Zero Fate Against the World (New Version)

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/Shuaa…/

After a calm journey on the floating carriage under the starry sky, Philip and Viera finally arrived at the manor where the party would be hosted.

However, they soon realized things wouldn't progress as smoothly. As soon as they arrived, everything came to a complete halt.

Philip was the first to look around, noticing the mess, "It's quite full." he said as he continued scanning the region

Dozens of carriages, one after the other, waited in line… And their's was dead last… At least for now, as more and more carriages approached from far away.

'Seems like this party is bigger than I imagined.'

...

The minutes passed, but things were progressing at a snail's pace…

"How much longer will we have to wait?" Viera asked as she had the urge to lay in the carriage, bored out of her mind as she rested her head in the fluffy seat of the carriage

'I don't really mind waiting here, it's quite comfortable... But if this continues, I'll end up sleeping… I'm already quite sleepy because its rather late.'

'The issue is my dress. If it gets as much as a single fold from this the maids won't let me sleep at all…'

"My apologies, madam. But the party is quite full. Just the road to the manor is wholly full." Loid said as he sighed faintly

"He's right, see for yourself, there are at least thirteen more carriages in front of us."

'I don't recognize any of the symbols there. Scholar Vision isn't showing anything either. These people are probably insignificant.'

That said, Philip used his mental power to connect with an earpiece hidden in his ears. It was another terminal to access MTs database.

By giving it orders with his mental power, MT soon followed with a simple introduction into each of the households before him, but as to be expected, they weren't anything important.

Meanwhile, in his other ear, Viera continued:

"… I can see that much, so let's change my question. Why are they taking so long?"

'It doesn't look like it would take long to welcome all carriages, but even so, it is.'

"I would like to know the proper reason as well, but from what I can see, they are individually checking all the invited and announcing their arrival, so it's for etiquette I suppose." Philip replied as he looked at the end of the line

"Maybe security as well, but that's standard."

"Urg… Huh? What about those guys up there?" She asked as she saw looked up

Viera pointed towards a group of three carriages, all of them with the same emblem, meaning they belonged to the same group.

They completely flew above everyone else in a triangle formation, jumping over the line and landing on the other side of the road, where it was empty.

Just as they landed, a group of butlers and knights ran out of the Manor, running towards the carriages, getting in line to host a grandiose welcome…

"EVERYONE! WELCOME THIRD PRINCESS VICTORIA OF THE DRALY-APYER KINGDOM!" One of the knights proclaimed loudly in a grand yet slightly trembling tone

"!"

/FUON!/

/Gasps!.../

To welcome the princess's arrival, a fanfare of trombones and horns blared in unison, so loud and potent that Philip believed even those in the city's lowest districts could hear it.

From the manor vantage point high on the precipice, he could see trees towering above them, their canopies invisible to those down in the streets. He also noted the stone barriers at the precipice's edge, built to protect against avalanches and rockfalls from the nearby mountains.

The celebrations continued for a a few minutes, and while Philip found the scene rather exhilarating, feeling as if he were in a movie, the same could not be said for everyone.

Viera, quick to react, cast a protective spell over her ears the moment she saw the two dozen trombones; poor Loid, however, appeared disoriented like many others.

From the looks of it, the Princess' arrival wasn't something others knew about. For something of such importance, it would've definitely have been mentioned in the invitations.

Seeing everyone's reactions, Viera, felt momentarily lost. She approached Philip and whispered to him, "... Who?"

He opened his mouth confidently, showing his biggest smile, "I have no idea."

"..."

'This guy…'

He then shook his head trying not to laugh as Viera looked away, her eyes sharpening, "Okay, I know… At least, I can infer. It's not hard, is it?"

"… Erm… The name does look familiar… its on the tip of my tongue but… I… I think my brain blocked it." Viera said as she looked away, embarrassed

'Draly... Draly... Kingdom... Where was that? Urg... So many kingdoms on this damn continent.'

"Really? With all your studies you fail at this of all things?… Sigh… The Draly-Apyer Kingdom, the Emerald Sun Empire… THE Human Kingdom."

Philip slowly continued, "That is but one of the many formal terms for the southern half of the Continent. In the North, we usually call it a kingdom, but they mainly refer to themselves as an Empire. Maybe that's why you didn't make the connection?"

"Most people on the North don't like calling it an Empire though… despite it being the biggest nation in history, maybe only beneath that of the Dwarves during their peak, but their size is difficult to measure given their circumstances."

"Ah! Of course!… I remember now!"

"… How did you even forget such a thing…?"

But Viera raised her hand, interrupting him, "Dont start, this is the closest I've ever been to the South, and just because I'm Human, that doesn't give me any sort of attachment to this Kingdom, I had other things to busy my mind with."

