Ch 208
『Title: But is it okay to be hostile towards this Fate Guardian brat?』
Content: Judging by the name alone, when someone calls,
wouldn’t they answer like, “Oh, sorry!!! I’m too busy saving the world! I’ll call you back later!”?
-: Is that the right metaphor?
-: What kind of university club is the Fate Guardian Department?
-: Is this the average for the Fate Guardian Corps?
-『Author』: No;;
It’s saying they’re like guys trying to save the world;
-: Those guys
would they have coaxed the young Lumiere, who tried to help people, into signing a slave contract?
-: But
the author’s point is valid.
-『Author』: Rightㅋ
-: Yeah, they said they protect fate
but they didn’t say they’d protect the law, ethics, or Lumiere, yeah.
Just roughly protecting fate is enough.
I completely agree with your thoughts.
Oh, and I think the Fate Guardians are the greatest nation in the world.
-『Author』: What the hell is that, that’s not my opinion.
-: Hey, don’t grow a mustache.
-: So, the Fate Guardians are a group of people like that, right?
-: This whole Fate Guardian thing is a headache because
it’s not (for the world) Fate Guardian, but
(for themselves) Fate Guardian.
-『Author』: Then it’s just a labor union, damn it.
-: It’s funny that these bastards are trapped in an hourglass,
they became beings transcending space-time, trying to become the true rulers of the world, and ended up like this.
-『Author』: But am I being spoiled right now?
-: If you’re upset, you should have joined the Spoiler Guardian.
-: “Oh, sorry!!! I’m too busy being spoiled right now!!! I’ll call you back later!”
-『Author』: They’re bastards, really.
-: But
aren’t the things they do right?
They go back and forth between the past and the future, observing the kids destroying the world and warning them so they can stop it.
-: That was only at the beginning.
After Lumiere’s failure to fulfill her debt and completely becoming their lackey,
they show manipulated observations to
use her as their lackey.
Roughly speaking, if there’s someone who interferes with their plans,
they frame them with observations and have Lumiere kill them, saying, ‘Anyway, this guy is a horrible bastard ㅠㅠ’ yeah.
Lumiere’s suicide is also
because she realizes that fact halfway through and feels a sense of disillusionment, yeah.
✦✦✦
The Wandering Star, Lumiere.
That great wizard is not a being that the Fate Guardians can dare to manipulate as they please.
However.
Now, she was bound by the hourglass, and was being moved by the hourglass.
To pay the price for carelessly using the power of the hourglass in her immature days.
But-
in fact, Lumiere was in a state where she could escape from the hourglass’s constraints anytime she wanted.
She could have escaped from the life of dedicating her entire life to paying the price to the hourglass.
Because that great wizard had the power to do so.
But Lumiere didn’t.
-Snap out of it, Lumiere… You’re doing the right thing.
Because she believed it was for the greater good.
The Fate Guardians completely hid their true nature from Lumiere.
They made her believe that they were a group that existed solely for the greater good.
Everything was to make the great wizard their lackey-
-Lumiere. A new opportunity for intervention has arisen. Will you observe?
-…Show me.
Even while paying the price, Lumiere observed events and prevented tragedies according to the Fate Guardians’ suggestions.
Her efforts to pay the price became like pouring water into a bottomless pit.
Thus, now-
-If this continues, Lumiere’s existence will soon be completely subordinated to the hourglass.
The Fate Guardians’ intentions were about to bear fruit.
…That was certainly the case until just a few days ago.
At that time, they didn’t know that the hourglass would flow back so violently.
They didn’t know that the target value, which they expected would take at least years for Lumiere to reach, would be achieved in just two days.
Even!
The reflux of the hourglass, which seemed to have just stopped, was gaining momentum again thanks to Master Melthas’ visit.
The Fate Guardians were the same.
Like Lumiere, they didn’t know exactly what the cause of the reflux was.
Nevertheless.
They could be sure of one thing.
‘We must not leave Lumiere in this magic tower any longer!’
-Wandering Star Lumiere! Appear through the crack of time right now! It’s an urgent matter that requires immediate action!
The Fate Guardians intended to immediately summon Lumiere to the barrier connected to the hourglass and show her a manipulated ‘observation’.
An observation that would make Lumiere leave the tower immediately.
“Urgent matter..”
Lumiere had lived for a long time burdened by the weight of the price imposed on her.
