Threads of Fate
Romance fantasy is still fantasy. So of course you've got northern grand dukes and all that nonsense running around. The real problem is that this world doesn't match the title of the novel I possessed into—The Academy Healing Life of a Genius Alchemist Surrounded by Seven Men. Instead of a cozy harem story, we've got demons and black mages popping up. It's not like there's a whole demon army or anything. Just some demon cultists summoning them.
Northern grand duke? The guy's forty years old, so he's definitely not a male lead. His son might've been, but the kid's only fourteen. He was a late arrival, born after the duke's wife begged and cried, terrified they wouldn't have a male heir. I still remember that scene.
"You get it, right? During the practical, Elesia gets kidnapped and the academy's male leads go rescue her."
"Hmm... Then why not just deal with it ahead of time?"
"There's a reason. When she's kidnapped, we just follow along. Okay?"
I didn't like it one bit.
"What happens if she doesn't get kidnapped?"
"No... it's not like that..."
"Then let's just stop it. It's not like she's awakening or anything."
Eileen made a reluctant face at my words. It was probably just some foreshadowing for later, but why bother letting her get kidnapped? That kind of thing was too much of a hassle.
"Fine. Just don't go blabbing about it. Got it?!"
"Yeah."
Eileen warned me not to let anything slip, then turned around.
"Aaaah... My precious Elesia is gone...!"
She dashed off in a hurry to search for her. Well, it's only been a week since I arrived at the academy, and things have already gotten pretty chaotic. Still, Estelia and Radien made up, and I met Eileen, the other possessor. That's some solid progress for seven days.
"Hmm... Might as well do a divination then."
The emperor himself begs for my readings. No way I'd refuse. The next day, after classes ended, I asked.
"What... You'll do a divination for me?!"
Elesia looked surprised, but Radien, who'd been eavesdropping, started making a racket. I told him to shut up and he immediately went quiet.
"E... for me?"
"Yeah. I'll read your fate."
"Elesia, you absolutely cannot refuse. Absolutely!"
"Th-then I'll ask for your help."
After hanging around us for a while, her timid vibe had faded a bit. I'd thought about asking Eileen if she wanted her fate read too, but figured she'd flat-out refuse, so I kept quiet.
"Alright. Sit here."
Gulp. She swallowed nervously, the sound clear in the quiet room. The others nearby seemed to be staring at Elesia even more than usual, but I didn't care and left them be.
Whoosh. Starlight gathered around me. Other shamans always complained that my readings felt too gloomy and sticky, but I found them comfortable. Like lying in the clouds, maybe?
I closed my eyes and looked at Elesia through the power of the stars. Her fate came into view.
Flash.
"Eek...!"
"Elesia, you fox-like bitch!"
Thwack!
"Eek...!"
I smacked her on the head and she jumped in surprise. The insult was just me copying a shaman from some drama I'd enjoyed back on Earth. Then I rubbed her head.
"Well, well... You've got quite the fate with men. But listen. It's not that you're bewitching them. You were just born that way. Born to be loved by men."
"Huh...?"
"Wh-what does that mean?! Are you saying lots of guys will chase after her?!"
Radien couldn't hold back and shot to his feet again. Eventually Estelia had Luca tie him up before things calmed down.
"And it's complicated. Your path ahead looks murky."
"Eek..."
"But the men around you? They're torches. Bright torches."
"Torches...?"
I grinned.
"They're the ones who'll light your way. You need to hold onto them tight. If you let go, you'll be wandering in the dark."
"I... I see."
That was all I could say. Hopefully Elesia got the gist.
"Next, Radien."
"Ahem. I'm honored you'd read my fate as well."
Radien quickly sat down after Luca untied him. I drew up the starlight and peered into him through my mind's eye. His fate was even more tangled than hers.
"Hmm... You've got a fiery personality, but you're hiding it. And you're too impatient. That impatience is holding you back. You can't even do the things you're capable of."
"...I see."
Radien listened quietly. I'd never liked the guy, but seeing him dragged around by fate made me feel a bit sorry for him. I wouldn't have done this for the Draken duke normally.
"And don't do it."
"...What?"
"The thing you're planning right now. Don't do it."
His face hardened at my words.
"...Are you saying I shouldn't?"
"The outcome would be good. But the process is terrible. It's poison for you. Still, will you do it anyway?"
...Grind.
"I have to. What choice do I have?"
I shrugged.
"That's for you to decide. By the way, I hate fate. Living tangled up in something like that? How could that ever be me? Don't you think?"
"I agree."
I smirked.
