it were not for Great Sage.

As soon as I arrive to the capital safely and away from Nikhola's eyes and ears, I will immediately see to it that I find out just who exactly this Mariabell is.

But firstー

"Petor! Would you come and clean up this mess?"

Shortly after my shout, an elderly butler arrived to the living room with cleaning tools. I stood up and left him to his task, slowly walking back to my room.

"Now, what should be my next play?