"So yes, I made a simple mistake, enough with the jokes now."

"…"

Philip did not reply to that. Instead, he observed the beautiful red-haired girl as she stepped out of her carriage, followed by a pretty maid with charcoal black hair.

The other two carriages also opened, revealing a group of four knights each, and with the knights that were driving each of the carriages, it was a grand total of eleven.

The princess seemed to be in her early 20s, a mature beauty, but to be exact, she was eighteen this year. Of course, Philip knew all of this due to the forced studies when he was still in the Palace.

The reason she looked older was because of the way she acted. Her class, plus her looks… she had the facial features of an older woman. Lastly, her clothes and makeup made her seem mature, and that's already without the many knights and maids following her.

"Hum…"

'Third Princess Victoria huh… Then she is… second generation?'

The current King has twelve children, following a policy he made of having a child every four years, having each of his wives give birth within close periods of each other.

The king has two wives, each from two Ducal families, although there may be a third… however, that is a rumor and one Philip did not pay much attention to.

The two oldest, the First and the Second Prince, were each respectfully twenty-two years old.

The Third and Fourth Princess, both being eighteen, the rest isn't important right now…

Although… just like there were rumors of there being a third wife, there were also rumours of the King having other children outside these rules…

/Clammor!…/

It didn't take long, but Rafiel soon appeared, walking quickly from within the manor, holding a large branch of a tree. It was full of beautiful emerald flowers that seemed to shine slightly.

That was actually something used to welcome royalty, Philip didn't expect to see it here. Looks like Rafiel was more attentive than he showed. Still he seemed just as baffled as everyone else due to the Princess' sudden appearance.

By the looks of it, she hadn't been invited to the party… 'How odd.' Philip thought as he looked at the scene.

It was clear that Rafiel was slightly distressed. He certainly wasn't expecting her to be here… His thoughts, body language, among other things made that clear.

On another note, he might've not even known she was in the city… In the end, he was still a vassal to the Royal family of the South, as the Pyke household has called that land its home for generations…

And even if it wasn't, nothing much would've changed apart from the way he would've used to address her, royalty is still royalty, much less one coming from one of the most powerful nations on the Continent.

Still, showing his skills as the eldest son of the Pyke family, he quickly kept his calm, and invited the princess with the greatest courtesy he could display.

And to that… he couldn't help but praise him. Philip was impressed by Rafiel's actions. From the very beginning, he organized a grand welcome within a few seconds of her arrival in the Manor's sky… Pyke might've not prepared them for this situation… but if he had; it paid off fully right now.

Special mentions to the Knights who mobilized with such short delay and with great coordination… Nonetheless, now, the highlight of the party had completely changed…

Would Pyke even be able to focus on whatever he was planning to do now that such a variable had been cast on the field?

"How curious." Philip mumbled as he looked at the display… In the end, he quickly averted his eyes. Nobles were unpredictable. Who knew what would happen if he stared at the jade beauty for more than 0.5 seconds?…

Wasn't he here because he did that already?

'… What made her come here, I wonder? I didn't learn much about each Prince and Princess, so I can't tell about their personalities and habits... I know some off shoots and distant relatives of the royals lived in the gardens around the Palace where we were summoned at, but I never saw any of them up close.'

'Why would she be here?… As far as I know, she could be on a trip, visiting here because she found it interesting or had a whim to do so… rich girls often do such things… but it's too coincidental.'

'I'd rather believe she's here for another goal… and it may sound like I'm stroking my ego, but I do consider myself as that reason… what better as a warning than sending the princess to the same party as me?'

'I expected the Crown to find me, but it hasn't even been that long since I left the Academy, only a little over half a day has passed… Whatever it is, things got both interesting and annoying.'

'If the Crown is in the city right now, I'll have to stop being carefree. I'd rather not be dragged back to the south. I still have much to do.'

'In the Academy, the Crown was unable to act, but with me literally at their doorstep, all it takes a sudden sweep and I'll find myself on the other side… I don't mind returning, but I have a goal to attain first.'

He rested his head on the couch, pensive.

"A princess huh..."

It's different, a completely unique aura to those pretentious girls back at the Academy.

While Philip thought for a moment, Viera also turned her attention from the princess. The more he stayed around these pretty noblewomen, the more she felt… Odd.

Perhaps it was her suppressed feeling of self-care, finally resurfacing. Jealousy and self-awareness, both things she gave little to no attention previously.

… Slowly, but surely, she went through what most girls did, growing up. She took a sneak glance at Philip, who quickly noticed her subtle actions.

Their gazes connected for a moment, and he raised an eyebrow while she turned her face to the side.

