Chapter 178: Marriage

  John’s first reaction was one of relief, not panic. The reason for this was twofold: first, many of his theories could now be dismissed. The second reason was that Kit wouldn’t need to feel attached to him now that she had a partner.

  About ten seconds later, John realized the actual implications of Kit’s statement and reacted accordingly.

  “What the fuck?” he exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise. “Hold on, what’s going on?”

  Kit blushed awkwardly. “You see, I’ve been moving around the village since I came back. The marriage was no longer forced on me, but it’s not like it was called off, either. They reconsidered, and I’ve been given permission to continue my magic research. And… It’s not like the prince is that bad of a guy, you know?”

  “...yeah, ok,” John said slowly.

  He didn’t actually know if the prince was an asshat or not. He did know, however, that the prince was definitely not marrying Kit because of love. It wasn’t like he could really speak on the topic of love. He’d never dated, never had a partner, and love was simply something that didn’t hold much appeal to him. Even from the small amount of vague memories he had, he couldn’t ever recall having a romantic interest.

  Whether or not this was the case during his time in reality was unknown, but he assumed he had dated at least once. Surely. Right?

  Regardless, he wasn’t judging the current situation based on whether or not the prince was a suitable partner. He was basing it on the fact that one did not simply turn into a good husband after such a stereotypical backstory had been established. The context clues were all obvious. Kit held the Eternal Flame. They wanted the Eternal Flame.

  Of course, this could be something as simple as an arranged marriage with political implications. John was well aware that marriage was not necessarily a romantic endeavour in all scenarios. Some worlds might not understand the concept of romance at all. But that didn’t change the fact that they didn’t want Kit; they wanted her powers.

  “So, what now? Are you just gonna stay here?” John said casually, trying to hide his shock.

  He had to play this carefully. There were a number of possibilities that could be happening at the moment, and until John narrowed it down to just a few, it was best to play the role of the fool.

  “Hm… I suppose,” Kit nodded. “If they’re not going to pressure me anymore, then there’s no harm in sticking around. I wasn’t really doing anything in the realm of the mortals, anyway, so it’s not like there’s a reason for me to come back.”

  “How about Destiny?”

  “...I can visit. Right?”

  John nodded, his usual grin frozen on his face. He had a feeling he knew what was going on.

  He just needed to confirm it.

  “So you’re happy with staying here? This is what you want?”

  “Y- yep!” Kit nodded happily.

  Her moment of hesitation had been brief. Her tone, however, sounded genuine. John held his breath for fear of revealing his relief.

  “Alright. I’ll pass it on to the others,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

  “Thank you, John. The wedding is in a month. You mortals are welcome to show up, if you want,” Kit said, smiling as she turned to leave.

  As soon as she was out of sight, John let out a shaky breath. Things were being put in motion. This made him nervous, but at the same time, he could feel the stress melting out of his body. Now that he was being forced into action, he could finally do something.

  Upon hearing that Kit was getting married, his brain had gone into overtime trying to figure out what the current situation was. There were multiple possibilities: Kit might’ve actually fallen in love. She might’ve felt the appeal of being a royal of a Mystic clan. There were plenty of reasons she wanted to get married.

  However, the more likely options were that she was being held hostage, she’d been tricked, or she’d been mind-controlled.

  John still had to play it safe. If she was being held hostage or tricked, she was also likely being monitored. If that were the case, he couldn’t afford to tip off those monitoring her, hence his lack of reaction. Should the Ninetails clan suspect that John would try anything at all, they might stop him before he could take even a single step.

  The good news was that he suspected that the third option was the most likely. It was just too strange, the way she’d switched up out of nowhere, the way she was so eager to get married when she had such a traumatic experience with the prince in the past.

  He didn’t quite have proof. John would need to think things over a bit more to prove it. But gut instinct told him this was mind control. It had to be. Thankfully, there was one saving grace.

  Kit had a strong will. She wouldn’t be dominated so easily.

  John wasn’t sure what the rules of mind control in this world were, but the standard was that one was either broken through multiple sessions of hypnotism or something similar, or they were controlled without even realizing it. John had seen Kit on occasion. She definitely wasn’t being subjected to anything.

  That meant that her will had been hijacked before she realized it.

  The way she’d replied. She seemed so happy, so peaceful. It was almost natural. But at the same time, it felt unnatural. Even without definitive proof, John felt certain about his decision.

  Now that he understood this, things felt simpler. The direction the [Plot] was taking was clearing up. He’d even been given a deadline.

  One month.

  That was how long he had to make a plan and execute it. There was a lot of work before him, but this was infinitely better than wandering around in the dark with no direction.

