The Mask crumbles

"How did it go, Noah? Did father forgive you?" Asked the girl who patiently waited for me.

"That man did in fact let me go after accusing me of blackmailing someone. I would be wary of him if you ask me. Much like you, he seems to have some disorder and can't properly recognize people and remember their names." I told her.

"Disorder?! Noah, please stop joking already. What if he hears us?" She said, panicking.

For some reason, she seems fearful of her father. Not that it concerns me though. I'm confident enough to silence him if he tries to do something to me.

But now that I think of it, I can't feel my mana anymore. There is only a small puddle left inside of me. Did I overexert myself yesterday?

"Can you tell me where I am? This whole place is a little bit too weird for my liking and you confusing me with someone else is also slowly getting on my nerves."

"What do you mean where you are? Of course, you are in the Thalvith kingdom. That's where we live." She replied.

"Thalvith kingdom? In which we live? I don't know you girl and I certainly don't live here." I said.

"Are you kidding me? Don't you remember me,? I'm your sister, Adeline Hazecrest." Adeline replied with disbelief.

Sister? Is this some kind of fraud and she will soon extort money out of me? I guess being a hero also has disadvantages like this.

The only person I know named Adeline Hazecrest is a side character from my favorite book. Just like the dukedoms Hazecrest and Sternbrace...

Is this an illusion? I thought I already developed immunity against them. Furthermore, only the other heroes know of my obsession with [Tribute to Death] and I doubt they would do something like this. Getting a hunch that something is wrong here, I tried to confirm my concerns.

"Adeline by any chance, is this planet called Exodia?"

"Yes."

"And is in the Thalvith kingdom a royal academy called Elite haven?"

"Yes. Didn't we already agree that you will enroll there in a week?"

...

Why am I in [Tribute to Death]? How can this happen? Although the thought of staying here doesn't sound bad at all, I still need to complete my art!

Or maybe that wasn't a dream after all? This could atleast explain why that "dream" was so real. So I really did ultimately accomplish it.

A smile crept onto my face as I recalled the final moments. The chaos, the screams, the excitement. Exactly how I envisioned it.

No wonder I couldn't find Seth and the others. And that would probably also explain why I'm in this new body called Noah. But why would I overtake someone's consciousness after death?

Countless questions piled up as I tried to come to terms with my current situation. Taking my pathetic strength right now out of the picture, this isn't half too bad.

I was always shackled in my previous world by the abysmal strength bestowed upon humans. I could never give the whole world the opportunity to take part in my art. The best I could do is let them feel it as spectators but that can change now that I'm here.

Through an unknown cause, Exodia, the planet that [Tribute to Death] revolves around got torn open and introduced a new mythical source called mana.

Rifts that spread over continents constantly leak colossal amounts of it from the planet's core.

Nature slowly changed as the unfortunate wildlife, humans included that were too close to the mana lost their minds as they become nothing more than a mindless slaves of their desire. Most often, this resulted in the destruction of everything around them.

However, the mana did not come without its benefits as those that exposed themself to just the right amount of it received powers beyond their wildest dreams.

They gained strength, speed, agility and even access to abilities that alter the very fabric of reality.

The stronger the being becomes, the more mana they need to evolve even further. This has caused a significant change in the habitapt of animals and humans alike.

The weakest ones lived far away from the rifts as they were mercilessly opressed while the strongest beings lived right near them.

Elite haven, the royal academy is located right next to one such rift. Held at bay by one of the strongest humans alive, it is perfect for those that strive for unimaginable strength. They have access to all the mana they want without risking falling into insanity.

Overall, this world has alot more to offer than my previous world. And with the potential to reach even greater heights, maybe I can really involve every living being in my next grand art.

The ending of [Tribute to Death] was spectacular but it still had its flaws. Maybe I can fix them to give everyone a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will forever remain in their memory. Is this the reason why I'm here? My purpose?

I can already picture it in front of me. But not with this meager strength. Noah Hazecrest? Maybe someone with an average life at best since he never became relevant in the main story.

Fortunately, mana treats every being equally and there is not someone with more potential than another one. Maybe more willpower and combative abilities but even he can only gain strength as quickly as everyone else.

How much you are willing to risk and hard work is what differentiates the apex predators from prey. And based on my current mana, I can guarantee that the former host was definitely not a risk taker.

But that's not important. Now that Seth and the others are gone, I can finally take off my mask. Acting like a hero is exhausting. Always save him or rescue her, be nice to the kids, solve all the problems...

Almost like I escaped an invisible prison, I felt free from all the burdens. And the best part is that the real protagonist of this world will already get together all those that are needed for the finale.

"Adeline, you said that I will enroll in Elite haven next week right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask? I can protect you from others if you want. I am an upperclassman after all." She said with a smug look.

"No need. Could you do me a favor and leave me alone? I forgot to tell father something."

"Sure." Although a bit unwilling, she decided to leave.

With a loud bang, the door to duke Hazecrest's room slammed open once more. The duke, holding a big stack of paperwork in his hand glanced at me before letting out a sigh.

"Noah you truly want to test my limits. I give you 3 seconds to apologize before I will make sure that yo..." He was cut short by an icy voice resounding through the room.

"Embezzlement of money. Falsify records to hide the misappropriation of funds. The assassination of political enemies including the heirs of other dukedoms. Extortion of low-standing noble families to support your will. Drug trafficking throughout the whole kingdom. Illegal experiments on humans with mana. The list goes on. I would prefer to not bring up what you did to the royal prince but if it helps convince you I can do that aswell."

The room fell silent as the man's expression became dangerously sharp. Mana swirled around him as he was ready to kill me on the spot.

"What do you want to achieve by telling me this?" He asked in a careful voice.

"To start with, I need money to sustain me for 1 whole week. Furthermore, borrow me a horse that has speed equivalent to B-rank and last but not least, give me a letter with your insignia allowing me to visit the Eldritch Fissures. And while you're at it, get me a map of the whole kingdom aswell."

He took a deep breath as his eyes wandered over to my face.

"What makes you think I won't kill you right here? If you honestly think that I would comply then let me tell you something. By now you should have realized that compared to your sister, you are just an incompetent fool. You are but a thorn to our name so this will be the perfect opportunity to get rid of you." Exclaimed the man with a cold grin.

"Of course, I prepared countermeasures in advanco. What would happen if Adeline suddenly dies from poisen or if she gets assassinated? Or maybe there is already a letter ready to be sent to the royal family if I don't leave the room? It would be a shame to lose all this wealth because of my already lenient demands." I said, lying through my teeth.

His expression dimmed considerably upon hearing my words. His daughter was always a weak point for him and his obsession with power only made matters worse.

"So you are threatening your father?"

"Interpret it as you will."