"... Ah!" Philip said in realization as he slapped his head

He smiled smugly and said in a deep, dramatic tone:

"My lady, may you know that thyme beauty is exoteric and these whimsical signorinas are…"

"Stop! Please…"

'This is not the time to play around…'

Extremely embarrassed, she raised her hand to block his mouth…

/Chuckles/

Philip let out a few hearty laughs, anything to pass down time… But due to this, he failed to notice the gaze of a certain red-haired princess…

…

/A few minutes later…/

After the princess appeared, the handling of the guests accelerated considerably, and the security seemed to have increased tenfold. After five minutes, it was finally their turn where they showed their invite and got inside without trouble.

"We got inside." Viera said as she looked around… It was a very beautiful place, and like most houses in this city, it was made of stone... The proper wording may be sculpted, as everything seemed to be made from within the same stone block.

The marble on the walls and ceiling shined so brightly that it looked like a mirror sometimes. There was heat coming off from the ground, its source beyond her senses...

They saw many circular tables scattered around the place, and many of them were already filled with people. The party had yet to start, but it seemed it would start soon.

"Yes, I am surprised the guards didn't cause any trouble."

'With the princess around, I expected to be thrown aside. With someone of such stature around, reducing the number of people in the crowd is likely a safe bet for security.'

"Huh? Why would they cause trouble for us?..."

"There's a princess around, isn't there? I'd expected to be sent back given we're not high priority… In any case, lets go to our table." He said as he took a step forward

"We have a table?... I… I'm a bit lost." Viera said slightly embarrassed as she looked around

'Well, at least we don't look out of place, our masks actually seem rather simple, and everyone else's is quite extravagant and exaggerated. He was right, everyone brought their own… although...'

'I still cant deal with this cane.'

/Clack!/

"Dont worry, leave it to me."

Smiling slightly, Philip took a step forward from the entrance before others arrived, "Pay attention to your surroundings and the way the tables are organized. If you take a closer look, you'll notice clearly that they are divided into sections."

"Each section is reserved for a specific group, the higher their influence and importance, the closer they are to the primary set of tables on the other side of the room, the place where the host of the party eats with his closest associates."

"For example, people related to the aristocracy of the South are being directed over there." Philip said as he looked to his left towards a table close to the main one

'Most likely because the Princess is here, otherwise, I'm sure they would've been closer to the middle. That said, this is a party of the Pyke's so they'd give their local nobles some respect.'

"How do you know they're from the South?"

"Their appearance, the way they talk, their clothes… and I know a little of the local politics…"

"Right, you with your sensitive ears… Okay then, what about us?"

Philip turned his face to the side, "There, next to the corner."

"How do you know that?"

"Because that's the most inconspicuous place."

"... Sigh… Forget it, just answer this one last question. Why is there such a massive empty space in the middle of the hall?"

"Ah?… This is a masquerade ball after all. People will eventually gather to dance, what else?"

"I suppose the start will only be a minor introduction. After that, everyone gathers at the center to talk... This is how people get to know each other… To talk while ignoring your identity, this is the principle of such parties."

"They are only famous among the younger aristocracy, though. Older people say it's beyond their age to act and play like that, even though they'll do it every once in a while." Philip said with a shrug

"Still… If that's the case, what's the point of separating tables?"

"You're misunderstanding things… No one knows each other's identities, so if you want, we go sit there with the other High Nobles… There isn't the 'intent' to designate them… People do it themselves. But answering your questions, for many reasons."

"Status, power, influence… but for the most part, it's designating who from whom... So if you want, we can go there and socialize with the others… just try not to be swept away and ridiculed."

"Either way, once the party starts and the tables are taken away, people will start aiming for what they came here to do and make connections."

"How does that sound? Interested?"

"Thank you very much, but I'll have to refuse. I'd rather sit in the corner then to be… a target or whatever."

Philip smiled slightly and said:

"Well, that's your choice. Maybe you should give it a try… try looking for someone that attracts your attention, even the princess is fine… Of course, if you can take the hate you'll receive by doing so afterward."

"No… no thanks… I'm uh... I'm fine staying in the corner." Viera said in a low tone as she shook her head

"We're two then."

The guests continued to appear and fill up the halls. Half an hour into this, the introductions began, and the welcoming ceremony ended.

"... Enjoy the party, everyone!" Rafiel said in a loud tone as a red magic circle dissipated from his mouth

/Music starts/

A low, but constant soothing music played in the background. People slowly rose from their seats, some grabbing wine, and other drinks, a few remaining put.

The party had truly begun.

"The music is quite nice." Viera said as she ate some dessert

"Sure is, if it wasn't, he would've failed as a host." Philip said with his arms crossed

"… Aren't you going to eat?"

"I don't quite like sweets. Besides, this food is a bit too classy for me, if that's a thing."

"How about a drink?"