  There was a nagging feeling, though. He felt as though there were something else to this whole fiasco. Obviously, there was still the matter of the letter, but John couldn’t quite connect the dots. In the end, he gave up. He’d figure it out eventually, and he had time to do so. Right now, there were more immediate things to focus on.

  “Seriously,” he muttered, letting out a deep sigh. “Forcing me to help out when it doesn’t even involve me…”

  He hadn’t even considered that not getting involved was an option. As far as he was concerned, this was now his problem.

  “Goddammit.”

  ~~~

  A few days passed, and John had now holed himself up in his room. Contrary to what he’d said, he hadn’t actually told Destiny about what was going on. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Destiny. In fact, it would’ve been reasonable for him to do so. As a [Reader], it actually would’ve been the correct play to make.

  After all, this was something Destiny was meant to do anyway.

  However, John wanted to take things into his own hands. There was no logical reason for it. In terms of workload, it probably would’ve been better for John had Destiny taken over.

  But he wanted to take care of this.

  When he stopped to think about it, he wasn’t really sure why. He had a few ideas. One was that he simply disliked the way Mystics looked down on him and wanted petty revenge. Another was that he was worried about the interference of [Deus Ex Machina] energy; if it really was here, then Destiny couldn’t handle the situation alone.

  The reason didn’t matter, though. The end result was that Destiny couldn’t find out. Even if he could hide his emotions, there were just too many ways for the Ninetails clan to figure out that they’d been exposed. For this reason, he decided to withhold the whole thing from Prota as well.

  Obviously, they’d questioned his erratic behaviour. Thankfully, he had a good excuse on hand.

  “Look. I think I’ve figured out why the letter was sent from the Ninetails clan,” John explained. “But I’m not sure.”

  Destiny nodded. “What’s your lead?”

  “...I don’t want to say just yet,” John said quietly. “Just in case… you know.”

  “Oh. But you’ll tell us if you figure it out, right?”

  “Obviously. I mean, it’s not like I can do anything about it on my own.”

  “But-”

  “Don’t say anything. Just keep training for now. There’s no need to rush.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Prota had pushed a bit further using the system’s messaging system, but ultimately, she’d gotten the same response. John wasn’t behaving any different, though, so she let it drop. John had been grateful for that. If she had caught on, things might have gone a lot worse.

  He felt a little bad for tricking the two, but it was a necessity. The problem was Elder Lang Koy. John didn’t know if the man could be trusted or not. As of the moment, Kit’s mentor could play one of two roles:

  The traitor mentor, or the hidden ally. John sincerely hoped that he was a hidden ally, but if he turned out to be a traitor…

  “Seriously, if I’d known answers would be handed to me on a silver platter, I wouldn’t have done all that work,” John muttered to himself as he continued to fiddle with his whiteboard system.

  Unfortunately, he’d need to go back to thinking like a [Reader] for this. It’d been almost nice to forget that this world was nothing but a [Story] for a moment, but he’d never be able to truly forget. This was part of his identity. It was part of who he was.

  Suddenly, the noise was back. His mind was flooded with a billion variables, all of which were demanding his attention.

  But he was used to this. He could do it.

  The first thing John had done during his time cooped up was draw a new line of logic. It was based purely on speculation, but at least it made sense.

  Best of all, though, it tied in with his usage of [Deus Ex Machina] energy.

  The theory was simple. When Kit had first left, she’d resisted the influence of whatever illusion magic the Ninetails had tried to use on her. John had been wondering why the Ninetails didn’t just mind control her, but the solution should’ve been obvious: they couldn’t.

  However, they’d found a way to do so now. How? The answer was the missing piece John was looking for:

  [Deus Ex Machina].

  He hoped this would turn out to be false. After all, he wasn’t looking forward to dealing with another amped up Mystic, especially since his emotions weren’t guaranteed to come out.

  But it just made too much sense. The pieces of the puzzle fit together so well.

  The next step was to consider, then, what the original [Plot] would’ve been. It wasn’t too hard to guess. Kit had probably been blackmailed or threatened into marrying the prince, and Destiny would come and save her. He’d likely convince her to break free, and then Kit would use her Eternal Flame powers to aid Destiny in escaping the land of the Mystics.

  This meant that Kang Loy was part of the original [Plot]. Unfortunately, it didn’t clear up whether or not he was a villain.

  All of this theorycrafting also didn’t help John in discovering what the Ninetails needed Kit for. But if they had [Deus Ex Machina] energy, didn’t that make them allies of the demons?

  If not for the existence of Sofya, John would’ve assumed that was the case. But he now knew that it wasn’t just demons who wanted the power.

  Once again, John couldn’t help but wonder what Diaboli’s end goal was.

  “No,” he muttered. “Can’t waste time thinking about that.”

  Was there even a plan to be made, though? Now that he thought about it, there really wasn’t much for him to prepare. He wasn’t planning on involving Destiny or Prota.

  “...what am I supposed to do?”