"No. You're already caught in fate's threads. Whether you dance on them, cut them, or stay trapped inside the knot—that's also part of your future. Every single action you take can change everything."
Radien didn't answer. His head was probably a mess.
"That's all for now."
Estelia and Luca's fates had already shifted. Anything beyond this depended on how they acted from here on out. So I had no intention of reading theirs. Luca already knew, and I'd explained it to Estelia.
"Alright. Divination's over. Have a good day, everyone."
At my words, they started packing up. Just then Radien approached me quietly. His stiff expression told me he wanted to ask something.
I cut him off.
"Stop. Anything more is your choice. I already said I hate fate. If I start controlling you, how's that any different from fate? Think for yourself and move. You have to be the one in charge. Your family name doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of your life."
"...Thank you. Really. That helped a lot."
I smirked.
"Then Luca gets seventy points. I'm counting on you."
"...Ugh."
Radien hurried off with a disgusted look. He really did seem pitiful when you looked at it that way. Revealing heaven's secrets. I'd already spilled too much. I spoke in metaphors because being too direct would change his fate. Even if it changed, it was still fate. The path might shift, but the destination wouldn't. The more specific I got, the harder it would be for him. This too was his destiny. Whether he played along with the fate the world had set or broke free and carved out his own life—nobody knew.
"Luca. Want to grab dinner together?"
"Azath, Aniki!"
"I told you to stop copying my speech..."
***
Radien Draken. He was the eldest son of the Draken ducal house and known as a genius swordsman. From a young age, countless marriage proposals had come his way, and attending social parties was as natural as eating.
'...Beautiful.'
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Elesia Valter. More beautiful and noble than any lady he'd seen in his life. That was Elesia Valter. The moment he saw her, Radien Draken's life ceased to be his own and became hers.
"Draken! Incredible...!"
"Haa... haa..."
That night. He woke up drenched in sweat. He'd reached the Expert rank. All he'd thought was that he wanted to protect Elesia Valter forever. He couldn't hear the duke's excited cheers beside him. Only Elesia filled his mind.
'...Is this love?'
Even though he was bound by a political marriage, he'd come to understand what love was. That was probably why he'd been so cold to Estelia de Ortes. The guilt still lingered even now.
"Fate... huh."
He spoke while staring at his hand. It was only a little larger than before—rough, calloused, a swordsman's hand. But something felt different from yesterday to today.
"You said you hated fate. But I like it. If fate is what let me meet Elesia..."
And now, only a very few people could stop the great undertaking he was about to begin.
"Elesia... I'll protect you."
Radien Draken's eyes gleamed with a faint madness as he muttered.
***
"Oh? So that was your fate."
"...Fate? Don't tell me you did a divination?!"
Eileen shot up.
"Ah... Shut up. Sit down."
She sat back down at my words, but her face was still flushed with excitement.
"This is bad...! What if the original story gets twisted?!"
"It's already twisted. Estelia was supposed to die, but she's alive."
"...Huh? The one in Estelia's body is someone else."
"No. I saved her."
Eileen looked horrified. A character who was meant to die was still alive. That meant the mid-boss had completely vanished. So naturally, according to the world's rules, a new mid-boss would appear.
"This is...! Th-this...!"
She couldn't argue since I was much stronger, so she just tore at her hair. She really was a menhera, just like I thought.
"Haa... There's no helping it. But she'll definitely get kidnapped during this practical, so let's deal with that first."
"Yeah. By the way, why's Radien acting like that?"
"...You did a divination on Radien too?!"
"Ah... Hey. Stop yelling. My ears hurt."
"Yes."
Eileen finally calmed down and spoke.
"Radien Draken had no choice but to make that decision."
The future I'd seen for Radien was him killing his younger brother. Specifically, his half-brother who was next in line for succession. It stemmed from Radien's suspicions. When they were young, his brother had gotten injured. Afterward, he suffered memory loss. It was a common enough story, right? Turned out a demon had been sleeping inside him. And of course, for the family's image, it was better to say he'd killed his brother for succession rather than admit a demon had possessed him. Because the Draken house had always been a swordsmanship family, and they'd never hesitated to commit kin-slaying for the sake of succession.
"That's too heavy a burden for a twenty-year-old."
"What can you do? Radien himself asked to kill his brother with his own hands rather than fake an accident."
"Really? I didn't know that. I only saw that he'd kill him. My divination isn't specialized enough to see the details. And my readings are special, you know."
That was why I could see fate far better than others. Maybe because I'd defied fate so much, now fate itself was a doctor. A specialist.
"Well then, let's take a look."
The demon cultists.