"I don't drink alcohol, you shouldn't too… I'll stick with this juice, from whatever fruit it comes from…"

'It tastes like bananas with a tinge of strawberry.'

"Humphm I don't drink either! I was just asking…" Viera said with her cheeks puffed

She looked around, and couldn't help but comment, "Its like another world entirely… People suffer out there and here…"

She then looked at the extravagant crystal cup in her hands and the silver plate she was eating her cake on top of.

"How many mouths and for how long would I be able to feed with just the cost of this simple dessert?" She asked in a low tone as she looked at her reflection in her drink

Philip looked at her deeply, "Do you want an honest truth or one you can take?"

"... To be honest, I don't want to know."

"Then let's leave it at that... If you always think that way, you'll never be able to enjoy life. This isn't the place to go over morals…"

'To most of these people, that may very well be subjective...'

"You're right." Viera said, but she still stopped eating her cake

"Lost your appetite?"

"Yup… I think I understand you now. This food may be a bit too classy for me." She replied with a small smile as she put the cake away

Philip chuckled, taking a bite of the cake, "At least it tastes good..."

He looked at the side. Most of the people had moved towards the upper half of the hall, either to talk with Rafiel, or with the princess. Of course, that was the area where the other big shots were, so it was very convenient.

"This party… Its boring." Viera remarked as she closed her eyes, "There is nothing about parting in it, it's simply... Bureaucracy."

Philip looked at her from the corner of his eyes, "You think so too?"

She nodded, yawning slightly. Meanwhile Philip's thoughts continued, 'Such unnecessarily extravagant parties were never my thing. Makes me remember those marriage ceremonies back on Earth, but a few times more glamorous and pretentious.'

'At least on those occasions, people seemed to be truly happy for each other… But at least it doesn't look like Viera's the only one bothered by this… I can tell just how bored the Azul Family's girl is... Although Rafiel seems more occupied in talking with the princess than with her.'

'Maybe at this rate he won't even be able to conduct his party properly, much less given me attention.'

"Sigh..."

'Go on then, I have all night… I can't say the same to this lady next to me. She looks like me when I go to math class.'

'If only nothing happens until the auction…'

"Hum?"

Scanning the crowd, he noticed a group of knights bustling about. Their haste was understandable given the circumstances, yet they seemed unusually distressed.

Still, a princess was present, and that was enough justification; albeit it did not explain why her knightly protectors were causing a commotion. Were there not better ways to enforce her protection?

"…?"

'Why did that guy point towards that table? Is there someone there?... Are they looking for someone?'

Philip scratched his chin, thinking, looking at that group of knights as they moved around...

"Excuse me."

A stern voice called him from his blind spot, and the moment his eyes fell upon to speaker, he smiled internally.

'Ahh… Here it is.'

Behind him was a tall knight clad in fancy armor.

"Are you for chance, Philip Polter?" He asked as he put his hands on his chest

"Well, that breaks the magic doesn't it?… but I suppose yes. Yes I am. Is something the matter?"

As soon as he heard confirmation of who he was, the guards eyes sharpened, but he quickly hid it with a bow, "Could you please come with us?"

"Hum…"

Philip thought at high speeds while the world around him slowed down, 'They have no reason to drag me away, so I can easily refuse… But looking at his expression, it doesn't look like he'll just leave it at that.'

'He may have several excuses ready, so it's likely useless to argue… and causing a commotion here doesn't benefit either of us either…'

'I expected them to be a little more… creative… To approach me like this... They must be without time… It must be her.'

'I'm not trying to flaunt my ego either. Not all has to revolve around me, so it could be something else… in either case…'

'Let's play.'

"Has something happened?"

Philip also took this chance to check his Level, even if he were to notice, what of it?

[Level ??]

'Still nothing… Scholar is a great ability, but this factor has proven quite unreliable.'

This meant that he was at least above 55...

"Yes esteemed guest, we're currently doing a short survey. We have proofed one of the invites was forged, but we couldn't pinpoint who forged their invite."

"We're conducting a simple investigation. Please cooperate."

"..."

'What a lame excuse… They're not even trying to be subtle. It's almost the same as telling me I was the culprit… after all… Every invite had the guests' names on it…'

'I'm not that stupid… maybe they just don't care… whatever, better that then causing a commotion. I'll deal with the rest once I'm outside.'

"Oh… How terrible." Philip said dramatically as he raised his hands to his mouth

"… ?"

'Huh? What is he doing?'

Even Viera could tell that something was wrong… Philip's acting wasn't that good either…

"Do I need to bring my partner with me?" He asked as he turned to Viera

"No need."

"I see, in that case... Excuse me, milady, I'll be back in a jiffy." Philip said as he got up from the table

"Philip..."