  ~~~

  It was rare to see Chen So, prince of the Ninetails clan, walking about on a casual stroll. It was even more rare to see a woman by his side. Yet, to the amazement of the Mystics, there he was, walking down the cobbled paths.

  They didn’t quite treat him with reverence, but they did nod in respect. He wasn’t meant to be a ruler or dictator; he was simply the being who represented their clan at inter-clan meetings and was responsible for leading their military forces should war break out.

  He wasn’t interested in the opinions of the people, though. He was far more interested in talking to his future wife.

  “So,” he said with a charming smile. “Those mortal friends of yours. What are they like?”

  “Oh? Are you finally interested in something interesting?” Kit said playfully. “Hm… but why should I tell you?”

  “They are your friends, are they not? I am not trying to objectify you, Kit. If we are to be married, should we not learn more about each other?”

  “That’s a good point. My friends…” Kit’s voice trailed off as she thought. “Destiny, the half-elf. He’s quite interesting. A battle mage, believe it or not, and an incredibly powerful one at that. I taught him personally, you know.”

  “Ah, a student. I shall have to meet him personally, then,” Chen So nodded.

  “The other, Prota… she’s quite the talented mage, you know.” Kit chuckled. “Acknowledged even by the Mystics at Scholaris, from what I’ve heard. I taught her a bit, too, but I think she would’ve been impressive even without me.”

  “Fascinating. I suppose she loves magic as much as you?”

  “Mm… I suppose? I don’t think she quite loves magic,” Kit mused. “But that doesn’t change her level of skill.”

  “And how about the third?”

  “The third?”

  Kit frowned. Chen So looked at her kindly, but there was a focus in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Kit, however, noticed none of this.

  “Hm… he’s interesting too, I suppose,” Kit said slowly. “He’s manaless. Did you know that was possible?”

  “Manaless?” Chen So frowned. “You invited such a being here?”

  “Well, he’s Prota’s guardian,” Kit laughed. “They’re a package deal, those two. You don’t get one without the other.”

  “I see.”

  Chen So relaxed. Well, it wasn’t like that one needed any more monitoring anyway.

  “Then, you’re sure about this? You don’t mind me?” he said casually.

  “Maybe I do,” Kit said, looking at him with a grin. “What would you do if this was all a trick?”

  “You,” the prince sighed. “Still. I don’t wish to force you into something you do not desire. I was rash and forced something upon one of my fellow Ninetails. That will not happen.”

  “Oh, so you can be a gentleman,” Kit said with a smirk. “Don’t you worry. You’re not all that bad looking yourself, you know?”

  “Thank you.”