That’s why, since sometime ago, she had felt a certain sense of intimidation towards the Fate Guardians who imposed that price.
Normally, Lumiere would have been unable to withstand that pressure and immediately followed the Fate Guardians’ instructions.
She would have responded to the summons immediately, performed the observation, and left the tower as they wished.
However-
“…”
Lumiere’s gaze turned to the hourglass.
The top of the hourglass, which was steadily filling up even at this moment.
The reason Lumiere was burdened by the weight of the price was because she knew how difficult it was to reverse the sand.
Therefore.
Along with the effortlessly simple reflux, the weight of the price was lost.
-Tower Lord? What will you do? Will you witness Lisir’s dark swordsmanship?
Thus, Lumiere’s heart leaned towards Lisir, not towards the Fate Guardians.
She picked up the hourglass and left the room.
Her steps were light, almost cheerful.
The Fate Guardians were furious.
The drastic change happening to Lumiere in real time!
Because it was taking Lumiere far away from their purpose.
-Wandering Star Lumiere! What are you thinking? Do you intend to prioritize a momentary curiosity over the great mission you bear?
The Fate Guardians reproached Lumiere in their haste, and immediately realized their mistake.
“…”
Lumiere looked at the hourglass with a meaningful gaze.
She felt a sense of alienation at their attitude, which was excessively revealing itself, departing from the attitude she had maintained until now.
A seed of doubt was planted in the great wizard’s mind. This was clearly going to act as a variable in the long-term plan.
The Fate Guardians had no choice but to step back.
-…Yes, right now, what we’re saying might sound unpleasant. But, Lumiere, you will eventually understand our intentions. So, just promise me. That as soon as you solve that curiosity, you will come to us.
“…”
Lumiere, after pondering their words for a moment, nodded.
It meant that she understood, although she still had some reservations.
The Fate Guardians began to try to calm themselves.
‘It’s not the worst yet…’
The unusual state of the hourglass.
It’s certain.
Right now, a huge event was about to happen in the tower.
If Lumiere observes that event?
Nothing could be worse for the Fate Guardians.
In that sense, Lumiere’s current behavior had a positive aspect.
Her current interest was not the ‘source of the reflux’, but ‘Lisir’s magic demonstration’.
‘We just need to make her leave the tower immediately after the magic demonstration…’
Then suddenly.
The Fate Guardians felt a slight anxiety.
Perhaps.
The anxiety that ‘Lisir’s magic demonstration’ might be the ‘source of the reflux’.
Of course, it was only a very brief delusion.
Because a 7th-rank wizard’s magic demonstration could not be the source of such a violent reflux.
✦✦✦
Crack!
A crack appeared in the hourglass’s body.
Hssssssssssss!!!!!
It was due to an unprecedentedly fierce reflux.
“Wh-what did I just see!?”
“A surge… It’s already amazing that he caused a rank increase using overload, but to push magic and swordsmanship to the limit in that state!? At the same time!?”
“W-wait!!! That’s not all!!! Those flames that obscured Master Melthas’ vision…! Isn’t that the spirit power that Lisir showed before!?”
“Then… My goodness, is it combined with spirit magic as well as swordsmanship and magic!?”
“Huh! Unbelievable! I was mentally prepared as much as possible because it was the skill Lisir confidently presented, but this is-…”
“Wait! Isn’t something wrong!?”
“Master Radros!? Have you found out something!?”
“Lisir said it was dark swordsmanship!”
“Oh, but!?”
“However, Lisir used spirit magic in addition to magic and swordsmanship! Then, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to call it Sword Magic Spirit Arts instead of dark swordsmanship!?”
“The sound is not very good.”
“Tsk.”
Lisir’s skill demonstration performed through sparring with Master Melthas.
As a result, the dignified Masters acted like they were young students.
Maintain your composure.
It was a sight that naturally brought about such words from the Tower Lord’s standpoint-
but in fact.
The Masters’ reactions were extremely calm.
At least in the sense that they were maintaining their sanity.
“Dark swordsmanship… Da…rk…”
Lumiere chewed on the word as if she were dumbfounded.
Soon.
Lisir approached Lumiere.
His eyes, looking at Lumiere, were full of expectation.
“Lumiere?”
Lumiere, the possessor of profound energy that even his current level couldn’t fully grasp.
Wouldn’t she be able to give him meaningful advice after seeing his dark swordsmanship!?
Soon, Lumiere opened her mouth.