Just when she was about to reach out, she felt something worm its way into her mind:

{I'll take my leave for now. This was what I originally came here to do, so keep an eye out. If someone tries to approach you, remain sharp, don't let them get the better of you}

{Wh… What is happening?}

{I told you already, something's fishy about our invitation… I apologize for not telling you everything outright, but trust me, it's nothing serious and everything's under control. I'll tell you the full story when we're back okay?}

{Okay...}

{Enjoy the party! Oh! If the auction starts, you can use the money I gave you to bid on anything you find interesting}

{Huh? Hey!... Dammit}

While Philip was dragged away, Viera frowned… "Sigh..."

'There he goes… again…'

She wasn't the only one in deep thought as further away, a platinum-haired and a red-haired girl also looked at Philip as he walked away.

One looked at him with a faint smile, the same she showed all, while the other one frowned deeply…

…

Philip was led outside of the party hall, towards another section of the house… While he walked, he paid attention to his surroundings and overall location, never losing track of where he was going.

A map slowly formed inside his head...

{… Laplabe, you there?}

A moment of silence… {Yawn... I was taking a little nap, but yeah, I can hear you loud and clear… What's going on for you to be so secretive?}

{Not surprised? I didn't know you could use telepathy… It makes communication much simpler}

{I told you before, I'm quite knowledgeable. I can even cast magic if necessary, but… are you in a pinch, perhaps?}

{Huh? Why? What made you think that?}

{Humm?... It may have been my mistake… For a moment, I felt a rather powerful person at the party, but it seems we were going away from him}

{Strong person?}

{Strong vitality and energy. The type my kind is quite sensitive to… it's the manner through which we determine if our prey is worth the effort… That presence, though… was strong enough to make me stay alert, but it's grown faint now}

Philip frowned. That wasn't good news… then again, it could be unrelated to him. With the princess around, how could she not posses guards of equivalent power?… but the same went for Rafiel.

Even without the princess in this equation, Philip knew he wasn't the strongest one around.

{… Do you require my assistance?}

{It's nothing… I just want you to be wary of the surroundings, just in case something happens… I suspect we may be clashing soon}

{I wager we won't be mugging the innocent?}

{What do you take me for? A thug?}

{It's a joke, a joke… I know more than to doubt your integrity. Now… I didn't expect to be doing dirty work so soon.. Well then, you can count on me. Just remember the crystals, if I use too much energy…}

{Yes I know}

"… Are we there yet?" Philip asked, bored

"Yes, we've just arrived." The guard knight said as he stopped and turned around

"Hum…"

Philip looked around. They were currently in the middle of a dark forest, without a doubt the back garden of the Manor.

This section of the manor was built inside of the ravine, very much like his manor was. The sky he was currently seeing was a product of magic or something of the like.

"… !"

/BAM!/

/Thud…/

Out of nowhere, the knight tried to punch Philip while he was distracted by punching him in the guts, but his fists connecting. Philip simply took the punch on his stomach without flinching.

"These clothes are expensive."

"You…" The knight said as his eyes opened wide in shock

/SMACK!/

Philip reciprocated almost instantly. He pulled the man with his right hand and punched with his left straight on his chin, making him go unconscious as his helmet dented.

/Thud.../

"..."

/Smack!/

He wasn't done as he smacked him again, just to be sure he wasn't acting.

{… was that even necessary?}

"… Lackluster."

Philip looked around and scanned his surroundings with his senses and abilities, but felt nothing unusual.

He reached for his ear, but as expected, MT didn't detect anything. Despite his ear piece's technology, it wasn't able to scan his environment any better than he could.

{… Laplabe, you see anything?}

{No, there is no one around us… I can't feel anyone hiding either. Only some distant individuals, but those are likely guards patrolling the gardens of the manor}

{It's quite a large garden, almost like a small reserve. Such large spaces in this city are exorbitant in price. Real estate in this city is amidst one of the highest in the Human Kingdom… Or so Armund used to say}

{One of his disciples lives here actually. Its how he learned of such details… maybe we can take some time to visit them… or better not… yeah}

Quickly processing the Mimic's words, Philip frowned in disbelief, "... It can't be."

'Just a shack in the woods… a single knight to knock me out…' Was this truly all??'

'What about the villains? The dramatic fight? Was this their entire plan? To send a single knight to knock me out outside of the party hall and called it a fucking day?'

'I'm offended now… This Knight isn't weak by any means, I can't see his level after all and I doubt Rafiel would have a way to conceal the strength of all his Knights…'

'A knight like this is likely on the same level as the top students of the Academy if not worse… his level may be higher than theirs, but he is just a nameless knight while those students are the pride and glory of some rather powerful households and groups.'

'He's likely in his 60s, which should be enough to deal with a nameless Noble like me… That must be what Rafiel thought.'

"Urg… I can't leave like this though."