  Kit giggled, poking the prince in the cheek before taking his hand once more as they walked down the cobbled paths.

  ~~~

  “Hey, John. Do you know what Kit’s been up to?”

  John nearly flinched at the breakfast table. Thankfully, he was able to maintain his calm, but the question had almost caught him off guard.

  “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Why do you ask?”

  It’d been two weeks since Kit had announced her marriage. Thankfully, by some miracle, neither Destiny nor Prota had stepped into the village. They were far too busy training.

  To compensate, they’d made incredible progress. Prota could now manage a domain that acted as a spell. It was flimsy and unstable, but the theory was now there. John’s ideas had been applied.

  Thankfully, the naming conventions for the new domains were pretty simple, too. Snowstorm and Heatwave. They weren’t applicable in combat yet, but as before, having names simplified the casting process.

  Destiny hadn’t made any large jumps the way Prota had, but he’d been smoothing out his progress quite nicely.

  Fortunately or unfortunately, the Elder who taught them brought no news of the outside, meaning John was their only source of info. They weren’t suspicious of anything, but Kit did show up to the cabin once in a while, and it made sense that they’d be asking where she was.

  “It’s just… you know. Are we doing anything here?” Destiny said, taking another bite of his toast. “I know we’re here to train. And I’d be happy to stay here as long as I need. But… you have something you need to do, right? And we can’t stay here forever.”

  John nodded slowly. “Well, I’m making some progress. I’ll let you know when I need your help, but for now, we just need to play it slow. Besides, it’s best if you train as much as you can.”

  He explained what he’d learned from Rina, and both Destiny and Prota’s faces turned grim upon hearing that there were enemies as strong as Mystics.

  “I see,” Destiny said, rubbing his chin. “So I’d have to be that strong at least…”

  “You’ve got time. And you’re getting training from Mystics. You’ll be able to handle it, don’t worry,” John reassured him. “Just keep at it, ok?”

  “Yeah,” Destiny grinned. “I haven’t forgotten why I’m here, you know.”

  “John?”

  Prota’s voice momentarily stunned John, who hadn’t expected her to talk.

  “Um…”

  “What’s up?” John frowned. “I mean, do you have a time limit or something?”

  “No. Uh… Mystics,” Prota said quietly. “Can I…”

  “Oh, are you going to be strong enough?”

  John was about to say “yes” with no hesitation, but then he paused. He didn’t know the answer to that. He was confident in Destiny’s abilities because of his status as the [Protagonist], but did Prota have the ability to grow that far?

  He definitely thought she did. After all, she was currently keeping pace with Destiny’s growth, and she had an ability unique to dragons. Additionally, her control of mana was incredibly precise, and her core was also growing nicely. There was no reason she couldn’t contest Mystics by the time such combat prowess was necessary.

  “I think so,” John said slowly.

  He didn’t want to lie to her about something like this.

  “I mean, as far as I can see, you have the potential. I just can’t say for sure,” he tried to explain.

  “Wh- then how are you sure about me?” Destiny frowned.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  Prota seemed somewhat dejected, but John couldn’t say his reasoning out loud. With a sigh, he opened his messaging system.

  [Look. Destiny is the [Protagonist]. He has to contest with Mystics. I don’t know if either you or me will be capable because nothing is guaranteed. If I had to bet, though, I’d say you can. Think about what you’ve done so far. You’re doing fine, Prota.]

  Her eyes momentarily widened as she read the message. When John looked back at her, she seemed pleased once more.

  “Alright, we’ve got another lesson soon,” Destiny said, dumping his plate in the sink. “If you see Kit, let us know, ok?”

  They walked out, letting the door close quietly behind them. John remained at the table, thinking.

  Something about the conversation they’d had bothered him. But what? He poured over it again and again, trying to identify what—

  Rina. Why hadn’t he thought about her earlier? He’d been such an idiot. That old fox had given him so many clues, and yet he hadn’t even given her a second thought. Why not? Of everybody he’d encountered, she was definitely the strangest.

  She’d openly told him about the history of Mystics, admitted their flaws, told him about a Demon God no other mortals knew about, and had even handed him a book detailing their clan’s deepest secret. That wasn’t right. Mystics didn’t just do that.

  Even more than that, though, she was old. Now that John thought about it, he hadn’t seen a single Ninetails that looked aged aside from Rina and Elder Kang Loy. Why were they the only two to have an aged appearance? What was the point?

  Something wasn’t right.

  He didn’t know if she was an enemy or not. After all, she’d pointed him in the right direction. But what was her intent?

  And how had she slipped under the radar so easily?

  “What the…”

  Illusion magic. That had to be the answer. As he’d recently found out, John was incredibly susceptible to mind-based attacks. His condition was that he “couldn’t be controlled,” but in no way had he just been controlled. He’d been manipulated to let his guard down.

  But why?

  “Goddammit,” he muttered, standing up.

  He’d have to go back into town for the first time in a couple of weeks. Reaching into his pocket dimension, he pulled out a backpack and the weapon he’d been looking at a few months back. He had no plans of using it, but if things got dicey…

  “That goddamn fox.”

  ~~~

  “Ah. It seems you’re back. Come in.”

  John was tense as Rina invited him into her home. She’d been expecting him, it seemed.

  That didn’t make him feel any more comfortable.

  “How did you enjoy my book?” the Ninetail said as John slowly sat down. “I trust it served you well.”

  “...yeah.”

  John shifted uncomfortably, the weapon in his bag suddenly very heavy. Well, there was no point in beating around the bush anymore.

  This was almost definitely an ally. John just needed to understand what kind of ally she was.

  “I’m going to be straightforward. Why are you helping me?”

  “Helping you?” Rina said, surprised. “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t get it twisted. You cast some kind of illusion magic on me. You made yourself less suspicious, and I only just realized it. You’re testing me, aren’t you? But why? I don’t get it. Are you secretly Kit’s mother or something? What do you want?”

  Rina just smiled, pouring a cup of tea. She sniffed it before taking a sip, then put the cup back down in its plate with a soft clink.

  “Hm… you’re quite the observant mortal. I was right to trust you. What is your name, mortal?”

  Somehow, the word “mortal” didn’t feel as derogatory coming from this woman. She looked at him, a kind smile still on her face, but there was a flame deep in her sunken eyes.

  She was the kind of [Character] John would trust. As if the very image of a suspicious but reliable [Character] had been ripped out of his mind. That made this elderly Ninetails all the more suspicious.

  But it also made her all the more trustworthy.

  In the end, did he have any other choice?

  “...John. Call me John.”

  “Well then, John. What do you think love is?”