“Do you think I have nothing to say after seeing your dark swordsmanship…?”
“Yes!”
Lumiere’s advice(?) followed.
“…How did you do that?”
“Yes?
Lumiere’s gaze was already directed at the hourglass she had taken out of her bosom.
The moment she saw his dark swordsmanship, she was convinced.
That the source of the reflux was his dark swordsmanship, and nothing else!
The top of the hourglass.
The void was being filled at an incredible speed.
“This… what on earth…”
The confusion stemming from the dark swordsmanship.
The joy stemming from the almost completely reversed hourglass.
Lumiere was at a loss, frantically looking back and forth between Lisir and the hourglass.
-Lumiere.
At that moment.
A trembling voice echoed in Lumiere’s mind.
The Fate Guardians.
They urged Lumiere to appear.
✦✦✦
“What? That urgent matter requiring immediate action is━”
Immediately after witnessing Lisir’s dark swordsmanship.
Lumiere, without even having time to compose herself, followed the Fate Guardians’ request and visited the place where they were.
The barrier connected to the hourglass.
It was the space they called the crack of time, the dwelling place of the Fate Guardians.
“A new opportunity for intervention has arisen.”
A masked figure looked at Lumiere.
They were the Fate Guardians.
It looked at Lumiere from behind the mask.
Inside the eyes visible through the mask, countless pupils were filling it like rising bubbles.
“It’s related to Lisir.”
“…What?”
Lumiere’s eyes widened.
According to the Fate Guardian-
the event she would observe this time was the details of the future disaster that would be caused by Lisir.
Are you sure?
Lumiere, about to say that, hesitated.
Doubting the Fate Guardian’s words was the same as doubting everything she had done until now.
“…”
At Lumiere’s reaction, the Fate Guardians smiled wryly behind their masks.
Fate Guardians.
Like Lumiere, they realized that the cause of all the reflux was Lisir. They were convinced.
That separating Lisir from Lumiere would be the solution to the problem.
Therefore, they pondered.
How can they separate Lisir from Lumiere?
The answer they came up with was observation.
To expose Lisir’s shame through observation and show it to Lumiere.
Of course.
It was impossible with ordinary observation.
Because even with their power, they couldn’t fully control the miraculous power of going back and forth between the past and the future.
Their observations were all in the form of ‘coincidence’.
It was virtually impossible to accurately observe and show Lumiere the events related to Lisir’s shame.
Then what should they do?
The answer was simple.
Manipulation.
Lumiere had experienced the power of observation through the Fate Guardians.
Would she,
be able to distinguish between real observation and manipulated observation?
“Will you observe?”
“…Show me.”
Seeing Lumiere’s anguished expression, the Fate Guardians rejoiced inwardly.
They immediately showed Lumiere the manipulated observation.
✦✦✦
At the same time.
Lisir felt a strange sense of unease surrounding him.
‘What is this…? Magic? No. No, this is-…’
Lisir closed his eyes and concentrated.
The world of stars he arrived at.
In the spiritual world, he began to observe himself from a spiritual perspective.
“Huh?”
Soon, he looked up.
As if the void had been torn, a huge eye appeared there, looking down at him.
“…”
Lisir strained his eyes.
To confirm what was reflected in that eye.
✦✦✦
“This is…”
Lumiere looked around.
Lisir’s room.
The structure of the place she had visited several times had changed.
What was visible everywhere were the traces of an ominous ritual.
The Fate Guardians said.
“You, too, must have felt doubt about his mysterious power.”
“…”
How could she not have doubts about that mysterious power.
The Fate Guardians’ words easily entangled themselves in Lumiere’s thoughts.
Lumiere’s expression instantly turned to anguish.
The Fate Guardians accelerated their actions to increase Lumiere’s confusion.
“And, you must have also questioned his intentions. That level of power. Why doesn’t he reign, but is content with coexisting with others from below.”
“That’s…”
“That’s to reassure them and induce complacency.”
The Fate Guardians approached Lisir and looked directly at him.
Their eyes met.
However, unlike the Fate Guardians, Lisir would not recognize the other party.
This is a one-sided observation.
He was merely a mental image created by the Fate Guardians-
“Inducing complacency, what do you mean?”
At that moment.
Lisir looked straight at the Fate Guardians and said.
“H-h-huck!!!”
The Fate Guardians recoiled in surprise.
✦✦✦
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