'Going around the manor to investigate isn't wise, but going back to the party might cause a commotion…'

Philip shook his head and crouched. Perhaps there would be clues on this guy's body… 'For now, I'll treat it as if the boy merely underestimated me and that he possess greater cards hidden.'

'… But what would be the strongest force under Rafiel?... A first generation heir of a powerful clan with a 200 year history?'

Philip started to strip the knight, he took out his armor and sword, all the way until his underwear, 'Level 65? 70? More?... What about their "quality"?… A combination of both is unlikely. In the grand scheme of things, if something can reach such high levels, they're likely not ordinary. But even for the Pyke's, it would be impressive if they had a single Level 80 to spare.'

'Why would they give a Level 70+ to a kid?…'

His thoughts running wild, he stopped taking out the knight's armor. Revealing a middle-aged man, one filled with many scars around his arms and face.

This man's appearance proved something to Philip. He was different from those foolish kids in the Academy. He was evidently not someone who relied on expensive elixirs and a powerful background to ascend.

The calluses on his hands, the tears on his skin from muscle growth… Most likely, he was a man that trained his entire life to achieve his current Level, the only resources he had were the ones he received from the Family… knight trained by and for the family.

This was important because he was used to the students in the Academy. All of them would usually be high level, yet very young. But this wasn't the reality outside. Knights and warriors with such high levels would usually be much older because of the conditions they grew in.

Berinou, for example… she was a Sky Rank adventurer, and despite her age, she was considered extremely talented. Her Level was most likely around the high 70s to mid-80s.

Despite her ranking stopping for many years, that doesn't mean she got weaker, just that her growth slowed. But above all, Berinou wasn't just any warrior, she was a top class one.

It would take quite some effort to find others of a similar level and be able to take her down… Those were her own words during the time she tutored him… so maybe they weren't the most reliable.

"Hum… Hm? I think I found it."

Inside a pocket of the knight's jacket, he found a note written in terrible calligraphy, probably done so in a hurry…

[… Change of plans, lead the target outside and knock him out, well take it from there. Be wary that will take at most five minutes to arrive.

The Royal Knights are hot on our tails, so hold on until then if it comes to it.

Failure isn't an option unless you want to hear the lord running his mouth again for half an hour.

]

"I think I got it now…"

'As expected, it seems Rafiel is preoccupied with the Princess' Knights. Maybe his original plan was to capture me with a group of knights, but they were forced to improvise.'

'I don't know why they'd communicate through a letter like this. Maybe they lacked time to move around and give commands so they had people send letters around… but the circumstances are in my favor…'

'If I can figure out Rafiel's intentions from the knights, then I can figure out how to proceed from there. I need to know if this will be a recurrent issue, or a one time thing.'

'Even it means causing bigger trouble later on, I'll deal with Rafiel right here and now to give myself time to act.'

Philip suddenly smiled wickedly.

"I know what to do now. We're hitting them while they're unnaware. Laplabe… time to Morb."

"… What did you just say?"

…

/Hustle… hustle…/

Shortly after, a group of knights emerged from the woods, surrounding the shack.

Inside, they found Philip unconscious, with a lone knight standing by. He saluted the guards, stepping aside to allow them to examine Philip.

However, the knights' captain appeared displeased. Sighing, he hoisted Philip onto his shoulder and silently carried him deeper into the forest, away from the party hall.

/Sha sha sha…/

Suddenly, a shadowy figure flitted through the trees behind them, disappearing almost instantly, its destination impossible to determine.

…

/Ten or so minutes later…/

"... He's late… again…" Viera mumbled to herself as she played with her cutlery

'Everything's strange... It started with that invite. He gave me a solid explanation, but now that I think about it, it was far too lacking.'

'Hum… This party… I'm uncertain of the details, but Rafiel is high aristocracy… This party is for nobles and the rich, but it's clear he invited only those of great importance… otherwise the princess wouldn't have bothered to come, no matter how whimsical her actions may be.'

'People like her are as limited by their conditions as they're blessed by them. She'd be unable to act like this unless she had the necessary reason. For a Princess, just being somewhere indicates a stance… if this party weren't of such prestige, she'd have hidden her identity if she really wanted to be here.'

'With that in mind, Philip has clarified that he's trying to keep a somewhat low profile. So from Rafiel's perspective, were simply a rich... couple…'

She became worried, 'So why would he be here?…' She thought deeply, '… He's here to figure out why we were invited and to avoid offending them… but is that all?'

'He told me he cares little for what Rafiel thinks of him… There's even a chance Rafiel won't even remember him… but I feel as if there's more to this… We're here because going to a party takes little of our time. He told me it was experience… But I can't shake this strange feeling…'

She looked at her necklace, holding it faintly… '… He came here for that, didn't he?' Her expression sank, '… He came looking for trouble… No, he came here to resolve it… yeah.'

She relaxed slightly, but she was still faintly tense.

'If he didn't tell me anything, then he's fine… He told me he'd tell me the truth once we're back. I'll have to press him else he'll conveniently brush this matter aside.'

'… But this party just became worse. It was boring before, but it was bearable when he was here at the very least... I just hope this doesn't end in trouble…'

'If I am to leave this party, I'd rather do it calmly…'

"Excuse me…"

A gentle voice sounded behind her, and she was briefly stunned as her thought raced.

"Huh…?"

'I saw this pattern before…'

When she turned around, Viera saw a beautiful platinum-haired lady in a blue dress…

She immediately recognized who it was. It was the daughter of the Azul family in all her exoteric beauty and nobility… Even with a mask, her unique dress and hair were telling of her status and presence.

… So why was she here? Shouldn't she be sitting far away?… Did Philip leave her in the wrong place?

"Do you mind if I stay here for a moment? It's a bit too stuffy back there." She asked gently, but her hand was already on a chair

"Ah, no…"

'Of course, I do! Look! Everyone's looking this way… How embarrassing...'

Despite her inner thought, Viera kept smiling, her lips twitching from time to time as she struggled keeping her expression.

Little did she know, it was the start of a long conversation...

…

/Clang…/

Philip was brought to a wide, dark room and locked inside.

The knights dispersed en route, leaving only the captain and the other knight, whom Philip had previously knocked out, behind. After ensuring the doors were locked and the room unoccupied, the captain said slowly, "We're here… You can stop pretending now."

Amusement flickered in Philip's eyes as he replied, "Oh?" He opened his eyes, got to his feet, and the captain even helped him. However, the other knight suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at the captain's neck!

The betrayal was absurd; who would have guessed the armored man would turn on his own captain? "You knew?" Philip asked, dusting his pants, "I put quite some effort into that."

The captain replied, "… I have my ways; If I couldn't notice such an act, I wouldn't be able to protect the lord… and if I couldn't tell how my own men acted, I would've retired long ago."

/Chuckle/

Philip raised his hand, and a dark shadow bolted from within the armor. The knight captain barely saw it as in the blink of an eye, a small pocket watch now remained in Philip's hands.

He looked at the side to see his subordinate. He seemed fine, just out cold.

"So? Let's cut down to the chase, what do you want?" Philip asked as he clenched Laplabe, but his hand was never dropped

It was his trump card. The mimic standing between the two of them was his strongest shield. Quite the turntables from when he first met him just a few hours ago.

From fearing for his life to using it to protect it…

"... Leave, I want you to just leave." He said as he shook his head

His voice seemed tired as if he couldn't wait to get this done with.

"What? You don't want to capture me or anything?... Just for me to leave?"

"My Lord's actions… Were too rash and inappropriate for his position and future titles… I ask... no, I implore that you forget about them. I can guarantee that he won't try anything of the like again… he won't have the time or the resources to seek you out anymore."

"These actions were a mere spur of the moment… Envy, jealousy, anger… greed. You've gathered too much attention elsewhere, and the Lord sees it as an opportunity… despite it being nothing but an excuse for him to fulfil his own suppressed desires."

"He's severely pragmatic and adheres to a cynical line of reasoning centered on self-serving behaviour and profiting… I hope you can turn away here and move on."

"You two meet by chance before. The chances of it occurring again are little. Even if it does happen, I doubt he'd feel the same as he does now."

He hinted at many things, including something Philip did not originally put into his calculations… the idea his actions in the Academy may have impacted his presence here today.

But before he entertained those thoughts, he needed to confirm a few things first. He was amused at how things developed, but kept his eyes straight and voice firm:

"... Who are you to guarantee me that?"

"Me? I guess that was necessary in the end…" He said as he took off his helmet, revealing his scarred old face

"I am Claire, senior knight of the Pyke Family, under direct orders of the Patriarch of the Family to assist and judge Pyke Rafiel's actions during his Coming-of-Age trials."

"I have full authority regarding what he can and cannot do. Including instructions on how to judge and determine those. And what he did here today is a violation of those guidelines."

"If I'm fully able to make him step back… Once he does, he'll eventually forget about you as he undergoes his trials. If he keeps you in his head, it'd be a severe dissapointment."

"..."

'Senior? This means he's half a step away from retirement… But what he said is pretty interesting.'

"Can you elaborate? With an emphasis on what has to do with me? No offense, I just want to understand just how did little me came into the attention of someone like Rafiel."

'I've formulated a pretty solid theory as to why based on everything I know, but I need confirmation.'

"Very well... It isn't a secret anyway, furthermore, I believe you require some explanations."

"Pyke Rafiel has been sent here directly by the patriarch to learn how to operate the family business and to make connections. In the meantime, he wanted the Lord to…"

But he didn't say much else… "To be honest, I'm as baffled by this situation as you. I hadn't even been a minute since we entered the city and that happened… The Lord is unusually tense today, so I take it he was exceptionally sensitive to his own emotions."

"My sincere apologies." He said with a small nod

"… What happened?"

"Rafiel is... Very conscious about matters related to the young Lady of the Azul Family..."

"I did expect this to be all due to her, but how exactly did a single glance escalate to this?"

"… Sigh… once more, my apologies... conscious may not be enough to describe it… "

Philip could tell he was trying to divert his attention from what he said before. This only made his conjectures stronger.

"Okay okay. Let's say I believe what you say. I just want to ask you one thing… What was he planning to do with me after capturing me?"

'His goal, Claire... are you willing to betray the young Lord's trust to such a degree? You've been trying to avoid this, but I won't let you go so easily.'

"... Rafiel was… Planning to keep you in captivity until the seal of the Academy was lifted, allowing communication in and out at the very least."

"The Academy? What does that have to do with this?"

It was confirmed… and he felt disgusted, 'It hasn't even been a day yet those slime bastards found a way to latch onto me… That's what happens when you're high profile.'

"He… he wanted to trade you for favors with the people you offended."

"… How… boring… So his plan all along was to capture me and sell me for political favors?… all because I exchanged glances with his girl once? Maybe not in that other but still…"

"Haa… Makes sen... Pfft!... Sense... PFFT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"S… Sir?"

'Does he find this situation funny?... No, that may be the case… From this guy's perspective…'

"… HAHAHAHAHA…"

Philip laughed louder and louder until he was out of breath, "Haa… Haa… Okay, I feel better now." He said as he raised his head

"I should've bloody expected this. The culmination of all brats… I'm loving this... To think those pathetic guys would be involved in this mess, even if indirectly, they truly are annoying as hell."

"The world is really small, don't you think so?" He asked as he looked Claire

"..."

Claire was tense. Despite the smile on his face, he didn't feel a single shred of goodwill coming from Philip, instead, the strong feeling on his guts kept increasing.

[... Condition...]

He couldn't quite hear it, but the sound of the system rang in his ears. He was momentarily shocked by this. It wasn't every time he heard it after all.

It only happened when...

But Claire closed his eyes and focused.

"How do you wish to have this resolved?" Claire asked as he put his hands on his hips

"Hum… You said he won't be able to act on me anymore… But that isn't enough. I can't leave with the thought of having an arrogant prick after my ass, yeah?"

"People change, and so do their interests… I can't leave my safety on that alone."

"He wants to sell me to them, so even if he can't get me, then he can still get similar results by snitching on me, no? He has no reason to touch me at all, he only did so… as you said, because he was moved by emotion."

'If he were fully rational, he would've waited for the Academy's seal to fall before warning those looking for me. All he needed to do was keep a tab on me so he'd know my location.'

'But he was hasty… maybe it's a blessing in disguise… to think I almost avoided this issue merely by being late…'

"Dont worry Sir Polter, once Rafiel loses his chase, he rarely acts again, only doing so when he loses something, there's little need to convince him. He'll do so himself."

He raised his hands high above his head, "I'm willing to take on the punishment while you leave…"

"… You came to me and said all of this. I admire your sense of justice and willingness to act, creating an entire plan just to help me while going against your Lord's wishes..."

"Still, I don't think it was merely because your conscience was weighing on you, is it?"

His words were like knives stabbing at Claire's heart... "Tell me then, why are you truly here? What is missing?... Something you have yet to tell me?" Philip asked as he walked closer

'He's definitely stronger than that last guy I took down. But strangely enough, I feel apprehension coming from him… he has little negative emotions directed at me… most of them are at himself.'

As Philip approached, his eyes seemed to flash slightly… "You know something, don't you? Mind sharing?"

"… I don't… quite like being kept in the dark."

Claire took a single step back. His right hand instinctively went to his sword. Philip smiled slightly, not stopping at all.

"Right, the simplest method."

"N-No wait...!"

From Claires perspective, the world suddenly stopped.

[Your Title, Single Clasher has activated]

[Your Skill, Three-Instances of Absolute Combat has activated]

Claire couldn't hear those words, but he knew very well the effects of his own skills. He trained them for decades, after all. So he gulped down and took the first step.

"?!"

Only to see his neck being grasped by Philip's cold hand.

'I only... Lowered my guard for a single moment!'

/Crack!/

The world suddenly broke apart, and it went back to the beginning, Philip smiling, and he grasped his sword's hilt.

Had time just regressed?!

...

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Notes

Thanks for reading.